Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Nine: Xicheng Xun's Past
"Anxious? Who would be anxious for that woman! It's good enough that she's not dead! I'm certainly not anxious for her!"
Xicheng Xun bit her lip hard.
Chen Nuo shook his head and sighed.
In Chen Nuo's view, Xicheng Xun's mother, Rin Nishikawa, was simply a peculiar individual.
We always say that parents are great, that parents selflessly give their love to their children...
But we must admit, some parents are truly strange. And some people are simply unfit to be parents.
Gu Kang, for example, was the scum of the earth.
Similarly, in Chen Nuo's eyes, Rin Nishikawa was no less scummy than Gu Kang.
There are always some people in this world whose level of depravity repeatedly shatters one's understanding.
In his previous life, Chen Nuo once saw an interesting question on a Zhihu-like website.
The gist of the question was about a young couple who, facing parental opposition, decided to have a child out of wedlock. They planned to use the child as a weapon to force their parents to accept their union.
Beneath that question was a very interesting and representative answer:
"Nowadays, even to drive a car, you must first learn driving skills and pass an exam before you can get on the road! But having a child, taking on the vital role of a parent, being responsible for a young life—this is something anyone can do on a whim. Frankly, that's terrifying.
"Before deciding to have a child, shouldn't you carefully consider if you have the ability and sense of responsibility to be accountable for a new life? Shouldn't you think about the child's education, livelihood, health, and upbringing environment? Ask yourself: are you truly prepared to take on these responsibilities?
"Children are not kittens or puppies; they are not pets. They are living human beings!
"As parents, shouldn't you be prepared to take responsibility for a child's life before bringing him or her into the world?
"Consider the couple in the question: young and naive, they rashly decided to have a child to defy parental opposition, treating the child merely as a weapon against their elders... They didn't even consider if they were capable of taking responsibility for raising the child! A child is not a weapon but a life for whose upbringing you are responsible.
"Any child born to such a couple would be incredibly unlucky!"
This is not an issue of poverty or wealth.
It's about whether, before having a child, you've truly considered if you're ready to be a father or a mother.
Rin Nishikawa was a prime example.
If Chen Nuo were to evaluate her, he would say she utterly lacked any redeeming human qualities.
Her only asset in life was the beautiful appearance bestowed upon her by heaven and her parents.
Beyond that, she was probably no better than an animal.
Many years ago, the young Rin Nishikawa was an uneducated delinquent. Her academic performance, naturally, was not worth mentioning.
Relying on her good looks and some cunning, she ensnared Xicheng Xun's father.
Back then, Xicheng Xun's father was an excellent young man: young, dependable, hardworking, and ambitious. He was somewhat introverted and traditional, a typical science and engineering type with low emotional intelligence but high IQ, from a good family with a solid educational background.
Essentially, their union came about after Rin Nishikawa set her sights on him. She used all her cunning and relied on her beauty to make him fall at her feet.
Then came the parental opposition.
How to describe Rin Nishikawa? Uneducated, lazy, and indulgent. Apart from the manipulative tricks she developed from being surrounded by men due to her beauty since childhood, she possessed no other skills.
The methods she used to capture Xicheng Xun's father, Xicheng Zhengnan, were just the typical schemes of a manipulative woman dealing with a tech-oriented man—not worth detailing.
Then, facing opposition from Xicheng Zhengnan's parents, Rin Nishikawa took a desperate gamble: she got pregnant.
Xicheng Zhengnan was a responsible man. Perhaps it was also due to love, or his infatuation with Rin Nishikawa, that he unhesitatingly shouldered the responsibility. Even at the cost of falling out with his family, he resolutely married Rin Nishikawa.
Based on Xicheng Xun's recollections and descriptions, Chen Nuo had a very good impression of the girl's deceased father.
After marriage, Xicheng Zhengnan worked very hard. He was ambitious and genuinely talented. In the competitive environment of Tokyo, he gradually built his own business. It was a small but healthy company. Over time, he accumulated some wealth, providing for his wife and daughter.
By Japanese standards, Rin Nishikawa was far from an outstanding homemaker—not even adequate.
It is a Japanese tradition for many women to become homemakers after marriage.
Xicheng Zhengnan's attitude towards this was: either way is fine.
Rin Nishikawa herself chose not to work. In fact, she had never held a proper job.
