Reflection on the previous events

As the IV drip was nearing its end, Ariel arrived at the hospital to take over Du Liang's care. When she arrived, the tooth had been reattached with a thread and hung back up, just as she herself had said, swaying around triumphantly like a trophy.

It was dark outside the hospital at night. Apart from the light source surrounding the moths, the trees inside the walls cast eerie shadows. Du Liang picked up Alice and waved to the two of them, saying, "I'm leaving now." She reluctantly returned the coat to Cheng Xiangwu. Alice, who had probably been sleeping, was startled awake by the sudden disappearance of the blanket.

Cheng Xiangwu, whose legs felt cold, waved goodbye and watched the other person leave.

“Miss Diana has important business to discuss with the mayor and is unable to visit, so she asked me to pass on her message. She said she hopes to see you stand up again as soon as possible,” Arienne said, pushing her wheelchair back. “I never thought I’d be able to drive a wheelchair again.”

Before she deliberately drove her wheelchair into someone, Cheng Xiangwu couldn't comment on her actions. "Once this bottle is empty, we can go home tonight," she said, then asked, "Remember to see a doctor if you have any pain."

“No thanks, my immune system is incompatible with the drugs here,” Ariel said, handing a check from behind her. “Here, this is your share of the payment.”

Taking the check and looking at the signature under the corridor light, Cheng Xiangwu belatedly realized that she had completed a commissioned task. Although the beginning and process were extremely suspicious, it was the first time in recent days that she had received payment for her labor.

"Did she say anything?" she said, putting the check into her wallet with a sense of fulfillment.

“She told you to be careful, especially with you,” Ariyenor said in a low voice, mimicking Gu Wanqiu’s tone. “In short, I need to thank you for your efforts, but this method of action was too reckless. You were lucky to survive this time. I hope that next time you will think about whether you can bear the consequences before you do anything.”

"The way you're talking sounds like you're performing in a play," Cheng Xiangwu commented.

“Nobody wants to hear your kind of evaluation,” Ariel commented.

The wheelchair was driven back to the infusion area, where the lights were always on, people were always talking, and people were always sleeping.

“Before, when we were still in the sky, I heard your dream.” Arienne sat down beside her, leaning back in her chair, looking unusually tired, but her tone remained as ethereal as ever.

“...Actually, you didn’t need to tell me specifically.” Cheng Xiangwu said that she no longer remembered those feelings, but she still felt a little embarrassed to be brought up so openly.

“I’ve never dreamed of my mother.” Arienne didn’t change the subject. She looked up at the ceiling light, her expression calm. “Five Fragrances, what’s it like?”

“I forgot,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

“...Remember this,” Arieno said, displeased.

“...Why is it so troublesome?” Cheng Xiangwu rubbed her forehead, thought for a moment and said, “It’s strange, both unfamiliar and familiar, like a room that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, with a hazy dust everywhere.”

Ariel closed her eyes, and just when Cheng Xiangwu thought she had fallen asleep, she closed her eyes again and asked, "Have you ever dreamed about me?"

"I forgot," Cheng Xiangwu said. "If possible, I hope it won't happen again in the future."

"Hmph." Arienor sneered, opened her eyes and said, "You humans have no say in this matter, so you can only hope for the best."

"Sigh..." Cheng Xiangwu sighed.

As night deepened, the patient embarked on his journey home with his will and medication.

"What about your material collection target?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, looking at the night view outside the car. "We won't have another chance to go there."

“Besides the underground, the space with the most media is the Senhu Grand Hotel, and there will be another opportunity at the birthday banquet,” Ariel said. “Miss Gu Wanqiu has agreed to cooperate with me at that time. I suppose she’s had enough of dealing with that smell every night.”

"...Speaking of which, I just remembered something," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Du Qingyu said that if you want to deal with what's underground, you have to lure that thing over there. If you take it away, what will happen to that thing underground?"

“You finally realized it, huh, Five Spices.” Ariel laughed, leaning back and turning her face away from the headlights. “I won’t answer that question, because on this point, we’re competitors.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiang turned her head and met the gaze of the blue eyes that had turned towards her.

"So this is the competition you're referring to," she said, then asked, "Does Gu Wanqiu know about this?"

“The underground ecosystem is not within her jurisdiction, and besides, she wasn’t originally on the same boat,” Arienor said. “And you’re the only one who knows my purpose. So, how about trying to stop me?”

As she spoke, she spun the steering wheel in her hand. This unlicensed driver always drove like he was playing a game, and he never took responsibility for the consequences he caused.

What should I do? Cheng Xiangwu thought to herself, if I want to stop this person, I can only kill her. If I don't kill her, then Senhu City will one day be shrouded in the shadow of UFOs again until the next opportunity comes.

"Hmph," Arienor laughed gleefully, "What should we do?"

“…Never mind.” Cheng Xiangwu turned to look out the window. “You came here to play with me, I can’t exactly kill you.”

