Chapter 17: The Same Hand

Su Yutao nodded.

Shen Nian chuckled.

“Alright, just listen then.”

She propped her legs up on the coffee table and started chattering while cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV.

“That host isn’t bad-looking, but the makeup is too heavy.”

“I saw this news yesterday. Boring.”

“This ad has been aired a thousand times. So annoying.”

Su Yutao huddled in her blanket, letting the chatter wash over her.

The words went in one ear and out the other.

Her mind was filled with that news report.

Zhou Wan.

Twenty-seven years old.

Missing surveillance footage.

And that person last night—they called someone to check the footage.

Now the footage was gone.

Did she do it?

Or was it a coincidence?

Su Yutao didn’t know.

All she knew was that she was even more afraid now.

Shen Nian chattered for a while, then noticed Su Yutao wasn’t responding. She poked her.

“Hey, are you listening?”

Su Yutao nodded.

Shen Nian snorted.

“You’re no fun if you don’t even react.”

She turned back to the TV.

The news had changed to another story.

After a while, Shen Nian turned back.

“Hey, Su Yutao, is your hair natural or dyed?”

Su Yutao was taken aback.

She pointed at her hair, then spread her hands—she didn’t know.

Shen Nian reached out and grabbed a strand of her hair, examining it.

“Natural? White hair? That’s rare.”

Then she looked at Su Yutao’s eyes.

“Your eyes are pretty, even if you can’t open them much…”

Su Yutao shook her head.

She didn’t know either.

Shen Nian pinched her cheek.

“You look so gentle, but you’re too thin, like a little chick.”

Su Yutao was pinched and dared not move.

Shen Nian then pinched her ear.

“Your ears are small too, like a cat’s.”

Her hand moved down, about to pinch her shoulder—

Su Yutao finally couldn’t take it anymore.

Earlier, she had let it slide because Shen Nian had fed her.

But now she was pinching her again…

She reached out to swat Shen Nian’s hand away.

But her sleeves were too long, so only the tips of her fingers emerged.

Those fingertips hit Shen Nian’s hand, soft as a cat’s paw.

Shen Nian froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Your sleeves are way too long—you can’t even hit anyone.”

She rolled up Su Yutao’s sleeves, revealing her slender hand.

“Try again?”

Su Yutao wasn’t sure if she should hit again.

Shen Nian’s hand came back, pinching her cheek.

Su Yutao swung again—this time she made contact. A crisp smack.

Shen Nian laughed even harder.

“Nice, now things are getting interesting.”

She reached out again.

Su Yutao hit her again.

The two of them on the sofa, one reaching, one hitting, like a childish game.

Shen Nian laughed as she reached.

“Not bad, Su Yutao. You’re quick.”

Su Yutao couldn’t see, so she just swung by feel.

As they played, she seemed to relax.

After one last reach that got smacked away, Shen Nian finally stopped.

“Alright, alright, no more playing.”

She leaned back on the sofa and took a breath.

“You little blind girl, you’re quite fun.”

Su Yutao curled up, pulling her sleeves down and hiding her hands again.

Seeing that, Shen Nian suddenly asked.

“By the way, how old are you?”

Su Yutao shook her head.

Don’t know.

Shen Nian clicked her tongue.

“You don’t know anything. You’re like someone without an identity.”

Su Yutao lowered her head.

Without an identity.

Yes.

That was exactly what she was.

This body—she didn’t even know if it had an identity, didn’t know its past, didn’t know its future.

Shen Nian looked at her like that, and seemed to soften.

“Alright, alright, if you don’t know, you don’t know. At least someone’s taking care of you now.”

She reached out and ruffled Su Yutao’s hair.

This time, Su Yutao didn’t swat her away.

Shen Nian ruffled it a couple of times, then withdrew her hand and went back to watching TV.

Su Yutao huddled in her blanket, listening quietly.

A variety show was on TV, filled with laughter.

Shen Nian laughed along.

Su Yutao didn’t laugh.

She listened to the laughter, but her mind was still on that news report.

She curled up in her blanket, waiting for nightfall.

…

She didn’t know how long passed.

