Seigetsu Zhu closed the door.

"Thud."

The light from the corridor was completely cut off.

In the darkness of the room, she didn't turn on the lights. She just leaned against the door and stood there quietly.

It's interesting what people see in the dark: the human eye gradually adapts to the lightless environment, and people with normal vision can still see things; but the faint reflection of light makes it difficult to see things clearly, often only seeing various angles and outlines submerged in darkness.

At this time, the human brain will play an excessive role: it will imagine any blurry things you see in various imaginative directions. And because people are naturally afraid of the dark, this imagination often quickly builds up into ubiquitous threats.

Even static objects are seen as terrifying creatures; staring at the furniture in her own home in the dark for a long time, she might even think they are moving.

Just like the white smoke released by dry ice on the stage, in the darkness that cannot be reached by sight, it seems that there is something hidden everywhere.

At this moment, most people can't help but turn on the lights to make themselves feel at ease. This is the first thing most people do when they come home.

But Seigetsu Zhu didn't move.

She waited until she heard a heavy breath from upstairs, then picked up her school bag and walked towards the sofa.

The girl's footsteps were as light as a cat's, making no sound.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

It was a heavy and muffled breath, the kind that only seriously ill people would have in bed.

Although it may sound heartless to say so, for family members who live together and take care of those who are resting at home due to serious respiratory diseases such as severe bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma, the noises they make at night are a long torment.

In the quiet night, listening to the sound of breathing like a ventilator, it makes people toss and turn and unable to sleep... It feels like a strange monster is living in the next room.

Not limited to a certain disease, taking care of a patient itself is a painful thing. Even blood relatives, once the time is long, will feel irritable and terrifying, mixed with pity and sadness for the patient.

That's just the beginning.

If time passes and the patient's condition does not worsen or improve, numbness gradually sets in.

...

At this moment, only the sound from upstairs echoed in the quiet room and staircase; if you listen for a long time, you will have the illusion that "the whole house is breathing".

Seigetsu Zhu walked into the kitchen and turned on a dim yellow light. She skillfully opened the medicine packaging box, took out the capsules, split them in half, poured the powder into a cup, and poured a cup of hot water, carefully brewing the medicine.

She looked up at the wall clock hanging in the living room, confirmed the time, and then picked up the cup and walked upstairs.

...

Pushing open the bedroom door, there was no light inside either, and the dark air was filled with a strong medicinal smell.

"Mom, it's time to take your medicine."

Seigetsu Zhu walked to the bedside and said softly.

No response.

Only a hoarse sound of "whoosh, whoosh" came from under the covers.

Seigetsu Zhu placed the cup on the bedside table.

At this moment, she heard a low female voice.

"You...came back very late today, did you go somewhere to play instead of studying?"

"Of course not."

Seigetsu Zhu replied with a smile.

"I was just about to report to you what I did today."

From leaving home, the route to school, the situation in class, the results of quizzes, helping the teacher after school, organizing study groups... she systematically recounted everything.

Then, she talked about the incident in the evening, when a suspected murderer broke into the campus.

Seigetsu Zhu didn't reveal all the truth she knew, after all, she had promised Sunny Xu not to disclose their conversation to anyone. She only mentioned that they all escaped from the campus together and reported to the police, and the madman disappeared without a trace. So she was at the police station until half an hour ago, which caused her to return home late.

"..."

Seigetsu Zhu closed her mouth and waited for a while.

The woman on the bed didn't speak, as if she hadn't heard anything; or maybe even if her own daughter had experienced such a terrible ordeal, she didn't care.

The girl didn't feel ignored or frustrated, because her mother's reaction was completely within her expectations.

Seigetsu Zhu silently counted for twenty seconds in her heart, and after this time passed, she spoke again and continued.

"There's one more thing I want to report to you, Mom. I finally found a target that can become a true friend..."

Before she could finish her words, a thin and dry hand suddenly stretched out from under the covers, firmly grabbing the girl's wrist.

"Who is it? Where is their family from? What do their parents do? How are their grades? Don't let anyone deceive you, especially boys. At this age, they are all unreliable... Seigetsu, I won't feel at ease if I don't see your friends with my own eyes."

The woman's voice was dry, and the hand holding the girl's wrist unconsciously exerted force, almost leaving red marks on Seigetsu Zhu's soft skin.

"...Don't worry, Mom."Seigetsu Zhu's forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, but she didn't struggle or give up. She answered softly, "There are two people in total, both of them have good personalities and are very ambitious. I think Mom will definitely like them. One of them is Starry Lin, the classmate I mentioned to you before. I have observed her for a long time and think she is very suitable. She is independent and not easily influenced by others."

"And there is another... a man named Sunny Xu," Seigetsu Zhu spoke quickly, seemingly afraid of being misunderstood by her mother. "If he hadn't stood up against the intruder tonight, I might not have been able to come back. It was the first time I received such great help from someone, and he is truly a trustworthy person."

"Coincidentally, these two are neighbors and have a close relationship. We don't have to worry about them having conflicts in the future, nor do we have to worry about me falling in love early... What do you think, Mom?"

The woman under the blanket didn't answer, but her withered hand didn't let go.

Seigetsu Zhu pursed her lips and after a while, she whispered, "Mom, haven't you always been worried that I would be alone and have no one to rely on after you leave? I think it's necessary to make some reliable friends just in case..."

Perhaps thinking of something, the woman's hand slipped from her wrist.

"Unfortunately, I can't go out to meet people. I can't help you judge, you have to... cough, cough!"

