40: Monster Appears 5

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window, bringing a gentle warmth.

In the Sakura family's living room, Sakura Yu was sitting on the sofa, anxiously comforting her mother, Sakura Rimi.

The family was nearly frantic. Sakura Hikaru had been missing for almost two days. After trying every method possible, the last clue they found was that two days ago, while playing near a park not far from home, Sakura Hikaru had suddenly vanished—yes, in the literal, physical sense. One second he was on the security camera, and the next he was abruptly gone.

"Mom, the police are already involved. I believe Little Brother will be found soon. Please don't be pessimistic," Sakura Yu gently comforted her mother, trying to calm her down.

Just then, the door was suddenly knocked upon.

Sakura Yu froze slightly, immediately stood up, went to the door, and cautiously asked, "Who is it?"

A familiar voice came from outside the door, carrying a trace of exhaustion but sounding exceptionally warm: "Sister, it's me. I'm back."

Sakura Yu's heart leaped, unable to believe her ears.

She quickly ran over and opened the door.

Standing at the door was none other than her younger brother, Sakura Hikaru, whom she had missed day and night.

"Little Brother!" Sakura Yu excitedly rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

An indescribable joy and relief surged in her heart, and tears unconsciously flowed down her cheeks.

"Mom, Little Brother is back!" Sakura Yu shouted loudly.

Hearing her daughter's words, Sakura Rimi immediately jumped up from the sofa and rushed to the door.

Seeing her son safe and sound, she immediately rushed forward, embracing Sakura Hikaru with tears streaming down her face.

"Hikaru, where did you go? We've been looking for you for days, we were worried sick!" Sakura Rimi choked out, her tone filled with distress and reproach.

Xiang Yan, however, said nothing, only burrowing further into Sakura Rimi's ample embrace and rubbing against her.

Seeing her younger brother return safely, Sakura Yu was in high spirits. She immediately took out her phone and called her father, Sakura Hokkai, to tell him the good news.

On the other end of the line, Sakura Hokkai's voice held unconcealed excitement: "Really? Hikaru is finally back! I'm coming home right away."

The door was closed again, and the atmosphere in the Sakura household finally changed from gloomy to bright.

Sakura Rimi originally wanted to ask her son where he had been for the past few days, but seeing him constantly burying his head in her chest and trembling, she held back, deciding to wait until his emotions had stabilized slightly before asking.

Soon, the sound of a lock turning came from outside the door again, and Sakura Hokkai's voice followed: "I'm back, and I have two police officers with me."

Sakura Hokkai pushed the door open, followed by two uniformed police officers.

Seeing his lost son recovered, he excitedly stepped forward and gave Xiang Yan a hug, his eyes slightly red.

The police signaled Sakura Rimi with their eyes. Seeing that her son's body was no longer trembling, Sakura Rimi began to ask Xiang Yan about his whereabouts for the past two days.

Xiang Yan fabricated a story without changing his expression, saying he had been kidnapped by a strange woman but was fortunately rescued by a kind person who brought him back to his doorstep.

The police were skeptical and retrieved the nearby surveillance footage.

The footage showed that a man had indeed dropped Xiang Yan off downstairs a short while ago before leaving alone.

This perfectly matched Xiang Yan's description.

The police gave the Sakura couple some safety advice and questioned Xiang Yan about the information regarding this "kind person." They then left quickly, preparing to investigate the "kind person," hoping to use this as a Breakthrough to solve the kidnapping case.

They speculated that the group likely had a highly skilled hacker behind them who could erase surveillance records everywhere, and therefore they must be brought to justice quickly.

Xiang Yan watched the police leave and yawned boredly. The police's search operation was bound to fail, as the person was just an illusion he had created.

Early the next morning, Sakura Yu prepared to take Xiang Yan to school.

However, Xiang Yan started causing trouble: one moment complaining of a headache, the next saying he couldn't breathe, and then foaming at the mouth and passing out.

The anxious Sakura couple immediately took him to the hospital.

After an examination, and with Xiang Yan's "assistance," the doctor concluded that Xiang Yan had developed an acute stress disorder due to the immense shock he suffered and needed to recuperate in a completely new environment, otherwise he might develop more severe psychological illnesses in the future.