The night view of Moriko City wasn't particularly impressive, but since it was a rare sight for her, she thought it was quite nice.

Hearing this, Ariel glanced at her, then looked away before she could turn her head. Dutifully, she stopped the car at the red light. There were no pedestrians at night, and no cars were passing in the opposite lane. The driver stood there at the empty intersection, tapping the steering wheel with her fingers. After a while, the tapping stopped, and she asked again, "So what are you going to do?"

"There will always be a way," Cheng Xiangwu said.

“Who’s going to guarantee that?” Arienne said impatiently. “Hurry up and think about it. I’m not going to help you this time. You have to use your brain to pursue comfort.”

"Think, think," Cheng Xiangwu muttered perfunctorily.

"Tsk." Ariel stepped on the gas when the yellow light came on, or rather, this was her green light.

“Besides my purpose, there is another reason why we should not adopt Ms. Du Qingyu’s suggestion,” she said. “The UFO that caused the earthquake thirty years ago was of a fairly ordinary size. But this one is different. With thirty years of accumulation and the victims of No. 2 Middle School, it is clear to the naked eye that this is not a conventional disaster. If we use the old method, the disaster will not only affect the mining area.”

“Oh…” Cheng Xiangwu seemed to be thinking.

The car turned into the residential area, stopped, and turned off the engine. The two people got out. The residential area was dimly lit at night, with only a few window lights on, and even the cats didn't dare to come out at this time to make their presence known.

"Have you thought it through?" Arieno asked, walking ahead with her suitcase.

“Back then, it almost fell into the lake with us.” Cheng Xiangwu said, head down, walking alongside the silver metal box that was now riddled with dents. “I saw Bai Yuntian crawl away, otherwise we would all have died there.”

“There’s more to this…” Arienne stopped in her tracks, “but she has neither the reason nor the right to save our lives.”

"Why is that?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

Ariel did not answer, but quickened her pace.

Seeing this reaction, Cheng Xiangwu understood that this person also didn't know the answer.

“…For now, I don’t know!” Arienne emphasized with dissatisfaction. “I will never give up thinking about it.”

"Good luck." Cheng Xiangwu quickly gave up thinking about the problem. Hearing this, Ariyenor narrowed her eyes and stared at the head of the person who had given up thinking. Then she snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Open the door, go home.

The birthday banquet is the day after tomorrow. According to the contract, tomorrow is the time for the two of them to go to Senhu Grand Restaurant to fulfill their labor contract. Although Cheng Xiangwu doesn't know what she can do there, she does have some other things she wants to ask Shouren.

She couldn't really be considered a birthday celebrant, since Bai Langtao had died in the mine shaft thirty years ago, and Bai Guanhai was six years younger than her; the two sisters couldn't possibly share the same birthday. At the time, those around them were either unaware or indifferent, which allowed the name to persist until now.

Looking back now, the reason why Bai Guanhai wasn't the one who went down into the mine tunnel is quite simple: Bai Yunxian is exactly thirty years old this year, so thirty years ago, logically and emotionally, her mother shouldn't have been doing manual labor.

Why couldn't she have thought of such a simple logic? Cheng Xiangwu pondered and could only come up with one answer: "She never cared about this issue at all."

She tidied herself up in the bedroom, and when she returned to the living room, she saw that the guest had spread his gifts all over the table, the floor, and the sofa. His suitcase was wide open and empty, and she felt helpless about her empty pockets.

“I’ll tidy it up; the desk in the study is too small,” Arienne said without looking up. She sat on the floor next to the coffee table, writing in her notebook and sorting the bottles, jars, and bags.

Therefore, the only one that wasn't covered up stood out. The square-headed iron fork was wrapped in a white cloth, with only a corner showing.

"Don't touch it," Arieno said without looking up.

“I’ve washed my hands,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

"If you touch it, you can expect a bacterial infection," Ariel sneered. "As a human being, you'd better care about the bacteria that live on your body."

"Are these your things?" Cheng Xiangwu dried her hair and found an empty spot on the sofa to sit down.

“Of course,” Arienne said proudly. “It was sent to me by my mother. Spices, do you know what that means?”

"That means your mom will be sending packages," Cheng Xiangwu said.

“…Speaking of which.” Ariyenor finally raised her head and stared at Cheng Xiangwu. “Wu Xiang, why did I hear Miss Bai Yunxian call me ‘Grandma’ in private?”

Cheng Xiangwu stood up, towel on her head. "I have to go to sleep." After saying that, she walked back to her bedroom under Ariyenor's gaze, closed the door, turned off the light, and went to sleep, preparing to meet her colleagues the next day in the best possible light.

The light from the living room and under the curtains remained on until she fell asleep.

When she woke up the next day, her inflammatory reaction had subsided by more than half. After starting the new medication, although her physical condition was still not up to the usual standard, it could be considered acceptable. As soon as she opened the door to her bedroom, she saw someone whose condition was definitely not acceptable.

