The night air of Spirit Hall was cool and still as Bibi Dong's form flickered into existence within her private chamber, merging seamlessly with her clone.
The last remnants of Soto City, of the bustling marketplace and the ghost of a past love, clung to her like a fine mist.
She felt a profound weariness, not just from the long journey, but from the emotional storm that had raged within her.
The sight of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong had been a cruel, unexpected blow, a final nail in the coffin of a life she could never reclaim.
She had to focus. She had to move on. Her eyes, filled with a renewed sense of purpose, landed on the two small figures studying in their beds and they were not sleeping.
They were sitting at their small study table, books spread out before them, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of a soul lamp.
Renxue was humming a cheerful, tuneless melody as she drew intricate diagrams of plants, her expression one of pure, joyful concentration.
Yurrichi was a picture of serene focus, his head bowed, his hands resting on an open book, his eyes moving with a quiet, unhurried precision.
The sight of them, so diligent and so filled with purpose, melted the cold knot in Bibi Dong's chest. The bitterness from moments ago faded into a warm, overflowing love.
This was her reality. This was her purpose. She walked to them, a quiet, gentle smile on her face. Her voice, a soft, loving melody, broke the silence. "My darlings," she said, "it is late. You should rest."
Yurrichi looked up, his eyes, as always, holding a deep, profound understanding that went far beyond his years.
He saw the weariness in her face, the slight tremor in her hands, and he felt a quiet pang of sadness.
But Renxue, ever the cheerful one, bounced up from her seat and threw her arms around her mother's waist. "Mama! You're back! Did you have fun? We finished our studies early!"
Bibi Dong hugged them both tightly, the warmth of their bodies a balm to her soul. She led them to their beds, tucked them in, and with a kiss on each of their foreheads, all of them left their room for eating dinner.
Her heart was lighter. She felt calm. The world outside, with its treacherous games and its painful past, could wait until morning.
At dinner, the grand, expansive hall was strangely quiet. The head maid, a figure of silent efficiency, served their meal, her expression impassive.
Bibi Dong noted with a sense of both relief and unease that Qian Xunji's usual place at the head of the table was empty again. He had been absent for a few days now, a rare occurrence given the Qian family's tradition of shared meals.
She felt a quiet, internal victory. She didn't have to face him, his cruel, mocking gaze, or his arrogant presence.
But a small, nagging voice in the back of her mind told her that this absence was not a good sign. It meant he was planning something, something big.
"Where is Papa?" Renxue asked, her small voice echoing in the vast, silent room.
The head maid, her expression still impassive, answered with a monotone voice. "The Pope is busy, young master and miss. He will not be joining you for dinner tonight."
The twins' mood dropped slightly, but they continued to eat, their cheerfulness a testament to their love for their mother.
Bibi Dong, however, was already planning. Busy again at this time? she thought, her mind a whirlwind of possibilities.
What could make him so busy that he would neglect a family tradition? Is he plotting? Is he trying to find out my secrets? Or is he preparing something else entirely?
She knew she had to find out.
After dinner, they went to their room, and the twins, tired from a long day of studies, fell asleep instantly. But Bibi Dong, her mind a flurry of thoughts, could not sleep.
She lay in her bed, her eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. The images of Soto City, of the marketplace, and of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, flashed before her eyes.
A small, single tear, a silent testament to her pain, rolled down her cheek. It was a tear of acceptance, of sorrow, and of a profound, heart-wrenching loneliness.
She had loved him, and she had lost him. And now, she had to live with the consequences of that loss.
She couldn't stay in bed. She felt restless, trapped. She quietly got up, her movements silent, and went to her balcony.
The moon was a beautiful, ethereal orb in the night sky, its silver light casting a gentle glow over the sleeping city.
She looked at it, her heart still a heavy, aching void, and a profound sense of melancholy washed over her.
The moon is so beautiful, she thought, her mind a soft whisper, but it is so desolate. Just like my life.
She stood there for a long time, her heart a heavy, aching void. She was not aware that another pair of eyes was watching her.
Yorrichi, who had been a silent observer for the past few weeks, had not truly been asleep. His senses, honed from his past life, were always on high alert.
He had felt the subtle change in his mother's aura, the flicker of sadness, the profound exhaustion. He had felt it, and he had understood it.
He knew that the sadness she felt was not just from the day's events. It was a sadness that had been with her for a long, long time.
He had experienced this same sadness in his past life. The helplessness, the feeling of being a powerful one, of being unable to do anything for the person you loved and lose him/her.
He had seen it on his own face in the reflection of a mirror, a helpless man lonely in his past world where demons ruled at night and he couldn't do anything much.
Now, he was seeing it on his mother's face. It made him feel restless, a powerful surge of frustration and fear.
He looked at Renxue, his twin sister. She was a picture of pure contentment, her face calm and peaceful in her sleep. He felt a wave of relief. She was a child.
She was innocent. She had a right to be happy, to be carefree. He, on the other hand, had a duty. A duty to protect her, a duty to protect his mother.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. His mother's words echoed in his mind. "We are the family." And in that moment, he vowed to protect them.
He vowed to become strong. Stronger than anyone in this world. Stronger than his mother. He would not be helpless again. He would not be a child who could do nothing but watch.
He thought of the Sun Breathing Technique, the most powerful breathing style that he had created in his past life. He knew that he had to refine it, to make it his own, to make it more powerful than it had ever been.
He knew that his mother was a very powerful woman, but he also knew that she had her own battles to fight. He wanted to be her equal.
He wanted to be a partner, not a burden. He wanted to be a son who could protect his mother, not a son who needed to be protected.
He looked at his mother on the balcony, her silhouette a solitary, lonely figure against the backdrop of the moon. He knew that she was thinking of her past, her regrets, her pain.
He couldn't do anything to change that, but he could do one thing. He could be a silent comfort. He could show his love through his actions, through his determination, through his promise to protect her.
He then closed his eyes, a profound sense of drowsiness washing over him. He was a child after all. He needed to rest.
Bibi Dong, still lost in her thoughts, felt a strange, profound sense of peace. The moon was a beautiful, calming presence, and she felt a sense of clarity she had not felt in a long, long time.
The past was a memory. The future was a blank canvas. She was in control of her own destiny.
After a while, she felt sleepy. She went back to her bed and lay down. A new dream began, a beautiful dream of her children, of a life filled with laughter and love.
In this dream, they were happy, and they were safe. No one could hurt them. This was her territory. Her private sanctuary. And no one, not even the cruel hand of fate, could interfere with it.
She fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, her heart filled with a new determination to face anything the next day would bring.
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Author's Note:
Haah, can't say anything. Feeling demotivated as something happened, but still want to write as i see ur interest. I wouldn't lose and will try on it. Don't worry, chapters will be coming but will be irregular like sometime delayed also.