Upon hearing her words, Ye Xingmian remained silent, merely tilting her head and putting on a confused expression.
“Mom?”
Liu Yinuo’s heart sank. She carefully examined the girl before her. The other’s gaze was hazy, and there was a faint smell of alcohol mixed with her body scent, quite pleasant.
‘So… was she hallucinating from drinking, mistaking her for her mother?’
‘That seemed the only possibility.’
‘What should she do then? Try to wake her up?’
‘But if it didn’t affect what she was doing, it probably didn’t matter, right?’
After thinking it over, Liu Yinuo decided it wasn’t necessary to wake her. She’d make her feel better in her stomach and then carry her to bed to sleep.
So, Liu Yinuo showed a smile.
“First, drink this glass of water. Then go to sleep.”
She brought the glass of brown sugar water over, while deliberately glancing at the girl’s lower body.
‘If it was her period, there might be leakage. She should prepare sanitary pads for her… But why were there no signs after so long? Had she already put one on?’
At the same time, Ye Xingmian seemed not to hear her voice, only staring blankly at her.
In Ye Xingmian’s world, everything before her was blurry, like a layer of fog, all white. Her head was dizzy, unable to think about anything.
Only the person before her was the clearest.
Yet also somewhat strange.
Because in her world, the person before her was Mom.
Why was Mom here?
No… who was the class monitor?
Weren’t they just at the class monitor’s house?
Where was this?
Her muddled little brain wasn’t enough to handle these complex thoughts, and it soon shut down.
This made her look a bit dumb.
Also…
Her stomach hurt so much…
She furrowed her brows slightly and murmured:
“Mom… my stomach hurts…”
Liu Yinuo looked at her and sighed.
Although the girl’s voice was very soft, it was clearly heard.
No choice, she had to play the role of “Mom.”
“Xingmian, be good. Drink this, and it won’t hurt anymore, okay?”
Kneeling on the sofa, Ye Xingmian smiled blankly.
“Okay…”
Ye Xingmian took the cup and drank it down.
After finishing, Ye Xingmian let out a small yawn.
“Mom… I’m sleepy.”
“Wait a moment. Can you wait a bit before sleeping?”
“Mm…”
Ye Xingmian didn’t answer, just squinting her eyes and smiling sweetly.
Then she crawled over from the sofa and hugged Liu Yinuo’s body.
Liu Yinuo had just been cleaning the table, but now she froze.
A stray kitten no longer hisses at people, but obediently allows petting, even actively snuggling up.
This completely defenseless, clingy appearance was like a child who had never seen her mother since childhood.
Ye Xingmian’s appearance…
Liu Yinuo glanced sideways, carefully examining the girl beside her.
Her relationship with Ye Xingmian was already quite good, but she had never seen her like this.
Perhaps she only showed this side to someone she completely trusted?
Or maybe it was related to who she saw in her eyes?
For example… her mother?
Even though Liu Yinuo herself found it strange—according to what she said, they hadn’t met for a long time—yet she still had this degree of attachment?
This feeling…
Honestly, Liu Yinuo felt a bit displeased.
Or even, somewhat envious, perhaps?
Envious of her mother?
She was really weird.
But if it weren’t for drunk Ye Xingmian mistaking her for her mother, Liu Yinuo might never have seen this side of the girl in her lifetime.
Maybe she would only see that cautious, guarded little pitiful one.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a soft touch on her cheek.
Startled, she instinctively turned her head.
A slightly confused voice came to her ear.
She turned around and found the pink eyes of the girl beside her full of bewilderment.
“You… what did you just… do?”
Liu Yinuo belatedly touched her face and found a shallow water stain at the spot of the touch.
‘Could it be…’
“Can’t I give a kiss? I saw in books that this is what you do…”
‘Kiss… kiss?’
Liu Yinuo’s expression turned to shock.
She carefully recalled the sensation just now—moist, soft, and with a hint of endearment.
‘That… that was a kiss?’
The girl beside her spoke again in a childish tone:
“Thank you, Mom!”
Heartbeat suddenly accelerated, cheeks felt hot.
“You… you can… of course you can!”
At the same time, she received another childish kiss on her cheek.
Feeling that warm, soft kiss, feeling the girl snuggle against her, feeling that thin, soft body performing all the cuddly tactics that should be directed at her mother.
So this was what it meant to be smitten?
At that moment, Liu Yinuo felt her heart melt.
She hugged Ye Xingmian back, holding her in her arms.
The other let out a small yelp, then giggled, gently rubbing her cheek against Liu Yinuo’s.
Gradually, Liu Yinuo understood.
She liked Ye Xingmian.
It wasn’t unreasonable, nothing to hide.
‘As for why she liked?’
At first, she sympathized with this girl in hardship and wanted to lend a hand.
Soon, she was attracted by the girl’s diligence and virtue, wanting to see the distance in her eyes fade and her smile appear.
She worked hard toward that goal.
And soon, this girl became an important part of her thoughts.
She always worried about her.
Always wanted to see her.
Wanted to touch, wanted to hug.
Finally, wanted to see her make that expression at her.
Such a beautiful, even childish expression.
That was what she wanted.
But why?
‘How could this not make her sad? How could she not be jealous? Only when drunk? Only when mistaking her for her mother?’
‘If her efforts couldn’t even match the faint illusion of someone far away.’
But she also knew she had time.
‘No need to rush. Future Ye Xingmian would stay by her side, unable to go anywhere. She had plenty of opportunities.’
As for now—
“Mom~ I like…”
The alcohol-reeking girl was still murmuring childish, dependent words.
‘Perhaps she only saw her as a substitute for her mother. Or as a surrogate. That’s why she had feelings for her?’
‘If it weren’t her, but someone else, who showed such gentleness and care, maybe she would show the same emotions?’
But that didn’t matter. At least at this moment, Liu Yinuo was in a good mood.
However, she still had important things to do.