The living room was not tidied up as promised, and was even more messy. Ariel was sprawled on the sofa, staring at the ceiling as if accusing something unknown in front of her. She hadn't changed her clothes, and held a pen in one hand and a notebook in the other, as if she were nailed to the spot by these two things.

Looking up, traces of paper stretched from the half-open study door all the way to the person's feet; the light inside was still on.

"Are you still alive?" Cheng Xiangwu leaned closer and asked.

Upon hearing this, Ariel turned her eyes to meet her gaze, then looked out the window and murmured to herself, "It's dawn..." Her voice was very soft and sounded frighteningly hoarse.

This is the price of not being willing to give up thinking. Cheng Xiangwu nodded and asked, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"...I want to know why Bai Yuntian can move freely, I want to know why water can carry metal and erode minerals, I want to know why it is wax, I want to know why the sensor is bitter, I want to know..." she murmured to herself, her thoughts flowing from her brain into her esophagus, her mind overriding her appetite.

Seeing that the person was not far from entering the hospital, Cheng Xiangwu went back to the kitchen, took out ice cream from the refrigerator, thought for a moment, then took out milk, mixed the two in a 1:1 ratio, put it in the microwave for one and a half minutes, and placed this cup of something that smelled quite good on the coffee table.

"I'm going to buy breakfast," she said, taking her coat and heading out the door.

According to the doctor's orders, Cheng Xiangwu can only eat semi-liquid food today. Thinking this, she wanted to go into the convenience store, but she saw a familiar person queuing at the Octopus King's breakfast stall.

"Ah!" Wearing a mask and baseball cap, Gorson left the store carrying a plastic bag. As soon as he looked up, he saw the person coming. "Sister Xiangxiang!" she called out, running closer to Cheng Xiangwu.

"Sen Sen." Cheng Xiang nodded. "You came to find me?"

Golson's home isn't nearby, so she shouldn't be here, and from a security standpoint, she shouldn't be here again looking for a dangerous person.

“Yes.” Gorson said, stopping in front of Cheng Xiangwu, looking at the scars with concern in his eyes. After a few days, she looked much healthier. When she stood still, she no longer looked down or glanced around, and she no longer exuded an aura of vigilance and unease.

“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu smiled and said, “I hope this is the last time, Sen Sen, don’t come to see me again.”

Upon hearing this, Golson paused for a moment, then laughed, "I guessed that line might come up! It sounds like a line from a TV drama."

“…Alright,” Cheng Xiangwu said helplessly. “So, what do you need me for?”

Golson smiled, then paused before saying, "These past few days, I've felt like I'm living a dream, but gradually I've come to realize that the past was more like a dream. Now, seeing you makes me feel more at ease."

"Like a dream?" Cheng Xiangwu looked at the bustling street in the morning. "Even under these circumstances, would you think that way?"

“…Yes, it will.” Golson said, looking at the food bag in his hand. “It’s the same on both sides. On the contrary, the things we experienced together before were more supernatural and incredible. Then I discovered something.”

She looked up at Cheng Xiangwu and said, "Actually, on the day of the spring outing, I didn't go home at all after school."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu was taken aback, and after thinking for a moment, said, "...But, I remember..."

“…Yes, at the time, I thought that way very naturally, and I even added some details myself.” Golson looked at the crowd on the street and said slowly, “But later I asked my parents, and they thought about it seriously for a long time. Finally, they found some records from that day and corrected the answer. The final evidence was that the schoolbag and clothes were not at home at all.”

She sighed as she spoke, "...Then I remembered, ever since that was said on the radio, I've been thinking that way. Even now, when I say these things, I inexplicably feel that it was the right thing to do. Why is that?"

“…I don’t know either.” Cheng Xiangwu said, touching her neck. “I’ll help you tell Aliye.”

“This is…” Golson paused, then exclaimed in surprise, “This must be Sister Ferf’s name. This is what she used to be called.”

“Alienor.” Cheng Xiang nodded. “I remember now.”

“Then Sister Fufu will be very happy. She loves it when people guess what she’s hiding.” Golson nodded and said with a smile, “That’s what I came to talk to you about, but as expected, I still want to see you guys more.”

"It's actually not bad to see you like this," Cheng Xiangwu said.

“Then…” Golson pursed his lips and asked softly, “If we meet in other places in the future, will I be able to greet you like I did this time?”

“…Okay.” Cheng Xiangwu sighed softly and said, “Then, see you next time.”

After the two parted ways, Cheng Xiangwu went to a convenience store and then to a fruit stand to buy some apples and strawberries. On her way back to the apartment, passersby often mentioned Bai Langtao's birthday banquet, especially its scale and guest list. Their words were mostly filled with pride and longing stemming from the commonality of the birthday person's birthplace.

On the way, Cheng Xiangwu went to Zhou Mi's convenience store to report on Du Liang's recent situation, to make sure that she would not look at her with heartbroken eyes again. Zhou Mi put her hands on the counter and listened while nodding.

