Sweet Home (4)

Nan Yue remembered her teacher saying that the people within the Scavenger Project were different from them, living in a very strange society.

There was no unified social goal, yet everyone could follow their own path and do whatever they wanted.

However, such a social system was extremely dangerous and chaotic, leading to numerous crimes and ultimately the extinction of all humanity.

In such an environment, if Amin had been shackled by these rules since childhood... it must have been incredibly suffocating.

This home seemed to consist only of Amin and Grandmother. Based on the photo, Amin should be around eighteen or nineteen years old. Was there still a need for such strict control?

Even though Nan Yue had never lived under such a social system, she could sense something was wrong.

Was this what the books described as a parent with an excessive desire for control?

Nan Yue searched the room once more but found nothing else.

In class, they were told that in small-scale, personal missions, one could usually find a diary or something similar to provide a direction for solving the puzzle.

Now it seemed like she had been taught one plus one, but the exam was on advanced mathematics. The real mission was not that simple.

Nan Yue was in no hurry. She lay down on the bed, turned off the light, and began to imagine herself as Amin.

She was Amin, living in a society where many people could choose freely.

She should have gone to school normally, chosen the subjects and university she liked, and had goals and things she wanted to do with her life.

No.

Nan Yue frowned slightly. If Grandmother controlled even her return time and the gender of her friends, could Amin truly choose the life she wanted?

As expected, the school was right. Such a social system sounded beautiful, but it was almost impossible to achieve.

Nan Yue pulled her thoughts back and continued to imagine herself as Amin.

Many of her classmates had warm homes that gave them a certain degree of choice.

Yet she had lived with Grandmother since she was a child, returning home on time every day, watching whatever television Grandmother liked, and having no privacy except when sleeping.

Perhaps because she was lying in Amin's bed and putting herself in her shoes, Nan Yue suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.

If Amin lived in a highly standardized society like her own, she probably wouldn't find it problematic.

But Amin lived in a society with a high degree of freedom and exploration. The sharp contrast would surely leave her feeling helpless and irritable.

Nan Yue seemed to have stepped into the role too deeply, and she turned over restlessly.

Others could travel anywhere after their college entrance exams, but she had to stay home every day to accompany Grandmother.

Even though she was an adult, Grandmother still watched her as if she were a child.

Was this the Grandmother's illness mentioned in the prompt?

Nan Yue thought it was possible. Excessive control was also a type of sickness.

But wasn't Grandmother a bit too eccentric?

At first, Nan Yue wondered if Grandmother was a ghost. As the books said, many missions involved supernatural phenomena.

But Grandmother could touch her and hadn't attacked her. She seemed to be just a strange, eerie old woman.

Nan Yue couldn't sleep. She sat up and figured Grandmother should be asleep by now. Why not take this chance to look for clues?

Nan Yue got out of bed quietly and slowly turned the doorknob. Her movements were very light, making no sound at all.

The moment she pulled the door open, she saw a figure.

The figure was half-crouched, reaching up to her chest, with its body turned sideways and its neck craned, completely motionless.

It was Grandmother!

Nan Yue instinctively took two steps back, realizing that Grandmother had been eavesdropping at her door this whole time.

Perhaps realizing Nan Yue had opened the door, Grandmother slowly stood up in the darkness. Like a statue suddenly coming to life, her movements were stiff and unnatural.

"Amin, why aren't you asleep yet at this hour?"

Nan Yue had fully immersed herself in Amin's role and didn't think Grandmother was a ghost. So, aside from the initial shock, she felt only impatience and anger.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

Nan Yue looked at Grandmother's blurred face in the darkness. "Grandmother, what were you doing outside my door?"

Grandmother was silent for a moment before her aged voice rang out.

"I was seeing if you were asleep."

"You must rest early. Don't let your mind wander. You need to ensure you get enough sleep."

Nan Yue pursed her lips and walked around Grandmother to the bathroom.

The bathroom was tiny, just enough for one person, with a squat toilet where one also showered.

There weren't many clues, only signs of the family's financial straits.

There was only a half-used bar of sulfur soap with a few strands of hair stuck to it.

A girl Amin's age should be using shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

But there were none. Living with Grandmother, she could only be like her, using a single bar of soap for her entire body.

Nan Yue felt that Amin must have been very frustrated.

Poverty was one thing, but for a girl in her youth, she would still feel that fate was unfair.

Nan Yue left the bathroom and found Grandmother still standing at her door.

"Amin, sleep well."

Nan Yue closed the door and lay on the bed. She strained her ears for a long time but heard no footsteps.

It was possible Grandmother had walked away soundlessly like she did when opening the refrigerator, but Nan Yue leaned toward another possibility.

Grandmother was still outside.

She might still be in that eavesdropping posture, like a bizarre statue in the dark, pressed motionless against the other side of the door.

Separated from her by only a wall.

Nan Yue closed her eyes and began to organize the clues.

The family was poor, Amin had no other relatives, and Grandmother's desire for control was severe enough to affect Amin's psychology.

No wonder the objective was to escape.

But where was the key? What should she do if Grandmother kept monitoring her like this?

Nan Yue's head began to feel heavy, and she didn't resist the oncoming drowsiness.

Her teacher had said that missions could last anywhere from a few hours to several days or even half a month. She needed to live a normal life within the mission.

Nan Yue fell asleep. Anyone else would have been shocked; usually, the rookies taking the exam spent their time in a state of terror. No one could sleep.

Especially not with a strange old woman just outside the door.

She slept reasonably well, and Nan Yue was woken up by her sixth sense.

It was a feeling hard to describe, a sudden palpitation while dreaming.

When she opened her eyes, there was a momentary blur from waking, but she cleared her mind quickly.

Because Grandmother was in her room.

To be precise, Grandmother was right in front of her eyes.

Grandmother had entered at some unknown point and was crouching by her bed, leaning forward very close to her.

That face, which looked like withered tree bark, was right next to Nan Yue's, almost touching her.

This was the sight Nan Yue saw immediately upon waking. Grandmother seemed to be smiling even more happily than yesterday.

Looking closely, those eyes covered with white film were extremely unsettling. Nan Yue felt as if she were being watched by something non-human.

"Amin, it's time to get up."