The background in the dream was a void. Perhaps it was due to his vision, but apart from Xu Li, Meng Sheng could not see anything clearly.

She was like a child who had been lost for a long time, and the feeling of being found again, along with the guilt and self-blame that had been weighing on her heart, caused her to break down when she saw the living Xu Li.

Even the most calm and rational person has so much to say to their mother at this moment, so much to let her know.

So much has happened in the past year or so.

It was so heavy it made it hard for her to breathe.

Whether it was the betrayal of her closest loved ones, the various schemes orchestrated to escape unscathed, or her father's illness and the truth behind her mother's death, they were all like sharp blades piercing her heart.

Her first thought was to share her joy and happiness with Xu Li.

Meeting Pei Sui and having him by her side was the greatest blessing of her life.

Xu Li was very patient, listening quietly to her words, gently stroking her back with her hand, one stroke after another. However, Meng Sheng's emotions did not ease; on the contrary, she felt even more guilty towards Xu Li because of her gentleness.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been with Ning Weiwei..."

Xu Li shook her head, raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and said softly, "People's hearts are unpredictable. Who knew she would harbor evil intentions? It's not your fault, it's mine too. If I had been more decisive and straightforward back then, and hadn't held onto our past relationship and tried to give her a chance to admit her mistakes and confess to you, this wouldn't have happened. In the end, I underestimated human nature, I misjudged her, and I didn't handle this matter well. If I had handled it differently, the outcome wouldn't have been like this."

"No, Mom..."

Xu Li interrupted her again, smiling as she said, "Mengmeng, to be precise, this is neither your fault nor mine. The fault lies with them for having such despicable and shameless thoughts and then putting them into practice. We really don't need to compare ourselves with immoral people; that would only lower our own standards."

"I'm so happy to see you safe and happy. Let go of the past, look forward, and don't look back."

"Mom knows that Asui is definitely your best match. He will protect you for life. Just trust him."

These words sounded familiar, especially the phrase "Look ahead, don't look back." Meng Sheng's tears stopped abruptly, and the blankness on her face instantly turned into astonishment.

She looked up at her mother and tightened her grip on Xu Li's hand.

She moved her lips slightly, "Mom... how do you know about Ah Sui?"

The name sounded perfectly natural coming from her mother's mouth; she didn't even ask about Pei Sui's specifics before saying he was a good match for her.

The thoughts that had previously only flashed through my mind grew wildly like bamboo shoots in spring, and in no time they coalesced into a mature yet unbelievable fact.

Xu Li still had a smile on her face and affectionately patted Meng Sheng's head.

How could she bear to let her daughter, who had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, repeat the mistakes of her previous life?

Just thinking about her daughter's despair and pain in her previous life, while she could only watch helplessly as her daughter walked into the abyss, until she gave up her own life.

Thinking of all this, Xu Li's eyes couldn't help but redden. No matter how many times she thought about it, she only felt endless heartache.

She just wants her daughter to live a peaceful, happy, and fulfilling life.

But after she left, everyone bullied her and pressured her until she lost her life.

"Mom has always been by your side." She couldn't help but choke up.

If it weren't for this opportunity, even in this life, her daughter's fate would have been no different from the previous one.

Who could bear to experience such excruciating pain twice?

Meng Sheng was stunned, her face full of astonishment, her chest heaving violently, but her breathing unconsciously became much lighter. "So... Mom, the person who kept sending me text messages was you, helping me avoid risks, guiding me out of the swamp, and getting rid of the merchants... right?"

Xu Li smiled and said, "I am very lucky to have this opportunity to help you get rid of those misfortunes and regain a new life and happiness. I have always felt that this is God's way of treating us well, and probably also because He couldn't bear to see what you went through."

Meng Sheng froze on the spot, tears streaming down her face once again.

turn out to be……

It turned out that her mother had been by her side all along, but she knew nothing about it.

At this moment, she had so many questions she wanted to ask: how did she send her the message? When did she get to her side? She wanted to know... so many things.

But it felt like there was a wad of cotton stuck in her throat, and all that could come out was sobbing; she couldn't say anything at all.

In the end, all the words I wanted to say came down to one sentence: "Mom, I miss you so much."

I really, really want to!

Especially during the time leading up to her marriage to Pei Sui, she kept dreaming about the times when Xu Li taught her to draw when she was a child.

Xu Li patted her head again and smiled, "Mom knows, Mom knows everything. Don't be sad, don't cry. Mom will be watching over you from heaven. As long as you are happy, that's enough."

Meng Sheng was slightly taken aback, as if she had caught the unspoken meaning in her words, "Heaven? Mom, aren't you right here with me? I..."

Xu Li shook her head. "It's almost time."

"What time?" Meng Sheng didn't understand.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Li's body, which she was holding tightly, began to gradually become ethereal, and the solidity in her hands disappeared.

Her eyes widened, and she frantically tried to pull her away, but then became incoherent, "Mom, where are you going? You...you don't go, don't leave me. Dad, my brother, and I miss you so much. I...I still have so much to say to you, so many things I haven't asked you. You can't go, Mom..."

But her heart-wrenching cries couldn't stop Xu Li.

Xu Li's body has mostly disappeared.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Mengmeng, don't cry. Mommy's here, always here. You have to be okay, okay?"

"No...no, Mom, come back, come back, no!" Meng Sheng desperately tried to keep her. As Xu Li turned into a wisp of smoke and was about to dissipate, she asked with all her might, "Mom, will you still send me messages?"

She was met with silence, her clothes and hair fluttering in the wind.

As in her usual dream, her mother disappeared once again.

She could clearly feel her heart pounding violently, as if a desperate hand was choking her, making it hard for her to breathe.

She called Xu Li's name a few more times, but there was no response.

clatter--

The sound of something falling pulled her from her almost frozen thoughts.

She paused, then looked down at the things on the ground.

It's a mobile phone.

cell phone?

Meng Sheng seemed to have thought of something, and with great effort, she moved her stiff hands and feet, picked up her phone while holding her breath. The phone's screen saver was a picture of a little girl who was a little over two years old.

The little girl was wearing a pretty dress, her hair was braided, and she had a cute bunny headband on her head. She tilted her head and smiled at the camera.

Her eyes were bright and beautiful.

This face had appeared in her dreams.

She is Jiaojiao, the daughter she had with Shang Boyu in her previous life.