Sister, Don't Cry

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Bibi Dong got up and checked her Dantian.

After cultivating for a whole night, the Soul Power Liquid had grown a little thicker.

At the same time, the God Spider Eight Kills had successfully reached the Minor Mastery: Three Kills stage. Once activated, it could instantly triple her combat power.

She was very satisfied with this improvement.

Next, she checked on her precious son. Seeing that he was still asleep, she walked to the door, gently opened it, and told the maid to bring hot water and then bring in some light porridge and side dishes.

Before long, the maid brought in a copper basin and a food box.

Bibi Dong rolled up her sleeves and washed up.

She splashed water over her face, dispelling the fatigue from a night of cultivation.

She picked up a wooden comb, gathered her long hair into a loose bun, and casually secured it with a jade hairpin. Then she sat at the table and ate a few side dishes with her porridge.

She wasn't picky, nor did she eat much. After a few bites, she put down her chopsticks.

Just as she finished tidying up, a rustle came from the bed.

Luo Dong wriggled out of his little blanket, his hair sticking up in tiny tufts. Still half-asleep, he sat up, rubbed his eyes, and called out, "Mommy—I'm—hungry."

Bibi Dong got up and went to the bed, scooped him out of his little blanket, and settled him on her lap.

Luo Dong snuggled into her arms, finding a comfortable position. Then he opened his little mouth and naturally leaned in.

He latched on and began to suckle, smacking his lips.

The sweet milk, warm with the energy of the Soul Power Liquid, slid down his throat. The Flawless Body began working on its own, breaking down and absorbing every bit of nourishment.

Just then, a small figure crept up to the room, tiptoeing.

Qian Renxue.

She had heard that Mommy came back yesterday, and she hadn't slept well all night.

She had tossed and turned in bed, wondering whether she should come and see her.

It had been several days since she last spoke with her little brother.

With Mommy away these past few days, the entire side hall had felt empty.

This morning, she couldn't stand it anymore. While the maids weren't paying attention, she sneaked over.

She had meant to knock, but then she noticed that the door hadn't been shut properly. A narrow crack had been left open.

Qian Renxue held her breath and peered inside through the crack.

Then she saw Mommy sitting on the bed, holding her little brother.

Her little brother lay in Mommy's arms, his little mouth latched to her breast as he smacked his lips and drank.

Mommy looked down at him, one hand supporting the back of his head while the other gently patted his back.

Her gaze was so tender, and the corners of her mouth curved in a faint smile.

Standing behind the door, Qian Renxue pressed her lips together tightly, and her eyes reddened at once.

Her little brother was already one year old, yet he was still drinking Mommy's milk.

She was four, and she had never once been allowed to.

She didn't even know what it felt like to be held by Mommy.

Mommy's embrace belonged only to the little brother who came along later.

She had secretly watched Mommy feed her little brother, bathe him, sing to him, and soothe him to sleep so many times.

Every time, Mommy was so gentle.

That was a tenderness she had never received.

Her heart ached so badly.

It was as if countless unripe hawthorns had burst in her chest all at once, so sour that she curled in on herself.

Bibi Dong had naturally noticed the little figure at the door.

Her spiritual power had long since spread across the entire room. The moment Qian Renxue pushed the door open a crack, she had sensed her.

But she didn't look up or say anything.

Her thoughts were all on Luo Dong now. She didn't want to be distracted by anything else.

As for Qian Renxue wanting to watch, let her watch. It wasn't the first time, anyway.

Luo Dong finished drinking and let go, then gave a loud burp.

He patted his round little belly with satisfaction and looked up at Bibi Dong with a grin. "Mommy, I'm full."

Bibi Dong adjusted her collar, wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, and pinched his soft cheek.

Just then, faint footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a maid's voice: "Your Highness the Saintess, someone from the Elder Hall has come with a message. They request that you attend a meeting at the Elder Hall."

Bibi Dong answered, set Luo Dong on the bed, and ruffled his hair. "Mommy's going to a meeting. You stay here and be good. Don't run around."

"Mm! I'll be good!" Luo Dong nodded vigorously, sat cross-legged on the bed, and placed his little hands neatly on his knees, wearing an expression that said, "I'm the best-behaved!"

Bibi Dong smiled slightly and got up to leave.

As soon as the maid arrived, Qian Renxue had quickly hidden behind a pillar in the corridor.

She watched Mommy's back disappear at the far end of the hallway, then waited a few more moments to make sure she had really gone.

Only then did she emerge from behind the pillar and slip through the half-open door again.

Luo Dong sat on the bed, his short legs dangling over the edge as he held an Osmanthus Preserved Fruit in his mouth.

Seeing Qian Renxue enter, he wasn't surprised at all. He lifted the little jar and waved it at her. "Sister's here! Want some preserved fruit?"

Qian Renxue stood by the bed and didn't take any.

Her eyes were still red. She pressed her lips together several times, then finally asked the question she had been holding in all this time.

"What does Mommy's milk... taste like?"

Luo Dong still had the preserved fruit in his mouth, his cheeks puffed up.

He tilted his head and thought about it seriously, then replied as if it were obvious, "It's sweet. It tastes really good."

"R-really?" Qian Renxue's voice trembled slightly.

Luo Dong nodded hard, swallowed the preserved fruit, and added, "Of course it's true! I never lie. Mommy's milk is the best thing in the world. It's sweeter than preserved fruit and tastier than candied hawthorn."

Qian Renxue's eyes reddened again.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back her tears, but couldn't.

Luo Dong saw.

He set down the jar, slid off the bed, and walked over to Qian Renxue on his short little legs.

At one year old, he only came up to Qian Renxue's waist. He tilted his head up and reached out, using the soft pad of his little finger to wipe away a tear rolling down her cheek. "Sister, don't cry. If you cry too much, you won't look pretty. Mommy says kids who cry a lot turn into little cats."

If anything, that only made it worse. Qian Renxue couldn't hold back anymore.

Big tears rolled down her cheeks, and no matter how she wiped them, they wouldn't stop.

She crouched down and buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Her cries came out muffled. She didn't dare cry loudly, afraid someone would hear.

But she was hurting too much. She had held those words inside for so, so long—until the four-year-old girl couldn't hold them in anymore.

"Why doesn't Mommy like me at all... why..." she said through her tears, her voice so choked with sobs that it was almost impossible to make out. "What did I do wrong... Is it because I'm bad... Is it because I'm not good... Is that why Mommy doesn't love me..."

Luo Dong stood in front of her, his little hand still raised as if to wipe away her tears, but his expression had grown complicated.

Of course he knew why.

He knew how Qian Renxue had come into this world.

He knew why seeing her reminded Bibi Dong of that unbearable past.

But how could he explain any of that to a four-year-old girl?