Chapter 89: The Second Road to Exile, Part 31

"Sit down. I’ll pour you some water."

Yu Jing lifted the kettle from the table and generously filled a cup for each of them.

"My husband and I used to live in Clear River Oasis. It was a tiny oasis, and after only a few years it began to dry up. Then Lu Li’s father died during a mission. Later, through a friend’s introduction, I met my current husband. He works in construction and was in charge of the infrastructure project at Dragon Rock Oasis, so I moved there with him."

With a few casual words, Yu Jing explained the whole story from beginning to end. Then she told them, "At the time, my husband had duties to attend to and went to Dragon Rock ahead of me. We agreed I would follow after him, but then Lu Li suddenly fell ill and it delayed us for several days... During that period, the city was in chaos. There was no doctor to be found, and no medicine that could save her. I could only watch her breathe her last. In the end, I had no choice but to take her younger brother and leave."

Yu Jing looked at Lu Li, who was sitting beside Shi Xianyu, and her expression grew a little complicated.

"I never expected this child to be so strong-willed... Thank you for saving her. It must have been hard coming all the way here to Dragon Rock."

Shi Xianyu smiled politely. "Not at all. Lu Li was very well-behaved and sensible. She didn’t cause us any trouble."

As she spoke, she took out the suitcase and backpack and said to Yu Jing, "These are the clothes and daily necessities Lu Li usually uses, along with some storybooks and stationery."

Yu Jing glanced at them faintly. "Thank you."

Shi Xianyu opened her mouth, a little unsure of what to say. The other woman’s attitude was far colder than she had expected. She had not expected gratitude or tears, of course, but... how should she put it? After all, they had brought her biological daughter back, yet Yu Jing did not seem the least bit moved.

Perhaps this was simply her personality? Maybe she was just not good with words.

They sat on the sofa for a while longer, and it seemed they ought to take their leave. Yet Shi Xianyu still could not quite settle her mind; an uneasy feeling lingered at the edge of her heart.

Yu Jing picked up the little boy beside her and said to them, "I’m sorry, but I need to put the child to sleep. I’m usually the only one looking after the children at home. Now that Lu Li is back, there’s one more child and more to do, so I won’t keep you any longer."

"In that case, we won’t trouble you further." Ye Liuyun stood up and showed her his credentials. "If any problems come up, you can contact me. As long as it’s within our ability, we’ll do our best to help."

Yu Jing nodded, her tone still calm. "Thank you."

Shi Xianyu pressed her lips together and could not help adding, "We’ve already contacted the nursery. Lu Li can return to class anytime. If you’re too busy, you can also send her to the nursery. We live in the team’s community, so you can come find us anytime. Lu Li knows the address."

Yu Jing said a courteous "thank you," her expression unchanged, and it seemed she had no intention of coming to find them.

Shi Xianyu looked at Lu Li again.

The little girl sat obediently on the sofa, still smiling at her, showing no sign of discomfort at the change in surroundings.

...They were the mother and daughter, after all. What exactly was she worrying about?

Shi Xianyu sighed inwardly, then stood up and left with Ye Liuyun and Lin Yuan.

...

Ye Liuyun started the car and headed back to the team community. The whole drive was unusually quiet; none of them spoke.

After a long while, Shi Xianyu could not help lowering her voice and saying, "Lu Li’s mother... she’s not quite what I imagined."

Ye Liuyun, driving, nodded. "Mm... not what I imagined either. She seems rather cold."

Lin Yuan said, "My original plan was that if Lu Li’s mother was unable to raise her, or unwilling to, we would explain the situation clearly and take Lu Li to the nursery. But after meeting her, she said she was willing to raise the child and urged me to send her daughter back as soon as possible."

"That is odd..." Ye Liuyun muttered. "If she was urging us, that means she cares about Lu Li. So why didn’t she seem very happy when she saw her?"

"Yes..." Shi Xianyu frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "When she saw Lu Li, I didn’t feel any happiness, excitement, or joy from her at all. She was really very cold."

Lin Yuan glanced at her. "Don’t think about it. No matter what, she is Lu Li’s mother."

Shi Xianyu heard this and slowly nodded.

Yes. No matter what kind of person Yu Jing was, she was still Lu Li’s mother. Lu Li should live with her own mother, and as outsiders, they had no right to interfere.

Thus the mission in this world was complete, yet Shi Xianyu felt no sense of accomplishment at all.

A vague sense of loss lingered in her heart, as if things ought not to have ended this way.

"After a few days, I want to go see Lu Li," Shi Xianyu told the two of them in the car. "Even though we’ve already sent her back, I still don’t feel settled. Let’s wait a few days and then go see her, all right?"

Ye Liuyun nodded lightly. "Mm, then we’ll go check on her in a few days. I actually feel a little uneasy too. Something just seems off."

Lin Yuan said nothing, gazing out the window at the villa growing farther and farther away. Only the lights on the first floor were still on, silent beneath the cover of night.

There were no tears of reunion after a long separation, nor any laughter from a family finally reunited.

...

After returning to the motorhome, Shi Xianyu’s mood remained low.

Usually at night she would read storybooks with Lu Li and play puzzle games, but now that Lu Li was gone, the motorhome seemed empty and especially quiet.

She wondered what Lu Li was doing now.

After sitting on the sofa chair for a while, her gaze fell on the two small potted plants on the kitchen counter. Sand had been mixed into the soil, and the plants seemed to be growing more slowly, but they were still alive and thriving.

She had been busy packing today and had forgotten about them. She would have to remember to bring them to Lu Li tomorrow. Lu Li liked these two little things best.

The place where Yu Jing lived looked nice enough. Watering flowers probably would not be much of a burden. Still, they had gone at the wrong time today and had not seen Yu Jing’s husband. She did not know what kind of man he was, or whether he would be good to Lu Li... And what if Lu Li got into conflict with her younger brother? ...No, that child was only three years old, and Lu Li was so well-behaved. They would not quarrel...

Shi Xianyu’s thoughts tangled into a mess. She decided it would be better to go to sleep as soon as possible, or those chaotic notions might really torment her to death.

When she lay down on the bed and straightened her pillow, a corner of paper was exposed beneath it.

She picked up the pillow and found a drawing pressed underneath.

It was Lu Li’s picture of "My Home." The last time she had seen it, it had only been a simple doodle, but now the scene was much richer. Not only were the motorhome, the big flower lizard, and the flowers and trees drawn, but there were also two little people.

After thinking about it, Shi Xianyu decided those two extra figures must be Ye Liuyun and Lin Yuan.

A child’s heart was so pure and straightforward: whoever was kind to her, she would draw into her "home."

Shi Xianyu could not help smiling.

Yet as she smiled, she fell once more into confusion: why had Lu Li never drawn Yu Jing?