Shen Ye opened her eyes, greeted by a familiar scene.
An old alley, ginkgo leaves drifting down with the wind, blanketing the ground in a layer of gold.
Beneath the tree, a figure stood there. A young woman, her back turned to Shen Ye, her face hidden from view.
But that silhouette—Shen Ye recognized it at a single glance.
So familiar, but how could it be?
Drawn by that silhouette, Shen Ye stepped forward, her feet treading on the fallen leaves, producing a faint rustling sound.
The sensation underfoot made her look down.
Only then did Shen Ye realize with surprise that she was in the form of a small child, wearing clothes from her childhood.
At the same time, the woman beneath the tree was startled by the sound of the leaves. She turned to look, allowing Shen Ye to finally see her in full.
Her brows were gentle, her demeanor poised, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her calm eyes softened the moment Shen Ye’s figure came into view.
Shen Ye stared blankly at that face—so familiar, yet so unfamiliar. She felt a long-dry spring deep within her heart, stirring with a drop of dew after so long.
“Mother?”
She spoke in disbelief, uttering words she never thought she’d say again.
“Hm?”
A hint of confusion flickered in the woman’s tender, watery eyes. She walked over, picked Shen Ye up, and asked with concern:
“Xiao Ye, why are you crying?”
Huh? Crying? Me?
Shen Ye reached up and touched her cheek, her fingertips meeting a patch of dampness.
Only then did she realize that, at some point, she had already burst into tears.
How… how is this possible? Didn’t Mother die long ago?
Just like Father.
Mother’s hand reached Shen Ye’s eye, gently wiping the tears away.
“What happened? Can you tell Mother?”
Feeling the warmth of her mother’s embrace, she could no longer hold back. She threw herself into the woman’s arms, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
“Mother, I missed you so much.”
As Shen Ye’s body pressed against her, the woman keenly noticed something unusual.
She blinked in surprise, gently patting her child’s back, speaking in a tone full of warmth and affection:
“Xiao Ye~ How did you turn into a girl?”
Being asked such a question by her own mother, Shen Ye’s face, buried in the woman’s neck, flushed red. She hugged tighter and mumbled:
“Well… um, it’s because of the Spirit Bloodline. It just… happened to turn me into this.”
The woman didn’t seem surprised. She simply stroked her daughter’s head and said indulgently:
“I see. Even as a girl, my Xiao Ye is adorable~”
“Mhm~ Mother~”
Shen Ye’s voice was soft, carrying a coquettish nasal tone.
The scene was ripped away in an instant.
The warmth that felt like holding the entire world was cruelly shattered in that moment.
A sense of weightlessness. A sense of loss.
Shen Ye crashed hard onto the ground.
She instinctively reached out to hold on, but caught nothing but emptiness.
The stark contrast made Shen Ye realize this was a dream.
But if this was merely a play reuniting her with her mother, then the next act would be the nightmare she never wanted to see again.
And just as she expected.
Her mother, who had been holding her so gently just moments ago, now stood on the stage, her neck gripped by a strange man, her feet lifted off the ground.
Shen Ye stood not far away, like a bystander, quietly watching the scene unfold.
Just as she had all those years ago.
“No… don’t…”
She channeled her Spiritual Power, trying to use the Spirit Control Art to save her mother.
A mirror appeared before her at just the right moment. She lifted her eyes to look.
Reflected in the mirror was a charming Cat-Eared Girl.
The girl in the mirror smiled and spoke, carrying a chill that made Shen Ye’s hair stand on end:
“You’re not Shen Ye.”
I’m not Shen Ye?
She looked at the mirror. The Cat-Eared Girl was no longer smiling; her expression mirrored Shen Ye’s current terror.
How am I not Shen Ye?
Not far away, her mother’s cough reached her ears, but this time, the sound seemed to drift further and further away, receding from her.
The mirror spoke again, but this time, a familiar male voice came through.
It was Grand Senior Brother’s “Shen Ye” voice.
“No matter how long you cultivate, you still don’t have the power to save your mother.”
It was her own voice, yet it sounded utterly cold, utterly distant.
“Only I am the real Shen Ye.”
“And you—”
The voice drew closer.
“Are not Shen Ye at all.”
Shen Ye fell to her knees, clutching her head tightly.
No!
No!
I’ve always been Shen Ye!
She looked up, ready to argue with the version of herself in the mirror.
But what came into view was a large hand piercing through the mirror.
And the sound that followed—the shattering of glass.
The next second, suffocation surged in like a tide.
