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Chapter 1 Schrödinger's Sister

Jiang Yu had a dream.

In his dream, he returned to the gate of the orphanage.

A ginkgo tree over twenty meters tall, its golden leaves carpeting the ground, children playing around it, the dean hanging himself…

Jiang Yu looked up, his gaze following the dean who was swinging back and forth on the tree.

"Dean, why is there a tree here?"

This problem has been bothering him for a long time.

Why is that?

"Xiaoyu, this tree has always been here..."

Although the dean spoke gently, his expression was not good.

The presentation of pig liver is becoming increasingly outrageous.

He swung and swung...

The hemp rope around his neck sawed into his flesh and bones bit by bit, like a saw blade…

"Snap!"

The dean, who had split up, fell from mid-air and crashed into a thick pile of fallen leaves with a "bang".

Golden leaves were pelted and scattered everywhere.

Like fireworks exploding, they bloom and then slowly fall.

then…

A round, plump thing rolled to a spot not far away.

The kids laughed and kicked the thing around like a soccer ball.

"Send it to me! Send it to me!"

"Hmm? Why is its head so pointy?"

"Is it leaking air?"

"Why didn't you say so earlier!"

……

Soon, it was kicked to Jiang Yu's feet.

Jiang Yu lowered his head…

The dean's face was covered in shoe prints, and his eyes were still open.

A ginkgo leaf was stuck to his bulging eyeball, and the stem was poking right into his cornea.

His lips were moving, opening and closing, opening and closing...

It looks like a fish that has been thrown ashore.

Jiang Yu bent down and picked up the dean's hands...

He reached out and brushed the fallen leaves off the dean's face, wiped the shoe print from his forehead, and continued with his previous question.

"Director, I don't remember there being any trees in front of the orphanage."

The dean's bloodshot eyes rolled around, and his broken neck twitched incessantly.

The sound was unusually sharp, like a deflated balloon.

"You're mistaken!"

That same phrase again.

From childhood to adulthood, Jiang Yu had heard "You're mistaken" far too many times.

You're mistaken, you're mistaken...

Was it wrong?

What went wrong?

No, I did nothing wrong!

There are no trees at the entrance of the orphanage!

It must be an excuse the dean used to want to play on the swing!

Jiang Yu wanted to refute, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

The light dimmed...

The laughter of my friends faded into the distance…

He found himself standing in the corridor of a mental hospital.

White ceiling, white lights, white tiles, the buzzing of electricity…

Unpleasant memories flooded back.

He was so frightened that his hands trembled, and the dean's head fell to the ground.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

The sound of a head hitting the ground overlapped with a knock on the door.

Jiang Yu suddenly opened his eyes.

The familiar ceiling, the old-fashioned crystal chandelier, the hum of the air conditioner…

wake up.

He glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table—11:25.

Who hates knocking on the door so early in the morning?

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Here it comes..."

Jiang Yu yawned repeatedly as he got up, hastily put on his clothes, his face still bearing red marks from the pillow.

He walked to the door, peered through the peephole, and...

Two women were standing outside the door.

He recognized the middle-aged woman standing at the front, with her permed hair and wearing a red vest.

Zhang Guiqin, a member of the neighborhood committee, lives in the next building, number three.

She is the neighborhood's "know-it-all".

She knew about whose dog had puppies and whose couple was having an affair even before the people involved.

A young woman was standing behind Zhang Guiqin.

Wearing the same red vest, but with a mask and sunglasses, completely covered up, and holding a notebook, he looked like a new intern.

Jiang Yu opened the door, and a wave of heat rushed in from the stairwell.

The heatwave clashed with the air conditioning in the room, making him shiver.

Zhang Guiqin looked at Jiang Yu, who had just woken up, and couldn't help but click her tongue.

"Xiaoyu, are you taking a nap or sleeping in? Young people need to take care of their health. Look at you, your dark circles are practically down to your chin. I'll share some health videos with you on Douyin..."

"Aunt Zhang, what's wrong?" Jiang Yu interrupted her rambling in time.

Zhang Guiqin waved the form in her hand.

"What else could it be but the census!"

Jiang Yu frowned: "Hmm? Didn't we just check that last week?"

Zhang Guiqin came once last week.

