I was about to ask, but then my father's voice came from inside the house.

"Xiaoxi, what were you doing outside? Dad asked you to help bring an egg."

I had no choice but to agree, but at that moment, I saw my grandmother crying. I wanted to bring her inside.

However, my grandmother refused.

"I'm going back. I'll miss the bus if I wait any longer. Xiaoxi, you must remember what Grandma said."

I could only nod helplessly. I watched as my grandmother, hunched over, walked away unsteadily.

When I entered the house, I saw my father staring at me intently, holding a spatula in his hand. It sent a chill down my spine.

Trembling, I spoke up:

"Dad, what are you looking at?"

But my father pulled me into the house with a bang, closing the door. Then he squatted down and looked at me solemnly.

"Xiaoxi, when Mom and Dad are not at home, you must not open the door for anyone, especially your grandmother."

I looked at my father's eyes, wide open, and nodded fearfully.

Then, as if nothing had happened, my father stood up and went back to the kitchen.

I ran fearfully into my own room. I climbed onto the bed without even taking off my shoes.

Why can't Mom and Dad see Grandma? Why did Grandma tell me not to believe Mom and Dad? What does it mean that they are not my real parents?

Why did Dad tell me not to open the door for Grandma?

I frantically scratched at my own hair. But the more I tried to figure it out, the more confused my mind became.

What scared me even more was why Mom and Dad couldn't see Grandma.

Just then, my father had finished cooking the noodles.

He knocked on my door and asked me to come out. I had to suppress my fear. A voice in my heart told me not to let them know.

I walked out of the room and sat at the table. He placed the noodles in front of me, but there was nothing in front of him.

I forced myself to speak calmly to my father.

"Dad, is Mom not coming out to eat?"

I kept my head down, afraid to look up at my father's expression. But it took him a long time to answer me.

"Mom is sick and needs to rest. I'll take her to the room later."

I played with the noodles in my bowl and nodded. Although my father's voice was calm, I became even more afraid.

Because I never eat onions. Whenever I'm with Dad, there are never any onions. But the green onions in this bowl were glaringly obvious.

Still, I ate the noodles hungrily. I finished every last bit, even the green onions in the bowl.

"Xiaoxi, you're such a good child."

My father's cold voice rang in my ears as he touched my head, but his hand felt like ice.

It was chilling. Despite the hair blocking it, I could still feel the coldness.

Then I saw my father take the bowl away from me, and I heard the sound of running water as he washed the dishes. I dared to look up at his back.

But this glance sent shivers down my spine. The kitchen light was so bright, yet my father had no shadow.

Fearfully, I covered my mouth with my hand. Taking advantage of my father washing the dishes, I opened the door and ran out.