Chapter 97: Mo Li? Mo Li.

“Wuwuwu,” that’s the sound of cars speeding by outside.

“Shashasha,” that’s the sound of dry leaves rustling in the courtyard.

Time passes quickly.

The moment Xu Xi reunited with the Witch was at the chilly beginning of autumn, but two months later, it silently arrived at the desolate end of autumn.

Soon, the harsh winter would completely replace autumn.

That feeling is subtle.

Time is like flowing water, slipping through one’s fingers. Everyone can clearly sense the passage of time, but there’s no tangible understanding of it.

Until the “water” in one’s palm is almost gone.

Only then does one realize how swiftly time has rushed by.

In the bedroom, Xu Xi walked up to the tall display cabinet, gazing at the sugar jar and magic staff inside, falling into deep thought.

Over these two months, he hadn’t just been cultivating; he had also put in a lot of effort to bring his sister into the real world.

But unfortunately.

She hadn’t responded.

Xu Xi could only judge from small details that she was still watching over him and hadn’t truly left.

But Xu Xi was truly at a loss.

Over these two months, he had called out Xu Moli’s name more than once and even communicated with Cressa, returning the sugar jar to its original position.

Yet no matter what he did, the girl showed no signs of appearing.

Was she still angry about what happened back then?

Was the resentment in her heart still unresolved?

“What exactly is the reason?”

Unable to communicate face-to-face, unable to understand his sister’s true thoughts, Xu Xi could only guess why she refused to appear.

But it was all futile.

Xu Xi was about to start his third simulation.

The girl still showed no intention of appearing.

Xu Xi didn’t even know where she was at this moment or if she was watching him.

“Huuuu~~~”

The soft sound of the wind flowed into his ears.

Xu Xi opened the cabinet door, took out the porcelain sugar jar, and placed it together with the Eternal Tear Drop on the small wooden table in the bedroom.

These were the only two items connected to his sister after the first simulation ended.

The former was the sugar Xu Xi had given to his sister.

The latter was the tear his sister had given to Xu Xi.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t actually eaten the sugar inside,” Xu Xi pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the pale blue cylindrical sugar jar with a nostalgic expression.

In the Cultivation World of the first simulation.

He had bought sugar and almost all of it was given to Mo Li.

Because Xu Xi felt that the sugar wasn’t particularly tasty, but for some reason, the girl loved it dearly, always overjoyed whenever she saw it.

“Let’s try one.”

Xu Xi opened the lid of the sugar jar and took out a white hard candy from the top of the pile.

The candy had a faint malt aroma and a very light rice flour taste.

It was hard in texture, so he could only lick it slowly.

Sweet.

With a hint of sourness.

Was this candy considered tasty? Xu Xi thought it was alright, a decent snack, but far from addictive.

“Could it be that Mo Li pretended to like the candy just to make me happy?”

Xu Xi paused, his expression hesitant.

He suddenly recalled.

In the first simulation, the girl had appeared so intelligent, so mature, sometimes even more composed than a real adult.

Back then, Mo Li hadn’t been known in Forest Sword Peak for liking candy.

From beginning to end, she only accepted candy from Xu Xi.

It was just that Xu Xi had never looked into it deeply.

He had simply assumed that his sister liked candy, so he bought a lot of it.

“Looking at it now, I really was an unqualified elder brother…” Xu Xi leaned back slightly, his entire back pressing against the wooden chair, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“The reason she accepted it every time was simply because she was afraid of hurting my feelings.”

“Am I a bit…”

“Too overbearing?”

“Not only did I rarely ask for her opinion, but I also arbitrarily defined her life, hid the fact that I created an External Spiritual Root for her, and deliberately cold-shouldered her with lies.”

The wooden table by the window was bathed in sunlight, revealing fine textures.

The porcelain jar filled with candy and the blood-red, warm tear drop both glistened under the light.

Xu Xi fell silent.

Xu Xi said nothing.

He felt that he might have found the real reason why his sister refused to appear and reunite with him in the real world.

Everything he had done in the past had placed too much pressure and hurt on a little girl.

Especially when he left the Heavenly Sword Sect before his death.

The words he had deliberately said to Mo Li.

Without a doubt, for Mo Li, who had idolized and relied on Xu Xi at the time, it had been an incredibly devastating blow.

“I’m sorry, Mo Li…”

“I wasn’t a good enough elder brother.”

The candy released its sweetness in his mouth, but the echo in his voice was filled with apology.

Xu Xi’s expression was complicated as he spoke to the empty room, even though he didn’t know if his sister was watching.

It was just the apology in his heart.

It was just the regret in his heart.

That made Xu Xi speak out involuntarily.

“Click—” Xu Xi gently closed the lid, restoring the sugar jar to its original state, but at that moment, a glistening wetness touched the back of his hand.

Was it sweat?

Yanshan City in autumn was bitterly cold; how could it be hot enough to sweat?

Was it rain?

The weather outside in the courtyard was clear; how could it possibly be raining?

So, what was it? What was this sudden wetness?

“Elder Brother, I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry… It was me…”

A heavy feeling pressed on his shoulders, the sound of a girl’s sobs, the long-lost, willful dependence on her elder brother.

Jade-like arms reached out from behind, crossing around Xu Xi’s neck.

Sobbing uncontrollably.

Xu Xi was stunned, then his expression gradually softened.

Gently holding the girl’s hand, he spoke slowly, “Welcome back, Mo Li.”

The girl cried even more fiercely, unlike the Witch’s silent tears. This was an extreme release of pent-up emotions, crying loudly, crying messily.

The Female Immortal, who already felt guilty toward Xu Xi.

Instead heard Xu Xi’s apology.

This contrast, this comparison, completely broke down her psychological defenses, revealing her vulnerable side.

“…”

Outside the room.

The Witch with long silver-gray hair held a tray, her expression indifferent. On the tray was the hot tea she had prepared for Xu Xi, along with some corresponding sweets.

Normally, the Witch would have chosen to enter the room directly.

But the sound of Xu Moli’s crying made the Witch stop.

Just this once.

Only this once.

The forgiving Witch turned and left, not pushing the door open, choosing to leave this precious time for “The Kind One,” and she would only grant this opportunity once.

From now on, the emotionless Witch would not allow such willful behavior again.