Bo Xue Drifts Lightly

On December 11, an ordinary workday, Fangting City was once again blanketed in light snow.

The light snow began the previous night and continued until the afternoon of the following day. The pure white snowflakes blanketed the entire city, bringing a touch of dreamlike charm to the midwinter season.

Fine snowflakes gently tapped against the windowpane, silently leaving a few drops of water that blurred the street scene outside. In the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, where the heating was on, Lin Yun sat in the director's office, rubbing the teacup in his hand, and suddenly sighed.

Then, glancing at the uninvited guest across the table, he forced himself to ask:

Is something good happening today?

Sitting across the table was his student and junior colleague, Bai Jingxuan, who had been a frequent visitor to the director's office in recent days.

As a conversational tactic, the approach isn't to ask "What's the matter?" or "Why did you come?", but rather to immediately narrow the scope to "something happy." This is because he doesn't know the child's intentions and tries to set a positive tone for the conversation.

It was nearing the end of the workday, and Lin Yun had just finished processing the day's paperwork and was preparing to summarize the day's work when Bai Jingxuan suddenly arrived.

Of course, although it was an abrupt visit, Lin Yun had almost gotten used to it. As mentioned before, Bai Jingxuan had become a regular visitor. Since the incident at Lakeside Spring, and perhaps because she had accepted the role of "daughter" under the identity of Larkspur, Bai Jingxuan had been visiting the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau much more often.

However, since then, she has never made any outrageous requests such as "torturing and killing Black Ash Dawn." She usually just greets Lin Yun briefly and then sits quietly in the director's office reading a book.

Rather, it was precisely because she was indeed quiet enough that Lin Yun was willing to let her stay in the director's office.

"Something happy?"

Bai Jingxuan seemed even more lively than usual today. Even while sitting to the side reading, her legs, slightly elevated by the chair, kept swinging gently in the air, her sneakers tapping back and forth, occasionally scraping together with a soft scraping sound. Upon hearing Lin Yun's question, she stopped her footwork and looked up:

"Uncle, don't you know?"

Know.

Lin Yun thought to himself, "Perhaps Bai Jingxuan's apparent happiness today is actually inextricably linked to Larkspur."

Today, December 11th, is Bai Jingxuan's birthday.

Using her birthday as an excuse, Larkspur had informed the team members well in advance that a birthday party would be held for Bai Jingxuan at the Secret Base tonight.

"I can guess a little bit."

Of course, considering his own position, Lin Yun had no reason to know so much, so he could only carefully choose his words and say, "I've heard a little bit about it before. Today should be your birthday?"

"Uh-huh!"

Bai Jingxuan nodded. "There's going to be a birthday party for me tonight, Uncle, are you coming?"

Lin Yun's expression remained unchanged, but his lips twitched slightly upon hearing the title "uncle."

There's nothing wrong with this form of address; in fact, it's the most appropriate way to address Bai Jingxuan and Lin Yun. If there's anything wrong with it, it's that Bai Jingxuan didn't call him that before.

And that is the biggest problem.

In fact, Bai Jingxuan not only abandoned the title "Dad" that originally gave Lin Yun a headache, but also started calling him "Uncle"; even with Larkspur, she abandoned the title "Mom" and started calling her "Teacher" again.

The process was so natural and so sudden that Larkspur didn't even realize something was wrong at first. By the time she realized the situation wasn't looking good, Bai Jingxuan's way of addressing her had completely reverted to normal.

As for why things turned out this way, Larkspur actually knew perfectly well—it could be said that it was almost entirely her own fault.

This story begins with the day Lin Yun confronted Lin Xiaolu upon returning home: After Lin Yun revealed his identity as an employee of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to Lin Xiaolu, the turmoil caused by Hong Siyu the team finally subsided somewhat.

The girls clearly understood Hong Siyu's return much better and gradually accepted the existence of this "new" teammate. However, along with this understanding, some new problems arose.

First and foremost is Lin Xiaolu.

After Lin Yun earnestly explained his relationship with Hong Siyu, and even his relationship with Larkspur, she did indeed quiet down and stopped using troublesome issues like "stepmother" to provoke Lin Yun's emotions.

However, this "quieting" was only partial. Larkspur soon noticed that Lin Xiaolu's attitude towards her was starting to change. Although it wasn't obvious from her words and actions, at certain times, she would secretly stare at Larkspur with a strangely complicated look, and when Larkspur turned to look at her, she would turn her face away, pretending to be doing something else.

