Chapter 74 (2/2): I Want to Play Puzzles with You

“I’m just tired and have nothing else to do. It has nothing to do with Su Liumeng.”

“Are you… sure you don’t miss her?”

“Sure.” I replied without much confidence.

I clearly couldn’t admit I was just a lovesick little girl deep down.

Even if I were, I wouldn’t say it.

Who said a mother can’t have dignity?

Hearing my contradictory words, Si Zhiruo’s doubt almost overflowed.

Mommy answered so decisively.

Why did she not quite believe it?

Si Zhiruo gathered her words and said again, “I just wanted to say, if Mommy really misses her, I can take you to see her.”

*****

“It’s not far anyway.”

“Really?” I had been lying in the recliner. Hearing this, I sat up, my voice rising with excitement.

Seeing this scene, Si Zhiruo knew very well Mommy’s true feelings. Her little face, which was almost convinced, now froze.

Mommy.

You just said you didn’t miss her.

…..

“Of course it’s true.” Si Zhiruo was a little speechless.

That’s my mom, that’s my mom. Little Zhizhi was trying to hypnotize herself and had no choice but to humor her.

I couldn’t scold her and say, “Women’s words are deceptive.”

Her disguise was utterly ineffective, like a cheap special effect worth three cents, and I’d seen right through it.

Such tactless words can’t be spoken. She just wants to be a spoiled child.

This contract was signed under threat; if she didn’t behave, someone would be really upset.

Si Zhiruo switched tactics and replied thoughtfully, “I know, Mommy doesn’t miss her much. It’s just that she’s usually bored and needs something interesting to do. The place where she’s undergoing the trial is barely interesting, but it’s something to pass the time.”

I was clearly stunned.

I definitely knew I was contradicting myself, but my baby seemed completely oblivious.

What a little angel.

My heart nearly melted, and motherly love instantly flooded my chest, making me want to hug my little sweetheart close and shower her with affection.

Si Zhiruo’s suggestion was very tempting. I admit I was deeply moved.

But I couldn’t go.

I bit my teeth and forced down my excitement, lying back in my chair.

My baby was already so sensible.

How could I add burdens to her?

Zhizhi had said more than once that every time she used her energy, it delayed her developmental progress.

No one knew better than me how much this child wanted to be born.

So—

I absolutely couldn’t do such a thing.

“Better not. She’ll be back in just over ten days. It’s not like I can’t wait.” I bit my moist red lips and answered gently.

I leaned against the armrest, my gaze drifting like clouds in the sky, my slender figure faintly sorrowful.

Si Zhiruo looked at the slightly dejected young woman, feeling a sudden ache in her heart.

She should have understood all along.

Si Xinyan had many things she wanted to do.

She wasn’t, as she often said, a woman who had no life of her own.

It was because of me that she had to put everything aside.

Like fishing by the river, playing dance machines at the arcade, and many more things she couldn’t possibly finish.

Since I appeared, she rarely even ate the spicy food she loved so much.

Si Zhiruo suddenly understood. It was like an awakening moment that completely denied her previous shallow thoughts.

Si Xinyan was never a lovesick girl who became ill from separation.

She simply chose to say goodbye to her beloved life because of me.

She locked herself away in the villa, eliminating all possible dangers.

Once, she was someone who memorized birth manuals by heart, but now she had mastered every precaution intimately.

This change was the first thing Si Zhiruo noticed.

That was why her heart ached.

Anyone confined to a semi-sealed space for long would inevitably start to daydream and crave others’ care.

Si Zhiruo stared at the young woman’s profile, her gaze flickering, then slowly lowered her head with a hint of despondency.

Si Xinyan was the kind of person who would never loudly proclaim what she had done.

Her gentleness was always quiet and unobtrusive.

How could someone who devoted herself entirely to another not be worth a lifetime of protection?

Si Zhiruo blinked and thought of something else.

Her mother was just quiet and disliked talking to others.

That didn’t mean she liked living alone or enjoyed the bitterness of solitude.

She had always liked lively environments.

She liked the atmosphere of classes and the bustle of dorm life, which was why she had moved directly into the dormitory after coming to Beiqing.

Si Zhiruo closed her eyes slowly, recalling her mother’s silent appearance. Her heart felt inexplicably blocked, as if blood flow had stopped.

Si Xinyan didn’t praise her own achievements.

As her daughter, how could I forget the sacrifices my mother made?

I was recalling the details of my cultivation when I suddenly heard Si Zhiruo’s trembling voice, mixed with emotions I couldn’t understand.

“Mommy, shall we go fishing by the river? Maybe we can catch two big crabs.”

“I—” Si Zhiruo suddenly paused, but I could hear the tremor in her voice.

“Don’t worry, it won’t affect my development. It’s just a tiny bit of energy usage. It really doesn’t matter.”

Si Zhiruo silently added in her heart that she only wanted Mommy to be happy.

My long eyelashes fluttered. “I can’t swim, so maybe it’s better not to.”

No risk, no harm.

