Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

Weekend, early morning.

Shen Bai drove slowly down the asphalt road through the bamboo forest.

The morning light stretched the bamboo shadows into long, thin dark lines, sliding across the car body like some kind of silent scale.

In the study on the second floor of the villa, a raven perched on the windowsill, watching the car disappear around the corner before lowering its head to continue preening its feathers.

The car merged onto the main road and headed towards Qingfengyuan.

Outside the windshield, the morning light was overwhelming.

The steamer baskets at the roadside breakfast stalls lifted the white steam, and the aromas of steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk mingled with the wind, squeezing in through the cracks in the car windows.

Children attending tutoring classes are led by their parents, dozing off as they walk; young people working overtime on weekends hurry along with their backpacks; sanitation workers' brooms sweep across the road with a rustling sound.

Everything was as usual.

But there was an unyielding gloom between Shen Bai's brows.

  

One thousand nine hundred and forty-five.

This number has been etched into his mind since yesterday.

It wasn't that he deliberately thought about it; rather, it would pop up on its own at certain moments—the number of seconds in a red light, the house number on the street, the percentage of his phone's battery.

Every time he saw a similar number, it was like an invisible nail pricking him without warning.

He loosened his grip on the steering wheel, suppressed his thoughts, and turned his gaze back to the road ahead.

Qingfengyuan Residential Community.

Shen Bai parked the car in the usual spot, got out, and went upstairs.

As soon as I opened the door, the aroma of porridge wafted into my nose.

Zhao Ya poked her head out of the kitchen, her hair casually tied up, her apron still damp with water.

When she saw her son, her eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly furrowed again.

"You're back? Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet." Shen Bai changed his shoes and walked into the living room.

"Perfect timing, just about to eat."

After Zhao Ya finished speaking, she turned around and went back to the kitchen.

Shen Ling sat on the sofa watching the morning news, glanced up at his son, nodded, and said nothing.

Shen Tian's room door was closed; she was probably still asleep.

Zhao Ya brought out the cooked white porridge, along with pickles and steamed buns, and invited everyone to eat.

Shen Bai sat down at the dining table, and Zhao Ya sat opposite him, staring at his face for a few seconds.

"You've lost weight. Haven't been sleeping well lately?"

"It's alright." Shen Bai lowered his head and drank his porridge, avoiding her gaze.

The congee was cooked until soft and tender, at just the right temperature.

Shen Ling put down the remote control, walked over, sat down next to Shen Bai, and broke open a steamed bun.

He asked while chewing his steamed bun:

"Your job... has been very busy lately?"

"Yeah, something came up, so I had to work overtime for two days."

Shen Ling picked up the porridge and didn't ask any further questions.

Zhao Ya stood up and went to knock on Shen Tian's door.

"Xiaotian, wake up, your brother is back."

Shen Tian's dazed voice came from inside, followed by a drawn-out response.

"They're here!"

A few minutes later, Shen Tian came out rubbing her eyes.

Upon seeing Shen Bai, she immediately became more alert and jogged over to sit down next to him.

"Brother! You're finally back! What have you been up to these past few days? You took so long to reply to my messages."

"I was working overtime and didn't check my phone."

Shen Tian leaned closer to look at him for two seconds, then suddenly frowned.

"You look terrible, are you feeling unwell?"

"no."

"Liar." She pouted.

Shen Bai didn't reply, but instead picked up a piece of pickled vegetables from his porridge.

Zhao Ya served her daughter a bowl as well, and the family sat around the table.

The steam from the congee rose gently, and the sunlight streamed in through the window, bathing the entire living room in a warm yellow hue.

This is a scene that Shen Bai has been familiar with since childhood—his mother is busy in the kitchen, his father is watching the news, and his younger sister stays in bed until the very end.

After breakfast, Shen Tian took the initiative to clear the dishes and go to the kitchen.

Zhao Ya sat down on the sofa, and the knitting needles slowly and steadily passed through the gray yarn.

Shen Ling turned the TV to mute, and the news anchor's mouth opened and closed on the screen.

