"Shui Ling, wait..." Su Li wanted to call out to Shui Ling and ask her a few more questions, but before she could finish speaking, she felt her body tremble and sink down.

Looking down at her feet, Su Li was startled to see that her feet, which had been floating on the surface of the water, were now covered by the waves. She dared not move for a moment.

"Hurry back, your soul can't leave your body for too long." A wave crashed over her, pushing Su Li's feet from the water...

With this force, Su Li took a deep breath, feeling her body instantly lighten, and flew up from the air, retreating rapidly backward with a "whoosh!"

"Splash!" I heard the sound of water and felt a chill in my body.

"Achoo!" Opening her eyes, Su Li sat up straight and sneezed.

Su Li's soul truly returned to her body.

I stood up lightly from the ground. Dusk was approaching, and the surroundings had become much darker. The lake was calm, but there was no sign of its former vitality...

A gentle breeze blew by, and Su Li sniffed, noticing that the various scents around her had become clearer, and the fragrance of the lotus leaf in her hand had become even stronger...

Looking up at the lake, there was no one there, nor could I see that head of black hair floating in the water...

Feeling as if in a dream, Su Li kept turning back as she left the lakeside, went ashore, and walked towards her home, which was about a mile away.

Phantom! I am Phantom, and my mission is to protect my master...

These questions lingered in Su Li's mind.

Back home, as soon as she stepped onto the stone steps in front of the ditch, she looked up and immediately saw her mother sitting by the door, gazing out. When she saw Su Li appear, she immediately started yelling, "Where have you been? Coming back so late, are you trying to starve me to death?"

"Mom, don't be angry. I'll make you something to eat right away. I've brought the lotus leaves back." Su Li stepped forward and helped her mother up.

"You're all bitches. You're just like your sister, leaving me here all alone. You're all unfilial children. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have taken you in..."

"Mom, why are you saying I was picked up again?" Despite her mother's angry expression, Su Li smiled and said, "You get like this when you're angry, but the three of us look so alike, how could I have been picked up?"

"You, cough cough!" Before her mother could finish speaking, she suddenly coughed. Su Li helped her mother into the small tile-roofed house, her mind still reeling from Shui Ling's words...

Under the dim yellow light, the pumpkin cakes were quickly made. Lifting the lid to let the steam dissipate, Su Li reached out and carefully picked up a lotus leaf, handing the steaming, golden-yellow cakes to her mother sitting at the table. "Mom, try some, is it good?"

Her mother rolled her eyes at her, said nothing, and began to eat the hot rice cake...

Nothing was said that night. When Su Li woke up the next day, she noticed that her mother's expression had changed. She was sitting silently by the bed, and when Su Li went into the room to check on her, the way her mother looked at her was gentler than ever before.

The mother reached out and took Su Li's hand, her eyes brimming with tears. "Xiao Li, I'm so sorry. I've been a burden to you."

"Why are you saying that? You are my mother!" Hearing her mother speak so gently for the first time, Su Li was a little flustered. She couldn't help but sniff, took her mother's hand in her own, and looked into her eyes. Today, her mother's eyes were exceptionally clear.

“Your sister has a strong personality. She’s not content to live like this. Ever since your father passed away, I’ve been living in constant fear that you’ll leave me too…”