Chapter 81
The original Chi Lin wanted to continue staying at the hotel, but she discovered she had no money left in her account.
She was dumbfounded. Wasn’t her account linked to Peng Ziyuan’s?
Peng Ziyuan was a senior engineer at N-T, earning six figures monthly, with bonuses galore at the end of the year. How could she be out of money?
After checking, the original Chi Lin found that her account had been separated at some point. Peng Ziyuan would have to manually transfer money to her; automatic payments were no longer possible.
Why? Just because she was legally an adult now?
Were they so eager to disable parental controls? Ridiculous!
The original Chi Lin sat by the sea until sunset. Unable to bear the cold any longer, she finally went home.
Getting out of the taxi and about to enter the community, she saw an old man with two children waving at her:
“Little Shifu, you’re back!”
Hearing this title, the original Chi Lin almost dropped her phone.
What the hell, another disciple?
This time, an old man and children?
“Finally found you, Little Shifu. I thought you were avoiding Old Yan.”
As she approached, the original Chi Lin vaguely recognized the old man. He seemed to be one of Lou Mi’s grandfather’s friends.
“What are you doing here?” The original Chi Lin entered the community, and Old Yan followed her with the children.
The security guard, familiar with Old Yan, didn’t stop them.
“Why do you think I’m here?” Old Yan smiled mysteriously. “You have to fulfill your promise to me.”
What? What had “she” promised again?
The original Chi Lin couldn’t believe it. What kind of person had occupied her body? It hadn’t been long, but how had her social circle become so complicated?
Sword dancing, a popular senior, and disciples everywhere?
Unsure what she had agreed to with this old man, she wanted to send him away, but he was incredibly persistent, following her all the way inside.
The original Chi Lin focused on maintaining her act, thinking that the previous occupant might have been incredibly good-natured and wouldn’t have abruptly dismissed the old man, so she swallowed her annoyance and let him in.
Old Yan cheerfully told the children to address her as Shifu, which they did diligently. However, the little girl kept trembling as soon as she entered, her mind seemingly elsewhere, glancing around nervously.
“Mingming, what are you looking at?” Old Yan said. “Pay attention in class.”
The original Chi Lin: “Class? What class?”
Old Yan scoffed, annoyed by her pretense: “Little Shifu, you’re being too polite. What other class could it be? You know perfectly well.”
The original Chi Lin: “…”
“Alright, bring the writing materials!”
At Old Yan’s command, the boy and girl immediately laid out the full set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table, including a set for the original Chi Lin.
What was this about? It seemed like they were going to practice calligraphy.
Old Yan sat at the dining table with his grandchildren and gestured to the opposite seat, inviting the original Chi Lin to join them.
After hesitating for a while, she was finally pulled down by Yan Mingming.
“Sister Chi Lin, I missed you so much.” Yan Mingming blinked her big eyes adorably. “That meanie isn’t here, is she?”
The original Chi Lin found the little girl endearing and couldn’t bring herself to leave:
“Which meanie?”
“The scary-looking older sister.”
That must be Lou Mi.
“She’s not here, don’t worry.”
So the little girl also disliked Lou Mi.
Anyone who disliked Lou Mi was family.
The three of them pestered her to write something. She thought, how hard could it be to write a few words?
Exams were a matter of luck, but her handwriting was decent. Her father used to praise her penmanship.
Although she wasn’t skilled with a brush, writing was writing.
With a flourish, the original Chi Lin wrote four characters: “Jing Zhong Bao Guo” (Serve the country with utmost sincerity).
Old Yan and his grandchildren: “…”
The original Chi Lin said generously: “There you go, practice with that.”
Yan Mingming: “This calligraphy… is so ugly.”
The original Chi Lin: “??”
The grandson: “The ‘zhong’ in ‘Jing Zhong Bao Guo’ should be the ‘zhong’ for loyalty, you wrote the wrong character.”
Old Yan couldn’t bear to look. He sighed and said:
“Even if you don’t welcome us, you don’t have to humiliate us like this. Fine, we’ll leave, alright?”
The original Chi Lin, unable to retort, was mortified.
***
After a busy day, Lou Mi’s head was overloaded, throbbing faintly, but thankfully, the pain hadn’t intensified.
Zhuo Jinglan said she would treat everyone to dinner later, including the trainees.
“What time?” Lou Mi asked.
