Li Yanshu and her father finally landed in Shanghai. Where her home is.
Because of her condition, they were delayed, but everything was manageable for now. The hospital had specially provided a chair for her convenience—one that was easy to handle and allowed her to move comfortably.
As they exited the airport, people stared at her as if she didn't belong there. Some eyes were filled with pity. But by now, she had grown accustomed to such looks.
Li Jun booked a ride from the airport to their home. Carefully, he helped her settle in before the car started moving. He kept glancing at her, concern evident in his eyes.
"Do you feel okay, or should we go slower?" he asked gently.
"No, this speed is fine," she replied.
She had only been away from Shanghai for two years, yet the city had changed so dramatically that she could barely recognize the roads they were passing.
"Dad, what did you tell that old man gu?" she asked after a pause.
"About what?" Li Jun responded.
"About Mom… how she found me at the incident site."
"I told him this," he said calmly. "Your mother came to visit you the day before the incident. The next morning, she saw you leave in a hurry and became concerned. Later, she saw you on the news, so she followed you there. That's how she ended up at the scene."
"He didn't suspect anything?"
"Well… considering the condition you and your mother were in at the time, perhaps he didn't feel the need to question further."
"Hmm…"
"When you were in a coma," he continued, "I brought your mother back home. She never liked hospital environments, so I thought it would be better for her to rest somewhere familiar."
"Who's taking care of her now?"
"Our neighbor, Aunt Lu."
"Then it's fine. Has there been any improvement?"
Li Jun shook his head slightly. "No… not at the moment."
After some time, they reached their destination.
As Li Yanshu slowly lifted her eyelids, her home came into view. Two years had passed, yet the house looked exactly the same as when she had left it. Because of her job, she had been living in Nanjing. Her work rarely allowed her any leave, so her parents would visit her instead.
Their home was a small two-story house on the outskirts of Shanghai—perfectly suited to her father's profession. He was a famous, yet mysterious writer.
Once inside, her father carried her to her bedroom.
"You must be tired from the journey. Get some rest. We'll talk in the evening. If you need anything, just call me—I'll come, okay?"
"Hmm," she responded softly.
She lay down, but sleep refused to come. Her thoughts kept drifting back to her mother.
That evening, after dinner, her father took her upstairs to their room.
The moment she entered, she saw her mother lying on the bed. Her hair was spread messily around her, yet she looked as if she were peacefully asleep. Aunt Lu was gently wiping her hands with a damp cloth.
When Aunt Lu saw Li Yanshu, her eyes filled with tears, but she quickly composed herself.
"Ayan, you're back. I have some work at home—I'll come again later," she said.
"Thank you, Aunt Lu… for taking care of Mom."
"There's no need to thank me," she replied softly. "She's your mother, but she's also my friend. It's my responsibility."
Soon, only Li Yanshu and her father remained in the room.
Her mother was right in front of her, yet she couldn't bring herself to reach out and touch her—not because she didn't want to, but because her own paralyzed body refused to respond. Her breathing was steady—her chest rising and falling—but her face had turned completely pale.
Seeing her like this made Yanshu feel helpless… and unbearably weak.
Breaking the heavy silence, she finally asked the question that had been haunting her for days:
"My mom… who really is she?"
Her father let out a deep sigh—the kind that carried years of buried memories.
"I had hoped you would never ask this…" he said quietly.
After a brief pause, he began.
"When my parents died in an accident, my relatives refused to adopt me. So, I was sent to Longshan Orphanage. I was a quiet child—I didn't like talking much. Because of that, the other children often teased me.
Behind the orphanage, there was a dense forest. We were strictly forbidden from going there.
One day, a boy mocked me, calling me a coward.
'You're a coward! If you want to prove you're not, go into the forest and bring back a red flower. The kitchen aunty said they're very beautiful.'
To prove myself, I went into the forest.
I searched for a long time, but I couldn't find any flower. By then, evening had started to fall, and the sun was setting. Afraid of getting lost, I decided to head back.
Suddenly, I heard a rustling sound behind me.
It was a forest—animals could be anywhere. But curiosity got the better of me.
I slowly approached the bushes… and that's when I saw her.
A little girl.
She was wearing strange clothes—almost like something from another era. She looked frightened, yet alert… and her fangs were slightly visible.
It didn't feel right to leave her alone in the forest, so I brought her back to the orphanage.
I told everything to Mr. Wei, the head of the orphanage.
At first, he scolded me harshly, but soon his attention shifted to the girl.
Her name was Lin Anran—that was all she could remember.
Everyone tried to find her parents, and even the police were informed… but nothing was found.
It was as if she had fallen from the sky.
She had no past. No identity.
So, the orphanage decided to let her stay.
From that moment on… she started living with us.
Everything was new for her—just like it is for a small child. She used to stay cautious and keep her distance from others, but when she was with me, she would let her guard down and lower the walls around her.
As time passed, we slowly began to understand each other. Before we even realized it, our relationship changed—from friends to lovers, and from lovers to marriage.
Then one day, a major incident happened that changed our lives completely.
Your mother used to work at a flower shop back then. She loved flowers—their beauty and fragrance would always bring a smile to her face.
One day, she was returning late at night from work. Since it was already dark, I went out to pick her up. On the way, in a deserted alley, I saw a man behind her.
He was trying to force himself on her. In panic, I attacked him, and soon we got into a fight. Suddenly, he pulled out a knife. He was just about to stab me when, from behind, I don't know when, Anran stood up.
Her eyes turned violet with a light golden ring surround her —no longer human, but something ancient and terrifying. The glow wasn't just in her eyes; it felt like a hidden power had awakened within her.
The air around her shifted.
Though the sky had been clear, a violent wind rose, circling her like a storm under her control. Her hair lifted, thunder rumbled, and the temperature dropped sharply—as if the world itself was reacting to her presence.
Anran slowly raised her hand.
Dark violet-black energy began to gather in her palm, first as faint flickers, then as crackling streams of power. It twisted like living shadows, cold and devouring.
Then, without a word, she released it.
A surge of energy shot forward, tearing through the air. The moment it struck the man, he was instantly reduced to ash—erased without a trace.
And just as suddenly, everything went silent… leaving behind only a fragile girl who held a terrifying power.
When I looked at Anran, the violet glow in her eyes faded, turning into a dull black like an abyss. before disappearing completely. The storm around us died instantly, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Her body trembled slightly, then all strength left her. She swayed for a moment before collapsing forward.
'Anran!'
I rushed and caught her just in time. She felt light and fragile in my arms, her skin slightly cold, her face pale and still.
For a second, my heart stopped—
then I felt it… a soft, steady breath.
She was unconscious… but alive.
Unconscious, completely defenseless… yet breathing—held in my arms like something precious I could never afford to lose."