After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Mirrors

◎This behavior… is pathologically obsessive◎

Was she hearing things, or—

“…You need to bandage that.”

It wasn’t until she heard Jiao Qingyin’s voice again that Wen Fengyue dared to be certain: she wasn’t hallucinating. The person she had missed for ten years… had truly returned.

The pain at her neck suddenly became vivid. Wen Fengyue finally realized with certainty that she was bleeding. She felt the sticky sensation of blood against her palm. She knew what she should do—put her hand down and head home immediately to clean the wound and prevent infection—but in reality, she did nothing. Simply maintaining her stance in front of the mirror consumed all her strength.

Seeing this, Jiao Qingyin’s tone sharpened slightly. “Don’t just stand here.”

Wen Fengyue had imagined many times what her attitude would be when Jiao Qingyin returned. Initially, she wanted to call out the name instantly, pour out every ounce of longing, find out where the other had been, and ask if… if she could stay forever. Later, she imagined interrogating her the moment they reunited: Why did you leave without a word? Why were you gone for so many years? And then…

She had self-studied vast amounts of psychology and neurology. Whether through psychological suggestion, electrotherapy, or even craniotomy, she intended to keep Jiao Qingyin by her side.

But now… Wen Fengyue stood frozen. A long time passed without her making a single sound. Her puppet-like reaction made Jiao Qingyin, who was focused on the wound, grow uneasy. “Are you alright?”

If Wen Fengyue remained motionless, Jiao Qingyin planned to temporarily take over the body, treat the injury, and then return control. Fortunately, upon hearing the worried inquiry, Wen Fengyue seemed to be suddenly wound up like a clockwork toy and sprang into action. She gave a quick nod and led Jiao Qingyin in a swift walk back “home.”

Before heading out, Wen Fengyue had intended to change her dressing; it was only the earlier interlude that had interrupted her.

Wen Fengyue opened the door. Jiao Qingyin floated in first, and her primary impression of the interior was that Wen Fengyue might have a bit of mysophobia (germophobia). The furniture was spotless, the tablecloth lacked a single wrinkle, and a faint scent of disinfectant lingered in the air. It wasn’t just clean; the decor was almost entirely white, giving the impression of an experimental base or an operating room. One could see the owner’s meticulous… or rather, stubborn and obsessive personality.

Wen Fengyue likely has a strong desire for control, Jiao Qingyin thought. In this regard, the two of them were perhaps quite similar. But if she was such a clean freak, why choose to live in a complex like this?

After entering the house, Wen Fengyue became even stiffer. She suddenly remembered that there was a room in this apartment she absolutely did not want Jiao Qingyin to see. Controlling her expression, she walked as normally as possible to the bathroom.

On the bathroom counter sat a roll of freshly opened bandages and various ointments. Wen Fengyue was accustomed to bandaging herself, but the moment she thought of Jiao Qingyin, her hands couldn’t stop shaking. Seeing Wen Fengyue fail several times to wrap the bandage correctly, Jiao Qingyin spoke: “Do you need my help?”

“…”

After a few seconds, just as Jiao Qingyin thought she would be rejected, Wen Fengyue lowered her hands and said in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible: “Okay… please.”

These were the first words Wen Fengyue spoke to Jiao Qingyin since her reappearance. The volume was tiny, but the nervousness was palpable. Receiving permission, Jiao Qingyin entered Wen Fengyue’s body.

To Jiao Qingyin, the last time she possessed Wen Fengyue felt like it had happened right before she went to sleep. After a brief adjustment period, she moved with practiced ease. Wen Fengyue, having lost control of her body, felt no panic; instead, she felt an immense sense of peace.

She watched herself in the mirror—the “self” that frowned slightly, expression serious, handling the wound with patience and care. She would never do that herself. Usually, she ignored small injuries and only gave major ones a perfunctory wrap. She didn’t care about her physical condition, but the “self” in the mirror clearly did.

Wen Fengyue suddenly wanted to say something, but as soon as a tiny breath escaped her, she snapped her mouth shut. Never mind…

“What is it?”

Wen Fengyue froze. When she looked up, she locked eyes with herself in the mirror. That “self” tilted her head, her expression calm and soft. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

It was strange. Even though the voice came from her own mouth, Wen Fengyue felt that the words spoken by Jiao Qingyin sounded much better than when she spoke them. Seeing Jiao Qingyin waiting for an answer, Wen Fengyue gritted her teeth and mumbled, “You… why haven’t you changed at all?”

