The next morning began 'violently'.
Not because of enemies.
Not because of ET.
Not because of Specialists.
But because of Violet.
"Wake up."
No response.
Chūn Lěng Fēng was face-first on the bed. Half buried under blankets. Sleeping like a man who had spent years making up for lost sleep.
"Wake up."
Still nothing.
Violet stared for three seconds, then grabbed the blanket.
YANK.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Chūn Lěng Fēng immediately launched upright.
"THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE?!"
"No."
"ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!"
"No."
"THEN WHY AM I AWAKE?!"
"It's Sunday."
"..."
"..."
"What does that mean?"
"Church."
The silence lasted five whole seconds.
"Can I go back to sleep?"
"No."
"This feels illegal."
Violet ignored him.
Nearby, Yè Yī was already awake.
Of course.
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked half-dead but functional.
A remarkable improvement.
Several neatly folded outfits sat on a nearby chair.
Chūn Lěng Fēng blinked.
"Where did those come from?"
Qiū Huà Bǐ asked ruffling his own hair.
"Factor IV."
Qiū Huà Bǐ perked a brow.
"They just send clothes?"
"Yes."
Chūn Lěng Fēng pouts.
"...Can I join Factor IV?"
"No."
"That was worth asking."
Twenty Minutes Later. Everyone was ready.
Chūn Lěng Fēng adjusted his collar awkwardly. He wasn't used to clothes that actually fit, or clothes that weren't secondhand, or clothes purchased without somebody complaining. It felt strange. Very strange.
Then his stomach growled.. 'violently'.
His eyes lit up.
"Breakfast?"
Violet grabbed her coat.
"No."
"What?"
"No."
"What do you mean 'no'?"
"It's Sunday."
"Yes."
"We eat after church."
"..."
"..."
Chūn Lěng Fēng looked at Yè Yī.
Yè Yī walked past him. Qiū Huà Bǐ walked past him. Violet opened the gate.
"Yī gè. Huà Bǐ. Let's go."
The three left, leaving Chūn Lěng Fēng standing there. Alone, hungry and betrayed.
His soul nearly left his body.
"..."
"..."
"No food?"
Nobody answered.
He stared at the sky, then at the road, then at his stomach. He sprinted after them.
"WAIT FOR ME!"
The church wasn't particularly large but it was full.
Families, Students, Workers, Children, Elderly people....
People talking quietly before service began.
For perhaps the first time in his life— Chūn Lěng Fēng sat somewhere without needing to watch for danger. That alone felt weird.
The service eventually began. The pastor stepped forward. Today's topic appeared on the screen behind him.
UNITY
The pastor smiled.
"Many people think strength comes from standing alone."
Chūn Lěng Fēng immediately looked interested, because that's exactly what he'd been taught.
The pastor continued.
"But God through His Word teaches ussomething different."
He opened his Bible.
"Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion."
The congregation listened quietly.
The pastor continued.
"We live in a world that praises independence. But God never intended us to carry everything alone."
Another scripture appeared.
"Ecclesiastes 4:12
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Qiū Huà Bǐ glanced sideways.
'Three strands. An amusing number'.
The pastor smiled.
"Unity doesn't mean becoming identical. It means different people choosing to walk together.
Different strengths.Different weaknesses. Different personalities. One purpose."
Another verse.
"Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."
The message continued.
"Real unity isn't easy. Sometimes your brother annoys you..."
Qiū Huà Bǐ immediately looked at Chūn Lěng Fēng. Chūn Lěng Fēng looked back.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Nothing."
The pastor continued.
"..Sometimes people are loud..."
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked again.
"STOP THAT."
Yè Yī quietly moved one seat away.
The pastor remained blissfully unaware.
"..Unity is choosing to remain together anyway. To forgive. To support. To carry one another."
Another verse appeared.
"Galatians 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Something inside Chūn Lěng Fēng grew strangely quiet, because none of that sounded familiar. Nobody in the Chūn Clan carried burdens together.
People competed. They compared.., mocked.., separated.
The idea sounded almost ridiculous. Yet— He couldn't stop listening. For some reason, his eyes drifted toward Violet, then Yè Yī, then Qiū Huà Bǐ.
The people sitting beside him. The people who called him loud. The people who found him annoying. The people who still let him stay. The people who fed him.
The pastor spoke again.
"Sometimes God places people in your life for a reason. Not because they're perfect.. but because together you become stronger than you ever could be alone."
For the first time all morning— Chūn Lěng Fēng stopped thinking about food.
A miracle.
Possibly the first one recorded that day.
And somewhere deep inside— A thought quietly appeared.
'Maybe...
Maybe I don't actually want answers anymore. Maybe I just don't want to be alone'.
Then his stomach growled.. 'loudly'. The entire row heard it.
Qiū Huà Bǐ covered his face. Yè Yī closed his eyes. Violet stared straight ahead.
Chūn Lěng Fēng whispered:
"...I also want lunch."