First, there was bewilderment, then a startle, followed by shock.
"What in the world?"
Huai Shi jumped up, startled. He leaned in to scrutinize the scene within the basin, which looked like a bird's-eye view, identifying a dilapidated warehouse in the suburbs.
Incredible.
"King Ocean is right here?"
"Yes," Raven countered. "It's just the watermark method, using the ink from an Event Branch to trace him. Is that really so unbelievable?"
Huai Shi's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"But you didn't ask."
Raven looked at him with a puzzled expression, completely innocent.
Huai Shi could hardly resist the urge to grab this damn bird and squeeze it to death.
"You're clearly a turncoat!" he said angrily, slapping the table. "Look at you! Eating my family's food, living in my family's house, stealing my family's electricity, using my family's internet. I can let all that slide. But you knew this bastard wanted to kill me, so why did you hide it from me?"
"Oh?" Raven looked at him curiously. "Had I told you earlier, what would you have done?"
"Obviously, I would've called people to deal with him!"
"The Astronomical Society? Or the Special Affairs Department? Or perhaps both combined?" Raven smiled strangely. "But how would you have explained them hiding out in that place?"
Huai Shi opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.
"No, no, no, I don't mean how you found his hiding place."
Raven paused for a moment, glanced at the reflection in the water, and asked, "Rather, how would you explain why a property that once belonged to your family has become a lair for The Purified People?"
"...What in the world?!"
Huai Shi's eyes widened, staring at the basin in astonishment. "You're saying this place, this thing... belongs to my family?"
"You really have forgotten everything completely."
Raven looked at him pityingly. "Why do I, an outsider, know more about this than you? No, I should say, this is something you could learn with just a little investigation into the property rights."
"Indeed," she said. "The place where King Ocean is now hiding was once one of the Huai clan's shipping cargo transfer warehouses. In other words, a place that belonged to your family over a decade ago has now become a 'Fasting Circle' where The Purified People raise Border Variants."
As she spoke, countless old papers flew through the air in the basement, falling and gathering in front of Huai Shi, neatly forming a stack.
"I can understand your confusion and bewilderment, but this is indeed the conclusion drawn from these old archives of your house."
Huai Shi silently flipped through those papers, page by page.
These were indeed piled up in the storeroom of his house, covered with dust, moldy, cast away in some unremarkable corner.
Forgotten.
Raven was right. That place was indeed once part of the Huai Family's properties, a warehouse used for transferring goods.
"But I don't remember it at all."
Huai Shi sat blankly in his chair, carefully recalling, but his childhood memories had too many gaps, too many blurry things.
After that high fever, a lot of things had gradually faded...
But it didn't seem like anything surprising.
Ever since he could remember, the family's assets seemed to have been declining rapidly. Even if his great-grandfather had been amazingly wealthy, all that remained now was an old house.
The Huai family once had so many properties; it wouldn't be surprising if something occasionally happened to one of them, right? It was just somewhat unlucky. Just like himself all this time. Yet, why would he feel angry?
"Damn it..."
He muttered under his breath, yet didn't know what exactly to be angry about.
In the silence, Raven stood perched on the hilt of the Sacrificial Knife, looking at him with pity. The flickering light stretched her shadow across the wall, making it dance like flames.
"Let me give you your second lesson, Huai Shi."
Her voice changed. It was no longer lighthearted or teasing, but solemn, like the clash of glaciers and iron, resonating with a low rumble.
"—Fate cannot be controlled, but its subjects do vary."
"Fate?"
"Yes, fate," the black bird said. "Some people choose their fate, while others are intimidated by the difficulties and fears they see and stop in their tracks. They can only wait to be chosen by fate. Though there's nothing inherently wrong with the latter, when duckweed adrift at sea is swept into a storm, how is it qualified to blame its own luck?"
Huai Shi remained silent for a long time before asking, "Does the former necessarily lead to happiness?"
"Who knows?" Raven answered calmly. "Striving might not change the outcome, but at least one dies with a clear conscience, right?"
"..."
Huai Shi fell silent.
"You don't need to detest yourself. After all, the you from the past had no chance to choose, but now everything is different," Raven said. "If you don't care about the past, you can simply ignore it, letting it all continue to sink into darkness. I assure you, you will have a bright future. But if you truly want to know what happened to you—no, to your family—you must confront it all yourself."
After a prolonged silence, Huai Shi couldn't help but want to laugh. "Even if I knew, what could be changed?"
Nothing can be changed; nothing will return. Just as fate will not change. Just like that Book of Fate. The dust has settled, and what is recorded within will never change.
Raven looked into his eyes and said slowly, "But at least you can know why you have lost, can't you?"
In the dead silence, Huai Shi closed his eyes and sighed wearily.
After a long, long time, he opened his eyes and stood up. He took his coat from the chair and draped it over his shoulders. Then, he examined the pistol issued by the Astronomical Society—the trigger, the barrel, and the magazine—before tucking it into the concealed holster at his waist.
Lastly, he picked up the Sacrificial Knife from the table and fastened it to the buckle of his belt.
"I'll borrow this," Huai Shi said, zipping up his jacket. "I'll be back soon."
"Hmm."
Raven flapped her wings. "Have a safe trip."
As he was leaving, Huai Shi's steps faltered. He saw an envelope on the table.
"What's that?"
"Oh, that," Raven glanced at it. "Someone came by at noon. They didn't come in, though; they just left this in the mailbox outside. I think it's probably for you."
Huai Shi picked up the envelope and shook it. It seemed to contain something metallic with a bit of weight.
After opening the envelope, a key slid out and fell into Huai Shi's palm.
It was an aged brass key. It didn't look like one for a high-security door or a valuable safe, just the type that commonly came with cheap locks.
Its slight weight felt so familiar; Huai Shi could almost remember every notch on its teeth.
It was the key to his piano room.
"Fu Yi?"
The only person likely to send this key would be her, right? After all, abusing student council power to look up a student's home address was quite her style. What exactly does it mean?
Huai Shi scrutinized the key and suddenly felt like laughing. Skipping class again, that girl...
He thought for a moment and then reattached it to the keychain in his pocket.
Never before had he been so certain that this abrupt holiday would end. His life would start again. He would return once more to that room of his own, to once again practice piano, slack off, and imagine a happy future. He would return to his own support group.
"Thank you."
He sent a WeChat message to Fu Yi. Shortly after, he received a sticker in response—it was that photo of Huai Shi hesitating in front of the Cowherd Club, with two brightly flashing, colorful words Photoshopped onto it.
——Cheer up!
"So, you're the ringleader who's been sending me those stickers, huh?"
He didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh.
He turned off his phone screen and pushed the door open.
Huai Shi set out.