It grew dark.

Shen Nian checked the time and stood up.

“Xiao Xue should be back soon.”

She walked to the door, opened it to look outside, then closed it again.

She returned to the sofa and looked down at the curled-up Su Yutao.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Then she reached out and aggressively ruffled Su Yutao’s hair.

“Alright, Su Yutao, I’m off. I’ll come back tomorrow to feed you.”

Footsteps moved toward the door.

The door opened.

Shen Nian’s voice drifted back.

“Hey, see you next time, little mute.”

The door closed.

The room fell silent.

Only Su Yutao remained.

She huddled in her blanket, listening to the sounds outside.

Footsteps passed in the hallway.

A car engine sounded downstairs.

A dog barked in the distance.

Then—

The sound of a key turning.

The door opened.

Those gentle footsteps entered.

“I’m home—”

Lin Qingxue’s voice rang out, tinged with fatigue but still gentle.

Then came the sound of a plastic bag being set on the table.

“Nian Nian left? Have you eaten? I bought some strawberries…”

The footsteps approached.

They stopped by the sofa.

Silence.

Su Yutao could feel that gaze on her.

Then the blanket was gently lifted a bit.

Lin Qingxue looked at her and let out a soft laugh.

“This outfit… it fits me perfectly, but on you, it’s like a kid wearing adult clothes.”

She reached out to adjust Su Yutao’s collar, then smoothed down the rolled-up sleeves—they were still long, but at least tidier.

Then that hand pressed against her forehead.

“Why are you sweating so much?”

The hand moved from her forehead to her cheek, gently wiping away the sweat.

So light, so warm.

Like tending to a sick little animal.

Su Yutao remembered that same hand from last night—choking her, lifting her by the neck, gripping her chin in threat, pressing on her wound until the pain was unbearable.

Now that same hand was gently wiping her sweat and fixing her clothes.

The same hand.

The same person.

Su Yutao shrank back.

Just slightly.

But Lin Qingxue noticed.

Her hand paused.

She didn’t pull it back.

Instead, she stroked Su Yutao’s face even more gently, like calming a frightened pet.

“What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Su Yutao didn’t know whether to nod or shake her head.

She could only curl up.

Lin Qingxue was silent for a few seconds.

Then she let out a soft sigh and crouched by the sofa.

This way she was a bit shorter than Su Yutao, looking up at her.

That gentle voice grew even softer.

“Is it because I came back too late? Were you scared alone?”

Su Yutao was stunned.

She was scared.

But not of being alone.

She was scared of the person who came back.

But she couldn’t say it.

Lin Qingxue seemed to misunderstand.

She reached out and gently took Su Yutao’s hand—the one hidden in the long sleeve.

She pushed the sleeve up, revealing the slender hand, held it in her palm, and gently rubbed it.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m back.”

“I’ll be here tonight. No need to be scared.”

Su Yutao’s hand was held, and her whole body stiffened.

It’s because you’re here that I’m scared.

But she couldn’t say it.

Lin Qingxue seemed to think she was cold, so she brought her hand to her lips and breathed warm air onto it.

Warm.

Just like yesterday morning in the corner.

Su Yutao’s eyes suddenly stung.

This person was kind to her.

This person was genuinely kind to her.

Like taking care of a stray cat she had picked up.

But inside this person lived another.

That other person wanted to kill her.

She didn’t know which one to trust.

After breathing warmth, Lin Qingxue put her hand back under the blanket and tucked the corner in.

Then she noticed Su Yutao’s pants—the cuffs were rolled up several times but still dragged on the floor.

She chuckled softly.

“The pants are way too long. Tomorrow I’ll buy you some smaller ones.”

She reached down and adjusted the rolled cuffs again, making sure they wouldn’t trip her.

“Are you hungry? I bought strawberries. Want me to wash some for you?”

Su Yutao shook her head.

She couldn’t eat anything now.

Lin Qingxue didn’t insist. She stood up.

“Then rest for now. You’ve had a long day.”

She helped Su Yutao stand up.

As Su Yutao stood, the oversized T-shirt swayed, making her appear even smaller.

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