She came alone; the young woman behind her wasn't there.

"Last week was last week, and this week is this week," Zhang Guiqin said confidently.

"The higher-ups said to check again, so I have to make another trip. Ugh, do you think I want to? In this sweltering heat, I'm about to get heatstroke..."

As she spoke, she leaned forward, trying to cool herself down with the air conditioning in the room.

"All right…"

Jiang Yu took two steps back and let Zhang Guiqin into the house, just like last time.

The woman behind her also followed in with her head down.

Jiang Yu rented a one-bedroom apartment.

It's about 40 square meters, and there's not even a proper door between the living room and the bedroom, just a doorway.

T-shirts, jeans, socks... were piled on the old-fashioned gray fabric sofa.

On the coffee table was leftover Northeastern-style Yunnan Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles from last night. The chili oil inside had solidified, and there were still chili pepper skins stuck to the chopsticks.

Several takeout bags were scattered on the ground, and express delivery boxes were piled up in the corner...

On the bedside table sat an empty mineral water bottle, with a few cigarette butts floating inside…

A pile of dishes were soaking in the kitchen sink, with a layer of oil floating on the surface...

Zhang Guiqin's lips moved slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed.

But in the end, I didn't say it out loud.

Jiang Yu pulled the clothes off the sofa to one side, making room for himself to sit.

Zhang Guiqin sat down and opened the form in her hand…

She took out a pair of reading glasses from her pocket, put them on, and began to conduct herself in a businesslike manner.

Although she knew Jiang Yu's situation very well, she still had to go through the procedures.

"Name?"

"Jiang Yu".

"age?"

"22".

"Profession?"

"Unemployed".

How many people are in your family...?

Zhang Guiqin stopped in time and then wrote "1" in the "Family Members" column.

She knew that Jiang Yu was an orphan.

She didn't want to touch on Jiang Yu's sore spot, so she silently filled it in for him.

After filling out the form…

Zhang Guiqin gave Jiang Yu a few special instructions.

"By the way, Xiaoyu, the higher-ups specifically emphasized that everyone should be on the lookout for suspicious individuals in the neighborhood recently."

"If you see any unfamiliar faces or hear any strange noises in the neighborhood, please contact the neighborhood committee immediately!"

Jiang Yu nodded perfunctorily.

"Okay, I understand."

Zhang Guiqin said the same thing when she left last time.

I guess someone in the neighborhood has had their electric bike stolen again.

Zhang Guiqin stood up, and the masked woman also stood up, without uttering a sound.

The two women were just about to leave…

Jiang Yu suddenly spoke up as if he had remembered something.

"Aunt Zhang, where's the towel?"

Zhang Guiqin was stunned for a moment.

"What towel?"

"Don't they give out towels during the census?" Jiang Yu retorted.

Zhang Guiqin suddenly realized, "Oh, you mean that... Didn't I give it to you last week?"

"Last week was last week, and this week is this week," Jiang Yu said earnestly.

Zhang Guiqin could only awkwardly explain, "Xiaoyu, the number of towels is limited. Each household can only take one, and those who have already taken one definitely cannot take another..."

"Even orphans aren't allowed?"

"..."

Zhang Guiqin's lips twitched.

Jiang Yu maintained the same expression as a child from a poor mountain area who longed to go to school.

A few seconds later…

Zhang Guiqin resignedly opened her bag, pulled out a white towel, and stuffed it into Jiang Yu's hand.

"Here you go, but don't tell anyone, you're the only one with this privilege!"

Jiang Yu took the towel, smiling sincerely.

"Thank you, Aunt Zhang. Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut!"

Zhang Guiqin rolled her eyes at him and walked out with the middle-aged woman who hadn't said a word.

You can still hear the two of them talking from a distance.

"Sister Zhang, does that young man live alone?"

"Yes, that child lives alone and has no one to talk to. It's quite pitiful. All the elderly people in our community know this, so we take care of him whenever we can."

"That's really pitiful..."

"And what's more, that child has some mental issues; he's been to a mental hospital!"

"Has he been to a mental hospital?"

"That's right! But he seems pretty normal now, except he likes to take advantage of small things."

"oh oh…"

"But that's not really a problem. How can a child survive if they're not careful and don't have someone to look after them?"

