Dawn broke over Fuchsia City, the sky washed clean by the night's storm. The early morning light revealed streets slick with rain, puddles reflecting the emerging sun. Early commuters, office workers mostly, began to populate the sidewalks, their footsteps hurried, faces set towards the day ahead.
Xiu watched Xiaoyuan walk away from the convenience store, Pichu trotting faithfully beside her. He noticed something odd: as the sunlight fully illuminated her, Xiaoyuan seemed to… shrink. Her shoulders slumped, her spine curved slightly, making her already thin frame appear particularly frail against the backdrop of the waking city.
She stopped briefly at the entrance to the small park where Pichu lived. She leaned down, spoke softly to the small Pokémon, and offered it a gentle smile. "Go on back now," Xiu could almost imagine her saying. "I have to go." Pichu chirped sadly but obeyed, darting into the familiar bushes. Xiaoyuan watched it go for a second, her smile fading, then continued on her way, her posture seeming even more hunched than before.
Xiu followed at a discreet distance, keeping her in sight as she navigated the residential streets. He maintained a careful distance, melting into the background, just another figure on the sidewalk. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, just a persistent, nagging feeling that something was wrong, that her forced cheerfulness and sudden anxiety the night before hinted at a deeper trouble.
Xiaoyuan eventually stopped before a modest, slightly run-down two-story house in a quiet neighborhood. She hesitated at the door for a moment, taking a deep breath, before unlocking it and slipping inside. Xiu found a vantage point across the street, partially obscured by a parked delivery van, and waited, observing.
He didn't have to wait long.
"You damn girl! Where have you been?! Took you long enough! Trying to starve your brother to death, are you?"
A shrill, grating female voice erupted from inside the house, clearly audible even from across the street. Xiu watched as Xiaoyuan entered the house's main living area. A woman, probably in her late forties or early fifties, stood there waiting. She was dressed somewhat gaudily, jewelry clashing with slightly worn clothes, her face heavily made up in an attempt to conceal the lines of age, but it couldn't hide the sharp, shrewish expression currently directed at Xiaoyuan.
Xiaoyuan visibly flinched at the outburst, her shoulders slumping further. She didn't reply, didn't make eye contact, just lowered her head and offered a mumbled greeting. "Good morning, Aunt." She tried to sidle past towards what Xiu assumed was the kitchen.
"What kind of attitude is that! I asked you a question!" The woman, incensed at being ignored, stepped forward aggressively, pointing a finger accusingly at Xiaoyuan. "Answer me!"
"It… it rained heavily last night," Xiaoyuan replied softly, still looking at the floor. "Many shops opened late. I had to wait at the market for fresh ingredients."
"Excuses! Always excuses, you useless girl!" The woman shrieked, her voice rising. "Don't you know your brother needs to get to school? What if you made him late? Can you afford to take responsibility for that?" The explanation only seemed to fuel her anger. "Everything you have, everything you eat, everything you wear – it's because of our generosity! If we hadn't taken you in, you'd be dead in a ditch somewhere! Ungrateful brat!"
"What's all the noise? Keep it down!"
A new voice, grumpy and irritable, interrupted the tirade. A door leading off the living room opened, and a boy, perhaps eleven or twelve years old, shuffled out, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was overweight, his features almost lost in the puffiness of his face, small eyes peering out petulantly. He radiated an aura of spoiled petulance.
The woman's demeanor changed instantly. Her sharp anger melted away, replaced by cloying sweetness. "Oh, nothing, my precious son!" she cooed, rushing over to him. "Just teaching this lazy girl a lesson. It's still early, go back to sleep for a bit, my darling. Mommy will wake you when breakfast is ready." Her voice was sickeningly soft, dripping with preferential treatment.
The boy barely acknowledged her, glancing disdainfully at Xiaoyuan. "She's still here?" he muttered under his breath, the disgust clear in his voice, before turning and shuffling back into his room, slamming the door.
Xiaoyuan remained standing silently, enduring the humiliation.
"Well? What are you standing there for!" The woman snapped, her anger instantly returning now that her son was gone. "Breakfast won't make itself! Get in the kitchen!"
Without a word, Xiaoyuan finally escaped into the kitchen. The woman watched her go, then sat back down heavily on the sofa, her expression smoothing out, her attention immediately captured by the television flickering in the corner. The earlier rage vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only the faint sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. It was as if the abusive outburst had never happened.
Later, Xiu watched through the front window as the 'family' ate breakfast together at a small dining table. The boy, the shrewish woman, and now a middle-aged man in a neat suit, presumably the boy's father and the woman's husband. He had tired lines around his eyes but managed a faint, friendly-seeming smile.
"Xiaoyuan, have you eaten yet?" The man called out towards the kitchen. "Come join us."