Getting involved with Xicheng Zhengnan was, for her, like securing a lifelong meal ticket. Having obtained it, she was naturally unwilling to work hard.
Thus, after marriage, Rin Nishikawa lived a life of leisure and idleness, leaving household chores to a maid—though, given the scale of Xicheng Zhengnan's business, they couldn't really afford one.
But this man was willing to pamper his wife, so he gritted his teeth and hired one.
In Xicheng Xun's memories, her mother's life mainly consisted of visiting beauty salons, shopping, or going out drinking and partying with friends.
As far back as Xicheng Xun could remember, her parents had countless arguments. Xicheng Zhengnan gradually voiced his dissatisfaction and complaints about his wife's lifestyle numerous times.
Looking back, that man probably chose to endure it repeatedly for his daughter's sake.
Xicheng Zhengnan was very good to his daughter, Xicheng Xun.
No matter how busy or tiring his work was, he would always make time each month to take his daughter to an amusement park.
In fact, Rin Nishikawa never did this. If she had free time, she preferred to leave her child and go out to have fun with her disreputable friends.
Often, if Xicheng Zhengnan came home late from work, he would always go to his daughter's room first to kiss her sleeping face.
Unlike many Japanese men who enjoy a few drinks at an izakaya after work, Xicheng Zhengnan disliked alcohol. Outside of work, he preferred to spend time at home with his family, especially his daughter.
If not for the accident, this small family would likely have continued this way.
Either, one day, Xicheng Zhengnan would finally be unable to tolerate his wife's misbehavior and file for divorce. Rin Nishikawa would receive a large alimony payment and continue her absurd lifestyle, while Xicheng Zhengnan would live with his daughter, continuing to shower her with fatherly love and raise Xicheng Xun well.
Or, this highly tolerant man would continue to endure, maintaining the family, suffering his wife's neglect, laziness, and hedonism, and slowly grow old.
Regardless, Xicheng Xun would have had a relatively happier life.
However, all this was shattered when Xicheng Xun was eleven years old.
Perhaps the long-term high pressure of starting and running a business, combined with Rin Nishikawa's irresponsibility at home and the couple's countless arguments and confrontational lifestyle, meant that Xicheng Zhengnan, constantly under stress and anxiety, had developed health problems early on.
One afternoon, Xicheng Xun, at home alone, received a phone call. Her father had suffered a sudden heart attack and had been rushed to the hospital.
At the time, Xicheng Xun was alone; her mother, Rin Nishikawa, had gone out with friends for beauty treatments or shopping.
When eleven-year-old Xicheng Xun arrived at the hospital alone, Xicheng Zhengnan had already drawn his last breath—without even a chance to see his daughter one last time.
Due to her family circumstances, Xicheng Xun was quite mature for her age.
But no matter how precocious, she was still just an eleven-year-old child.
In the hospital, facing her father's death, Xicheng Xun was completely devastated and bewildered.
The distraught little girl cried hysterically until she nearly fainted. Eventually, she sat alone in the hospital corridor, hugging her knees, until evening.
That afternoon, colleagues from Xicheng Zhengnan's company handled many of the hospital procedures. Eleven-year-old Xicheng Xun was helpless, able only to wait numbly and frantically dial her mother's cell phone again and again—Rin Nishikawa's phone remained off.
It wasn't until evening, after returning home and hearing the news from elsewhere, that Rin Nishikawa rushed over—reeking of alcohol.
It was the winter of 1995. Xicheng Xun's eleventh birthday was less than a week away.
Just a few days earlier, Xicheng Zhengnan had promised his daughter he would take her to Tokyo Disneyland for her birthday.
Moreover, a few days prior, he had secretly bought a set of Snow White dolls as her birthday gift.
But less than a week before Xicheng Xun's birthday, that afternoon, the only person in the world who loved and cherished her was gone.
While handling her father's funeral arrangements, Xicheng Xun was grief-stricken and devastated. Yet, she sensed that her mother, Rin Nishikawa, showed little sorrow.
The only emotions this woman displayed were panic and worry.
The only thing she seemed to be worried about was how she, a useless person, would survive after losing Xicheng Zhengnan, her provider.
However, when the lawyer presented Xicheng Zhengnan's will and the company's asset details, that panic and worry quickly vanished.
Although Xicheng Zhengnan's family life and marriage were failures, his career had been relatively successful.