Back home, the atmosphere in the Sakura family's living room was so heavy it felt as if the air had solidified.

Sakura Rimi tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, her face etched with worry and reluctance, while Sakura Hokkai silently smoked, the swirling smoke obscuring the emotions in his eyes.

Sakura Yu gently stroked her younger brother's hair, her eyes full of helplessness. They all knew that their family was facing a major change.

"Sigh..." Sakura Hokkai took a deep breath and firmly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "For Little Hikaru's sake, let's move."

Sakura Rimi's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was choked: "But... this house, we've lived here for so many years, we finally managed to..."

"A house can be bought again, but Little Hikaru is unique!" Sakura Hokkai interrupted his wife, his tone firm. "As long as the family is together, it doesn't matter where we are."

Sakura Yu also nodded, gently comforting her mother: "That's right, Mom. Little Brother's health is the most important thing. As long as our family is together, we can overcome any difficulty."

"Mhm." Sakura Rimi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile.

The Sakura family began to get busy, packing up their belongings and handling all the moving procedures.

To quickly raise funds for the move, Sakura Hokkai even resigned from his job and fully dedicated himself to buying and selling houses.

On his way home after resigning, he had a sudden impulse and walked into a lottery shop.

That evening, when Sakura Hokkai checked the lottery numbers, he was completely stunned. He double-checked several times before daring to believe his eyes—he had won the grand prize, a full 30 million! (P.S.: The value of one unit of currency in this world is equivalent to the purchasing power of China in the 1960s.)

This was an absolute fortune for their family!

Sakura Hokkai was so excited that his hands were trembling. He immediately shared the good news with his family.

Sakura Rimi and Sakura Yu could not believe their ears; the sudden arrival of fortune left them somewhat overwhelmed.

Xiang Yan watched the ecstatic appearance of the family before him, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upward.

Soon, guided by Xiang Yan, the Sakura family set their sights on a luxurious villa located near Amatsuki Futaba's home.

They sold their old house without hesitation and bought the new villa, starting a brand-new life.

Not long after, one evening, Xiang Yan slowly walked out of his house. He walked down the street, feeling the coolness of the evening breeze.

The remnants of the setting sun spilled onto the street, painting everything golden.

Xiang Yan deliberately took a detour to the path Amatsuki Futaba had to take on her way home from school, and waited.

Before long, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.

Amatsuki Futaba, wearing a high ponytail and carrying a school bag, walked over, humming a cheerful tune.

Seeing his target appear, Xiang Yan immediately adjusted his expression, his eyes slightly red, and walked timidly up to Amatsuki Futaba, asking, "Sister, I'm lost. Can you help me?"

Amatsuki Futaba stopped, bent down, and asked with concern, "Little friend, where is your home?"

Xiang Yan didn't answer, just stared straight at her.

Just as Amatsuki Futaba felt confused, Xiang Yan suddenly pointed at her and said, "Ah, it's the strange Sister from Sakurajing Street."

While saying this, Xiang Yan used a few tricks to slightly stimulate her memory.

Amatsuki Futaba froze. She carefully sized up the boy in front of her and suddenly remembered that he was the little friend who had helped her out when she first encountered Snow Rabbit some time ago.

"It's you, little friend. We truly are fated to meet. Last time you helped me, and now I'm helping you. Where is your home? I'll walk you back," Amatsuki Futaba said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sister!" Xiang Yan smiled sweetly, told Qiangiu Futaba his home address, and was obediently led home by Amatsuki Futaba holding his hand.

Over the next five months, Xiang Yan used thanking Sister Amatsuki Futaba for walking him home as an excuse to begin his "Affection Rating Strategy."

He ran to Amatsuki Futaba's house every few days, sometimes bringing small gifts, sometimes helping with chores, displaying a precocious demeanor that often made Amatsuki Futaba laugh heartily.

Soon, Xiang Yan and Amatsuki Futaba had known each other for over five months.

Throughout these five months, Xiang Yan deeply understood the principle of "If there are no difficulties, create them and tackle them anyway." He continuously created trouble for Amatsuki Futaba in secret, and, assuming the role of a younger brother, faced and solved these problems with her, successfully boosting his affection rating to that of a biological younger brother who wasn't actually related.