Falling—an endless, ceaseless descent.
A sense of absolute weightlessness, absolute solitude, absolute darkness.
Li Nanzhu was thoroughly enveloped and fragmented by this darkness. Her connection with her companions was completely severed, as if she had been cast into a separate, non-intersecting parallel void.
The concepts of time and space became blurred, leaving only the eternal sensation of going "down."
At first, she could barely maintain a sliver of consciousness, trying her best to think of a counter-strategy or find a flaw or rule within this darkness.
But as time passed, the omnipresent darkness seemed to possess a power that eroded the mind, beginning to wear away at her consciousness.
Fatigue surged like a tide—not a physical exhaustion, but a mental weariness originating from the depths of her soul.
In this void, where even her own existence felt like it was being erased, the act of staying awake became a form of torture.
"Will I just... keep falling forever?"
"What happened... to the others?"
"What hellish place is this?"
"I..."
Thoughts rose like bubbles, only to be crushed and shattered by the surrounding darkness.
More terrifyingly, during this endless descent, she began to "feel" things being stripped away from her.
It wasn't spiritual energy or flesh and blood, but something far more ethereal yet vital—fragments of memory, the imprints of emotions, and even the clear perception of the concept of "self."
Images of her past life began to blur, and the experiences of her current life started to fade, like a scroll soaked in water, colors bleeding together and lines distorting.
Even the sense of belonging brought by the name "Li Nanzhu" was weakening bit by bit.
It felt as if she were being "formatted" by this darkness, every trace of her "individuality" being erased until she would eventually become a part of this eternal void.
"No... I can't..." Her remaining will put up a weak resistance, but before this vast, limitless darkness, that resistance was like a candle flickering in the wind, precarious and trembling.
She felt her consciousness dispersing, like a handful of sand about to be scattered by the gale, becoming distant and unreal.
Who was she? Why was she here? Where was she going?
Questions rose like bubbles and burst just as quickly, leaving no trace behind.
Resist? How could she resist? In this absolute darkness and descent that stripped her of power, isolated her senses, and even peeled away her self-identity, any struggle was pale and powerless.
Gradually, she felt herself becoming "lighter" and "emptier."
Then, she knew nothing more.
"...Li Nanzhu... Li Nanzhu! Why are you still sleeping! Wake up!"
A crisp, slightly anxious voice rang incessantly in her ear, accompanied by a gentle shaking.
Li Nanzhu felt a throbbing at her temples, a dull pain spreading from the back of her head, as if she were suffering from a hangover or had just woken from an agonizingly long nightmare that had drained her mind.
Her eyelids felt so heavy they were almost glued shut.
"Don't be noisy..." she mumbled indistinctly, instinctively trying to wave away the hand that was disturbing her dream.
"Still sleeping! Have you forgotten what day it is? New adopters are coming today!" The voice grew more urgent, tinged with a sense of exasperation. "So many people have already gone. If you keep dawdling and the one taken away isn't you, don't you dare come crying to me!"
Adopters?
Those words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting through the chaos and fatigue lingering in Li Nanzhu's mind.
She jolted awake, her discomfort instantly replaced by an intense sense of urgency. The remaining fragments of her dream were cast aside.
That's right! Today was the orphanage's monthly adoption day, when new families came to pick children!
It was her best chance to leave this place and have a real home! How could she have forgotten something so important? To think she was still sleeping in!
"I forgot!" Li Nanzhu cried out, nearly springing into a sitting position, her vision still slightly blurry.
What met her eyes was a little girl with two crooked buns in her hair, a face with a bit of baby fat, and bright, sparkling eyes.
It was her best friend in the orphanage, Xiao Ya.
Seeing her wake up, Xiao Ya immediately broke into a smile as bright as a little sun. Without a word, she grabbed Li Nanzhu's hand and pulled her off the hard wooden bed.
"Hurry, hurry! I just went to take a peek. This time the adopters look very kind and are dressed quite decently! Maybe they're from a good family!" Xiao Ya chattered away as she dragged the still-unsteady Li Nanzhu toward the door.
