Right there.
The old street in front of the residential area, under the newly built street lights.
The woman sat on a long chair, wearing an ordinary coat and an inconspicuous fur hat, and she did not have the charm and seductiveness that she had when they first met.
Although five years had passed since they last met, Shinji still recognized her at a glance, the woman who combined the advantages of both Eastern and Western women, the woman who loved little Jack more than he did.
He raised his hand, wanting to say hello.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
Embarrassment lingered in the boy's mind.
In that short but indelible war, he felt guilty towards two people.
One was Fiore. He ignored her wishes and forced her to stay in Mirenia in the name of treatment. She missed the final battle and didn't even say goodbye.
The other one was the Sixth Director Lingxia, who casually brought an ordinary person into the mysterious world without making any subsequent arrangements and ended the story hastily.
Haha, it’s not surprising that they hate me for being so irresponsible.
Perhaps she noticed Shinji's embarrassment, so she took the initiative to greet him: "Long time no see, Mr. Matou, or should I call you Brother Matou?"
"You can call me anything you want. Long time no see, Miss Reika." Shinji's voice sounded somewhat reluctant.
The woman smiled: "I'm so glad that you found this place and me in such a short time."
"It could have been faster, but... I'm sorry." Not only for being late, but also for leaving in a hurry five years ago.
"It's okay. I'm already very happy. It proves that you haven't forgotten me and our daughter. By the way, you solved the riddle I left behind, so I must give you a little reward. Come with me."
"Oh, oh."
The woman in simple clothes naturally led the way in front, and the young man in white followed silently behind.
The two of them walked into the residential area, passed through the nondescript trails, entered the apartment buildings of uniform style, and came to an ordinary door.
The woman took out her key, opened the door, walked into the hallway, changed into slippers first, then turned around and placed a pair of brand new men's slippers in front of Shinji, saying, "Welcome back."
"Uh uh... I'm back."
Perhaps feeling the expectation in the woman's eyes, the boy was stunned for a moment, but finally said this sentence.
"I've been busy all night. Should I eat first or take a shower first..."
The feeling of déjà vu is growing, but it takes a 180-degree turn at the last, most crucial step.
"Ah, that's it, there's no more to come, ahahahaha."
"Ahahaha."
Shinji also laughed dryly. Although he still didn't understand what Reika was saying, the tension that constrained his body was much less.
"After three games in a row, I am a little hungry."
"Then let's eat."
The woman walked over to the dining table and considerately pulled out a chair for Shinji.
The table was already filled with various foods, still steaming, and it looked like they had just been prepared. The time must have been calculated. Shinji believed that Reika had the ability to do this.
There are quite a few types of food, a combination of Eastern and Western food, including bread, rice, Jack's favorite hamburger, and Japanese tofu, which Shinji mentioned as his favorite. Although it is not professionally crafted, it is homely and warm.
Shinji had always liked this feeling, and he began to wolf down the food without realizing it.
Young people are good at eating, and with the consumption caused by the battle, a table of food that was enough for a family of five ended up being almost all eaten by Shinji.
The woman who was cooking just watched, and except for eating a few bites occasionally, she was busy helping the boy serve rice and pick up dishes, and she also considerately handed him a cup of tea after the meal.
"Are you full? If not, I'll make some more."
"I'm full, very full..." He took a sip of tea, put away his laziness, and adjusted his sitting posture, "Lingxia, I have something to ask you."
What is coming will eventually come.
You don’t have to say it when you meet, you don’t have to say it when you eat, but some issues must be made clear.
"I know." Lingxia nodded calmly, "I'm very happy that you have been with me until now. Not only do you have something to say to me, I also have something to say to you. Let me tell you a story first, a story about two girls."
There was a poor woman named Liudao Lingxia.
He once had a happy family and lived a happy life, but because his family fell into poverty, he had to sell himself in order to survive.
After finally being noticed by a wealthy man, she thought she could have a safe life for a while, but she never expected to be drawn into a world she had never imagined before, and was used as a living sacrifice, with her life hanging by a thread.
Despite this, the woman still struggled hard to live, and this desire to survive finally brought about a miracle. The woman was saved by a strange man, at the cost of her remaining life.
But the woman did not regret it. She had a strong obsession with survival since she was a child. At least this way she could survive, and she also met a lovely daughter named Jack.
Seeing Jack nestling in her arms, calling her mom and calling that man dad, she felt very happy - no matter how strange or dangerous things would happen next, she would be able to hold on.
To the woman's surprise, the road ahead was not only not dangerous, but even easier than before.
She doesn't need to put on a smile, flatter, or sell her body. Her daily life is traveling, taking care of the kids, and cooking for a big eater - this big eater is also a very good person, so good that she feels ashamed of herself.
Although the man and the glutton emphasized more than once that this was a battlefield and anything could happen, the fact was that the two of them protected her and little Jack very well.
This kind of protection lasted until the end. Even when the man encountered great setbacks and even made the worst plans, he still did not let the pressure affect her and little Jack.
For the first time, the first time in her life, she had a strong desire for something beyond survival. She hoped that the man could survive, come back to her, hold little Jack's hands together, and be called dad and mom by the child - that must be a very happy family.
For this, she prayed devoutly, together with her daughter and another girl who was also concerned about him.
Perhaps the goddess in charge of fate is a malicious person who likes to play tricks on people. She heard the prayer but only fulfilled half of it.
The man managed to survive, but left in a hurry and was unable to return to them. He only asked someone to bring a final gift to his daughter.
Although the woman was lost, she did not give up - persistence and perseverance have always been her greatest qualities. Without this, she would have died long before she met him.
To this end, the woman strives to seize power and tries to find possible ways to get to him in her own way.
Finally, her hard work paid off and she finally found a workaround.