Chapter 8: The Blood-Vine Jade Pendant

Lüya waited anxiously by the side. Her mistress still insisted on going barefoot, wearing only a thin garment despite the snowy weather. No matter how much she urged her, her mistress refused to dress more warmly, preferring to stand in the corridor to watch the snow and catch the cold wind.

"Young Miss, it is freezing out here. Please, go inside to warm up, and perhaps spend some time with Madam; she has been thinking of you ever since she woke up."

Mo Liuli had been in this strange, new world for some time now. Unfortunately, upon her soul's arrival, she had fallen into a deep slumber, leaving her with minimal understanding of this realm beyond the fragmented memories of the original Mo Liuli and what she had gathered over the past few days.

She had been an esper from the 21st century, codenamed 001. An overload during a vaccine injection had caused her soul to transmigrate instantly, and her memories of her past life had been wiped clean by pharmaceutical conditioning. All she retained was the mastery of her abilities. Yet, upon arriving here, she discovered that her powers were gone, and even the martial talent inherent to this body had vanished without a trace, leaving her a mere shell of mediocrity.

Mo Liuli stood with her hands behind her back, gazing thoughtfully at the blooming plum blossoms. Recently, her abdomen had become increasingly restless; it was slightly distended and the pain was intensifying. If not for the endurance she had cultivated during the physical enhancements of her past life, she likely would not have been able to withstand such agony.

Snowflakes drifted down, carpeting the tiled roofs, walls, and stone paths in white, blending seamlessly with Mo Liuli’s pale robes.

"Go and prepare some tonics and snacks for Mother, and ask... ask my father to come to the garden. Tell him I have something to discuss with him." Mo Liuli turned slightly to instruct Lüya. She had meant to call Mo Yuan 'Master,' but realizing her current identity, she paused and stiffly corrected herself to 'Father.'

Snowflakes clung to her ink-black hair, making her look coldly alluring. Her barefoot, thin-clad silhouette against the snowy backdrop was heart-wrenching, highlighting her stubbornness.

After Lüya left, Mo Liuli remained in the courtyard, staring blankly at the snow-dusted plum blossoms, with no intention of returning indoors.

When Madam Leng emerged from the house, she saw Mo Liuli standing there with a cold, detached air, as if she were a figure from a painting. Ignoring the biting chill, Madam Leng tightened her fur-lined cloak and stepped out.

She felt a piercing ache for her daughter. Although the girl had been gifted since childhood, she had carried the heavy burdens of a noble family, raised in isolation here in the Liuli Garden. Aside from her parents and the maid Lüya, she had no one, save for the occasional elder who came to supervise her cultivation.

Now, with her martial arts wiped away and a mysterious pregnancy looming, the sight truly broke Madam Leng’s heart.

Madam Leng embraced Mo Liuli from behind, her hands gently circling her daughter's waist as she sobbed into her ear. "Li'er, it is all Mother's fault. I shouldn't have been so partial; I was foolish to let Zichuan wear your Blood-Vine Jade Pendant. If the pendant hadn't left your side, perhaps none of this would have happened. It is all my fault, I have ruined you, *cough, cough*..."

Madam Leng’s health had not yet recovered. After only a few words, she began to cough violently. Cold tears fell onto Mo Liuli's shoulder, and the tremors from her coughing made Mo Liuli sway.

Already gripped by pain, Mo Liuli grew deathly pale from the disturbance. She listened to Madam Leng's remorseful words with only a faint, bitter ache lingering from the original owner's heart—she found the sentiment almost laughable. But right now, the pain...

Mo Liuli clutched her abdomen with one hand and gripped Madam Leng’s wrist with the other, breaking the embrace. She retreated three steps, her brow furrowed as her expression shifted, her entire body beginning to tremble.