The Young Girl's Chronicles of Demon-Slaying

Chapter 16: Consent

The sigh came rather suddenly and seemed somewhat out of the blue, causing Fang Heng to look over at Lin Yuqin in confusion. However, before he could ask, Lin Yuqin had already explained the reason for her sigh. She ran her fingers through Fang Heng’s hair, a look of regret on her face, and said, “If only I had a daughter as musically gifted as you. Then the four of us could form a little band and have fun composing and arranging music in our spare time—how wonderful that would be!” Fang Heng blinked. What was that? Was she testing him? Then, in a playful tone, she added with a smile, “How about it, Hengheng? Would you be willing to make a little sacrifice and be my daughter?” After saying this, she looked at Fang Heng with a slightly nervous expression; although it sounded like a joke, she genuinely hoped he would agree. Hearing this, regardless of whether she was joking or not, Fang Heng seized the opportunity without hesitation and nodded, saying, “Sure!” “Really?!” Hearing those two words, Lin Yuqin cried out in delight, “I wasn’t joking, you know!” To make sure he was serious—and not just playing along because of her earlier tone—she asked again to confirm. “Mm-hmm!” Fang Heng nodded; he wasn’t joking either. Although she had a vague feeling that now was the right moment, just to be on the safe side, Lin Yuqin had intended only to test the girl’s feelings. She never expected such a pleasant surprise to come so suddenly—her initial test had suddenly become a reality. She couldn’t help but throw her arms around Fang Heng and plant a big kiss on his cheek. “Auntie is so happy! I finally have a daughter!” Lin Yuqin said excitedly. “We absolutely have to celebrate today!” As she spoke, she hurriedly stood up to leave, but quickly stopped, as if she’d just remembered something, and asked, “What do you like to eat, Hengheng? Auntie will make it for you!” Seeing Lin Yuqin so elated and excited, even Fang Heng—who was usually quite composed—couldn’t help but be swept up in the moment, a smile spreading across his face. After hearing Lin Yuqin’s question, he shook his head and said, “I’ll eat anything.” He really wasn’t a picky eater—when you don’t have money for food, what choice do you have? However, Lin Yuqin didn’t see it that way. “But there must be something you really love to eat, right?” she said. “Chicken, duck, fish, meat—as long as it tastes good.” “All right, then! I’ll make my specialty dish for you to try!” As soon as Lin Yuqin finished speaking, she eagerly headed for the door, calling out as she walked, “Just play here. Auntie’s going to buy some groceries—I’ll be right back!” Fang Heng watched with a smile as Lin Yuqin fumbled with her shoes at the door, then listened to the clatter of footsteps as she hurried down the stairs. Only after the sounds had completely faded did the smile on his face gradually fade as well. Strange. He touched his chest, which was slightly rounded—a sign that it was developing—but that wasn’t what concerned him. Rather, he felt his reaction was a bit strange. In fact, he’d had a vague sense of this for quite some time—it had just been too fleeting for him to pay attention to it. It wasn’t until now, seeing Lin Yuqin so excited and happy, that he finally took notice. Ever since becoming a girl, his emotions—or rather, the outward expressions of human joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—seemed to have grown somewhat subdued. Logically speaking, he should have been very eager to be adopted. After all, before this, he had always regretted not having a complete family and being unable to enjoy the warmth of a home. If he were adopted, he thought he would be very happy—just like Lin Yuqin. However, the reality was that after he agreed to be adopted by Lin Yuqin—while she was overjoyed and too thrilled for words—he, on the other hand, felt little stir within. It wasn’t until the very end that he was slightly moved by her enthusiasm and finally managed to smile. What’s that all about? Aftereffects of reincarnation, possession, or soul transfer? Or is it that souls come in different sizes—the body too small and the soul too large, so that after merging, the small body couldn’t contain the large soul, resulting in the soul losing part of its capacity for emotional expression? That idea is really a bit far-fetched—it’s clearly impossible. If he thought about it more deeply, could this detached personality actually be the girl’s true nature? At this thought, he couldn’t help but startle. Perhaps this body contains not only his soul but also the girl’s original soul. The reason he currently feels like himself is that his soul holds the dominant position. If one day the girl’s soul were to awaken and supplant him, he would no longer be himself. It’s also possible that, over time, the two souls would gradually merge into one, eventually becoming indistinguishable from each other. Fang Heng sat at the piano, lost in thought for a long while, but in the end, he could only sigh. His right hand slammed down hard on a key, as if trying to express the restlessness in his heart. Whether it was a missing soul or two souls crammed together, he seemed powerless to change his current situation. Even if there really were two souls coexisting and merging, what could he possibly do about it? His ten fingers glided swiftly across the keys. Amid the chaotic piano sounds, distinct musical phrases could still be faintly discerned—much like his state of mind at that very moment: on one hand, deeply agitated; on the other, remarkably calm. For a moment, the practice room was filled with this sound, like a raging storm. Yet a moment later, the noise