Compared to ten years ago, she was unrecognizable, but time seemed to have stagnated for Jiao Qingyin, leaving her exactly as she was in her memory. Jiao Qingyin thought for a moment and assumed the girl was referring to her voice. She couldn’t talk about transmigration, so she offered a semi-reasonable explanation: “Only you can hear me speak, so I am whatever you perceive me to be.”

Because no supernatural elements appeared in the original story, Jiao Qingyin worried that revealing her true status might interfere with the mission progress, so she didn’t disclose her identity as a ghost for now. However, since Wen Fengyue was indeed the only human who could converse with her, she wasn’t technically lying—she was just omitting a part of the truth.

What she didn’t know was that this answer fit Wen Fengyue’s preconceptions perfectly. Wen Fengyue had already regarded Jiao Qingyin as her second personality; hearing this confirmed her theory, and the heart that had been tight with tension finally relaxed for a moment.

It was then that Jiao Qingyin spoke three words she had turned over in her mind many times: “—I am sorry.”

Hearing Jiao Qingyin apologize out of the blue, Wen Fengyue went blank. It took her a long time to react. “But… you have nothing to be sorry for.”

Jiao Qingyin didn’t argue. She tilted her head with a smile and returned the body to the girl. Wen Fengyue’s thoughts were still in a state of chaos until the heat from the medicated wound brought her back to reality. Her heart finally settled—Jiao Qingyin was truly back. The other’s words and actions reflected a distinct personality, proving she wasn’t a figment of her imagination but a real entity.

Wen Fengyue knew that splitting into a second personality was a mental illness, but she didn’t care. If she became even “sicker,” she would welcome it. The only regret was… she was destined never to see Jiao Qingyin, never touch her, never speak to her face-to-face.

Wen Fengyue buried these greedy thoughts deep in her heart. She pressed one hand against the mirror and asked a string of questions: “Where have you been all these years? Were you sleeping or conscious? Will you suddenly disappear again? Is there a way for me to confirm if you’re there?”

Initially, her tone was unnatural, but she soon began speaking at a frantic speed, her urgency clear. She desperately wanted the answers. Seeing Wen Fengyue perk up and stop acting like a programmed machine, Jiao Qingyin breathed a secret sigh of relief.

She waited for the girl to finish before answering. “I’ve been in your body the whole time, but because I fell into an unconscious slumber, I didn’t wake up until today.”

A ten-year sleep… could it be a side effect of rebirth? Wen Fengyue pursed her lips tightly. She had always believed everything had a price. Could the price for Jiao Qingyin’s presence in her life be this…? “What about the future?” she asked instinctively.

Jiao Qingyin went silent for a second. The future… Once the mission was complete, she would leave this world immediately. Looking at Wen Fengyue’s current fear of loss, Jiao Qingyin realized she was incredibly important to the girl. She had been gone for ten years, and upon returning, she found a drastically changed Wen Fengyue. If she told her that the next time she left, it would be forever…

Jiao Qingyin’s intuition stopped her from saying it. Instead, she promised: “In the future, if a similar situation arises, I will tell you in advance.”

Wen Fengyue went silent. This wasn’t the answer she wanted, and Jiao Qingyin’s words clearly implied she might fall into that state again. For a moment, countless medical files on surgery flashed through Wen Fengyue’s mind. Dark thoughts rose and fell, refusing to be suppressed. But she didn’t show them; they weren’t “mature” enough yet. Until she was absolutely certain of success, she didn’t intend to tell Jiao Qingyin.

After Jiao Qingyin answered, she asked Wen Fengyue about her experiences over the years. The girl stood before the mirror and answered seriously.

Ten years ago, following Jiao Qingyin’s words, she reached out to her aunt, took her mother’s belongings, and went to her maternal family. She received excellent living conditions there but no family warmth—the blood of Wen Dong flowed in her veins. Her maternal relatives never said it aloud, but they were all somewhat repulsed by her. If she had been sweeter or acted weaker, she might have closed the distance, but her past life left her with zero expectations for “family.”

She never bothered with socializing. Most of the time, she locked herself in her room, using books and the internet to study voraciously. While other kids were playing in the mud, her alias “Moon” was already on the anonymous bounty lists of hacker forums. She made a lot of money and funneled most of it into her revenge. She hated too many people. The revenge list included not only her enemies from her previous life but also suspects she discovered in this life who contributed to her mother’s death.

After starting middle school, Wen Fengyue moved out of her maternal family’s home. She transferred a huge sum of money to her aunt and, ignored the woman’s shock, thanked her for her care while blocking any possibility of the money being returned. Although her aunt didn’t like her, she had taken in the “burden” for Wen Shuling’s sake and provided a sanctuary. Wen Fengyue believed in repaying kindness and didn’t want to owe anyone anything.

