Recollection Interlude: Looking Back at My Past Self (III)

"Okay, let's move on to the next question. Tomorrow is Christmas, what gift should we give Xing?"

After decisively ignoring the two problems that were impossible to solve, Kiana raised this crucial question, a vital decision concerning whether they could raise Luming's favorability back to its previous level.

PS: Actually, the price didn't drop at all. Luming just sulked for a few days after going back.

"Hmm, according to the Kaslana Family's habits, let's get the meals sorted out for the next few days. I'll make sure that the moment my little brother, no, my little sister opens her eyes, she sees a steaming hot feast. Mei, I'll leave this arduous task to you... Where's Mei?!"

The black-haired girl with the air of a perfect wife was nowhere to be seen. Someone had placed a 3D projection device in her original spot. If Kiana hadn't noticed something was wrong, she might have remained completely unaware.

PS: To reiterate, at least in Honkai Impact 3rd, Mei's hair only turned purple after she was Herrscher of Reason.

Ya Ya spread its hands, indicating it knew nothing. Just as Kiana was about to ask Fu Hua for his opinion, it discovered that its class monitor had also left behind a 3D projection device and had already slipped away.

The Kiana was furious. With a "smack," it threw the blackboard away. "You've all run off! Are we even going to start the meeting?! Don't you even respect me as your team leader?!"

The Ya Ya, the sleepwalking Arin Sisters, and Black Seele all shook their heads in unison. Only the understanding White Seele offered Kiana a final word of comfort.

Not far away, the GaoPanda, perched on a tree branch eating bamboo, stared blankly at the small blackboard that had just smashed it. Woof, has this bear been neglecting to check the almanac before going out? Why am I getting stabbed even while lying down?

"Our day trip is over! Everyone, come back to the forest with me!" Stardust was looking for beasts with his spare Beast Emperor Sword, bringing them back to Shi An Forest one by one. After all, Power Beast couldn't be seen by ordinary people.

——Love Gate——

"Mmm mmm mmm~"

In Theresa's private residence, the white-haired toddler puffed out his little mouth and kept chewing and twisting food. Before he had finished eating, he stuffed new food into his mouth, and soon two big lumps appeared on his cheeks.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly, be careful not to choke. Honestly, your eating manners are still as bad as ever." Mei looked at the young Luming of Happy Meal with affection. "This time Kiana won't be fighting you for food, so don't worry about not having enough. I also deliberately sent Miss Rita away, so don't worry about her having any ill intentions towards you."

"Mmm mmm mmm~" The little girl made muffled sounds because her mouth was full of food, but judging from her eyes which were curved into two shallow crescent moons, she seemed to be in a good mood.

"You think Rita won't be so easily fooled? Don't worry, I Bronya to secretly change her flight's destination to Africa, and I even created a little 'surprise' for her private jet. Hehe, Miss Rita won't be back for at least three or four days~"

Although Mei said this with a kind smile, in Luming's eyes, Mei suddenly had a pair of bat wings behind her, a tail with a heart shape popped out from under her skirt, and a pair of sharp horns sprouted from her head.

Good heavens! What happened to Mei? Has she been impersonated by another transmigrator?

The young woman, brimming with wifely strength, reluctantly took her young son, who was clinging to her and trying to verify her identity with the Mortal Tribulation Difficult to Cross" technique, off her. "Don't do anything unrelated while eating, or you'll end up like Kiana, only allowed to eat vegetarian food for the next few days!"

I'm suddenly a little worried about my older sister. I hope she won't be henpecked like my husband after we get married.

Theresa, being quite tactful, picked up her plate and quietly slipped away, leaving the space to her daughter and her friend. After all, if someone had to be arranged to reminisce with Little Xing, Mei would be the best choice, being in the Fire-Chasing Squad.

She can cook, is gentle and considerate, a caring older sister, has wifely qualities, is beautiful, has high IQ and EQ, and isn't so obsessed with Yu Xing (at least that's the case with the main personality). Isn't she much more suitable than the others?

Kiana: No comment. Intelligence and emotional intelligence change in Quantum State.

Bronya: She has both high IQ and EQ, which is...

