"Congratulations, you have successfully completed the mission. The settlement is in progress and we are preparing to return to the original world." Yi Ling changed his usual humane tone and read out the instructions in a very official manner.
Qu Lingyuan lay on the hospital bed, closed her eyes, and a tear fell from her eyes.
She didn't know whether she was sad because she was leaving this world, or because... she was going to be separated from Yiling.
This system has existed with her for thousands of years.
"Where will you go when you retire?" she asked softly when the reading reached the last second.
Yi Ling opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as water. Before he could reply, a blinding white light blocked their view.
When she regained consciousness, Qu Lingyuan was sitting on the railing of the open-air balcony.
She quickly jumped off the railing, landing barefoot on the floor and breathing a sigh of relief.
I was so scared that I thought I would die again when I came back.
Turning around and walking into the bedroom, the room where she lived "before her death", everything seemed so familiar, yet so strange, as if she was here for the first time.
The air was silent, and everything that came into view seemed to be wrapped in ice, piercing Qu Lingyuan's heart.
She felt a little suffocated, and tears fell from her eyes unexpectedly.
In every world before, she had a happy and loving family. But now, even the cold floor reminded her that she was alone.
She knew clearly that her parents would ignore her and would not come home, but she still took out her cell phone and made a call.
The phone rang for a few seconds before being picked up.
"Hello? Lingyuan, is there something wrong that you're calling me so late?" It was my mother's voice. Her voice was clear and clean, and I could tell that she was still awake and working so late.
Qu Lingyuan bit her lip and didn't dare to speak, for fear of revealing her choking sobs.
She didn't say anything, so her mother continued, "Mom and Dad were too busy and didn't have time to wish you a happy birthday. I transferred money to your card. Be nice to yourself and don't be stingy."
Now Qu Lingyuan couldn't hold it in any longer.
She sniffed, crying with grievance, and uttered, "Mom, I miss you."
On the other end of the line, Yunduan had her phone tucked into the crook of her neck, and her hands, which were typing on her laptop, suddenly stopped.
"Be good, Mom and Dad miss you too..."
Qu Shaojun, who was sitting opposite the desk, listened to his wife talking. He looked up at her, but saw Yunduan hung up the phone with red eyes.
"What happened?" He pulled out two pieces of paper and handed them to Yunduan in surprise.
Yunduan took the paper, wiped away her tears fiercely, and angrily slammed the laptop in front of her shut.
"Fuck it, I'm not going to work anymore, let's go home and see my daughter!"
Qu Lingyuan is in the inland, Qu Shaojun and Yunduan are in the port area, and the journey takes several hours, but none of this matters now.
Yunduan only knew that her daughter was crying.
In the past, when she called, she would often complain like a thorn in the side that they didn't come home. Yunduan would explain that they were busy, and then they would start arguing.
Yunduan also has a child-like temper. She is sulking and the more she quarrels, the less likely she is to go back.
Now, Qu Shaojun booked a flight home without saying a word.
At home, Qu Lingyuan wiped away her tears, calmed down, and ran to the kitchen to cook noodles. She remembered that on her birthday, she seemed to have not eaten all day and was very hungry.
After having supper, she lay on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep with her eyes wide open.
At daybreak, there was a rustling sound of a door opening outside. Qu Lingyuan immediately became nervous.
Who will come at this time?
She took the baseball bat in the room and moved out the door step by step.
Just as she was getting nervous, the door opened. Without even having time to change her Yunduan shoes, she ran to Qu Lingyuan, who looked confused, and hugged her.
"We're back."
Smelling the delicate fragrance of her mother, Qu Lingyuan's body softened, her hands loosened, and the baseball bat fell to the ground.
The family of three stayed up all night. Qu Shaojun and Yunduan, tired from the long journey, returned to their bedroom to catch up on some sleep, and Qu Lingyuan also returned to her own room.
This time, she finally fell asleep.
————
When I woke up, it was already past noon.
When cooking noodles last night, Qu Lingyuan found that there were no ingredients at home, so she planned to go to the supermarket to buy some today.
Her parents said she could stay at home for two days, so she planned to make something delicious and cherish this hard-earned time.
After a light rain, the air outside seemed to be much fresher. As Qu Lingyuan walked out of the house, she felt inexplicably relaxed.
She went to a supermarket near her home, bought the ingredients she needed, and then wandered around inside.
A young couple ran past.
"Xiao Mu, run slower!" The boy jogged after the girl, his tone helpless and doting.
"Zuowang! Come here quickly," the girl named Xiaomu stopped in front of a doll, "Look, there are such big dolls in the supermarket."
She gestured with her hands, and the bear was nearly 1.9 meters long.
The boy held her back helplessly: "We already have one at home, we can't put it away."
The young couple looked at it and left quickly.
Qu Lingyuan looked at them with amusement, walked over to the huge teddy bear, and poked its soft belly.
Suddenly, the teddy bear stood up clumsily and hugged her in his arms. Qu Lingyuan froze in place, bewildered.
A man's voice came from the teddy bear: "I'm coming to see you."
I feel like I've heard this voice somewhere before, but I have no impression of it at all.
Qu Lingyuan's heart beat a little faster. He raised his hand and took off the teddy bear's mask, revealing an impeccably handsome face.
This face looks 80% like Yiling.
"Hello, my name is Wen Yu." The man said with a smile.
No, Yiling...?
Qu Lingyuan lowered her eyelids in disappointment.
"Wen Yu is the name on my ID card, but I still prefer to be called Yi Ling," he added.
Qu Lingyuan's darkened eyes immediately regained their luster and she suddenly looked up at him.
Wen Yu took off the doll's clothes, took the bag from Qu Lingyuan, and accompanied her home from the supermarket.
"Why are you here?" Qu Lingyuan asked.
"I'm retired now, and I told the world's laws that I want to come find you."
Wen Yu raised his head and slowly recalled: "So the laws of the world gave me all the memories of all the male protagonists you have conquered, and sent me here."
Qu Lingyuan was puzzled: "Then why did you change your name to Wen Yu?"
Wen Yu was helpless: "There's no other way. I can't just appear in this world out of thin air, so the laws of the world found a ready-made household registration for me..."
They are always so casual about the system, even though he has been "retired".
Wen Yu walked Qu Lingyuan all the way to her doorstep, handed her the shopping bag, and then bent down and whispered in her ear, "I am now a combination of all your husbands."
Qu Lingyuan looked at him with a red face.
"I have spent thousands of years with you," he continued.
Qu Lingyuan nodded ignorantly.
Wen Yu raised the corners of his lips and gently touched her lips.
"Then, from now on, I'll be counting on you."
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