This behavior might not be so bad if it only happened once or twice, but it happened almost every day, making it hard for Larkspur to miss. After a few days, Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan also noticed this strange phenomenon.

What's even stranger is that Lin Xiaolu started working inexplicably hard.

It's not that she hadn't tried hard enough before. In fact, Lin Xiaolu had always completed the tasks assigned to Larkspur without fail, and she had put in a lot of effort. However, in recent days, her efforts had become somewhat stubborn, and she even seemed to be approaching Bai Jingxuan's level.

Larkspur asked her why, she replied, "I'm the only one of the three who hasn't awakened my Magic Armament yet, so I'm a little anxious."

The answer sounded perfectly reasonable, even plausible, so Larkspur didn't press the matter further. After all, it's hard to guess what teenage girls are thinking, and since Lin Xiaolu's overall behavior was positive, there was probably no need to worry too much.

While Lin Xiaolu's condition was merely puzzling, Bai Jingxuan's attitude was somewhat worrying.

Prior to this incident, and in the period following the Lakeside Spring attack, Bai Jingxuan's desire to express herself at the Secret Base had noticeably increased. She would make an effort to speak in various situations to maintain her presence and prevent Larkspur from ignoring her.

But that night, after Larkspur explained the situation and returned home, Bai Jingxuan seemed to talk much less.

It's not that she never speaks, but rather that she rarely initiates conversation. If someone asks her something, she will answer, but that's about it; there's basically no further interaction.

If it weren't for Larkspur's increased attention to Bai Jingxuan these past few days, she probably wouldn't have noticed this. After all, this child has always been very quiet and never interrupts at inappropriate times.

Of course, even if she noticed, it wouldn't matter, because at this point, Bai Jingxuan had already changed her address for Larkspur back to "teacher".

When asked why she did this, she could only get a somewhat naive answer:

"If my uncle and teacher didn't plan to get married, they wouldn't have adopted me, right?"

This was a naive answer, yet it made the Larkspur's heart sink. It was too light and too logical.

The idea that "Lin Yun" and "Larkspur" will get married and form a new family is purely Lin Xiaolu's wishful thinking; Lin Yun has no intention of remarrying at the moment.

Because the initial conditions are wrong, all subsequent inferences are also wrong. Based on this, the idea that "Lin Xiaolu's family will adopt Bai Jingxuan" is also unfounded. Following this logic, it's not difficult to arrive at Bai Jingxuan's current answer.

There's nothing wrong with the answer itself, but the fact that Bai Jingxuan said it herself completely changes the situation.

Judging from her previous attitude towards this matter, it wasn't something she took lightly. Her attitude shouldn't have been like this.

Larkspur had considered that Bai Jingxuan might have doubts and ask her to confirm the authenticity of the promise; she had also considered that Bai Jingxuan did not express any doubts or dissatisfaction, but instead easily convinced herself and then easily accepted it.

And this is the worst kind of development.

This means that Bai Jingxuan not only failed to resolve her inner conflict, but also did not believe that the problem could be solved at all. She began to conceal the problem and instead internalized the inner conflict as a part of herself.

After several unsuccessful attempts to talk things out, Larkspur had no choice but to pull Xia Liang aside and explain the whole story, including but not limited to the previous agreement to allow Bai Jingxuan to call her "Mom." Then, under Xia Liang's somewhat subtle gaze, they temporarily set aside these preconditions and discussed the matter, eventually settling on a solution:

That is to use Bai Jingxuan's birthday as an opportunity to create a chance for a heart-to-heart talk through the atmosphere of the birthday party.

That's why we have today's scene, where Bai Jingxuan makes a special trip to the director's office of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to ask him if he wants to participate.

Clearly, the "birthday party" was a long-awaited experience for Bai Jingxuan. Regardless of any past issues, she now wanted to share this joy with the people she knew.

Unfortunately, Lin Yun's answer was destined to be negative.

"... Feel sorry."

After struggling internally for a while, he finally replied, "I have something very important to do tonight, so I might... be unable to make it."

If he could, he would love to be able to split himself into two and attend the birthday party with two identities at the same time, but unfortunately, he can't.

At this birthday party, only one of Larkspur and Lin Yun can be present.

