I'm a mentally ill person, and I was chosen to participate in the Rules of the Strange Tales.

Shin-chan hasn't shown up since he was scared by Niu Jieshi.

So~

A 'click' sound.

Jiang Xiao simply turned the doorknob and didn't even lock it.

I hadn't even had a chance to look at the interior decorations before I opened the door.

I smelled something like a book that hadn't been opened in a long time; it was actually just a slight musty smell.

Nothing scary or terrifying happened?

The room is small, and the items placed there are simple and everyday.

Only a tattered little dress hanging above the bed caught the eye.

This is?

Jiang Xiao couldn't resist stepping forward and picking it up.

Immediately, I felt a force pulling at my consciousness.

He could easily break free if he wanted to.

However, Jiang Xiao did not choose to resist, but instead allowed his consciousness to be pulled away.

His subconscious told him that there was no danger.

这 是

Jiang Xiao gradually regained consciousness.

I found myself in a kindergarten.

School must have let out; many parents have come to pick up their children.

Is that girl Shi Shi?

Jiang Xiao spotted the white-haired little girl sitting in the classroom at a glance.

At that time, she didn't have a ponytail yet; she had a neat, shoulder-length bob.

The little girl stood on tiptoe and peered out the window, eagerly waiting for her family to come and pick her up.

Shi Shi: (.)

Wow, she's definitely my daughter. Shi Shi looked more like a little princess when she was younger.

Zhen: Xiao Shi Shi.

"Hello? Is this Shi Shi's father? School's out."

The female kindergarten teacher was interrupted by a violent voice before she could finish speaking.

"Since you're a teacher, could you please drop them off? Isn't that what daycare is all about? I'm very busy!"

'Snapped! '

The other end of the phone hung up.

The teacher sighed helplessly and came to Shi Shi's side.

"Shi Shi, your father again today..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Dad is very busy. Shi Shi knows he can't come."

Despite saying it was okay, Xiao Shishi reluctantly turned her gaze away from the window.

"Okay, your teacher will take you home again today."

"Okay, thank you, Teacher Li~"

On the way back, the teacher inquired about the girl's family situation.

She has no grandparents, her parents are divorced, and her mother ran away, so she can only be raised by her father.

"By the way, Shi Shi, does your dad usually bully you?"

Teacher Li frowned, sensing that Shi Shi's father had a violent temper.

"No, Shi Shi's dad is the best dad. Not only did he not abandon me, he even bought me a fairy tale book!"

Little Shishi proudly pulled out a fairy tale book from her little schoolbag.

Xiao Shi Shi: ヾ()*Look!

The yellowed cover, however, proved that the book had been bought a long time ago.

The teacher didn't think much of it; Shi Shi was such a well-behaved child that she wouldn't lie.

She assumed the books were worn out because Shi Shi's family was struggling financially.

Hmm, I'll have to talk to the principal when I get back and see if we can waive some of the little girl's tuition fees.

Teacher Li was thinking this.

"Teacher, I'm home now. You can go back now. Thank you, teacher."

At the foot of an old-fashioned residential building, Xiao Shishi waved goodbye to her teacher.

"Shouldn't the teacher take Shi Shi upstairs?"

Shi Shi: (ゝω) "No need, no need, Shi Shi can manage on her own!"

Jiang Xiao's consciousness followed Shi Shi all the way from kindergarten to her home.

Hehehe, little Shi Shi looks so well-behaved~

Before the teacher's figure had completely disappeared, Xiao Shishi slowly began to walk up the stairs.

Finally, he took out the key hidden under the carpet outside the door and opened the door.

At this moment, Xiao Shishi's expression and movements visibly became more cautious.

Jiang Xiao frowned as well.

This home.

It's such a mess.

Bento boxes and takeout containers were scattered everywhere, along with bottles of liquor strewn across the floor.

Even without his sense of smell, Jiang Xiao could still smell the pungent odor of alcohol.

A middle-aged man with a full beard lay sprawled on the sofa, snoring loudly.

Xiao Shishi found a relatively clean spot to sit down and began reading a fairy tale book.

Shi Shi: ()

"It's extremely cold, snowing, and getting dark. It's the last day of the year—Christmas Eve."

“She dared not go home because she hadn’t sold a single match and hadn’t earned a single penny, and her father would surely beat her.”

She finally pulled out a match, and whoosh! It lit up.

Just as Xiao Shishi was intently reading the story while referring to the pinyin...

A rough voice interrupted her.

"You little beast! What do you mean by the story you're reading?! Are you saying I'm abusing you?!"

At some point, the middle-aged man on the sofa sat up.

He grabbed the ashtray from the coffee table and smashed it at Shi Shi.

"Ah! I...I didn't!"

Shi Shi clutched her arm, which had been hit, in pain, and said weakly.

"Shi Shi knows that her father is the best father in the world."

The man remained unmoved, picked up the things on the table, and started throwing them at Shi Shi.

"You slut! Your mother's a slut! You're born a slut too!"

"You eat my food and drink my water, you're just a money-loser!"

Shi Shi, who had been verbally abused, could only curl up in the corner, her small hands weakly covering her head.

She knew she couldn't let her father get slapped in the face; the last time he did, someone from the community came to talk to him.

It was my fault. I shouldn't have read this story and made my dad unhappy. My dad was right to hit me.

"You like reading, huh? Then go read it outside!"

The burly man, who was over 1.8 meters tall, locked Xiao Shishi inside the balcony.

"You can read here! Come in whenever you've finished reading the book!"

After saying that, the man downed a bottle of beer and lay back down on the sofa.

Shi Shi tightened her grip on the storybook in her hand; it was the only gift her father had ever given her.

"Dad, I'm sorry, it was Shi Shi's fault. I won't read this story again next time."

The man on the sofa was already fast asleep, and with the soundproofing of the balcony, how could he hear Shi Shi's voice?