Ling Yun was greatly shocked. He took a step forward, instinctively wanting to wipe away the tears in the little girl's eyes. But his hand touched nothing but air.
All of this was just an illusion to him.
Chapter Sixty: Fragments of Memory
The scene changed again, like a scene transition in a movie. In the sweltering summer desert, a howling sandstorm whips up clouds of yellow sand, showcasing the power of nature in this desert ocean. With each wave of sand sweeping across the landscape, the air around the sand visibly becomes hazy and distorted, a result of the rapid movement of air molecules in certain areas after being baked by the high temperature.
The young girl stood motionless somewhere in the desert. Her slightly grown body supported a pale pink mental energy field for protection, enduring the nearly 100-degree heat and the baptism of the desert storm. Every now and then, sand waves tens of meters high would completely engulf her, making people think that the girl had been completely buried in the sand. But after a few minutes, the girl would always struggle and stubbornly emerge from the sandstorm.
Compared to when she was in the courtyard, the girl had grown considerably, appearing to be around eleven or twelve years old. Her height far surpassed that of her peers, and even amidst the yellow sand, her skin remained as white and radiant as snow, seemingly coated with a layer of luster, smooth as ivory. Her still somewhat childish face already displayed unparalleled beauty, with crimson lips reflecting the sunlight, and pearly white teeth and starry eyes. Even with a cold and stubborn expression, she could still deeply move one's heart.
Ling Yun stood there, watching the girl diligently cultivating. Although the sandstorm felt as if it were right before his eyes, Ling Yun felt no heat whatsoever; clearly, it was all an illusion. He was merely a passerby, having stumbled into a dreamlike scene.
The scene shifted again, and the girl had fully grown into a young woman, speeding through the night. With just one glance, Ling Yun was already breathtakingly beautiful. Her long, silky black hair, her exquisitely beautiful features, and her perfectly proportioned figure from every angle were stunning. She was truly a woman of unparalleled elegance and captivating beauty. Ling Yun wasn't unfamiliar with beautiful women; in fact, Yang Yuqi, Su Bingyan, and others could all be considered exceptional beauties, each with their own unique charm. However, compared to this young woman, they all paled in comparison.
Could it be Gu Xiaorou? Ling Yun was dumbfounded and extremely confused, but Gu Xiaorou's appearance was obviously completely different from the girl in front of him, and her beauty was worlds apart.
What's going on?
He had a vague idea that he was in Gu Xiaorou's dream, or rather, in fragmented memories. Superhumans don't usually dream, but Gu Xiaorou, deeply injured and asleep, was caught in a turbulent emotional state, leaving her vulnerable. As a result, deeply hidden memories surfaced unintentionally. Because she was unconscious, the fragments of memory appeared very disorganized, which was why Ling Yun kept switching between scenes from Gu Xiaorou's memories.
In the fragment of his memory, the girl is chasing another superhuman in the darkness. Having undergone rigorous training since childhood, her strength has reached a terrifying level by adulthood. At least in Ling Yun's view, despite his own rapid progress, he is still clearly some distance from the girl in his memory.
This also confirms that the miniature barrier within Gu Xiaorou's body clearly still possesses a binding force. Otherwise, given the formidable abilities the girl is currently displaying, she would never have appeared as weak as she did when Ling Yun first encountered her.
The girl's abilities were clearly far superior to those of the superhuman being she was chasing. Ling Yun could clearly see the subtle expression of fear and panic on the superhuman's face. Whether begging for mercy, resisting head-on, or resorting to threats and inducements, the superhuman tried everything to escape the girl's pursuit. However, the girl remained indifferent and cold, her silent and ruthless supernatural techniques quickly plunging the superhuman into a death throes.
The battle ended within a quarter of an hour. As the girl walked away, a ball of emerald green firefly appeared at her fingertips and then, without looking back, flicked onto the body of the dead superhuman, turning the corpse into nothingness within seconds.
