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Ziya was startled by the head without a chin in the Mirror Surface, jumping up from the round stool, her body covered in goosebumps. She turned to look behind her, but there was only a wall; glancing sideways, she saw a window with a gentle breeze rustling the curtains, and to her right was a bed—there was no one there.
“How’s it going, dear? Getting used to it?” Just as Ziya was frantically scanning her surroundings, Sun Meng walked in with a cheerful smile.
Ziya snapped back to reality and quickly glanced at the Mirror Surface again. Aside from her own blurry face, the white face without a chin she had just seen seemed to have never appeared at all. She thought it might be due to her fatigue from traveling, and felt somewhat relieved as she smiled and nodded, “It’s fine. Why haven’t I seen the lady of the house?”
“I came to tell you that Auntie moved into the special care ward yesterday. I have to go to the hospital to take care of her, so you’ll be here alone for now. I need to leave for the hospital soon. The kitchen is downstairs, and the shower and bathroom are together; you understand all that, right? No need for me to explain!” Sun Meng seemed in a hurry, not allowing Ziya to interject as she rattled off her words like bamboo slips falling.
“Wait, you… you’re leaving me here all alone? That’s really something,” Ziya blurted out, feeling an unsettling kick in her stomach at the thought of Sun Meng not being there at night.
“It’s fine! I’ll come back to check on you whenever I can. You have no idea how hard it is for me—taking care of her at the hospital and then coming back to look after her cat and fish,” Sun Meng said with a pitiful expression, grabbing Ziya's hand as she complained.
Ziya understood Sun Meng's situation; if things were better for her, she wouldn’t have taken on such a tough job. As her friend and Monet’s acquaintance, Ziya nodded in agreement and reassured her, “You go ahead! I know what to do.”
Sun Meng smiled brightly like a flower but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she reached out and took Ziya's hand, saying, “Why are you rushing me? I still need to help you get familiar with your surroundings! Besides, I want to chat with you for a bit.”
“What do you want to talk about?” Ziya followed Sun Meng around as she looked around.
“For example, did you feel any sparks with that handsome guy…?” Sun Meng teased, leaving her sentence hanging deliberately.
“You’re ridiculous! Love at first sight will never happen to me,” Ziya replied. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable chill but couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, fearing that someone might say something unpleasant.
The house was indeed large; the first floor had a dining room, living room, kitchen, bathroom, garage, and storage room. The second floor had a study and several bedrooms of varying sizes along with another bathroom and storage room. Living alone in such a spacious place made Ziya realize that the lady of the house must be quite an unusual person.
"I knew you wouldn't have any luck. A handsome guy just slipped right under your nose, and here you are, left to freeze! Just wait until you have gray hair; then we'll see how cold you feel," Sun Meng said with a tone of frustration.
Ziya smiled faintly and replied, "Not necessarily! I believe that in this complicated world, for every 'me,' there must be a 'him.' Perhaps both of us are searching for each other; it's just that the time hasn't come yet."
"Cut it out with the philosophical nonsense; I'm not buying it. Honestly, that guy from earlier was really suitable for you. Did you exchange numbers?" Sun Meng said as she led Ziya through the house, lingering at the entrance of the hall, clearly reluctant to leave. A large grandfather clock in the hall ticked away, its pendulum swinging back and forth, and Ziya glanced at the time—it was already 5:50.
"What time are you planning to go? Will it be a problem if you're late?" Ziya intentionally changed the subject, eager to remind her.
"Fine! You really know how to make things difficult for me. I'm going now! Don't be shy while I'm gone; everything you need is in the fridge. There's more food in the pantry too. Oh, and you need to take care of Little Catfish and Shuangshuang."
"Who are Little Catfish and Shuangshuang?" Ziya asked, having not seen anyone else since entering the house. Hearing what sounded like names made her curious.
"Oh! They're just a cat and a dog." At that moment, the clock chimed loudly. Sun Meng glanced at the time and looked a bit anxious.
"Got it, but they don't seem to be around!" Ziya looked around, trying to spot the cat and dog.
"Never mind! They're probably sleeping on the stairs. I really have to go now." Sun Meng quickly grabbed a scarf from a nearby coat rack and wrapped it around her neck.
Ziya suddenly remembered the woman without a chin she had seen on Mirror Surface. Thinking about being alone here with only those two silent animals made her feel a bit uneasy.
"Is this place clean, Sun Meng? There’s nothing… lurking around, right?" Ziya hesitated as she asked, regretting it immediately; such a question seemed to undermine Sun Meng's abilities—after all, she could see those things.
"What are you thinking? There's nothing here; don't worry!" Sun Meng assured her. Everything was in order as she hugged Ziya once more before heading out. She turned back for one last playful kiss before disappearing into the garage and driving off, leaving Ziya standing at the door.
The streetlights in the Villa Residential Area flickered with a warm glow, making it incomparable to other neighborhoods. The lush green lawns, shady trees, and blooming flowers created a picturesque scene, with winding paths resembling black ribbons stretching across the verdant grass. Ziya gazed at the villa's exterior for a moment, but as a chill spring breeze swept through, she reluctantly returned to the villa's hall and closed the door behind her.
Back in the living room, Ziya recalled what Sun Meng had said about the cats and dogs but had yet to see them in person. She began searching around to catch a glimpse of these little creatures. As she approached the space beneath the staircase on the second floor, she spotted an oval-shaped plastic sleeping bag lying there, empty and devoid of anything inside.
After searching for a long time without seeing even a shadow of those small beings, Ziya returned to her bedroom in frustration. Remembering the pocket notebook that Severe Cold had given her, she took it out to review its contents. Then she powered up her computer and typed out a few words: "The Lin Family Has a Daughter," preparing to start writing the series about the woman in black.
The sound of her fingers tapping on the keyboard echoed in the room as lines of text appeared on the screen. Ziya began outlining the general storyline for the Lin Sisters based on the snippets of inspiration provided by Severe Cold when suddenly, a rustling noise came from outside her door. She thought it might be one of the cats looking for food or something similar and paid it no mind, but an unsettling feeling crept over her.
Ziya was seated with her back to the door; her right hand rested on the dressing table while behind her were the bed and door. The window opposite was closed, so there was no possibility of a draft causing any airflow. Yet, a cold breeze from behind made Ziya turn around repeatedly. Just as she entered details about the Lin Sisters into her outline, another rustling sound followed by that same chilling breeze brushed against her neck, stirring her hair as if someone were deliberately blowing on it from behind.
For what felt like the nth time, Ziya turned to glance at the doorway and was startled to find that the previously closed door had somehow been opened slightly. Her heart raced as she straightened her back and forced herself to remain calm. She walked over to close the door again and carefully checked the lock before returning to sit at her desk. Just as she placed her fingers on her portable keyboard, that inexplicable cold wind swept through once more. A shiver ran down her spine as she glanced at the door, which was still shut. Resignedly, she decided to rummage through her suitcase for some clothes.
Ziya pulled out her suitcase and crouched down, hearing a hiss as she unzipped it. But when she opened it up, she was left dumbfounded.
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