The footsteps behind the door faded into the distance.
She got up and walked to the bedroom door, where a key with a red string around its neck hung on the doorknob.
She took the key, left the bedroom, and locked the door from the inside.
The living room was filled with the aroma of food, and the sound of Mom cooking came from the kitchen.
The father, wearing glasses, was sitting on the sofa watching TV, but the screen was filled with black and white static.
The only sounds coming from the kitchen and the buzzing of the television were from inside the house.
Su Cheng didn't find it strange; on the contrary, she felt a natural sense of familiarity, as if she had seen this scene thousands of times.
She walked to the dining table and sat down, her ankle brushed against something furry.
Looking down, I saw a small, yellow-haired dog.
It was looking towards the kitchen, sitting under the table with its back to her, its triangular ears perked up, and its tail swishing back and forth, brushing against her ankles.
The puppy mentioned in the drawer note?
Su Cheng pulled her feet back to avoid the dog's tail sweeping her away.
The puppy sensed something, slowly turned its head, revealing a face that was visually striking.
It was a face that resembled both a human and a dog, with brown eyes and single eyelids beneath black eyebrows, and white skin without any facial hair. The protruding dog nose and mouth, as well as the dog hair growing from the sideburns, disrupted the integrity of the human face.
It stuck out its scarlet tongue, blinked its eyes, gave Su Cheng a fawning smile, and made a human male voice in its throat:
" Tingting, I want to eat meat! I heard Mom cutting ribs!"
Su Cheng was stunned for two seconds, a strong sense of disgust welling up in her heart, and her foot kicked the dog-man uncontrollably.
"Awooooo!"
It tucked its tail between its legs and darted out from under the table, trotting happily to the sofa where its father was. As it squatted down beside him, it gave her a resentful look.
Dad seemed oblivious to the dog's approach.
Only she can see it.
Su Cheng suppressed the disgust that wasn't hers; the dog had just called for "Mom"?
Is it a product of fantasy, or does it actually exist?
Su Cheng unconsciously gripped the table tightly, her brows furrowing even more as she considered the information in the newspaper and the note.
The reason why the dog cries for its mother might be because it was once a child rejected by its parents...
Song Yating's brother?
The conclusion suddenly flashed into her mind, but before she could examine it further, her mother came out of the kitchen carrying the last bowl of soup.
She wore a yellow apron, and her slightly protruding belly created a small, hill-like curve.
Mom is pregnant again.
The third point on the note stated. "Never let your younger siblings be born!"
A note from the author:
none
Chapter 72
Seeing his mother come out of the kitchen, the dog ran to Su Cheng's feet, grinning smugly, and said, "You're doomed, you're going to be eliminated too."
Its eyes twitched slightly, almost human-like, and the dog shook its head. "Tsk tsk, I thought you were more favored by your parents, but you're actually pretty much like me. What will you become? A little dog like me? But you have black hair, so you might be a little black dog!"
Su Cheng glanced at it with disgust, then stomped hard on its tail.
"Aww!"
It turned its head and opened its mouth in pain, trying to bite Su Cheng's leg, but its mouth was grabbed and it was thrown into the corner.
" Tingting is so cruel. I'm still your family..."
The yellow dog whimpered and huddled in the corner, staring into Su Cheng's dark, inky eyes, its tail between its legs, too afraid to approach any further.
Su Cheng's sudden movement did not escape her parents' notice. They didn't say much, but their eyes revealed the same disappointment.
Su Cheng lowered her eyes, got up and walked towards the bathroom, whispering, "Mom, I'm going to wash my hands."
"Um."
Mom casually agreed and started serving the rice.
The father ignored her; his expression only changed when he looked at the mother's belly.
Su Cheng went to the bathroom, wanting to see the toothbrush that the note had mentioned.
Three mouthwash cups, each containing a toothbrush and toothpaste, are placed on the countertop of the washbasin. A mirror is mounted on the wall, and three face towels of different colors are hooked next to it.
The face in the mirror was too unfamiliar, and Su Cheng looked away without staring for long, her gaze falling on the pink toothbrush in the mouthwash cup.
That's her toothbrush.
She picked up a toothbrush; it was a very ordinary model, with a pink rubber handle and white bristles.
I touched the bristles; they were soft and resilient, not prickly or stiff.
There seemed to be nothing unusual.
Su Cheng tentatively put it in her mouth and gently brushed the sides of her teeth, making a "swish" sound as it rubbed, only to feel her big teeth itch.
She couldn't help but use a little more force to relieve the itch, until a stinging pain came from the roots of her teeth.
She quickly took out her toothbrush, puffed out her cheeks, bent over, and spat out the foreign object that had suddenly appeared in her mouth with a "whoosh".
"Ding ding ding"
The molar fell into the sink, bouncing twice before stopping. The white tooth was stained with blood and saliva, and the two hook-like roots were still stuck with sticky flesh and blood...
