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墨書 Inktalez
Ling Kui seemed to hear nothing as she slowly walked past Cunning Li and approached the well.
Her long, white fingers brushed against the cold rock.
A slight smile appeared on her lips as she looked up at the Mulberry Tree, its vibrant green leaves swaying gently in the wind.
The white clouds above floated like cotton candy, sweeping away all sadness and sorrow.
Cunning Li furrowed his brow slightly and walked slowly to Ling Kui's side. "Ling'er..."
Ling Kui turned her head slowly, her face radiating a smile like melting snow.
"You are not him. Ha... how foolish of me to only recognize him now..."
Her gaze drifted toward the half-open door, dark and somewhat obscured, making it hard to see what was inside.
Li Xiaonan rushed from the front yard to the back, finally spotting Good Guy Dad in an old rattan chair.
He held a teapot in his hands, tilting his head against the backrest, silver strands mingling with his graying hair.
People from the mountains generally looked older than those from City, and at first glance, Li Dabei could easily pass for Li Xiaonan's grandfather.
Li Xiaonan sighed as he gazed at the rolling hills in the distance, a smile returning to his face.
"Xiao Nan!" Chen Mo rushed in, carrying a bag on both his front and back.
"Shh!" Li Xiaonan tried to stop the reckless Chen Mo, but it was too late.
Li Dabei stirred in his chair, startled awake by the sudden appearance of the children. He exclaimed, "Nanzi, you're back!"
"Dad!"
"Who is this beautiful girl?"
Chen Mo dropped two bags and straightened her clothes. "Uncle, it's me, Mo Mo, Chen Mo!"
"Oh! You've really changed; you're so beautiful now!" Li Dabei chuckled, his eyes crinkling with delight.
Chen Mo's face flushed with embarrassment, and she couldn't help but sway slightly.
Li Xiaonan laughed, "What are you pretending for? You look like a little bride!"
"You're annoying!" Chen Mo shot him a glare.
Li Dabei continued to chuckle, "A good daughter-in-law! Mo Mo would be the best daughter-in-law for the Li family!"
Just as Ling Kui walked into the backyard, her smile froze. She slowly lowered her head and retreated into the shadows of the house.
Has Xiao Nan lost his memory? Or does he simply not want to recognize us?
He seems so happy now; have we disrupted his life?
Is this truly who he is?
He may not possess an unparalleled beauty, but he has a pure smile that is almost transparent in its goodness.
Should I take all the sisters back? This is Xiao Nan's home, where his family and those who care for him are. And I... I don't belong here...
Two tears glimmered in the darkness.
Cunning Li sighed, gently squeezed Ling Kui's shoulder, and stepped over the threshold.
"Hello, Uncle," Cunning Li said with a smile, his eyes meeting Li Dabei's small ones.
The old man's gaze was not particularly profound, but it was simple and clean, mixed with a gentle warmth, like the sun in winter—warm yet lonely.
"Where did this handsome young man come from? He looks even more delicate than my daughter."
"Dad, this is my good brother!" Li Xiaonan explained.
"Good! Very good! Stay for dinner!" Li Dabei happily set down the teapot, patted his clothes, picked up the smoking pipe from the tea table, and began to bustle about in the house.
The moment Cunning Li walked into the small room, Ling Kui swayed and suddenly appeared behind him, saying, "Take us away tomorrow morning..."
"Thank you..."
Ling Kui forced a smile as he stepped outside.
Thank me for what? For allowing the current Xiao Nan to be happy? As long as he is happy...
Who is this man who looks just like Xiao Nan? But none of that matters anymore...
The simple fare of a farmer's meal was enjoyed by everyone with great appetite.
Li Dabei had a bit too much to drink and was mumbling praises about Scheming. "You're such a lucky guy, having so many beautiful girls around you. But you can only choose one! Otherwise, that's against the law!"
Scheming smiled and nodded, but his gaze subtly darted towards Li Xiaonan.
The latter pretended not to hear and buried her head in her food.
As for Principal Dad and Editor Mom, Li Xiaonan chose to remain silent.
After all, Good Guy Dad was living a peaceful and serene life now; there was no need to stir things up and make it chaotic.
Night fell, the wind picked up, and the flame of the red candle flickered in the breeze, creating a somewhat lonely atmosphere.
Li Dabei had gone to bed early, leaving behind a group of young people each lost in their own thoughts.
Chen Mo sat on a small stool, looking up at the sky before lowering her head to tap her legs. The blisters on her feet must have burst by now, stinging painfully. However, thinking back to Li Xiaonan's joy upon seeing Li Dabei made everything worthwhile.
A faint smile returned to her face as she pulled the hair tie from her ponytail, shaking her head and enjoying the cool evening breeze.
Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds beside her. Looking down, she saw Li Xiaonan holding a basin and kneeling down to untie her shoelaces.
Startled, she exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to soak your feet; it'll feel better," Li Xiaonan replied without paying her any mind. She carefully removed Chen Mo's shoes and socks, gently placing her sore feet into the water.
"Hiss..."
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly. "Does it hurt?"
Chen Mo shook her head, her brows slightly furrowed. "Xiao Nan, I feel like you've changed, you've become more caring. I'm curious which woman has made you this way."