The scenes shift repeatedly, each segment depicting Gu Xiaorou's brutal battles against different superhumans. As her power grows stronger, Ling Yun can clearly sense the psychological changes in Gu Xiaorou. What should have been the innocent, vibrant, sensitive, and passionate youth of a young girl is increasingly suppressed to its lowest point amidst the bloody and brutal battles. The warm and passionate blood gradually turns cold, and her once radiant, lily-like smile is replaced by an icy coldness and hollow indifference.
The fragments of memory became somewhat blurred, and the girl experienced countless bizarre and fantastical scenes, but none of them brought Ling Yun any warmth. Although there were scenes without battle, they were either men with lustful desires who were attracted to the girl's unparalleled beauty, or monotonous and tedious cultivation. The girl's life from childhood to adulthood was entirely composed of these cruel fragments.
After the girl grew up, the young woman's figure rarely appeared in her memories. When she did, it was only to rigorously train the girl's supernatural abilities. Her role seemed more like an instructor than a loving mother. Ling Yun also noticed that throughout the entire story, no man resembling the girl's father ever appeared; in her fragmented memories, there wasn't even the slightest impression of a father.
The only scene tinged with warmth was Gu Xiaorou standing alone on a high cliff, gazing at the distant, endless mountain ranges and the boundless sky. She took a step forward with her long, slender legs, a slight smile playing on her lips. She closed her beautiful, clear eyes, revealing a faint smile. Her exquisitely beautiful face held a calm and serene expression, lost in thought…
Ling Yun involuntarily took a step forward and gently embraced the quietly standing girl, wanting to offer the warmest hug to this girl who, though seemingly incredibly strong, was actually desperately in need of care. Those memories, though illusory, were once so real, touching the softest spot in the heart of the once ordinary and introverted boy. A sorrow he hadn't felt in so long flowed through his heart like a stream; he couldn't explain why, but his heart ached as if it were being burned by a raging fire.
Seeing you feels unreal, touching you feels real, a realness that brings me sadness. How can I soothe the pain in your heart? The boy thought silently, and glistening tears fell.
"But on that very night, I forgot everything, abandoned my faith, and forsook reincarnation, all for that rose that once wept before the Buddha."
It has long lost its former luster.
Thump, thump, thump... A resounding sound, like the pulsation of a heart, echoed in the ethereal space. Ling Yun raised his head, looking blankly at the scene that had changed again, completely unaware of where he was.
The scene shifted rapidly, countless people, events, and environments flashing by. Finally, it settled on a blurry yet somewhat familiar figure. The girl's stunning beauty was gone, replaced by an ordinary face familiar to Ling Yun. She was gazing intently at that figure, then looked down at the silver ball pendant hanging from her delicate neck.
The pendant is an exquisite silver sphere. At this moment, the silver sphere is pulsating like a pendulum, and the thumping sound, like the pulsation of a heart, is coming from the silver sphere. There are extremely faint flashes of light on the surface of the silver sphere that follow the frequency of the pulsation.
The blurry yet familiar figure gradually became clearer, and the girl's clear, autumn-water-like eyes became even more surprised and confused.
Ling Yun's mouth dropped open. Suddenly, he realized why the figure looked so familiar—it was none other than himself. Could it be that Gu Xiaorou had approached him because of this pulsating pendant?
Thump, thump, thump.
Chapter Sixty-One: You are the most beautiful girl in the world
All the scenes vanished in an instant, and Ling Yun was back in the bright and warm barrier. Gu Xiaorou was still lying quietly in front of him, her face rosy, sleeping peacefully.
Unbeknownst to her, the silver threads of the girl's mental energy field had quietly loosened their grip on Ling Yun and slowly retracted into her body, entering a state of quiet stillness. Clearly, under Ling Yun's gentle caresses, Gu Xiaorou subconsciously felt very at ease, allowing her to fall asleep peacefully. Although the miniature barrier had a destructive effect, hindering wound healing, as long as the girl didn't use her mental energy field, the speed at which the miniature barrier emitted star-shaped matter became extremely slow.
The pulsating sound wasn't just a dream; Ling Yun then noticed that a small silver pendant on Gu Xiaorou's high breasts was swaying slightly and rhythmically, just like in his memory. One of the girl's small hands was unconsciously touching the silver thread of the pendant; clearly, this pendant was incredibly important to her.