Since leaving, she had lived in this old complex. No one knew she was here. In this 120 square meter “home,” the largest room housed a server station, the second largest was her bedroom… Wen Fengyue’s expression shifted slightly, and she abruptly skipped over the topic of her home.

Since she had said most of what she could say, she turned to Jiao Qingyin: “When exactly did you wake up?”

Jiao Qingyin, sitting cross-legged on the sink counter, looked at her. “When you turned in a blank exam paper—I didn’t expect your school persona to be so rebellious. Even the Dean couldn’t stop you.”

Wen Fengyue: “…”

Silence. Total silence. After a long while, she argued softly, “It’s not always like that… I had something to do today.”

As for what that “something” was, since Jiao Qingyin woke up in the classroom, she must have seen everything that followed. Wait— “Jiao Jiao…”

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you talk to me the moment you woke up…?”

Now it was Jiao Qingyin’s turn to be silent. She looked up at the bathroom ceiling. This kid… no, this person is unexpectedly sharp. Jiao Qingyin spent a minute trying to think of an excuse, while Wen Fengyue organized the medicine on the counter with a dark face, clearly sulking.

I have no experience comforting people… Jiao Qingyin thought, but her mouth instinctively moved: “Don’t be angry.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Jiao Qingyin felt they were too dry and sounded dismissive. Even a person with a good temper would probably flare up at such “comfort.” She wanted to correct herself, but Wen Fengyue stopped what she was doing.

She said: “Okay.”

Jiao Qingyin was stunned. Looking over, she saw that Wen Fengyue really wasn’t angry anymore—it wasn’t a facade. Her features were relaxed, with no hint of a grudge. So easy to appease… Jiao Qingyin felt awkward instead.

She floated in a circle around the bathroom to relieve her inner conflict before asking, “What are your plans for the afternoon? Going back to school, or staying home?”

“Home—” Wen Fengyue started to say, then stopped herself abruptly.

Jiao Qingyin looked at her curiously. “Hmm?”

“…” Wen Fengyue lowered her head as if casually. When she spoke again, her voice was much softer. “…Let me take you out to play.”

She was feeling guilty and wasn’t hiding it well—at least Jiao Qingyin noticed. Jiao Qingyin didn’t expose her and agreed. Wen Fengyue breathed a sigh of relief, her voice sounding more energetic. “Where does Jiao Jiao want to go?”

Hearing “Jiao Jiao” again made Jiao Qingyin feel a bit awkward. Before, the girl was a child, and her tone was like acting spoiled, so Jiao Qingyin hadn’t corrected her. But now Wen Fengyue was seventeen. Hearing her say it now… it felt strange.

“That nickname… is a bit weird. You should call me something else.” Directly calling her “Hey” would be better than a low-voiced “Jiao Jiao.”

“…” Wen Fengyue was unwilling.

The atmosphere turned quiet. Seeing the other was unusually stubborn, Jiao Qingyin sighed helplessly. If she wanted to call her that so badly…

“…Jiao Jiao Sister (Jiao Jiao Jiejie).”

Wen Fengyue’s sudden addition made Jiao Qingyin’s hand jerk, accidentally bending the towel rack behind the girl through telekinesis.

“Wh-what?” Jiao Qingyin was inexplicably flustered. While quickly bending the rack back into shape, she desperately hoped she had misheard.

However, after saying it once, Wen Fengyue seemed to have come to a conclusion. She looked into the mirror and repeated: “Jiao Jiao Sister.” Her ears were a bit red, her pronunciation soft and light, placing a heavy emphasis on “Sister,” almost as if… she were acting spoiled.

It was more than Jiao Qingyin could handle. Jiao Qingyin had never realized before… that she actually liked hearing people call her “Sister.” Looking at Wen Fengyue’s bright blue eyes, Jiao Qingyin took advantage of the fact that she was invisible and covered her reddening face.

Jiao Qingyin had never been in a relationship, but she generally knew she liked the type with long hair, who was obedient and very dependent on her. Thus, Wen Fengyue’s style and personality didn’t hit her “aesthetic points” at all—but that face… was truly too beautiful. Jiao Qingyin had never seen anyone with eyes more beautiful than Wen Fengyue’s.

Wen Fengyue’s eyes were like two pools of green water, deep and tranquil. Right now, with her voice trailing off slightly as she called her “Sister,” her eyes shone with an undeniable brilliance—Jiao Qingyin took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

Only when she was sure her voice wouldn’t crack did she speak: “…Don’t call me Sister either.”

After being rejected again, Wen Fengyue’s face showed an expression of grievance and helplessness. …This was yet another expression that made Jiao Qingyin unable to stay firm.

