Chapter 345

Page 153 Farewell

Can’t Laugh.

Even if I force a smile by pulling up the corners of my mouth, it certainly can’t be called a smile.

“Tsk, you really have an ugly smile.”

The old lady let go of her hand, and my face bounced back like rubber.

“Just as I haven’t done much for you as a mother, I haven’t done much for Mom either as a daughter. So being able to help in the end, I’m truly delighted from the bottom of my heart. So don’t feel sad for me, disappearing without doing anything scares me even more.”

“Leaving you and Old Dad was just out of necessity. I’m not a child without a mother. Just knowing this makes me very content.”

“Stupid child, everything you say is exactly what your father would say…”

The old lady took out the spatial jewel from her bosom.

After teleporting here, she had put away the jewel.

“Little Yīng…”

The master, who couldn’t leave the temple, softly called out, seeming to want to say something.

“…I’m…sorry.”

But upon meeting the old lady’s gaze, she could only squeeze out these words.

“Sigh…”

The old lady stared at the master for three seconds, then sighed helplessly, tossing the spatial jewel back to her.

“Dad, once I leave, I might never see you again. If there’s anything you want to say, you’d better say it now.”

The word “Dad” made a noticeable joy flash in the master’s eyes, but it quickly faded.

She shook her head.

“Little Yīng, you are a daughter whom I didn’t value enough, yet one I am proud of. Your father and Moonlight would be proud of you, but I am not worthy to be your father.”

“Mm, indeed not worthy.”

The old lady readily agreed, and the master lowered her brows, making a pained face.

“But, you could consider being a proper husband. You’ve hurt Mom once already, so don’t betray her again in the future.”

“Mmm! Wah!”

The master…the grandfather nodded, and emotions could no longer be contained.

——————

【17:20】

——————

Teleported back to the underground research institute.

This time, our contact with the master was short, and none of us triggered a random transformation.

The newly settled central rest area was already full of people. Not only Aunt Huāyíng and Aunt Zhēn, but even Aunt Fēi, who was originally at the Balance Night Market, came over.

As soon as we emerged from the spatial jewel, Brother Zhú came over to inquire about the situation.

“Xiǎo Kǎi, what did Dad say? Is there any way?”

He knew we went to the temple to ask the master about the final insurance, which Sister Zǐ must have told him. However, noticing the tears in my eyes and Ling Hua’s eyes, he also sensed that things weren’t optimistic.

“It’s impossible… The master’s final insurance can hardly be considered insurance at all. Only her own life is guaranteed to be lost, and Grandma may not necessarily be saved.”

My words cast another shadow over the already oppressive atmosphere. Aunt Huāyíng couldn’t accept the reality and sobbed into Aunt Zhēn’s arms.

“Have we run out of options?”

Brother Zhú fiercely grabbed his hair, “But it’s not entirely hopeless.”

The old lady stepped forward, pointing at herself, “If I go, I can use a spell to save Mom!”

Behind me, Mom was crying again, and Xiǎo Lěi hurriedly fumbled for crumpled tissues to wipe her tears dry.

— “She cried so sadly without saying any words to keep her back. Has she accepted this outcome?” —

She must have said something, but the old lady convinced her.

This is the best possible result with the least cost… but the cost is our mother! The old lady doesn’t want to die or disappear, does she?

But she keeps everything in her heart and forces a smile to face death, while I, as her son, can do nothing.

It’s too cruel. How could such a thing happen?

— “She didn’t want us to fall into this situation, which is why she didn’t appear before us earlier… I think we should respect her wishes.” —

Even if I understand, some things are still hard to accept…

“Did you say… Mom?”

Aunt Huāyíng choked up and looked at the old lady, puzzled.

She asked, “I was always curious. You’re not Elder Brother’s daughter, right? Then who are you?”

“I am your elder brother… the other half of his soul.”

The old lady crossed her arms and confidently revealed the truth.

But then she corrected herself, “However, we don’t share much in common. I merely lived in his place for ten years.”

The old lady walked up to Aunt Huāyíng, intending to squat down, but Aunt Zhēn pulled her to sit on the sofa between herself and Aunt Huāyíng.

“You should be our sister.”

The old lady replied with a bitter smile, “In terms of age, I feel like I’m the younger sister.”

Though they were sisters, the old lady, who always wanted to leave a mark, could only acknowledge them now in this desperate moment.

“Are you planning to sacrifice yourself for Mom?”

“Even if I don’t do this, my remaining time is limited. After revealing myself like this, I will likely face divine punishment soon, right?”

Aunt Huāyíng asked, “…Qiǎnxià, will you definitely die no matter what?”

“Correction! My real name should be Níng Yīng! And what I face might be worse than death. Death leaves a corpse, but I won’t leave even a trace… Even so, I’m not afraid.”

The old lady looked up at Mom, her gaze softening.

