“I’ll have Zhizhi acknowledge you as her godmother.” My tone was more serious than ever before. “In short, she will…”
The topic suddenly turned heavy.
Su Liumeng covered her ears. “Alright, stop talking about these things.” She still couldn’t accept it.
I huffed and pulled her hands away. My tone was slightly domineering, my face as stunning as ever. “Even if you don’t want to hear it, you have to. This isn’t something that can be solved by avoiding it.”
“Su Liumeng, look at me…” I cupped her face.
Regarding my daughter, the sudden outburst of strength made Su Liumeng daze for a moment.
“Both you and I have grown up; we haven’t been children for a long time.”
“I only have you to entrust things to.”
“Help me share some of the responsibility,” I pleaded with a trace of entreaty in my voice.
Su Liumeng didn’t speak but returned a kiss.
***
Time seemed to freeze.
***
My stiff hands hovered in the air for a long time before I finally hugged her from behind.
Su Liumeng looked at me. “That’s the answer.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “No being too romantic. I’m allergic to romance.” Actually, I was afraid of getting too swept up in love.
Even if you escort someone for a thousand miles, there must eventually be a parting. Su Liumeng didn’t care about such logic. As for whether it was useful… the body wouldn’t lie.
Su Liumeng caught my waist in passing. “Be careful, don’t fall.”
I rolled my eyes again.
Wasn’t that obvious? What kind of constitution did I have compared to hers? Could she really not tell whether my legs were weak or not?
In the living room, the little dumpling heard the commotion and tilted her head toward the walk-in closet.
‘Mama is being all lovey-dovey with Su Liumeng again.’
She had long since grown accustomed to it and ignored these trivial matters, lowering her head again to play with the high-level jigsaw puzzle in her hands.
“Be careful on the road,” Su Liumeng warned once more, filled with worry.
I curled my lip. If she hadn’t said it until my ears developed calluses, I was about to lose my patience.
“I know!” I waved my hand and went to the balcony alone, preparing to bring along the little dress I hadn’t finished making.
I probably wouldn’t have many things to do, and I figured I would need these things to pass the time once we were out.
I could already vaguely sense the suppression of the Chaos Rules. My cultivation had become difficult again. Currently, I only ran two cycles a day. One cycle took an hour, so two cycles could be completed in two hours. Any more would have side effects, causing my already weak meridians to snap.
The day of departure quickly arrived.
I went out alone once more.
Beiqing.
I held Shangguan Xiyue’s hand. “You must cultivate well. You have the aptitude, and it’s not bad. There will always be opportunities in the future.”
“I know, I know! I promise I won’t forget.” Shangguan Xiyue rubbed my head. “In the blink of an eye, our little princess has grown up so much that she can go to other worlds for experience.”
I didn’t want to be a nagging old lady, but facing my best friend, I couldn’t help but say a few more words.
“In the future, there might be a chance to break through the limitations of the Heavenly Dao.”
“If you cultivate more now, you’ll be able to catch the first ride.” I certainly wouldn’t see that day, but Shangguan Xiyue was different from me; she still had a chance to benefit.
The Chaos Rules could not be defied. The Heavenly Dao, however, was not that difficult to overturn.
“Being a mother is truly different. Our cold goddess has become so wordy,” Shangguan Xiyue teased.
I felt a bit embarrassed.
“I… haven’t been that cold, have I?”
“Wasn’t I quite gentle before?”
“Not cold? With so many people wanting to pursue you, you ignored every single one of them. You didn’t want to add anyone’s contact information. Even if you did, when they messaged you online, it was like you didn’t see it. The messages just sank into the ocean without a trace.”
“…”
‘Is it possible I just didn’t see them?’
Shangguan Xiyue pulled me along as we walked through the Beiqing campus again. She had always been a celebrity at Beiqing. As time passed, the buzz around me had decreased countless times over. New faces replaced the old every year, and fewer and fewer people recognized me now.
Occasionally, an exclamation would echo, and I would politely respond to each one.
“Xinyan.”
“You’ve become much gentler.” Shangguan Xiyue studied the young woman’s features beside her; a person’s eyes couldn’t lie.
Her eyes were like autumn water. She was as quiet as a maiden.
“Maybe.” I looked down at a small stone on the ground. “How can someone who no longer lacks love be stingy about sharing it with others?”
I recalled the day I first met Xinyan. The figure at the station resolutely refusing everyone’s help. It was strength, but also loneliness. She didn’t want to have any entanglement with anyone. Because she was already alone, she refused the kindness of others that she couldn’t repay.
