"By that time, the energy of her system will be depleted. I bet it will be no more than 3 months. Just keep on monitoring and let me know if an anomaly arises."
[Yes, host. Also, host, there might be an increase in missions.]
"Hm? What, the other side has noticed my movements already?" Mu Ning smirked.
[Well, technically, you are a star performer, so it's hard to say that they ever stopped monitoring.]
"Alright, I will wait for the next mission, but first..." Mu Ning started to place the food on a tray.
The servants were standing just a bit far from her, yet none of them thought of helping her.
Once finished, Mu Ning took the elevator to arrive outside Gwen and Warren's room.
................................
Gwen looked at Warren with slight tears while Warren packed the small blue suitcase.
"Brother..." she sniffed, her voice sounding a bit choked. "Are you truly not going to check on her? What if she reverts to her original self..."
"So you know that the current Mu Ning is only pretending?" Warren questioned sharply, his eyes looking a bit despondent.
"I know, but..." Gwen faltered midway through her sentence; her red eyes stared at Warren as if to convey the unspoken words.
"Gwen, roll up your sleeves," Warren ordered sternly.
Gwen pursed her lips and didn't speak, for she knew the bruises underneath her dress as well as the cruel reality... those marks were a gift from her own mother.
Seeing her silent, Warren didn't push her anymore.
Knock! Knock!
Warren and Gwen stared at the door with vigilance. In reality, though... There was more fear than alertness.
"Who?" Warren asked in a wary voice.
"Your dear mother!" Mu Ning's cheerful voice seemed to have dispersed the gloomy atmosphere in the room.
"What do you want?" Warren didn't fall for her tricks; his mind was full of possibilities.
Maybe Mu Ning was there to take revenge on them? Maybe she has finally lost her patience? Or maybe she was there to threaten them.
"Well, for starters, I need a hug... You see, I am very sad about all the hurtful words my babies had said."
Warren's and Gwen's hearts sank hearing Mu Ning's aggrieved voice. For some reason, they were finding it hard to ignore her pleading.
As if his own mind were on autopilot, Warren opened the door. Only after seeing Mu Ning's face did he regret it.
'What was I even thinking? Stupid! Stupid!'
The next second, Mu Ning knelt in front of him and placed the tray aside. As she raised her arms to hug him, Warren dodged and took a defensive stance.
Mu Ning's pupil contracted by his action, and her heart ached like someone was hammering it.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she put on a smile. "Aye~ My little Warren has such great skills! He is even faster than Mommy!"
"Thanks to your beating," Warren said coldly.
Mu Ning: "..."
It took every ounce of control not to go on a hunt for that evil bitch who had occupied her body.
"Hm... Well, I want to talk with you and Gwen. Can I enter?" Mu Ning asked softly.
Seeing his biting words did not affect Mu Ning. Warren gritted his teeth and said, "No! Just say whatever you want from outside!"
By now, Gwen, who was hiding behind the door, also appeared in Mu Ning's field of vision.
"First of all, I apologize." Mu Ning began; her eyes were filled with sincerity. "All the suffering that has been caused... it was negligence on my behalf."
Warren and Gwen watched as Mu Ning gave a forced smile.
"You might find it funny, but I never knew... You both existed."
"Yeah, for you, only Mr. Liam existed," Warren said in a voice filled with sarcasm.
Ignoring the stinging words, Mu Ning continued, "But now that I am aware, I promise...."
Her eyes connected with the two beautiful creations of her life. "I will protect you, I will stand for you, and I will respect you."
She extended her hand only for the two young ones to flinch back.
Mu Ning's hand froze. "I... I promise to never let you down again."
Gwen's eyes teared up, and they started to drop one by one.
Warren wasn't any better; his eyes too turned red. However, he roared,
"Go away! Don't make fake promises! I will never trust you!"
Mu Ning gave a forced smile and pushed the tray into their room. "I will leave first. This is lunch; come down for dinner at 8 pm."
"We won't eat!" Warren shouted.
Mu Ning stood up and started to walk toward the elevator. "You can try, young man, but if you dare, I will catch you tomorrow and punish you with tickle therapy. Gwen, same for you~."
Warren: "..." No, this is not how things were supposed to go.
Gwen: "..." I barely spoke.