Xiao Chen and Luo Ling arrived at a residential area at around ten o'clock. Xiao Chen was carrying fruits and nutritional supplements, looking like a guest.
This community looks relatively new and is not far from Hua Xia University. Its overall grade is mid-range and it is a typical community where ordinary urban residents live.
The two of them walked to a high-rise building with about 20 floors. Luo Ling pressed the call bell downstairs. A middle-aged woman answered. Luo Ling said a few words into the communicator, and the door unlocked. The two took the elevator to the 12th floor and walked to the door of Room 10. Luo Ling said, "Remember to be serious later. I want to recover completely."
"I know, I know." Xiao Chen made an OK gesture.
Luo Ling rang the doorbell.
The person who opened the door was indeed a middle-aged woman. At first glance, she was not too old and looked good, but if you take a closer look, you will find that she looks very old. There are many wrinkles on her face, and her eyes are a little dull. Her hair is simply tied into a bun at the back of her head, and her clothes are simple and plain. Behind her is a middle-aged man with glasses and gray hair on his temples. Like his wife, he has a bit of premature aging. The middle-aged couple has a lot of similarities with He Xiaoxi in appearance. They are the parents of He Xiaoxi in this world.
"Hello, Mr. He, Ms. Li. I'm Luo Ling, a teacher from Hua Xia University. I'm here to visit you on behalf of the school because of the incident that happened two years ago." Luo Ling said straight to the point.
"It's been so long since this happened, and there's been no news. What else is there to say?" He Xiaoxi's father said unkindly.
"He Wende, the teacher is here to see us, please speak nicely!" He's mother said. She turned to Luo Ling and said, "Teacher Luo, please be tolerant. Her father has a stubborn temper and has been stuck in that place for the past two years. Come on, come in."
Mother He invited the two of them in. Father He didn't say much, but after being glared at by Mother He, he had no choice but to hand slippers to Xiao Chen and Luo Ling.
Xiao Chen handed over the fruits and health products in his hand and said, "This is a little gift from Huaxia University."
"This... Well, actually, there's no need for these for the two of us. But thank you anyway." Mother He asked Father He to take the things.
The two followed He's father and mother into the living room, and Xiao Chen carefully looked around. As Xiao Chen watched, he saw an identical house being built in his meditation space.
The four of them sat down in the living room. Mother He poured tea for Xiao Chen and the other two, then sat down opposite them. Mother He asked, "Teacher Luo, I don't really understand why you came to our house at this time. After the conclusion of the investigation came out more than a year ago, no one has come to talk to us about this matter. Could it be... Could it be that there are some new clues?"
"Not really. It's just that this incident happened in our school after all. Now that two years have passed, the school hopes to send someone to visit those who are related to this incident." Luo Ling said.
"Is that so..." He's mother said disappointedly.
Luo Ling looked at the pictures of He Xiaoxi hanging everywhere in the room and asked, "Aunt Li, I heard that Xiaoxi is a very obedient and sensible child, right?"
He's mother followed her gaze and looked at a photo of He Xiaoxi on the wall. On the beach with swaying palm trees, He Xiaoxi was wearing a refreshing summer dress, holding her mother with one hand and her father with the other, smiling brightly. In the photo, He's parents looked much younger than they do now, full of energy and smiles, and the feeling of happiness seemed to overflow the entire photo.
"This was the summer when she was admitted to Meisheng High School. Our family went to Malaysia for more than ten days. Xiaoxi is a very good and hardworking child. Although she is sometimes stubborn, she always uses her strength where it is necessary." He's mother was opened up by Luo Ling and began to tell the story of He Xiaoxi's past bit by bit.
“… When she was learning to write her name as a child, she found out that her name was so difficult to write, so she blamed her father for giving her a bad name. Her father had no choice but to give her a nickname, Xiaoxi, which means small stream.”
“… She was actually quite timid when she was in school. She cried several times because a little boy bullied her. After we found out, we wanted to take her to tell the teacher. But one day at noon, she blocked the boy on the road, scratched and bit him, and scared the boy so much that he never dared to bully her again.”
As He's mother spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes, but she also smiled from time to time. Rowling knew very well that for people who have lost their loved ones, everyone's needs are different. At least for people like He's mother, she actually longed to find someone to talk to and slowly tell her daughter's story.
At this moment, in Xiao Chen's meditation world, he was trying to depict the images from the outside world into his meditation world and connect them into a playable image.
Tasia looked at his frowning brows and solemn expression and asked, "Do you think of your parents?"
Xiao Chen said: "Yes, for me, I can see them in this world at any time, and the longing is much better. However, in the world I came from, they can no longer see me. I wonder if they also hang my photos all over the room, and keep telling my story to a stranger, and whether they will burst into tears while talking, but still want to continue.
In fact, in that world, I rarely have the opportunity to go home once a year because of study and work. I wonder if I have left too few memories for them... "
For a moment, Tasia didn't know how to comfort him.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen turned around and smiled at her, "Don't worry, I've already gotten over this hurdle. But people always have those moments when they are reminded of their past."
In the real world, He's mother said, "The water has gotten cold because you were so busy talking. I'll go get some hot water."
Luo Ling glanced at Xiao Chen, who nodded slightly, indicating that he had successfully recorded the scene.
At this time, He's mother came out of the kitchen again with tea in her hand. She put the tea on the coffee table, took out a cell phone from her jacket pocket, and looked at Luo Ling and the others with some entanglement.
"Aunt Li, what's wrong?" Seeing him like this, Luo Ling stood up and asked.
He's mother looked at her and said, "Teacher Luo, who are you? I don't think you are a bad person, but why did you lie to me?" (To be continued)