ceased abruptly. Fang Heng looked out the window—had he just heard the doorbell ring? He waited quietly for a few seconds, and sure enough, the doorbell rang outside the courtyard. Lin Yuqin? The moment that name crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it. Lin Yuqin had a key; if she were coming back, she wouldn’t need to ring the doorbell. So it must be someone else. He left the music room, went downstairs, ran out into the courtyard, and opened the gate. His earlier speculations—that it might be Song Wencheng or a friend or relative of Lin Yuqin—vanished completely the moment he saw who was standing outside. “It’s you guys!” Seeing who had arrived, Fang Heng wasn’t surprised at all. After browsing the nearby supermarket, Lin Yuqin hummed a tune as she walked briskly home, carrying a large bag filled with groceries she’d bought, her mood clearly cheerful. She had always wanted a daughter, but having one of her own would have been too much trouble and would have had a significant impact on her family, so it had remained a source of regret. But now, having adopted a daughter—one who was so smart and musically gifted—it felt to her like a gift from heaven had fallen right into her lap. As she walked, she began to daydream: she should redecorate Fang Heng’s room to make it feel more like a girl’s room, add some stuffed animals, and buy a computer—it would be useful for both studying and entertainment… Lost in her thoughts, she found herself at the front door before she knew it. She opened the door and stepped inside, only to hear faint voices coming from within. Was someone there? Lin Yuqin paused for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and carried her purchases inside. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw the two police officers who had visited before, sitting on the living room sofa and talking to Fang Heng. Her heart sank—could this be news about one of Fang Heng’s relatives? However, though she harbored such worries, she couldn’t let them show on her face. She pretended to be cheerful as she greeted them, then went to the kitchen to put away the groceries. She took the freshly bought fruit out of the bag, washed it, and placed it in the fruit bowl on the coffee table. Only then did she sit down next to Fang Heng, affectionately ruffling the girl’s hair before asking, “Officers, did you come here today with any news?” The policewoman shook her head. “No news. The police department has basically classified Fang Heng as a missing child.” Hearing this, Fang Heng felt no stirrings in his heart; he had long known this would be the outcome, so it came as no surprise. Although he had vaguely worried whether the girl might have any relatives or something, there were absolutely no leads regarding her—he didn’t even know her name. In a sea of people, how could he possibly find her? If they could find someone under such circumstances, there wouldn’t be so many missing children every year who never find their parents. Upon hearing this news, Lin Yuqin couldn’t help but breathe a silent sigh of relief, but she quickly felt that such a thought was somewhat unfair to Fang Heng, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. However, despite her guilt, she still had to ask the necessary questions. She sat up straight and asked, “So, can I formally apply to adopt Hengheng now?” The female and male officers exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other’s eyes. They probably both sensed that Lin Yuqin must really like this girl named Fang Heng! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so eager. Still, if the adoptive family likes the child they’re adopting, that’s certainly not a bad thing—it’s actually a good sign. It means the adopted child won’t face discrimination or be treated differently at home in the future. The female officer smiled and said, “It’s good luck that Hengheng is only thirteen now. If it had been a few months later—once she turned fourteen—adoption wouldn’t be allowed. If Sister Lin wants to adopt her, there’s no problem, but first you’ll need to fill out an adoption application and provide proof of employment and income…” Most people rarely pay attention to adoption regulations, but after the idea of adopting Fang Heng crossed her mind, Lin Yuqin had done some research online. Originally, she’d planned to be thoroughly prepared—even if Fang Heng hadn’t yet agreed to be adopted, she could have spent a few days getting everything in order. But she hadn’t anticipated that plans would change so quickly; this day had arrived much sooner than expected, so she hadn’t had time to prepare anything. Now that the female police officer was explaining the adoption requirements to her, Lin Yuqin listened carefully, checking to see if there were any omissions or discrepancies compared to what she’d learned online; if there were omissions, she’d make a note of them, and if there were discrepancies, she’d ask questions—after all, it was best to get everything sorted out in one go to avoid unnecessary hassle. The two police officers, who were from the local police station, were simply providing Lin Yuqin with some general information as a courtesy. The actual application had to be submitted to the government’s civil affairs department. Once the procedures were completed and the adoption was officially registered, the adoption would be considered successful. Even if everything went smoothly, the process of preparing all the necessary documents would likely take two or three days. However, since the adoption of Fang Heng was now a done deal—a certainty with no obstacles in sight—the formalities didn’t really matter anymore. Lin Yuqin was still very happy. (End of Chapter)