The Young Girl's Chronicles of Demon-Slaying

Chapter 5: Staying Over

“Awake?” Fang Heng opened his eyes and sat up. Before he could get a clear look at his surroundings, he heard a woman’s voice. He looked over and saw a woman in her thirties—who seemed vaguely familiar—walking toward him with a bowl in her hands. He thought for a moment, feeling a bit groggy; he couldn’t quite place who this familiar-looking person was, so he asked, “Are you…?” “Don’t you remember?” Lin Yuqin said with a smile. “We were the ones who took you to the hospital yesterday.” As she spoke, she had already reached the coffee table. She set the bowl and a stainless-steel spoon in front of Fang Heng, then reached into a clay pot on the table—padded with a thick cloth at the bottom—and used a ladle to scoop out spoonful after spoonful of plain rice porridge. Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Fang Heng, who had been listening to Lin Yuqin speak, hadn’t had time to fully process her words before his attention was instantly drawn to the congee in the bowl. His stomach had been growling with hunger all along, and at the sight of the plain congee before him, he felt as if his eyes were glowing red. But after all, he wasn’t yet so hungry that he was feeling dizzy; the reason he’d fainted was simply that he’d engaged in strenuous exercise while starving, and his body couldn’t handle it all at once. So, out of basic courtesy, he refrained from picking up the bowl and digging in right away, instead staring at the porridge with a look of pure greed on his face. Seeing him like this, Lin Yuqin couldn’t help but smile slightly. Only after the bowl was filled to the brim did she say, “Go ahead and drink it! I cooked it just for you… but be careful—it’s still a little hot.” “Thank you!” With his host’s permission, Fang Heng thanked her, then eagerly picked up the bowl, grabbed the spoon, and began eating the porridge. It was just plain white porridge, simply seasoned with chopped scallions and salt, but as he tasted it, it felt like the most exquisite delicacy—truly moving. This might have been due to Lin Yuqin’s skill in cooking porridge, but it was also because he was so incredibly hungry. Neither of them spoke; one sat quietly to the side, watching silently, while the other was too busy eating the porridge to say a word. After he had finished two full bowls of porridge, Lin Yuqin stopped Fang Heng just as he was about to scoop more from the earthenware pot, saying, “You’re too hungry. You’ve actually had enough after two bowls—it’s just that your stomach hasn’t caught up yet. Wait a bit before eating any more!” Hearing this, Fang Heng sheepishly set down his spoon and bowl, thanking her once more: “Thank you!” “This kid is actually quite polite,” Thinking this to herself, Lin Yuqin took a few tissues and handed them to him so he could wipe the traces from the corner of his mouth. After watching Fang Heng wipe his mouth, Lin Yuqin adopted a serious tone: “All right! Now that you’ve had your fill, it’s time to tell me why you ran away from the hospital.” The authority in her voice reminded one of a schoolteacher—and in fact, Lin Yuqin was indeed a teacher at the Nan’an Conservatory of Music in Yashan City. Fang Heng, of course, didn’t know this. He was just a little surprised by the sudden change in Lin Yuqin’s demeanor, but since she’d brought him back, fed him, and had saved him before, answering a few questions didn’t seem like such a big deal. However, he certainly couldn’t reveal the real reason, so he simply mumbled, “I’m not sick.” “Whether you’re sick or not is for a doctor to decide—not you. And…” She changed the subject, her tone turning stern. “…You’re just a little girl. It’s one thing to run away from the hospital, but you didn’t even go home! What are you doing wandering around out here so late at night? What if you ran into some bad guys?!” When she heard that last remark, Fang Heng once again thought of that young man who seemed to have ulterior motives toward her, and she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. With her teenage body, she certainly wasn’t as strong as an adult; if she were actually caught, she probably wouldn’t even have a chance to fight back. Fortunately, he’d sensed the danger early and run away quickly; otherwise, he dared not imagine what might have happened. Fang Heng remained silent for a moment. Lin Yuqin thought he realized his mistake, so she softened her tone and asked, “Since you ran away from the hospital, why didn’t you go home?” “Go home?” A wry smile flitted across Fang Heng’s face. “I don’t have a home.” He’d said he’d be back early, but some unexpected business had come up, causing a slight delay. When Song Wencheng parked the car in the garage and walked into the living room, he was surprised to see only his wife sitting alone on the sofa watching TV. “Where’s the little girl?” “Huh? You’re back?” Hearing his voice, Lin Yuqin seemed to notice Song Wencheng for the first time. Seeing that he was concerned about the little girl as soon as he walked in, she said, “After she finished eating, she looked really sleepy, so I gave her a bath and put her to bed in the guest room.” “Oh! So it seems there’s nothing to worry about, then?” Song Wencheng said. