The Woman in the Dream

[Mo Xie, while I'm away, you must learn to take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, I'll be very angry...]

In a world of endless white, an ethereal voice rang out.

A woman stood ahead, her face hidden by white mist. After speaking, she turned and walked away.

"Don't... don't go..."

"Don't... don't go..."

Seeing her leave, Mo Xie felt a sudden pain in his heart. He called out and hurried after her.

She wasn't far away, yet no matter how he ran, he couldn't catch up.

As her body grew more transparent and she was about to vanish, Mo Xie reached out frantically, desperate to touch her.

"Don't go!"

The light vanished, and darkness swept across his vision.

Mo Xie opened his eyes, breathing hard. Only then did he realize he was sitting on his bed, his hand still outstretched.

He looked around. This was his room, all right.

His breathing gradually steadied, but he stared ahead blankly, still caught in the dream.

Who was that woman?

And what had she meant by those words?

How strange. Why did his heart hurt so much?

"Brother Mo Xie."

Ye Xinxia rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up beside him.

One white lace strap had slipped from her shoulder, exposing a broad expanse of pale skin. Most striking of all were the two lofty peaks that commanded his gaze.

"It's all right. I'm not leaving. Xin Xia will never leave Brother Mo Xie."

Ye Xinxia wrapped her arms around his head and held it against her chest, gently patting his back as though soothing a child.

"There, there. Good boy."

Whether because of the dream or something else, Mo Xie didn't resist. He only had a vague feeling that something was wrong, though he couldn't say what.

Ye Xinxia lay back down with him, pulled up the covers, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep.

By the time Mo Xie came to his senses amid that softness, he finally realized what was wrong.

He lifted his head with difficulty. Ye Xinxia's adorable sleeping face came into view, a faint trace of drool at the corner of her mouth.

"Xin Xia, why are you sleeping in my bed?"

At his question, Ye Xinxia opened her eyes, lowered her head, and stuck out her tongue playfully.

"I was worried about you, Brother Mo Xie. I thought I'd come over and take care of you tonight."

I haven't seen you take care of me at all... Mo Xie thought, rolling his eyes helplessly.

"Stop hugging me. I can barely breathe."

Mo Xie patted her arms and struggled in her embrace, his voice muffled.

Once free of her suffocating hug, he gulped down fresh air.

"Phew..."

Mo Xie let out a breath, then threw off the covers without a word, got out of bed, and walked around to Ye Xinxia's side.

"Brother Mo Xie... ah!"

Mo Xie bent over, bracing his hands on either side of her. His handsome face was so close that she could clearly feel his breath, sending her heart fluttering.

Could Brother Mo Xie finally be...? Ye Xinxia shifted her legs together and gazed tenderly at his face as it drew closer.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, then slowly closed her eyes, ready for the soft touch of his lips.

A weightless sensation came instead. That was right—not a soft touch, but weightlessness.

Ye Xinxia opened her eyes and found that Mo Xie had lifted her into his arms like a princess.

"If I didn't do this, you probably wouldn't go back to your room and sleep, would you, Xin Xia?"

Mo Xie carried her out of his room and headed toward hers.

Ye Xinxia's feelings were on a roller coaster, rising and falling by the moment.

Still, being held by Brother Mo Xie feels pretty nice... A faint smile touched her lips as she nestled happily against his chest, quietly savoring his warmth.

Ye Xinxia's room was right next to Mo Xie's, only a few steps away.

He pushed open the door and gently set her on the bed.

For the first time, Ye Xinxia resented how close their rooms were.

Mo Xie tucked her in and rubbed her head.

"Good night. Sweet dreams."

"Good night. Sweet dreams."

After they exchanged good nights, Mo Xie left her room and went downstairs to the kitchen.

It was nearly midnight by the time he woke up, and he hadn't eaten dinner. He decided to cook a bowl of noodles to fill his stomach.

An enticing aroma rose from the pot as Mo Xie stared blankly at the boiling broth.

The woman's retreating figure appeared in his mind again, and her final words echoed in his ears.

[Mo Xie, while I'm away, you must learn to take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, I'll be very angry.]

Mo Xie shook his head hard, trying to drive the image away.

He stopped dwelling on it, poured the noodles into a bowl, ate quickly, then returned to his room and went straight to sleep.

Early the next morning, Mo Xie finished his morning training. After telling Mo Fan he would be going into seclusion, he headed for the training room.

Inside, he immediately called for Zero.

"Zero."

[I'm here.]

"Last night, I dreamed of a woman. She said something to me and disappeared. She seemed to know me, but white mist hid her face, so I couldn't see what she looked like. Do you know what happened?"

Mo Xie gave Zero a brief account of the dream and waited for an answer.

Several seconds passed, but Zero said nothing.

"Zero?"

[The inherited memories must have been too powerful, causing the Legendary Forger's memories to be imposed on you. That should be normal. It'll pass in a few days.]

"But why did she know my name? Surely that forger wasn't called Mo Xie too?"

Mo Xie frowned and pressed her further.

[Your own memories may have become mixed up with the inherited ones. That could be why she used your name.]

Zero's explanation didn't satisfy him. She was clearly hiding something, and there might be more to it.

If Zero didn't want to explain, Mo Xie wouldn't pry. Right now, he only wanted to forget that scene.

Whenever he recalled the woman walking away or the words she had spoken, his heart stirred despite himself.

"I've memorized all the methods and techniques of the Beginner Forging Technique. So when do I start learning to forge?"

As soon as Mo Xie spoke, gears began turning, and a metal door to his front right swung open.

[The forging room is ready. I've also had the materials brought over from the company in your name. You can begin whenever you like.]

Mo Xie smiled faintly and walked toward the open door.

"Forging, huh? I'm kind of looking forward to it..."

He felt that stepping through that door would bring him into a new world—and present him with a new challenge.

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