Chapter 6: Messages from the Past (Special thanks to the Alliance Leader, Little Kiyohime’s Great Victory)

Ding-dong—

Not long after she returned to the hospital bed, the door opened once again. He Cheng walked in carrying several packages of various sizes, followed by an elderly woman.

This grandmother’s silver-white hair was styled very neatly, and she wore clean clothing with modest, striped patterns.

"Hexia is awake. How are you feeling? Let Grandma take a look."

Leaning on her cane, she walked over, sat down beside Hexia, and examined the young girl with a gentle, discerning gaze.

"The nurses said she’s fine, Grandma, so don't you worry," He Cheng said as he pulled a small table over to the side of the bed and set out her lunch.

"You child, you’re never very thorough. The nurses only said there’s no major physical danger, but for a girl, a scar left anywhere is a lifelong concern. It’s not as trivial as you make it sound."

She scolded her grandson before taking Hexia’s hand in hers.

"It’s alright. You’re in the hospital now; it’s very safe here. The Public Security Bureau covered part of the medical expenses, and we’ve taken care of the rest for you, so don’t worry." She comforted Hexia, addressing the very thing she had been most anxious about.

"Don’t overthink it. It’s fine to stay here a few more days. One of the children you saved is my great-granddaughter, so it’s only right that we take care of you."

The grandmother held Hexia’s hand and spoke at length to put her at ease. It was only then that the girl learned the specifics of their identities and the situation.

As it turned out, the little girl crying in front of the tunnel that day was indeed Grandma He’s great-granddaughter—the child of He Cheng’s older sister. In the residential complex where Hexia lived, Grandma He was one of the eldest and most respected figures; she held high seniority and was said to have been a teacher in the past.

"He Cheng’s sister and her husband are both working, so they couldn't spare the time to visit you today. That’s why I’ve had He Cheng come to look after you; it’s always safer to have someone around, even if this is a hospital..." Grandma He explained their family situation.

Her children were already in their fifties or sixties and found it inconvenient to travel, and among her grandchildren, only He Cheng and his sister lived close by. However, the couple was busy with work and didn't have much time to look after their child, which led to the accident that day.

"I am truly grateful to you, Hexia. If you hadn't stepped in front of that person, the outcome would have been unthinkable," Grandma He said with emotion.

"Actually, it was my own arrogance. I didn't scout the area thoroughly enough before taking the children inside," Hexia said, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Oh, don't think like that, or blame yourself for everything. Such accidents happen too often in life—who could have predicted such a low-probability event? You did your best, even far exceeding what anyone could have expected," Grandma He continued to console her before urging her to eat.

"This is a Clear-Fish Snow-Milk set I just bought from Xiangzhu House. It’s light on the palate and quite nutritious, which should be just what you need." He Cheng set down the chopsticks and spoon, then took out several containers from the side, which held fresh fruit—strawberries and mulberries, which Hexia liked—along with a box of nuts.

"I had He Cheng buy those so you can snack on them after your meal," Grandma He explained.

"This is..." Hexia felt a bit embarrassed.

"You child, you’re too kind-hearted. It’s fine, just eat," the grandmother said, cutting her off immediately as she saw the look on the girl’s face.

"It didn't cost that much. Life is what matters; these are just small things."

Hexia nodded, then began to eat her lunch.

The fish was fresh and delicious; being a special breed, it had no bones. The broth was rich and mellow, which whetted Hexia’s appetite. It was, as expected of a Tier 5 set meal, far superior to the standard Tier 6 meals in both flavor and nutrition.

After Hexia finished her meal, Grandma He stayed to talk with her for a long time. During that time, the doctor also came for his rounds and asked a few questions before leaving.

In the evening, He Cheng’s sister and brother-in-law arrived. They were the parents of the little girl Hexia had saved, and they were deeply grateful. They currently worked for a company on the 47th level of Panyin City and were usually very busy. Before leaving, they tried to transfer a sum of money to Hexia, but the girl declined.

"You should accept it. You live alone and have no source of income. If you feel uneasy about it, you could help tutor the neighborhood children—consider it a tutoring fee," Grandma He suggested. With this persuasion, Hexia finally accepted the 8,000 Federation Credits, which had been pooled together by the parents of the children from that day, representing what remained after the medical costs were covered.

