Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Oh my sister, why are you so stupid? I’m a swimming champion! How can you not know how to swim! Hurry, hurry! Let’s try it once more!”
“That’s right! You’ve got your hand motions right! Relax your ankle! Retracting your legs is useless, that has no power. It’s not pushing up and down. Kick out!”
“That’s right! Just like that…! Oh my, why have you stopped again? Let me repeat it once more, relax your body…”
That conversation replayed itself through her mind.
She followed the words of her sister and relaxed her body, swinging her limbs like those of a frog.
Even if her body was sinking uncontrollably, she did not give up. Gradually, she found her entire body getting lighter, and before long, she floated up toward the surface.
Thankfully, the Heavens did not let her down and she wasn’t far from the shore.
Once again, she had escaped death.
Sprawling on the ground, she struggled and slowly regained her strength.
No more—she couldn’t go through that anymore. She had got to think of a way for those men to stop chasing after her.
But, what other way could she have? There was no way she could just wander around the streets brazenly like that after she had escaped. She had to look for people who truly know her.
But what would those people be like?
Friends?
Foes?
Would she be just a chess piece in the hands of some schemer?
After coming forth from the lake, she laid there for a long time. With all her clothes muddy and her hair all disheveled, she looked no different from the beggars on the streets.
Actually, she was no different from them.
She was so hungry that she barely had the strength to walk. For the sake of survival, she could only scavenge through the nearest trash bin.
However, there was nothing edible except for a set of men’s clothing.
For the sake of survival so that no one could recognize her, she decided to pose as a man.
Sitting in a park, there was nowhere she could go or recognize. Not daring to wander all around, she found herself being consumed by fear and helplessness once more.
Right then, an old granny was walking up ahead, clutching a walking stick.
There were kids playing around in the park as well. With their mindless running, they knocked that granny over.
The granny’s posture shouldn’t have been really great to begin with, so she headed up to help the granny up. Not only was the granny not upset, she was even smiling out.
After the granny got up, she did not walk off immediately. Instead, she headed to a claw machine nearby and started playing with it with some coins.
Instantly, that group of children rushed over as well.
Looking at how the granny was failing after a couple of attempts, those rowdy kids pushed the granny away after she entered her coin, clamoring to take over her.
Naturally, they did not manage to catch a doll either.
The granny raised her walking stick, threatening to strike at those rowdy kids while mumbling something about them wasting her coin. However, Rong Mo could not help but chuckle out, feeling that the granny was just scaring those kids on purpose.
Suddenly, the granny’s face spun toward her, causing her smile to freeze in position. For some reason, she felt a sense of wariness and fear, looking at how the granny was beckoning her nervously.
At that time, she did not know what the granny had wanted. It was only till granny pointed at the claw machine that she understood—granny wanted her to help catch a doll.
Hesitating for a moment, she stood up and walked over.
For some unknown reason, she felt a sense of familiarity from that claw machine.
Closing her eyes, a conversation flashed through her mind.
“Sister, I’m so stupid! I’ve never been able to catch a doll all my life!”
Instantly, her head was met with a throbbing pain.
As she clutched her temple, the granny asked concernedly, “What’s wrong?”
