Chapter 4:

Just like that, a week had passed since Cecilia arrived in this world.

At first, she didn't understand why Himeko had asked her those strange questions. But then... she encountered it.

The unusual thing Himeko had mentioned.

It happened four days ago—three days after she arrived in this world.

Four Days Ago

"Sirin, take care of the house, okay? Mom needs to buy some groceries," Cecilia said as she grabbed shopping bag.

Sirin, who was lounging on the couch playing on her phone, looked up.

"Can I come with Mom instead?"

"Hmm? Of course, dear." Cecilia smiled, walking over to Sirin and gently pinching her cheek. "Get dressed quickly. Mom will leave in twenty minutes."

Sirin nodded eagerly, then rushed off to wardrobe to grab some clothes before heading to the bathroom.

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow inside the cozy apartment. The faint sound of birds chirping could be heard through the slightly opened window, blending with the distant hum of the city waking up.

A few minutes later, Sirin stepped out of her room, now dressed in a crisp white blouse and a long black skirt that reached just below her knees. She twirled slightly, letting the fabric flow before looking up at Cecilia.

"I'm ready, Mom!" she said cheerfully.

Cecilia nodded, grabbing the keys from the table near the entrance. As her fingers brushed against the metal, she suddenly paused, turning to Sirin.

"Did Sirin forget anything before we go out?" she asked.

Sirin patted her pockets, checking for anything she might have missed. "Nope, I have everything!"

"Alright then, let's go."

Cecilia unlocked the door, pulling it open with a soft creak as a gentle breeze greeted them from the hallway. She stepped outside first, with Sirin following closely behind.

As she walked, Cecilia couldn't help but feel a lingering discomfort about wearing women's clothing. After all, she was still adjusting to the fact that she was now in Cecilia Schariac's body. Yet, when she caught a glimpse of herself in the hallway mirror earlier, something in her mind had clicked—It doesn't matter. This is my body now. It would be a waste not to wear beautiful clothes...

Cough—I don't have that kind of hobby, she quickly corrected herself, pushing away any unnecessary thoughts.

Just as they locked the door behind them, a familiar voice called out.

"Good morning, Sister Himeko!" Sirin greeted enthusiastically.

Cecilia turned to see Himeko stepping out of her apartment, her vibrant red hair slightly tousled as she adjusted her coat.

Himeko smiled at them. "Good morning, Madam Cecilia. Good morning, Sirin."

"Good morning to you too, Miss Himeko," Cecilia replied with a polite nod.

Himeko leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed casually as she watched them. "Where's your family headed?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Cecilia slipped the key into her bag before responding, "We're going shopping—just picking up some groceries and anything else we might need."

Himeko nodded in understanding. "I see." Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Stay safe."

Cecilia returned a polite smile. "We will. And you too, Miss Himeko. Take care."

With that, she turned, her heels clicking lightly against the apartment hallway floor as she gestured for Sirin to follow.

Sirin bowed politely. "Goodbye, Sister Himeko!" she said before hurrying after her mother.

Himeko watched them for a moment before sighing softly, her gaze shifting toward the hallway window. The morning light reflected off the glass, but if one looked closely, there was a strange flicker—a faint distortion in the air, barely noticeable.

But Himeko noticed.

Her expression darkened for just a second before she turned back inside, closing her door behind her.

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The midday sun cast a warm glow over the quiet streets as Cecilia and Sirin walked side by side along the sidewalk. A few cars passed by now and then, their engines humming softly in the distance. The city wasn't particularly busy today, making their stroll feel almost peaceful.

To be honest, Cecilia had no idea where the nearest grocery store was. After all, she wasn't originally from this world—how could she possibly know? She had only been here for a short time.

Glancing at Sirin, who walked beside her with an easy stride, Cecilia straightened her posture. Let's just keep walking until we find one. I can't ruin the image I've built... wait, do I even have an image after suddenly turning into Cecilia and acting all motherly?

...Never mind. I'm Cecilia now, so it doesn't matter.

Wanting to fill the quiet between them, she decided to start a conversation.

"Sirin, since we're already outside, is there anything you'd like to eat?" Cecilia asked, her tone light and affectionate.

Sirin's golden eyes lit up as she turned to her mother. "I do, Mom! I saw on Douyin that a new popular store just opened near our area!" she said excitedly.

"Oh? What do they sell?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Ice cream! But not just any ice cream. They have a bunch of flavors that people here have never heard of before!" Sirin's voice was filled with excitement.

Cecilia chuckled. "Ohhh, I see. Sirin really likes ice cream, huh? Well, we can visit that place after we finish buying the necessary items."

Sirin nodded eagerly.

"So, what's Sirin's favorite ice cream flavor?" Cecilia asked with a teasing smile.

"Chocolate!" Sirin replied instantly, without hesitation.

"That's a good choice," Cecilia said with an approving nod.

Sirin's expression softened, her voice growing quieter. "...Because it was the first flavor Mom ever gave me."

Cecilia blinked, catching only the faintest murmur of her daughter's words. "Hmm? What was that, Sirin? Mom couldn't hear you."

Sirin quickly shook her head, forcing a small smile. "Nothing, Mom. My throat just felt weird for a second."

