238: Chapter 238 Neither Up Nor Down

Ye Qingqing glanced at her reflection in the van window, then retrieved a wet wipe from her spatial storage.

"It's okay, Grandma, this isn't my blood. I've already taken care of everything. Please don't worry."

Although Ye Qingqing said this, the worry in Deng Jiayu's eyes did not dissipate.

But since Ye Qingqing had said so...

Deng Jiayu didn't say anything more, simply asking Ye Qingqing what she wanted to eat.

After giving Ye Qingqing one last, deep look, Deng Jiayu finally left.

She turned and headed straight into the recreational vehicle's kitchen to start preparing lunch.

Xiao Lü watched Ye Qingqing's expression from the side, unable to figure out what she was planning.

In the end, he could only drive silently, and at an extremely fast speed.

Xiao Lü was afraid that if he slowed down even a bit, Ye Qingqing might get upset and decide to give him a 'snip-snip' with a knife.

However, what Ye Qingqing didn't know was that shortly after her recreational vehicle drove away...

the woman immediately got into the van Ye Qingqing had given her.

She followed the tire tracks left by the recreational vehicle.

Moreover, the woman controlled her speed perfectly, staying a good distance behind Ye Qingqing yet always catching up before the tire tracks faded.

Of course, Ye Qingqing was completely unaware of all this. If she had known, she would have deeply regretted giving that woman a vehicle.

Throughout the journey, Ye Qingqing remained silent, which even made Ah Huang worry.

Ah Huang nuzzled his head against Ye Qingqing's hand, wanting her to pet him.

But at this moment, Ye Qingqing had no desire to pay attention to Ah Huang.

Somehow, Ye Qingqing couldn't muster any energy.

In fact, a scene from the past kept resurfacing in her mind.

Ye Qingqing felt something was off in her heart.

Especially when she recalled the woman's face, it made her even more upset.

Ye Qingqing felt the expression on that woman's face was too similar to her own in her previous life.

It made her remember some unpleasant thoughts.

And besides, the woman had a child in her arms.

In truth, there was something Ye Qingqing had never spoken aloud.

In her previous life, Ye Qingqing had been sold to many different people.

In the very beginning, Ye Qingqing had actually been pregnant with a child.

But that child... Ye Qingqing never got the chance to give birth.

So, deep in Ye Qingqing's heart, there had always been a knot.

A knot concerning a child.

This was precisely why, upon seeing the child in the Woman with a Buzz Cut's arms, Ye Qingqing had the thought to let her go.

Ye Qingqing felt very conflicted; this matter had been bottled up inside her for too long.

For a long time, she had even chosen to forget about it to numb herself.

But today, the memories of the past came flooding back like a tide.

Ye Qingqing felt almost suffocated under the weight of those memories.

"Qingqing, time to eat. I made chicken soup today. Come have some to warm yourself up."

As Deng Jiayu spoke these words, her eyes held a smile.

Her expression was gentle.

Watching her, Ye Qingqing felt a sudden warmth in her heart.

At least in this world, there were still people who loved her.

Ye Qingqing got up and went to the dining table in the recreational vehicle.

The table wasn't large, but it was just right for four people.

Ye Qingqing didn't need to do anything; someone had already set the table with rice and dishes for her.

For some reason, a wave of emotion welled up in Ye Qingqing's heart, and she immediately pushed aside the chaotic thoughts in her mind.

Deng Jiayu's cooking was incredibly delicious. Just smelling it was enough to make Ye Qingqing's stomach rumble with hunger.

She picked up her bowl and downed three bowls of rice in one go.

In this wide world, nothing matters more than a good meal.

After eating, Ye Qingqing went straight to the driver's seat and fell into a deep sleep.

Ah Huang dragged his bed over to Ye Qingqing's feet.

He curled up and fell asleep beside her.

Leaving only Xiao Lü, trembling with fear nearby.

Ye Qingqing gave Xiao Lü a map, pointed out the route on it, and then fell asleep.

Xiao Lü drove with one hand (or vine) while using a tendril to point at the map.

His heart was filled with panic, terrified of taking a wrong turn by accident.

Yet, Xiao Lü couldn't help but grumble silently, "It's supposed to be a journey for a whole vehicle of people, yet I, a mere plant, have to bear this unbearable weight..."

But for now, Xiao Lü could only mutter this to himself.

He didn't dare to voice his complaints out loud.

Don't ask why. The answer is simple: he's truly a coward.

Ye Qingqing's sleep was restless; in her dream, she seemed to have returned to her previous life.

No matter how she tried to escape, she couldn't shake off the nightmares of her past life.

In the dream, Ye Qingqing saw the child she had lost in her previous life.

It was a little girl who looked very much like Ye Qingqing did as a child, fair and chubby-cheeked.

She had two small pigtails and rosy cheeks.

She wore a little pink checkered dress.

She looked utterly adorable.

The little girl's lips parted slightly as she looked at Ye Qingqing and said, "Mommy."

Ye Qingqing stood there dumbfounded, everything feeling like a lifetime ago.

But the sound of that 'Mommy' in her ears was crystal clear.

Ye Qingqing stood frozen, a lump seeming to form in her throat, impossible to swallow or spit out.

It was stuck there, neither up nor down, much like her own feelings.

The little girl... had called Ye Qingqing "Mommy."

It was an identity Ye Qingqing had never dared to imagine.

Gradually, a single tear unconsciously slipped from Ye Qingqing's eye in the dream.

Ye Qingqing raised her hand, wanting to touch that small figure.

But she couldn't reach her.

Every time Ye Qingqing reached out to touch that figure, it would vanish.

"No..."

In the dream, Ye Qingqing struggled desperately to grasp that figure, but she couldn't.

No matter how hard she tried, the figure would disappear, vanishing forever from before her eyes.

In the dream, Ye Qingqing kept running, striving to move towards that figure.

But even when she reached the edge of the dream, she still hadn't found the child's figure.

In the end, not a single trace of the child could be found anywhere in the entire dream.

"No..."

Ye Qingqing struggled violently in the dream until finally, she was awakened by the sound of a dog barking.

"Woof..." Ah Huang, seeing Ye Qingqing thrashing about violently in the passenger seat,

pawed at her gently.

Deng Jiayu and Pei Siyuan, seated behind Ye Qingqing, were also very worried about her.

"Woof..." Ah Huang pawed at Ye Qingqing again.

This time, Ye Qingqing slowly began to wake up.

Upon waking, Ye Qingqing discovered a few clear tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Woof..."

Looking at Ye Qingqing, Ah Huang—though a dog who didn't understand what was wrong—

was deeply concerned for her.