Ling Yun wasn't particularly interested in the silver sphere pendant; it was probably just another strange item belonging to an esper. After looking at it for a while, he turned his attention back to the sleeping girl. Having inadvertently glimpsed the girl's deepest memories, Ling Yun felt an unconscious surge of tenderness towards Gu Xiaorou. His mental energy field once again materialized into a warm, large hand, gently stroking Gu Xiaorou's forehead.
Feeling the warmth in her sleep, the girl unconsciously turned over comfortably and snuggled close to Ling Yun, her lotus-root-like arms resting on the boy's legs.
Upon smelling Gu Xiaorou's unique fragrance, Ling Yun suddenly became infatuated. His usually calm heart was now rippled as if a pebble had been thrown into it, and his heart began to pound wildly like a deer's.
Recalling the stunningly beautiful face from the memory fragment he had just seen, Ling Yun could no longer suppress his curiosity and desire. He reached out and gently touched the sleeping girl's face, caressing her smooth and lovely skin.
The girl suddenly moved slightly, which startled Ling Yun so much that he quickly withdrew his hand. He blushed like a child who had done something wrong and didn't dare to move. After a long while, seeing that Gu Xiaorou had no reaction, he cautiously reached out his hand again.
This time, Ling Yun learned his lesson and didn't touch Gu Xiaorou's face directly with his hands. Instead, he put a faint silver light on his fingertips and added a subtle mental field to them. When he touched the girl's ordinary face again, his sensitive mental field immediately sensed the difference.
So that's how it is! The young man was pleasantly surprised to find that Gu Xiaorou's face was indeed covered with a layer of gelatinous substance. Or perhaps it was this substance that had transformed her appearance into what it is now. Otherwise, Ling Yun would not believe that a stunning beauty would undergo plastic surgery to make herself look like an ordinary girl.
A mental field swept lightly across the girl's chin, and a thin, almost transparent film was peeled off Gu Xiaorou's face.
A breathtakingly beautiful face appeared before Ling Yun once more. The sleeping girl's long eyelashes trembled gently, like a beautiful fairy in her dreams. It was absolutely unimaginable that beneath her ordinary appearance lay a face of unparalleled beauty.
Ling Yun gazed at Gu Xiaorou, his mind replaying the cruelty the girl had endured in his memories, and his gaze softened instantly. A warm and gentle mental energy field materialized into a silver pillow, which he gently placed under Gu Xiaorou's head to make her sleep more comfortably.
Suddenly, countless silver threads of spiritual energy, which had been dormant, began to flutter and envelop Gu Xiaorou like joyful sprites, instantly covering her body with a layer of silver light, making her look like a fairy with flowing robes.
The girl slowly opened her tightly closed eyes.
"You're awake?" Ling Yun said softly, afraid that a loud voice would startle the delicate girl in front of him, who was as fragile as a flower bud about to bloom.
Gu Xiaorou turned her head slightly, her beautiful eyes, like autumn water, looking at him blankly. Suddenly, she caught sight of the transparent membrane that Ling Yun was still holding with his mental energy field. The girl's expression changed drastically. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she suddenly sat up, her slender, jade-like hands involuntarily stroking her blushing face.
Ling Yun followed her gaze and his face immediately stiffened. This time, he'd taken advantage of her unconscious state to remove the mask membrane, and not only had he failed to hide the evidence, he'd been caught red-handed. The usually honest, introverted, and self-proclaimed gentleman was utterly embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
"Um..." After hesitating for a while, Ling Yun finally blurted out, "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it, I acted impulsively..."
He hung his head, feeling guilty as he awaited the expected blame. Based on his previous interactions with Gu Xiaorou, it seemed the girl didn't have a very good temper… and having just glimpsed the deepest secrets of Gu Xiaorou's memory, Ling Yun felt extremely remorseful. It was like accidentally seeing a female classmate's diary in school and reading it without permission. Even though it was unintentional, he still felt like he had done something wrong.