"Well, there's one more thing," Zhou Mi said, looking at Cheng Xiangwu with a pained expression. "Sister Xiangxiang, who hit you?"

“…I fell down by myself,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

"Don't make excuses for the murderer!" Zhou Mi slammed his hand on the counter and stood up. "Besides, it's obviously a cat that did it. I have some connections in this area, so tell me!"

"It's really nothing," Cheng Xiangwu said helplessly, then asked, "Connections, Master?"

“Of course!” Zhou Mi nodded. “The Great Immortal will bless the foolish people who worship it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the warehouse door opened a crack, and the Great Immortal peeked out to see who was calling him.

"...It's still here." Cheng Xiangwu looked over.

“That’s right!” Zhou Mi shrugged. “So come on, tell me, and I’ll catch it, wash it, and get it sterilized tomorrow.”

This is simply a fantasy. Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment and said, "That should be considered its former colleague. It's not good to make it beat up a colleague, so let's forget about it. Besides, I lost a tooth myself, but everything else is fine."

"...How could a tooth fall out?!" Zhou Mi was greatly shocked.

"...Well, it fell off..." Cheng Xiangwu was a little embarrassed to say that she had pulled it out herself.

She left the convenience store, enduring Zhou Mi's heartbroken gaze.

Back at the apartment, the living room at the end of the corridor was still largely undisturbed, with a sweet, cloying smell in the air. The television was on, and the presenter was broadcasting the morning news in his usual calm tone. The person sprawled on the sofa was gone, leaving only a pile of knowledge on the floor.

Entering the kitchen, Cheng Xiangwu saw Ariyenor squatting next to the refrigerator, blankly eating ice cream. Her eyes were glazed over, and her movements were stiff. She didn't move or say a word when she saw Cheng Xiangwu, like a thief waiting to be caught. Judging from the empty box next to her, it was clear that she had eaten almost all of the previous stock while Cheng Xiangwu was away.

“…Fruit.” Arienne’s gaze shifted to the plastic bag. “I want to eat this.”

“Okay…” Cheng Xiangwu reached out and lifted her up to stand up. Seeing that she was like a wooden stake and didn’t react, he said helplessly, “You should hurry up and get yourself ready. You have Bai Langtao’s request later. There will be a lot of people at the hotel.”

Upon hearing this, Ariel blinked slowly, swayed slightly, and moved her gaze toward Cheng Xiangwu's head, asking, "...What request?"

"...You didn't really forget, did you?" Cheng Xiangwu reached out and touched the other person's forehead. The temperature was normal; he hadn't gotten sick from eating too much ice cream. "Bai Langtao, it's her birthday."

“…Hmph.” Ariyenor stared at Cheng Xiangwu for a long time, then took a step back, squatted down to clean up her trash, and said, “Yesterday afternoon, you accompanied me to the Bai family’s mine.”

"Mm," Cheng Xiangwu responded, turning around to roll up her sleeves and go wash the fruit.

“We went down to the deepest part of the mine, and then we fell down,” Ariyenor said.

"Mm." Cheng Xiangwu responded, put the strawberries aside to drain, and took out a fruit knife to peel the apple.

“To climb out of that pit, we explored the abandoned mine tunnel area.” Arienor got up and walked towards her bedroom, turning back before closing the door to ask, “We found a skeleton and confirmed her identity. Why?”

“Because—” Cheng Xiangwu didn’t need to think for long to answer, but soon she stopped and looked up at the kitchen window. The sound of water droplets hitting the glass seemed to follow a pattern; it was a rainy day.

The door to the guest bedroom was closed, leaving only Cheng Xiangwu and the news anchor in the living room.

"Recently, Bai Langtao, the chairperson of Bai Bai Co., Ltd., will be celebrating her 60th birthday. The public safety and traffic safety departments would like to remind everyone to pay attention to personal safety when traveling and not to trust strangers."

“…Like this.” Cheng Xiangwu murmured to herself, lowering her head to continue peeling the apple.

With a breakfast tea sipped with plenty of mint, Cheng Xiangwu told Ariel about Gorson. Ariel listened while eating fruit from her plate. Gradually, she stopped, turned and walked to the living room. Under Cheng Xiangwu's gaze, she took a notebook from the table piled with books and papers. It was a blue plastic-covered spiral notebook, belonging to Cheng Song.

“…Actually, I’ve never understood why Miss Bai Yuntian needs a stand-in.” Ariyenor spoke intermittently as she read the contents of the book, her voice rising and falling. “She has the authority to act on her own, which, while questionable, is undoubtedly sufficient to support her in completing her work.”

Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment and guessed, "Don't you like going out?"

“…At least you’re thinking.” Ariel looked up at the respondent, then stood up with her notes and notebook to read. “Miss Gu Wanqiu believes that cognition is what influences people, but according to Ms. Cheng Song, the most unique property of that metal as a material is its ability to spread, especially information.”

