The next morning, as dawn barely broke, the whole family was already on the street to see me off.
Compared to my father, who simply instructed me to follow Tong Yuan’s orders, my mother—usually quiet and refined but prone to tears in emotional moments—wiped her eyes with a handkerchief while holding my hand.
“Sniff… Qingqing, when you get there, you must take care of yourself. Don’t forget to eat because you’re working too hard.”
“Yes.”
“And cover yourself properly with the blanket at night. Don’t kick it off and catch a cold.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Sniff… And remember to use the bathroom before bed, so you don’t wet the—”
“I’ve never wet the bed!”
How could I wet the bed?
Am I still a child!?
Well, I suppose I technically am.
Faced with my mother’s tearful and snotty outpouring, I could only pat her hand and say, “Alright, alright,” to comfort her.
“Qiao’er and Yu’er, though I asked you to accompany Qingqing, you must also take care of yourselves.”
My mother held my hand tightly with one hand while reaching out to the Bing Qiao and Leng Yu sisters standing nearby.
Bing Qiao quickly grasped my mother’s hand.
“Madam, rest assured, this servant will be careful. Thank you for your concern.”
Leng Yu nodded silently in agreement.
Seeing the sisters’ response, my mother let out a relieved sigh.
She wiped her tears, blew her nose, and said with a nasal tone, “Mm.”
Watching this warm scene, I couldn’t help but smile softly.
“And keep an eye on him. Pay attention to any girls who get close to him,” my mother added pitifully at the end.
“Yes,” Bing Qiao agreed without hesitation.
“Don’t just agree to that! Are you there to take care of me or to spy on me? Give me back my warm feelings!” The cozy atmosphere vanished instantly, and I felt a bit exasperated.
“That’s Madam for you,” Leng Yu remarked lightly, unfazed.
“Ha… the road ahead is tough.”
I sighed, lifting my gaze to search the crowd behind my mother for a certain someone.
The head of the Liu family and his wife were also among those seeing me off… but Liu Lingshan was nowhere to be seen.
She really didn’t come, did she?
“Sigh, I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl Lingshan. No matter how much we knocked, she wouldn’t come out. She’s usually so attached to Qing’er,” Uncle Liu said, puzzled.
“She must be reluctant to part with Qing’er. I heard her crying last night,” Aunt Liu said with a worried expression.
I reassured them, “Lingshan must have been held up by something. Uncle, Aunt, don’t worry.”
I could understand.
Though she always acted tough, Lingshan was actually a girl who deeply feared loneliness.
Since arriving in this world, I’d seen her countless times hiding in a corner, calling out for her “sister” while wiping away tears.
I still remember once, when I found her, her face was covered in tears and snot, curled up alone in a corner.
When she saw me, she grabbed my sleeve with such a heart-wrenching expression and begged me to promise…
To promise…
Liar!!
The words Lingshan said while crying yesterday suddenly flooded my mind…
“!!”
In that moment, I recalled that day—Lingshan, helpless like an abandoned kitten, and the promise we made.
She was right.
I really am a liar.
“Everything ready? It’s getting late, so we should… wait, where are you going!?” Tong Yuan was about to say farewell when I suddenly darted past them, running toward the Liu residence.
An utterly deplorable… liar.
To think I forgot the one promise she relied on in this world.
I ran to the Liu residence in one breath, dashed up to the second floor with ease, and arrived at Lingshan’s door.
I raised my hand to knock but realized I didn’t even have the courage for that.
Instead, I pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room.
But inside, I found no trace of Lingshan—not on the bed, not on the chair.
A wave of guilt and loss surged within me.
I stood frozen at the door for a long time before realizing I had to find her immediately.
Just as I turned to run out and search for the silly girl, I felt a tug on my sleeve.
Startled, I turned to see a small, curled-up figure in the corner behind the open door.
“Don’t… leave me alone again.”
Lingshan buried her head between her knees, her voice muffled as she poured out her heart.
Hearing those words, my nose stung with emotion.
“Idiot…” Though I was the one in the wrong, I couldn’t help but call her that.
I knelt before her, pulling her head into my arms.
“You’re the one who brought me to this world. How could I just leave you before holding you accountable?”
“I’ve got a ton of complaints to throw at you. Why did you try to assassinate me that day? What crime did I commit? And how clueless must you have been to drag us both back to ancient times for no reason? Until you answer these questions, don’t even think about running off anywhere.”
Since living in this world, I’ve asked her countless questions—about the Time and Space Administration, her true identity, why I was attacked…
But Lingshan has never answered a single one.
“Xiao Qing, I… I…” Whenever I ask, she shows the same fearful, helpless expression as now, making it impossible for me to press further. “I know you want answers to these questions, but I… I’m sor—”
Before she could finish saying “sorry,” I cut her off.
“I’m the one who should be sorry for forgetting our important promise.”
I shouldn’t have forgotten.
That day, Lingshan held my hand, choking back tears, and said, “In this world… you’re all I have left. So, please… don’t leave me alone.”
I stood up, letting go of her, and took her hand instead.
“As for my questions, you don’t have to force yourself to answer if you don’t want to. I’ll wait until you’re ready. But in return…”
I reached out with my other hand, wiping the growing tears from her face, and smiled.
“Will you… wait for me to come back?”
Lingshan’s soft, youthful face was streaked with tears, now smudged like a little tabby cat from my wiping.
At that moment, she was both heart-wrenchingly lovable and pitiable.
But even so, she managed a smile.
In her tear-filled, bright black eyes, there was a hint of resolve amidst her unease.
“Xiao Qing, in the days to come, we may face the end of this world… and one day, I’ll have to tell you everything. But until that day comes, let me answer you like this.”
She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, gripped my hand tightly with her other hand, stood up, and met my gaze.
“I’ll always… be waiting for you.”