Chapter 111: Reduced to Begging

"Am I right? With this supermarket, I finally have a harbor for my soul. Without the wind, I fear I would wither; without the rain, I fear I would have long since faded away. And without you, Big Sister..."

Wang Zixuan: "Stop spouting nonsense."

Hao Yingjun, wanting to say more, swallowed his words instead. The air grew quiet once again, save for the sound of Xiao Si crunching on a mooncake. *Crunch, crunch.*

Wang Zixuan watched as Xiao Si took a mooncake from the plate and dropped it into his dog bowl.

Wang Zixuan: "Xiao Si, oh Xiao Si, you've taken care of him for so many years. You’ve really had it rough."

Xiao Si looked up at her and let out a soft whine, as if he understood every word she said.

Wang Zixuan turned back to Hao Yingjun: "According to protocol, the relatives of the Transformed must be responsible for retrieving the deceased's personal effects to prevent any trace of the Transformed from leaking out. Xu Miaohan’s parents are unaware of her passing, so it is best if you handle the sorting of her belongings."

Hao Yingjun nodded, choked up for a moment, and said, "Thank you."

The next morning, Hao Yingjun took the items out of the box, noting down every two pieces he pulled out in a ledger. When he retrieved a photograph, he became lost in it. Wang Zixuan walked up behind him and glanced over.

Wang Zixuan couldn't help but let out a soft, "Awoo."

Hao Yingjun jumped and turned around, startled. "Good grief, you scared the life out of me."

Hao Yingjun held out the photo to show her, and Xiao Deng crowded over to look as well.

Hao Yingjun: "Her dream when she was a child was to be a singer."

Xiao Deng: "Speaking of dreams, my dream since childhood was to turn invisible and sneak into every women's bathhouse. Heh heh."

Hao Yingjun and Wang Zixuan looked at him with a mix of disdain and helplessness.

Hao Yingjun: "How utterly vulgar. Well, did you ever manage it?"

Xiao Deng: "I got caught twice, so I didn't dare go back."

Hao Yingjun: "Haha."

Xiao Deng looked toward Xiao Deng (the other one): "Hey, Brother Deng, what’s your dream?"

Xiao Deng: "Dreams don't exist in my dictionary. I only have goals."

Xiao Deng: "Then what is your goal?"

Xiao Deng: "It’s obvious. To become the general manager of the supermarket."

Wang Zixuan: "Heh, keep dreaming."

Xiao Deng: "What about you, Big Sister?"

Wang Zixuan: "My dream? My dream is to recover my past."

Wang Zixuan turned her gaze toward Hao Yingjun, who was still busy recording the items.

Wang Zixuan: "And you?"

Hao Yingjun: "My dream? I just want a home. Someone to spend the holidays with. But things are good now, because my dream has come true—the supermarket is my warm home."

As he finished, Hao Yingjun nudged Wang Zixuan’s shoulder, giving her a flattering wink. Wang Zixuan merely rolled her eyes at him.

Xiao Deng, head down and missing the exchange, laughed, "Good heavens! Your sycophancy knows no bounds!"

Just then, Xiao Deng found an acceptance letter among Xu Miaohan’s belongings, which piqued his curiosity.

Xiao Deng: "Beijing Conservatory of Music. She was a top student! She even attended a music conservatory."

He showed it to the others, and Wang Zixuan quickly took it to examine it.

Wang Zixuan: "What? She attended a music conservatory?"

Hao Yingjun seemed to recall something, frowning in thought before saying, "Wait... I remember seeing her at the train station once. She said she was heading to Beijing for school. This must be it."

That was a period of his life he found difficult to look back on—a time when Hao Yingjun had been, unfortunately, in need of support.