Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
They instantly beamed with joy upon hearing her words, all except No. 8, who kept a straight face, as if he did not have plans on getting married at all.
“The weather looks good today. Why don’t we go out to bathe in the sun and have a chat?” An Xiaoning suggested. After all, she did not know them quite well yet and, thus, wanted to get to know them better by having a chat with them.
Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. Such a kind employer , they thought.
“Why? Are you unwilling?” she asked with a smile.
“No, no, no, of course I’m willing. Madam, go outside first, we’ll bring the chairs out,” No. 11 said excitedly, waving his hands at her.
“Alright.”
Everyone sat together in a circle as the sun began to rise above them gradually. They were all sitting up straight, prim and proper, unlike An Xiaoning, who was sitting with her legs crossed and smiling at them.
“Why are you guys so serious? By the way, you don’t have to call me ‘Madam’ from now on. Some of you are older than I am. You may just call me ‘Xiaoning’ or ‘Sis Xiaoning’ if you’re younger than me. We’re going to be living together from now on. We don’t have to be so formal with each other.”
Everyone was rather stunned by her words. “Can we really address you that way?” No. 13 asked.
“Of course you may. You just have to perform your tasks properly, be it housekeeping or guarding the house. I hope I won’t hear any complaints, and I hope to see all of you living harmoniously. That’s the only way we can deal with whatever comes our way, together. There mustn’t be any internal conflicts. Hear me?” said An Xiaoning, raising her index finger.
“Yes, we won’t. How old are you this year?” asked No. 1, who was the oldest amongst all of them.
“Thirty years old.”
“No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and I will just address you by your name then.”
“Alright, that makes things more comfortable for everyone too. I’d like to have a taste of No. 13 and No. 14’s cooking this afternoon. Let’s have a reunion lunch,” An Xiaoning said smiling.
“Alright!!!” they chorused.
An Xiaoning was glad to see the smiles on their faces. She had never been the type to ill-treat her subordinates.
——
Ding-Dong… Ding-Dong…
Mo Li peeked through the peephole and quickly opened the door upon the sight of her. “Xiaoning? It’s really you!” she exclaimed in shock and surprise.
“Yes, it’s me. I heard that you’ve moved here so I went to the management desk to ask about which unit you were living in. Turns out our places are so near each other.”
“Hurry and come on in.” Mo Li held onto her arm and they both entered the apartment, closing the door after them.
An Xiaoning’s first impression of the apartment was that it felt rather heartwarming even though it was not exactly spacious. “Your home feels so warm and cozy.”
Mo Li brewed her a cup of coffee and said, “I decided to use my free time to decorate the house a little. I have nothing much to do while recuperating anyway.”
“Not bad. Thank you,” said An Xiaoning as she took the cup of coffee from Mo Li’s hands.
Mo Li sat down beside her and said, “I heard from Tianze that you were abducted by the terrorists back then. Thank Heavens you’re alright. You really survived a great ordeal.”
“It was Qingyan who rescued me.”
Mo Li smiled gleefully and held her hand. “Brother Qingyan is really impressive. Xiaoning, he truly loves you.”
An Xiaoning smiled and said, “So-so.”
“What do you mean so-so? He treats you really well. I really envy the way Brother Qingyan loves you. How many men can really love a woman so dearly?”
“He’s not the only good man around,” said An Xiaoning, although she could not stop smiling. “How are you adapting to living here?”
“Great. Ever since I divorced Ye Xiaotian, I’ve been wanting to live like a normal person. This is the ideal lifestyle I’ve been dreaming about,” said Mo Li, sounding rather bittersweet.
“Where’s your daughter buried? I promised you before that I would perform a ritual for her. I haven’t forgotten it yet.”
“You still remember,” said Mo Li, feeling touched.
“Of course I do.” An Xiaoning found it to be a great pity for Ye Jiani to have passed away so soon, at such a tender age. If her spirit was still around, An Xiaoning would be willing to perform a ritual for her.
“Jiani was too young and she couldn’t be buried in the Ye family ancestral graveyard. Ye Xiaotian bought her a tombstone and buried her on the mountains.”
“Why don’t we go take a look now? We still have to buy some items for offerings. It’s getting dark soon.”
Mo Li agreed, “Alright, give me a moment while I go change into a fresh set of clothes.”
“Alright.”
Mo Li returned to her room to change into a long, black-colored woolen sweater and pulled her messy hair back into a ponytail, revealing her bare face.
An Xiaoning took her mask out from her pocket and put it on.
She had brought her two bodyguards along.
They then drove to the mall where An Xiaoning waited inside the car while Mo Li proceeded to buy two sets of children’s clothing, consisting of socks, hats, garments, and two pairs of shoes.
“I wonder if she’s still around or if she has already gone to reincarnate. If she has already reincarnated, she won’t be able to receive these items even if we burn them for her,” said An Xiaoning.
Mo Li was not bothered and said, “I’d still like to burn them as an offering to her.”
“Alright.” An Xiaoning had also bought some items that would be required for the ritual before heading to Ye Jiani’s grave together with Mo Li.
A photo of Ye Jiani smiling cheerily was plastered on the small tombstone.
The sky began to turn dark gradually.
An Xiaoning squatted down and arranged the items properly with the help of Mo Li.
No. 5 and No. 8 stood rooted with their backs as straight as rulers. They had both thought that it was just a normal offering session, until…
An Xiaoning placed a piece of yellow-colored paper onto the ground and began scribbling on it with a red marker to make an amulet.
She made three of those on the spot.
By the time the ink on the amulets were completely dry, the sky had already turned pitch dark.
No. 5 and No. 8 carried lamps to provide a light source. The graveyard felt much more chilly and creepy in the evening.
Although they had developed bravery and courage after having gone through the toughest challenges in life, they nonetheless could not help but feel a little spooked by what was happening before them.
“Let me take a look if Jiani has gone to reincarnate yet…”
An Xiaoning picked up an amulet and faced it toward the tombstone, after which she closed her eyes and began chanting incessantly. In no time, the amulet flew out of her hands and plastered itself onto the tombstone, greatly startling the three onlookers whose jaws dropped in shock.
A sudden chilly breeze disrupted the stale air of the night, at the instant that the amulet came into contact with the tombstone.
“She hasn’t gone to reincarnate yet. Hurry and call for your daughter,” said An Xiaoning, grabbing onto Mo Li.
Unable to contain her emotions, Mo Li began tearing up uncontrollably. “Nini? It’s Mommy. Nini, are you here?”
A sudden, melancholic weeping filled the air. “Mommy…” Ye Jiani’s spirit wailed.
No. 5 and No. 8 immediately got the chills from the hair-raising scene taking place right before them, and their legs soon turned to jelly.
It was their first time witnessing such an unbelievable incident!
“I’m sorry, Nini, it’s all my fault. Mommy…” Mo Li paused in her speech and covered her mouth, unable to speak further for she felt a lump forming in her throat.
“Mommy, I miss you. I really miss you so much. I’ve been waiting for you for so long. Why did you only come now? The reapers said that they won’t let me stay if you still didn’t show up…”
