Chapter 4: The Unexpected Company

Hao Yang heard footsteps approaching from outside.

She swallowed hard, then silently tucked her dry rations away, taking care not to make a single sound.

‘How could there be someone here?’ she thought frantically.

‘Please, don’t come to my room. Please, for the love of everything, don’t come to my room! Just don’t come to my room, I beg you!’

Hao Yang’s silent pleas filled her mind. She had never expected anyone to appear in such a desolate, uninhabited residential area.

The shock sent her composure plummeting, and her thoughts immediately drifted to the horror movies she had watched in the past.

The more she dwelled on it, the more terrified she became, yet eventually, she managed to calm herself.

She strove to remain absolutely silent. Hao Yang hadn’t anticipated such an intense wave of fear, a reaction she attributed to the body she now inhabited.

The footsteps paused on her floor.

Then, sounds of doors being pushed open echoed through the corridor.

The footsteps drew steadily closer, until they finally stopped right outside the main door of the house where Hao Yang was hiding.

Hao Yang was so frightened she dared not even breathe.

She had no idea whether the presence at the door was human or spectral, but her only hope was to remain undiscovered.

The footsteps drew closer still, leaving Hao Yang breathless with fear.

Suddenly, a beam of light flashed. Hao Yang peered through the spot where the light had originated, realizing there was a small hole in the cabinet door.

Holding her breath, she cautiously looked out.

Outside stood a person—at least, that much was confirmed.

They were holding a flashlight, meticulously surveying the room.

The individual was tall and carried several items in their hands.

Finally, the person retrieved a lamp from their backpack, instantly illuminating the entire room.

Hao Yang could now clearly make out their true appearance.

It was a man, approximately 1.8 meters tall, with a slightly portly build.

He appeared rather disheveled and dirty.

The man then pulled a sleeping mat from his backpack and spread it on the floor.

After a brief tidying of the room, it became clear he intended to stay for the night.

With the room now lit, Hao Yang’s fear began to subside.

Reason gradually started to triumph over her initial terror.

‘He’s probably a homeless person,’ she surmised, ‘looking for a place to spend the night.’

Even knowing the individual was human, she dared not emerge.

She was, after all, a helpless little girl, utterly defenseless.

If the man harbored any ill intentions, she could easily be overpowered.

As the saying went, ‘While it is wrong to intend harm, it is foolish not to guard against it.’

Moreover, rumors suggested that many who lived on the streets were mentally unstable or profoundly disturbed.

Encountering a good person would be fortunate, but facing someone with a mental illness would be a truly terrifying ordeal.

She decided it would be safer to wait until he left tomorrow before making her own departure.

After all, she had already planned to spend the night here herself.

With no other recourse, Hao Yang, unable to sleep, simply closed her eyes to rest.

More sounds drifted in from outside. Hao Yang opened her eyes and peeked through the hole.

It seemed the man was building a fire, using bricks he’d found somewhere to construct a makeshift stove.

On top of it sat an open can and a metal lunchbox.

“Eating this well today,” the man muttered to himself as he sat beside it, “I’ll be utterly content once I’m done.”

After watching for a while, Hao Yang realized he was simply cooking.

She withdrew her gaze from the peephole and resumed resting her eyes.

As time passed, Hao Yang gradually drifted into a semi-conscious state, hovering between sleep and wakefulness.

Just then, an incredibly fragrant aroma reached her, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Peering through the hole, she saw the man open his lunchbox, revealing gleaming white rice.

With his chopsticks, he plucked a piece of glistening, fatty meat from a container and popped it into his mouth, then followed it with a spoonful of rice.

Watching this, Hao Yang couldn’t help but swallow, her mouth watering profusely.

She hadn’t eaten anything warm all day.

She found herself longing for the nutritious, delicious meals her mother used to cook for her—always piping hot, a stark contrast to the dry, hard, cold things she was forced to eat now.

She still couldn’t fathom how she had ended up in a little girl’s body.

All she remembered was losing consciousness moments after speaking with her father, and she had no idea what had become of her original self.

Her complex thoughts overshadowed her primal hunger.

Hao Yang was no longer tempted by the food outside, instead pondering her predicament: what should she do, and how could she ever find her parents?

These were questions she absolutely had to confront.

Sounds of tidying reached her from outside. Hao Yang glanced over.

The man was washing his rice bowl with water from a mineral water bottle, and he also extinguished the fire.

‘He seems quite conscious about fire safety,’ Hao Yang noted.

Her impression of the man improved slightly.

After tidying everything, the man lay down on his sleeping mat and began to sleep.

Before long, a steady, loud snore emanated from him.

Hao Yang didn’t find the snoring unpleasant; instead, it brought her a sense of relief.

The sound confirmed that the man was indeed fast asleep.

The man had left the lamp on, and its soft glow further relaxed Hao Yang.

As her tension eased, a wave of exhaustion washed over her like a gushing spring.

The day’s weariness pulled at Hao Yang’s eyelids, making it almost impossible to keep her eyes open.

‘Fine, I’ll just nap for a bit,’ she thought. ‘I can worry about all these troubles tomorrow.’

With that, Hao Yang allowed herself to relax completely, letting her eyes close, and drifted into sleep.

****

Meanwhile, downstairs, in the dense, shadowy woods, a figure stood beside a tree.

They gazed up at the residential building, where a faint glimmer of light could be seen.

After marking a spot nearby, the figure silently departed.

The night passed swiftly.

Suddenly, Hao Yang noticed the snoring had ceased and instantly woke up.

Although she had been asleep, a sliver of her consciousness remained, and the abrupt silence had roused her.

Hao Yang glanced at the man.

He was still lying on the sleeping mat, having just turned over, and appeared to have no immediate intention of getting up.

‘Get up already,’ Hao Yang silently prayed.

‘That way, I can finally leave this place too.’