Chapter 87: White Wolf

Before, when Rebecca was video calling with Feng Zhilan, Chu Susu had been right there beside her. The moment Feng Zhilan saw her, she immediately suggested inviting this big sister over to their home to play.

At the time, Rebecca had given her a pleading look, and Chu Susu had no objections, so she agreed.

It was clear she truly cared about her daughter. Rebecca had only been back from her business trip for a short while when she proposed picking her up after work to come over and sit for a bit.

Kids had short memories—something said yesterday might be forgotten today. Feng Zhilan had just casually made the request, but Rebecca remembered it firmly.

“Hope you won’t be too shocked when you meet her.”

After work, as Chu Susu sat in her car buckling her seatbelt, she said this.

“Of course.”

Even without the reminder, Chu Susu wouldn’t show any inappropriate emotions toward a child.

Some young children’s hearts were extremely fragile, far smarter than adults imagined.

Rebecca hadn’t specified what illness her daughter had, but she had already mentally prepared herself.

Yet when Chu Susu actually met Feng Zhilan, even though she controlled her expression well, she couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment.

Little Zhilan obediently called out, “Big sister.”

Chu Susu quickly snapped back and smiled, greeting her in return.

The reason was simple. She had already noticed in the video that Feng Zhilan’s skin was very pale, but seeing it in person was a whole different effect.

Feng Zhilan’s paleness came from within, carrying an unhealthy hue that extended to her lips, pupils, eyebrows, and even hair—all the same color. She looked exquisite and fragile, reminding Chu Susu of the porcelain doll she had seen that day in the Jiang City venue.

There was no doubt—Feng Zhilan was a child with albinism.

Chu Susu finally understood why, during her video calls with Rebecca, she always huddled in a dimly lit corner of the house.

It was broad daylight, yet all the windows in the house were sealed tight, not letting in a single ray of sunlight.

This condition meant she couldn’t go out or bask in the sun. One could imagine Feng Zhilan couldn’t play outside freely like other kids her age.

Upon seeing Chu Susu, she took the initiative to bring out some building blocks and placed them between them, inviting her to build together. “Big sister, do you like playing with these?”

“Mm.” Chu Susu nodded with a smile. “I was really good at it when I was little.”

Feng Zhilan’s hands were small, and building the blocks was a bit strenuous for her. Unlike Chu Susu, who assembled them quickly and precisely.

“Wow, big sister, you’re amazing.”

Her face showed genuine admiration and surprise, and she was sincerely happy about Chu Susu’s visit.

At first, Feng Zhilan was a bit shy, but under Chu Susu’s guidance, the two gradually chatted more lively.

Rebecca didn’t interject, silently sitting off to the side. Before long, she excused herself to prepare dinner and left the living room.

But Chu Susu clearly saw that her parents were already prepping vegetables in the kitchen—no help was needed.

The moment she left, she seemed to gently wipe her dampened eye corner.

The living room curtains were drawn tight. The fierce, fiery sunset clouds outside barely seeped in; only a hint of red shadow was visible in the corner.

With Chu Susu’s help, the blocks were soon assembled into a castle shape, complete with little smiling people inside.

Feng Zhilan took out block figures from the box and placed them in the castle’s empty rooms. “This is Mommy, these are Grandpa and Grandma…”

She thought for a moment, glanced at Chu Susu in front of her, then picked out one from the box whose outfit most resembled hers and placed it alongside.

“This is big sister.”

Chu Susu was amused by her innocent cuteness and asked, “What about you?”

“I’m this little kitty.” Feng Zhilan quietly placed the cat next to everyone and said seriously, “These blocks are all grown-ups. I’m a kid, so I’ll be the little cat.”

“Why not a little dog?”

“Little dog?” Feng Zhilan asked curiously. “This set does have a little dog, but I’ve never seen a real one. Does it look like the block one?”

Faced with her question, Chu Susu paused, feeling a mix of emotions.

She pulled out her phone, found a photo of Pipi, and showed it to Feng Zhilan. “This is my little dog. Its name is Pipi.”

Then Chu Susu told her briefly and vividly how she had bought Pipi from a nearly bankrupt pet shop—it was like storytelling, captivating Feng Zhilan, whose eyes went wide.

“That’s nice.”

She said somewhat wistfully, “I want a little dog of my own too, but Mommy, Grandpa, and Grandma won’t let me go out.”

Chu Susu smiled. “You’re still little now. When you grow up, you can go out and play.”

But these words didn’t motivate Feng Zhilan. She just sighed melancholically, her nearly transparent pupils full of longing.

“Mommy and them say that to me too.” She sounded a bit sad. “But growing up takes so long. I want to be a grown-up right now, right now.”

As Feng Zhilan spoke, she continued placing the little figures into the completed castle.

Chu Susu noticed she had picked two men and one woman, placing them beside Rebecca’s figure.

“These are…” At first, she didn’t realize who they represented.

