761 A Million Times for You 123 (1/2)
”It's Mommy's fault, I was wrong. Nini, Mommy bought you a lot of pretty clothes and shoes, as well as your favorite hair accessories. I'll burn them for you now. Put on the pretty clothes and reincarnate into a better family,” said Mo Li, lighting up the offerings frantically with a lighter.
After casting the paper ingots and paper money into the fire, Mo Li knelt onto the ground and began kowtowing incessantly. ”Heibai, Wuchang, thank you so much. Please don't let Jiani suffer along her way to reincarnation. Thank you so much, thank you…”
”Mommy!” Ye Jiani bawled before continuing, ”Mommy, don't cry, you must be happy…”
In order not to let her daughter worry, Mo Li said coaxingly, ”Okay, okay. Go ahead and reincarnate in peace. I'll be happy from now onward, I promise you.”
”Mommy, let me sing you a song. Spring, where are you? Where is the Spring at? Spring is in the lush greenery of the mountains…” Ye Jiani's voice soon began to fade slowly along with the flames that were dying out.
Mo Li was bawling and gasping for air. She was weeping so intensely that she almost fainted.
An Xiaoning helped her up and said, ”This child is not fated to be yours. She's so sensible to have waited here for you for so many days. She even hopes for you to be happy before she left. Don't be sad, don't let her hopes down.”
”Thank you, Xiaoning. Thank you so much,” Mo Li said in a faint and hoarse voice.
”No problem, I did it out of my own will.”
An Xiaoning turned around and cracked up upon the sight of her bodyguards who had frozen in shock. ”Were you frightened?”
”Sis… Give me a hand, I'm falling,” said No. 5, who was on the verge of tears.
”Look how much of a wimp you are,” she jested, giving him a hand. No. 5 stumbled forward while No. 8 swayed unsteadily before standing straight.
The four of them trod down the mountain and headed back.
Mo Li insisted that An Xiaoning have lunch at her place. However, the latter declined the offer because No. 13 and No. 14 had already prepared a spread for lunch when they arrived back at Sanqiao Estate.
”Don't go home, come over to my place for lunch together. It's so boring for you to eat alone,” said An Xiaoning, who pulled Mo Li into her house without waiting for her to respond.
It was Mo Li's first visit to An Xiaoning's mansion.
She felt rather tense and awkward upon the sight of so many men sitting around the dining table.
”Let me introduce you guys. This is Mo Li, my friend who lives in an apartment opposite.”
”Hello, everyone,” greeted a haggard-looking Mo Li, whose eyes were red and swollen.
They greeted her one after another, and she proceeded to take a seat.
”No. 5, No. 8, what's wrong with you two? Why do you look so terrorized?” No. 6 asked with a cheerful grin.
No. 5 explained briefly about what happened at the graveyard, which sent cold shivers down all their spines. They did not doubt his story at all.
It was indeed rather frightening.
Noticing that everyone was afraid of asking the questions they had in mind, An Xiaoning said calmly, ”It's true, but No. 5 and No. 8 will get used to it after a few more times. You two will be following me around a lot in the future anyway.” She then picked up her chopsticks and said, ”Let's dig in.”
Everyone looked at the two of them with a look of sympathy.
”Yeah, Sis Xiaoning is a woman and she's not even afraid. What's there to be intimidated about, especially since we are men? Right, No. 8?” said No. 5, patting his chest.
”Yes,” No. 8 answered.
Mo Li put on a lopsided smile despite feeling melancholic, for she did not want to be a killjoy and dampen the spirits of the others around her.
After having lunch, they proceeded to resume their respective duties, such as doing the dishes, going on patrol, or resting upstairs.
No. 8 stood on the balcony and stared at Mo Li, who was sitting on a bench by the stairwell of the apartment building opposite.