Xun Nu stood in front of the glass window of the hotel, looking at the endless stream of people and cars below. This was a world he had never seen before, even though he had been here for a day, he still felt amazed. He had practiced sword fighting since childhood, his heart was tough and resilient, otherwise, he would have been scared by these unprecedented things.

  A faint noise came from behind, Xun Nu turned her head to look and saw Tang Li sitting up on the big bed.

  "Xun Nu." Táng Lí threw on a sleeping gown and walked to Xun Nu's back, leaning against his shoulder, and together they looked at the outside traffic and crowds.

  "Is this the world you used to be in?" Xun Nu's voice was even more husky and low than usual, and when speaking to Tang Li, it carried a hint of warmth that was extremely alluring.

  "Yes, my loved ones and friends are all here." She said, hugging Xun Nu's waist, "I want to take you to meet them, okay?"

  "Alright, I'll accompany you." Xun Nu grasped her hand, his dark eyes filled with deep affection.

  They came to this world yesterday because before that, Tōri and a few other people cleared a mysterious game together. The reward for clearing the mysterious game was that she could bring her lover back to their original world to live for seven days.

  This was the second day, and Táng Lí decided to take Xūnú back to see his own mother.

  In this world, the body used by Tōri is from another world, and so is Sunao. With his long hair, long pants and shirt, he still has a kind of strange classical temperament, even without a sword in hand, his whole demeanor is as sharp as a knife. In fact, he doesn't usually act like this, it's just that he's not familiar with this world, so he can't help but feel tense and want to protect Tōri, it's an unconscious reaction.

  Tang Li held his hand all the way as they left the hotel, Xun Nu stared at the elevator for a long time, and when it started, he shielded Tang Li in the corner.

  Tang Li leaned against his chest and laughed softly.

  "Too dangerous."

  They walked on the street, and every time a car approached, Xun Nu would pull Tang Li away from those steel monsters he didn't understand. Tang Li let him pull her, explaining everything by the roadside to him. He looked good-looking, and the bold girls by the roadside couldn't help but look at him, then glance at Tang Li beside him, whispering: "That couple must be lovers, oh my god, so handsome!"

  Xun Nu walked to the side of the road and saw a poster on the bus stop sign, suddenly stopping for a moment.

  "What's wrong?"

  "This person, I have seen before, and also appeared in that strange world."

  Tang Li went to take a look at the poster, and on it was a celebrity named Xi Shao Yuan. She wasn't really into celebrities or the entertainment circle, but this face seemed familiar, like she had seen it on TV before. She smiled and continued walking forward, "Then my friends from that world should also be here."

  She chose a hotel not far from home, and the two of them walked there. When they were almost there, they also bought some fruit and gifts. Tang Li didn't plan to tell her mother that she was Tang Li, but rather planned to visit her in the guise of a friend. Since it was like this, of course she had to prepare gifts.

  Tang Li's parents divorced when she was young, and now her mother lives alone. They live in an old residential area where all the residents moved from the same place, so everyone knows each other for decades. If something happens to one family, the whole neighborhood finds out.

  Years ago, Tangmu's daughter died in a car accident and Tangmu was hospitalized. The only ones taking care of her were Tangli's friends and some good neighbors from the community. Now that several years have passed, Tangmu has made great progress and returned to normal life. When Tangli brought Xunnu to visit, she saw Tangmu playing mahjong with a few aunties in the community.

  "Who are you looking for?"

  "It's visiting Aunt Tang Shuyun."

  "Shu Yun, you have a guest at home!" The old man sitting in the sun shouted, and Tang Li saw her mother poke her head out, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

  The Tang family lived on the third floor, and their home was spotlessly clean. Mrs. Tang poured them tea and they sat down on the sofa.

  "You said you're a friend of my daughter's, but I don't think I've ever seen you before?" Tang Mu asked curiously, looking at Tang Li with a feeling of inexplicable familiarity despite having never met her.

  Tang Li: "I was abroad before, and it's been a long way away, I didn't have the chance to come over. Recently, I returned home for something and thought of visiting Auntie." She introduced Xun Nu beside her to Tang Mu, "This is my husband."

  Tangmu took a closer look at Xunnu and said, "Oh, you're married! Do you have kids?"

  Tang Li nodded, "There are two children."

  "Alright, alright. Girls should get married early anyway. Tang Li is just... *sigh*."

  Tang Li sat across from her, not showing any unusual expression or reaction to what she said, but gently comforted her with a couple of sentences and listened to her talk about the usual things like family, children, and work. She was just like every other middle-aged mother, enthusiastic about asking about family, kids, and work. Tang Li had long been used to this. Having grown up in different educational environments and having received different educations from their own mothers, they couldn't understand each other or live according to the other's wishes, but her greatest kindness towards this mother was patience.

  In the afternoon, Tōru politely took his leave.

