Truth

Clothing stores near old residential areas like this usually offer affordable prices, with various styles neatly displayed on the racks. There was no need to shop at big malls—Ye Shuang knew those clothes were likely bought wholesale for twenty yuan, then marked up to a thousand with a fake "90% off" gimmick. These humble little shops were far more cost-effective.

"How about this dress?" Ye Shuang picked up a plain white dress from the rack. The minimalist design seemed perfect for Bai Yuyou… but recalling how his ex-girlfriend had repeatedly criticized his fashion sense, he decided to ask for her opinion. "What style do you like?"

Bai Yuyou had been staring at the white dress in Ye Shuang’s hand the whole time. She nodded. "Yours is good."

"Good girl." Ye Shuang felt a surge of emotion. His taste wasn’t bad after all—someone finally understood him. A snow-white dress, long black hair, and a quiet, expressionless beauty—absolute perfection.

Just then, the shop owner—a middle-aged woman who had been chatting and snacking on sunflower seeds with an auntie outside—noticed Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou and hurried over.

"Feel free to look around. These are all new arrivals, and we have all sizes."

But the next moment, the woman’s gaze lingered on Bai Yuyou, her expression odd. Bai Yuyou, however, didn’t seem to notice, her calm eyes fixed on the clothes in front of her.

Soon, the woman turned her attention to Ye Shuang, lowering her voice. "What’s your relationship with this girl?"

The sudden question caught Ye Shuang off guard. He glanced at Bai Yuyou before taking a few steps away. "Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"You haven’t answered me yet, young man." The woman’s tone was almost interrogative.

"I’m not really anything to her… if I had to say, I’m just looking after her." Since the woman seemed to know Bai Yuyou, Ye Shuang couldn’t bring himself to admit he was being "kept," so he made up an excuse.

"Do you know about her situation?" Ye Shuang asked.

"You must be from the community center, right? Did they not brief you before sending you here?" the woman pressed.

Ye Shuang hesitated but played along. "Not in detail. Why don’t you tell me?"

"Ah, that poor girl. She’s mentally unstable—her mother locked her in the attic for eight years…" The woman abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

Ye Shuang was about to urge her to continue when he felt a soft warmth press against his back. Bai Yuyou had silently appeared behind him, tilting her head slightly.

"Did you find anything you like?" Ye Shuang quickly changed the subject, unsure if she had overheard their conversation.

Bai Yuyou held up the white dress he had picked earlier. "This one."

"The fabric is nice—very comfortable to wear," the shop owner chimed in. "Want to try it on? There’s a fitting room over there."

"Go ahead and try it," Ye Shuang said, pointing to the changing booth.

Bai Yuyou stared at the black curtain. "Why go there?"

At that, the woman shot Ye Shuang a knowing look—as if to say, "See what I mean?"

But Ye Shuang patiently explained, "I told you before, you can’t change clothes where others can see you. That’s why you need to go inside."

Bai Yuyou nodded in understanding and took the dress to change.

"See? That girl isn’t right in the head," the woman continued once Bai Yuyou was gone. "Her mother said she’s violent too—grabs a kitchen knife and slashes things in the middle of the night. Terrifying."

"To keep her from hurting anyone, her mother locked her up."

Ye Shuang frowned. "Where’s her mother now?"

"Who knows? Rumor has it she couldn’t take living with a mentally ill daughter and ran off with some man." The woman shrugged. "That was two years ago. Plenty of folks around here know about it."

Two years ago… after being locked up for eight years?

Ye Shuang’s lips parted slightly. So she’d been imprisoned since she was eight?

"If the community sent you, you’d better be careful. Wouldn’t want her hacking you to death in your sleep," the woman added.

But Ye Shuang’s frown deepened. In his time with Bai Yuyou, her "abnormality" felt more like a lack of common sense—not mental illness.

A chilling possibility crossed his mind.

What if…

Her mother had locked her up for eight years under the pretense of mental illness?

From age eight to sixteen, then vanished—until now, two years later.

Whatever the truth, Ye Shuang felt an oppressive weight in his chest, as if a boulder were crushing his lungs.

Just then, the fitting room curtain slid open. Bai Yuyou stepped out, the white dress draping over her like an untouched lotus—pure and elegant.

"Looks like beauty shines through no matter what you wear," Ye Shuang remarked.

"True. Give her a few more years, and she might reach 80% of my youthful charm," the woman mused, nodding approvingly.

Ye Shuang glanced at her buck teeth and the thick hair sprouting from a mole on her face, unsure where to even begin.

"Does it fit well?" he asked as Bai Yuyou approached.

Though she didn’t quite grasp the difference between a dress and a school uniform skirt, Bai Yuyou tugged at the fabric over her chest. "Here… tight."

Then she asked, "Can I take off my bra? Then it’ll fit."

"No," Ye Shuang said firmly before turning to the woman. "Ma’am, do you have a larger size?"

"Of course. This one is a bit small—her figure is quite enviable." The woman chuckled, rummaging through a drawer before producing another dress.

This time, it fit perfectly.

"Let’s get some sleepwear too, in this size." Ye Shuang helped Bai Yuyou pick out more everyday clothes.

As he suspected, Bai Yuyou didn’t strike him as mentally ill—just utterly uninformed.

But he also noticed she didn’t even own a phone, cutting her off from a crucial source of information.

Had she been living solely on cash all this time?

Ye Shuang pondered. Surely someone must have been helping her, but he didn’t press for details.

Realizing she needed a phone, he took her to the same shop where he’d bought his that morning.