“Ahem,” Jiao Qingyin cleared her slightly raspy throat, giving up. “Whatever you want.”

Wen Fengyue immediately broke into a smile. This was the first time since their reunion that Jiao Qingyin saw her with such a joyful smile; the upturned corners of her mouth and her curved eyes were filled with happiness. This made Jiao Qingyin toss aside her last bit of hesitation. It wasn’t a matter of principle anyway; since the girl liked calling her that, there was no harm in indulging her.

The smile was short-lived. Once she composed herself, Wen Fengyue suggested: “Let’s go for a walk in the nearby park, okay?”

Jiao Qingyin agreed and dived into the girl’s body before she moved. The sun was a bit strong outside; drifting out there would make her dizzy. Once the destination was decided, Wen Fengyue showed her efficiency. Within minutes, they were at the garage downstairs.

“You have a car?” Jiao Qingyin asked curiously. Given Wen Fengyue’s style, she seemed like the type to ride a modified motorcycle…

Wen Fengyue’s pace faltered. “…A bicycle.”

Seeming to feel she was losing face, a hint of pink appeared on her cheeks as she whispered to reclaim her dignity: “I’m still a minor… I can only ride a bicycle.”

Jiao Qingyin suppressed a laugh and patted the girl’s head in the void. “You haven’t grown up yet.”

Wen Fengyue protested: “By the age of my soul, I am an adult.”

“Is that so?” Jiao Qingyin couldn’t help but let out a snicker. “What does the DMV say? Can they accept that explanation?”

Wen Fengyue: “…” She went quiet, but the look in her eyes clearly showed she was unconvinced. Jiao Qingyin loved seeing her like this—annoyed but helpless. Her low laughter echoed in Wen Fengyue’s mind, making the latter’s body feel uncontrollably soft despite her frustration.

What a strange feeling… Wen Fengyue’s ears burned, unable to name the emotion fluttering in her heart.

The human and the ghost chatted randomly as they got on the bicycle. Soon, they arrived at the park Wen Fengyue mentioned.

“Because it’s on the outskirts, there aren’t many people here during the day on weekdays,” Wen Fengyue parked the bike and led Jiao Qingyin onto a small path. “Sometimes, I come here… to paint.”

“Painting?” Jiao Qingyin was surprised; she hadn’t expected Wen Fengyue to have such a hobby.

“…Yes,” Wen Fengyue wasn’t a talkative person, but with Jiao Qingyin, she used conversation to confirm the other’s existence, making her unwilling to stop for even a moment. “I’m not good at it… it’s just to empty my mind.”

Jiao Qingyin didn’t think much of it. Admiring the scenery of the peaceful era, she said casually: “Show me when we get home, okay?”

Wen Fengyue nodded seriously.

After walking for about fifteen minutes—mostly Wen Fengyue walking while Jiao Qingyin rested on her shoulder—the girl stopped in front of a lake in the center of the park. “The first time we met was by the water,” Wen Fengyue said softly, sitting on the stone steps by the lake. On the opposite side, retirees were active; the sound of their mahjong games occasionally drifted over.

When I reach that age, will Jiao Jiao still be by my side? Wen Fengyue dazed off. She looked down at her reflection in the lake, but her own appearance reminded her of something—she and Jiao Qingyin shared the same body. Would the other dislike her current look?

After some hesitation, Wen Fengyue asked the question. Jiao Qingyin hadn’t expected her to ask for her opinion. Hearing this, she looked at the lake reflection and observed closely. Wen Fengyue’s hairstyle was shorter in the front and longer in the back, a standard wolf cut. Underneath the silver-white surface, subtle streaks of blue-purple were visible, especially at the ends. Her earrings were simple—two tiny gemstones reflecting silver-blue light in the sun.

The style suited her—judging by how the high schoolers in the cafeteria stole glances at her even while fighting for food, that much was clear.

Wen Fengyue waited for a long time without receiving a comment, becoming increasingly nervous. This reminded her of the thing she was hiding from Jiao Qingyin. Her bedroom… wasn’t sorted yet. As soon as she opened the door, Jiao Qingyin would find that every square inch of floor space was covered in full-length mirrors, while the ceiling, desk, and windowsill… every flat surface was covered in mirrors of all sizes.

Wen Fengyue fell asleep every night surrounded by these mirrors, always hoping that one day her reflection would suddenly show an expression that didn’t belong to her. She hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with her behavior before, but now, Wen Fengyue only wanted to find a way to get away from Jiao Qingyin and smash all those mirrors. Because only after reuniting with her did she realize, belatedly, that this obsessive behavior was perhaps a bit… abnormal.