Knowing I was pregnant yet wanting to go to dangerous places—wasn’t that stupid?

What if I fell into the water? How could I be happy then?

“Then, then…” Si Zhiruo also realized her suggestion wasn’t very helpful, a little nervous, stammering for the first time, “You just registered as a member, right? Maybe check out what’s happening inside? It should be pretty interesting.”

I tilted my head, still thinking. Si Zhiruo clenched her small hands.

Anyway, doing something was better than just dazing around alone.

She saw it, felt bad.

“Yeah, right. There’s also a website to play on. Almost forgot.” Suddenly realizing, I slapped my forehead and got up from the recliner. My waterfall-like long hair cascaded down, a few strands falling on my snow-white thighs.

I tossed my hair back, put on my slippers, and returned to my room.

I didn’t quite understand the reason for Si Zhiruo’s emotional change, but her concern warmed me like a shot of strong liquor on a snowy winter day.

I had indeed been a bit dejected recently.

Mainly because calming the mind and nurturing the fetus required me to stay quiet all day. Thinking carefully, there really wasn’t much else to do.

There was a desk in my room—not very big, just enough to hold a computer and some daily items.

The computer was one I had bought before, no longer the latest model, but still nearly top-tier.

Speaking of my computer, I hadn’t opened it for a long time.

The last time I checked job listings was on my phone.

I opened the laptop and pressed the power button. The fan whirred, and in less than three seconds, the blue sky and white clouds wallpaper appeared.

My desktop was very tidy, with only a few office apps, one or two games, and a wallpaper app.

I used to like this app, but it brought lots of annoying ads and pop-ups, so I switched back to the simple blue sky wallpaper. Simple was more comforting.

Opening the built-in browser, I typed in a URL from memory and entered a site with a deep black background.

The site was managed casually, similar to a forum, with free posting.

There was also a bounty task board densely listing various rewards.

I even saw a post about someone’s missing cat, with an official reward for finding it.

Overall, I spent quite some time reading, but hardly found any serious matters. Most posts were trivial, or about cultivators arguing over who stole whose chance or whose character was terrible, warning others to avoid them.

My face showed a trace of confusion and a shock as if descending from the heavens.

This cultivation world was nothing like I imagined—with celestial priests or sword-wielding heroes.

Cultivators still had to deal with mundane concerns like food and daily chores, surprisingly down-to-earth.

After all, fasting was impossible here. Even the strongest cultivators needed sleep, and their lifespan was capped at around two centuries.

Shock aside, I had to keep reading.

The lives of various cultivators were indeed colorful and rich, stuffing me full of juicy gossip.

Among all, the love-hate dramas were the most thrilling—who had a feud with which fairy again, who caught countless adorable pets but still couldn’t make peace, and who was now kneeling outside some sect gate.

I read with great interest, eager to bookmark posts and follow updates.

Suddenly, a post caught my eye, making me frown.

【I’m Su Liumeng’s childhood white moonlight. Everyone, pay attention to this post. Tomorrow I will expose her for her history of betrayal.】

This—couldn’t be real.

My pretty big eyes blinked.

I simply didn’t believe it.

Even though I didn’t believe it, this slander against Su Liumeng couldn’t be forgiven.

I called Aunt Lin over and showed her the post.

She frowned too. “Miss, I swear on my life, our young lady has no other white moonlight. You are her one and only white moonlight.”

“I will contact the Su family to handle this post. Whoever is behind this slander against the young lady will not be spared.”

Clack clack clack.

She hurried away in her high boots, leaving me standing dumbfounded.

Wait a minute—

Did she just say?

I’m Su Liumeng’s white moonlight?

My expression was full of emotion, as if carefully recalling the past. After remembering events long ago, I suddenly realized that I might really be Su Liumeng’s white moonlight.

I didn’t immediately immerse myself in that identity, since that term was already outdated twenty years ago.

On the bedroom floor lay many puzzle pieces.

These weren’t toys for a one-year-old, but high-difficulty educational puzzles meant for three- or four-year-olds.

After all, a one- or two-year-old couldn’t distinguish what was edible from what wasn’t and often put things in their mouth.

One reason was that their baby teeth were coming in, making their mouth itch and prompting them to shove things into their mouths.

Another reason was that their mind wasn’t developed, so they acted on instinct, inevitably swallowing many things.

Therefore, families with babies always made sure no small objects were within the child’s reach.

I had eaten my fill of gossip on the website and had no intention of reading all the fun stories in one go. I needed to save some for the next time.

Just as I was about to leave, my gaze stopped at the puzzle pieces scattered on the floor.

I hadn’t asked Aunt Lin to clean them up.

They seemed to bear witness to what happened the other day.

“Mommy, I want to play puzzles with you.” Si Zhiruo’s soft voice sounded like a gentle coaxing in my ear. Her little bundle’s fluffy tone made it impossible to refuse.

Puzzles were still puzzles, and the two of us spending time together was still just our daily life.

But this time, it felt a little different.