After a brief spell of darkness and dizziness, Ling Yi slowly regained consciousness.
“Waaah…
Give me back my mom…
Give her back…” A little girl’s cries jolted Ling Yi fully awake.
‘Huh?’ ‘What was going on?’ Ling Yi looked around.
Everything before her was pure white, an endless expanse with nothing else in sight.
Only the girl’s cries echoed throughout the space.
‘Is this…
a consciousness space?’ Having spent years in consciousness spaces, Ling Yi quickly recognized where she was.
After carefully sensing her surroundings, she confirmed that this was a shallow consciousness space.
‘With someone crying this loudly…
my current host must be extremely upset.’ ‘So, who is my host this time?’ After taking a few steps through the consciousness space, Ling Yi discovered that the crying truly originated from within it, even possessing the physical effect of growing louder as she approached.
‘Is this the effect of [Consciousness Domain]?’ Slightly curious, Ling Yi explored the area.
Before long, she found the source of the crying within the pure-white consciousness space.
It was a little girl around two or three years old.
She wore a bow, and her long purple hair spilled loosely around her.
The little girl’s delicate face was streaked with tears as she wailed, “Mom…
Don’t leave me…” Ling Yi quickly connected the girl before her to someone from her memories.
Raiden Mei.
Ling Yi immediately understood who her host was in this simulation—and what she needed to do.
Looking at the crying girl, Ling Yi walked up behind her and gently gathered Raiden Mei’s tiny body into her arms.
“Little Mei, why are you crying?” Ling Yi softened her voice as much as possible and asked gently.
“Mom…
Mom disappeared…
A group of bad people…
took Mom away while she was sleeping…
right in front of me…
They said I’d never see her again…” Feeling the warmth of the embrace, Raiden Mei could no longer hold back her emotions and let them pour out.
“I see…” Ling Yi stared at the pure-white wall, momentarily lost in thought.
‘According to Raiden Mei’s description…
it’s 1999, the year her mother died of cancer.
Is today the anniversary of Auntie’s death?’ “Waaah…
Mom…
She’s never coming back…” Raiden Mei continued to sob.
The little girl understood nothing.
She didn’t know what death was; she only knew that her mother would never return.
“Mei, try this.
It’s delicious.” The crying Raiden Mei froze in confusion.
At some point, a slender, jade-white finger had appeared before her, with a glistening droplet on its tip.
Without thinking, Raiden Mei did as the person embracing her said and gently sucked the droplet from the finger.
“Ptooey!
It’s so bitter!” Raiden Mei realized that the person behind her had tricked her.
The moment the finger entered her mouth, she tasted the salty bitterness she hated most.
It wasn’t delicious at all.
“Bitter?
Those are your tears, Raiden Mei.” Ling Yi gently wiped the tears from Raiden Mei’s face and the corners of her eyes.
“Tears…
are bitter?” Young children were easily distracted, especially inside a consciousness space.
[Consciousness Studies] allowed Ling Yi to guide the subconscious within a consciousness space, gathering up the sadness and pain in Raiden Mei’s subconscious.
“That’s right.
Tears are salty and bitter.
Mei hates bitter things, so why let your body produce something like that?” Ling Yi gently pinched Raiden Mei’s little cheeks.
They were fair and smooth, her skin soft as cream.
‘What a wonderful texture.’ “But…
Mom…
Mom will never come back…” At the thought, Raiden Mei’s diverted emotions surged once more.
Ling Yi patiently coaxed her.
“But Mom doesn’t like bitter things either, right?” Raiden Mei looked confused.
“That’s right.
Nobody likes bitter things.
Definitely not.” “That’s why Mom wouldn’t want little Mei to cry.
Tears are bitter.” Ling Yi spoke softly.
Raiden Mei asked uncertainly, “Then what should I do?” “Sleep soundly in my arms.” Only then did Raiden Mei remember to turn around.
The person embracing her was a damselette in azure robes, with long hair cascading over her shoulders like a clear spring flowing into the desert.
Perhaps she was too tired, because she couldn’t make out the woman’s features.
Yet Raiden Mei sensed something familiar about her.
“Mom…” Raiden Mei hugged Ling Yi tightly, curled up against her, and murmured softly.
“Mm…
Mm…
Huh?” Ling Yi’s eyes widened.
‘She isn’t even twenty yet!’ …..
The late-morning sunlight was like a delicate veil, gently brushing Raiden Mei’s face.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and Raiden Mei opened her eyes before sitting up dazedly.
‘Was it a dream?’ Raiden Mei looked down at her tiny hands.
She remembered falling asleep in her mother’s embrace.
She remembered that throughout the long, lonely night, there had always been a pair of arms around her.
She looked around.
She was in her room, which appeared simple at first glance—not shabby, but understatedly luxurious.
Without a doubt, this was her room, and she was sitting on her own bed.
There was nothing.
No Mom, no embrace, and nobody by her side.
Loneliness.
Emptiness.
Little Raiden Mei couldn’t understand the emotions surging within her, but she knew they made her feel awful.
She wanted to cry again.
But…
Mom had said she didn’t want her to cry.
For a moment, Raiden Mei didn’t know whether she should cry.
Knock, knock— Suddenly, a rhythmic sound came from beyond the door, and Raiden Mei’s eyes lit up.
‘Did Mom come back?!’ “Miss, the boss said to remind you to complete today’s lessons after you get up.” The maid’s voice came from outside.
“…I understand.” The light in Raiden Mei’s eyes quickly dimmed.
‘It was all fake.
They were all liars.’ ‘Mom won’t come back, and Dad won’t come to be with me either.’ ‘That’s not true.
Hearing you say that makes me sad.’ A voice suddenly sounded inside her mind.
‘That voice sounds so familiar…
It’s…
Mom’s voice from my dream!’ “Mom!
Where are you?” Little Raiden Mei anxiously looked around, wanting to find her mother, but found nothing.
‘Hmm…
If I had to explain, I’m inside your head.
You can think of me as another you.’ “Another me…?” ‘That’s right, another you.’ “So you aren’t my mom…” Raiden Mei pouted, looking as though she was about to burst into tears.
‘Wait, wait!
Don’t cry, don’t cry…
I was lying just now.
I’m your mom, Mei.’ Ling Yi truly couldn’t bear seeing children cry.
Children were meant to be cherished, not made to cry.
“Yay!
Mom came back!” Raiden Mei quickly believed Ling Yi because her voice was exactly the same as the mom from her dream.
She didn’t know why Mom was inside her head, but Mom coming back was a good thing!
Rumble— Just as Raiden Mei was celebrating, her little stomach growled.
‘What would you like to eat, little Mei?
Mom will make it for you.’ Ling Yi sensed the girl’s hunger.
“I want the egg pancake Mom makes!” ‘Then Mei needs to be good and go to sleep.
Mom will use Sorcery, and when Mei opens her eyes again, an egg pancake will be waiting beside her bed.’ “Okay!” ——————————————————————————– ——————– Please keep reading and don’t stockpile chapters, sob sob sob.
Female-led stories don’t have it easy…
(lights a cigarette) ★ ★ ★ T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me!
★ ★ ★ Shilling time!