Wendy: Automatically becomes a fangirl.

Arin Sisters: Do you want the reunion to turn into Luming Lady driving a Jeep chasing them all over the snow?

Seele: Change of Heart a romance plot, as for who's romance whom... it's hard to say.

Fu Hua: Only someone with a screw loose would choose her.

Susanna: Is there a yesterday version of this?

And so, the huge living room was left with only Lu Luming diligently cooking and Mei quietly watching her Mei, the future wife's eyes filled with tenderness and doting affection.

Finally, as Luming forcefully swallowed the last bite of food—

Swallow...

Swallow...

Swallow...

"Pfft!" Seeing the little boy struggling to swallow his food but unable to move it, his face turning blue, Mei couldn't help but laugh. She quickly picked up a glass of warm water and gave it to him, scolding him, "Honestly, you're still as proud as ever. If you want water, just tell me. Doesn't that make you uncomfortable?"

"(Gulp gulp~) Uh, that..." Luming awkwardly turned her head away, not daring to look directly at Mei, who was smiling.

Did she go for further studies somewhere? Her aura seems different from before. The Mei I know wasn't this assertive at all!

No, this looks like Mei when I first entered the school. Later, as I gradually became stronger, Mei seemed to become much more reserved around me...

Luming, Lu was suddenly poked a few times on the cheek and came to her senses when she realized that Mei was bent over, leaning on the table and staring straight at her. "What are you thinking about? Let me guess... are you thinking about the new friends you've met outside, huh?"

P. S.: Mei's self-identification is perfectly fine; her physical age speaks for itself. Wait a minute, isn't this Kiana's Movie Version?

Mei said in a friendly tone.

For some reason, Luming suddenly felt a chill down her spine and smelled a familiar scent in the air. But there were only two girls in the room, so where did this chaotic scene come from?!

"No, no, I was just thinking about the days when I first came to St. Freya. I was so exhausted that I passed out and slept for three days. When I woke up, I found myself in an unfamiliar ceiling." The young girl didn't dare to look Mei in the eye and turned her head away guiltily.

"Yes, even though we were just a small team that was randomly put together back then, it was still quite happy when I think about it now. After all, back then, we didn't have to think about many things, we just had to live in the moment." Mei's eyes were full of reminiscence, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, as if she was recalling some happy memories.

"It's the same now, Mei. No matter what the future holds, we just need to seize the moment... Ouch!" Before Luming could finish speaking, Mei lightly flicked her forehead.

"Alright, alright, stop acting like a little adult. You're still so young, but your aura is almost stronger than the academy elders. Can't you just be a child in peace?" Mei said helplessly, flicking the strings again—they felt nice.

Luming covered her forehead, feeling helpless. "If I could, I really want to be a carefree child, but that's impossible. Wanting the crown... I'm outta here!"

With a quick duck, the child successfully dodged Mei. Before he could even feel happy, Mei scooped him up in her arms, a triumphant smile gleaming in the girl's purple eyes.

Hmph, you dare to hide? I'll teach you a lesson!

"Hey, hey, don't tickle my stomach, it's so itchy!"

—Suspected Herrscher Mei snatched the registration number—

After fussing around for a while, Mei finally put down the toddler who had been played with so much. Seeing her tearful face, she felt guilty and took out a cola-flavored lollipop from her pocket and handed it to her.

Yeah, she's still as easy to coax as before. Sigh, that's the only thing she's like a child about.

"Alright, just stay at school and be a good student for the next few days. We'll go with you if you want to go out and play. But if we get an emergency mission, don't even think about going to pick it up or sneaking off to the Helios. If anything unusual happens, don't go to investigate alone, no, and no one else can go with you either. Leave it to us to handle, understand?"

Mei tapped Luming's head and gently instructed her.

"I know, I know, I'm tired from working overtime all the time. Do you think I want to finish one dungeon and then keep doing it non-stop?" Luming rolled her eyes. The reason she's been working overtime lately is all Xing Chen's fault. Who were she doing all those times she transformed back into her true form and went into a power surge?!

The Five-Dimensional Sisters sneezed in unison.

"Good to know~" Mei happily patted her head, and the little girl closed her eyes contentedly, letting out a comfortable groan.