After saying those words, he was already thinking of ways to salvage the situation, trying to figure out what words to use to make Bai Jingxuan feel a little better. However, before he could continue speaking, he heard a soft laugh.

"Hey-hey."

Bai Jingxuan closed the book in her hand, and a small smile appeared on her face for some reason, "I knew it, because Sister Xiao Lu told me that you used to even miss her birthday."

Lin Yun didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only manage a bitter smile.

"Looking at it this way, I really made the right decision to come here," Bai Jingxuan suddenly said.

"... What?"

The sudden turn of events caught Lin Yun off guard. He looked up in surprise, only to find Bai Jingxuan squinting, a naive and innocent smile on her face.

"Everyone celebrates their birthday together, but you're the only one who can't go, wouldn't you be lonely? So I came to keep you company before my birthday, to talk to you, and to share some good luck with you."

These casual words left no trace in the office, but they left Lin Yun speechless for a moment.

He stared at the girl in front of him, who seemed to be smiling happily. For some reason, his throat moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The weather was very cold on the day the snow fell. Even with the heating on indoors, a chill lingered in the vast Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau. The snowflakes melting outside the window kept stripping away the heat from the room, allowing the cold to relentlessly penetrate inside.

But at this moment, Bai Jingxuan's words seemed to possess some kind of magic, imbuing the snow-covered sky with warmth.

Although it was the dead of winter, the snow outside no longer brought any cold. A strange warmth seemed to flow through Lin Yun's limbs and bones, making him feel somewhat dazed.

After a long silence, he suddenly gathered the documents on the table and slowly stood up.

I really can't go to your birthday party.

He reached out and ruffled Bai Jingxuan's hair. "But, since we're not busy right now, I can take you to the shopping mall and buy you a birthday present."

"I didn't come to see Uncle for the gift!" Bai Jingxuan pouted, seemingly feeling that her words had been misunderstood.

"I know."

Lin Yun withdrew his hand from her head and opened the door to the bureau chief's office. "It's not for anything else, I just want to buy it."

The sky was very gloomy on the snowy day. The gray-white clouds completely covered the sun, leaving no gap for sunlight. It was only a little past five o'clock, but the sky had already darkened, as if it were already night.

Even on weekdays, the shopping plaza next to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is quite lively—after all, it's the only shopping plaza in the area, attracting the majority of customers.

Among the crowd of customers, a pair who looked like a father and daughter had appeared out of nowhere. A middle-aged man, impeccably dressed, with an indifferent expression and an aura of a business elite, was walking slowly with a little girl in the square.

They said they came to buy gifts, but they were really just shopping. Along the way, Lin Yun had already taken Bai Jingxuan was having a great time.

It is only at times like these that she reveals her relatively childish side, namely that she has a very low threshold for happiness and can be full of interest in whatever she does.

However, while she was carefree during the game, Bai Jingxuan became much more reserved when Lin Yun mentioned buying her a gift. No matter what kind of gift Lin Yun suggested, she always seemed somewhat resistant, clearly believing that "accepting the gift" would make her motives for visiting Lin Yun seem impure.

This idea made Lin Yun both amused and exasperated, but she didn't insist and simply continued strolling around the mall with her.

From a passerby's perspective, it looked like a father walking with his daughter, stopping occasionally in front of toy or clothing stores, seemingly asking the girl something. However, the girl mostly just shook her head, and the man would smile helplessly before continuing on their way.

They continued walking like this until they reached the entrance of a somewhat deserted handicraft shop, where their pace gradually slowed down. Lin Yun noticed that Bai Jingxuan's gaze seemed to be drawn to something in the shop window.

Following his gaze, he saw a well-made piano music box, its lid open. Beneath the lid, intricately arranged transmission components were visible, but because it wasn't wound, it remained motionless.

"Are you interested in that?" Lin Yun lowered his head, wanting to get Bai Jingxuan's opinion, but found that the girl had already turned her head away, staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened.

"No, I just glanced at it."

Bai Jingxuan muttered softly, reaching out to tug at Lin Yun's sleeve. "Let's go."

Are you sure?

This time, Lin Yun didn't go along with her wishes. Instead, he asked again, "I didn't say you have to buy it just because you've seen it. If you're just interested and want to take a few more glances, it's not wrong for me to wait for you for a while."

After he finished speaking, he felt that Bai Jingxuan's grip on his sleeve had weakened considerably, and her gaze, which had been fixed on the front, was now drawn back to the shop window, clearly showing that she was somewhat tempted.

