Xiao Ling is a straightforward person, and the third sister and the youngest are also sensible kids. Lu Ma's teachings to her children are never wrong, especially with me keeping watch twenty-four hours a day. It's hard to make a mistake... As for Lu Feng, hmm, he seems to be human too.

He's one of the Ashes, not Ascension, so he can't be considered a Justice Envoy who punishes evil and promotes good. When family and justice are placed on the scales, he already knows which way it will tilt.

He can't be as decisive and straightforward as Wen Wen.

In the craftsman's view, everything has its value, but some things hold more value than others. Even so, he would never allow such 'measuring' to occur.

All along his journey, he risked his life climbing upwards, wasn't it for the freedom to bring out a hammer at a critical moment to shatter this so-called scale?

"But..."

Wen Wen held her wine glass, seemingly hesitant and probing as she observed his expression: "It seems like you've never talked about your father before?"

"Huh?"

Ji Jue was instantly bewildered. Why did it feel like Sister Wen was acting a bit silly today, wanting to pry into his life?

After a long pause, he shook his head with emotion: "Probably because I can't remember?"

"Sorry." Wen Wen sighed.

"What's happening? Constantly apologizing and sighing, it's not like you." Ji Jue poured himself another glass, sipping lightly: "When I started remembering things, he had already passed away. Supposedly it was a workshop accident, intracranial hemorrhage, and he was gone by the time he reached the hospital... But occasionally, I can recall some scenes from childhood."

Those fleeting moments of the past.

Just a blink.

It seemed to be a night after just calming the children, when the TV program ended and turned into flickering static.

In a break between dreams, he saw that person sitting in front of the table, absorbed in writing and drawing.

Couldn't see his face clearly.

But the light from the lamp illuminated that silhouette, outlining a reassuring figure.

The cool breeze of summer night blew gently, and the insects chirped from the bushes outside the window.

And so, sweet dreams.

"Besides, there were a lot of outrageous things."

Ji Jue chuckled with emotion: "It is said that whenever my mom wasn't around when I was little and I wailed, he would read the 'Engineering Materials Manual' to me."

"And then you stopped crying?"

"And then I cried even harder, okay! Where in the world do you find someone using that to soothe a child?"

"...Hmm, indeed."

Wen Wen nodded, unable to argue.

"My mom said, my dad was that kind of dull person, not talkative, lacking in charm, and didn't have any sense of ceremony at all.

If he were to speak, it was like a wound-up watch, methodically, tirelessly, and tirelessly turning, stable enough to make one feel reassured but helpless.

However, when looking at the world's most precious things, his eyes would light up like stars."

Ji Jue recalled his mother's expression at the time.

It was similarly filled with joy and happiness, as if she was describing the best person in the world.

Up to now, Ji Jue can scarcely remember his father's appearance. After all these years, with all the ups and downs and twists and turns, the only thing left is a photo his mother specially scanned and stored when moving house.

In the red-background wedding photo, the young man and his wife are holding hands tightly, their smiles appearing a bit wooden, but when looking at the lens, they can't restrain their happiness and hope.

"That's really nice."

Wen Wen sighed softly with envy, resting her chin on her hand, swirling the ice cubes in her glass, hesitating to speak.

Wanting to say something, but there was simply nowhere to start.

Compared to that small lingering glow in Ji Jue's memory, she once believed her life was bathed in sunlight.

But that sunlight was just an illusion.

There never was any light. She just harbored unrealistic fantasies, running wildly in the darkness amidst delusions.

Even now, when recalling her father, aside from resentment and anger, the most striking image was that mask-like smile.

It seemed to never have changed.

Since childhood, she felt her father was the best person in the world, strong and capable, with a smile like the sun.

Until...

He pushed another child into the incinerator with that same smile.

Clearly having committed no fault, clearly trying harder than anyone else, the only flaw being reaching eleven without managing to awaken on his own.

The mistake he committed was having no value.

More nauseating was that for a fleeting moment, she actually felt this was right, proper, that there was no issue with worthless waste dying.

But she could never forget, the look that child gave her just before turning away for the last time.

Filled with tears and a smile.

As if relieved, silently bidding farewell.

He escaped from the flames, from Hell, never to be seen again.

The flames illuminated her face, yet a thought she had never entertained arose in her heart—would one day her father abandon her like this?

From that day on, an indescribable fear and hesitation rose from her heart, compelling her to strive endlessly, to endure and seek praise and approval.

Unknowingly, the number of siblings around her decreased one by one, and their relationships went from warm and friendly to treating each other like enemies.

There could only be one of Dad's good children.

And that person is herself!

It could only be herself!

Thus, they envied each other, thus they fought viciously.

Until she could no longer bear it, escaping from that hell at all costs.

But did she really escape? Wasn't her past rebellion actually Wen Zheng's indulgence? And wasn't that scene intentionally displayed before her by Wen Zheng?

She didn't care anymore.

Wandering, fighting all the way, like a beast futilely biting and snatching, getting lost in the present world, then gradually learning the rules of humanity, until she became the utterly different person she is now.

Looking back, she finally understood what a monster she had been in the past.

Yet every time she looked back, she found that her past self was also watching her.

Always close by, getting closer, appreciating her futile escape and evasion, clinging like a nightmare.

Ultimately... a leopard never changes its spots.

"How ridiculous I am."

Wen Wen closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and downed the remaining wine and ice in one gulp.

In the silence, she turned back to look at the person beside her.

"Ji Jue?"

"Hmm?" Ji Jue was puzzled.

For a moment, Wen Wen seemed to hesitate, but quickly she laughed, as if she had thrown off a heavy burden, relieved.

"No, it's nothing."

Wen Wen smiled and raised her glass, "Let's drink."

She said, "Thank you."

Such gentle and joyful laughter...

Ji Jue had never seen it on her face before.

In a moment of daze, he instinctively raised his glass.

In the sound of crisp clinking, he drank it all in one go.

This was the last memory he could recall before blacking out.

Everything after that was a mess.

Amidst the alcoholic chaos, revelry, playing dice and cheating, getting hammered, and he seemed to have performed a little act, ending in a failed backflip.

He vaguely remembered wrapping his arm around Sister Wen's shoulder, thumping his chest and promising that there was no need for words between brothers, he would definitely give her a swift and clean death for her sister, and her head could even be made into a cup to keep as a memento for drinking. If she wasn't willing, she could also use it to hold her dad's ashes...

And then, he got hammered again!

He was obviously coming from a good place.

Anyway, when he woke up, he was bruised and battered, feeling like he'd been run over by a big truck.

His head hurt as if it would split, regretting his actions.

It was already noon, and his phone was full of missed calls and unread messages.

Apart from advertisements and junk messages, there were really only two matters.

The first was that after drinking last night, Sister Wen kicked the door down, beat up the car repair shop's owner and workers, took back her sixteen hundred bucks, and swaggered off.

The second was that she resigned.

Without waiting for any approvals or permissions, she simply left a resignation letter that finally served its purpose on the desk.

Without any warning, she departed without a word.

.

.

In the deep night, Yu Shu lay sleepless.

Tossing and turning, he seemed to dream, waking up drenched in cold sweat.

He closed his eyes, trying hard to fall back asleep.

But in a daze, he heard singing again, so distant, like cries and complaints.

Above the vast sea, the bright moon high in the night sky quietly reflected on the mist above the waves, and bloated, decaying bodies rose and fell with the sea's ebb and flow, converging like a tide, drifting towards the distant lonely island.

On faces full of delighted decay, lips opened and closed.

Joyful souls sang aloud.

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