Midway through her words, the woman suddenly started coughing violently, a sound that was exceptionally frightening, as if she was coughing up her own lungs.

"Okay, I will."

Seigetsu Zhu handed over the cup.

"Here, drink your medicine, Mom, don't let your condition worsen."

"If... if he were here..." The woman didn't take the cup, but instead muttered to herself like she was in a dream, her voice becoming weaker. "If Kangwen was here... we wouldn't need to rely on anyone else..."

"Are you asking when Dad will come back?"

Seigetsu Zhu's face carried a faint smile.

Search "pawread dot com" for the original.

"I called and no one answered. I think he probably won't come back this year..."

"Crack!"

The cup in the girl's hand was suddenly thrown, hitting the wardrobe behind her and falling to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Glass shards scattered all over the floor with a clatter.

Seigetsu Zhu let out a small exclamation.

She furrowed her brows, realizing that one of her fingers was experiencing a sharp pain.

When Seigetsu Zhu looked up again, the woman had already withdrawn her hand. In the darkness, the large bed seemed like a nest, and nothing could be seen clearly.

The girl didn't say anything and silently left the bedroom.

...

She walked to the sink and carefully examined her palm under the light. She discovered that one of her fingers had accidentally been cut by the flying glass shards and was bleeding.

"It's just a finger, luckily."

Seigetsu Zhu thought to herself.

She turned on the faucet and rinsed her hand in the water, watching as the water gradually turned pale red and flowed into the drain.

She focused on it, imagining it as a river of blood flowing endlessly from her body.

The river flowed and flowed, out of the city, towards the sea, never stopping, flowing to the ends of the earth where no one could see or find it.

But imagination was just imagination after all.

Seigetsu Zhu stared at the drain connecting the sink and the sewer for a while, until her hand became as cold as ice from the cooling water flow, before suddenly snapping back to reality.

The girl took out disinfectant and a band-aid from the nearby cabinet, quickly treating her wound. After resting for a while on a chair by the dining table, she picked up a broom and dustpan and headed towards the stairs.

When she entered the bedroom again, the large bed in the darkness could only be vaguely seen as a raised silhouette. There was no movement, and even the heavy breathing gradually calmed down, as if the person lying on the bed had fallen asleep.

Taking advantage of the faint light, Seigetsu Zhu cleaned up the glass shards on the floor, then walked out of the room without making a sound.

She gently closed the door and turned to leave.

*

Afterwards, following the daily schedule, Seigetsu Zhu cooked and ate alone in the kitchen, preparing a portion for her mother and bringing it to the bedroom. Then she returned to her room to do her homework, taking out the bowl and chopsticks from the bedroom after an hour, washing them and putting them back in their original place.

Next was bathing, doing laundry, and even the bedtime routine, including preparing two doses of regular medication to be taken upstairs.

And that's how each day ended.

Of course, Seigetsu Zhu left time for herself to rest and entertain, but the timing for each activity was fixed and never changed.

Day after day, Seigetsu Zhu lived in a "breathing house," leading a calm and uneventful life.

As a high-end residential area, Qingjiang Garden had spacious interiors for each unit. In Seigetsu Zhu's home, there were about twenty rooms, enough to accommodate two or three families.

But the rooms that the girl used were always the same. Most of the house, in the darkness without lights, was spent in this daily routine.

Seigetsu Zhu didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

It wasn't about saving electricity, but rather she felt that if the rooms were too bright, it would make the environment feel too empty and lonely.Seigetsu Zhu had lived here for nearly a decade, familiar with every item placed in each corner, and she would always neatly return things to their original place after use.

No one would visit here, her mother usually stayed in her bedroom to rest, hardly ever coming downstairs, so the darkness of the night didn't inconvenience her life. All she needed to do was clean and tidy up regularly.

...

On the desk neatly stacked with reference books and test papers, the hands of a pink piggy alarm clock pointed to twelve o'clock.

Seigetsu Zhu, sitting at the desk, put down her pen, stretched lazily, exhaled a breath, and felt her whole body relax.

The brief time from finishing her studies to going to sleep, spent resting in her own bedroom, was the most relaxing time of the day for Seigetsu Zhu.

"It's time to go to bed."

She muttered to herself, got up and left the room, heading for the bathroom next door.

At the end of the corridor opposite was a window, the glass reflecting the boundless night view that could be seen from the high-rise buildings in the city. The corridor was also unlit, with only the echo of the girl's footsteps.

Seigetsu Zhu entered the bathroom, turned on the faucet and the light inside.

The girl in front of the mirror was wearing a fluffy pajama with a hood, white bunny slippers on her feet, and a delicate and perfect face, she was simply too cute.

She lowered her head and began to squeeze toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

The water was flowing "hurrah".

For some reason, whenever she brushed her teeth in front of the mirror, she always felt restless.

Was it because too many things had happened today? She thought.

From somewhere, came the sound of rustling, wave after wave, like the echo of leaves colliding in the wind when passing under the shade of a tree.

...Is it mom?

The woman in the bedroom would make heavy breathing sounds at night, talk in her sleep, even cry mournfully. She had been awakened by this more than once or twice.

But this time it seemed a little different.

Seigetsu Zhu turned off the faucet, put back the toothbrush and cup, and returned to the corridor.

Her gaze fell on the window at the end of the corridor.

In that instant, the girl caught a glimpse, as if she saw a slender figure, like a gecko, clinging to the outer wall with its limbs, crawling past the window glass...