Chapter 24: Stars and Moon

"Doudou, are you still there?" Jiang Wenxin asked cautiously while sitting on the sofa.

Beside her, Tao Guangxia also looked around nervously.

Just then, a gust of wind stirred out of thin air within the room, lightly fluttering the hemlines of their clothes. Seeing this, the couple’s faces immediately lit up with excited smiles.

"Doudou is so amazing." Tao Guangxia praised, then turned his gaze toward the television in front of them. It was playing *Tom and Jerry*, but the cartoon had been on for several days now, so Tao Guangxia asked, "Doudou, would you like Daddy to change the channel for you?"

"What are you talking about? You can't hear Doudou," Jiang Wenxin said.

Tao Guangxia sighed at her words. Then, seemingly remembering something, he stood up, went into the room, and quickly returned with two pieces of paper. Curious about what he was doing, Jiang Wenxin watched as he placed the papers on the table and wrote "Change Channel" on one and "Don't Change" on the other.

"This word is 'change,' and this word is 'channel'..." Although he couldn't see his daughter, Tao Guangxia still taught her with complete sincerity. He then placed one paper on each end of the coffee table. "If you want to change the channel, blow the paper on the left. If you don't want to, blow the paper on the right..."

Before he had even finished speaking, a gentle breeze lifted the paper on the left into the air, where it swayed before drifting back down.

"Wow, honey, you are so smart," Jiang Wenxin said excitedly.

Though simple, the method was effective. Now, they could use this to communicate with Doudou. Another ghostly breeze rose from thin air, swirling around them, and they seemed to hear Doudou’s joyful laughter.

Tao Guangxia changed the channel for Doudou and set down the remote. He then asked Jiang Wenxin, "Did Mr. Shen mean that as long as Doudou can control her abilities, we will be able to see her whenever we want in the future?"

"Yes, you've asked that at least ten times already," Jiang Wenxin replied helplessly.

"Then, can Doudou stay with us in the future?" Tao Guangxia’s eyes were full of longing.

Jiang Wenxin looked at him, but fell silent. She had no answer; that was a question only Shen Siyuan could answer. This was the very reason they had wanted to invite him to dinner tonight. They had lost all hope, but now that a glimmer of light had appeared, how could they possibly bear to let go?

After a long while, Jiang Wenxin said softly, "Doudou is now Mr. Shen’s ward. Everything she has is given to her by Mr. Shen. Without him, Doudou is just an ordinary little girl."

Tao Guangxia knew this well enough without her saying it, but he couldn't help but ask, hoping she might give him a different answer. The two lapsed into a long silence. Just then, a ghostly breeze stirred again, gently brushing against their hair. The couple, previously looking somber, couldn't help but smile.

"Did you talk to Mr. Shen about your cousin?"

"I did. We agreed on next Wednesday."

"That's good. I hope they hit it off; then we'll be one big family."

"Mm..."

***

Shen Siyuan walked slowly into the residential complex, carrying groceries from the supermarket. Reaching the bottom of his building, he subconsciously glanced at the spot where Lu Guanchang usually waited. The old man wasn't there; it seemed he still hadn't found his daughter and ex-wife.

He didn't know how long they had been out of touch, but after a full day, there was still no news. Shen Siyuan couldn't understand Lu Guanchang’s mindset. He was the one who abandoned his wife and daughter back then; now that they were dead, he was acting all distraught. What was he playing at, feigning such deep affection? Perhaps it wasn't that he couldn't let go, but that he was simply unwilling to accept the outcome.

Shen Siyuan mused to himself, entered the building, and took the elevator. When he stepped out, he walked toward his apartment. The building was designed in a square loop, with the elevator in the center and apartments lining the four sides. With four units per side, there were sixteen in total. Most of the residents were renters of all sorts. However, the property management was quite good, keeping the sanitation, security, and public facilities well-maintained.

Just as Shen Siyuan was about to open his door, he suddenly turned his head toward the corner diagonally across from him. "Stop hiding. I see you. Come out."

There was no response, and no one appeared. The hallway fell into silence, and the motion-sensor lights turned off. Just as Shen Siyuan was losing patience and reaching for his door again, a dark shadow appeared at the end of the corridor. Her presence did not trigger the lights.

"It was you last night, too, wasn't it?"

Shen Siyuan opened his door, and the sensor lights flickered back on. He noticed then that standing at the end of the hall was a girl of about twelve or thirteen. She was slim, wearing her hair in a ponytail, dressed in a white short-sleeved T-shirt with blue trim and blue shorts—the typical elementary school uniform in Binhai that Shen Siyuan often saw on his commute.

The girl looked at him with vigilance, standing far away and leaning slightly to the side, as if ready to bolt at any moment. When Shen Siyuan asked her, she didn't answer, merely giving a slight nod. If Shen Siyuan hadn't been watching her closely, he might not have noticed the movement.

"Her name is Doudou. Her speed is so fast, I'm surprised you managed to keep up with her," Shen Siyuan added.

It turned out this little girl had followed Doudou back last night. The little thing was so oblivious she hadn't even realized she was being trailed. However, the girl was cautious and had never revealed herself; Shen Siyuan had only spotted her by chance when he came out of the bathroom after a shower.

"Do you want to come in and sit for a while?" Shen Siyuan said. He pushed his door open but didn't close it.

The girl hesitated for a moment, then took a light step forward. Her body seemed to drift, and she reached the doorway almost instantly. She peeked inside, saw that Shen Siyuan had set down his bags and was drinking water from a glass, and after another moment of hesitation, she stepped inside.

She stood at the entrance, looking at Shen Siyuan timidly. After a long pause, she finally spoke: "Hello, Uncle."

"Call me Brother. Don't worry, I'm not a bad person," Shen Siyuan said, putting down his glass.

"Hello, Brother." The girl was obedient and repeated the greeting immediately.

"What's your name, and how old are you?" Shen Siyuan asked.

"Yin Xingyue. I'm thirteen."

"Thirteen? You should be in seventh grade then," Shen Siyuan said. He knew from her uniform that she was likely still in elementary school, but he said it on purpose.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, the girl replied, "I'm only in the sixth grade of elementary school."

"I see. You're so young—how did you die? Was there an accident?" Shen Siyuan asked gently.

As he walked toward her, the girl retreated a few steps, almost shrinking into the wall. Shen Siyuan walked past her and simply closed the door. The moment the door clicked shut, the girl seemed startled and vanished, passing right through the wall.

A moment later, she cautiously reappeared, head bowed, not saying a word, as if she had done something wrong.

"Are you afraid of doors being closed?" Shen Siyuan asked.

Yin Xingyue gave a small, light nod.

"Can you tell me why?" Shen Siyuan asked softly.

The girl looked up, standing at the threshold, watching him from a distance. Shen Siyuan didn't invite her further in; the girl was very guarded, and standing by the door clearly made her feel safer.