The elevator doors slid shut, and Su Rui exhaled slowly.
Some things couldn't be solved just yet.
Shen Yichen's words clung to her like a fishbone in the throat—not sharp enough to kill, but impossible to ignore.
How much did he know?
Did he recognize her, the real Su Rui?
Or had he simply gone mad—mistaking an old cleaning lady for his ex-wife?
No one could say for sure.
But one thing was clear to Su Rui.
She still had three wishes to fulfill.
Until she helped Lin Yueying complete her unfinished life, there was no point thinking about how to return to her own body.
—
When she returned to the janitorial office, she caused quite the stir.
"Whoa, Lin-jie! You look amazing! Did you go to the hospital or the beauty clinic?"
Auntie Li was the first to rush over, eyeing her up and down like she'd seen a miracle.
Su Rui stood at the doorway in her eternal old cleaning uniform, one hand on her hip and the other gripping her mop. She raised her brows dramatically and, in the tone of an actress performing in a sitcom, declared:
"Oh, I wasn't sick. My soul just went on a little vacation. But it's back now! Even my lumbar pain is gone. I could scrub toilets for three hours straight, easy!"
Little Wang burst into laughter. "Lin-jie, did you secretly take stand-up comedy lessons?"
Someone else chimed in, "Bet she disappeared for a few days to audition for a talent show!"
Su Rui gave them a playful, mysterious smile—but deep down, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Good. They all believed she was fine.
As long as no one suspected anything, she could continue her "investigation."
—
These days, Su Rui became especially careful. From the way she walked and spoke, to how she went about her chores, she stayed in perfect character—afraid Shen Yichen would catch even the slightest slip.
She dug deep into Lin Yueying's life, searching for clues—anything that might point to what the remaining three wishes could be.
She read through old diaries, mostly filled with daily errands. Lin had poor memory, so she'd write things like: "Buy XX brand detergent," "Pay the water bill by the 10th," "Haircut overdue."
She also flipped through Lin's ancient flip phone. Its contact list was minimal: a few relatives, "Bank," "Local Clinic," "Fruit Seller Lao Wang."
Nothing useful.
Su Rui even tried thinking like a celebrity: "Could she have dreamed of performing on stage? Writing a book? Filming a documentary?"
After three days of brainstorming, the only thing remotely resembling a dream was one line in the diary:
"Just because you're old… doesn't mean you're not allowed to have dreams, right?"
So simple.
Yet reading it felt like finding a small star tucked in a dusty drawer—quiet, but unmistakably warm.
But aside from that, she had no real leads.
Until one afternoon during lunch break.
Auntie Li, munching on an apple, suddenly said:
"Sigh, wonder why Lin-jie didn't go back to her hometown this year. That osmanthus rice cake she brings back—we can't find that stuff anywhere here. My grandson still asks about it."
Su Rui wasn't paying much attention at first. But when she heard the words "hometown," something clicked in her brain like a key turning in a lock.
She smiled casually. "Ah right… I didn't get a chance to go this year! Which cake shop are you talking about? I'll bring you some next time."
Auntie Li squinted at her and replied while chewing, "Don't you remember? You told us you're from X Town in X City—down south, near the old market. That old master there makes the best osmanthus cakes. Steam-cooked to perfection, melts in your mouth!"
Su Rui's expression shifted.
X Town. X City.
She knew that place far too well.
It was where she had spent her early childhood.
Where she had lived until the age of five.
A place wrapped in foggy memories and quiet warmth.
She had always thought that she and Lin Yueying were simply thrown together by some twisted cosmic joke.
She never expected this.
They were from the same hometown.