Chapter 7: Sealed Memories

If there had been anyone around right now, they would have discovered that at this moment, the sleeping Mo Lian was already drenched in tears, her expression one of agony. Simultaneously, the Hun Xiao beside her was emitting rings of faint light, which finally dimmed the moment Mo Lian woke.

"No, Ah Kai..." Amidst a heart-wrenching scream, Mo Lian abruptly sat up. That place, that person, that field of blood... why, why did it happen like that...

The usually wild and unrestrained Mo Lian was now helplessly rubbing the corner of her clothes. Everything in the dream had been so real, so real that she was unwilling to believe it, but was it truly a dream? Mo Lian refused to believe it; she was certain those were her memories. But that person's age... everything was a mystery, forming a massive knot of doubt that pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

Over there, hearing the commotion in Mo Lian's room, Qi Shuang ran over urgently. When he saw the undried tears beneath that peerless countenance and the suppressed heartache, his heart ached: this was the most important person in his life, the person he had sworn to protect for a lifetime. She was crying...

Qi Shuang walked over quickly, tenderly wiping the tear tracks from the corners of Mo Lian's eyes and pulling her into his embrace. He asked nothing, merely saying softly,

"It's alright now. Qi Shuang is always here." His hands gently patted Mo Lian's back as they remained silent together.

"Mm." This Qi Shuang, who was a year older than her, was always so attentive, so kind.

Moonlight scattered across the courtyard, streaming through the window and into the room. Why was the night always so quiet?

A short while later.

"Qi Shuang, go back to sleep. It's fine now." She rose and left his embrace. This man named Qi Shuang was the person she would protect with her life. This sentiment had nothing to do with romantic love!

"Alright, rest, Lian'er."

This Mo Lian, who was a year younger than him, was the person he would protect even at the cost of his life. This sentiment had nothing to do with romantic love!

The tacit understanding between the two was incomparable. They had shared hardships since childhood; they had survived through adversity. They would challenge the future amidst the wind and rain.

As the sound of footsteps grew more distant, Mo Lian knew Qi Shuang had returned. The dried tear tracks on her face felt tight and uncomfortable.

Mo Lian got out of bed and went outside. The night wind blew against her face, feeling slightly chilly. The bright moon spanned a thousand miles; it was truly beautiful to the extreme.

Did she belong to another time and space? That 21st-century China—when was it?

Mo Lian was startled by her own thought, yet vaguely felt that it might be so.

Transmigration?

The word popped into Mo Lian's mind, and she found it hard to believe, yet considering she truly had the sensation of having lived a whole lifetime, it made sense. The important thing was: she seemed to have lost her memory. Was there an inevitable connection between all of this? Or was it simply a trap set specifically for her?

*Hmph, if you dare to reach your hands toward me, you had better be prepared for eternal damnation.* A faint, indifferent smile appeared on the corners of Mo Lian's mouth again, as if the tear-streaked girl from moments ago was not her. In the darkness, she was always dazzling.

Mo Lian stepped back toward the bedside and picked up the Hun Xiao, her eyes filled with doubt. Yes, doubt. Because her emotions had fluctuated so violently just now, coupled with Qi Shuang's appearance, Mo Lian had failed to notice the change in the Hun Xiao in time. But now, given her keen intuition and her understanding of the instrument, discovering this slight change was not difficult.

The Hun Xiao was now entirely emerald green, smoother than before. Every inch of it revealed mysteries. Mo Lian suddenly could not understand why this flute, which had accompanied her for ten years, would undergo such changes. However, being as intelligent as she was, she connected it to the dream she just had and that sense of authentic experience. Mo Lian vaguely guessed that the change in the Hun Xiao must be related to her memories. She had never had such dreams before, and the Hun Xiao had never behaved abnormally. Now, they were happening together; Mo Lian did not believe this was a coincidence.

Touching the Hun Xiao, Mo Lian felt an unprecedented sense of resonance. *Heh, since the game has started, don't let it end so easily. In this world, I, Mo Lian, have never feared anything.* A cold sneer rippled across her lips once more.

A dragon has its reverse scale, a wolf has its hidden sting; those who touch it die, those who peer at it—are killed. Moreover, this was Mo Lian, that arrogant and unrestrained woman. No one could ever easily walk away after laying a hand on her.

Afterward, when Mo Lian thought of that man named Sheng Kai, the sight of that ground covered in blood still pierced her heart. Who was he?

At the same time, Mo Lian noticed the Hun Xiao flash once. When she instinctively looked, the light dimmed again. Mo Lian thought of the events in her dream once more, watching the changes in the Hun Xiao through her peripheral vision. As expected, when she thought of the dream, she found that the Hun Xiao began to glow, though the light was not obvious.

A sudden, sharp pain in her head interrupted Mo Lian's thoughts.

Are my memories sealed away? Just who is it?