“They’re still playing a simulation match, it should be over in about half an hour. We’ll go together after it’s finished.”
“Okay, call me when they’re done. I’ll take a nap.”
“Aren’t you going to sleep in your room?”
“No, I’m too lazy to go in. If I sleep too comfortably, I won’t be able to get up. I’ll just doze off here.”
Not having slept well last night and after a tiring day, Lou Mi quickly fell asleep in her chair.
She had a hazy dream where Chi Lin came to find her, knowing she had a headache, and massaged her temples.
“Chi Lin?”
In her dream, Lou Mi seemed to have actually called her name.
After calling out, her consciousness returned. Still in the dream, she was acutely aware of how ridiculous she was being.
Chi Lin wouldn’t come here looking for her…
She had promised not to leave, but where was she now?
Lou Mi’s heart ached, tears welling up. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice whispering softly in her ear:
“Sister, I’m always here.”
Lou Mi abruptly woke up.
Chi Lin?!
The rest room was quiet, only the faint hum of the laptop on the desk.
There was no one else here but her.
Her heart, which had been soaring, slowly descended with her calming breaths, returning to its place.
Lou Mi rubbed her temples.
It was just a dream.
She leaned back in her chair, savoring the realistic dream.
She touched her slightly warm eartips.
The words Chi Lin spoke in the dream felt so real, as if she were right beside her.
And, perhaps it was just her imagination, but her headache seemed to have lessened.
Outside the rest room, in the fire escape stairwell.
Chi Lin, hurrying down the stairs, glanced back, making sure Lou Mi hadn’t followed her.
Now wasn’t the right time to reveal her identity.
No matter how intelligent Lou Mi was, how adaptable she was, she was a modern person raised on science and logic.
Trying to force her to accept the concept of soul transmigration, something considered “feudal superstition,” probably wouldn’t be achieved with just a few words.
If she said the wrong thing, it might backfire and make Lou Mi lose trust in her.
Lou Mi wasn’t in a good state. Even without seeing it firsthand, Chi Lin could guess what had happened at home.
Chi Lin was more eager than anyone to reunite with Lou Mi, but this reunion had to be handled carefully.
She needed to guide Lou Mi to discover it herself.
Discover who Chi Lin was, and even discover who she herself was.
When Chi Lin transmigrated into Jun Jun’s body, she couldn’t deny the initial panic.
But after calming down, she realized this might actually be a good opportunity.
To make Lou Mi remember her past life, she needed a starting point.
A way to make her understand that the name “Chi Lin” wasn’t just Peng Ziyuan’s daughter, but also her wife, the wife who had traveled across centuries, searching for her tirelessly—this was a perfect starting point.
Chi Lin’s true identity could be the key to unlocking Lou Mi’s past life memories.
This key was gradually being inserted into the lock, but whether it could turn remained to be seen. Chi Lin knew she couldn’t force it.
She had to be patient and choose the right path.
Fortunately, Lou Mi had taken her to play holographic games a few times before, and Chi Lin had received praise from Lou Mi, a top player in the industry, though she hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time.
Now, as Jun Jun, unable to see Lou Mi, she had to find a way to bridge the distance, preferably a situation where they could meet every day.
The ubiquitous Winter World Cup advertisements gave her an idea.
She went to the ENIAC club to apply for trainee training.
“You’ve never played professionally?”
Old Lin, the person in charge of trainee recruitment, looked at her application and shook his head with a smile:
“I’m afraid this won’t work, young lady. We’re recruiting trainees for Nine Heavens’ second team, and we’ll also select talents from among them to join the first team. Trainees need at least two years of professional experience. You have no experience, I’m afraid…”
Old Lin smiled, his meaning clear.
Chi Lin said: “I’ve never played professionally, but the first time I climbed Snowy Peak, I reached the summit in one go.”
Old Lin: “Impossible.”
“Level 66, killed the Snow Cat in the Snowy Peak Dungeon.”
Old Lin: “…”
“I believe you’re looking for true talent, someone who can carry the future of Nine Heavens. You’ve seen many professional players, you know better than anyone what innate talent means for those who want to enter this industry. Hard work is important, of course, but who doesn’t work hard?”
Old Lin didn’t expect a child to say such things.
He put down her resume and re-evaluated this unassuming little girl.
She looked quiet and unassuming, but there was an undeniable strength within her.
He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the pressure he felt from her had a compelling force.
