"Ughhh..."
Lin Qinran's eyes fluttered open.
Where am I...? Didn't I get hit by a car...?
She sits up and looks around.
Huh... a kid?
Suddenly, a sharp pain hits her head.
Ughh, these memories… the original body owner…
A wave of foreign memories crashes into her — sharp, fragmented, painful.
A woman. Same name, different life. A bar job. A customer who wouldn't take no for an answer. A scheme she never fully understood. And then… a child. A consequence no one planned for, but one she carried anyway.
Lin Qinran pressed her fingers to her temple. She protected him until the end. Even when everything else fell apart. She looked at Luoli.
The least I can do is the same.
Looking at the clean child, Lin Qinran thinks, "Seems like she was a responsible parent."
Breathing heavily, she looks around the messy room.
I should probably clean this mess…
She glances at Luoli and pats his head.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you… since I took your mom's place," she mumbles.
She stood in the middle of the small, cluttered room for a long moment. Somewhere in another world — a world she could never return to — people were probably grieving.
Maybe crying. Maybe searching for answers. She exhaled slowly.
I'm sorry. To whoever is missing this body. To whoever is missing mine. Then she picked up a plastic bag and started cleaning.
A few hours later…
Her stomach growls. She walks to the fridge and opens it. Some bread, eggs, and a few other things.
She grabs some food for herself, then notices Luoli looking at her.
Oh… I have a kid now.
She looks back at the food, then at Luoli. I have to feed him too… he's two.
She makes a bottle of milk, following the body's memory. Luoli walks over.
"Mom! Mom! Up!"
Understanding he wants to be held, she picks him up.
A little later, Lin Qinran holds Luoli's hand as they step outside.
The sunlight is warm, the breeze brushing past them. Luoli giggles as he runs ahead, picking up leaves and pointing at flowers.
Lin Qinran watches him, her mind spinning.
She checked the original owner's bank account on her phone. Forty-nine thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three. She stared at the number. In her old life, she'd earned triple that in a month. Here, it felt both like a lifeline and a countdown. A few months, maybe. If I'm careful. She pocketed the phone. Then I'd better not waste time.
What am I supposed to do now…? My old life is gone. This body… this kid… this mess…
She bends down, holding Luoli close. "Don't worry… I'll figure it out."
For now, all she can do is take it one step at a time.