Cecilia studied her for a moment, but instead of pressing further, she simply smiled and reached out, gently ruffling Sirin's hair.

"Alright, dear. Let's go find that grocery store first," she said warmly.

Sirin nodded, falling in step beside her once again. The two of them continued their walk, the peaceful atmosphere of the city around them occasionally broken by passing cars and the distant chatter of pedestrians.

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Arriving in front of the shopping mall, Cecilia tilted her head back slightly, taking in the sheer size of the structure. The building stood tall, possibly five floors high, its glass exterior reflecting the afternoon sunlight.

From what she knew, shopping malls in her original world almost always had grocery stores inside. If the same logic applied here, then finding one shouldn't be a problem.

As she was lost in thought, Sirin excitedly held up her phone. "Mom, this is the location of that viral ice cream shop!" she said, pointing at the screen.

Ah, so this is the place my adorable daughter wanted to go...

Cecilia's heart melted at the sight of Sirin's eagerness. She was just too cute. Unable to resist, Cecilia reached out and gently pinched Sirin's cheek.

Sirin pouted. "M-Mom! People are watching!"

"Let them watch," Cecilia said with a teasing smile. "They're probably just jealous that I have such a cute daughter and they don't."

Sirin's cheeks puffed up in embarrassment, her face slightly flushed. "Mmm..." She couldn't even argue, not when Cecilia was still playing with her cheeks.

Cecilia chuckled before finally letting go. "Alright, let's head inside. First, groceries. Then, ice cream."

Sirin rubbed her cheeks, but the small smile on her lips showed that she didn't really mind. "Okay, Mom!"

With that, the two of them stepped into the mall.

Cecilia grabbed a shopping trolley and began pushing it towards the aisles of frozen food, her eyes scanning the shelves and price tags one by one.

Quite expensive... she mused, though it wasn't like she was struggling financially. She had already checked her bank account, and to her surprise, she had quite a lot of money.

I have no idea what Cecilia did to earn this before I ended up in her body... or maybe it's just part of the setting? A sigh almost escaped her lips. Zhihao kept sending me those kinds of novels, so I know how this works. Maybe this is just my golden finger...

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sirin approached, holding up a neatly packaged piece of salmon. "Mom, this salmon is on discount!" she announced excitedly, pointing at the bold red 50% OFF sticker.

Cecilia's blue eyes flickered down to the package. Discounted raw fish?

She shook her head. "Dear, I don't think it's a good idea to eat discounted raw meat," she gently warned.

After all, she—or rather, Sai, her past self—had made that mistake before. Discounted meat and fish were always a gamble. Who knew how long they had been sitting on the shelf before they slapped that sticker on? When it came to fresh ingredients, she preferred paying full price over risking food poisoning.

"Oh... oh." Sirin's enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she turned to put the package back.

Cecilia chuckled softly and walked over, picking up two fresh packs of sliced salmon instead. She placed them in the cart before turning to Sirin with a warm smile. "But if Sirin wants salmon, you can have the fresh one. I only said no to discounted salmon, not all salmon."

Sirin's golden eyes lit up. "Really?! Thank you, Mom!" Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Cecilia in a tight hug.

Cecilia laughed and ruffled Sirin's hair. "Just make sure to eat it properly, okay?"

"Yes!" Sirin nodded eagerly.

They continued shopping for almost an hour, picking out groceries one by one. The trolley was nearly full when Cecilia reached for the last item—a box of cereal.

Just as she was about to place it in the cart, she felt her hand... empty.

Cecilia blinked and looked down at her hand. Didn't I just grab the cereal?

Her eyes darted to the shelf, and there it was again—the same box, sitting in its original spot as if she had never touched it.

Did I just imagine taking it? Maybe I'm more tired than I thought.

Shaking her head, she reached out and grabbed the box again, but before she could place it into the cart, a small voice called out from behind her.

"Mom... I'm scared..."

Cecilia turned to see Sirin clutching the fabric of her shirt tightly, her small hands trembling slightly.

Frowning, Cecilia knelt down slightly to be at eye level. "What's wrong, dear?"

Sirin hesitated before whispering, "I saw a faceless lady over there."

Cecilia's brows furrowed. "Faceless?" She followed Sirin's pointed finger toward a nearby aisle.

Holding Sirin protectively in her arms, she cautiously walked toward the direction her daughter had indicated.

At first, all she saw was an ordinary woman stocking shelves, methodically placing items one by one. There was nothing strange about her—no missing features, no unnatural movements.

Cecilia exhaled softly and called out, "Excuse me?"

The woman turned around, revealing a completely normal face.

Cecilia glanced down at Sirin, who was still gripping her tightly. "Are you sure, dear? Look, she has a normal face."

Sirin's golden eyes darted between Cecilia and the woman, her expression conflicted. "...But I really saw it," she murmured.

Cecilia gently patted Sirin's head. "Maybe it was just a trick of the light, sweetheart. No need to be scared." She looked back at the woman and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Please continue your work."

The woman simply smiled politely and turned back to the shelves.

Cecilia sighed in relief and walked away, still cradling Sirin.

But behind them, the woman's face began to distort.

Like a glitching screen, her features flickered, struggling to remain in place.