The company he founded was small and operated modestly, but its financial health was consistently good. He was intelligent and talented; early in his entrepreneurial years, he and his team developed two patented technologies. These patents helped the company operate quite well, even during the Japanese economic downturn of the nineties.
The first thing Rin Nishikawa did after taking over was to sell the company, along with its patented technologies. This decision wasn't necessarily wrong; after all, she had no ability to run a company.
The money from the sale, combined with their household savings, would have been enough to support mother and daughter for over ten years with normal expenses.
It would have been sufficient until Xicheng Xun reached adulthood, or even graduated from college.
However, Rin Nishikawa squandered the money in less than three years.
Moreover, after Xicheng Zhengnan's death, Rin Nishikawa quickly found a new man—perhaps she had been seeing him secretly before.
Xicheng Xun remembered the first man her mother brought home after her father's death was a frightening figure.
He was clearly a thug involved with an underworld group.
He wasn't young, probably a minor leader of some sort, a very insignificant, low-ranking type, with tattoos that terrified Xicheng Xun, who was then just a child.
The man was aggressive—he would occasionally curse at Rin Nishikawa and had even hit her twice.
Rin Nishikawa was forced to spend a lot of money on him. The thug knew she was a wealthy widow and would occasionally demand money, resorting to violence if she refused.
Rin Nishikawa quickly regretted getting involved with such a person but was powerless to resist.
Fortunately, a few months later, the man was arrested for a crime.
After behaving for less than two months, Rin Nishikawa found a second man.
This time, it was a pretty boy—a kept man.
Rin Nishikawa encountered a master of romance more cunning than herself, who completely enthralled and manipulated her.
She also spent a lot of money on this pretty boy.
In Xicheng Xun's memory, that pretty boy had actually disguised himself very well and had even treated Xicheng Xun herself quite kindly.
But one day, Rin Nishikawa discovered he was entangled with other women, and she finally gave up on him.
After that, Rin Nishikawa began to cycle through men one after another.
Heaven had blessed her with a beautiful appearance. This was indeed her only asset, but it was a very effective weapon.
Chen Nuo had never seen Rin Nishikawa, but from Xicheng Xun's appearance, he could guess that her mother, Rin Nishikawa, must have been very attractive.
According to Xicheng Xun's memories, none of those men were any good.
As Xicheng Xun herself once said, fragrant flowers attract butterflies, while foul things only attract flies.
But sometimes, miracles happened.
Among the many men Rin Nishikawa later got involved with, she once, very rarely, met a good man.
Perhaps that was Heaven giving this woman her last chance.
The man was the owner of a small izakaya. They probably met because Rin Nishikawa frequented his establishment.
The izakaya owner was a widower. His wife had passed away over three years prior, leaving him with a daughter a year older than Xicheng Xun.
He worked hard running his small izakaya.
He was a very dependable man, an excellent cook, and often enjoyed a hearty laugh.
Occasionally on weekends, he would drive Xicheng Xun and his own daughter out shopping. He treated Xicheng Xun very well; he was a patient and gentle man.
Ordinarily, this man and Rin Nishikawa got along quite well. Rin Nishikawa was clever; when they first started dating, she disguised herself well and didn't reveal too many of her bad habits.
The man had even seriously advised Rin Nishikawa several times to quit drinking and had earnestly tried to plan a future with her, among other things.
However, some people in this world are simply not worth saving.
After an initial period of restraint, Rin Nishikawa soon reverted to her old ways.
After several arguments, there was an occasion when the man had to return to his hometown in Kansai for family matters. He entrusted his daughter to Rin Nishikawa's care for two or three days.
As soon as the man left, Rin Nishikawa gave Xicheng Xun and the girl some pocket money and went out to have fun herself.
She probably went drinking, as she didn't return home that night.
That night, the man's daughter suddenly fell ill with a fever. Unable to find her mother, Xicheng Xun accompanied the girl to the hospital. Halfway there, the two girls were involved in a car accident. Although it wasn't serious, both sustained some scratches.
The girl managed to call her father from the hospital. The man, upon receiving the call, rushed back overnight and arrived at the hospital the next morning.
At that time, Rin Nishikawa was still at a friend's house, hungover and completely oblivious.
That day, the izakaya owner decisively broke up with Rin Nishikawa. He took his daughter and left, never contacting Rin Nishikawa again.
However, before leaving, he patted Xicheng Xun's head and said a few words.
