Silent Testimony - Chapter 79

Li Hewei was never good at lying. Faced with Tao Ling’s direct questioning, she could only avert her gaze, her words becoming hesitant and vague.

Tao Ling found her answer in those subtle micro-expressions.

So, inviting me to live together, giving me gifts, and all the care in our daily lives… were they all just tasks? Tao Ling’s lips trembled uncontrollably as she suppressed the shock and the sudden wave of grief. But what about the feelings? Was it all one-sided? Was her rejection of Chen Man just a convenient excuse?

However, the thought of Li Hewei being alone in an alien world, facing countless difficulties single-handedly with no one to confide in—to the point of developing an anxiety disorder—caused a wave of heartache to wash over Tao Ling. Her throat felt dry, and tears pooled in her eyes. “Sister Wei, thank you.”

“Since the mission is related to me, can you tell me everything from now on? Don’t carry it alone.”

“Maybe I can help. I can help you finish the mission as quickly as possible,” Tao Ling whispered, her fingertips turning white as she gripped the hem of her shirt. Her voice choked with emotion. “So you can return to your own world sooner.”

Noticing the shift in her expression, Li Hewei asked urgently, “Tao Tao, did you misunderstand something?”

As a manifestation of her somatic symptoms, Li’s left hand began to shake uncontrollably, and her breathing grew rapid. Tao Ling, worried, carefully took her hand and suggested softly, “Let’s talk about this later.”

Li Hewei shook her head. “My mind is a mess right now, but I want to clear this up once and for all.”

“There’s no rush. I can wait.” Tao Ling’s gaze fell on the medicine box on the nightstand behind her. “Did you take your medicine?”

“No, I take it before bed.”

“Take it now.” Tao Ling stood up and left the room, returning a moment later with a glass of water.

After Li Hewei swallowed the pill, her symptoms persisted. Tao Ling was about to tell her to rest when Li spoke again. “You weren’t wrong. But unlike other ‘transmigration’ stories with a system, I came here knowing nothing, except that my mission was related to you.”

“In the original book, you died in the line of duty. That’s why I’ve been so worried about you, trying every way possible to keep you by my side.”

Though she had guessed as much, hearing the truth from Li Hewei’s own lips made Tao Ling’s heart ache sharply.

“Now that we’ve evaded Yan Chen, I don’t know what else the future holds—if you’ll face another disaster because of me.” Li’s eyes were filled with a lost, helpless look. “I often dream of you drowning in a river, or lying in a pool of blood, or even…”

Li Hewei’s eyes were full of unease, and large tears fell one by one onto Tao Ling’s hand.

Tao Ling felt an immediate sense of release. Even if their feelings weren’t mutual, the other woman truly cared for her. Why obsess over “romance”? She swallowed hard, suppressing her own emotions to comfort Li. “Am I not safe and sound right now? Don’t scare yourself with things that haven’t happened.”

“I understand the logic, but I can’t stop the stray thoughts.”

“When you have those thoughts, talk to me. Seeing a living person in front of you should make you feel better, right?” Tao Ling couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the dampness from Li Hewei’s cheek. “I’m sorry. Because of me, you’ve had to deal with all this trouble for no reason.”

“Don’t say sorry. At first, I was indeed miserable, questioning the air countless times why I was chosen. But as I got to know you better, I started to feel lucky. Lucky to have met you.” Li Hewei’s voice was hoarse but sincere. “I realized my orientation back in high school. So, after transmigrating, I gradually realized I liked you.” She watched Tao Ling’s eyes widen in shock and continued without stopping. “Of course, I hesitated. I wavered. After all, I don’t know when I might leave this world.”

Li Hewei was exceptionally cautious with her feelings. Her previous two crushes had taken months of deliberation before she even admitted them to herself. But her feelings for Tao Ling had broken through her boundaries over and over again, making her increasingly “irrational.”

“Once I realized how you felt, I couldn’t stay calm. I wanted to be impulsive. I wanted to love you regardless of the cost. I’ve even reached a point where I don’t want to go back to my old world.”

“It’s just… as you know, the future isn’t up to me. Maybe one day, I’ll open my eyes and never see you again.”