"Go ahead." He waved to Bai Jingxuan, offering encouragement once again, before standing still to indicate that he wouldn't wander off.

Having been persuaded to this extent, Bai Jingxuan no longer hesitated. She ran to the store, squatted down, and carefully examined the music box.

Lin Yun followed, standing quietly behind Bai Jingxuan, gazing at the handicraft in the shop window with her. When the salesperson noticed the two, who seemed to be father and daughter, and tried to approach them to inquire, he shook his head at her from afar, then silently pointed at Bai Jingxuan, temporarily declining the salesperson's offer.

Several minutes passed before Bai Jingxuan gradually looked away from the music box. After glancing back reluctantly, she said to Lin Yun, "Let's go, Uncle."

"Are you really not going to buy it?" Lin Yun asked.

"There's no point in buying it."

For some reason, after examining the music boxes in the shop, Bai Jingxuan's mood became somewhat downcast. She shook her head and said, "They're just very similar, but ultimately they're not what I remember."

"What are those memories?" Lin Yun pressed.

He remembered that Bai Jingxuan's Magic Armament — Heavenly Tone— was shaped like a music box, and magical girls' Magic Armament are often intricately linked to their personalities and experiences. Clearly, for Bai Jingxuan, the music box seemed to hold a special meaning.

Unfortunately, he did not receive a follow-up answer from Bai Jingxuan after raising this question.

The two strolled around the mall for a while longer. During this time, no matter what gift Lin Yun suggested, Bai Jingxuan refused. This stretched what should have been a half-hour trip into a long delay, and they didn't leave until nearly six o'clock. After several unsuccessful suggestions, Lin Yun had no choice but to give up on the idea of buying a gift—the purpose of giving a gift is to make the recipient happy; if that doesn't happen, it's better not to buy anything at all.

After leaving the mall, Lin Yun drove Bai Jingxuan along the snow-covered highway. Looking out the windshield wipers, focused on the road ahead, he suddenly heard Bai Jingxuan's soft voice from the seat beside him:

"When I was little, I was in poor health, so I could hardly go out."

As if answering a question from long ago, she said somewhat abruptly, "So I could only listen to my dad tell me stories. He would tell me what the outside world was like, and that there were many wonderful things in this world."

Although these words seemed abrupt, like ramblings, Lin Yun vaguely realized that she might be referring to the question she had asked earlier at the handicraft shop.

"Whenever I have a headache and can't sleep, my dad is the one who comforts me. He holds my hand by the bed, tells me stories, and lulls me to sleep."

Bai Jingxuan lowered her voice and continued as if talking to herself, "One day, my father told me that he had to go on a business trip, but I really didn't want to. So he took a small box out of his bag and put it by my bedside, telling me that this thing is called a 'music box'."

"He said that if you wind up the music box, it will play music and little figures will dance on it. If I can't sleep, I can open the music box, hear its sound, and I can fall asleep, just like when he was here."

"I didn't believe him, so he opened the music box and showed me the little figures dancing on it. After a while, I really fell asleep."

"And so, that music box became my friend. When I can't sleep; when I'm bored at home alone; when I'm in a bad mood... as long as I turn on the music box and listen to its sounds, I feel my heart become calm."

"However, later, Dad and Mom encountered Aberrant Beast, and they... both died."

"A group of uncles and aunts dressed in black came to our house, took all of my parents' things, and then sent me to an orphanage. I don't even know where the music box my dad gave me went."

At this point, Bai Jingxuan paused, glancing at Lin Yun, but quickly looked away, continuing as if nothing had happened:

"Originally, even if the music box were lost, I wouldn't care. Because as long as I close my eyes, I can still hear the sound of the music box; it's still in my head."

"But last month, those bad guys came. They told me that my parents weren't my parents at all, that I wasn't their child, that I was an Aberrant Beast, a monster."

"I get headaches because I'm a monster, and the music box was actually made by my father to control me. When I turn on the music box and listen to its sounds, the Aberrant Beast falls asleep. So I fall asleep too, and that way I won't lose control."

After saying all that, the car fell silent once again.

After listening to what she said, Lin Yun pondered for a long time before asking, "Why do you believe what bad people say?"

"Because, when I later felt my consciousness fading, as if I was about to transform into something else, one of those bad guys was humming a song."

