Fu Hua brought Sirin, who had fallen into the Fenghuang Down illusion, back to the top of the Babylon Tower and handed her over to Otto.
Her originally snow-white long hair slowly returned to its usual gray color, as if the previous Red Kite Immortal form had been nothing more than an illusion.
"Otto, hurry up and do what you need to do. Then we'll kill her."
Otto placed his hand on top of Sirin's head as golden pseudo-Fenghuang Down feathers drifted down. "Thank you, my old friend. I have waited for this moment for far too long."
Inside the illusion, Sirin walked lightly along the winding path paved with grayish-blue stone slabs. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, as if she had completely blended into the tranquil atmosphere. On both sides of the path, lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze, seeming to whisper greetings to the beautiful girl.
Looking into the distance, one could see continuous rolling mountains covered in verdant greenery, resembling a giant dragon coiled on the horizon.
Directly in front of Sirin stood a delicate single-family house. It emitted a warm orange-yellow glow, like a brilliant star in the night sky. The soft light spilled through the windows onto the small path in front of the door, creating patches of dappled light and shadow that gave off a cozy yet mysterious feeling.
Sirin skillfully took out a key from her pocket and opened the door. As soon as she entered the genkan, she casually tossed her schoolbag onto the floor. Immediately after, two slender and straight jade feet slowly slipped out of the dainty brown leather shoes. They were tightly wrapped in a layer of mysterious and alluring black over-the-knee socks, like exquisite works of art. One could almost feel their delicate texture with the lightest touch. As her feet emerged, the over-the-knee socks slid down slightly, revealing just the right amount of fair, tender thigh skin, adding a touch of sensuality and charm.
Sirin then sat down on the step. Her hands gently rested on the edges of the over-the-knee socks. With a slight effort, she began to slowly peel them off. Inch by inch, the socks slid downward, gradually revealing a section of calf skin as smooth and delicate as mutton-fat white jade.
Along with the movement, a pair of tender, supple jade feet—glossy, alluring, and mouth-watering—were fully revealed to the air without reservation. These jade feet seemed like masterpieces meticulously carved by nature. Every inch of skin was as fine as the highest-grade silk. The toes were neat and dainty, round and adorable, with nails trimmed to perfection and emitting a faint pink glow, as delicate and beautiful as freshly bloomed cherry blossom petals.
Sirin casually tossed the pair of over-the-knee socks onto the floor, then opened the shoe cabinet and changed into slippers.
"Sirin, are you back?" Hearing the sound of Sirin's return, Dalia's voice came from the distant kitchen.
"Mmm…" Sirin replied listlessly. Coming home from school every day was the most tiring part of her day. At this moment, she only wanted to lie motionless on the sofa.
Dalia came out of the kitchen and, sure enough, saw Sirin sprawled motionless on the sofa.
"Sirin, remember to wash your hands quickly after getting home. We're about to have dinner."
"Ehh… but I just got back. Can I skip eating?" Sirin buried her head in the small decorative pillow on the sofa, her voice muffled.
Dalia sighed, then turned toward the genkan to pick up Sirin's schoolbag and over-the-knee socks from the floor, and neatly arranged Sirin's shoes.
"Sirin, remember to go upstairs and call little Shun down for dinner!" Upon hearing Dalia's words, Sirin, who had been completely unmotivated, finally stopped playing dead.
It was fine if she herself didn't want to eat, but if her laziness caused little Shun to go hungry, that would be unacceptable.
Sirin walked up the wooden stairs with heavy steps, the stairs creaking underfoot. Upstairs there were only three rooms: a storage room, her own room, and Shun's room.
Sirin twisted open the door to Shun's room. It wasn't locked and opened easily. As she walked in, she saw a figure with its back to her, painting busily on a canvas.
Once upon a time, that extremely adorable boy had quietly grown up a little. Although his youthful face had not completely lost its childish innocence, the slightly defined facial contours already hinted at the appearance of a young teenager — a subtle transition between childishness and youthful awkwardness.
Looking at the boy before her, Sirin's heartbeat quickened slightly. She felt that little Shun was becoming more and more fragrant… She quietly approached him and then slapped him on the back.
"Shun, what are you doing!" Sirin suddenly slapped Shun's shoulder, nearly ruining the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" painting he was working on.
On the canvas, countless colorful chickens were all facing the mysterious man in the center who wore overalls, had a center-parted hairstyle, and was playing basketball. Sirin thought that although she couldn't understand it, she could at least tell that the artist's painting skill was extremely high.
"Why do I feel like your painting technique is clearly very strong, yet you always like drawing these weird things? Didn't you say you wanted to get into the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts? That little mustache guy from last time was the same — he kept painting him raising his right hand for no reason."
Shun chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter. If I fail the exam, I'll just retake it for the second time. Bread prices in Germany seem to have gone up recently. When the time comes, remember to push me into a beer hall."
"You always say these strange things. I'm done with you. Come on, get on my back. It's time for dinner." Sirin lifted Shun onto her back. Since he had no legs, he couldn't go downstairs by himself — though this seemed somewhat inconsistent with his room being upstairs.
After carrying Shun downstairs, Sirin placed him in the wheelchair on the first floor and pushed him back to the dining room.
"Remember to wash your hands." Dalia, who was setting the table, didn't even raise her head as she spoke to the two of them.
A moment later, Sirin and Shun arrived at the dining table, their hands still slightly wet.
After a simple preparation, the family of three began today's dinner. However, it was mostly Shun and Dalia who were talking at the table. Sirin simply ate a mouthful of rice and glanced at them, her eyes filled with gentleness.
"Speaking of which, it's already been three or four years since our family came to Switzerland. Thankfully, Shun's suggestion was good. Not long after we left, a disaster broke out in Siberia. I heard that not many people survived…"
Dalia suddenly put down her bowl and spoke with lingering fear. If she hadn't agreed to Shun's seemingly absurd idea back then, their whole family might not have survived.
"Yeah… It really was for the best." Sirin looked at the two of them. Her voice couldn't help but carry a slight sob. Uncontrollably, a layer of mist appeared before her eyes, and the figures of the two became blurry.
"If only this were real… it would be so good…"