Click.
Ye Jin opened the door and entered her house, wanting to lament about how empty it was, but her words got stuck in her throat when she saw a 6-foot-tall, muscular, middle-aged man with black hair and brown eyes. The man wore a T-shirt with a smiling Pikachu printed on it, which contrasted with his expressionless face. He was standing in the living room with his back to her.
Ye Jin blinked, surprised. She guessed this must be Hwa XuZhou, the original Ye Jin's uncle—the brother of her mother—whom she had hardly ever seen.
"Uncle," she greeted, her voice uncertain.
He turned slightly, acknowledging her presence with a low, "Hmm," before saying, "Go and take a warm shower."
Ye Jin nodded and headed to her room. She removed her clothes, revealing fair, smooth skin, and entered the bathroom.
She turned on the shower, and warm water sprinkled on her body. Ye Jin let out a satisfied sigh.
To be honest, she was a bit uneasy. The original Ye Jin didn't have a relationship with her uncle. In fact, part of her resented him, as she felt he was the cause of her horrible school life. She believed that the constant moving around had caused her to lose friends and prevented her from making any new ones because she knew she was going to lose them anyway—so why bother?
Why did they have to move so frequently, though?
Ye Jin understood that the nature of Hwa XuZhou's job caused him to constantly travel. But since he hardly spent any time at home, was there even a point in moving to a new place if it wasn't going to make any difference?
Also, he gave off a very dangerous aura. His mannerisms were unsettling.
After her shower, Ye Jin put on her pajamas, ready to study, when she heard a knock on her door. Opening it, she found Hwa XuZhou standing there, holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
"For you," he said, handing the mug to her.
"Thank you," Ye Jin replied, taking the mug from him. The warmth seeped through her hands, offering a bit of comfort.
"How have your studies been going?" he asked, his tone flat, almost mechanical.
"They've been fine," Ye Jin answered, a complicated expression on her face.
An awkward silence hung between them, stretching on until Hwa XuZhou suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, cute Hello Kitty keychain. He handed it to her in a rushed motion.
Ye Jin looked at the keychain awkwardly. "Uh…"
"I'm going back tomorrow. I've restocked the groceries and foodstuffs. I've also added money to the other card, in case you run out of groceries," he said abruptly, turning to leave before she could respond.
Immediately, Ye Jin rushed forward and hugged him from behind. In low breaths, she muttered, "Thank you for the keychain. I really like it."
A hint of tenderness appeared on Hwa XuZhou's face, and slowly he reached out his hand and patted her head. He said softly, "You're welcome, Xiao Jin."
Ye Jin let go of him, and Hwa XuZhou quickly left.
Ye Jin watched him go, a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She looked down at the keychain in her hands, a faint smile resting on her lips. Hwa XuZhou did care about the original Ye Jin; he just didn't know how to express it.
But… he really made her uneasy. His mannerisms.
Ye Jin entered her room and set the keychain on her table. She checked her phone—no messages or missed calls from Mei Yun.
She really hoped Mei Yun was alright.
---
The next day, Ye Jin noticed her uncle had already left.
'He must have left really early,' she thought, already missing his presence as the house had become empty once again.
She went to school, joining Gu Yan, who gave her a free ride. In the car, they played games, with Gu Yan carrying her throughout. When they got to class, Gu Yan dropped his bags and went to disturb Ning Yin. Ye Jin, on the other hand, settled down, unpacking her things.
As she was unpacking, she noticed Mei Yun walking into the class. Her eyes lit up, and she walked over to meet her.
As she got to Mei Yun, Ye Jin frowned.
Mei Yun looked different, her usual brightness was nowhere to be seen.
"What happened yesterday? Why didn't you come to school?" Ye Jin asked, her voice filled with worry.
Mei Yun gave a weak smile, her eyes unfocused. "I was sick," she said, her voice quite low. "It's not a big deal."
Ye Jin gave her a doubtful look.
Sick? If she was sick, why didn't she report it or even tell her? If the sickness was so severe that she couldn't pick up her calls or reply, was she miraculously healed in a day?
Ye Jin's gaze sharpened as she noticed a faint purple mark on Mei Yun's neck, partially hidden by her hair.
Her stomach dropped.
Without thinking, Ye Jin grabbed Mei Yun's wrist and pulled her to the girls' restroom.
Mei Yun struggled, trying to free her wrist from Ye Jin's grip, her eyes wide with fear. "What are you doing?!" she screamed, her voice shaky.
Ye Jin ignored her, pushing open the restroom door and dragging her inside. After making sure the restroom was empty, she locked the door.
She walked back to Mei Yun, pushing her hair aside from the back of her neck, revealing a huge purple bruise.
Ye Jin's eyes darkened, and her hands quickly moved to the buttons of Mei Yun's shirt.
"Stop! Ye Jin, stop!" Mei Yun struggled, her voice trembling and filled with panic.
"Mei Yun," Ye Jin said coldly, her voice firm. "Don't struggle."
Mei Yun stopped, her lips trembling.
Ye Jin undid the first few buttons, and her breath caught in her throat, her face twisting in anger.
Purple and blue bruises, as well as old and new scars, mottled Mei Yun's pale skin. Mei Yun broke down in tears, her sobs and hiccups echoing in the bathroom.
Ye Jin felt her heart tug in pain.
She wrapped her arms around Mei Yun and gently patted her back.
"It's alright, Mei Yun. I'm here for you now," she said softly.