Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Diary (Thanks to Ally Min Mengmeng)

“Dandelion, it’s time to get off work~”

In the jungle, Brutus gently shook the maid who was sound asleep, waking her up.

“Ah, sorry.” Hersia suddenly looked up and hurriedly checked the time.

“It’s alright, don’t worry,” Brutus waved her hand reassuringly. “You did a good job today.”

She stepped aside to check the venom stored in the refrigerator, then turned back.

“Dandelion, do you know what these venoms are extracted for?”

“Well... probably for medicine?” Hersia recalled Brutus having briefly mentioned it.

“Partly yes, partly no.” Brutus gestured for Hersia to sit beside her.

“Some of the venoms undergo further extraction to create special elixirs, like those needed for certain profession advancements.”

When one practices extraordinary sequences and reaches levels 4 to 5, special resources are required—perhaps a certain fruit, metal, or potion.

“Besides that, some venoms can’t be made into medicine directly, but they have other uses—rituals, etching, perfumes, poisons, and so on.”

“So they really make poisons out of them,” Hersia thought. Though Brutus had mentioned some before, never in such detail.

“Yes, poisons are strictly regulated, but they’re necessary in certain special situations, like dealing with troublesome creatures. You’ll understand more about this in time.”

“Alright, enough about that today. Are you free the night after tomorrow? I have some extra work that needs your help.”

“What kind of work?” Hersia asked curiously.

“One of my juniors, or rather a younger colleague, is holding a small concert that night. She needs some help with ticket checking, selling merchandise, maintaining order—things like that.”

“Oh, and she’s quite young, about 17 or 18 years old? Still in high school, and her band members are all classmates.”

“High schoolers?” Hersia was a bit surprised. Usually, band players are adults; it’s rare for students to hold their own concert.

“The time is from 8 to 10 p.m. Will you come, Dandelion?”

“It’s not impossible,” Hersia considered briefly. Though she felt uneasy in unfamiliar crowds, if it was just work...

“Okay, no problem.” The girl nodded seriously.

“Thank you then.” Brutus smiled, but the smile made Hersia slightly uneasy, as if she had overlooked something.

Still, having agreed, it wouldn’t be right to back out. Besides, Brutus wouldn’t likely deceive her, right?

After work, since the next day was a day off, Hersia went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients to try cooking at home. Grandma Ho would also teach her some tips.

Carrying the bags carefully down the hallway, Hersia gazed at the familiar tunnel and the pedestrians and children by the roadside, her mind wandering.

Though only half a month had passed, life felt completely changed.

Back at Grandma Ho’s house, Hersia took off her shoes, put on slippers, and stored the groceries in the fridge.

“*Cough cough*…” she heard coughing from upstairs.

Hersia went upstairs, knocked lightly on Grandma Ho’s bedroom door, then entered.

The elderly woman sat propped up in bed, a nightlight casting her silhouette while most of her body remained in shadow.

“You’re back, Hersia.”

“I’m back. How are you feeling today, Grandma?” Hersia knew her old illness had flared up recently. It was said to worsen every May and June.

“A bit better,” came the tired voice.

Seeing the worry in Hersia’s eyes, Grandma Ho beckoned her closer.

“Sit down for a while.”

“Okay.”

“Just got off work?”

“Yes.”

“How’s work? I haven’t asked much because I’ve been unwell lately.”

“It’s good. Everyone treats me well.” The girl nodded.

Grandma Ho took Hersia’s hand, and the girl felt the frail wrist and the clearly defined bones beneath.

“That’s good...” Grandma Ho nodded slowly.

“The first job doesn’t have to make money; just enough to get by is fine. The main thing is to adapt to the work environment.”

“When I was young, I did many jobs—worked in restaurants, sales, babysitting.”

“I was anxious then, wondering why I only earned so little while other girls seemed so relaxed. When would this life end...” she sighed.

“Except for a few born into good families, most ordinary people’s lives are tough. Sometimes they save money, but it’s easily spent on unexpected troubles.”

“Sometimes it’s themselves, sometimes family or friends, who face sudden hardships and need money. If you don’t lend when you have some, you might grow cold-hearted and be gossiped about.”

“But lending out money also hurts. You know you probably won’t get it back, and you know how much time and hardship you endured to save it.”

“Life is like this. Ordinary people face countless difficulties; they can’t live as peacefully and easily as the upper class.”

“When I was a teacher, I used to tell children to be kind and loving. But over time, I stopped, afraid they’d suffer and be hurt because of it…”

“Kindness is not just doing good deeds; it requires wisdom and strength behind it. It’s a luxury trait. Now I think, as long as you don’t do evil and follow the lowest moral and legal standards, that’s already good enough.”

“You’ve just entered society, so you’ll face many shocks. Many experiences will shake your beliefs and tempt you. *Cough cough*” She covered her mouth as her body trembled.

“Girls, especially pretty ones, receive many favors when young. These favors create illusions that the world is like that, that everyone around is ‘good,’ and that being treated well is natural.”

“But youth fades. When beauty disappears, those favors vanish, and you become like the older women who once looked down on you. If you still demand the same love and favor as when you were young and beautiful, you’ll be despised and loathed.”

“This gap torments people, breeding resentment and dissatisfaction, or self-pity.”

“I taught many children and saw too many similar stories. Sometimes I lament how the sweet girl I once knew turned into what she became.”

“Hersia, you’re very smart. Maybe you already realize some of this, but you must always remember: when facing temptations and choices, stay calm. Don’t be easily fooled by honeyed words or hold foolish hopes of ‘just once won’t matter.’”

