The existence of witches was the same as all kinds of legends about fairies and monsters, existing in people’s imagination. Almost no one had ever seen their appearance with their own eyes.
Only in all kinds of rumors, they were all extremely terrifying.
Meili carried a basket to the market to buy things, and she noticed that along the way there were always people secretly looking at her. When she looked over, those people would immediately withdraw their gazes in a guilty manner. This strange attitude was truly suspicious.
In the past when she came to the market, very few people would take the initiative to speak to her. Their attitude toward her was respectful yet distant. But this time, that feeling of being excluded was far too clear.
In such an uncomfortable atmosphere, Meili quickly bought what she needed and prepared to leave.
But she had not yet walked out of the market when she was stopped. A young man holding a knife glared at her, his eyes bloodshot.
It was Aunt Maggie’s son, Julian.
“Was it you who killed my mother!” He rushed up and said this sentence first.
Meili was startled by him. She looked warily at the knife in his hand, a little worried that this person’s mental state was unstable and he would act directly.
“What are you talking about? How could I kill Aunt Maggie?”
In her heart she could not help guessing, could it be that he saw her earlier when she pulled Aunt Maggie’s corpse out of the swamp, so he misunderstood?
“You are a hateful witch, your mother is also a witch. If you didn’t do it, then who did!”
Hearing such an answer, Meili only felt it was absurd. With no evidence at all, just relying on suspicion he could come up wielding a knife to block her way. Should she say that boys this age were impulsive and brainless, or that the laws of this world were lacking.
Many people surrounded to watch, pointing and whispering, yet not a single person came forward to speak. The looks they gave her were all filled with fear and suspicion.
Meili originally wanted to maintain her composure as much as possible, but upon second thought, she pursed her lips and showed a frightened expression. Her eyes reddened, and she cried on the spot, “On what basis are you slandering me!”
She was also a delicate little beauty. Showing such a terrified expression and crying made her seem even more pitiful. In contrast to Julian with a knife, she appeared even weaker and more helpless.
At the sight of Julian moving, Meili hurriedly retreated a step and shouted, “What do you want to do? I am not a witch at all. You are the terrifying murderer!”
As she retreated, the people watching behind her also stepped back. An aunt could not help saying, “Julian, put the knife down first.”
“Yes, yes, she’s just a little girl, you’ve scared her to tears.”
Another aunt directly rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward, raising her voice, “Don’t take a few rumors seriously and rush out like this. Do you really intend to kill someone!”
Julian had also been listening to all kinds of speculation and gossip these past few days. Immersed in the grief of his mother being killed, he acted on impulse and came to question her. Now that the people around him spoke up, he wavered, and the anger on his face faded by more than half. He stood there, not knowing what to do.
—People were always like this, easily lost in rumors, like a small boat swaying with the wind.
Meili was still crying. She lifted her eyes, looking at him in fear, “I… I have no enmity with your family. Why would I kill Aunt Maggie for no reason? Besides, I don’t even dare kill a rabbit, how could I kill a person? You smear my reputation with just one careless word. How am I supposed to live in the future? I… I might as well not live!”
Saying this, she burst into loud sobs. In this whole place, only her crying echoed.
The surrounding onlookers looked at each other, many showing awkward expressions.
Who here had not casually guessed a few things about Aunt Maggie’s death?
Speaking of rumors, everyone casually passed them around, parroting what others said, following along without thinking. No one really thought it was some big matter.
Suspicion required no proof. Suspicion was merely prejudice in people’s hearts.
But now, in broad daylight, because of casual gossip they had driven a little girl to tears—this did not look good anymore.
Meili also went all out, crying and shouting, “You’re just bullying me because my parents are dead, and because I’m a little girl easy to push around! I know you’re sad that Aunt Maggie died, but just because you’re sad, does that mean you can bully others however you want!”
She did not involve anyone else, only targeted Julian.
In this world, those who seemed more pitiful were always more likely to gain sympathy. Instantly, the situation changed.
Many people also felt that gossip was one thing, but actually taking a knife to bully a little girl was immoral, so they stepped forward to condemn Julian.
“Julian, you’ve really gone too far.”
“That’s right, you’re already a grown man. Bullying a little girl, what kind of behavior is that?”
“Hurry home. Stop making trouble. Acting so rashly, what does that look like?”
Julian’s face turned the color of pig liver. He glared at these people. Clearly, many of them had confidently claimed that Meili and her mother were witches before, but now they reversed their stance as if they had said nothing, and even came to condemn him!
These people… these people!
He felt wronged and furious, let out a loud shout, and turned to run out of the crowd.
Everyone was startled by his shout. A woman clutched her chest, displeased. “I never knew Julian was such a person before. His temper is far too violent.”
“Yes, suddenly shouting like that—he scared me. Could it be he’s been traumatized by Maggie’s death?”
