Chapter 129: A Solo Feast

"It's been nearly two hours, so why does Katerina still look so full of energy?"

Chang Yu followed behind Katerina, drenched in sweat, his expression one of pure, unadulterated exhaustion. It seemed that Katerina truly had an addiction to shopping!

"I remember Brother Wang saying that girls just love to shop. They can go from morning till night without ever feeling tired. While their male companions are dying of fatigue, forced to rely on the small stools in shops just to keep their souls tethered to their bodies, the women remain as spirited as ever. Apparently, Deputy General Manager Yao is just like that; every time she goes out, she manages to leave Brother Wang sweating buckets, even causing him to lose ten pounds in the process. I never expected Katerina to have such a 'girly' side. I suppose a love for shopping is just a universal trait among women."

"But if you're going shopping, why not bring someone along? Isn't it... lonely to shop by yourself?"

With a belly full of questions, Chang Yu watched Katerina browse from one side of the mall to the other, from the first floor to the very last. By the end, he was physically and mentally drained, yet Katerina remained as exuberant as ever. This woman’s stamina for shopping was truly incredible!

Katerina was currently carrying two small paper bags containing the new clothes she had bought along the way. Seeing her stroll through the mall, bags in hand, she looked just like any other ordinary girl.

Soon, Chang Yu followed her to the top floor of the mall. This level was the entertainment zone—not for clothes or shoes, but for food, drinks, and amusement. There were restaurants, bubble tea shops, and a variety of arcade games, claw machines, and VR experience booths. It was like a miniature playground: balloon popping, ring tossing, go-karts, a roller rink, dance machines—everything a young person could want. It was a paradise for children and a place for adults to rediscover the memories of their youth.

One could often see children playing under the watchful eyes of their parents, or young couples strolling hand in hand. In a place where everyone else came in pairs or groups, Katerina stood alone, a sight so solitary it was almost heart-wrenching.

Katerina walked straight through the crowd and stepped into a karaoke booth. These booths were common in malls—essentially a karaoke machine encased in a glass shell, resembling the phone booths often seen in foreign films. One could pull the curtain, spend a small amount of money, and sing for a long time. It was much cheaper than a standard KTV lounge, making it a favorite for young people who loved to sing but were on a budget.

Sneaking closer to the booth, Chang Yu peeked inside. Katerina was sitting alone on a high stool, singing. The soundproofing wasn't great; by pressing his ear against the glass door, Chang Yu could clearly hear the song.

"The banyan tree by the pond, the cicadas are chirping of summer."
"On the swings by the playground, only butterflies rest."
"The teacher's chalk on the blackboard is still scribbling away."
"Waiting for class to end, waiting for school to end, waiting for the childhood of games..."

Chang Yu recognized the song immediately. It was "Childhood," a classic masterpiece by Lo Ta-yu that was once a household name, popular across the country for its moving melody and catchy lyrics.

He should have recognized it instantly. Even having grown up in the isolated environment of an orphanage, he had heard the song on the radio many times. The problem was that Katerina was completely off-key; he had only identified the song by deciphering the lyrics.

Katerina’s speaking voice was actually quite magnetic—the standard, cool-headed "cool sister" tone. With a voice like that, even without seeing her face, she could have mesmerized legions of fans as a voice actress for anime. Yet, despite her naturally beautiful voice, her singing was tone-deaf and truly unbearable to the ears. At first glance, it sounded like howling, and upon closer inspection, not a single note was in pitch. She had managed to completely mangle a perfectly good song.

Chang Yu listened for only a short while before he began to doubt the nature of reality. "Is there really someone in this world who sings this badly?" he wondered. He had always felt that Katerina was perfect in every way—beautiful, diligent, and wealthy. It seemed God had favored her in every regard, bestowing upon her every shining trait, save for one... He had somehow overlooked her musical talent.