Li Hewei’s hot tears fell silently, searing Tao Ling’s heart. Tao Ling leaned in, burying her head in Li’s shoulder and pulling her into a tight embrace, her arms tightening inch by inch. “Sister Wei…”

She wanted to say something, but Li Hewei interrupted. “Tao Tao, once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back. Don’t rush into a decision.” She had told Tao Ling everything without reservation so that the girl could make an informed choice.

Tao Ling whispered against her ear, “Why would I want the arrow to turn back?”

“Tao Tao?”

Tao Ling pulled back slightly to look into the eyes so close to her own. “I won’t regret it. Even if you suddenly disappear one day.”

“But…” Li Hewei’s heart was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions.

“Doesn’t that make it more romantic? To cherish the present, to treasure every minute and every second I have with you.” Tao Ling swallowed the bitterness in her heart and asked, “Are you getting the divorce certificate tomorrow?”

Li Hewei murmured, “Mhm.”

Tao Ling bit her lip. “Even though you’re only my sister-in-law in name… it still feels a little transgressive.”

“Transgressive?”

“When I first realized I was falling for you, I was afraid of social judgment and insults. I didn’t dare face it. But then I thought: two women loving each other is already something ‘they’ won’t accept, so why care about the rest?”

Hearing this, the haze clouding Li Hewei’s features seemed to lift. “I’m not your sister-in-law. The real one is in Shenzhen—I suspect she’s already hitting it off with the author.” She had noticed that every time the “original soul” mentioned her time with Officer Hu, it felt unusual, especially after she realized she was a character in someone’s book.

“The author?”

“That’s a story for another time.” Li Hewei looked at the teary-eyed Tao Ling and reminded her gently, “But you need to think this through.”

“What else is there to worry about?”

“I’m worried that if I leave one day, you…”

“Didn’t we agree to cherish the now? I’m not afraid.”

As soon as Tao Ling finished speaking, Li Hewei pulled her into an embrace, holding her with a strength that felt like she was hugging the whole world. “A month ago, when I was away on a business trip, I thought that by distancing myself, I could let go of this obsession. But for nearly thirty days and nights, whenever I had a free moment, I was waiting for a message from you. Every night was an ordeal; I wanted to see you, or just hear your voice.”

She sighed. “I told myself to let nature take its course, yet I was secretly wanting to be with you year after year.”

“Sister Wei…”

Tears soaked their clothes. Both of them were temporarily lost in the emotional toll of an uncertain future. As time ticked away, Tao Ling’s gaze lingered on Li Hewei’s trembling left hand. Thoughts of the advice she’d gathered from friends about managing anxiety flooded back.

“It’s almost 11 PM. You should rest, okay?”

“Wait a moment.”

Li Hewei let go and stood up abruptly. She went to the storage cabinet and pulled out a beautifully packaged set of books. “These are the physical books Zhongyun Publishing re-released under Le Qi’s name. I asked her to sign them—seven books in total.”

She pulled out another gift box, a soft smile finally appearing on her lips. “And a set of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones from Zhang Xiaofeng’s shop. I thought they looked quite nice.”

Tao Ling’s heart surged. “This is…”

“I thought that since this is a formal confession, I should prepare gifts.” Li Hewei bit her lip. “If it didn’t work out… I was going to give them to you on the 6th of next month.” November 6th was Tao Ling’s 25th birthday; it would have been a natural occasion.

“There is no ‘if’.” Tao Ling took them with trembling hands. “I love them very much.”

“I’m glad.” Like the sun appearing after a storm, Li Hewei’s smile widened as she saw the girl accept the gifts.

In the next second, Tao Ling took her hand and led her toward the living room. “Tao Tao?” Li called out, confused.

“Sister Wei, I didn’t have time to prepare a gift,” Tao Ling said as they walked.

“You don’t need to. Knowing your heart is enough.”

They entered the small room across the hall. Tao Ling slid open the wardrobe, pulled out an inner drawer, and took out a wooden box. It was preserved with such care that Li Hewei immediately tried to decline, guessing the contents were precious. “Tao Tao, really, you don’t have to.”

Tao Ling carefully opened the box and took out a jade bracelet inlaid with delicate filigree. She looked up with a smile. “This was my grandmother’s dowry. She left it for me to wear when I get married.” Her grandmother had three sons and only one granddaughter, so she had doted on Tao Ling.

“That’s even more reason I can’t…”

“Grandmother said I had to find someone who loves me.” Tao Ling gazed at her, her words earnest and full of feeling. “I am certain that you are my safe harbor.”