Furthermore, as a metal, its effects are completely different depending on its purity. The effects of a high-purity object—that is, the UFO—are likely far more complex than simply transmitting information. Miss Gorson's erroneous memory, Miss Bai Yuntian's freedom of action, and even many other unusual events we've encountered related to it, are all because that UFO has been hovering over Senhu City for a long time, acting as a signal tower.

"...What message are you trying to spread?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

“Anything.” Ariyenor pulled out the chair in front of Cheng Xiangwu, sat down opposite her, looked at her, and said, “Like a cell phone, when I talk to you, what I say, the cell phone transmits to you. But you may not believe what I say, but what it says can bypass logic and influence your cognition. That’s what Ms. Cheng Song wants to do.”

Ariel opened her notebook, laid it flat on the table, picked up a pen and wrote a passage. With her eyes downcast, she said, "Five Fragrances, your mother wants to use this characteristic to change your perception, thereby curing your disability."

Cheng Xiangwu didn't speak. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before taking a sip of tea.

At this point, life could be measured in terms of value to her; there was no question of which life of equal value deserved to die more. But now, she realized that Cheng Song's life must have had extraordinary value, and it was truly regrettable that she had been sacrificed in a fire.

Thinking of this, Cheng Xiangwu sighed.

“This approach is taking shortcuts. Many people think that since Miss Bai Yuntian is still working, then she really should go to work. Many people think that since Ms. Bai Langtao is going to celebrate her sixtieth birthday, then she really should live to sixty.” Ariyenor put away her pen and notebook and said with a smile, “Shortcuts are not reliable enough. Their deaths have left traces, so their ways of living are all one-sided.”

"From this perspective, it's no different from a fraudster." Cheng Xiangwu swirled his teacup.

“There is one exception.” Arienoel held up one finger.

"Who is it?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

“The residents around Senhu Lake worship the fairy of the lake, and so the ‘fairy of the lake’ truly came to be.” Ariyenor wagged her finger and laughed happily. “How could there be whales in a freshwater lake? It’s the groundwater that expanded its ecosystem by changing our understanding of the environment. How evil!”

After saying that, she ate her second breakfast. The result of her thinking made her radiant, a stark contrast to the dull, lifeless woman sprawled on the sofa earlier, radiating problems.

"..." Cheng Xiangwu pondered for a long time before expressing his opinion, "How could something like this appear in Senhu City?"

Not long after breakfast, Yao Shaoqi sent a message saying that the car had arrived at the apartment building. The two went downstairs. It was the same familiar car, and the same driver who was as dedicated to his work as ever.

"Have Chairman Bai and General Manager Bai arrived at the restaurant yet?" Alienor asked, putting her suitcase into the car. Before leaving, Cheng Xiangwu watched her pack a bunch of random things and go inside, as if she were the one who had to work, not him.

“I don’t know the chairman’s schedule, but President Bai is indeed communicating with the venue manager.” Yao Shaoqi nodded. “Miss Bai Yunxian and Mr. Bai Yunjian’s family are also at the restaurant, and most of the guests have arrived.”

"Speaking of which," Cheng Xiangwu said while fastening her seatbelt, "how's the renovation of the Bai family's ancestral hall going?"

"You know about this too!" Yao Shaoqi was a little surprised. "I don't know much about the family's affairs, but it seems that President Bai is contacting the staff who repaired the ancestral hall back then to repair the materials. That section of the floor was custom-made as a whole, which is a huge project."

That's what they say, but Cheng Xiangwu touched her neck and felt that this shouldn't be attributed to her.

The vehicle set off. Today was a muddy, rainy day. People and vehicles slowed down to ensure their safety. The mud smelled foul, and the raindrops were noisy everywhere. Getting wet was a hassle that was annoying. Some flaws that were not noticeable on ordinary days became impossible to hide after being washed away by the rain: waterlogged roads, potholes, and drains with insufficient drainage. This city always has loopholes that can never be repaired.

The weather forecast indicates rain and wind throughout the day, but the temperature will rise instead of fall.

"What exactly am I supposed to do when I get to the scene?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"Please ask Mr. Bai for details!" Yao Shaoqi said. "However, as a kitchen staff member, you can look around, especially in the back kitchen, and remember to communicate more with your colleagues."

This communication might cause some problems, and Cheng Xiangwu decided to stay away from the kitchen and nodded.

The parking lot of Senhu Grand Hotel was almost full, a rare sight. In the center of the square, the whale statue fountain continued to flow relentlessly despite the rain. The wind blew fallen leaves, and the surface of the pond was quite lively.

Before entering the pool, Fu Xiao stood still, holding an umbrella. She occasionally turned the umbrella, her gaze fixed on the whale's tail.

"Well then, I wish you both good luck!" Yao Shaoqi escorted the two to the pick-up and drop-off area and then left.

Cheng Xiangwu took out her phone and sent a message to Bai Yuntian saying that she had arrived downstairs. Bai Yuntian quickly replied and invited her to the banquet hall on the second floor.

