Along the way, everyone had the good sense not to disturb her, letting her walk quietly by herself. Perhaps it was because, at that moment, she exuded a kind of pure, lily-like aura.
After all, in today's social climate, people who carried such a clear and innocent air were becoming increasingly rare—especially in big cities, where they were a true rarity.
So, when they looked at her, it felt as if a voice deep inside was telling them, "Please don't disturb her."
But none of them had ever seen what she was really like without her mask—just how utterly lacking in integrity she could be. Then again, thanks to Ayase's guidance, the system's influence, and the memories and upbringing of this body's original self, she had always presented an impeccable facade in front of others.
So it was no surprise these people were fooled. Just looking at her, it was genuinely hard to associate her with anything unsavory (except maybe for certain pervy masochists).
Sucheng First People's Hospital was large, but her parents weren't far away. After asking a hospital staff member for directions, she declined a few people's offers to lead her there and slowly made her way toward her parents' ward.
She was a bit nervous now. Before this incident happened, she had always subconsciously rejected this world. Even toward these two who were, by title, her parents, she had felt the same way.
But after what happened yesterday—especially after inferring some information from the note she saw—she realized she could no longer avoid it.
Chu Lian hadn't actually told her parents that she would be visiting them today, so when she showed up at the door holding a bag and opened it, the two who had been chatting inside froze at the same time.
"Lian'er, how come you're here? Who told you?"
Hearing their question, she replied, "Last night I got a call from Wang Tingsi. He told me you two were in an accident. I was really worried, but it was too late and going out alone wouldn't have been safe, so I got up early today and made a pot of chicken soup for you. I just finished cooking it, it's still hot, so drink it while it's warm."
The fact that her parents were sitting here safe and sound was already the greatest relief. She let out a soft breath, turned around to close the door, and then walked over to set the bag down on the bedside cabinet.
She pulled out two spoons from the bag, served a bowl for each of them, and handed them over while muttering, "You really could have told me right away. Don't worry about me being scared or anything. Your daughter isn't a child anymore—I understand a lot. Some things are meant to be faced by the whole family together, right?"
Her mother's eyes were a little misty as she took the bowl from her and sipped a little before saying, "Good girl, Lian'er. It's not that Mom didn't want to tell you, it's just that..."
Her father, holding his own bowl, interjected, "Lian'er, over the past year, ever since you got sick that day, you've become so quiet and withdrawn. We've seen everything you've done, and we were just afraid you'd be shaken up again. After all, last time, it was because of your grandparents' passing that you got so upset and fell ill..."
Chu Lian's hand trembled slightly as she fiddled with the curtain, but she quickly calmed herself and said, "I was only twelve when Grandma and Grandpa passed away. I didn't understand much and thought they had abandoned us, so I was heartbroken. But now, I understand a lot more. They just went to heaven, and they're watching over us from there..."
Opening the window, she stood there quietly for a moment, gazing outside before continuing, "So you should be proud—proud that your daughter has grown up and is no longer that fragile little girl. From now on, whatever happens, talk to me about it, okay?"
She turned around, looked at her parents, and called out two words she hadn't spoken in over a year:
"Dad, Mom..."
Her mother, who was already on the verge of tears, couldn't hold it in after hearing that soft call. She set down the bowl, covered her mouth, and began to cry. It had been a year—a whole year since she last heard her daughter call her "Mom." How could she not weep tears of joy? Her daughter hadn't just grown up or become sensible—she now understood what it meant to be considerate.
Her father, too, wanted to cry. But as a man—one who looked like he was in his thirties but had already passed forty—he had learned how to control his emotions. So he suppressed the impulse and quietly drank the soup, one sip at a time. Was it an illusion? The soup Lian'er made... tasted so sweet.
Chu Lian hesitated for a moment, still unable to calm the stirrings in her heart. She slowly walked to her mother and gently embraced her...
That entire afternoon, Chu Lian chatted with her parents—about what she wanted to do, about the funny things she'd seen. Then she listened to their stories about the past, and about her grandparents. They kept talking until evening.
Because her parents still needed observation, they had to stay in the hospital for another three to five days. Despite her deep reluctance, her mother still told her to head home. Of course, she was worried about Chu Lian walking the streets alone and wanted to call someone to pick her up. But Chu Lian stopped her, saying she had already made plans to go shopping with someone that evening, and only then did her mother relent.
Carrying the same bag she brought—now empty of the chicken soup—she waved to her parents with a smile and walked out of the hospital alone.
Looking up at the scattered stars in the sky, Chu Lian let her thoughts drift into the system space. While chatting with Ayase, she slowly took in the night view of the city center.
Truth be told, as an ancient capital with a history spanning a thousand years, Sucheng had always been a place of extraordinary splendor. The scenery wasn't just beautiful during the day—at night, it had a charm all its own.
You could say most of its beauty bloomed at night. The Qinhuai River, famous since ancient times as a place of lights and romance, certainly didn't lack for nightlife.
But none of that had anything to do with her. Dressed in a white skirt, she walked alone down the long street, facing the gentle, slightly cool night breeze. She watched the neon lights shift in hue, listened to the rising and falling sounds around her, observed the ebb and flow of people, and quietly took in this world's unique charm.
Fortunately, she was wearing a hat. Otherwise, as someone with some small fame in Sucheng, she might have already been recognized. That would have ruined her quiet evening out.
"I've decided, Ayase. I want to leave an indelible mark on this world—a legacy that will make future generations know I existed. I want everyone in the world to know me and fall in love with me. I want to become a belief..." Chu Lian stood beside a fountain, left hand pressing down the brim of her hat, right hand holding the bag. She tilted her head up to the sky and silently declared in her heart.
"Even if you didn't say that, the system would still push you in that direction. But if that's truly your wish, then as your bond with the system deepens, achieving it might not be so hard," Ayase said, lying on the sofa with her chin propped on her left hand, swirling a glass of red wine. Her crimson lips curled into a smile as she spoke.
"No matter how hard it is, I'll do it. I don't want to live with regret. I don't want to run away from my past again. I don't want to die without leaving a trace in this world. That feeling... Ayase, I don't think you could ever understand."
As she spoke, she took a deep breath. "There may be countless obstacles and setbacks ahead—but so what? If someone like me, blessed with such an incredible gift, doesn't even have the ambition to rise above the ordinary, then what's the point of being reborn? I'll prove that I can do it."
"If I can't guarantee success, then I'll make sure I'm not afraid of failure. As long as I give it my all, and with your help, this goal... I can achieve it."
Her words might have sounded a bit like something out of a chuunibyou fantasy, but in truth, they were the only thoughts in her heart right now. Having begun to truly integrate into this world, the heart she once thought was dull and gray now shimmered with new light. This was her mission after receiving the system. It was also her wish.
In the system space, Ayase listened to her words. A faint trace of comfort flickered in her eyes. After nearly a year of struggle, had the beautiful butterfly finally begun to break free of its cocoon? Then... when would the future her be reborn in flames?
In the night sky, a shooting star streaked across, followed by another—and then dozens more. It was as if the heavens themselves were responding to her wish.
In that moment, the girl prayed for something.