“People have weak wills. Once they taste sweetness, they can’t forget it. Even knowing it’s poisonous, they unconsciously try again because it’s easy and convenient—no hard work or effort. Then they lose the patience to do boring, steady work and only think about trying their luck once more.”

Leaning back on her pillow, Grandma Ho stared into the distance, as if lost in sighs and regrets.

“Are you curious about what happened to the parents of the Ho siblings? Ho Cheng’s father, my second son, fell into gambling. Step by step, he was controlled by others, spent all the family money, borrowed debts everywhere, and made his siblings miserable. They couldn’t work or live properly.”

“Later, his brother and sister, my other two children, had to move to another city. They suffered much, married late, and I, hoping to save his life and keep him out of jail, used up family savings to cover debts. Because of this, my third daughter, Xiao Li, couldn’t afford college.”

“This caused a coldness between Xiao Li and me, her mother. She hasn’t visited me for 20 years.” Grandma Ho shook her head.

“In the end, he died in an underground illegal race, his body blown to pieces; no ashes were even returned.”

“I almost sold this house then, but my eldest son came back and bought it for me so I’d have a home. He said it’d be the last time, and now he only visits about once a year.”

“Afterward, I raised Ho Cheng and his sister slowly. Thankfully, they grew well and didn’t inherit their father’s traits. That eased my mind.”

“Gradually, my teaching improved, I gained some reputation in the community, and earned respect. Over time, people forgot about the events from 20 years ago.”

“But I never forget.”

Grandma Ho reached into the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out an old photograph.

In an era of ubiquitous digital devices, photos like this were rare.

Though faded and worn, it was well preserved. The photo showed Grandma Ho in her youth, about thirty years old, crouching under a surfing slide in an amusement park. In front of her were three children of different ages—the eldest about seven or eight, the youngest just learning to walk, and the middle child holding a toy, smiling happily.

“Look, wasn’t he adorable when he was little...” Grandma Ho stroked the children in the photo, her cloudy eyes full of longing and regret.

“If only I had educated him properly back then.”

Hersia looked at the photo, seemingly hearing the distant laughter, the clamor of the amusement park, children chasing each other, and the middle child chanting, “Fly, fly, I want to be a Federation pilot, a big star and hero someday~”

Time’s snapshot vanished in an instant. When Hersia blinked, the photo looked plain and unchanged.

“I’ll remember, Grandma.” Hersia nodded slowly.

“Good. Just be careful. I’m afraid these stories will upset you, but I can’t help telling them. Sigh…”

“Alright, let’s get you something to eat. Tomorrow’s your day off, right? A rare holiday. Go out, have fun, don’t stay cooped up at home.”

“I know.” Hersia helped tuck Grandma Ho’s blanket, poured water, then left the room.

Back downstairs in the kitchen, Hersia began preparing dinner, her mind reflecting on past family memories.

Because of the large age gap between her and her sister, she hadn’t played much with her older sibling. Usually, it was her mother who accompanied her, though her mother often seemed unwell and prone to illness. Perhaps that’s why they weren’t born close together.

Thinking about life, her mother’s personality seemed very pure and simple—as if she had rarely stepped into society, like a sheltered young lady. She rarely argued, never haggled, and had little sense of money.

It was a pity her father was missing. Otherwise, Hersia would have asked him how he won over her beautiful mother. Compared to her mother’s beauty, her father was quite ordinary.

After finishing cooking, Hersia took a portion upstairs, ate some herself, and stored the rest in the fridge. Uncle Ho Cheng would probably come home around 9 or 10 p.m. to eat; he was likely still out delivering goods.

After tidying up, Hersia soaked in the bath for a while before returning to her room.

Seeing her personal device flashing, she opened it.

[Hersia, you’re off tomorrow. Wanna hang out? —Lena]

Lena had invited her out before, but Hersia had declined due to work.

Should she accept? Grandma Ho had just suggested going out for a change. Staying home all the time was gloomy. But she wasn’t sure where to go or what was fun; maybe with classmates...

Though she thought this, Hersia wasn’t eager to hang out with former classmates. They might tease her, and she’d feel left out. Yet going alone was lonely too...

Such contradictions. Hersia shook her head and typed:

[Yes, tomorrow is a day off. Where are you planning to go?]

She decided to ask first.

Soon the reply came:

[There’s a new immersive movie out. Everyone’s going to see it, then walk around the pedestrian street, and later go sing karaoke.]

Watching a movie? Hersia was okay with that. As for karaoke, she planned to sneak out early. Singing in front of everyone was too embarrassing, and she hadn’t really learned to sing—her sister was better at that.

[Okay, what time’s the meet-up?]

[1:30 p.m. at Crystal Street. First the movie, then shopping and eating, then karaoke at night.]

[Got it.]

After confirming, Hersia put down her device and lay on her bed. After a short nap, she suddenly sat up and opened her device again, looking for the academy’s admissions website.

Irene Academy’s list of students who passed the second round... still not published? Hersia felt a bit disappointed; it should be out any day now.

At Edessa Academy, the blue-black rose emblem spun on the flashy interface. Opening it showed “insufficient permissions,” allowing only limited public notices and recruitment rules but no admissions list.

No results yet...

Still need to keep working hard, Hersia told herself.

Though her talent had awakened, the road ahead was long.

...

The girl wrote down today’s experiences and thoughts in her diary, then slowly closed it.

—Keep going~