192: Chapter 192 *Pfft!* The strawberry exploded in her palm.

Su Yuran leaned against the doorframe and let out a sigh.

Yuling, oh Yuling, you've finally come to this point.

She remembered many years ago, when their parents had just left, Yuling would cry every night.

She would hold her younger sister and say over and over, "Don't be afraid, Big Sister is here."

Later Yuling stopped crying, but she became quieter, more obedient, and more afraid to express herself.

Over those years, her sister had suppressed all her emotions in her heart.

Now, she finally couldn't hold them back anymore.

She didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

But there was one thing she knew: her sister had to take this step herself.

Outsiders couldn't help.

She closed the door and returned to bed.

She lay down and stared at the ceiling.

That night, she never fell asleep again.

The living room was shrouded in darkness.

Only the emergency light in the corner emitted a faint glow, enveloping the entire space in a hazy orange.

Su Yuling stood barefoot in the center of the living room like a statue.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings:

The sofa—a brown leather one—where Han Yurou loved to curl up and eat snacks.

The coffee table, made of wood, always topped with fruit and snacks.

The TV, mounted on the wall, its screen dark.

The bookshelf, filled with books, mostly Li Ying's fashion magazines and Xu Xue's parenting books.

She didn't find what she was looking for.

She turned and walked in another direction.

The ecological box.

The door to the ecological box was ajar; it opened with a single push.

It was even darker inside than the living room, with only the grow lights on the planting racks emitting a faint blue glow.

The light fell on various plants, casting mottled shadows and making the entire space look like an eerie botanical garden.

Su Yuling walked inside.

Her bare feet stepped onto the warm floor without making a sound.

The air was filled with the unique fresh scent of plants mixed with the damp smell of earth.

She walked through rows of planting racks:

The tomato section, where clusters of green fruit hung from the vines, not yet ripe.

The cucumber section, where long cucumbers hung down, shimmering with a faint green under the blue light.

The lettuce section, with leaves unfurled like green flowers.

The herb section, with mint, basil, and rosemary emitting various fragrances.

Finally, she stopped at the strawberry section.

Han Yurou was responsible for the strawberries.

It had been that way since the first day.

Every day, Han Yurou would come here to water, fertilize, and harvest, then pick out the largest and reddest strawberries, wash them, put them in a basket, and give them to Brother Qin Lin.

"Brother Qin Lin loves strawberries the most!" she would say every time.

Until Han Yurou and Brother Qin Lin...

...it became her responsibility to look after them.

Su Yuling stood before the strawberry rack, looking at the bright red fruits.

Under the eerie blue grow lights, those strawberries were a piercingly bright red.

Like blood.

She stared at them, her gaze gradually becoming focused.

Focused to a frightening degree.

Her gaze fell on the largest strawberry.

That strawberry was plump and crimson, hanging from a thick vine, exceptionally eye-catching among its kind.

Just like Han Yurou in a crowd.

Always the most conspicuous, always the most proactive, always the first to rush in front of Brother Qin Lin.

Su Yuling stared at the strawberry and slowly reached out her hand.

Her movements were very slow, as if she were performing some kind of ritual.

Her fingers slowly approached the strawberry.

A gentle touch.

That soft texture carried a slight warmth.

Like the feeling of touching skin.

Her eyes flickered slightly.

Then, her hand suddenly accelerated.

Her fingers snapped shut, gripping the strawberry fiercely.

Squelch—

The strawberry burst in her palm.

Crimson juice splattered out, trickling down through her fingers and dripping onto the floor with a soft patter.

Patter.

Patter.

Patter.

Drop after drop of juice fell onto the floor, splashing into tiny red flowers.

Su Yuling didn't move.

She just stood there, her hand maintaining its clenched posture, letting the juice flow.

A sticky sensation came from her palm, along with the unique sweet fragrance of strawberries.

But her expression didn't change at all.

No disgust, no surprise, not even any emotion.

Just... calmness.

After a long time, she slowly opened her palm.

The strawberry was completely crushed, turned into a mess of pulp, sticking to her palm with the juice.

She stared at the red mess, her eyes reflecting the same color.

Then she raised her hand.

Slowly, very slowly, she pressed her palm against her face.

The cool juice touched her skin, sliding from her cheek to her chin, then dripping onto her neck and further down.

She closed her eyes, feeling the stickiness and the coolness.

Her other hand also rose, spreading the juice on the other side.

Then downward, sliding toward her neck.

Her hands moved slowly across her neck, smearing the red into a single patch.

Throughout the entire process, she didn't open her eyes.

She just felt it quietly.

Feeling herself staining herself red.

Red.

Like the color of blood.

Like the color of life.

Like...

The color she liked.

If there were a mirror, one would see a girl with skin tone and red alternating on her face.

Partly red cheeks, a red chin, a red neck.

The red appeared exceptionally striking against her fair skin, like scars or some mysterious totem.

But her eyes were exceptionally bright amidst the red.

She looked at her hands, which still had strawberry residue on them.

Then she smiled.

It was a silent smile.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, her eyes crinkled, revealing an eerie smile amidst the broad patches of red.

Like a bizarre piece of art.

Like something that crawled out of Hell...

She didn't think further.

She simply turned and left the ecological box.

Behind her, the crushed strawberry still hung from the vine, its juice still dripping.

But she didn't look back.

After leaving the ecological box, Su Yuling didn't return to Bedroom No. 001.

She walked toward the kitchen.

Her steps remained steady, without a hint of panic.

The hallway was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps—light and soft.

The kitchen door was open, and it was pitch black inside.

She walked in.

The kitchen was even darker than the living room, with only the refrigerator's indicator light glowing with a faint green.

That green point of light flickered in the darkness like an eerie eye.

A cutting board, made of wood, with several knives resting on it.

A knife rack, leaning against the wall, holding several knives of different sizes.

Pots, bowls, and pans were all immersed in darkness, their outlines barely visible.

Su Yuling stood at the kitchen entrance, scanning everything inside.

Then her gaze landed on a certain spot.

The knife rack.

Several knives were slotted into it:

A cleaver—the largest and heaviest, with a broad blade and a sharp edge.

A fruit knife—small, agile, and sharp, suitable for peeling and cutting fruit.

A paring knife—the smallest but also the most dangerous, with a tip as sharp as a needle.

And a boning knife she hadn't seen before, with a slender blade and a serrated edge.

Her eyes stared at those knives, unmoving.

There was no fear, no disgust, and no excitement in her eyes.

Just... focus.

After a long time, she slowly walked inside.

Her steps were very light and steady, without a hint of hesitation.

She walked to the knife rack and stood still.