"By the way, you just mentioned thinking about when you first entered school. What came to mind?" Mei asked, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Luming was immediately overwhelmed and started counting on her fingers, "Um, when Kiana dragged me to skip class, I accidentally got stuck on the wall with her; when I stayed up all night playing Yugi with Bronya, I accidentally fell asleep on the floor, and then you, worried that Bronya wouldn't come home all night, found me and gave me a lecture; and when I asked you for advice on Kitashiro Ittō-ryū and also to learn how to cook, I accidentally blew up the kitchen..."

As Luming recounted each and every trivial detail from that period of time, digging them out of the corners of her memory, Mei was slightly surprised, yet a warm feeling washed over her. Sachi had always remembered everything about them so clearly. For him, the memories he shared with everyone must be irreplaceable treasures, right?

Just like the ability he initially demonstrated— the Bonded Weaponry.

While overjoyed, Mei also felt a little regretful because she couldn't recall anything related to her.

I remember it was a sunny afternoon...

Boom!!!

The boy gazed at the overcast sky and the restless lightning flashing within it, and Mei, who had come with him to buy groceries, fell into deep thought.

They checked the weather forecast before they went out; wasn't it supposed to be raining today?

The two hurried home, but unfortunately, the weather turned against them, and large raindrops soon began to fall from the sky. Since most of the shops on the street were closed, the two had no choice but to take shelter in front of a shop for a while.

Fortunately, he hurriedly arranged a large number of bags inside to prevent them from getting wet in the rain. Luckily, his agility of 80 points helped him quickly solve the problem. Just as the boy breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Mei, the scene in front of him made his eyes widen.

Mei looked at the torrential rain with a worried expression. The road was quickly covered by water. The girl brushed a few strands of hair that were wet and stuck to her cheek and said with concern, "Really, with the rain so heavy, when will we be able to listen?"

(Imagine the scene yourself!)

The stunning scene made the young boy, who was actually a boy just beginning to experience love, swallow hard and stare intently at Mei. She quickly noticed his rudeness, turned to look at him, and instead of scolding him, smiled gently.

Kids have very simple ideas, so it's perfectly normal for them to stare blankly at pretty older sisters or handsome older brothers.

Sakura lowered her head awkwardly, and before Mei could notice, she slapped herself hard. What are you thinking? Mei is Kiana, don't even think about eating swan meat!

The two stood there in the heavy rain for a while without saying a word. Mei probably noticed his embarrassment, took out a few bags from her bag, spread them on the ground, and invited him to sit next to her.

"Sigh, with this heavy rain, Kiana and you are probably going to go hungry today. I have some snacks here, would you like some?"

"Um, thank you, I, I'm not hungry."

"Eat if you want. Look at you, your eyes are practically glued to the screen, just like Kiana's."

Seeing the boy devour the pastries like a whirlwind, Mei smiled wryly, but at the same time felt a deep worry for the future. Raising Kiana and cooking for her was already exhausting enough; now there was another one. The pressure was immense...

Fortunately, this one is much more obedient than Kiana; at least it won't suddenly pounce on her and hug her leg.

Thinking this, Mei tried to break the awkward silence by starting a conversation. "Sachi, I remember you said you didn't remember anything that happened in the past, right?"

Seeing that the other person nodded and showed no displeasure, Mei continued, "Are you curious about your past?"

"No, those are all things of the past. And I have to survive in this real world. Having you all is enough. Um, I, I didn't mean that..."

"It's okay, Kiana, Kiana Bronya, and I can all be your family. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Mei like Bronya does~" Mei comforted the embarrassed boy and showed him kindness.

Sure enough, he probably remembers, but he's unwilling to recall it; something must have happened.

"Sister Mei?" Sachi repeated it to herself a few times, then felt awkward. Oh well, it just felt strange to actually call her that.

"Eh, you don't want to?" Mei shook her head regretfully. As an only child, she had hoped to have a younger sister or brother to live with her when she was little.

