Heavy words added another layer of solemnity to the atmosphere.
Gravity was etched on everyone's faces. This matter was far more serious than they had previously estimated; they had to prepare for the worst.
"That bird of the Winter family, her recent movements have been quite frequent."
"I have to admit, she has shown an extraordinary side in handling these affairs. To think she was just an ordinary girl who knew nothing of the world before this; her swift and efficient methods are almost a match for those old foxes," Chen San said with a chuckle.
"A natural-born ruler and power player, she is so much like 'Fate.' Perhaps when she grows up, she really will be a very troublesome character." Aivmey rubbed his chin, recalling the first time he met the girl, when she was hiding behind 'Fate' with that shy and restrained look.
The next time they met, not long ago, he could no longer see through those deep, peaceful eyes that resembled a quiet sea. She had become dignified and composed, as if she were a different person. The lively bird had become taciturn, hiding a cold indifference beneath her customary polite smile.
Or rather... rationality.
"That is exactly what's worrying. Judging by her personality, that meticulous bird should have been extremely cautious before making these moves. She should know better than anyone that her wings are still fragile and her roots are shallow; one wrong move and she'll fall to her ruin."
"I get the feeling that something is driving her to take these risks step by step."
"Regardless of the attitude outside, at least we cannot give up on this place. The struggle must continue. We can try to use Sevia Winter to get in touch with the Tree of Eternal Life."
"Tsk, and 'Fate' chooses this exact moment to go missing, without even a single message."
Amy had no heart to listen to the rest of the discussion. her gaze was completely fixed on a promotional poster.
It was the poster for the finals of the Starry Art Competition. The bright image of the universal superstar Marilynn was prominent in the center of the frame.
Ever since Tang Xin came into contact with the family, Amy felt the girl was growing further and further away. Before, they used to sit together and discuss this year's Starry Art Competition.
She vaguely remembered the light in the girl's eyes when she spoke of the final stage.
The finals were only two days away. Tang Xin, what are you thinking about right now?
"Seek wisdom with clarity, pursue your dreams."
"Achieve yourself, spread your wings and soar."
"Art is the fountain of human wisdom, the pursuit of beauty, and the repository of all emotions. It is a way to creatively express feelings, concepts, and reality, making the world a better place."
The tidy recitation of the children echoed in the corridors of the orphanage. The walls were covered with drawings full of innocent fantasies—some exquisite, some crude—all pinned neatly with thumbtacks.
With her hands clasped behind her back, Tang Xin walked quietly through this small world belonging to the children. Cartoon characters, future cities, and flying cars, all carrying countless innocent ideas, seemed to step out of the drawings, breathing and thinking alongside her.
Because her hair was too long, she had to tie it into a thick braid that fell down her back, reaching her calves hidden by her white dress. A quiet and peaceful aura accompanied her.
Tang Xin noticed a drawing hidden beneath many sketches. Her eyes flickered as she pulled it out, seeing a watercolor depiction of herself. It was simple to the point of being crude, with neat handwriting in the bottom right corner:
"My favorite big sister Tang!"
It must be little Alice's drawing, right?
Tang Xin thought to herself.
Ince, following behind, seized the opportunity to adjust the camera angle and record the girl's back. His heart didn't flutter and his hands didn't shake; he never doubted his photography skills. If only there were color here, he was certain the final shot would look amazing!
Perhaps tomorrow, the news—"The kind Starry Singer, Miss Sevia Winter of the Winter family, visits the spiritual home of her childhood and donates to the Iris Orphanage, establishing the Blue Iris Foundation"—would hit the top of the search rankings.
Let those people who vent their malice at each other on the curtain all day see that such truth, goodness, and beauty still exist in the world!
It might even heal their muddy and foul hearts.
Who was this beautiful, moving, gentle, and kind person?
That's right, it was his new master, Miss Sevia Winter!
"Miss, please tilt your head back just a little more. Yes, yes, adjust the angle a tiny bit more. Right, smile like that. You look absolutely stunning; you're sure to charm people to death." Ince found the perfect angle and snapped a series of photos.
The perfectly timed, moving smile faded. Tang Xin tucked all her emotions into her heart and continued walking through this little world.
