[See the author's note for this chapter, the comments at the end, and the book community. Explanations will be posted in all of them.]
Yu Meng suddenly bent down and embraced the boy, a tear sliding from the corner of her eye.
Gu Nian'an instantly stiffened, at a loss. He did not understand why she had suddenly done this.
But before he could react.
The woman spoke with some self-reproach. "I overlooked your pain. The instant all the worlds completely overlapped, you, as the Anchor, naturally regained those memories of countless lifetimes. All those memories broke through their shackles, bringing your soul to the brink of collapse.
"I shouldn't have made you pay such a heavy price for my other children. I originally... originally wanted all of you to gain freedom and salvation."
Yu Meng's voice was filled with guilt and self-reproach, but her eyes remained resolute.
"So I locked away your memories. I was afraid of losing you, the brightest star I ever created, and also this world's Anchor. Only when you broke through the shackles I set yourself and got together with this world's original Pillar, Fu Xiuyuan, did I finally feel relieved, seeing the two of you hold on to each other. I'm sorry. I was the one who caused you such pain."
The woman touched the red mole at the corner of the boy's eye. "This mole is proof of your endless reincarnations and your role as a Pillar. The Gu Nian'an in both worlds was you, but only you, who have awakened the memories of the world where you were a Pillar, are the true, complete you, Gu Nian'an."
Watching tears spill from the corners of Yu Meng's eyes, Gu Nian'an wore a complicated expression, but still instinctively wiped them away for her. His tone