Chapter 5: The Color of Something Blue

My mother's roar kept coming from the phone. I listened silently, without making a sound.

She counted my sins one by one, as if I were some kind of wicked woman instead of her own child, instead of the daughter she raised from childhood.

I held the phone, my thoughts already drifting away. When would I finally accept that Mom loved Catherine more? But even if she was biased, even if she loved my sister more, she must have at least a little love, even just a tiny bit, that was for me, right?

Yet now, I couldn't feel even that tiny bit of love.

My mother — the mother who gave birth to me, who raised me — could she truly not love me at all?

That's impossible!

I suddenly spoke, urgently asking my mother: "Mom, do you love me?"

Mom paused. "What are you talking about?"

I insisted: "Mom, do you love me?"

Mom's furious voice came through: "Bonnie Davis! Don't try to change the subject! Are you going crazy because you know you did something wrong? I'm telling you, if you don't go apologize to your sister right now, don't ever come home!"

Tears instantly streamed down my face. I hung up directly.

Mom kept calling, but I never answered. Instead, I walked through the streets in a daze.

Rain began falling from the sky. The summer heat made even the rainwater warm, yet I had never felt this kind of warmth from my mother.

I spread my arms toward the sky, imagining the rain was embracing me. No — I was actually imagining a warm embrace from my mother.

What would it take for Mom to feel even a little bit of love for me?

I'm not greedy. I only want a little bit.

I suddenly remembered what Catherine said when she humiliated me last time. Perhaps I could lose weight first? Catherine was so beautiful, and as her sister, my features weren't bad either. If I could just lose weight, I would definitely be a pretty girl too.

Starting today, I'll only eat one apple a day!

Having made up my mind, I wiped the rain and tears from my face, hurried home, took a shower and changed clothes, then headed to Doomsday Nightclub.

It was still early. I was only going to prepare things like drinks needed for opening that evening, not actually opening for business.

But as I was busy behind the bar, I suddenly heard the wind chime on the door ring. Turning around, I saw a short figure walk in.

Though small in stature, he had a long beard and messy hair. Or rather, his whole person looked disheveled, covered in mud and dust on his body and feet, falling off as he moved.

I quickly went up to him: "Hey, you look like you need some help."

"What is this place?" He looked very frightened. "I was clearly mining in the mine shaft. Why did I suddenly appear here?"

Hearing his words, I had some guesses. He was probably like Orion, a guest from another world. Looking at his small stature and the mining pickaxe in his hand that was taller than he was, perhaps he was one of the dwarf race?

"This is Doomsday Nightclub." I smiled at him. "Perhaps you need a beer and some hot food?"

The dwarf's eyes instantly lit up: "You have food here? My god, how did you know I haven't eaten in two days in the mine shaft? Beautiful miss, please give me some food! My stomach has been empty for so long!"

So I invited him to sit at the bar without any disgust, then turned and walked into the kitchen.

Nightclubs generally don't provide many types of food. Although I planned to prepare some simple meals for customers in the future, I hadn't had time to buy ingredients yet. The refrigerator only had some frozen chicken nuggets and fries.

This was enough to fill the dwarf gentleman's stomach. I quickly fried the chicken nuggets and fries, poured a large glass of ice-cold beer, and brought everything to the bar.

The dwarf's eyes were practically glued to the food. He couldn't wait to grab the scalding crispy fried chicken and fries with his hands and stuff them in his mouth, exclaiming loudly as he ate: "What is this! Great god of forging, I think I'm eating something only gods can enjoy!"

I sat behind the bar, chin in hand, smiling as I watched the dwarf wolf down his food: "This is fried chicken and fries. They taste even better with beer!"

The dwarf immediately grabbed the glass and took a big gulp of beer, then let out a monkey-like cheer.

His happiness infected me too. Although I really craved those delicious fried chicken and fries, I swallowed and decided I couldn't eat them. Just watching the dwarf gentleman enjoy his meal made me very happy.

The dwarf quickly finished the food on his plate and drank all the beer. He even licked the plate clean and kept sucking his fingers, then let out a loud burp.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, beautiful miss." The dwarf pulled a large stone emitting a ghostly blue glow from his bag and handed it to me. "I came from the mine. I don't have any gold coins on me. This is ore I dug up. If you don't mind, please accept it."

This stone looked so beautiful that even as some special new type of gemstone it could sell for a certain price. Of course, even if it wasn't worth anything, I would still accept it.

I took the stone: "Of course I don't mind. Thank you for your patronage."

"I hope to visit this shop again next time." The dwarf struggled to jump down from the high stool, his movements somewhat comical. "By the way, miss, if possible, could you put some shorter stools in the shop?"

I almost couldn't help laughing out loud. I nodded and saw the dwarf gentleman off. Strangely, after the dwarf walked out the door, the dust and mud he left in the room also disappeared. Could it be that guests from other worlds could only leave payment, and everything else would be erased by some strange force?

This guess made me feel very reassured. After all, everything from other worlds could potentially bring unknown dangers to this world.

I casually put the stone in my pocket, picked up the plate and glass, and returned to the kitchen. While washing the dishes, I accidentally dropped the stone into the glass. Before I could fumble to get the stone out, I saw that in the glass's remaining liquid, there seemed to be some fluorescent substance emitting a ghostly blue glow.

"What is this?" I curiously picked up the glass to examine it. "This color seems the same as the stone the dwarf gentleman gave me?"

Could it be that the glow of this stone could be transferred to other things?

I shook the glass containing the blue fluorescent residual liquid, and suddenly a bold idea rose in my heart.