Afterword 5 · Other Shore: "Wedding...?"
Hua Ling sat despondently in the Flower Sea of New Life. Only after the wedding had ended did she quietly withdraw her senses.
She was not human. Even though she had gained humanity, she was not one who enjoyed lively occasions.
Yet for some reason, Jiang Mian and Ye Chenyang's wedding had stirred a trace of loneliness in Hua Ling's heart.
Perhaps it was "envy"?
"Ah..."
She let out a soft sigh, her gaze somewhat dim as she sat there quietly, seemingly lost in thought, allowing the wind to weave through the hem of her skirt.
These "winds" were born from the ripples created when souls flowed into the Other Shore, carrying faint echoes within them.
Regrets, obsessions—these only deepened the inexplicable emotion in her heart.
Hua Ling simply shut out those voices and sat alone in silence.
But she had not been quiet for long when a small figure popped out from behind her, imitating her posture as he sat at her side.
"Aunt Hua."
"You're back?"
"Mm!"
Hua Ling casually scooped the boy into her arms and ruffled his hair.
Jiang Mian had restricted her freedom, but no one else had.
Thus, Hua Ya and the others often took Ji Xuan to the present world to play, or simply let him live there for a while, lest something go wrong with his mental state.
After all, he was no different from an ordinary human child now. He needed attentive care, interaction with children his own age, and his education needed to be carefully planned as well.
But You was too dull by nature, Hua Yue—the Erosion Desire Witch—was far too indulgent, liable to spoil him crooked, and as for Hua Xixi, there was no need to even mention her.
In Hua Ling's