XH 290 - Sleep if you want to, okay?
 
Based on what Xiao Hua could understand about the World Spirit from the short conversations they had, it was actually simple yet thorough.
 
The World Spirit may be easily swayed to follow the latest trend or influenced by other people's opinions, but it does not mean it does not stand on its own value.
 
The transmigrated bride trend was indeed new and exciting in the beginning, but after discovering it to be a growing cancer on its body, the World Spirit decisively removed it. 
 
The four vassals' time travelling, requesting Doctor Bai's help from a special department, and the arrival of the duo transmigrators were the World Spirit's way to destroy the threat.
 
In a way, it was considered to be overkill to do all that just to remove a transmigrated bride and a demoness. 
 
In fact, when the World Spirit told her to feed its vessel her tea, it may have already planned to thoroughly wipe off any traces of the transmigrated bride on Long Shan, including the cheats he had given her. 
 
Xiao Hua felt a little sorry for the heroine, who had transmigrated into this world without a choice and was decided to be disposed of after her performance was not to the World Spirit's satisfaction. 
 
She had come to this conclusion after letting her mind roam around, replaying her memory of meeting the World Spirit again and again.
 
It was a waste not to remember a deity after meeting it! Even if the deity kidnapped her against her will!
 
Xiao Hua had always wondered why the World Spirit would give her the tea cheat. She does not completely believe the excuse of her being pitifully weak that it pitied her. Being weak and sympathetic was not an excuse to give her a golden finger and it was such a specific one.
 
There were plenty of weaker and more miserable people in this world compared to her. The World Spirit had also said Long Zhu was her cheat. So why gave her another one?
 
Once she thought of this, it makes sense that her tea would play an important role in the future. 
 
It took a long while before the scattered guesses in Xiao Hua's mind came to a silent conclusion on what the role was.
 
Her tea existed in order to erase the heroine's cheat.
 
Just like at that time, when Heise told the World Spirit to at least give them a way to enter the Gu Dan Country and it tossed them right beside the spring pool with Gu bug's eggs in it. 
 
At that time, none of them thought why the World Spirit would be so nice to fulfil Heise's wish and they took it for granted. 
 
What if the World Spirit did that in order to use them to destroy the spring pool?
 
It was a chilly thought to be used, but not unexpected.
 
Surprisingly, her fears and worries immediately silenced when her bucket of tea was swallowed by the spring pool. 
 
World Spirit, which will you choose?
 
The old or the new?
 
When the tea mixed into the spring pool, it started glowing abruptly, so bright that she had to close their eyes. She could not even hear anything, as if she had stepped onto a different space. 
 
Xiao Hua had not known what to expect when the tea and spring water collided. Perhaps it was Heise's influence, but she had somehow expected there would be a great explosion that shakes this place down to the core. 
 
But she certainly had not thought to open her eyes again to see an unfamiliar but recognized place. The ceiling was white and a recognizable beeping sound of the machine as her heart rate speeding up filled her ears.
 
Le XiaoTing was back to her original world.
 
Why…? Why would she return at the moment she had finally put her past to rest and wanted to stay? 

Long Zhu!
 
There was something covering her nose and mouth which made her want to move it away, only to be unable to move her hands. 

No… she could not move even her legs. To be accurate, she could not feel anything below her neck.  
 
Her heart went cold and the loud, constant beeping summoned the nurses and her bed was quickly surrounded by people, but Le Xiao Ting paid them no attention.
 
Her attention was all on her body, which she tried to send command to move, only to continue being unresponsive. She could barely turn her head around, but the tube on her nose and mouth blocked her sight to see the rest of her body. 

Oh God, could it be she managed to survive but her body … was severely burned?
 
Ting…
 
This was even worse than being blind!
 
Xiao…Ting…
 
A twenty-seven years old person that has to live for more than fifty years being crippled and useless… She does not want that life! She would rather die than being a heavy burden!
 
“Xiao Ting!”
 