Ince was editing the shots he just took on the spot.
Before long, the bell rang, and the children swarmed out of the classroom. Their eyes lit up when they saw the girl, and they gathered around. The boys stood to the side, trying to look cool, while a few bold and lively girls went straight forward to hug her, circling around Tang Xin.
"Big sister Tang!"
"Heehee, big sister Tang came to see us today too."
"Big sister Tang smells so good. I like it."
Clearly, the girl ranked at least in the top three of these children's "favorite things in the world" lists.
Ince seized another opportunity for a series of shots, until he noticed a boy nearby. Even though he was shivering from the cold, he only wore a small vest. The boy sniffed the mucus at his nose, looking aloof.
"I really don't get why all those little brats like her."
Ince was amused. He knew that most children had nearly zero resistance to a gentle big sister next door.
He immediately became interested in this little boy and pointed the lens at his face. "What's the word, buddy? Look at the camera."
Confronted by the lens, the boy suddenly became shy, bowing his head and muttering:
"She's clearly not as good as big sister Themia."
"Themia?" Ince raised an eyebrow, thinking that everything still revolved around a 'big sister.'
At that moment, the blonde girl who had been teaching in the classroom walked out. Seeing the two of them, she smiled gently and greeted them. The surrounding children immediately swarmed her as well.
"Big sister Themia!"
"Big sister Themia, there are still so many problems I don't understand. Can you teach me?"
"She is Themia?"
"Yes, she was recently transferred to our Iris Orphanage. Big sister Themia is very smart; she can even do those sudoku puzzles." Like he had found a theory to back him up, the boy's voice became much more confident in front of the camera.
For some reason, when Ince met Themia's calm, ice-blue eyes, he shivered involuntarily.
What was the deal with this person named Themia?
Before long, the children of the orphanage seemed to split into two incompatible factions, standing beside the blue-haired girl and Themia, staring at each other. The atmosphere became somewhat subtle for a moment.
Under countless curious gazes, Themia walked up to Tang Xin.
"Hello, Miss Sevia Winter. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Xu Xiaoyou's eyes reflected the slightly stunned blue-haired girl. Her gentle tone reminded one of a stream flowing through a night forest.
"My name is Themia, and I am a preschool teacher at this orphanage."
Tang Xin stared at the girl's somewhat familiar gaze and failed to snap out of it for a long time. It wasn't until a cold wind blew between them that she realized her lapse in etiquette and reached out to shake her hand.
How strange...
She clearly didn't know this girl named Themia. The other person's appearance and temperament were undoubtedly foreign to her.
But why was her heart beating so fast?
This familiar and intense heartbeat almost made her blurt out a specific name.
"You don't look very well. Is something wrong?" Xu Xiaoyou asked.
"My apologies." Tang Xin pulled her hand back quickly as if she had been electrocuted. "I'm fine."
Xu Xiaoyou shook her head and didn't pay it much mind. Sure enough, she still wanted to come and see the other person. After setting the stage through her connections, she had rushed to the orphanage at the first opportunity.
Obviously, the real Themia didn't exist. To the children here, Themia was just a character they had imagined. To maintain this disguise, she had used several skill cards like Breath Concealment, Disguise Card, and Invisible Features.
Even so, the other person had somehow recognized her on some level.
"Excuse me, where is Director Aerylia right now?" Tang Xin asked.
"She's already here."
A woman with a kind face walked over slowly, wearing a floral dress. Aside from the calluses on her hands, Ince could tell at a glance that this woman maintained herself quite well.
In this biting cold weather, there were few signs of frostbite on her. Her skin was hydrated; clearly, she used all sorts of skincare creams every day. Compared to the snot-nosed kid nearby and the children whose faces, hands, and feet were covered in frostbite scars, it was like night and day.
As a photographer, he had seen many directors of orphanages in the Keyboard District. Most of them were like this lady. Who knew how much of the government funding for the orphanage every year went into their pockets and how much actually reached the children?
Looking at the thin clothes, the dirty little faces, and the eyes covered in dust, Ince silently turned his head and gave a tsk.
Always promising to give these little guys a better tomorrow, yet only improving their own lives after receiving donations.
"A bunch of hypocrites."
