On a broad sidewalk.
Meng Chuan walked on the far left, holding Ling'er's hand. Ling'er held Xiao Nannan's, while Xiao Nannan held Ruthless's on the far right. The four walked abreast.
The two little ones insisted on walking this way. Meng Chuan had no choice, though Xiao Nannan had struggled with the arrangement at first.
She wanted to hold Meng Chuan's hand and Ruthless's too, but she could not bear to leave her little sister Ling'er out. Ling'er, for her part, did not want to be separated from her big sister.
In the end, they settled on this order.
Xiao Nannan had ultimately chosen the pretty big sister.
When faced with the two little ones' requests, Ruthless followed one principle:
She would not initiate, but she would not refuse.
For instance, when the three had first arrived, Ruthless had held one little hand on each side.
The two little ones had been the ones to take her hands.
However aloof Ruthless was, she would not shake off their hands or tell them not to hold hers.
But under ordinary circumstances, Ruthless would never take Xiao Nannan's hand of her own accord.
Unless Xiao Nannan burst into tears, utterly heartbroken.
Holding someone's hand made Ruthless feel a little ill at ease, after all.
"...And that's how it happened," Meng Chuan said as they walked.
"I thought I was an Otherworldly Visitor who had gone from here to the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. But I lived both lives myself. The me in each world was truly me."
"There has only ever been one Meng Chuan. My memories were always centered on this place, though, so I've regarded it as my hometown."
Meng Chuan explained his experience of transmigration to Ruthless.
There had only ever been one Meng Chuan. It was not