Her seemingly strong figure was more fragile than anyone’s. And she masked it with her words and deeds.
That day, Shangguan Xiyue saw the self-esteem behind her and the unspeakable fragility in her silhouette, which was why she had gone to help without hesitation.
“You’ve grown up.” Shangguan Xiyue rubbed my hair.
I didn’t resist her touch but just gently turned my head. “Be gentler, don’t mess up my hairstyle. Otherwise, I’ll pester you until you give me a better-looking one.”
“Sure! I’ll braid an ancient-style hair ornament for you. I guarantee you’ll become even prettier,” Shangguan Xiyue said with a smile.
“You said it yourself. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll bite you.”
“Don’t bite me, I’m afraid of pain.”
‘What are you running for? Stop being so silly…’
I swatted her in annoyance. She was older than me, yet she was even more immature.
The silver-bell-like laughter of the young women echoed through the campus, drifting further away in their playfulness and pursuit. Only beside her one and only friend from the past could Si Xinyan let go of so many worries. It was as if time had returned to their sweet sixteen, back to the games and shouts shared over voice calls late at night.
Time wouldn’t stop, and everyone would grow. Growing up was a constant melody. Everyone wants to stay a child forever, but life pushes you to grow through repeated bruises and injuries. Childhood doesn’t teach you sincerity; life tells you to be strong.
She had no parents since she was young. Only she was her own safe harbor. Fortunately, she had also met a few people who were willing to treat her with sincerity.
The first stop ended.
I wore the hairstyle Shangguan Xiyue had braided for me and happily headed to the second stop.
The wind gently brushed the earth. The light blue hair ribbon fluttered in the breeze. The pale green skirt fanned out just right. Humans are visual creatures, and this was the outfit that made me feel the most comfortable.
Ye Xi was standing at the bus stop, waving at me. “Good turtle, I’m here!” I had already become close friends with her.
Since Ye Xi had met the little dumpling once, she had been clamoring for me to bring her out next time I left the house. Not seeing the little one’s figure now, she felt a slight disappointment.
“Why didn’t you bring Zhizhi out for me to play with?”
“…”
“She’s at home doing a jigsaw puzzle,” I explained.
If I wanted to take her out, she would definitely agree with both hands and feet. But I hadn’t told her. Mainly, I felt that taking my daughter out to meet a girlfriend felt a bit strange.
After playing games with Ye Xi for a while, it was finally time to go home.
Just as I walked out of the mall building, I saw my daughter’s figure. The little one had timed it perfectly to pick me up and take me home.
How to describe it? The experience was a bit miraculous. The feeling of being picked up by my daughter.
“Ah, it’s the cute Zhizhi Baby! How can she look so unfairly cute? Wuwuwu, I want a hug.”
Ye Xi crouched on the ground, wanting a single favor from the little dumpling.
“Can big sister give you a hug?”
Si Zhiruo hesitated slightly and took a step back. Only two people had hugged her since she was born.
The light in Ye Xi’s eyes was dimming bit by bit.
The little one pouted privately and said with some disdain, “Fine, I’ll let you hug me once, lest Mama says I’m ignoring her friend again.”
The sun appeared in Ye Xi’s eyes again. She excitedly picked up the little one and walked over to my side.
“Wuwuwu, so cute!”
“Even that disdainful look has such lethal force.”
“When you grow up, you’ll definitely become the ultimate ‘White Moonlight.’ The people pursuing you will surely stretch from Jing City all the way to Sea City.”
Zhizhi said dismissively, “Just superficial trash. I wouldn’t like a single one of them. Rather than wasting time falling in love, I’d rather cook a favorite dish for Mama.”
Ye Xi’s gaze froze.
Su-superficial trash?
Wait. The first thing Zhizhi thought of was a bit strange.
The words Ye Xi had been about to say were actually about six-foot-two handsome guys with six-pack abs, but who knew the little dumpling’s brain was on a completely different track?
Only I stood to the side, silently facepalming.
As expected, I shouldn’t have put too many strange books on the bookshelf. Look at this. It had already corrupted the child.
‘It’s fine, she’s still young anyway,’ I thought melancholically.
Just like countless parents, my first thought was about my descendant’s issues, before turning back to myself…
Whatever. I hadn’t set a good example myself. What right did I have to lecture my daughter?
Let nature take its course.
As long as she was happy and safe, it was enough.