Xiu saw Xiaoyuan pause in her sweeping near the kitchen doorway. Her hand tightened on the broom handle, knuckles turning white. "I… I already ate, Uncle," she called back quickly, turning away, resuming her work.
"Hmph. Why bother asking her," The woman sniffed dismissively, shooting her husband an annoyed look. She then turned towards Xiaoyuan again, her voice regaining its sharp edge. "Don't just sweep! When you're done, wash the clothes! And be careful with my silk pajamas this time, understand? Ruin them, and you'll regret it!"
"Yes, Aunt," Xiaoyuan murmured, continuing her chores without looking up.
"Finished!" The boy announced loudly, wiping his greasy mouth on his sleeve and leaning back in his chair like a bloated princeling.
"Oh, already? Are you sure you had enough, my darling?" The woman fussed immediately. "Don't want you getting hungry at school."
The boy just held out a demanding hand towards her. "Money. In case I want snacks later."
"Of course, darling, of course," The woman cooed, quickly fishing some bills from her purse and pressing them into his hand.
Eventually, the man and the boy left the house, presumably for work and school. The woman lingered, watching television for a while longer before also heading out. Xiaoyuan remained behind, burdened with a mountain of housework. Xiu watched her mechanically clean, wash, scrub. It was well past nine o'clock before she finally seemed finished.
Exhaustion evident in her movements, Xiaoyuan trudged towards a small door tucked away at the back of the house, likely leading to a storage room or pantry. She disappeared inside without even turning on a light.
Curiosity piqued, Xiu carefully circled around the house, finding a small, grimy window offering a partial view into the back room. It was cramped, filled with storage boxes and discarded junk. In one corner, a simple mat lay on the floor – presumably Xiaoyuan's sleeping place. He watched as she navigated the cluttered space by memory, sank onto the mat, and lay there, utterly still, her face haggard, numb.
After a long moment, she reached into a nearby pile of boxes and pulled out a thick, worn photo album. She opened it, tracing a finger over one of the pages. Even in the dim light filtering through the dirty window, Xiu could see her expression crumble, the numbness replaced by raw grief. Her lower lip trembled.
"Mother…" He heard her whisper, the sound barely audible, thick with unshed tears.
She curled onto her side, clutching the photo album tightly to her chest, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably with silent sobs. Soon, the crying subsided into the stillness of sleep, or perhaps just emotional exhaustion, tears still dampening the thin mat beneath her cheek.
Xiu watched for another moment, a cold anger settling in his stomach alongside a profound sense of pity. He quietly slipped away from the window, melting back into the anonymity of the suburban street.
— — —
Later that evening, back at the convenience store…
"Welcome!"
The chime sounded as Xiu entered. Xiaoyuan, back behind the counter for her night shift, looked up. Seeing Xiu, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Oh, Xiu?" Xiaoyuan said, sounding momentarily confused. "Are you… looking for Pichu? It's not here right now."
"No," Xiu shook his head, walking directly up to the counter, leaning forward slightly, meeting her gaze intently. "I came to see you."
"Me?" Xiaoyuan repeated, misunderstanding flickering in her eyes. His directness, his sudden intensity, made her instinctively take a step back behind the counter, creating distance.
"That's right," Xiu acknowledged, realizing his approach might be too aggressive. He consciously straightened up, softening his posture slightly, stepping back a fraction himself. "Xiaoyuan," He said, his voice calm but firm, "I saw… I saw what happened this morning. At your aunt's house." He paused, letting the words sink in. "I have a proposition for you. A project I'm working on. I need a partner. Someone reliable, someone… who deserves better. Are you interested?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Xiaoyuan stammered, suspicion replacing her initial confusion. His demeanor was completely different from the polite, slightly awkward young man she'd sheltered from the rain. This intensity, this sudden offer… it felt strange and unsettling. She felt unconsciously wary.
"I have a project," Xiu repeated patiently, directly stating his purpose. "It requires help. I need a partner. Are you interested in working with me?"
"Uh…" Xiaoyuan managed a weak, bitter smile, shaking her head. "I… I don't have any money. I don't really know how to do… anything, besides this," she gestured vaguely around the store.
"I know," Xiu replied evenly. "That doesn't matter. Money, resources, training – I'll handle all of that. I just need you to follow my instructions, learn what I teach you, work alongside me."
"No… I… I have this job," Xiaoyuan stammered, looking increasingly uncomfortable, glancing towards the door as if hoping another customer would enter. "Is… is there something you needed to buy?"
The better Xiu's offer sounded, the more Xiaoyuan felt a prickle of fear. This felt too good to be true, too sudden, too strange. She just wanted him to leave.
Xiu leaned forward again slightly, his gaze unwavering. "No," he said softly, but with undeniable intensity. "I don't need to buy anything. I need you."