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” Lin Yuqin nodded. “Did you ask her why she ran away from the hospital?” Song Wencheng asked. “I did, but she just said she wasn’t sick and didn’t like being in the hospital,” Lin Yuqin shook her head. “I also asked her why she didn’t go home, and she said she didn’t have a home.” “An orphan?” Song Wencheng seemed slightly surprised, but Lin Yuqin’s words felt both unexpected and yet somehow understandable. “I suppose so!” Lin Yuqin sighed. “But I don’t know if it’s true or not… This little girl seems very polite; she must have been well-raised. Maybe when she said she has no home, she was just telling a lie because she didn’t want to go home?” “In any case, let’s have the police come by tomorrow!” Song Wencheng said. This wasn’t something they could handle on their own; they’d have to let the police take care of it. “Mm-hmm!” Lin Yuqin nodded. “Since tomorrow is Saturday, I’ll stay home and keep her company.” After a brief discussion, the couple settled on a plan. Next, Song Wencheng went to do the dishes, while Lin Yuqin returned to her room. However, as she passed the guest room, she quietly opened the door and, using the light streaming in from outside, checked to make sure the little girl was truly asleep and that the blanket hadn’t been pulled off. Only after seeing that the person on the bed was sleeping soundly did she quietly close the door and return to her own room. Just as the door closed, Fang Heng, who had been lying in bed with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Although he was indeed very sleepy, for some reason, as soon as he lay down on the bed, he couldn’t fall asleep even with his eyes closed. There are so many things on my mind: What should I do now? What about the future? How am I going to live? Am I supposed to go on like this for the rest of my life? And so on—all sorts of questions and worries rise and fall like the waves of the ocean. With so much on his mind and his thoughts in such disarray, how could he possibly fall asleep? He rolled onto his side and gazed out the window. The night sky must be beautiful tonight; the bright Yue Guang shone on the windowsill, filtering through the curtains and casting a circle of light on the floor. It seemed he couldn’t avoid dealing with the police after all. But what could he possibly say? It seemed he didn’t know any more than anyone else—or rather, of the things he did know, there was nothing he could actually say. Fortunately, he wasn’t a criminal, so even if he were questioned, he probably wouldn’t be forced to answer if he didn’t want to. But in any case, his only destination would inevitably be the Orphanage. After the scare he’d experienced last night, he’d come to realize that living on the streets was the most foolish course of action. Society was a dangerous place, and he wasn’t in a position to handle it in his current state. So the best approach was to find a safe place to stay first, settle down, and then think about his future. And the orphanage seemed to be his only option. Fortunately, he was quite familiar with the Orphanage; if he returned there, he should be able to adjust quickly, right? Once he’d made this decision in his heart, his turbulent thoughts gradually subsided. He closed his eyes, and within just a moment, his breathing became steady. The night passed without incident. When he opened his eyes, Fang Heng felt refreshed and alert—a sensation he hadn’t experienced in a long time as an adult. Children really do have their advantages; even though he was weighed down by worries, once he fell asleep, the quality of his sleep was top-notch. However, as soon as he woke up, his worries returned. Since he didn’t have any pajamas, he’d taken off his clothes after his shower yesterday and placed them on the nightstand. But now, as he sat up in bed, he didn’t see the hospital gown—only a set of clothes was lying where it should have been. It seemed he’d been sleeping so soundly that he hadn’t even noticed someone had come into the room and swapped out his hospital gown. Looking at the clothes—though neatly folded—it was clearly women’s clothing. He even wondered if it might be a skirt. He hesitated for a moment, but he had no other choice—unless he dared to go out naked or stay locked in his room forever. So no matter how much he hesitated, he eventually picked up the garment, unfolded it, and—sure enough—it was a skirt. It was a white, polka-dot, sleeveless dress. The color was simple and understated, but every detail highlighted its feminine features—especially the bow pattern along the hem and the actual bow adorning the waist. Overall, this dress was very suitable for a girl to wear—especially a young girl like him, who was only fourteen. Fang Heng held the dress and stared at it for quite a while before letting out a long sigh. A dress! If I actually put this on, would I completely lose myself? Would I become a cross-dresser from then on? But it seemed there was no other choice but to wear it! So he had no choice but to wear it. On the nightstand, besides this skirt, there were also bras and panties suitable for a fourteen-year-old girl who’s just starting to develop. They were all very dainty, with adorable colors and patterns. They must have been newly bought, because the scent of new clothes still lingered on them. Looking at these clothes, Fang Heng felt like crying but couldn’t bring himself to. Still, he had no choice but to get up, put them on one by one, and then stand motionless on the bed for a moment, feeling a hollow emptiness down there—it felt awful and made him feel very insecure. But there was nothing else he could do. He thought to himself, life is like being trapped in a situation you can’t resist—if you can’t change it, you might as well make yourself as comfortable as possible and endure it. He got out of bed, slipped on a pair of newly bought sandals, and finally left the room, heading down the stairs. While still on the steps, he spotted a breakfast spread laid out on the dining table. Breakfast consisted of egg noodles and soy milk. He walked over silently, ate it in silence, cleared away his bowl and chopsticks, went into the kitchen to wash them, and then returned to the living room. The TV was on in the living room, airing commercials, but there was no one there watching it. (End of Chapter)