Though it wasn't a large sum, it was a gesture from the heart, especially considering that most residents in their complex had modest incomes and couldn't afford much more.

Over the next few days, others came to visit Hexia—her teachers, neighbors, and the families of the children she had saved. Three days later, feeling that she had recovered, Hexia was discharged with the doctor’s approval.

"I’ve rarely approved an early discharge for such severe injuries, but all your indicators are normal and healthy. I have no reason to keep you here any longer," the doctor remarked before she left, praising Hexia for her luck.

After leaving the hospital, Hexia was invited by Grandma He to stay at her home for a while.

"You’re too lonely living by yourself, and you’re still in your recovery period. Your arm isn't fully mobile yet, so you should stay with me. I’m quite healthy, and my grandchildren come over often, so it’ll be easy to look after you."

Thus, Hexia returned home to gather some clothes and moved into Grandma He’s house for the time being.

Grandma He’s home was quite large, spanning three levels. The second floor served as the living room and activity area, and it also housed the main entrance. The third floor held the bedrooms and the study, while the first floor contained the bathroom, kitchen, and the area for household machinery.

"Sister Hexia!"

As soon as she entered, the young girl she recognized opened her arms in welcome and trotted over to hug her waist.

"Sister Hexia is finally out of the hospital." She remembered the older sister well, though she was curious why Hexia’s hair had changed color.

"It’s likely a side effect of practicing my transcendent sequence," Hexia provided a reasonable explanation. Some transcendent sequences did indeed change one's physical appearance to a degree, especially the Dragon sequence.

"I see! But Sister Hexia has become so beautiful, I almost didn't recognize you." Children were always so direct.

Hexia felt a bit shy at the compliment. She had always been used to being unnoticed among her classmates and peers, and being praised so bluntly left her unsure of how to respond.

Admit it? That felt a bit arrogant. Deny it? That felt dishonest.

"Thank you. You’ll become beautiful too, Lisha," Hexia said, bending down to look into the girl’s eyes.

"Um, maybe not as beautiful as you, Sister," she said, hesitating as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Alright, Lisha, come here. Let Sister Hexia sit and rest for a while. It would be even better if you could go fetch her a glass of water," Grandma He said from the side.

"Okay, I’ll get the water!" The little girl nodded proudly and trotted off.

Grandma He led Hexia to the third floor, where there were several rooms.

"This used to be Lisha’s mother’s room, but she moved out after she got married. I cleaned it up the day before yesterday and put on new bedding. See if it’s to your liking?" Grandma He opened the door.

The room didn't have many items, but it was well-equipped with a bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, and a fabric sofa by the large floor-to-ceiling window.

Through the window, one could see the artificial night sky, where points of light resembling a galaxy shimmered. This view was synchronized with the ground-level observatories to be as realistic as possible, alleviating the sense of claustrophobia for those living underground.

"Most of the furniture is wood. I don't know if you're used to that, as young people these days like the minimalist 'Egg-Gold' style." Egg-Gold was a new type of alloy with a soft, shell-like luster, widely used for daily necessities and decor.

"I'm used to it," Hexia nodded.

"Actually, my grandmother was also of Eastern descent. When I was little, the furniture in her house was mostly wooden, too," Hexia recalled from her childhood memories.

"Oh, then it seems we’ll have plenty to talk about," Grandma He smiled. "Rest for today. Sleep well."

Afterward, Hexia put her things away. Lisha brought the water and chatted for quite a while in Hexia’s room before leaving reluctantly.

In the bathroom, Hexia sat in the water, gently splashing it over her body, feeling the droplets slide down her arms and neck. In the small room, the echo of the water was clearly audible.

Leaning against the side of the tub, looking up at the small ceiling, Hexia relaxed her body and slowly cleared the pent-up emotions in her heart.

"I survived."

She murmured to herself, feeling a sense of unreality. At the time, she felt she had already reached the point of death and was on the verge of giving up.

Unexpectedly, fate had given her another chance. This survival after such a disaster made her feel a sense of gratitude, and everything around her seemed more beautiful and precious—even the simple act of chewing plain white rice revealed a faint, clean sweetness.

"No matter what, you must live on strongly..."

The words from the past echoed in her ears.

"I will remember, Mother."