The hand seized her throat, its force so immense it felt like it would crush her throat bones to dust.
She struggled, both hands gripping the man’s arm, but a little girl’s strength meant nothing to the man before her.
The fear of death, crossing the span of years, engulfed her once more. Powerlessness swept through her entire body.
The voice fell from above, low and icy, like a Demon coming to claim her soul from hell.
“You’re a Spirit Being too?”
Shen Ye woke gently.
Her gaze rested quietly on the ceiling, utterly calm.
She sat in a daze for a long while, then rose, touched her neck, and murmured to herself:
“Such a realistic dream.”
There was nothing on her neck—no bruise, no pain. It had all been nothing more than a dream.
“…Sigh.”
She let out a deep breath.
It must be because of that Transformation.
Master had used the Spirit Locking Art to forcibly seal her Spirit Body into this new shell, and the fusion between spirit and flesh was still unstable.
Dreams carrying such deep memories were a sign of the spirit body’s instability.
But as the treatment continued, it should gradually improve.
Still…
“Even if it’s a dream, it still hurts…”
Shen Ye’s gaze was vacant. Her hand gripping the bedsheet tightened slightly, her pupils staining with ink-black darkness.
After a long while, she got up and left the bed.
Dragging her muddled head, she walked out of the room.
In the living room.
Lin Xiangyi had just placed the freshly made breakfast on the table. Seeing Shen Ye up, he asked:
“I made some Breakfast Porridge. Want to try some?”
Shen Ye looked at the scene before her, standing frozen in place, her lips parting slightly, unmoving for a long time.
Lin Xiangyi noticed Shen Ye had gone still. He set down the breakfast and paused his movements.
The two remained locked in this strange standoff.
After a long moment, Shen Ye took a deep breath and said to Lin Xiangyi:
“Call my name.”
“Uh… huh?”
Lin Xiangyi blinked, seemingly confused as to why the girl would suddenly make such a request.
“I said, call my name.”
Shen Ye spoke again, word by word, utterly serious.
Seeing the girl’s demeanor, Lin Xiangyi found it a bit odd.
He scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed, but finally spoke up:
“Uh… Xiao Ye? Want to try some?”
Hearing those words, Shen Ye was like a spell finally lifted. Her mind instantly relaxed.
A faint smile curved at the corners of her lips. The chaos in her head cleared in an instant, and light bloomed once more in her eyes.
The past will always be the past.
This is the reality I live in now.
She looked up, a bright smile replacing her expression.
“Okay, let me try it.”
After breakfast, the two prepared to head out.
Before leaving, Lin Xiangyi gave the Cat-Eared Girl a rundown of all the things to keep in mind.
Shen Ye’s Spiritual Power Circuits weren’t complete yet. Reaching the point where she could retract her ears and tail would have to wait until the next treatment.
Lin Xiangyi had used some methods to allow Shen Ye to conceal her Spirit Being features during this short outing.
At least in the eyes of passersby without Spiritual Power, she was just an ordinary girl.
“Remember, don’t get separated from me.”
“Mhm mhm mhm!”
Shen Ye’s little cat head bobbed obediently, echoing Lin Xiangyi’s words.
Lin Xiangyi gave her a look, feeling that her obedient demeanor was a bit suspicious, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.
“Don’t talk to strangers.”
“Mhm mhm mhm!”
“If you sense the spell loosening, tell me right away.”
“Mhm mhm mhm!”
“…Are you even listening?”
“Mhm mhm mhm!…Ah? Yes, I am, I am.”
Shen Ye chuckled sheepishly, scratching her cheek with a finger.
Lin Xiangyi sighed, reached for the keys, and pushed open the door.
The morning sunlight bathed the two of them, warm and cozy.
“Let’s go.”
He spoke, signaling Shen Ye to follow.
“Okay~”
Shen Ye walked behind him, her steps light, as if trying to leave the dream from last night far behind.
But just before the door closed, her steps faltered slightly.
She glanced back at the living room, her gaze landing on a Chair in the corner.
Last night, she had sat there while Lin Xiangyi dried her hair, eventually falling asleep from pure comfort.
I guess Junior Brother carried me to bed in the end.
She thought to herself.
Her fingers unconsciously touched her earlobe, giving it a gentle pinch, then quickly letting go.
Then, she turned and trotted over to Lin Xiangyi, who was waiting for her not far away.
“Don’t run. Walk slowly.”
“Okay~”
She fell in step with Lin Xiangyi, her hands clasped behind her back.
It wasn’t actually that comfortable, to be honest.