"Wei Ge."
Looking at Wei Ge's tear-filled eyes, Shade truly did not know how he could refuse her in a situation like this. He could only have Wei Ge sit up; otherwise, he could not manage an "embrace." But Wei Ge Astley clearly did not see it that way.
This time, she refused to sit up herself and continued looking at Shade with reddened eyes. Left with no choice, Shade took off his shoes and coat and climbed beneath the covers as well. Wei Ge moved closer, curling herself into Shade's arms and truly feeling his warmth as she listened to his steady heartbeat. Only then was she satisfied.
Shade did not stop her. Once Wei Ge had finished all that, he reached out and held her. Wei Ge wriggled twice more to find the most comfortable position, then curled up and began crying again:
"I'm natural. I'm not the product of some strange experiment. Of course that's good. But Mother really did something like that, and I most likely have an elder sister. Why did she do such a thing? And in Mother's plan, what was I?"
Shade said nothing, merely holding her. After Wei Ge cried for a while and regained control of her emotions, Shade finally spoke:
"Wei Ge, do you regret meeting me?"
"I don't. I'll never regret it."
"If you hadn't met me, then these things..."
"...I would never have had the chance to understand them."
"Then that settles it. Since you don't regret it, I will definitely help you uncover the truth. Whether it's your mother or the sister who may exist, I'll help you get to the bottom of everything you want to know."
"Mm."
She buried her face against Shade's chest, and the strange thought that had arisen yesterday afternoon surfaced once