Chapter 13: Small Happiness
…Turn herself in?
Luo Ling looked surprised. Why would she turn herself in?
“Could it be… that I remembered wrong again?”
Su Wan looked bewildered, her voice uncertain. “I remember, after you woke up, you stopped me from going to the police station to turn myself in. You said you didn’t kill anyone.
“In the end, I couldn’t persuade you, so I stayed home and waited for your news…”
Luo Ling’s heart clenched as she listened to her sister’s description.
But she quickly understood.
It was Illusion!
Ji Ying’s Illusion!
Ji Ying had used Illusion on her from the beginning, making everyone ignore her presence.
Now it seemed that Illusion was more powerful than Luo Ling had imagined, even erasing memories of face-to-face conversations.
That was why her sister’s memory was distorted.
Moreover…
Luo Ling looked at the two cups of milk tea on the table, her suspended heart slowly settling.
…She had almost thought Ji Ying was just a figment of her imagination.
“Xiao Ling, you…”
Su Wan’s heart was in her throat. She didn’t know if it was her own problem, or if her sister’s illness had worsened.
Or perhaps, Xiao Ling was just deceiving her…
“I misremembered, Sister. I slept for two whole days, I’m still groggy,” Luo Ling quickly said, seeing her sister’s pale face. “Officer Ji was the kind police officer who took my statement at the police station.”
“Is that so?”
Although some suspicion remained in Su Wan’s eyes, her expression eased considerably.
She reached out and stroked Luo Ling’s hair lovingly, the smooth texture under her palm calming her.
“Xiao Ling, don’t hide anything from Sister. I promise I won’t hide anything from you either. Let’s not worry each other, okay?”
“Mm…”
Luo Ling replied, but her eyes darted away.
Fortunately, she lowered her head slightly under the guise of Su Wan’s touch, so her sister didn’t notice.
I’m sorry, Sister, but this one thing… I have to lie to you about.
Seeing her little sister’s obedient demeanor, a comforting smile spread across Su Wan’s lips.
No matter what happened, as long as the two of them were okay… that was enough.
“So this is milk tea?” Su Wan picked up the cup from the table and examined it. “I often see customers buying it from the convenience store, but I’ve never had it myself. I should thank Officer Ji.”
“I already did,” Luo Ling looked up and blinked.
Su Wan smiled and took a tentative sip. “So sweet!”
“Is it good?”
Luo Ling watched her sister intently, afraid she wouldn’t like the taste.
“It’s good.”
Su Wan nodded, the fatigue on her face easing with the sweetness.
“When I finish school and start earning money, I’ll buy it for you every day,” Luo Ling said, her eyes curving into crescents, her pretty face glowing. Su Wan was captivated.
This was her sister, her dearest sister.
“Okay, Sister will wait,” Su Wan said softly.
“By the way, Sister, I’m almost fully recovered. I’ll go back to school in a couple of days,” Luo Ling stood on tiptoe and touched Su Wan’s cheek. “See? My strength is back to normal. I’ve been awake for so long and haven’t fallen asleep.”
“…Really?”
Su Wan looked up at Luo Ling in disbelief.
When they went to the hospital a few days ago, Dr. Li, who unfortunately passed away from a heart attack, had said Xiao Ling’s condition had worsened.
How could she suddenly recover in just one day?
“Really.”
Luo Ling rubbed Su Wan’s face with a playful smile, her long eyelashes fluttering.
“Okay, okay… Sister will pack your things, okay… okay…”
Su Wan said, turning her face away to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
Her wishes weren’t grand. This small happiness was enough.
“Mm!”
Luo Ling nodded vigorously, her smile widening.
The sun set, casting long shadows.
Dusk had arrived.
…
The next morning, Luo Ling woke up at dawn for the first time in a long while.
The return to a normal sleep schedule felt unfamiliar. She quietly opened the door but didn’t see the familiar figure outside.
However, through the Spore, Luo Ling could see her sister sleeping peacefully in her room, which put her mind at ease.
So much had happened in the past few days that Luo Ling felt a bit on edge. The Puppet Ballad probably hadn’t fully noticed her existence yet.
Otherwise, during the day she had been unconscious after killing Li Tianming and Wu Qin, she and her sister would have already been in grave danger.
Luo Ling considered making breakfast for her sister but worried the noise might wake her. Soon, however, she didn’t need to worry.
A familiar, cold voice echoed in her mind.
“Miss Luo Ling, are you awake?”
“Ji…”
“No need to speak. Focus and talk to me in your mind—you don’t know how to use Spores, do you?”
“…”
Luo Ling really didn’t know. She hadn’t had time to figure out the details of her abilities yet.
She hadn’t expected that besides surveillance, Spores could also be used as a mental intercom…
“I’ve already located the Forgotten River Child yesterday. It’s at Jiangcheng People’s Hospital.
“I was planning to deal with it myself, but I’ve been held up by something… I need you to go there first and at least prevent it from escaping too far. I’ll be there soon.
“Don’t worry, the Forgotten River Child’s direct combat ability isn’t strong, so it’s quite cautious and timid. It’s a Grotesquery of the Nightmare path—the opposite of Oneiric. Please be careful of mental attacks.”
After these words, Ji Ying’s voice disappeared. Even if Luo Ling tried to use the Spore to communicate again, she couldn’t.
A Nightmare Grotesquery…
Luo Ling remembered Ji Ying mentioning yesterday that the paths of Grotesqueries were opposite to those of Awakened Ones. Nightmare should have mental-related abilities.
And in her mindscape, Luo Ling had seen that the Puppet Ballad’s path was Silent Demise, the opposite of Myriad.
She was walking the path of a Grotesquery.
“Never mind that, asking me to face a Grotesquery alone, is Ji Ying… trying to test my strength?” Luo Ling frowned slightly.
She knew she was different now compared to when she faced Li Tianming. Apart from a part of the Puppet Ballad’s ability, she was no different from an ordinary girl.
After transforming, she no longer fell into periods of drowsiness, but she had lost that strange, immense strength.
But thinking back, even if Ji Ying hadn’t appeared, Luo Ling would have investigated the Forgotten River Child herself. It was the only clue left by Li Tianming.
If she didn’t eliminate the threat of the Puppet Ballad, she and her sister would never have peace.
Moreover, she had personally killed the Forgotten River Child’s master, Li Tianming. The vengeful ghost child would eventually come looking for her… or perhaps even her sister.
If her sister were to get hurt or even… Luo Ling couldn’t bear the thought.
“In any case… I have to be careful.”
Luo Ling exhaled, her gaze softening as she looked towards her sister’s room.
To protect her and her sister’s small happiness, she would do anything.
“I’ll leave a note for Sister, saying I’m going to buy some stationery and will be back by noon, so she doesn’t worry too much.”
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