Le Xiao Ting’s eyes that were full of tears stared up at a familiar face, a man she used to have many years of crush, but finally had her heart learn to let go. Her dry mouth moved under the oxygen mask, but no sound could be heard.

But her mouth could still form properly. “He Zhu.”

His gaze that was usually indifferent or filled with wicked intention, was for once filled with distraught and panic. She had never seen those expressions from him before. Was it because of her current state? Had her injury turned him to a thin man with prominent cheekbones and unhealthy looking appearance?
 
And those scary panda eyes…
 
Le Xiao Ting managed to form a small smile, ignoring the slight pain from the cracks on her lips and mouthed, “Not your fault.”
 
She knew he caught what she said because he closed his eyes in distress before quickly opening it for fear he would miss what she wanted to say next. His actions was treating her as a patient that was about to die soon.
 
Perhaps… Will she die soon? 

Her limited view still allowed her to catch sight of the doctor and nurses around her. With heavy expressions, they were looking at her as if she would drop dead the next second.
 
Another filled her vision and a new batch of tears once again flooded her vision. “Mom.”
 
Her mother seems to have aged a lot since the last time she last saw her. Le XiaoTing’s heart hurts, knowing that she was the one that had hurted the gentle woman before her and will again force her to experience having her loved one die before her.
 
To have a black haired to die before a white haired was not a good fortune to have.
 
Le XiaoTing had always thought she would take care of her mother till her death, and would need to force herself to keep a smile on her face during her last moments to give her mother a piece of mind to leave. Dying before her mother was never a thought she dared to imagine.
 
“I’m sorry.” Le XiaoTing was crying, unable to produce any sound. Her mouth trembled, making it tough for her lips to form words. There were still many things she wanted to tell her mother.

But her mother always understands her. 
 
Her mother shook her head fiercely, fighting against her own tears and caressed her daughter's cheeks like she always does. It was fortunate for Le XiaoTing to be able to feel the touch from her face and she enjoyed the warm touch, knowing that it might be the last time she could feel it.

She wanted to remember her mother's touch, engraving it in her senses forever. 

But she could feel the change between the current touch and those in her memories. Her mother's hand had less flesh than she remembered. She does not know how long her mother had taken care of her while she was in comatose state, but it had brought a heavy burden on her mother and Boss’ health.

Her mother forged a smile that was heartbreaking to watch. “Do you remember Uncle Chen? He… He asked me out and I accepted.”
 
Le Xiao Ting did remember Uncle Chen, the retired military man with a healthy body and recovering mind. She once praised him for being a handsome uncle to her mother, because she had noticed Uncle Chen had always passed food to them with an excuse that his housekeeper had cooked too much for him to finish.
 
He was a rich, handsome man that treated her mother well. Uncle Chen will be a good husband to her mother that was still young and should have new romance.
 
“I will be fine.” Her mother tried to sound so, but she was crying so hard that it was difficult to believe her words. “Go… Go on. Don’t force yourself to stay up if you are tired. Sleep… sleep if you want to, okay?”
 
Her mother thinks that Le XiaoTing was unwilling to let go of this life because she was worried about her. Even the doctor had said her daughter was supposed to be dead with that injury.

A mother always knew her daughter best.
 
Le XiaoTing struggled to move her head to look at He Zhu and blinked away her tears. She does not want to make this selfish request, but she could not let go of the worry for her mother after she left this world permanently.

Uncle Chen will take care of her mother, but it was best to have another to keep an eye on her. 
 
She could feel her consciousness quickly slipping away, signalling she does not have much time left. But before Le Xiao Ting could push away her conscience to make her last request, He Zhu already spoke for her.
 
“I will take care of your mother for you.”
 
A relieved expression accompanied by a bright smile was the last expression they could see from Le XiaoTing before the machine signalled the patient had stopped breathing.

Her eyelashes fluttered and the droplet of tears fell onto the pillow beside her. Her expression was peaceful, looking as if she was sleeping instead.