Chapter 89: The Past (Part 1)

"Mom!"

A golden-haired little girl ran towards a woman, holding a slightly tattered teddy bear. The woman gently stroked the girl's head.

"What's wrong, Mika?"

She asked in a soft voice.

The little girl's eyes were filled with tears as she spoke with a sob, extending the tattered bear in her hand.

"Mika accidentally broke the teddy bear, sniff... sniff..."

As the little girl said, there was a hole in the arm of the teddy bear. She looked extremely sad and guilty.

But the woman still wore a gentle smile on her face.

"It's okay, a righteous hero will help Meijia restore the teddy bear."

"A righteous... hero?"

Perhaps this term was too difficult for the little girl to understand, she tilted her head in confusion.

"Yes, a righteous hero will help us when we encounter difficulties. Because Meijia is a good girl, the righteous hero will surely help her too."

"Really?"

After hearing this, the little girl's eyes lit up with hope.

"Of course, let's make a bet. Tomorrow, the teddy bear will return to its original state."

"Okay!"

They said as they linked their pinkies.

The next day, after the little girl woke up, she once again ran to the woman.

"Mom, it's true! The righteous hero really restored the teddy bear."

The little girl extended the teddy bear again, and it was the same bear as yesterday, except that the hole from yesterday was gone.

"Is that so? That's wonderful because Meijia is a good girl!"

"Meijia really likes the righteous hero."

The little girl exclaimed to the woman.

After some time passed, the previously healthy woman suddenly fell ill one day and was quickly sent to the hospital. The mother and daughter had been living together, and they didn't have any relatives here. So at this moment, the only one beside the woman's bed was the little girl.

The doctor didn't tell the little girl directly why her mother fell ill, but told the woman after she woke up.

However, at that time, the little girl stood outside the room and overheard the conversation between the doctor and her mother. She didn't hear very clearly, only catching snippets like "cancer, advanced stage." At that young age, the little girl didn't understand the meaning behind those words, only speculating that it was some kind of illness.

After the doctor left, the little girl said to her mother.

"When will Mom's illness get better?"

"Don't worry, it will get better soon."

The woman still wore a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes, because a righteous hero will surely make Mom recover."

The little girl hoped for it.

"Yes, Meijia is a good girl."

The woman's smile appeared somewhat exhausted, as if she had made up her mind.

"Meijia, Mom is going to a faraway place very soon."

Hearing this, the little girl grew anxious.

"Why do you have to go to a faraway place? No matter what, Meijia wants to go together."

"Yes... alright, Mom promises you, we will go together."

"Promise!"

And they linked their pinkies once again.

"So, Mom has something important to tell Meijia now?"

"What's the matter?"

The woman closed her eyes again, resolved.

"Well..."

It wasn't a long sentence, but there was a long pause in the middle.

Looking at the silent little girl, the woman felt a heavy sense of guilt.

"Mom knows it's hard for Mika to believe all at once, but it's true. I'm sorry, Mom has been lying to Mika for so long, I don't deserve to be your mom..."

With immense guilt, the woman turned her face away. She knew that she had no right to face the little girl now.

And at that moment, the silent little girl finally spoke.

"It's okay..."

The words were calm but determined.

"Huh?"

This time it was the woman who was stunned, as this answer was beyond her expectations.

While the woman was lost in thought, the little girl continued with her interrupted words, speaking calmly yet filled with her own determination.

"Even if that's really the case... it's okay, because you... will always be... my... mom."