“Are you saying you’re very talented?”
“I’m saying, we don’t have to just talk about it.”
Old Lin admitted, he was interested in this child. He wanted to know what she was capable of, daring to come to ENIAC and boast about her talent.
He personally dueled her in Return to Jianghu, and all the trainees crowded around the live stream screen to watch.
Half an hour later, Chi Lin passed the interview.
Old Lin said he hadn’t seen a child so suited for holographic esports in a long time.
“The last person who gave me a similar feeling was Lou Mi.” His praise was high.
He expected her to continue exuding confidence, but she just smiled faintly.
It seemed all of this was within her expectations, as if she were just going through the motions.
It was this smile that made Old Lin feel like he wasn’t facing a 17-year-old child, but an adult.
An adult with more experience, a broader perspective than him.
Chi Lin successfully entered the club and became a trainee.
She finally had the opportunity to see Lou Mi, but the pain of meeting without recognition was greater than she had anticipated.
She couldn’t bear to see Lou Mi’s sadness.
If she hadn’t come to this era, Lou Mi would have remained confident, carefree, and untroubled.
After finishing her practice match early, she snuck out to catch a glimpse of Lou Mi, just one glance.
But seeing Lou Mi frowning, rubbing her temples, and dozing uncomfortably in her chair through the gap in the blinds, she couldn’t resist.
Massaging her in her sleep, easing her pain, was the only thing Chi Lin could do for her right now.
Lou Mi and the others were having dinner with the trainees in the cafeteria. Xie Buyu and Fu Tu were whispering to each other. Lou Mi reminded them:
“Hey, there are so many people here, can you not whisper secrets?”
Xie Buyu was unrepentant: “What we’re talking about is too adult, we’re afraid of corrupting everyone’s ears.”
“Adult? Come on, tell me.”
“Sister Mi, I’m afraid you can’t handle it.”
“I can’t handle it? Am I a grade-schooler? Just tell me.”
Lou Mi practically wanted to strangle Xie Buyu and force her to spill the beans.
Seeing that Lou Mi was serious, Xie Buyu whispered in her ear:
“Okay, I’ll censor it then. We’re talking about Jun Jun.”
Lou Mi looked at Jun Jun.
Jun Jun seemed to have just showered. Her hair wasn’t in a bun, but simply tied back. She was listening attentively to Zhuo Jinglan.
Lou Mi’s stare might have been a bit too obvious, because Jun Jun noticed and glanced at her, their eyes meeting.
Lou Mi almost choked, maintaining a calm smile on the surface. Jun Jun smiled back.
She turned back to Xie Buyu and glared at her.
Xie Buyu, completely oblivious to her resentment, continued:
“…Jun Jun’s features aren’t perfect, but her figure is really good, nice curves, long legs, and most importantly, her aura, that aloofness. You know, the kind that makes you want to rip her clothes off.”
Lou Mi felt like she had gone deaf: “Vulgar. And this is the censored version? What’s the original like? Should I report you to the police?”
Xie Buyu looked unimpressed: “I’m just talking, I’m not actually going to do it. See, I told you you couldn’t handle it.”
Lou Mi: “This isn’t about whether I can handle it or not. You’re fantasizing about a trainee in broad daylight? Is there no justice?”
“Am I wrong though?” Xie Buyu was never one to back down when it came to judging women. “You know, Jun Jun’s aura is somewhat similar to Little Chi Lin’s.”
Lou Mi’s foot shot out, but Xie Buyu dodged it with a swift twist of her hips.
Zhuo Jinglan: “What are you two doing?”
“Nothing.” Lou Mi said. “Focus on your training. Buyu’s face has gotten rounder recently, probably from living too comfortably. She needs more exercise.”
After dinner, Lou Mi realized she didn’t have any clean clothes at the club and had to go home.
This was something that wouldn’t have happened before.
She hadn’t been particularly attached to going home. Sometimes, with all-night matches and training, she wouldn’t have time to go home for days, so she had a dedicated room at the club with plenty of spare clothes.
She didn’t know when she had become so attached to home, always going back whenever she had time, and taking all her clothes back with her.
Sitting in the car on her way home, Lou Mi didn’t play games or listen to music. She just stared at the soft glow of the car’s control panel.
She reclined her seat, opened the sunroof, and watched the stars as the car sped along the sea highway.
She pondered whether her hypothesis could be true.
