Cars sped along the narrow, fog-shrouded mountain road.
Upon entering the Gate of Reincarnation, Cheng Shuang opened her eyes to find herself sitting in the passenger seat. A cool breeze wafted in through the half-open window, dispelling the faint smell of tobacco in the car.
She cleared her throat, which had suddenly become uncomfortable, and subconsciously looked to the side, a moment of confusion in her eyes.
"You're awake?" The woman in the driver's seat immediately stubbed out her cigarette and rolled down the window to let the air carry away the lingering smell. She wore sunglasses, and her red lips were particularly striking; even just by looking at her profile, one could tell she was a strikingly beautiful woman.
However, her tone of voice was very gentle, which made people unconsciously lower their guard.
Cheng Shuang opened her mouth as if to speak, but unable to discern the other party's identity, she simply responded with a faint "yes".
"What's wrong? Are you feeling carsick?" The woman glanced at her mischievously, sensing that the two had been looking at each other for a while, and spoke intimately.
The little girl naturally didn't recognize her. Remembering Qingnai, the first person she met in the previous world, she became even more wary. She quickly pretended to wake up from a dream, rubbing her eyes in a daze to avoid the other person's gaze.
"No, I'm feeling a bit better," she mumbled, looking down as she rummaged through the schoolbag she was holding.
The bag was still her own, but it was noticeably heavier than before she arrived.
Sure enough, the little girl found quite a few things in the bag that didn't belong to her.
A student ID, two clipped newspapers, a wallet, and a photo.
The student ID card read: Cheng Shuang, 14 years old, Class 7, Grade 2, Yingsheng Middle School. The student photo on it looked exactly like her, but her temperament was more melancholic.
The wallet contained a small amount of change, perfectly befitting a student, while the photo in the photo section was a group picture of the three of them at the amusement park.
Cheng Shuang is in the middle, and her height and appearance seem to be the same as when she was seven or eight years old. She is also thin and small. Of course, the little girl in the photo has no expression, only a hint of joy in her eyes. It doesn't look like Cheng Shuang herself, who can laugh so hard that she gets wrinkles around her eyes after going to an amusement park.
Two young men and women stood on either side of her, both smiling broadly as they made bunny ears on the little girl's head.
When she saw the woman's face, she secretly glanced at the woman in the driver's seat. Although the woman in the photo looked rather young, she could tell from just her pointed chin and sexy lips that it was the same person.
Cheng Shuang unfolded the newspaper again, and the largest page contained two related news articles.
The first story is about the frequent paranormal events at the ruins of a certain school. Reporter Cheng Dong conducted in-depth investigations many times, and everything mysterious and unpredictable was eventually explained by scientific methods.
The report was published on May 10, 2015.
The second is a missing person notice. The person they are looking for is the man in the photo, named Cheng Dong. The contact person is Liao Yuewei, phone number 13xxx…
The date is July 20, 2015.
Just from her name, Cheng Shuang, one could understand her relationship with Cheng Dong—brother and sister.
The little girl frowned slightly, thinking of her missing sister, but she quickly pulled herself out of that mood.
The photo didn't show much, but it was enough for her to deduce the truth of some things.
She and Cheng Dong are siblings in this world. There should be no other elders in their family, because even in the photo, she still looks expressionless and melancholy.
Even if it's an amusement park that 'she's rarely able to visit.
Cheng Shuang speculated that at that time, 'she' had just separated from her parents and was being cared for by her older brother, who had just come of age.
The photo is dated 2008, at least 7 or 8 years ago. The older brother is now working as a reporter, constantly traveling around, so he entrusted her to his girlfriend, Liao Yuewei, who is in the driver's seat.
"Sister, how much longer until we arrive?" Cheng Shuang asked emotionlessly.
She decided to maintain the personality of fourteen-year-old Cheng Shuang. The more she said, the more mistakes she would make. The young girl could easily analyze her own identity, but that didn't mean she could see the current situation clearly.
Whether Liao Yuewei is a native or a defender like her can only be known through gradual contact. If the other party deliberately conceals this, she may not be able to tell until the end.
Therefore, disguising herself as a native was the safest option for her before her identity was exposed.
Moreover, she believed that the Gate of Reincarnation would not do anything in vain; if it insisted on giving her an identity, it must have its purpose.
Cheng Shuang tugged at her unfamiliar school uniform-style tracksuit, then looked anxiously out the car window. The fog was getting thicker, and the headlights were the only source of light.
The narrow mountain path seemed to have no end, and it also cut off any way back.
"About half an hour!" Liao Yuewei said, glancing at the navigation before quickly focusing her attention on the road.
Cheng Shuang could tell that she was a little tense. It was unclear whether it was because the mountain road was rugged and foggy, preventing her from paying attention to look around, or because she was unfamiliar with the road conditions.
The little girl pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the navigation screen. The destination was marked with the words "Santa Maria Private Girls' Academy," and this was the only route to the school. Surrounded by lush greenery, the school's location was somewhat remote and isolated.
No wonder the ticket says "Old School Chronicles".
The two did not exchange a word. The little girl acted like an autistic child, turning her head to look out the window, silently calculating the time in her mind.
Less than ten minutes later, the navigation prompted us to turn, and after passing through a grove of trees, the dilapidated stone pillars and iron gate of the 'Santa Maria Private Girls' School' came into view.
Cheng Shuang lowered her eyes. Unless the pretty woman hadn't done her homework on the route beforehand, her timing shouldn't have been so inconsistent. Perhaps she had only taken over the car halfway through and, with someone nearby, didn't dare show anything unusual. And that 'person nearby' had just woken up, causing her to miss the opportunity to stop and review the route.
There's a 70-80% chance that Liao Yuewei is a maintainer.
Just like in the newspaper photos, the 'Santa Maria Private Girls' School' now presents itself as ruins. The European Baroque castle style has become eerie due to the rampant encroachment of greenery.
"Don't overthink it, we'll find your brother." Liao Yuewei whispered these words before getting out of the car.
Cheng Shuang nodded quietly, slung her backpack over her shoulder, closed the car door, and walked into the rusty gate one after the other with Liao Yuewei.
It was only around 10 a.m., but because the fog obscured the sun, it looked like dusk was approaching.
Crows returning home late circled above the deserted castle, their harsh cries seeming to foreshadow misfortune.
Liao Yuewei rubbed her fingertips together, then thought of lighting a cigarette again.
She glanced at the little girl following closely behind, wondering if she was actually fourteen years old as stated in the records.
This is clearly a murder mystery game. If there are few participants, it means that the cycle of reincarnation won't be too difficult. Playing your role well is half the battle won.
However, she couldn't figure out whether the girl assigned to her was a tool or a protector, so she felt somewhat passive for a while!
Is he a newcomer?
No, a newcomer wouldn't be so calm.
Could they really be indigenous people?
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