Chapter 31: The Past

The remaining ingredients in the house weren’t plentiful, so Lin Mo could only casually whip up two simple home-style dishes.

“Let’s eat.” 

Lin Mo said as he placed the dishes on the table, motioning for Song Xue’er to join him.

“Mmm…” 

Song Xue’er hesitated before approaching the table, but the rich aroma immediately assaulted her senses, making her mouth water uncontrollably.

A sharp pang of hunger twisted her stomach, and she could no longer hold back. 

Picking up her chopsticks, she began devouring the food ravenously, mumbling between bites, “So… so good…”

Before long, both plates were completely empty. 

Only then did she realize what she had done, and a flush of embarrassment crept up her face. 

“Um… I was just really hungry earlier…”

Lin Mo wore a wry smile. 

Fortunately, given his current constitution, skipping a meal wasn’t a big deal. 

He waved it off. 

“It’s fine. I’m not that hungry.”

Song Xue’er, of course, didn’t believe he was truly unaffected. 

Her guilt only deepened, but she didn’t know what to say, leaving her feeling stifled.

“What, still hungry?” 

Lin Mo asked, mistaking her expression for lingering hunger. 

“I can check next door for more food.”

“No!” 

Song Xue’er reacted more strongly than expected, startling Lin Mo. 

Realizing her outburst, she gradually relaxed her tense posture and lowered her head. 

“It’s dark outside—it’s dangerous. Besides, I’m already full. But you…”

“Me? I’m fine…” 

Lin Mo chuckled self-deprecatingly. 

“I’ve been used to hunger since I was a kid.”

Song Xue’er glanced at him. 

This man’s past… didn’t seem easy.

“By the way, you can cook? And it tastes really good,” she said, recalling her earlier curiosity.

“Ah, that… I learned when I was young. Honestly, it’s been so long since I last cooked—I’m a bit rusty.” 

Lin Mo smiled, suddenly finding their conversation rather enjoyable. 

The suffocating weight of the apocalypse pressing on his heart eased slightly.

“I see…” 

Song Xue’er lowered her head, silent for a moment before speaking again. 

“Can you… tell me about your past?”

“Huh?” 

Lin Mo looked at her in surprise. 

In the darkness, the faint glow of a single candle cast a dim yellow light, accentuating the delicate beauty of the girl’s face. 

Her melancholic expression, paired with the faint smile at her lips, sent an inexplicable tremor through his heart.

What’s wrong with me?

“Yeah… sure.” After a long pause, Lin Mo nodded. 

The night was long, and they had just woken up-neither felt sleepy. Talking about the past wasn’t a bad way to pass the time.

Song Xue’er sat on the edge of the bed, propping her chin with one hand, her expectant gaze fixed on Lin Mo.

“Well… there’s not much to tell.” 

Lin Mo chuckled. 

“I’ve been an orphan since I was born. No idea where I came from, no parents. My earliest memories are all from the orphanage.” 

As he spoke, a trace of loneliness and sorrow inevitably colored his expression.

A melancholic atmosphere spread as Song Xue’er slightly parted her lips, wanting to offer comfort but unsure how to begin.

“Later on, a couple adopted me…” 

Lin Mo continued, 

“and then they died.”

Like a heavy boulder crashing down, Song Xue’er covered her mouth and took a deep breath.

“They died, less than a week after I joined their family… They had a daughter who hated me. She believed it was because of me that her parents left.”

“Her feelings weren’t wrong. If they hadn’t been helping ten-year-old me find a school that day, they might have stayed home enjoying their rare holiday. Then they wouldn’t have been hit by that out-of-control truck…”

“She hated me, and I accepted that completely. But I still had to take care of her… She was the daughter of the people who gave me a home, my little sister. With our parents gone, I had to shoulder this responsibility!” 

His calm words carried unwavering determination and faint warmth, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

“Those were the hardest days of my life, yet also the most memorable. 

Our parents didn’t have many relatives, and the few they had weren’t well-off. 

The most they could offer was limited financial help. 

I attended the school our parents had arranged for me, and naturally worked part-time too. I

 searched across half the city before finding a car repair stall willing to hire a child laborer like me.”

“Studying, working, taking care of my sister-these filled my entire life. It was exhausting yet fulfilling. To survive, I learned to cook, clumsily stir-frying while standing on unsteady stools. I fell, got scalded by splashing oil. 

During that time, I always smelled of rust and grease from the repair stall. All my classmates looked at me strangely, teachers disliked me, but I didn’t care. 

Because things weren’t all bad -as I kept caring for her, my sister gradually became less cold toward me. She started helping with small tasks, smiling at me, occasionally playfully hitting me lightly. When I got hurt, she’d show concern and clumsily tend to my wounds…”

“Those days are unforgettable for the rest of my life.” 

Lin Mo smiled, with a hint of bitterness but more sweet warmth.

“Later, the authorities learned about our situation and began supporting us, helping my sister attend school. They even specially arranged housing near her school. After that, life became much easier. I no longer needed to work and could focus on studying, eventually getting into university…”

“Ah-” 

Song Xue’er sighed deeply. 

“I never imagined your past was so… difficult.” 

She struggled before settling on the word “difficult.” 

“It was alright.” 

Lin Mo smiled dismissively. 

“It’s all in the past… What about you? What was your past like?”

“As for me…” 

Song Xue’er shrugged, 

“Compared to you, my past is quite ordinary. I was born into a martial arts family, and my grandfather taught me martial arts from a young age. Other than that, I wasn’t much different from any other child.”

“Hmm.” 

Lin Mo nodded faintly and said, “It’s getting late. You should rest early…”

With that, he lay down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

He missed Xiao Ya. 

Memories of the past gripped his heart like an invisible hand, making him long for his younger sister even more and worry deeply about her current situation…

The night deepened, and all was quiet… 

In his drowsy state, Lin Mo faintly sensed a soft figure embracing him…