"Let's go to the second floor," she said, putting away her phone.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Two staff members in raincoats called out as they led a cart into the hotel gate. Inside the cart was a large refrigerated container, its surface dripping with water and faintly emitting the smell of ice and seafood. Clearly, their destination was the kitchen.

These staff members and trucks occupied a small portion of the hotel's passenger pick-up and drop-off area. The truck drivers sat on the side, joining others in complaining about the terrible weather. The Senhu Hotel only had one main entrance, the front door, and no separate storage doors; however, there were emergency exits on the east and west sides.

"It's been a while, nice to meet you." Fu Xiao greeted them, folded his umbrella, and walked towards the two of them. He stopped a step away and said with a smile, "Tomorrow is an important day. As collaborators, you two must be here today to see President Bai."

“Indeed.” Cheng Xiangwu nodded.

“President Bai should be checking the wine list right now. Let me lead the way.” Fu Xiao placed the umbrella on the umbrella stand and nodded. “This way, please.”

The hotel lobby interprets the adjective "grand" through its spaciousness and decorations. Brown checks mixed with flowers reflect light on the marble floor, and the ornaments that have been placed there for who knows how many years finally get a chance to rest. As if emphasizing the aesthetics of some unknown artist, the staff even moved the money tree next to the reception desk to make room for the new stone sculpture.

“These sculptures are all designed by Master Dong. The materials are from the local area and were processed by the local building materials market in Senhu. The craftsmen started preparing for them half a year ago. It is a great honor that they can be appreciated by our distinguished guests from afar.” Fu Xiao introduced, leading the two towards the elevator.

"Do these artworks share a common theme for discussion?" Arieño asked.

“I don’t know much about it, but the home repairmen said it’s expressing the sound of the wind.” Fu Xiao looked at the ornaments next to the elevator and said, “The Bai family has maintained communication with some local building material merchants for many years, and these are also commissioned items.”

“I suppose the ancestral hall is the same,” Ariel said. “Ms. Fu Xiao, in your opinion, is there anything about the Bai family’s architecture that you would praise?”

“…Haha, about that.” Fu Xiao chuckled, paused for a moment, and sighed softly, “I wouldn’t call myself an architectural expert. As someone who lives there, I can’t find any flaws, but…”

She lowered her eyes and looked at the stone carving again. "I heard that the designer there was a student of the person who built the Du family's old house, but in my opinion, only the interior structure of the ancestral hall part truly inherits his style. It's really, sigh..."

“So-called modernization,” Arienne nodded, then asked, “As far as I know, no one in the household has complained about it. What are your criteria for criticism?”

“…Accumulation.” Fu Xiao said with a smile, “I often look at old things, and naturally I feel that the more a work of art the maker has accumulated their own essence, the more valuable it is, rather than new things like completeness or comfort.”

The elevator doors opened.

“I had heard that there was a stone sculpture inside the ancestral hall designed by the same designer of the Du family’s old house. I thought I would never have the chance to see it, but I was able to catch a glimpse of it during the renovation of the ancestral hall. I also learned that it is no longer there,” Fu Xiao said regretfully, pressing the elevator button on the second floor.

"You mean the whale stone carving?" Cheng Xiang asked.

“Indeed, it is a stone sculpture revered as the Immortal of the Lake. Legend has it that it was made from stalactites from the ground, and the stone could drip water. When the original stone was brought out, it resembled a whale. It was then handed over to a master craftsman to hand-polish it for nearly half a year before this statue was completed.” Fu Xiao spoke eloquently. “Legend has it that when this statue appeared, it caused the lake to swell. Those who saw the statue said that it was as if they had seen an immortal. Their eyes swelled, and they heard celestial music in their minds. They would receive an answer if they asked a question. The sound would not dissipate until many days later.”

As the elevator ascended, she sighed, "It's a pity that the master threw himself into the lake in a moment of desperation, and the stone sculpture has disappeared without a trace. I'm afraid we'll never see his original works again."

"Drowned in the lake?" Cheng Xiangwu frowned. To be honest, in her opinion, this master was more likely killed by the Bai family in a fit of anger, and then his body was thrown into the lake.

“Many people have witnessed this,” Fu Xiao nodded. “Many people have testified that the master said he would rather die than hand over his works to the Bai family again, and so on.”

“...I see.” Cheng Xiang nodded.

"In Ms. Fu Xiao's opinion, what is the value of the stone sculptures in this hotel?" Ariel asked.

"...Excuse my bluntness," Fu Xiao smiled, "I would never accept such a thing appearing in my own home."

The second floor of the hotel is largely a banquet hall, which also houses a restaurant. It was breakfast time, and the dining area was quite noisy.

“I see that although you two are collaborators, your relationship with Chairman Bai or General Manager Bai is quite special.” Fu Xiao followed the two out of the elevator, stopped at the side of the banquet hall door, turned around and said, “If you two have the opportunity to learn about the whereabouts of that master’s other works, please be sure to contact me. In addition to a generous reward, I am also willing to provide assistance to the best of my ability.”