Shen Bai sat to the side, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands, his gaze fixed on the fruit plate on the coffee table, seemingly looking at something.

"noob."

Shen Ling put down the remote control and turned around.

Shen Bai raised his head.

Do you remember the courtesy name your grandfather gave you?

Shen Bai was taken aback.

He certainly remembered, but his father rarely mentioned it.

"Know the white, but keep to the black." Shen Ling spoke slowly, making each word clear. "Your grandfather searched for a long time and finally picked out this sentence from Zhuangzi."

Zhao Ya put down the yarn in her hand, looked at her husband, then at her son, her lips moved but she didn't say anything.

Shen Tian came out of the kitchen wiping her hands. Hearing her father's words, she picked up a cushion and snuggled into the sofa.

"Brother, what's your courtesy name?"

Shen Bai was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes.

"Zhibai. Shen Zhibai."

Shen Tian tilted her head and read it twice. "Shen Zhibai...that sounds nice, nicer than Shen Bai."

Shen Ling nodded.

"Your grandfather chose it when Xiaobai was born."

"Did Grandpa get it for me?" Shen Tian asked.

Shen Ling shook his head.

He was seriously ill before you were born, and it wasn't long enough for him to be born.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Shen Tian lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the cushion.

"However," Shen Ling's tone softened, "if you like, you can take one yourself."

"Times have changed; we don't follow those old rules anymore."

Shen Tian's eyes lit up.

"real?"

"real."

She immediately turned to Shen Bai.

"Brother, could you get one for me?"

Shen Bai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said unhurriedly, "Let's call her Jingzhi."

"Jingzhi?" Shen Tian blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I hope you can be quiet."

Shen Tian was stunned for half a second, then reacted and grabbed a cushion, throwing it at Shen Bai.

"Shen Bai! You're so annoying!"

Shen Bai turned his head to dodge, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Shen Tian persisted, grabbing another cushion and rushing forward.

Shen Bai stood up from the sofa and began circling it, performing the "Qin King Circling the Pillar" exercise, instantly enlivening the living room.

Zhao Ya quickly gathered the yarn and held it close to her chest. Shen Tian's footsteps and complaints mingled together, filling the entire morning.

Watching the siblings playfully bickering, Shen Ling glanced at Zhao Ya. Their eyes met, and they smiled simultaneously.

Shen Tian finally caught up with Shen Bai, slapped him hard on the back with a cushion, then sat back on the sofa, panting, and glared at him.

"Jingzhi is such an awful name, I don't want it."

"Then you can get it yourself."

Shen Bai sat back down on the sofa, picked up the now-cold tea and took a sip; the gloom between his brows lessened considerably.

The sunlight outside the window grew brighter and brighter, moving from the wall to the coffee table, making the oranges in the fruit bowl glow golden.

Shen Tian was silent for a few seconds, then muttered to herself.

"However... it seems that Jingzhi isn't entirely unable to listen."

Shen Bai glanced at her, and she immediately turned her head away.

"But I want to choose another one!"

"We'll talk about that later."

At that moment, Shen Bai's phone vibrated.

He opened his phone and saw a message from Su Wan.

"Shen Bai, next week is the 10th anniversary celebration at Modi Park. Do you want to come along?"

Shen Bai stared at the screen for two seconds, then typed a reply: "When?"

"I heard there's a fireworks show next weekend. Ruoruo, I'm going too. It'll be lively with lots of people."

He thought for a moment and replied with a single word: "Okay."

A smiley face appeared on the other end, followed by, "It's a deal then, I'll buy the tickets."

Shen Bai did not reply and put down his phone.

He picked up his teacup, got up, and went to the kitchen to add some hot water.

The sunlight outside was perfect, making the leaves of the sycamore trees in the neighborhood appear translucent and thin, as if you could see the light flowing through their veins.

An elderly man was playing chess under a tree, while a group of children were playing in the open space next to him.

Golden sunlight streamed into the living room.

The father was still watching the news, the mother was still knitting a scarf, and Shen Tian was huddled in a corner scrolling through her phone, occasionally laughing to herself, and then pulling her parents to share the news.

Everything was as usual.