“Maybe. He hasn’t liked coming out to play lately. He doesn’t like talking or laughing anymore. I’m afraid something is really wrong.”
“He’s becoming more and more gloomy. Honestly, he’s a bit scary now, even carrying a knife with him.”
“Why doesn’t his father take care of him?”
In the blink of an eye, rumors about these people’s mouths were being spread again.
These rumors were like the wind, blowing through every person, never ceasing.
Hesha rushed over only after everything had ended. Seeing Meili still quietly tearing up, she hurried to support her and led her out of the crowd.
She comforted her carefully and even took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
The two sat on the road outside the market. Meili held the handkerchief, her emotions calm, only her eyes still slightly red. She had been pretending, so of course she recovered quickly.
“Are you alright now, Meili?”
“I’m alright.”
“How could Julian treat you like that? He was really being stupid!”
“Forget it… Hesha, everyone says I’m a witch. Do you think so too?” Meili only now realized why her friend had seemed so hesitant and worried when she came to play last time. She must have heard those rumors.
Hesha waved her hands and shook her head repeatedly. “No! I don’t think that! They’re all talking nonsense. I believe you!”
Meili looked at her, her expression softening. “Thank you, Hesha.”
Actually, she did not care about those rumors. In her previous life, she had experienced too much of this.
At first, it was because of her father. After he was killed, the bad things he had done were investigated and exposed online. She and her mother were once subjected to insults because of it. She was still young at that time, not fully understanding. She only remembered that her already sensitive mother was greatly affected by it, becoming increasingly depressed and despondent.
Later, even when she was in elementary school, this matter was constantly brought up. No one was willing to interact with the daughter of a rapist.
Before her mother passed away, her mental state had deteriorated. She frequently went in and out of mental health treatment centers. Those who knew them would speak with tones of either pity or ridicule, saying that her mother was a lunatic.
When she entered middle school, classmates in her class also spread rumors that she had inherited mental illness from her mother.
She had suffered because of this, resented it, and learned to appear weak in order to make life a little easier. When she presented herself as a victim, as someone vulnerable, there would always be sympathetic people who would stand up and speak for her. But after seeing these verbal battles many times, whether she won or lost no longer seemed to mean anything.
When she grew older, and became a little more mature, under Madam Qin’s guidance she gradually learned not to care about such things.
Still, it left sequelae. She became not very sociable, and did not like living among crowds, preferring to be alone.
Perhaps this was also why she liked the swamp monster—he possessed none of the traits of humans. Being with him felt so peaceful, and no matter how close she got to him, she would not be hurt.
After crying, her mood was a little down. She walked along the small path, her eyes staring blankly at the faint blue of the sky.
The figure of the swamp monster suddenly appeared from the other end of the path, his silhouette growing clearer against the pale blue sky.
Meili’s mood slowly rose again. Her slightly heavy steps became light, each step toward the swamp monster feeling like she was stepping on the wind. She ran toward him, but slowed down when she got close.
The swamp monster extended his hand to her, and Meili casually hung her basket on it.
Then she ran behind the swamp monster, rushed forward, and jumped, hanging her whole body onto his back.
“Ah— I’m tired, carry me back—”
Meili wrapped her arms around his neck and dangled her legs while hanging on him.
With both a basket and a Meili hanging off him, the swamp monster turned and moved toward the forest.
Meili hung for a while, then got tired herself. She jumped down and grabbed one of the swamp monster’s hands to continue walking.
Although there were unhappy things, life was still beautiful, Meili thought as she looked at the tall figure beside her.
What happened at the market had been unpleasant, but since it didn’t cause any major consequences, Meili didn’t keep it in mind and continued living her life as usual.
However, Julian—whose mother was suspected to have been killed by a witch, did not let go of this matter so easily.
The scenes of being rebutted and blamed in the market tormented him again and again. The more those people said he was wrong, the more he refused to accept it. He had to prove that he was not mistaken.
Moonlight shone dimly into the room. He lay in bed unable to sleep, both hands clenched into fists, striking the bedboard heavily.
A cough came from the adjoining room. Since his mother’s death, his father had aged greatly all at once.
Complicated emotions collided chaotically in his chest, with no outlet to escape. He suddenly sat up, grabbed the knife placed beside his bed, and quietly walked out of the house.
He had always been curious about the house by the edge of the forest. In the past, he had even gone exploring nearby with his friends. Taking advantage of the night, he walked up the small path leading to that house.
There was a rustling sound in the woods. He felt a gaze watching him. Looking into the forest, he saw a pair of glowing eyes.
“What is that!” He raised his knife.
“Gu gu—” An owl flew up, sweeping past above his head.
The shadows of the trees swayed, and with a gust of wind, it looked as though people were standing behind them.
Julian was unbearably tense. He walked all the way to the house with the garden, the impulse in his heart already fading, and he hesitated once more.
He paced outside the house for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth, gripped the knife tightly, and climbed into the yard.
