Chapter 160: Forget Me

A hazy world. Her steps felt light and floating, as if walking on clouds, utterly unreal. When Ye Xingmian opened her eyes, an unfamiliar villa stood before her.

‘Strange… where is this? I…’

The sky was overcast. In the villa’s garden, clusters of nameless, vibrant flowers bloomed. The petals were tiny and blue, with a small yellow circle in the center.

They crowded densely across the garden, a vast sea of them with almost no room to step. A faint blue glow emanated from them, giving them a pure appearance.

Ye Xingmian looked around, a wave of confusion washing over her.

She was standing in the middle of this flower field.

Lowering her gaze, she saw that she wore a pure white one-piece dress she had never seen before—elegant and ornate.

Her bare calves were covered by white socks, and black leather shoes adorned her feet. It seemed she had crushed a patch of flowers; the soles were damp with mud.

She was still a girl. She hadn’t turned into a boy.

Having come to a place like this for no reason, she felt a trace of fear.

‘Could it be a kidnapping?’

Just as this worried thought surfaced, someone called her name.

“Mianmian—”

The voice came from behind, where the garden’s exit lay.

But… that voice…

Ye Xingmian suddenly shuddered. An expression of disbelief spread across her face.

When she turned around, a mature woman appeared before her.

The woman wore a gentle smile, dressed in a tasteful and elegant black dress.

She stood on the small steps at the garden entrance. Her long, soft hair was neatly arranged, with a strand draped gracefully over her shoulder and across her chest.

She was stunningly beautiful—perhaps the most beautiful person Ye Xingmian had ever seen.

And…

Her eyes…

Pink.

In all her life, Ye Xingmian had only seen two people with pink eyes. One was herself, and the other was someone whose memory had long since blurred, whose face she could hardly recall—

“Mom?”

Ye Xingmian’s eyes widened. She froze in place.

Suddenly, she felt heat. Then wind. The breeze brushing against her didn’t feel cold—instead, it was refreshing.

‘Is it summer right now? Then where did spring and winter go?’

Dark clouds filled the sky. Ye Zhiyun smiled and waved at her.

“Mianmian, why did you run over here again? Come out quickly. It’s going to rain. Let’s go inside and take shelter.”

Stunned, Ye Xingmian was momentarily so overwhelmed she could barely speak. She ran toward Ye Zhiyun.

“Mom? Is it really you? Mom!”

“Hmm? Silly child, what’s wrong? If I’m not your mom, who else would I be?”

“Waaah… I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Mom… I…”

Ye Zhiyun seemed a little taller than her, but they were mother and daughter. Perhaps Ye Xingmian could have grown as tall as her mom, too?

The reason she hadn’t might have been due to malnutrition when she was little…

“Oh dear, stop crying~ It’s about to rain. Come on, let’s go~”

At the same time, a cold drop of water seemed to land on Ye Xingmian’s arm.

She paused. When she looked up again, she felt a bit embarrassed.

‘Will I get scolded?’

She had accidentally gotten tears on her mom’s clothes…

She couldn’t help worrying, but since it was Mom, being scolded was fine.

But her mom didn’t scold her. She didn’t show any sign of disgust.

Instead, she bent down slightly, smiling, and gently stroked Ye Xingmian’s cheek.

“Done crying? You little goof, why are you such a crybaby? You can’t be a crybaby forever, or you won’t find a husband later.”

“Find… a husband?”

“That’s right. You’re a girl, you’ll have to find a partner someday, won’t you?”

Ye Xingmian’s expression darkened. She took her mother’s hand.

“Come on, Mom. Let’s go inside.”

“Mm, okay.”

***

Outside the villa’s garden, there was a covered corridor that shielded against wind and rain. Following it, they reached a semi-open wooden courtyard.

A tea table was set up there, where one could enjoy tea while reclining in a lounge chair, savoring the pleasant cool breeze of the rainy day.

“Mom… do you hate me for being a crybaby?”

Sitting in the chair, Ye Xingmian looked up cautiously and asked.

“How could I? No matter what my precious daughter becomes, Mom will always love you.”

“Really?”

“Really! Truer than true gold. Mom’s love lasts longer than diamonds, you know?”

“Waaah!”

“Come here, baby, let Mom hug you.”

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong? Too grown up for hugs now?”

“Umm… is this… okay?”

Ye Xingmian seemed a little afraid—or rather… nervous.

“Oh dear? Do you want Mom to hug you or not?”

“I do~”

“Then come here.”

She walked over with uneasy steps.

She touched her mom’s hand. It was warm, soft.

Real.

Something in her heart seemed to relax.

Was it because Mom was strong? Or because she herself was too light? The class monitor used to say she was light.

Anyway, she was lifted up like a little child, arms slipped under her armpits.

The sturdy rocking chair swayed gently with her mother’s movements. Her face touched something soft and warm. Her heart, which had been pounding with nervousness, seemed to calm down.

It was a lazy, comfortable feeling.

She wanted to stay in this warm embrace forever, never leaving.

A cool breeze blew. The long-accumulating rain finally poured down.

Dense droplets slid along the eaves, forming a continuous line.

Raindrops struck the wooden roof, making a loud but utterly peaceful, soothing sound.

Patter, patter—

The garden of tiny blue flowers was battered by the rain. The gray-black sky seemed to have condensed into ink. Wet droplets rolled down the petals.

“Mom, what are those flowers?”

A mother knows everything. She knows everything.

Ye Xingmian looked into those large, pink eyes—her mother’s eyes.

Gentleness as vast as a sea of flowers, where one could drift and wander.

In them, she saw herself, the rain, the flowers, and tenderness.

“Ah, these flowers? They’re called ‘forget-me-nots.’”

“Who planted them?”

“Hehe, silly child, don’t you remember? You planted them yourself.”

“Huh? But I don’t remember…”

As Ye Xingmian spoke, she suddenly fell silent.

The rain in the world seemed to pause for a single moment.

Black and white colors spread across the film, like a silent movie. A crackling sound suddenly appeared.

Her mother’s face seemed to fade too, turning gray, like an old photograph.

But Ye Xingmian stopped it.

Because after that, her mother shook her head and said with a smile:

“Mm… that’s because you lost your memory.”

Ye Xingmian chewed on this unfamiliar word.

“Lost my memory…?”

“Yes. You forgot some bad things. You forgot some painful things. From now on, you only need to remember the happy things.”

“I see… then I want you to stay with me, okay?”

“Of course. Mom can stay with you forever.”

“For my whole life?”