"You are truly a pitiful child… If you ever encounter any difficulties, you can come to me for help," he said.
Just like that, Rin Nishikawa recklessly threw away her last chance at redemption.
After that, the men Rin Nishikawa met were, in Xicheng Xun's words, progressively worse.
The last man Rin Nishikawa encountered was named Hirano Ichiro.
A minor leader in the Truth Society.
Xicheng Xun had always been indifferent toward her mother—after all, she had received very little maternal love growing up.
After her father died, her attitude toward her mother grew even colder.
Let her seek her own doom.
Xicheng Xun's original plan was to strive for survival. In the years since her father's death, she had developed the skills to be completely self-sufficient.
She was very good at disguising her emotions.
To outsiders who didn't know her, she appeared to be a pure, kind, polite, and uncompetitive girl, perhaps even a bit timid.
She excelled in her studies, never lied, worked hard at part-time jobs, and maintained a positive attitude.
Combined with her good looks, she often received love letters from boys at school and occasional confessions.
Xicheng Xun disdained all of it.
She only wanted to study hard, work hard, save some money, and then, after getting into university, leave that house!
To leave forever.
But... she actually still couldn't bear to.
It wasn't that she had deep affection for Rin Nishikawa.
There was a very important reason...
When her father, Xicheng Zhengnan, was alive, during times when he was alone with his daughter—like when he took her out to play, or when they ate together at home—
Xicheng Zhengnan, sometimes feeling very down, would confide in his daughter.
"Daddy's health isn't great, and I might pass away early... I don't even know if I'll be able to see you on your wedding day.
"If I pass away early, though your mother is useless, no matter what, she is still your mother.
"If one day Daddy is gone, Xun-chan must take care of your mother..."
"If it weren't for what my father said before he died... who would care if that woman lived or died!"
One afternoon in her previous life, when Xicheng Xun told Chen Nuo about her past, this was her final sentence.
Her father's inheritance was mostly squandered by Rin Nishikawa.
The small remaining portion was also soon lost after Rin Nishikawa met that minor leader from the Truth Society.
Easily swayed, Rin Nishikawa, already not very intelligent, was quickly brainwashed by the Truth Society's rhetoric.
Then, under their influence, she obediently handed over the last of the money to that minor leader, dedicating it to the Truth Society.
As for the Truth Society's doctrines... there wasn't much to say.
It was just the usual spiel: the world was ending soon, and the Truth Society, under the Sect Hierarch's leadership, would rebuild a new world, and so forth.
Once the new world was rebuilt, those who wanted redemption had to contribute and donate property. The more one donated now, the higher their status would be in the rebuilt new world—blah, blah, blah...
Only an idiot would believe that!
Yet Rin Nishikawa believed it. It was unclear whether her mind had truly snapped, or if she believed it because she was infatuated with that minor leader.
Anyway, the world has never been short of fools.
Don't plenty of people believe in pyramid schemes, dreaming of getting rich?
After donating the last of the inheritance, the family's financial situation worsened.
Fortunately, Xicheng Xun could now work part-time, and there were also some periodic government subsidies.
At the worst point, that woman completely lost her mind and considered selling the house to donate the proceeds to the Truth Society.
However, due to the economic recession, the house was difficult to sell, so they luckily avoided that disaster.
Then, Rin Nishikawa started coming home less and less. Previously, she would occasionally stay out all night, or at most be away for two or three days.
After meeting the Truth Society leader, Rin Nishikawa began to stay away for days on end. Once, Xicheng Xun didn't see her mother for half a month.
She was already used to it.
Until this most recent time.
When Rin Nishikawa hadn't come home for the first ten days or so, Xicheng Xun didn't think much of it.
Then, the police started visiting.
Officer Nagamoto was an old neighbor, living nearby. He had practically watched Xicheng Xun grow up.
His attitude toward Xicheng Xun was kind, probably mixed with some pity.
Xicheng Xun's family situation was indeed rather pitiful. She always tried to present a kind and positive demeanor.
This elicited an extra layer of sympathy: such a wonderful, lovely girl, gentle and kind, yet burdened with such a mother...
Actually, it was all a facade.
These were disguises Xicheng Xun reluctantly adopted. After her father's death, she struggled to survive alone. Soon, she discovered something:
As long as she appeared well-behaved, kind, strong, and cheerful, her good looks amplified the effect.
Then, people around her would treat her with extra kindness.
