Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

"You're looking for the Crawford family?" Lilly looked at the man in black standing in front of her. His tall figure loomed over her due to his height. It didn't matter if he didn't recognize her as she would always remember him.

The man in black sat before her in resignation. His elbow rested on his knee as he leaned forward slightly to look at her.

"Lilly," he said seriously. "There is no Crawford family in Clodston. The Crawford family also has nothing to do with you. They have never once looked for you." The man in black frowned as he continued, "It isn't a good idea to keep acting out like this!" Lilly asked him, "Why?" The man across from her parted his lips to speak. Before he could say anything, he bit his tongue and answered bluntly, "You will be sent to a mental asylum and be labeled a lunatic.” Lilly fell silent upon hearing his response.

They all thought she was living in her own fantasies.

All of them assumed that she was experiencing some sort of delusion after the Hatcher family accident.

Lilly lowered her gaze as she looked at her toes.

Her hands hanging by her sides were empty. She didn't have Bunny to hold. There wasn't a Polly by her side... She was all alone.

"Thank you, Dad," she said. "I know what to do now." The man in black furrowed his brows. Alas, someone called him before he could say anything, shouting, "Where's Captain MacNeil? Blake MacNeil?!" Blake rose to his feet and gently patted her head, saying, "Be good and wait for me here." Lilly hummed in agreement. Nonetheless, she discreetly hobbled away from the police station after he left.

It was useless. Even if she waited for Dad here, it wouldn't change anything.

She was starting to forget what Uncle Anthony and Grandma looked like.

She had to go to Clodston pronto. Plus, she knew Dad would never allow her to make a trip to Clodston.

Sadly, for her, the road to Clodston seemed fraught with difficulties! Lilly left the police station, trying hard to decipher the bus routes in order to get to the train station.

The driver started peppering her with questions as soon as she hopped on the bus. He had gotten so worried that he even wanted to call her parents.

Lilly had to get off the bus.

She tried several times to convince him she was fine. Alas, the driver wouldn't let her on the bus.

Thus, Lilly had no other choice but to walk there. Her shoes gradually became worn as the snow seeped through the cracks and froze her toes numb.

"It's winter again..." Lilly panted as she stared at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter how heavy the snow is. | will get there." The small figure of a four-year-old, wearing an old cotton coat that did no help in warming her body, slowly made her way to the train station with each fumbling step.

She knew she couldn't get on a plane.

There might still be a chance for her to succeed if she could take a train. It was just that there were far too many people around modern train stations. The ticket booths were filled with employees maintaining order. Besides, there were also good Samaritans who would stop and guide her away. It didn't matter how many times Lilly kept sneaking in as she would be caught and removed from the premises. Eventually, the staff couldn't handle her persistent attempts any longer and took to calling the police.

This time, she was taken into custody by the officers stationed near the train station. Regardless, she quickly slipped away from them.

Then, it was a rinse-and-repeat situation. She would end up getting herself caught and shipped off to the police station. When she sneaked out of the precinct, she would keep trying to board a train. It was pretty much an exercise of futility.

Frankly, Lilly had lost count of how many times she had tried to get herself on a train! The train station seemed like an obstacle that she couldn't beat. It was as if she was stuck in a Samsara, as something would always prevent her from crossing this chasm.

Lilly's eyes were alight with the flames of determination. She refused to admit defeat! She didn't believe she wouldn't be able to get past this hurdle! Finally, the sun disappeared from the sky as the moon rose. The snowstorm blew against her figure harshly. Although South City was not as cold as Clodston, it was humid. So, she felt a bone-chilling cold creeping into her bones. She couldn't help but notice her resistance to such chilly temperatures was next to zero.

There were hardly any people loitering in the dreary midnight. Lilly overheard an officer's phone call at the police station. She could hear the familiar tones of someone from Captain MacNeil informing the officer they would pick her up as soon as they were done with their duties. They also instructed them to keep an eye on her.

Lilly immediately took advantage of the officer's distraction to slither away.

She had a feeling that she would be able to board a train this time. The fact that she could slip out of the police station was a loophole in itself! The more frequently she escaped, the more likely the illusion trapping her would falter. A few frozen fingers were more than worth it! Just as she expected, she managed to sneak onto the train and fell asleep in the gap under the seat. She was utterly exhausted.

What she didn't know was that as soon as she left, Blake had rushed over to pick her up. Alas, he missed her by a few seconds.

She also overlooked that the man in black was only known as ‘Captain MacNeil." Yet, the voice called his name, Blake MacNeil, the day she departed.

The train journey lasted for a day and a night. It was not easy to get on the high-speed train. So, Lilly simply snuck onto a regular train.

She followed a woman off the train, keeping her head down, making it seem like she was the woman's kid.

This time, her journey went incredibly smoothly. She left the train station, found the subway, and followed a young woman who was constantly playing with her phone into the elevator.

After much hardship, Lilly relied heavily on her memory as she trudged step by step through the snow that was deeper than her thigh. After a great deal of hardship, she somehow managed to arrive at the Crawford Mansion.

It was Christmas. So, the Crawford Mansion was bustling with laughter and joy.

Lilly felt herself starting to sniffle as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Who are you?!" blurted the security guard, who was wrapped in a thick coat. He was surprised by the thinly dressed child.

Lilly grinned as she answered weakly, "Dexter." Dexter was caught off guard as he didn’t recognize her.

Lilly could no longer hold onto her consciousness. Her lips started to tremble as black spots invaded her vision. Eventually, she collapsed without uttering a word.

"Lilly? Lilly!" A voice echoed in her ears.

Lilly felt her eyelids growing heavier.

When her eyes snapped open to a stark white wall, her heart clenched in trepidation. She feared that she had returned to South City.

Fortunately, a familiar voice rang out, "Child? Where's your family? How did you end up at our doorstep?" Lilly quickly jerked her head to the source of the voice! She saw her grandmother, draped in a thick shawl, holding a bowl of cereal. The elderly woman was looking at her with a face full of concern.

The cereal wasn't soggy. She could still see the crispy edges of each flake as the light fruity scent assailed her senses. The familiar scent, coupled with the comforting aroma that her grandmother exuded, caused her tears to well up in her eyes.

"Grandma! Grandma!" She sobbed as she gasped for breath, choking out, "G-Grandma, it's me. It's Lilly!"