enjoyebooks Chapter 11 I am not your mother
Chapter 11 I am not your mother
The night was quiet, save for the intermittent chirping of insects outside the window. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the outline of the room gradually became clearer in Xia Li's vision. She tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed, finally giving up on sleep, and quietly stood up, leaning on her cane.
Everything here is different from the castle; there are railings outside the windows, and instead of magic patterns on the walls, there are several colorful posters.
She leaned closer and, by the moonlight, deciphered the small characters on it.
"A...O...N...A...Soaring...Undying?"
The poster was unclear, but it depicted a woman wearing a cloak, surrounded by several silver blades that seemed to be dancing while also concealing a hint of murderous intent.
Xia Li gazed at it for a moment, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes—this blend of elegance and sharpness was something she admired.
She moved her legs along the edge of the bed, her silver hair swaying gently, until she reached the bedside table. The table wasn't large, and on it were a family photo and several thick books.
...It seems impolite to rummage through someone else's room without permission.
A clear principle resonated within me.
Her fingertips hovered beside the cabinet, her mind racing, deciding whether to open it. There might be nothing inside, maybe just a few books, or perhaps a small fire-breathing lizard.
Humans are strange like that. The more they feel they shouldn't open it, the more they want to open it. She always felt there were strange things inside, and maybe a noisy parchment would jump out.
Xia Li decisively looked away, deciding to avoid seeing it altogether. She was going to take a walk outside the bedroom; this was Song Che's base in this world, and it was necessary to understand the environment.
squeak-
She opened the door a crack, silently peeking out half her head, her silver hair falling over her shoulder. Listening intently, she heard Song Che's breathing coming from the living room. Once she was sure, she tiptoed and quietly slipped out from behind the door.
The living room was smaller than any hall in the castle, and the air was not filled with the lingering scent of magic potions or the chill of stone, but rather with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
She glanced back at the bedroom door, the little claw in her heart still gently scratching at the thought of the bedside table.
What's inside?
"Waaah—"
After finishing his cat food, Bruce jumped into Song Che's arms and curled up into a ball of fur. In the darkness, his fluorescent green eyes spotted Xia Li 'sneaking' around. Having slept enough, he was now full of energy.
Bruce stretched lazily, and his paw landed right on Song Che's phone.
The screen lit up, and several unread messages were prominently displayed on the system's default wallpaper.
The light caught Xia Li's attention. She looked in the direction of the light, abandoning her thought of pulling out the bedside table.
She was also very interested in the little glowing cube, but Song Che strictly forbade her to use the small hammer, so she probably wouldn't be able to study its structure tonight.
She moved closer, tapped the screen with her fingertip, and the unread messages expanded. She read them slowly and deliberately:
"Mom... my darling, are you sick? I'm a little worried..."
"Dad: Son, lend me some money, I'm out of money for cigarettes."
The sending time was 23:24, and the first message was followed by a series of other messages.
"29 yuan unpaid phone bill... 300 yuan from a side job... 760 yuan for writing an undergraduate thesis..."
Xia Li scrolled down the list, her fingers instinctively swiping across the screen.
A long string of information appeared at the bottom of the screen, making Xia Li dizzy; it felt like there were hundreds of messages.
This is probably the 'magical messenger' or 'communication scroll' of this world, but the information is incomplete, and the owner's permission is probably required to see the full picture.
Xia Li tapped her fingertip, and a notification popped up on the screen.
Fingerprint does not match, please try again.
Xia Li blinked and obediently poked it again.
"..."
Too many incorrect attempts. Please enter your password to unlock.
"...Song Che's password."
Xia Li looked at the neatly arranged array of numbers on the screen and realized she couldn't click on anything else randomly. Things locked with a password are usually secrets. She seemed to have... accidentally touched on Song Che's secret area.
Bruce stood up from Song Che's arms, nuzzled Xia Li's hand, and then lightly leaped into Xia Li's arms. It felt that the two-legged creature had a faint fragrance.
Xia Li caught the fluffy ball of fur somewhat helplessly. Not wanting to make a noise, she could only hold it and slowly sit on the armrest of the small sofa before carefully putting the cat down.
Bruce didn't pay much attention, shook his head and snuggled back into Song Che's arms, his cat paw casually touching the phone again.
The light shone directly on Song Che's face, and Xia Li could see him clearly.
His lips trembled, and his brows furrowed with anxiety. Song Che moved his arm, turned over, and the blanket in his arms slipped to the ground.
...Is the little rascal having a nightmare?
Xia Li bent down and picked up the blanket from the ground with some effort. It was chilly at night, so she had to cover him up. In the past, a simple levitation spell would have been enough.
Xia Li pulled up the blanket and covered Song Che's chest. When she got close, she heard him muttering in his sleep.
Unable to hear clearly, Xia Li leaned closer, her ears trembling from the warm breath she exhaled, but she still managed to hear what Song Che was saying.
"...Kiss me..."
Xia Li subconsciously reached for her waist, but the place where her magic wand should have been was empty. But hearing Song Che still talking in his sleep, she decided to let him finish before tapping this guy, who wasn't even serious in his dreams, with her finger.
She remained listening, a faint blush creeping up the tips of her ears.
This guy... I don't know what strange things he's saying. He's been dead for a hundred years and hasn't changed at all.
"...You pressed your forehead against mine, it was cool, but when I opened my eyes, I found it was a cool potion bottle and parchment..."
"There's... a silly girl, she's so innocent, but also very mischievous... Mom and Dad... where are you...?"
Song Che's voice was intermittent and unclear.
He never imagined that the person who swore during the day, "Don't sleep too soundly at night, or I'll strangle you," would be the one sleeping the most soundly at night.
As Xia Li listened, confusion spread across her usually cool and aloof face.
She didn't associate the description of "stupid girl" with herself at all. In her limited self-awareness, "witch princess" had nothing to do with "stupid".
This clearly refers to another existence.
Song Che's mutterings subsided, but his breathing became increasingly rapid. He stretched one hand out from under the covers, as if futilely trying to grasp something in the void.
Seeing his distressed expression, Xia Li leaned against the sofa and fell into deep thought.
Should we wake him up?
She tried to slip the "magical messenger" into his loosely clenched hand, but it didn't seem to work.
His fingers remained taut.
After hesitating for three or four seconds, she reached out and stiffly placed her hand over his.
Those hands gripped it tightly, as if it were a lifeline.
"...Mom."
Xia Li was stunned. This situation was beyond her common sense. She vaguely remembered reading in some anecdotal records that deep nightmares or somnambulism should not be abruptly disturbed, otherwise it might damage one's mind and make one stupid.
She tried to pull her hand away, but Song Che held it tightly. She hadn't expected Song Che to be so strong and her own strength to be so weak.
As if possessed, she leaned forward again and whispered in his ear in a soft, even tone, "...Mom misses you too."
After saying that, she immediately straightened up and turned her face away.
...disturbing remarks.
A hundred years ago, she would never have said such a thing. When faced with harassment, the witch would simply knock the person unconscious with a magic wand and throw them into a sack to feed the fish.