Gazing at the snowy scenery outside the car window, Bai Jingxuan's lips moved slightly:

"The song he hummed was... exactly the same as the one that played in the music box."

The car drove past the intersection in the snowy night. Because it was in the suburbs, there wasn't much traffic around. For a moment, it seemed like only two people were traveling on this silvery-white highway in the darkness.

Lin Yun remained expressionless, her lips tightly pressed together, but her grip on the steering wheel tightened.

He seemed to understand why none of the Black Ash Dawn were left alive, and why the seemingly leader Aberrant Beast had been tortured to such an extent.

Bai Jingxuan also paused for a long time, seemingly thinking about something, before finally speaking:

"Uncle, they said my name is fake, my parents are fake, and my identity is fake. They said I'm just a worthless, Aberrant Beast, like those hateful monsters."

"But they never told me if my birthday was fake. So, it seems like the only thing that's real for me."

"I want to be as happy as everyone else on their birthdays on this day, and I want everyone to be happy on this one and only real day. I also hope that when I come to see you, I'll bring my own unique and real self... That way, I'll feel much more real now."

"But I don't dare to think about it. If even my birthday... isn't real, then what do I have left?"

"Could it be that even this date isn't actually my real birthday, but just something made up..."

"When I was little, my family was very poor."

Her words were suddenly interrupted by Lin Yun's voice.

As Lin Yun spoke, his gaze remained fixed straight ahead, never glancing at Bai Jingxuan. It was as if his interruption hadn't been intentional, and he was simply talking to himself.

"Because my father is the only one who takes care of me, and his health is poor, he has been bedridden for many years, so our family has always been short of money. We basically can only rely on subsidies and the little money my father earns when his health is better to support our household."

"Our family doesn't actually have any extra money to buy cakes, but even so, he insists on celebrating my birthday. Every year on my birthday, he can always conjure up a huge pile of chocolates out of nowhere. He says that cakes are too sweet, and chocolates are just right, so I've never thought there's a problem with it."

"Later, when I grew up, I learned that there is a holiday called 'Valentine’s Day,' and that this holiday falls on the same day as my birthday, February 14th."

"Later, when I was in middle school, my father passed away from a serious illness. While sorting through his belongings, I found our family's household registration book and discovered my birthday in it—it wasn't February 14th at all."

"The reason he didn't tell me the real date and kept lying to me that my birthday was Valentine’s Day was because on that day, the streets were full of unwanted chocolates. He would just go out and pick up a few that were still in good condition, and that would be enough for me to eat on my birthday."

At this point, Lin Yun suddenly revealed a rare smile, "Just for such a stupid reason, he changed my birthday, and he kept it from me until his death."

At this point, he suddenly looked at Bai Jingxuan and asked somewhat abruptly, "So, do you think my birthday is real or fake?"

Hearing this story, which sounded like a joke, Bai Jingxuan didn't laugh at all. In fact, she was stunned after hearing Lin Yun's words.

It wasn't until Lin Yun asked her a question that she came to her senses and tentatively asked, "Uncle, what is your birthday now?"

"February 14th."

Lin Yun said with certainty, "Although I haven't properly celebrated my birthday for many years, my birthday is February 14th."

"... Why?"

"Because February 14th is the day my father and I spent so many times, a day that brought me joy and left a mark on my memories."

Stopping at an intersection, Lin Yun turned to Bai Jingxuan and said earnestly, "Every birthday I have memories of is February 14th. So, February 14th is mine, it's Lin Yun's birthday."

"A birthday is ultimately just a date. The day we were born is in the past, and no matter how much we remember the numbers on that date, it has become history."

"For people who live in the moment, the exact date of their birthday is never that important. What matters are the people who gather together on their birthday to celebrate with them. They are real people, no matter what."

"As long as that group of people gather together and, like you, firmly believe that this day is your birthday, then it is your birthday. And because of their existence, this birthday is more real than anything else."

After solemnly saying this, he started the car again and continued driving forward.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Bai Jingxuan still looked incredibly confused. "But this is just self-deception..."

"No, this is not self-deception."

Lin Yun shook her head. "Our definition of existence as human beings is actually constantly given by others. Parents give you the definition of a child; schools give you the definition of a student; the Magic Kingdom gives you the definition of a magical girl... We constantly get to know people in this world, thereby shaping and defining each other."

If that's a bit hard to understand, just remember this simple phrase: seeing is believing.