Pulled by her friend, Li Nanzhu stumbled out of the simple dormitory.
The hallway was somewhat dim, the air permeated with a mixture of old wood and disinfectant.
Outside the window was a murky, overcast sky.
Led by Xiao Ya, Li Nanzhu traversed the mottled corridor, ran down the creaking wooden stairs, and rushed into the cement-paved front courtyard of the orphanage.
Many children were already standing in the courtyard, ranging from five or six years old to twelve or thirteen. They had all changed into their cleanest and most decent clothes, though most were faded from washing or covered in patches.
Their faces held a mix of tension, expectation, and a faint, imperceptible fear. Each of them stood as straight as possible, trying to present their best side.
Standing at the front of the courtyard was the orphanage's Director, a middle-aged woman with a stern face and deep nasolabial folds.
Beside her stood two sets of unfamiliar men and women. They were dressed glamorously, looking completely out of place in their drab surroundings.
Their gazes swept gently over the children in the courtyard as they spoke in low voices, their faces filled with evaluative expressions.
"Look! That's them!" Xiao Ya whispered excitedly in Li Nanzhu's ear, her small hand gripping Li Nanzhu's tightly, her palm a bit sweaty.
Li Nanzhu's gaze also fell upon the two couples.
One pair was slightly older, possessing a refined and steady aura; the other was younger, the wife sporting a gentle smile and the husband looking shrewd and capable.
Indeed, they looked much more respectable than some of the previous adopters.
Would she be the one chosen? If she could leave this place, if she could have a real home with a father and a mother... how wonderful that would be.
She wouldn't have to sleep on a hard wooden bed anymore, or eat the same oily-less meals every day, or worry about thin bedding in the winter and mosquito bites in the summer...
She could go to school like a normal child, have new clothes to wear, be cared for, and be loved...
Director Mom began her routine speech, introducing the children's basic situations in a flat, monotone voice.
The adopters would occasionally nod or ask a few questions in low voices.
The children all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
The adopters began to observe the children one by one. They walked slowly, occasionally exchanging a few words.
The younger couple walked through the crowd.
The wife's gaze brushed over the children with warmth, carrying a hint of faint pity.
The husband appeared more discerning, his gaze lingering a bit longer on a few older children who looked more clever or quiet.
Ultimately, they stopped in front of a boy around eight or nine years old near the edge.
The boy was thin and small, but his eyes were very bright. When Director Mom introduced him, he mustered the courage to give a shy but clean smile and whispered, "Hello, Uncle and Auntie."
A more obvious smile appeared on the young wife's face. After whispering a few words to her husband, the two of them nodded to Director Mom.
"A-Hao, come here," Director Mom beckoned to the boy, her voice carrying a rare hint of warmth.
The boy named A-Hao's face instantly erupted with a joyous radiance. He practically marched over with stiff, jerky limbs and was gently embraced by the young wife's shoulder.
He looked back at the other children in the courtyard, his eyes filled with both anticipation for the future and a trace of dazed farewell to the past.
A "home" now had its occupant.
Seeing A-Hao being chosen, the remaining children's eyes were filled with a mix of envy, disappointment, and jealousy. The hope of being selected had diminished by one.
Xiao Ya's grip on Li Nanzhu's hand tightened, her fingertips turning slightly cold.
Li Nanzhu could feel the stiffness in her body. Her gaze instinctively followed the steps of the older couple.
This couple was steadier than the younger one and seemed more cautious. Their gaze was not urgent, possessing a peaceful insight gained from seeing much of the world.
They spent about the same amount of time in front of each child, asking one or two simple questions, such as "What is your name?" "How old are you?" or "What do you usually like to do?"
The children's answers were varied—some were so nervous they stuttered, some eagerly tried to sell themselves, and some kept their heads low, not daring to speak.
The older couple just listened patiently with gentle expressions, making it hard to discern their true thoughts.
Finally, they stopped in front of Li Nanzhu and Xiao Ya.
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