But if it wasn’t, many things wouldn’t make sense.
She had to face the truth.
“Don’t rely on your eyes, ask your heart.”
Lou Mi sat up abruptly, the sadness in her eyes replaced by her usual sharpness.
As the car turned into the community entrance, she heard loud noises coming from her apartment.
She quickly parked the car and took the elevator upstairs.
The moment the elevator doors opened, a vase came flying towards her. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick, or she would have been sent to the hospital as soon as she got home.
The apartment was a mess, with shattered vases and teacups everywhere. Even Lou Lixing’s books were scattered on the floor, some torn to shreds.
What was going on now?
“Who is my dad? Who?!”
The original Chi Lin stood in the middle of the living room, holding a decorative ornament, ready to throw it.
Lou Mi’s grandparents huddled near the entrance, trembling and confused:
“Little Lin, calm down, let’s talk things through…”
Lou Mi immediately stepped forward, shielding her grandparents: “What happened?”
The muscles in the original Chi Lin’s face twitched. She pointed at the elderly couple:
“You should ask them! Ask them what they’re trying to do!”
Lou Mi looked back at her grandparents, who were still shaken and completely clueless about how things had escalated to this point.
When they arrived, Old Yan had already left with his grandchildren, leaving only the original Chi Lin at home.
“Little Lin, why are you the only one here?”
Grandpa Lou could enter the apartment with facial recognition, so the original Chi Lin had no way to stop them.
Already in a terrible mood, seeing the Lou family only worsened it. She rolled her eyes and was about to go to her room.
“Hey, Little Lin, don’t go, come here, let’s choose a date together.” Grandma pulled her back with a smile.
“Choose a date? What date?”
“Your wedding date with Mi Mi, of course.” Grandma said cheerfully. “I know you young people don’t care about these things anymore, but we old folks are still a bit superstitious. We can’t have any mishaps on such an auspicious day. Come and see which of these dates are good.”
Damn it.
The original Chi Lin cursed inwardly and pulled her hand away.
The entire Lou family was crazy, now they were even choosing wedding dates…
She was about to turn and leave when she heard Grandma continue: “After you two get married, your parents should also put their wedding on the agenda.”
The original Chi Lin was surprised: “My parents?”
“Yes. But there’s no need to change how you address us yet. You can do that after everything is settled.”
The original Chi Lin’s lips twitched: “You mean Lou Lixing? My dad?”
Her grandparents watched as her face turned red, her eyebrows twitching, her anger about to explode.
They exchanged glances, sensing something was wrong with Little Lin, unsure what they had said to upset her.
“You’re saying Lou Lixing is my dad?”
The original Chi Lin pointed at her grandma.
Grandpa Lou frowned and tried to stop her: “Little Lin, you can’t point at your grandma like that.”
“Get out of my way! Who is my grandma? My grandma is dead!” The original Chi Lin kicked the coffee table beside her, sending it tilting with a jarring screech that made her grandparents jump.
“Who is my dad?! Who is my dad?! Who is my dad?!”
The original Chi Lin went on a rampage, smashing things, tearing books, and yelling.
“Lou Lixing? You think he’s worthy?! You think any of you are worthy?!”
Her grandparents tried to leave, but were blocked by the objects she threw.
If Lou Mi hadn’t returned in time, who knows what would have happened.
The original Chi Lin’s eyes were bloodshot. Holding a crystal horse ornament, she pointed it at Lou Mi:
“Tell me, who is my dad?”
Lou Mi: “Put that down first.”
Grandpa Lou immediately sent a message in the family WeChat group, urging Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan to come home quickly.
The original Chi Lin saw it and pointed the ornament at him: “Who are you messaging?”
Tiger, seeing her agitated state, came over, wagging its tail, and rubbed against her.
Enraged, she kicked Tiger: “Get lost! Don’t bother me right now, you mutt!”
Tiger yelped and was sent flying several meters.
Lou Mi’s eyes widened. She lunged forward, grabbed the original Chi Lin’s wrist, pressed her shoulder, and slammed her against the wall, twisting her arm behind her back.
The sharp pain almost made the original Chi Lin cry out.
Her face was pressed against the wall. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from Lou Mi’s grip.
“Let me go!” she yelled.
Lou Mi pressed her harder against the wall, her knuckles white.
“You’re not Chi Lin.” Lou Mi whispered in her ear. “Who are you?”
Leave a Reply