"Your 'parents,' regardless of whether they were the ones who gave birth to you, are your true parents as long as they truly loved you, protected you, and raised you."

"As a human being, regardless of your blood or magical powers, as long as you possess human intelligence and your actions conform to human morality, then you are a true human being."

"Your enemies, no matter how much they proclaim their righteousness or try to confuse the public, if they do things that are worse than animals, then they are monsters, monsters more hateful than Aberrant Beast."

"Including your teacher."

He paused again, carefully organizing his thoughts, and then took a deep breath:

"Regardless of our relationship or whether we will adopt you, as long as she has truly made a promise to you and accepted you as her 'daughter,' then this contract is valid. Under this promise, you can continue to call her 'Mom' and treat her as your mother."

"So, it's fine for you to call me uncle, but the fact that you've changed your address to 'teacher' back to her actually worries Larkspur a lot."

These words were the result of his deep and careful consideration.

Because no matter what, he could still remember that Lakeside Spring alone, and when Bai Jingxuan was showing off and explaining everything to him, he could still read the emotions in the child's expression.

It was a kind of unease, but also a kind of anticipation.

That's why Larkspur chose to respond to that expectation, soothe that anxiety, accept the title of "Mom," and make the decision to guide this child.

Whether as a senior colleague or a teacher, Larkspur had no reason to betray this promise for the sake of this child's growth. From that moment on, no matter how the facts changed, this promise would remain unchanged.

Therefore, if further clarification is needed, he might need to completely confront Bai Jingxuan.

He had no reason to hide his identity from Bai Jingxuan. As long as he could ensure that the child wouldn't let it slip, demonstrating the consistency between Lin Yun and Larkspur's identities would undoubtedly help him guide the child's growth from the sidelines.

For Bai Jingxuan, 'Lin Yun' is ultimately a dispensable identity; to this day, it's merely a title she calls 'Dad' due to a misunderstanding, and it's not really...

"Then, Dad."

Bai Jingxuan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He glanced to the side, slightly taken aback, and saw Bai Jingxuan huddled in her seat, her fingers tightly clenched, looking at him with a similarly uneasy expression.

"If possible, I still hope to continue calling you 'Uncle' and 'Dad.' Because no matter what, I want to care about more people..."

A little more.

This word made Lin Yun swallow back the words she was about to utter.

He looked at Bai Jingxuan, his previously serious expression softening once more. He reached out and ruffled her hair again, sighing, seemingly lost in thought.

"A little more... is that right? I understand."

Then, under Bai Jingxuan's somewhat questioning gaze, he said, "Get out of the car, we've arrived. Someone's here to pick you up."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingxuan looked out the window and realized that the surrounding scenery had become quite familiar, indicating that they had arrived in the neighborhood near the Secret Base. The snow-covered streets were somewhat different from what she usually saw, which was why she hadn't recognized them at first.

And through the snow outside the car window, a familiar figure seemed to be standing there waiting.

It's Larkspur.

Bai Jingxuan could tell at a glance.

All her previous confusion vanished at this moment. She reached for the car door handle, but then, as if remembering something, she turned back to look at Lin Yun, seemingly expecting something.

"I really have something to do and can't go."

Shaking his head, Lin Yun leaned back slightly, indicating his determination. "Go back and celebrate your birthday with your sister and mother. Dad will leave you here, Xiao Xuan."

The first half of the sentence dimmed Bai Jingxuan's expression slightly; but the second half brightened it again. It was like a real-life face-changing act.

She got out of the car and took a few steps towards Larkspur, but before she reached him, she looked back at the car again. Seeing Lin Yun sitting inside, smiling and watching her, she smiled, waved, and continued walking towards Larkspur.

Her steps quickened and became more hurried, until she finally broke into a jog and rushed into Larkspur's arms.

Perhaps she didn't notice that after she left, in the car behind her, "Lin Yun's" figure dissipated into a cluster of blue magical lines.

Perhaps she didn't notice that the hand holding hers still seemed to retain the warmth of the hand that had touched her head not long ago.

These are things that a child celebrating their birthday doesn't need to pay attention to, and can even be ignored.

On Bo Xue winter night, under the Mo Bai streetlights, she embraced Larkspur, looked up, opened her mouth, but remained silent for a long time. Only when Larkspur grasped her hand did her eyes shine brighter, and finally, with a smile, she spoke again:

"Mother!"

This time, however, that call will never change.