……

After seeing Zhang Guiqin off, Jiang Yu folded the towel and stuffed it into the cabinet.

There was already one lying in the cabinet.

That was sent by Zhang Guiqin last week when she came to conduct the population census; it's exactly the same as today's.

Socialist wool—why not take advantage of it?

As an orphan, he understood one thing better than anyone: those with thick skin enjoy the world first.

As for mental hospitals...

That's another past I don't want to recall.

He yawned, preparing to go back to bed for a little more nap.

I had just reached the bedroom door...

"Splash..."

Ok?

Jiang Yu stopped and listened intently.

The sound of water.

The sound of running water came from the slightly ajar toilet door.

The tap wasn't turned off?

That's not right, he didn't go to the toilet at all after he got up.

Could it be... a leaking pipe?

Don't...

His landlord in the south didn't care about anything.

He paid for the repairs himself when the toilet broke last time.

Jiang Yu quickly pushed the door open.

call!

A wave of heat hit me.

The toilet was foggy, and the mirror was covered in condensation.

Through the frosted glass of the shower stall, he saw a blurry figure.

On the shorter side, thin, with long hair...

Although you can't see their face clearly, you can tell from their outline that they are a numerical monster.

Jiang Yu was stunned.

Someone is taking a bath in his house?

She's a girl!

"Who...who are you?!" he blurted out instinctively.

The sound of water in the shower stopped.

The girl inside wiped two holes in the fogged glass.

A pair of large, bright eyes looked out through the glass.

Eyes facing each other.

then…

"ah!!!"

A scream erupted from the shower room.

Jiang Yu was startled by the scream and took a step back, his back hitting the door frame.

The figure in the shower room was huddled together, speaking in a voice that was both angry and anxious.

"Brother! Why are you always like this? Get out, get out!"

elder brother?

Jiang Yu did not move.

He stared at the huddled figure, his mind a little fuzzy.

What... is going on?

A strange girl barged into his house to take a shower...

He still calls himself "brother"?

Who is your brother?

This person is insane!

Also, how did she get in?

window?

This is the 27th floor!

and many more…

Jiang Yu suddenly remembered Zhang Guiqin's instructions.

"Be aware of suspicious individuals in the neighborhood..."

"If you see any unfamiliar faces or hear any strange noises, be sure to contact the neighborhood committee immediately..."

Then look at the girl curled up in the bathroom…

Is she the "suspicious person" the neighborhood committee is looking for?

Regardless of whether it is true or not, we can't just stand there like idiots anymore.

If the other party is a girl, and there's any misunderstanding, it could take at least three years.

Jiang Yu then decisively left the bathroom, opened the door, and rushed out.

"Aunt Zhang! Aunt Zhang!"

Zhang Guiqin and the masked woman had just reached the stairwell.

Hearing the shout, I turned around...

Then they saw Jiang Yu rushing towards them with a look of utter disbelief.

"Xiaoyu, what's wrong?" Zhang Guiqin was startled by his demeanor.

"My house has been broken into!" Jiang Yu said breathlessly.

"what?"

"A female thief! You'd better go check it out!"

Regardless of who the other party is, Jiang Yu decided to turn the tables on them first.

Zhang Guiqin's expression became tense.

Burglary in broad daylight?

Or was she a female thief?

"Walk!"

She quickly followed Jiang Yu back.

The woman wearing a mask followed behind.

After returning home…

The bathroom door was wide open, and the room was filled with the scent of shower gel.

A girl wrapped in a bath towel is standing in the living room.

She was petite, her hair was wet and hanging over her shoulders, with water still dripping from the ends.

Her cheeks were flushed pink from the steam, making you want to pinch them.

Her features were as delicate as a porcelain doll's.

Big eyes, a small upturned nose, cherry lips, and skin so white it glows.

She's the kind of person who gets stopped by talent scouts on the street.

Zhang Guiqin's expression turned somewhat strange after she saw the girl.

She turned to look at Jiang Yu, her eyebrows raised high.

"Xiaoyu, is this the female thief you were talking about?"

"Yes!" Jiang Yu said with certainty.

Zhang Guiqin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After laughing, she patted Jiang Yu on the shoulder, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.

"You silly child, you're just making a fool of yourself! Isn't this your sister?"