Listening to Katerina’s incredibly earnest, emotion-filled, yet excruciatingly awful singing, Chang Yu felt like he was about to explode. He could take no more; pulling his ear away from the glass, he slumped onto the cold floor tiles, feeling as if he had just narrowly survived a nightmare. Good heavens, some people sing for money, but she sang to kill!

About half an hour later, Katerina stepped out of the booth with a satisfied, happy smile. "As expected, coming here to sing is the best way to relieve stress."

She murmured this to herself, completely unaware of Chang Yu, who was hiding behind the booth. She was the type of person who carried many burdens, making her prone to anxiety. Thus, finding a suitable way to decompress was a necessity for her. For Katerina, singing was the best release.

Leaving the karaoke booth, Katerina headed toward the claw machines. She inserted her coins and began to manipulate the metal claw with slightly clumsy movements, aiming for the adorable plush dolls. Her posture was professional and her focus intense, but unfortunately... Katerina was clearly not a claw machine expert. She tried several times, but failed to catch a single doll. Seeing the look of utter frustration on her face and her furrowed brows, even Chang Yu felt anxious for her.

Nearby, groups of close friends gathered around machines to strategize, and couples worked together to battle the dolls. Cheers of excitement erupted from them from time to time, sounding like the triumphant shouts of armies joining forces. In contrast, Katerina’s side was dead silent. No one was there to accompany her; others at least had a best friend or a boyfriend, but she had nothing.

She was alone. Shopping alone, singing alone, playing alone, finding joy alone... Chang Yu suddenly felt that Katerina was actually quite lonely, just like himself.

There were a few young men who kept glancing in her direction, seemingly wanting to approach her, but held back by their own lack of confidence. Katerina was truly too beautiful—so beautiful that any man would feel inadequate in her presence, afraid to get close. Sometimes, being too beautiful was a curse.

Katerina noticed this, but she didn't mind. Since she was a child, she had been a shooting star, attracting everyone's gaze wherever she went. Wherever she was, she became a unique landscape. She had long been accustomed to the feeling of being the center of attention.

The center of attention, yet exceptionally lonely.

In the end, Katerina left the mall carrying dolls and toys of various sizes. Don't misunderstand—this wasn't because her luck had peaked and she had finally mastered the claw machine. In reality, after failing more than a dozen times, she had given up on that unfriendly game. These prizes were all won at the balloon-popping booth.

The game involved using a toy gun to fire plastic pellets at hanging balloons; pop them, and you won. Once she picked up the toy gun, Katerina regained her confidence. Who was she? She was a woman who had undergone professional marksmanship training. She was the type of woman who kept a gun in her waistband and risked her life against disasters every day. To her, shooting was a fundamental skill—her bread and butter.

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as she had a gun in her hand, she could pop as many balloons as she wanted, and whichever one she targeted, she would hit. She never missed!

Under the shocked, wide-eyed gaze of the shop owner and the onlookers, Katerina immediately became the brightest star in the mall. She fired fifty shots, each one a precise hit. Yellow, red, green—every balloon in sight burst into fragments under her aim. The owner of the balloon-popping booth watched her graceful posture as she fired and reloaded, his jaw dropped in disbelief. He had to admit that in over ten years of running his shop, he had never seen a customer so skilled at this game.

Even with a crudely made toy gun, Katerina was still able to find the feel of the weapon and shoot with such precision... The only conclusion was that this girl was truly extraordinary!

And so, amidst the pained expression of the shop owner and the admiring gazes of the crowd, Katerina left with her various prizes. She finally drove home as the sky turned dark.

"So, Katerina's private life isn't that different from an ordinary girl's," Chang Yu thought as he sat in the taxi heading back. After following her for an afternoon, peeling away that aura of the Disaster Investigation Bureau, he felt that Katerina was just a regular girl. He had been too one-sided in his understanding of her, seeing only her serious demeanor at work.

Though, there was one thing he found hard to accept.

Katerina's singing voice... it was truly unforgettable!

Was this... a little secret of hers that he had just discovered?