Li Xiaonan's hand froze in mid-air, unsure of how to respond.
Chen Mo smiled faintly and turned her gaze to the starry night sky.
She murmured, "The old you was good too, but you wouldn't let me lean on your shoulder; you would just push me away with disdain. You wouldn't give me the chicken leg; instead, you would fight with me for food. You wouldn't carry me over the mountain path for half an hour; you would just laugh at my delicate nature. You wouldn't lend me your coat; you'd say you wanted style over warmth. And you definitely wouldn't be like this now..."
As Chen Mo spoke, tears fell from her eyes. "Along this journey, you've fulfilled all my past fantasies. I almost felt like the happiest person in the world. But everything is too beautiful, beautiful enough to wake me up because I know you don't love me. From the very first moment I saw you, I knew..."
"Don't say anymore..." Li Xiaonan frowned slightly, interrupting Chen Mo.
"No! I have to say it! Your kindness towards me feels like just a habit. Every time I see you smile at me, I feel like you're looking through me at other women... Xiao Nan... We've been apart for three years. Did I miss something? Which woman has made you love so deeply? How did it come to this?"
"That's enough! Stop talking!" Li Xiaonan's vision blurred as he suddenly picked up Chen Mo in his arms and said, "It's late; we should sleep..."
Their conversation came to an end, each word weighing heavily on Ling Kui's heart. She clenched her fists tightly, her gaze following Li Xiaonan.
"Sister..."
Ling Kui was taken aback and turned around to find five girls standing behind her, having appeared without her noticing.
Yun Moyu whispered, "Do you also feel that something is off with Li Xiaonan?"
Ling Kui forced a bitter smile but did not answer.
Li Xiaonan emerged from the room, leaning against the wall and rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
It seemed he had a fever again, feeling quite hot...
When would these torturous days come to an end?
Wasn't it said that staying here would bring happiness? Why did his heart still feel so restless?
He shook his head, drew two buckets of well water, and walked into the shabby bathroom.
Just as he was about to pour the water over himself to clear his muddled mind, a delicate white hand stopped him.
"Why don't you take better care of your body? You're clearly running a fever..."
Li Xiaonan was startled, staring at the suddenly appearing Ling Kui, stammering, "You... you... how did you get here?"
"Not only did I come, but also Mo Yu, Baby, Lu Ni Chang, Xian'er, and Nana."
Li Xiaonan frowned at Lu Shang, instinctively saying, "Lu Ni Chang?"
Wasn't this Lu Shang? Where was Lu Ni Chang?
Yun Moyu pouted and said, "Stupid Xiao Nan! You're still pretending! You’re curious when you shouldn’t be and surprised when you should be curious! Sister Ling, I told you he hasn't lost his memory!"
Ling Kui nodded and took a step forward, gently taking the bucket from his hands. "Xiao Nan..."
Li Xiaonan swallowed hard.
Did they recognize me?
What should I do? Should I continue pretending not to know her, or should I just give in? No... I can't give in; that would hurt them.
Right! I'll pretend to have amnesia! Since I've decided to stay, I can't go back on my word!
Just as he was about to speak, Ling Kui reached out her delicate hand and touched his burning cheek.
The cold softness sent a shiver through him, and all his lies turned to ashes.
He swallowed hard and finally uttered the name he had longed for day and night, "Ling'er..."
Ling Kui trembled slightly, slowly lifting her eyelids. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and two tear streaks glided down her pure and beautiful face.
"Fool..."
Li Xiaonan could no longer care about decisions or guilt; all he knew was that Ling'er was crying because he was crying, and his heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed.
He pulled Ling Kui into his embrace, holding her tightly as he called her name over and over again, repeatedly apologizing.
In that moment, time seemed to stop.
Whether on Earth or the Starry Illusion Continent, nothing mattered anymore. Li Xiaonan could clearly hear his own heartbeat, so strong, solely for the Ling Kui before him.
"Ling'er, I..."
"Shh..."
Before Li Xiaonan could finish his apology, her cool fingertip gently pressed against his lips.
The black eyes of Ling Kui sparkled as she smiled gently. "I'm sorry... Are you disappointed in me? You told me so much, and I should have recognized you at first glance. You kept reminding me, yet I remained oblivious..."
Li Xiaonan stared at Ling Kui in shock.
Why was she apologizing to me? I was the one at fault; I was the one who had been avoiding her, the one who hadn’t recognized her right away. Why was she taking all the blame upon herself?
He furrowed his brow, about to explain, but his fingers remained pressed against his lips.
"Xiao Nan, we don't expect your forgiveness, nor are we forcing you to return to the Starry Illusion Continent with us. We just want to do one thing..."
Ling Kui released Li Xiaonan and slowly let her long dress fall away.
Yun Moyu stepped forward, unbuttoning her shirt with one hand. Her eyes were red as she said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Nan... I didn't recognize you and said so many hurtful things... I... it's up to you how you want to treat me..."
Following her lead, Li Baobao, Lu Nishang, Yuan Xian'er, and Luna each began to remove their clothing.
Li Xiaonan gasped and stumbled back two steps, stepping into a wooden basin behind him and falling with a loud thud.
"What... what are you all doing?"
Ling Kui smiled slightly. "Be with you, before we leave your world..."
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