Chapter 34: Fate

August 3, 2024, Qingtan City, Suburbs

It was nighttime, and the roads between the city’s outskirts were nearly empty of private cars.

Buses had stopped running an hour ago, leaving only a few lonely streetlights along the roadside.

At this moment, seven or eight moths were frantically beating their wings against the glow of one such light.

They couldn’t have missed the person standing beneath it.

Li Feng raised his left hand, checking his watch under the streetlight.

He’d been here for two hours, waiting for someone.

About four months ago, something strange had happened to him.

A late-night emergency call led him to a scene where a white-haired girl sat alone.

Her clothes were torn, but she had no visible injuries.

When they brought her to the station, she said odd things.

She claimed her grandmother had been murdered in that house.

Yet, there was no body at the scene.

Later, after a phone call, he watched a blond foreigner take the girl away…

And then, he completely forgot the incident.

The weather forecast was right—days of 30°C+ heat, even at night, were stifling.

Li Feng shook out his loose white T-shirt, scanning the area, but the person he was waiting for wasn’t there.

He knew they were likely younger than him.

This assumption came from a brief encounter on a less sweltering night.

He’d taken a day off, planning to visit the old city district the next day.

In his memory—or dreams—there was always an old house with nothing but that white-haired girl inside.

That night, he received a message from an unknown number.

[It wasn’t a dream.]

Before he could respond, another message arrived.

[Go to the window. Open the curtains.]

Li Feng hesitated but complied.

No jump scare awaited outside.

Across from his window, he saw a small, frail silhouette.

The figure, back turned, gave a slight wave.

Then, his vision flashed red, and erased memories flooded back.

The girl, a young man, the old house in the district, the emergency call…

He remembered everything!

Li Feng couldn’t fathom why he’d forgotten.

He messaged the strange account, but it was offline.

In the days that followed, weirder things happened.

No one, including his colleague from that night, recalled the incident.

No matter how he pressed, they claimed ignorance; some even suggested he see a shrink to avoid mental issues at his young age.

Gradually, Li Feng let it go.

He had a job—grueling but stable.

The incident was too bizarre to pursue.

The mysterious account never messaged again…

Until yesterday.

It asked him to meet at 6 p.m. tonight by a suburban bus stop.

Li Feng wasn’t naive; he nearly refused, but the next message gave him pause.

[Miss it, and the nightmares continue.]

Those seconds of hesitation brought him here.

It wasn’t exactly the middle of nowhere, but it wasn’t far off.

From 6 p.m. till now, he was fed up.

Li Feng was punctual—always early for school trips as a kid or recent outings with friends.

Today, he’d waited ages, but the other party hadn’t shown.

Stood up?

Or just a prank?

As the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a figure under another streetlight nearby, appearing out of nowhere.

Taller than the person he’d briefly met, they waved and strolled toward him.

Li Feng glanced around—no one else was here.

At five meters, he heard their voice, delicate and beautiful, like fingers plucking a harp.

“You’re finally here.”

—

Youdu, Spiritual Academy

It was the third night of August, 8:30 p.m.

The dorm area, usually brightly lit, was mostly dark, with only a dozen lights on.

One was in 17#620.

“Chang Mu, quick, shoot an arrow for me…”

“Smoke A-small…”

“Hurry, A-big, help me clutch this!”

In 620, Xia Yin sat at his desk, earphones on, hands dancing between keyboard and mouse, eyes glued to his 15.6-inch screen.

He ignored the cool gaze from the white-haired girl nearby.

Xueqiu, fresh from the bathroom, had dried her hair and meant to ask about tomorrow’s plans.

Seeing him engrossed, she quietly swept up his shrimp chip wrappers and two empty bottles, tossing them into a trash bag.

“I’m stepping out,” she said instinctively, like a kid reporting to parents, though it was just to take out the trash.

Xia Yin, predictably, didn’t respond, his left hand on “W” and “Shift,” mouse tracking his aim.

It was August 3, 2024—Xueqiu’s fifth month at the Academy.

Since passing the entrance exam, her life had settled into that of a semi-normal student—at least by Academy standards.

Uniform, issued.

Student ID with the school emblem, issued.

Handbooks and emergency guides, issued…

But one thing set her apart from most students: she didn’t attend classes.

Not due to prodigious talent—quite the opposite.

In these months, she’d only learned some combat, firearms, and swordplay from Xia Yin, audited a few of Professor Chen’s lectures, and hadn’t had proper training.

On the surface, she was a barely eighteen-year-old, frail, silent girl who spoke only when necessary.

She, along with the other two early-admission freshmen, didn’t need classes because the official freshman start date was September 4.

This was contradictory.

Xia Yin had said early-admission students got an extra semester of classes.

Yet, Xueqiu, Chang Mu, and the twin-tailed Chisaki Takanotsume had been idle these months.

Thankfully, her student card’s balance was generous—she hadn’t touched her bank account.

Xia Yin had used her card for over a hundred late-night snacks and a dozen lunches.

Since starting to train her, he’d cut back on junk food.

Taking the elevator down, Xueqiu saw no one, only the lights still on.

It was summer break; ninety percent of students had gone home.

Staring at the dark neighboring building, Xueqiu felt an inexplicable emptiness, trash bag in hand.

Boredom setting in?

The feeling lasted five seconds.

Then, not loneliness but her phone’s ringtone broke the silence.

ps: Second update tonight at 8:30 p.m. With 228 monthly tickets, I’ll add two extra chapters next month. Begging for tickets and tips (seriously)!