Su Cheng licked the hollow where the teeth were missing with her tongue; the exposed gums barely concealed the cavity.
Lick it, and blood gushes out, filling your mouth with a sweet, metallic taste.
But strangely, she didn't feel any pain at all.
I turned the gum flap over and over, feeling it being licked and then falling back down, just like touching a mimosa plant, which felt novel and interesting.
Only when his eyes fell on the blood-stained white bristles of the toothbrush in his hand did he belatedly realize: the toothbrush had pulled out his tooth.
"Huh? Has Tingting lost her baby teeth?" Her mother's voice came from behind like a ghost.
She walked silently to Su Cheng's side, her first thought not being to show concern for her daughter, but rather to glance at the sink with a flickering look in her eyes.
Su Cheng swallowed the blood in her mouth, not saying it was caused by the toothbrush, but vaguely admitting, following her own thoughts, "It seems so."
"The teeth that have been replaced should all be collected." Mom stared at the bloody tooth in the sink and actually reached out and picked it up.
"Then I'll go find one..."
Before Su Cheng could finish saying the word "box," her mother pinched her teeth and stuffed it into her mouth.
This bizarre scene instantly silenced her.
The corners of Mom's eyes curved slightly, and she pursed her lips as if she were holding candy. When her tongue licked her bloodied teeth, it made a "clinking" sound against her own teeth.
Su Cheng's brows furrowed into a deep frown. Noticing her gaze drifting towards the bathtub, she quickly reached out and turned on the tap to wash away the remaining blood.
The mother looked away with a hint of regret, then stroked her daughter's black hair with a dazed expression, muttering indistinctly, "A child is a part of their mother..."
Her fingertips were icy cold; when she ran her fingers through her hair, her scalp felt a chill.
Su Cheng uncomfortably turned her head away from her hand and reminded her, "It's time to go out for dinner."
"Oh... yes, otherwise Dad will be unhappy eating alone." As if triggering some kind of program, Mom's face returned to calm.
With a "gulp," he swallowed his teeth, then turned and left the bathroom as if nothing had happened.
Back at the dining table, Su Cheng's seat was taken by the little yellow dog. It sat upright, staring at the food, its tongue lolling out, drool dripping onto the table.
" Tingting, I want to eat pork ribs! Please get me some pork ribs!"
The yellow dog jumped off the chair, wagging its tail ingratiatingly. If it weren't for its strange, fused face, it would look like a real puppy.
Su Cheng ignored it, just as she had done many times before.
She disliked the seat it had been sitting on, so she moved a stool from the wall to the dining table.
Her movements were very light, but she still couldn't avoid making noise.
Dad's face darkened, and he slammed his chopsticks on the table. "Is this the dining etiquette we taught you? You're not eating today. Go back to your room and practice the piano. If you don't practice for three hours, you're not eating tomorrow either."
His voice wasn't loud, and his face wasn't even flushed with anger, but it filled Su Cheng with immense fear, like being choked and suffocating.
She felt no resistance whatsoever, like a puppet being manipulated, obeying commands in fear, stiffly walking back to the bedroom step by step, and sitting down at the piano.
Tears, brimming with a mix of emotions, streamed down her face as she heard her parents' unrestrained conversation.
Mom: "I'm going to be admitted to Golden Leaf Hospital tomorrow. I hope the baby in my belly won't let us down again."
Dad: "Yes, with our nurturing, she will be the most outstanding child."
"We only need outstanding children, and Golden Leaf Town is no exception."
Mom smiled gently, "Yes, everywhere only needs outstanding children. We all want what's best for our children; only by being outstanding can they avoid suffering later in life."
Her parents decided to give up on her because she wasn't good enough.
But what exactly constitutes being good enough? She's clearly already tried her best.
A deep sense of resentment welled up in her chest, and as her fingertips touched the piano keys, she chose to play a difficult piece, as if to prove something.
Every note is etched into the soul, allowing for flawless and perfect performance without the need for thought.
The discussion outside the room stopped as the piano music began, but before she could even feel happy, a heavy, regretful sigh followed.
Fine needles sprouted from the piano keys, mercilessly piercing through the ten fingers and emerging from the fingernails.
Fingertips trembled, blood staining the silver needle.
I can't stop... otherwise my parents will hate me even more.
A pleading emotion spurred her to pull out her finger without a cry of pain, and she pressed another key with trembling hands, but ultimately broke the smooth rhythm.
This time, the parents' voices were louder, and their disdain was more obvious.
Dad: "She'll be going to school tomorrow. Once her elimination report is approved, we won't have to worry about her anymore."
The mother said softly with a hint of regret, "Ah, what a pity. If only she were more outstanding."
Dad: "There's nothing to regret. I saw long ago that she didn't have perfect potential. No parent likes a defective product."
"For the next child, we'll learn from our experience and make sure it's better than the last."
Mom: "Mmm, I'm really looking forward to it."
The surging emotions made the music erratic, trying to drown out the negative and critical comments.