"Speaking of which, my childhood was truly tragic. My mother passed away when I was two, and when I was seven, I was Kidnapping a terrorist organization and underwent three years of rehabilitation... As the young lady of ME Company, my life has been truly miserable. Despite receiving the best education from a young age and always being surrounded by many people, I had hardly any close friends. Fortunately, I met Kiana, and of course, you—"

As she spoke, Mei couldn't help but pat his head. In a sense, this child shared her pain.

"As a young lady from a wealthy family, I learned a lot, such as flower arranging, tea ceremony, etiquette, and how to treat guests. In order to enable me to protect myself, my father personally taught me the family's swordsmanship— the Hokushin Itto-ryu. Now that I think about it, the time I spent practicing swordsmanship with my father was probably my happiest childhood memory."

Mei couldn't help but draw the wooden sword she always carried and waved it a few times in the air, making a whooshing sound as it cut through the air. Mei quietly pulled her head back a little.

His intuition told him that Mei seemed capable of cutting his head off with that wooden sword.

"But my father is really strict. If I don't do a movement correctly, he punishes me by making me swing the sword five hundred times, sometimes even more..." Mei's eyes became resentful. Sachi said she understood. What child hasn't experienced physical punishment by their parents?

"By the way, didn't you tell me last time that you wanted to learn?" Mei suddenly remembered something and looked down at Sachi, who was staring blankly at the back of her hand.

"Huh? Oh, right, I really want to learn this swordsmanship. After all, the only thing I can barely be proud of right now is speed." The distracted boy didn't hear Mei's last sentence completely and immediately straightened his back.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew."

"I learned greatsword to make up for my lack of strength, and in order to maintain my strength of speed, I would like to ask Mei for some advice on the Hokushin Itto-ryu. Please!"

"Hmm, that's a good drive." Mei smiled and flicked his head. "But let me make this clear: if I scold you until you cry, I won't be lenient."

"Huh?"

"Speaking of swordsmanship, I'm reminded of a silly idea I had when I was a child. Hmm, it was probably from a storybook, right? The book was about a princess who was spoiled by the king so much that she was confined to the palace from a young age and not allowed to go anywhere. But luckily, the princess had a thoughtful ninja attendant who would bring her all sorts of novel and fun things from the outside world every day. Later, he even disregarded the king's prohibition and secretly took the princess out of the palace many times, letting her see the outside world with her own eyes."

Perhaps because of her privilege as a child, Mei's expression was extremely calm. "So when I was little, I started to fantasize that I could have a ninja attendant like that, who could come and go without a trace, who could calmly deal with a thousand enemies on the battlefield, and who could cook delicious food in the kitchen... Unfortunately, that was just a fantasy."

"A ninja?" Sachi's mind conjured up the image of Nightshade Heavy Mist, and she subconsciously glanced at the three magatama on her left hand. She deliberately coughed a few times to draw Mei's attention. "I'm willing to become Mei's ninja and protect you~"

"Alright, kid, what are you trying to show off for? Ninjas and all that are fictional; they don't exist at all." Mei flicked his head and shook her head with a smile.

The loyal ninja's final fate was that after the king discovered he had taken the princess out of the palace without permission, he willingly took all the blame and was executed in order to prevent the king from blaming the princess.

Seeing that the rain was gradually subsiding, the two picked up their things and hurried back home, as there were still two mouths to feed.

Although this chat in the rain was just a trivial matter, Mei would always think back to it later. When she thought about the many great things that Sachi later accomplished, she realized that the boy had decided from the very beginning to take on everything for them.

In Changkong City, when Mei hand over the Ninja Manga set to her, she was secretly delighted, because she felt that Sachi actually remembered that promise.

However, it's also possible that the combination just happened to suit her best.

Mei finished reminiscing and, from an angle where Luming couldn't see her, let out a soft sigh.

Oh well, it doesn't matter if I don't remember. After all, it was just a trivial matter.

It's a bit of a shame that the professor gave the Ninja Buckle to Wendy. I really wanted to see how Sachi transforms using it.

As Mei was about to collect the dishes and wash them, she suddenly noticed that the door, which had been tightly closed, was slightly ajar. Several pairs of eyes were crammed together, staring intently at Luming, whose belly was bulging like a ball and who was sitting comfortably in a chair.

Oh dear, everyone's really impatient.