“Not only do I have my beloved, but I also have children. As someone who should have disappeared decades ago, being able to see them again is enough for me. Moreover, I can help Mom. Whether as a mother or a daughter, I have no regrets about this short life.”

“Really no regrets?”

“Mm, my only regret is not recognizing my sisters… Mom, Xiao Wei, and Xiao Kai sooner… If only we could have been together longer…”

Mom, unable to hold back her tears, rushed over and hugged the old lady, sobbing uncontrollably.

For a moment, only the sobs of women filled the rest area, spreading sorrow and the old lady’s helpless smile.

“How is Grandma doing?”

Lǐn Hua asked, “Has there been any news from the operating room?”

I looked at the door of the operating room, the “in surgery” indicator light still glowing an unsettling red.

Calculating the time, it had been an hour since Grandma was brought in. Previously, installing a kidney took less than two hours, so the removal should be faster…

“They are still trying to save her. Grandma’s condition is indeed very critical.”

The answer came from Sister Líng Qīng.

As the senior sister’s personal secretary, she should have come with the senior sister. However, she wasn’t wearing the characteristic black suit, instead wearing a light down jacket with a snug white high-necked sweater underneath, simple and unadorned.

“The researchers here are mostly professional medical staff, and Xin Zi is an expert in this field. We are not a makeshift team. Please give everyone in the operating room some confidence. No one wants to see the worst outcome.”

Although Sister Líng Qīng isn’t a doctor or a researcher, having stayed by the senior sister’s side, she knows the situation at the research institute well.

Handing the exhausted mom to Aunt Zhēn, the old lady stood up again.

“Regardless of the outcome of the surgery, I have no choice.”

Though speaking heavy words, she still appeared relaxed. It would be better if she could speak like Cherry Sauce and express that she doesn’t want to leave or disappear…

But the old lady didn’t say anything until the end.

She patted the top of my head, consoling me instead.

“Alright, alright. Since you claim to be a boy, stop crying. It’s almost time, I’m going in. Can’t you smile and see me off?”

“You’re forcing me. Not stopping you is already my greatest restraint.”

I clenched my fist.

Then released it.

I looked up at the face that was identical yet different from mine.

“Mother, please let me go in with you.”

She widened her eyes in surprise and asked, “Oh? What do you want to do? The scene during surgery is something most people can’t handle.”

“Let me watch you until the very end… as a child…”

She waved her hand and smiled, “That wouldn’t be good. If I get struck by divine punishment, wouldn’t it affect you too?”

“Even divine punishment won’t reach four hundred meters underground, right?”

“Don’t underestimate the path of heaven!”

She tapped my forehead and pushed me towards Lǐn Hua.

“Let me disappear alone. You don’t need to follow me.”

“Mother, is there really no way? You always find loopholes in the path of heaven… or go to the Divine Court, where Lord Hái’s elixir is still with me…”

I still couldn’t accept it.

The mother who returned after so long still has to disappear.

Who could bear this?

“Kǎi-Chan…”

Lǐn Hua hugged me from behind, and I felt a bit panicked.

“…Sorry, I know you have many feelings and many things to say, but every minute we delay, Grandma’s situation becomes more dangerous.”

The old lady turned and left the rest area, heading towards the operating room.

She didn’t look back, and her gradually receding figure made me increasingly anxious. The tears I had barely managed to hold back fell again.

— “The spell ends, and before the true divine punishment arrives… there might still be time.” —

The old lady opened the door to the operating room.

Xiǎo Lěi helped me, who couldn’t walk, onto the sofa with Lǐn Hua’s support.

“Xiǎo Kǎi, the owner has long prepared for this moment.”

Yòu Zi jumped from Xiǎo Lěi’s head to my chest, then into the air, and finally landed on my leg.

“She said you and Sister Wēi would definitely get injured because of this, which is why we hid from you before, so you wouldn’t find us.”

“I know.”

It stood upright on my leg, supporting its chest, and pressed my face with its paw.

“Then you should cheer up!”

“I’m fine, I’ll be fine. I’m just… a bit tired.”

The moon quartz pendant was still hanging on Yòu Zi’s slender neck, and someone had shortened the chain.

It spoke in a sharp, delicate voice, “Then come pet me! Until you get better, I’ll let you pet me all you want!”

Yòu Zi’s body contained a fragment of our mother’s soul, serving as proof of her existence.

“Yòu Zi, I will take care of you in place of the old lady. From now on, you will be part of our family.”

Though unable to transform into a human and do anything, the small animal retorted confidently, “No, it’s me who will take care of you! Xiǎo Kǎi should rely more on me… Stop crying!”

Taking the handkerchief from Sister Zǐ, I wiped my swollen eyes.

“I won’t have a mother anymore…”

“You still have Sister Wēi.”

“That’s my dad…”

— “Wait!” —

Cherry Sauce’s mental message suddenly rang out loudly, and my tense nerves felt a bit painful.

— “It’s divine punishment! The old lady’s divine punishment is coming!!” —