In his heart, Ince felt that the children—and his own master's kindness—weren't worth it.
His voice wasn't loud, but the woman heard it clearly. The kindness in her eyes didn't waver. After staring at her for a while, Ince caught a glimpse of a heavy, deathly aura within them.
"Themia, Sevia Winter," Aerylia said with a smile.
"Madam Director," Tang Xin nodded.
"Bring the children and follow me."
Aerylia didn't say much else, turning around to walk toward the other side of the corridor.
The two of them followed silently, leading the children behind them.
They passed soundlessly through a long corridor. Light shone through scattered windows. A fresh, cold wind blew in first, jolting their spirits.
At the confluence of light at the end of the corridor stood a young girl. She was surrounded by several orphanage workers and security guards. Their expressions were not good; they were even somewhat pale.
Seeing the woman arrive, the leading girl stepped forward two steps. Her eyes were wet with mist, and her tone was urgent: "Ma—"
After seeing a crowd following behind Aerylia, the girl quickly changed her tune. "Director Aerylia, come and look at this."
With that, the girl gave a meaningful look. The workers nearby understood and went to the back to block the children who were peeking curiously, maintaining order.
Xu Xiaoyou and Tang Xin exchanged a glance and stepped forward. After seeing the scene before them, their expressions changed.
In the drainage ditch hidden by bushes, a mangled corpse lay in the trapezoidal channel. The water flowed over his bloated face, and the light veiled his dull eyes.
It was Chris. Tang Xin had just seen him at the orphanage last night. His right eye socket had been pierced by a paintbrush. A fallen paint bucket rolled nearby, its contents diluted by the ditch water, with only a small amount remaining inside.
From his slightly distorted features, it wasn't hard to tell that perhaps the youth had sensed his own death and wanted to return to the place he called home to say goodbye. During the process, he had fallen into a helpless state of depletion and began to "fade," ending his own life before turning into a monster.
With that paintbrush—the very paintbrush Director Aerylia had placed in his hands.
"Take him away. Don't let the children see," Aerylia said with a kind expression.
"Director?" Tang Xin looked up to meet those kind eyes, not understanding why the other person's reaction was so indifferent, why she was still smiling so benevolently as before...
"Sevia Winter, the activity must continue. Don't let him delay the children. They need to put on warm clothes before the even colder weather arrives."
Aerylia left. The orphanage workers came forward and lifted the body from the drainage ditch. Before long, the scene was cleaned up entirely. It was impossible to imagine that not long ago, someone had died alone and cold in a corner of this orphanage, with no one caring.
"Big sister Mel, what's wrong?"
The children gathered around Mel, not understanding why the girl's eyes were red and swollen, not understanding why she was crying. No one knew how to comfort her.
"I used to see big sister Mel and big brother Chris meeting privately in the back garden." The snot-nosed boy suddenly spoke up. No matter how much things were hidden, there would always be children who saw the truth.
This child, not even eight years old, had seen the youth's horrific death yet showed no unease or fear, merely stating what he had seen in the past.
Ince looked at the boy with a complicated expression, squatting down to ask seriously: "Buddy, what's your name?"
"I'm Berwick," the boy answered truthfully.
A grey haze loomed over the corridor. Tang Xin silently led the children toward the back garden, while Xu Xiaoyou lingered on the spot, standing in the shadow of the building to watch the scene unfolding nearby.
The girl named Mel was pulled aside by the woman. The movement wasn't friendly; several buttons were torn off during the dragging.
Her eyes were red, her voice hoarse: "...Mom."
What responded to her was a crisp, loud slap and that eternally unchanging kind face.
"What did you call me?"
"Mom..."
Another loud slap followed. This time, Mel's entire face swelled up. She lowered her head in despair, clutching her face, her voice weak.
"Director Aerylia."
A choked sob.
"Chris is dead..."
Aerylia didn't respond to her. She turned and walked away, leaving Mel crying heart-wrenchingly behind her: "You heartless, cold-blooded devil! You killed Chris with your own hands! You drove him out! I will never forgive you!"
After Mel finished her venting, she ran far away. Due to long-term malnutrition, the young woman's figure was too thin; most people wouldn't even notice that she was already pregnant.
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