Chapter Eleven: Vivian's Home

The home Vivian spoke of was vastly different from what Chen Hao had imagined. Perhaps influenced by too many movies and games, Chen Hao had always pictured elves living either in some mysterious caves or in wooden lofts perched high in the branches of ancient trees. Yet, when Vivian led him to her doorstep, Chen Hao realized how utterly wrong he had been—laughably so. There were no caves, no lofty wooden towers; all those stories were mere fantasy. The lively, self-aware NPC girl’s home was in no way different from a human's—it was simply a wooden house built on solid ground, complete with doors and windows, and even in the style of a detached villa.

The house was three stories tall. Led by Vivian, Chen Hao entered the first floor, which opened into a spacious hall. In the center stood a large plant whose name Chen Hao couldn't guess, flanked by two rows of sofas. Toward the western side was a dining table, with food still left on it—presumably Vivian’s leftovers—covered with a net, likely to keep away flies or similar pests.

Aside from that, there was little else on the first floor. To the east was a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. An ordinary visitor might not see anything unusual here, but Chen Hao, ever sensitive to detail, quickly noticed something odd.

Why would a house built for a winged elf have a staircase? Throughout their walk, it was clear to Chen Hao that Vivian, the elf girl, far preferred flying to walking. Even for the shortest distances, she would rather flutter her wings than take a few steps.

If that was her habit, it stood to reason she would do the same at home, making the staircase seem wholly unnecessary. Moreover, Vivian had said that humans rarely lived in the Elven Forest, and if they did, they were settled in designated areas by the elves themselves—much like Chinatowns abroad, where Chinese communities gather together. The Elven Forest had such places as well.

Vivian’s own home, then, should not typically house humans, further rendering the staircase redundant. Curious, Chen Hao couldn't help but ask as he finished examining the first floor, "Um... Vivian, is this really your house?"

Vivian nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, her face alight with excitement as she turned to Chen Hao. "Of course! Isn’t it great? Don’t you just love the way I designed the place and arranged the furniture?"

"Uh..." Chen Hao glanced around at the sparse décor and the handful of items that could barely be called furniture—a table and some sofas—and nodded with a resigned smile. "Ahem... Yes, it’s nice. Very beautiful!"

Chen Hao quickly followed up, "By the way, Vivian, is your bedroom on the second floor?"

"Of course!" Vivian replied. "Would you like to see it? My bedroom is even prettier than the hall downstairs! There’s a bathroom and a kitchen up there too!"

Naturally, Chen Hao nodded.

"Then come on! You can use the stairs," Vivian said, pointing to the very spiral staircase that had caught Chen Hao’s attention.

Vivian herself simply fluttered her wings and flew up to the second floor.

Just as he suspected! Chen Hao felt vindicated—this staircase was certainly not built for Vivian's use. So what was its purpose? Was this house not originally Vivian’s? Or perhaps its first owner was someone without wings?

Though puzzled, Chen Hao kept his thoughts to himself and climbed the stairs as naturally as he could. With Vivian as his guide, he reluctantly toured the sparse bedroom and kitchen, which could hardly be called furnished. Only the bathroom caught Chen Hao’s eye—it was enormous, with a bathtub to match. He couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Vivian. She was a petite girl, much shorter and slighter than himself—why would she need such a massive bathtub? Even with her wings, it seemed unnecessary. This made Chen Hao even more doubtful about whether the house truly belonged to her. Yet, seeing Vivian’s innocent face, she hardly seemed the type to lie. Chen Hao boldly guessed that the house must have belonged to someone else and had somehow come into Vivian’s possession.

Feeling he had seen enough, Chen Hao asked, "Vivian, is this where you’ve always lived? Have you been here since you were little?"

Vivian didn’t understand why Chen Hao was asking, but she answered honestly, "Yes, I’ve lived here since I was born."

"You were born here..." Chen Hao mused and asked, "So after you were born, did you live here by yourself?"

Vivian gave Chen Hao a look as if he were an idiot. "Why would you ask such a silly question? How could I have lived here alone? I was just a child! Of course I lived with my parents."

Chen Hao felt a bit foolish for not considering something so obvious. He pressed on, "Then where are your parents? Why haven’t I seen them?"

"My parents left the Elven Forest years ago, together with many other elves," Vivian said, her mood suddenly somber.

"They left? Did they ever come back?" Chen Hao asked.

Vivian shook her head, her mouth trembling as if she were about to cry. Clearly, Chen Hao had touched upon a sore spot. "No, they never came back. Not my parents, nor any of their companions. I miss them so much! Waaah—"

With that, Vivian burst into tears, caring nothing for appearances, her sobs growing ever more heartbroken, her tears and snot flowing freely. Chen Hao was at a complete loss; comforting crying girls was not his strong suit. He could only pat her back awkwardly, murmuring, "There, there... don’t cry..."

Desperate to distract her, Chen Hao asked another question, "Do you know where your parents went? Why don’t you go look for them?"

Just as Vivian opened her mouth to reply, a violent shock struck Chen Hao in the chest. A flash of green light filled his vision—and then he lost consciousness once again...