"Even if it has side effects?" Ariel laughed.

Fu Xiao simply smiled, opened the door, and said, "Well then, I wish you both good luck."

The banquet hall was filled with round tables, all now empty, without a single flower. The nearly ten-meter-high space was dominated by crystal chandeliers, leaving no room for natural light even during the day. Most of the staff were around the central stage, doing various things, but only one person stood by doing nothing and just watching: Bai Yuntian.

"Of course it wasn't him," Cheng Xiangwu stepped forward and greeted Bai Zong's stand-in who had turned around, "Hello."

“It’s a pleasure to see you here.” Bai Yuntian nodded and looked at Ariyenor, “and your agent.”

“I’m not here to meet you as an intermediary this time,” Arienor said, stepping forward. “Enough with the small talk. May we use Ms. Cheng Song’s former laboratory?”

Bai Yuntian paused, crossed her arms, lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then said, "This matter needs to be discussed with Chairman Bai. Please wait a moment." After saying that, she took out her phone and walked into the corridor.

Seeing the person leave, Cheng Xiangwu looked at Ariyenor and asked, "That's a laboratory from at least thirty years ago. Are you sure it can be used?"

“I’ll find a way to make it work.” Ariyenor watched Bai Yuntian’s departing figure thoughtfully. “This one knows less than I thought.”

"How much more do stand-ins need to know?" Cheng Xiangwu shook his head.

Not long after, Bai Yuntian returned to the stage.

"Someone will bring the key later, and I'll take you there," Bai Yuntian said, then looked at Cheng Xiangwu. "I'll have the kitchen staff come and show you around the work environment. You need to understand the workflow and participate in tomorrow morning's rehearsal with the performers."

From this perspective, Bai Yuntian's only function here is to stand. Cheng Xiangwu nodded and asked, "Is Bai Yunxian here?"

"She's eating." Bai Yuntian pointed his thumb toward the restaurant. "If you need to find her, just go in. The restaurant is open all day recently. I'll have someone go there to find you in a bit."

Having said that, the two had nothing more to ask.

"Then I'll be going now." Cheng Xiangwu said, preparing to leave. After thinking for a moment, she turned back to Ariyenor and said, "Be careful."

“I also hope you’re alive.” Arienne said, waving her phone.

The restaurant was indeed bustling. Under the warm light, the self-service food counter was surrounded by diners, and there was a queue at the kitchen window. The aroma of wheat filled most of the air, but the plates were mostly filled with hot dishes and fruits.

The distinguished guests, whom the great effort had been put into inviting, sat leisurely in twos and threes, chatting earnestly. From afar, Cheng Xiangwu spotted Bai Yunxian sitting alone by the corner window, swirling a cup of tea in her hand. She wasn't wearing her glasses, and her face clearly showed she was preoccupied. Her clothes were unusually elegant. When someone approached her to chat, she only gave a casual reply before turning her attention to the window, thus spoiling the pleasant atmosphere inside.

Outside the window, all that could be seen was wind and rain, water ripples blurring the glass; with their naked eyesight, sitting by the window, they could barely hear anything. Cheng Xiangwu stepped forward, pulled out a chair opposite her, and sat down. Bai Yunxian frowned and turned her head. Seeing that it was her, she relaxed her brows, paused, and scanned her up and down before smiling.

"I came to work when my injury hadn't healed much," she said, putting down her teacup and leaning back in her chair.

"...As long as it doesn't affect your work, it's fine." Cheng Xiangwu looked at the person and asked, "Did you talk to your mother after you went home yesterday?"

This question made Bai Yunxian pause for a moment. She looked at the teacup and said, "I didn't go back last night; I spent the night here."

Although Bai Yunxian was not a guest, Senhu Grand Hotel had no reason to refuse her stay.

“You’re this age, spending the night out isn’t a big deal.” Cheng Xiangwu nodded.

“...I’ve spent quite a few nights at your place before.” Bai Yunxian smiled wryly, then sighed and said softly, “I know this isn’t a problem that can be solved by running away, but I really don’t know what to say.”

"I see." Cheng Xiangwu nodded and said, "Actually, it's okay if you don't say anything."

"Does that mean it's no use me saying anything?" Bai Yunxian asked.

"...What outcome do you want?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

Bai Yunxian did not answer.

At the restaurant entrance, a person wearing a white apron was wiping their hands and looking around repeatedly.

"I should go now." Cheng Xiangwu stood up. "Aliye is here too. She went to my mother's old laboratory. You can go find her if you have nothing to do."

“Ariye…” Bai Yunxian murmured with a smile, “If that’s her name, then what is Xiao Fu?”

"A nickname?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

“…I’m truly impressed.” Bai Yunxian said, taking out her glasses and putting them on, then standing up as well. “What are you planning to do today?”

"Prepare for tomorrow's events, and then go with Xie Wuchang to talk to that psychologist about work issues," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Speaking of which, your mother also talked to them about getting guidance on some security work, so you'll get to meet her colleagues."

