Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Found One
Standing before the security door, Lu Li——no, perhaps she should now be called "that silver-haired girl"——froze in her tracks.
The doormat was something Lu Qi had bought online last month, printed with a cartoon Shiba Inu, its expression dopey and adorable. She had opened this door hundreds of times; even with her eyes closed she could find the keyhole.
But today, she just stood there in a daze, unsure of what to do.
Because the person standing before this door was no longer "Lu Li."
"...What's wrong?"
Lu Qi behind her gave her no time to hesitate. The girl stepped past her, slid the key into the keyhole, and with a click, the door opened.
"Come in."
She reached out and pushed open the half-shut door, then naturally grabbed her by the wrist—not with much force, but firm. Just like how Lu Li used to hold her hand crossing the road.
Only now, the roles were reversed.
****
Lu Li stumbled, pulled through the doorway, and a familiar scent washed over her—the smell of home.
Laundry detergent, wooden furniture, and a faint trace of the body wash Lu Qi always used.
That scent made her tightly wound nerves ease slightly, but immediately after, an even stronger sense of wrongness surged up.
The living room light was still on.
Lu Qi's exercise book lay open on the coffee table, half-finished, pen resting beside it.
The TV was on, volume turned very low, replaying a late-night variety show; the host on screen was laughing in exaggerated delight.
On the dining table——2 sets of bowls and chopsticks, her set arranged neatly, beside it an untouched dinner.
Her gaze drifted.
By the entryway, her pair of size-42 grey cotton slippers sat quietly in their usual spot.
A black jacket was draped over the sofa armrest—she had tossed it off while changing before heading out.
The bedroom door was half-open; she could faintly make out the wardrobe door left ajar inside, left that way after she'd changed into rain clothes before leaving.
Everything was exactly the same as a few hours ago. But the person standing here looking at all of it was no longer "Lu Li."
She looked at the traces of "her own" life through a stranger's eyes.
The feeling was strange—like visiting the room of someone already dead.
Absurd, unreal, and a little...sad.
"Sit down first."
Lu Qi's voice came from the kitchen, cutting off her thoughts.
With a soft sound, the electric kettle started up with its low hum.
Lu Li walked somewhat awkwardly to the sofa edge, wanting to sit, but worried her dirty, soaked shirt would stain the sofa cover——it had only just been washed last week.
She hesitated for 2 seconds, then finally chose to perch on just a small corner of the sofa, curling herself into a ball.
Soon, Lu Qi came over carrying a mug.
A cup of hot water was held out before her.
"Warm up first."
Lu Li instinctively reached out both hands to take it. Warmth spread from her palms, soft and comfortable.
Her fingers were much slimmer than before; she wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but she felt that this familiar mug had grown larger—heavy enough that holding it with both hands took some effort. The steam drifted against her face, a little ticklish.
Then a faint, sharp sting spread from her fingertips—the sensation of frozen skin thawing back to life.
Lu Qi sat down beside her.
Not too close, not too far, roughly 2 people's width between them.
Then——silence.
The sound of rain came through the window, a soft pitter-patter. The variety show on TV was still playing, but neither of them watched it.
Lu Li held the mug, head lowered, heart drumming inside her chest, at a loss for what to say.
She was waiting for Lu Qi to ask.
To ask the questions any normal person would ask.
"Who are you?"
"Why are you wearing my brother's clothes?"
"Where did my brother go?"
"Why do you look so strange?"
Any one of those questions would do—as long as the other person asked, she could follow the opening to explain, even if she had to spin a hopelessly flimsy lie.
She had even mentally rehearsed several versions of a lie, ranging from "I'm your brother's girlfriend" to "I'm your brother's long-lost relative."
Even though every single one sounded pathetically unconvincing.
But Lu Qi didn't ask a single question. She simply sat quietly beside her, occasionally glancing over at Lu Li, her gaze carrying scrutiny and confusion—but no fear. As if waiting for her to speak on her own.
That silence was more suffocating than any interrogation.
Not asking was more frightening than asking. Not asking meant the other person might already have an answer. Or——didn't need one at all.
"......"
Lu Li finally couldn't bear the atmosphere any longer. She felt she had to say something, even if it was nonsense.
Just then, Lu Qi spoke first.
"What's your name?"
Her tone was perfectly calm, like asking "do you have much homework today?"
Lu Li blanked for a moment. A name?
‘Make up a name on the spot? Li something? Or Wang something?’
‘What does this question mean? A test? An out? Or is she really just asking casually?’
Her mind went blank. She had never given herself another name; she couldn't think of anything at all. Her mouth moved faster than her brain, and words were already tumbling out——
"Lu..."
Oh no.
"...Li. Lu Li."
The moment she said it, she wanted to slap herself. ‘Didn't even change the surname? Seriously?’
Done for.
‘Instinct is a killer.’
Lu Qi's eyes blinked, a flicker of...something passing through them.
Lu Li couldn't read it.
"Lu Li." Lu Qi repeated the name.
"It's—it's the Li with the jade radical." Lu Li hastily added. "The Li in 'glazed glass,' not...that other Li."
‘...Feels like I'm better off not explaining…’
The more she said, the worse it got—she might as well bury her head in that mug and drown.
Who makes up a fake name and doesn't even change the surname?
And then picks a homophone?
Was she trying to insult someone's intelligence?
But Lu Qi simply nodded, and asked nothing more.
"Oh, it's quite nice."
She murmured it softly, then looked Lu Li in the eyes.
Just...oh? No follow-up questions?
Lu Li sat there open-mouthed, staring at this perfectly composed younger sister before her, and suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
‘This girl...what on earth is she thinking?’
Before Lu Li could work it out, Lu Qi had already stood up.
"Go take a shower first." She walked toward the bathroom. "You're soaked through, you'll catch a cold."
Lu Li looked down at herself——the shirt was torn in several places, the fabric crumpled and clinging to her body, some spots smeared with dark reddish stains of unknown origin, mud or something else entirely.
Her trouser legs were covered in mud splatter, and her bare feet were an even filthier sight. Her hair stuck damply to her cheeks and neck, a few strands matted together, tacky against the skin.
She really did need a wash; if she didn't, even she herself would find herself repulsive.
"The bathroom's over there, towels are on the rack." Lu Qi pointed. "I'll go find you some pyjamas."
Lu Li stood up; her legs were still a little unsteady.
She padded across the floor toward the bathroom, leaving a trail of footprints behind her.
At the bathroom doorway she stopped, looked back. Lu Qi had her back to her, rummaging through the wardrobe, searching for something.
"...Thank you."
Lu Li said it softly, not sure whether Lu Qi heard.
Then she pushed open the bathroom door, slipped inside, and locked it behind her.
Lu Qi didn't turn around. Her voice came muffled from inside the wardrobe.
"Go wash up."
CLICK.
The sound of the lock falling into place rang out with startling crispness in the quiet bathroom.
Lu Li leaned back against the door, her body sliding down along it, and let out a long, long breath.
Finally...
Finally she didn't have to keep up appearances under the gaze of those eyes that seemed to see through everything.
But right then, she looked up.
Her line of sight landed directly on the mirror above the sink.
In the mirror, a pair of crimson pupils stared back at her, unblinking.
The real test was only just beginning.
Because the eyes of the girl in the mirror——
Were glowing.
A faint, crimson light, like embers burning in the dark.
And Lu Li could feel it clearly—that was not her own will.