Feng Zhilan glanced stealthily toward the door to make sure Rebecca and her grandparents weren’t there, then whispered to her, “These are Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma.”

“I haven’t seen Daddy in a long time. Every time before, when I asked him to play with me, he said he didn’t have time.”

“Later we moved here. Mommy says he’s too busy to come see me, but I always feel like that’s not it.”

“Big sister, do you know why?”

Chu Susu knew about the entanglements with the ex-husband. Looking into Feng Zhilan’s innocent eyes, she didn’t know how to respond and just patted her head.

“Just like your mommy said.” She said softly. “He’s definitely very busy, so he can’t come keep you company.”

Feng Zhilan whispered, “No, it’s not.”

Her voice was thick with disappointment. “He definitely doesn’t like me. Doesn’t like that I look different from others.”

Chu Susu was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

She thought Rebecca had protected the child well, so Feng Zhilan probably wouldn’t understand these things. But clearly, she was wrong.

Children born different, always confined at home, were always more sensitive.

Chu Susu suddenly spoke a bit sternly, “No, you’re wrong about that.”

“It’s true.” Feng Zhilan pursed her lips. “Mommy and Daddy’s relationship got bad because of me. I heard them arguing every time from outside.”

“Your daddy doesn’t dislike you.” Chu Susu thought of her own family. “My daddy is the one who really doesn’t like me.”

“Ah, why?”

“Because I didn’t do things the way he wanted.”

Of course, she wouldn’t burden a child with her heavy family history and just picked a few trivial matters, using them to comfort Feng Zhilan.

Chu Susu said half-jokingly, half-self-mockingly, “Compared to that, isn’t it much better?”

Feng Zhilan shook her head. “No.”

“You have a big sister and two little brothers and sisters. Your daddy’s love has to be divided among so many, so you feel like he doesn’t like you.”

“In reality, he must love everyone very much.”

The child’s words had a magical power—simple, yet always touching.

Chu Susu was moved by her words and reached out to stroke her soft hair again. “See, everyone thinks others are definitely loved.”

Feng Zhilan seemed to half-understand.

“So you absolutely mustn’t doubt it, okay? Even I, meeting you for the first time, can play so well with you. How could they not love you?”

“Mm…”

It wasn’t clear if Feng Zhilan really took her words to heart.

Chu Susu could see her eyes filled with some mix of memories and longing. Then, Feng Zhilan glanced toward the curtains.

The sun had set, the last traces of colorful clouds gone. The faint glow lingering on the curtain edge had long been swallowed by darkness.

That tiny patch of light was her entire sun.

Feng Zhilan said slowly, very slowly, “I really want to go out and play with Daddy and Mommy together.”

As she said this, Chu Susu seemed to hear footsteps outside, but they stopped.

Rebecca was at the door but didn’t come in.

She just quietly took a tissue and wiped something away, then called out to them in a nasally voice, gently:

“Dinner’s ready.”

Warm and serene moments were unfolding in this home, but elsewhere was a scene of utter chaos and noise.

“Hello, do you have a reservation?”

Seeing the unfamiliar face, the bar promoter hurried over, hoping to make a sale today. She sized up the girl, thinking she looked prim and proper—not the type to come to a bar for fun.

The person she asked shook her head lightly and answered somewhat awkwardly, “No, just here to hang out casually.”

“Oh.”

The promoter had seen it all and wasn’t surprised, roughly guessing the girl’s intentions.

The spending here was sky-high. Even just booking a booth for the night cost four figures, something not everyone could afford. That was why people often came to “freeload”—using their good looks to join strangers who had already reserved seats and party with them.

The salesgirl kindly pointed her in a certain direction. “If you need it, there are plenty of T’s over there.”

It wasn’t surprising she made that judgment outright. This girl was just too pure and innocent, pitiable like a little lamb, radiating vulnerability everywhere.

“Thanks.”

The girl gave a slight smile and softly thanked her before heading in the direction she’d indicated.

The salesgirl thought to herself, as expected. How many years had she worked here? There was no way she’d misread someone.

The girl walked toward that cluster of booths. Along the way, plenty of people glanced her way, seemingly wanting to invite her over, but she ignored them all.

She was dressed in a black skirt, her long hair like ink, standing out awkwardly against the vibe here.

Finally, the girl stopped in front of a certain seat, her smile warm and inviting as she asked the other if she could sit.

That woman seemed already drunk and woozy, her mind foggy. The girl called out to her several times, but she didn’t lift her head.

“Scram.”

She seemed to be in a foul mood and didn’t want to be disturbed. Without another word, she rudely told the girl to leave.

“Qiao Qian.”

Only when the girl called out her name did she turn her gaze over.

Han Xuan’s smile didn’t change. Perhaps due to the lighting, her eyes actually gleamed with a faint purple hue—demonic like a flower blooming in an icy wasteland—leaving Qiao Qian stunned for a long moment.

“Don’t you want to see me?” she said softly.