“…What kind of guidance can this provide?” Bai Yunxian sighed, stopped at the restaurant entrance, and waved. “Alright, good luck to you too.”

Cheng Xiangwu waved his hand and walked towards the staff member wearing an apron.

"Oh! You must be Cheng Xiangwu. I'm Chef Liang Ming, feel free to call me whatever you like." The woman looked to be in her forties or fifties, with rounded features and a somewhat calloused face, but her hands were finely sculpted and calloused. She paused on Cheng Xiangwu's face for a moment and said in surprise, "Hey, is your face alright? It looks like it hurts."

"It's nothing, I just have a toothache lately," Cheng Xiangwu shook her head and said. "It won't affect my work, let's go."

“Alright.” Liang Ming didn’t investigate further, nodded, and turned to lead the way in another direction of the second-floor corridor. “I heard some details about this from President Bai. To be honest, you’re more like someone from the performance side than someone from the kitchen. I’ll just show you the materials and tools. You can discuss the specific procedures with the people from tomorrow’s rehearsal.”

"Okay." Cheng Xiangwu nodded. "Are all the materials ready?"

“…Hey, I don’t quite understand this.” Liang Ming’s voice sounded a little troubled. “Last night, a big box was brought in from the kitchen warehouse, supposedly for you. That should count as it being prepared, right?”

"I see." Cheng Xiangwu nodded and asked, "May I see the box?"

"It's locked. They said it needs to be kept very secret and will only be opened that day." Liang Ming shook his head and turned to ask, "Hey, what's in there that's so confidential? But it's okay if you don't tell me. It's a secret surprise, I understand."

“…I wouldn’t know if I didn’t open it.” Cheng Xiangwu shook her head.

“Okay…” Liang Ming nodded regretfully and said nothing more.

Unlike the cozy open kitchen in the restaurant, the hotel's kitchen is a food production area designed purely for functionality, with large areas of stainless steel that gleam brightly. Tools hang like wind chimes above the central island counter. The non-slip floor is half-dry, and the noise from the exhaust fan is undeniable. Although no one is actually cooking, there's always a lingering smell of oil in the air.

This place was completely different from the kitchen Cheng Xiangwu remembered; it was more like a workshop, everything was orderly and calm, and even if a fire were actually started, it probably wouldn't be chaotic. Liang Ming introduced the kitchen facilities and tools to her as they walked in, and the staff members greeted the head chef and gave her a look.

There weren't many people. A few people without chef's hats were chatting by the oven in the corner, a few were processing ingredients by the sink, the tap was running constantly, and a person was sitting on a folding chair next to the large dishwasher, taking notes in a notebook. Liang Ming led Cheng Xiangwu toward her.

“This is the warehouse manager,” Liang Ming said, looking at the man. “Old Huang, I’ll take her inside to have a look.”

“…It’s you.” The woman looked up; a middle-aged woman in her fifties or sixties who looked quite energetic. She squinted at Cheng Xiangwu, “Cheng Song’s child, you don’t look like a chef…”

"You recognize my mother?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, and then noticed that the man's expression had visibly worsened.

“Old Huang has always worked here, so of course he recognizes it,” Liang Ming quickly explained for her. “We’re going in now.”

"...Go inside." The man looked down at his notebook, waved his hand, and said, "Close the door behind you."

“Okay.” Liang Ming nodded and continued leading Cheng Xiangwu inside.

The food storage room was a large, empty, gray room with no windows but some vents. The air conditioner was humming, and there was an indescribable smell in the air, but overall it was fishy.

In a corner of the cold storage, Cheng Xiangwu saw the ingredients prepared for her: a long, dark wooden box with a heavy lid and a large lock. Its size, color, and material resembled the coffins in the greenhouses of a mine.

Clearly, Liang Ming thought the same thing. She didn't dare approach that corner, only standing at a distance watching Cheng Xiangwu walk over to confirm, her arms groping around as she did so. Cheng Xiangwu didn't keep her waiting long; she glanced at it casually, took a picture, and left.

“Hey, it’s not that I thought that way on purpose, but don’t you think…” Liang Ming walked behind, muttering to himself, “Never mind, never mind, it’s bad luck.”

"Will other people see this?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, as the box was far away from everything in the warehouse.

“They’re all in the corners, you can’t see them unless you look closely, but once you do, they’re quite startling,” Liang Ming sighed. “Why do they have to be in the kitchen…”

“Nowhere else has such a large cold storage facility,” Cheng Xiangwu said casually. “Besides, the chefs won’t care about the extra food. It’s close to the exit, usually unlocked, and has large ventilation ducts around it.”

“…That sounds a bit strange.” Liang Ming didn’t dwell on it for long. After the two returned to the kitchen door, he didn’t follow them out. “I’ll see you off here. Although it’s only once, I hope we have a pleasant working relationship.”

"Okay." Cheng Xiang nodded, waved, and left.