Even at her part-time job, the manager would give her special consideration.
Even when her mother caused trouble and disappeared, Officer Nagamoto would be patient and gentle with her.
At school, even when facing bullies, if she showed resilience, patience, and a gentle, kind demeanor, her striking beauty would ensure that teachers or boys would step in to protect her.
It had to be said, though she felt nothing for Rin Nishikawa, her mother had given Xicheng Xun her greatest gift: her looks.
Many people were willing to treat a beautiful, kind, gentle girl with a tragic family background with kindness and offer some protection.
Of course, when no one was looking, Xicheng Xun would also secretly retaliate.
For example, by sneaking scary insects into the backpack of a girl who bullied her.
Or by secretly puncturing the tires of someone's bicycle.
She was actually quite cunning.
But fortunately, the upbringing Xicheng Zhengnan had given her in childhood left many positive marks.
Though Xicheng Xun was cunning, she possessed one crucial trait: she deeply understood gratitude.
For instance, Officer Nagamoto, who looked out for her.
His son was bullied at school. Because his father was a police officer, delinquents outside of school would occasionally harass him or retaliate against him.
Xicheng Xun had secretly intervened several times to teach those delinquents a lesson.
Another example: to this day, she remained friends with the izakaya owner's daughter.
Although they didn't attend the same school, she often visited the girl. Sometimes, if she made something delicious, she would share some with her.
Xicheng Xun, still young, firmly believed in one principle:
Whoever treats me with genuine kindness, I will repay them doubly!
The facade of beauty and kindness—all pretense was merely for survival!
Until…
Today, she met this strange young man!
This guy clearly didn't know her, yet he seemed to understand her true nature perfectly.
He seemed to see through her disguises and clearly perceive the "dark" side of her personality.
Her facade was utterly useless in front of him.
When they clashed, he seemed to anticipate her every move.
Whether it was a sneak attack or an attempt to flee, she couldn't escape his calculations.
Regarding her special abilities, Xicheng Xun had awakened them less than a year ago.
At first, she simply noticed her muscle memory becoming increasingly stronger.
In physical education classes at school, she learned gymnastic movements or volleyball techniques with growing speed.
It was as if she could mentally deconstruct movements automatically.
When she exercised, her body's flexibility improved rapidly.
Sometimes, when watching TV at home, if she saw dance moves that weren't too complicated, Xicheng Xun could watch them once and immediately memorize and perform the entire routine.
Even more complex ones, she could learn after watching twice.
Her physical fitness and constitution also improved quickly.
For a while, she worried she might turn into a muscle-bound monster.
But that concern gradually faded.
On the surface, she still looked slim and delicate, appropriate for a girl her age.
Her body had simply become more toned, not monstrously muscular.
In fact, Xicheng Xun had secretly conducted a few tests.
Her strength and stamina were roughly double that of an average adult man.
Her speed, agility, and flexibility were even more significantly enhanced.
Her strength didn't seem to come purely from her muscles.
Xicheng Xun herself wasn't sure of its true origin.
In the evening, when the ice cream arrived, Chen Nuo deliberately ate one in front of Xicheng Xun, then placed the other, a chocolate one, before her.
Xicheng Xun said nothing.
The girl adopted a defiant posture.
Chen Nuo smiled, then got up and left the living room to take a shower.
"Well, I bought it anyway. It'll be a waste if you don't eat it. Up to you."
Half an hour later, Chen Nuo emerged from the bathroom and returned to the living room, toweling his wet hair. He noticed the living room was empty.
Xicheng Xun had gone upstairs to her room, the door shut tight.
On the dining table, the ice cream container was empty.
Still a child, huh… Chen Nuo chuckled.
In her room, lying on the bed, Xicheng Xun mulled over several things.
This strange guy revealed her mother's whereabouts... That woman was alive, safe.
That was good.
Beyond that, Xicheng Xun didn't really care much.
According to this boy, her mother, Rin Nishikawa, had fled to Osaka to seek refuge with a friend and was in hiding.
She was currently safe.
Although Xicheng Xun didn't know how this boy knew all this, for some reason, she felt he wasn't likely to deceive her maliciously.
His words carried an inexplicable air of credibility.
That was good.
Then… in three days, this strange affair should conclude, right?
She had so many questions, and he had promised to answer them before leaving in three days.
But… why three days?
Three days to watch over her.
Could it be that something was going to happen within these three days?