How many years? In the 23rd century, Ling Luo Yi lost her at the age of eight. She died in a plane crash at twenty-eight, then spent twelve years in another world. She hadn't seen her for thirty-two years. She was truly ruthless, never appearing in her dreams all these years. This time, she could finally see her again.
The woman didn't understand Ling Luo Yi's words, but seeing her child cry, she quickly went to comfort her, "What's wrong? Xiao Yi, did someone bully you?"
So many… so many people bullied me.
Ling Luo Yi wanted to say this, but she just shook her head, letting the woman wipe her tears.
"Xiao Yi, don't cry."
After the woman coaxed her for a while, Ling Luo Yi finally stopped crying.
"Xiao Yi, what's wrong with you today? Why are you so sad after coming home from school? Did someone bully you? Tell Mom, Mom will back you up," the woman asked worriedly.
"No, no one bullied me." Ling Luo Yi smiled and shook her head, "Mom, I just missed you."
The woman was stunned and smiled, "Xiao Yi, didn't you come back to rest at noon? It's only been a few hours, and you already miss Mom?"
"I just missed Mom."
"Okay, our Xiao Yi misses Mom." The woman hugged Ling Luo Yi and coaxed her for a while, saying, "Xiao Yi, play here for a while, and Mom will make dinner, okay?"
"Mm."
Seeing the woman turn and continue busy in the kitchen, Ling Luo Yi's gaze changed, becoming melancholic.
From the time she could remember, her mother was the only one by her side, and her mother only existed before the age of eight. She would never forget that day, her eighth birthday. After her mother took her to the amusement park for her birthday, it was a very happy day, but it ended abruptly on the way home.
On the street below their building, her mother was taking her across the road. The light was clearly green, and they were using the crosswalk, yet her mother and she were still hit by a car and sent flying. Her mother held her tightly, and after being hit, they were thrown to the ground and rolled several times.
Her mind went blank at that moment. She only remembered the world spinning and then looking at her mother, whose blood dripped into her eyes. From then on, her world turned blood red.
Her mother stopped breathing before the ambulance arrived, while she, being held by her mother, was not seriously injured. Afterward, the driver who caused the accident was punished. As she was still a child and had no other relatives, she was sent to an orphanage. Later, to survive, someone came to the orphanage to select children with potential and chose her. She became an assassin.
Her last memory of her mother was her mother lying on the ground, her head buried in her ear, saying, "Xiao Yi, you must live."
After that, this sentence became the only principle she followed. To survive, she could do anything, regardless of bloodshed or becoming a demon.
Actually, she didn't hate red; she feared it. For her, red meant death. Her mother's death made her fear red, and the people she killed later intensified her fear of red. When she first started killing, she suffered from insomnia for entire nights. Later, she got used to it and could barely fall asleep.
Because her mother's death made her not want to kill, but she had to kill to survive. This conflict gave birth to her dark side, the one with red eyes deep within her consciousness, the past she least wanted to face.
That time, she lost control and attacked Gu Yun Cheng. Gu Yun Cheng, fearing he would hurt her, didn't fight back, and his soul was injured. Out of guilt, she sealed her dark side and kept her preferred personality. Without the restraint of her dark side, she became extremely kind. She only gave minor punishments to those who truly attacked her, otherwise, she would just say a few words.
Including the time she returned to the Ancient Spirit Continent and killed for the first time, she actually didn't want to kill. As long as someone hesitated, she wouldn't deliver a fatal blow, but unfortunately, no one did.
Ling Luo Yi suddenly looked at her hands and was startled. She saw her hands stained red with blood.
"What's wrong? Xiao Yi." Ling Luo Yi's movement caught the woman's eye, and she asked curiously.
Ling Luo Yi instinctively put her hands behind her back, forced a smile, and said, "Nothing."
"Xiao Yi, why are you still carrying your schoolbag? Go put it down, then wash your hands and eat. Mom made your favorite sweet and sour fish today."
"Thank you, Mom."
Ling Luo Yi obediently put her schoolbag back in the room, washed her hands, and sat obediently on the chair.
The woman also placed the last dish on the dining table and sat opposite Ling Luo Yi, saying, "Alright, let's eat."
Ling Luo Yi didn't eat. She watched her mother eat. The woman looked up and asked curiously, "Xiao Yi, what's really wrong with you today? Why have you been a bit off since you got back from school?"
Ling Luo Yi shook her head and said, "Mom, I'm fine. I'm just not hungry. Mom, let's chat."
"Mm? What do you want to chat about?" The woman also put down her chopsticks and looked at Ling Luo Yi affectionately.
Ling Luo Yi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Mom, have you ever thought about what I'll be like when I grow up? What middle school will I go to? Which university will I attend? What job will I do?"
"Grow up?" The woman looked at Ling Luo Yi and slowly said, "Xiao Yi, Mom hasn't considered these things."
"Mm? How could that be? Don't mothers usually consider these things?"
"Xiao Yi, my child, as long as you grow up healthy, that's all that matters. As for your future, that's something you should consider yourself. Mom can only offer suggestions, not make decisions for you."
"Then what are Mom's suggestions?"
"Mom suggests you become a doctor, to save lives and help people; you could also be a teacher, to educate people. If you don't like either of these, there are other options. Whatever you want to do is fine, as long as you like it. If possible, Mom hopes you will have a smooth journey in life."
However, her future did not turn out as her mother had hoped. She did not become a doctor who saved lives, nor a teacher who educated people, nor did she choose a profession she liked. She became an assassin who killed entire families. Even that was not smooth.
"Mom, would you be disappointed if I didn't become one of these people who live in the sunlight?" Ling Luo Yi asked cautiously, not knowing what she was expecting.
"No. As long as you don't do bad things and don't break the law, Mom won't be disappointed."
Clearly, the woman misunderstood, thinking Ling Luo Yi was asking about other people who couldn't live in the sunlight.
However, her answer made Ling Luo Yi's heart grow colder. She no longer dared to ask.
Seeing Ling Luo Yi's growing disappointment, the woman became even more confused and asked, "Xiao Yi, are you really okay? You're really not yourself today. You never used to ask these things before. What's wrong today? Can't you tell Mom?"
Looking at the woman's concerned eyes, Ling Luo Yi felt very inferior. How could she tell her mother that she hadn't become what her mother hoped, but instead had become a cold-blooded, ruthless killer, living on the edge of crime every day?
"Mom, let's not talk about this." After hesitating for a long time, Ling Luo Yi felt it was better to change the topic.
"Let's not talk about it. Anyway, you're still young, and it's too early to talk about these things. When you're a little older, we'll talk about this topic."
"Okay." But Mom, we won't be able to talk anymore. In half a month, I will lose you again.
Thinking of this, Ling Luo Yi was moved to say, "Mom, I really wish we could be together forever."
The woman chuckled and said, "Aren't we always together? Does Xiao Yi want to leave Mom?"