Give Me Another Smile

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If Wang Zhen knew about Yin Zhao-an's thoughts, she would definitely take out their family heirloom—the feather duster, and greet her daughter with it from all directions while saying: Little friend? Tang Yu is six months older than you! You should be calling her 'Big Sister!'

“You should hurry home, then, Tang-Tang.
It's going to get dark soon,” Yin Zhao-an said to Tang Yu with the look of a caring mother on her face.

“…” Tang Yu looked away uncomfortably.
Those eyes of Yin Zhao-an's were too pristine, never polluted by the world's taint.
She, on the other hand…was riddled with scars and bruises, and she had long since lost the qualifications for innocence.

Yin Zhao-an stood in place as she watched Tang Yu tread home, step after step, all the while the setting sun in the west cast its afterglow on Tang Yu's lonely back and stretched her shadow across the street.
Eventually, the street became empty as the solitary world devoured that little figure.

A gust of evening wind blew by, causing Yin Zhao-an to shudder and subconsciously bury her chin into the white fur collar of her jacket.
When her freezing cheeks regained a little warmth, she looked left and right, failing to see any other pedestrians around.
Tang Yu's figure had also long disappeared.

After making a few mental remarks about how she was able to fall into a daze while standing in the middle of a street, Yin Zhao-an wobbled home in an unladylike manner.

…

The next day.

Yin Zhao-an wiped her runny nose with a tissue, the top of her nose becoming bright red after being ravaged multiple times.
Mist that was just as white as the tissue would also come out of her mouth whenever she exhaled.

“S-So cold…
Why isn't Tang-Tang here yet?” Yin Zhao-an muttered to herself as she trotted in place.

Many children started to make their way to school at this time.
Some of these children snickered when they saw Yin Zhao-an standing in place like a fool, while some, who were Yin Zhao-an's playmates, greeted her enthusiastically and asked, “Why aren't you going to school, Yin Zhao-an?”

“I'm waiting for someone.”—was the reply Yin Zhao-an gave whenever someone asked her this question.
Unfortunately, the person she was waiting for refused to show up, and this situation led to a myriad of thoughts appearing in her mind.

Could she have fallen sick? Tang-Tang's body looks very weak.
Yes.
she must have fallen sick…

Could…Tang-Tang have been kidnapped? No, no.
There's no way such a crazy incident would happen in the compound…

In that case…

“An-An?!”

This voice!

A chill crawled down Yin Zhao-an's back.
Before her brain could even think of a response, her body had already started to move in an attempt to flee from the voice.
Even then, Yin Zhao-an was too slow to make her escape as the voice's owner had already grabbed the back of her collar.