  As they left, Tang's mother gazed at their disappearing figures, feeling inexplicably lost and melancholic.

  "If you can't bear to part with her, we can come visit every day afterwards, and you can also tell her that you are her daughter, she might feel a bit better." Xun Nu held her hand as they walked on the street under the falling night.

  Tang Li shook her head and said softly, "No need to disturb her current life, nor is it necessary to tell her my identity. If I really told her, it wouldn't be a good thing. She won't just be unhappy, she'll probably spend the rest of her life in unease."

  She gazed up at the night sky, which was completely different from the one in her hometown. "My mother is a stubborn woman, she has always wanted to control my father and me, but my father didn't want that, so he left her. Since then, she has been even more strict with me, asking about every little thing I do. If I want to learn or do something, she thinks it's not good, she'll cry and throw a tantrum until I give in to what she wants. She always says I can't leave her, this mother of mine."

  Tang Li suddenly smiled at this point.

  "But she was wrong, it's not that I couldn't leave her, but rather she can't leave me because except for me, no one else would tolerate her temper. I'm the only thing she has." Her tone was a bit strange, and when she said this, her tone suddenly changed again to become gentle, "Xun Nu, are you hungry? Let's go eat something delicious."

  She said she would go visit her mother for a moment, and indeed just went to visit for a moment, without saying or doing anything more, even appearing somewhat indifferent, completely different from her usual gentleness.

  Apart from visiting her mother, she also went to see her father. This time she didn't go over and talk to anyone, just took a look, then led Xun Nu to a nearby store for lunch.

  These days she often takes Xun Nu to eat different dishes everywhere.

  "This store used to be run by me and my friends together, I was a chef here before." Tang Li took Xun Nu to meet his old friend on the fourth day.

  They walked into the store, and Táng Lí discovered that the interior decoration had changed, the chefs had also changed, but most of the menu was still the same as before. She ordered a few dishes, spent an hour here, and quietly told Xūnù about what she used to do here.

  The friend who opened the store with her would come over every day at 6 pm, and this habit still hasn't changed. Táng Lí saw her. She drove over, sat at the counter waiting for a stir-fry, she loved to eat that. When they first opened the store, business was bad, friends all came to support them, everyone would sit at the bar chatting and laughing.

  Tang Li pulled Xunu over and smiled at their friend who was smoking and brushing his phone, "Zhao Yi."

  Zhao Yi raised her eyes and looked at her for a moment, revealing a puzzled expression. She didn't recognize the Tang Li in front of her.

  "I'm a friend of Táng Lí." Táng Lí repeated the excuse about going back to her country, "I went to visit Aunt Táng and she told me that in the past when she went to the hospital, it was you who found someone to take care of her, and even gave her all of Táng Lí's share from this store. Thank you."

  Zhao Yi lost his smile and shook his head, "What are you thanking me for? I'm her friend, it's what should be done, not just me, other friends are the same."

  Tang Li nodded: "Yeah, she told me that the happiest thing in her life is to have friends like you guys."

  Zhao Yi stared at her, tilting his head, "I don't know why I think you're a bit weird, are you really Tang Li's friend? Why can't I remember her mentioning you?"

  Tang Li smiled but didn't speak, then pointed to the kitchen in the store: "I can also cook, how about I stir-fry some fried rice for you?"

  Zhao Yi looked into her gentle eyes and, for some inexplicable reason, agreed. Tang Li went into the kitchen. About ten minutes later, she came out with a plate of stir-fried rice, placed it in front of Zhao Yi, wiped her hands and said: "You eat slowly, we'll go first."

  She and Xunu walked away together, Zhao Yi sat on the spot, extinguished the cigarette, picked up the spoon and started eating fried rice. She ate two mouthfuls, suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with incredulity, and then carefully ate several more mouthfuls, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. She threw down the spoon, ran out of the store and shouted loudly: "Sugar balls! Balls?"

  The two people's shadows were no longer seen on the street. Although they had completely different appearances, Zhao Yi felt that it was her best friend Tang Li. She stood outside for a while and then went back to eat the stir-fry with a special and familiar flavor. She was willing to hold onto this beautiful illusion, thinking that her good friend hadn't died, but was living in some corner of the world with another appearance.

  "My friends, compared to my family, gave me more support and understanding." Tang Li heard Zhao Yi's call from behind her, but she didn't turn around, still holding Xun Nu's hand as they walked towards the streets lit up by lanterns. "The Tang Li of this world had long left, and couldn't go back to their side again. Fortunately, they were all doing alright, so I don't need to worry about them anymore."

  It is rare for people to gather together in joy, but it is common for them to part ways.

  "Let's go home, the kids are still waiting for me."

  "Uh-huh, going home, I miss them too."

  They held hands, their silhouettes slowly disappearing in this bustling modern metropolis.

  (End) 166.com