"Didn't you come back? What do you mean you can't go back?"
His mother's puzzled voice drifted over.
Bai Luan knew this was hard to understand, and the best way was to just leave.
But what would his mother think after knowing the truth about this world?
Knowing that he was just a character created based on his memories from a game, she would probably feel very bad, right?
Just as Bai Luan was pondering what to do, his mother smiled and said:
"You can't fool your mom. I can tell. Tell Mom the truth."
"…"
If I tell you the truth, Mom, you might not believe it.
Bai Luan gave a self-deprecating smile.
But then, Bai Luan still decided to tell the truth.
As his mother said, he couldn't fool her.
Bai Luan slowly recounted everything: the true reality and the truth about this world.
It didn't take too long to finish telling all this.
His mother listened quietly, then looked at Bai Luan, her eyes shimmering with self-reproach:
"So, we abandoned you so early?"
Hearing this, Bai Luan shook his head and said:
"That's not your fault."
"…"
His mother was silent for a long time. Bai Luan thought she was still blaming herself, so he opened his mouth to comfort her:
"It's okay, Mom. It's all in the past. I'm doing very well now."
His mother lifted her head and looked at Bai Luan.
"Maybe Mom is fake, but Mom truly loves you."
Bai Luan was stunned. He opened his mouth, but tears welled up before words could come out.
He knew… he knew! He always had a group of family members who loved him! His mother took a step forward and gently pulled him into her embrace, her palm tenderly stroking his hair, like comforting a child who had suddenly lost everything years ago but never had the chance to cry properly.
"It's okay to cry it out."
She whispered.
"It's okay to cry it out…"
Bai Luan hadn't cried so openly in a long time.
After all, once his family had all left, he knew crying was useless.
After an unknown amount of time, Bai Luan finally calmed his emotions.
Regarding this world, Bai Luan also gained clarity during this heartfelt cry.
Leaving immediately? That's not the best way at all.
It's just escaping!
What if it's fake?
This world will become a beautiful memory that he can revisit from time to time.
And they… they live in that memory.
Whenever I think of them again, they come alive for me once more.
After understanding this, Bai Luan felt much lighter inside. He showed a smile and was no longer in a hurry to leave.
Even if all this was just a dream, he would still say a proper goodbye to his family before leaving.
Just as Mom said, even if you are just data, I still love you.
After seeing Bai Luan's smile, his mother relaxed. She knew that Bai Luan was fine now.
"You just said you're doing well now. Tell Mom how well?"
"Okay, Mom, you don't know, after I went to the Honkai: Star Rail World…"
Bai Luan told his mother a lot, covering everything he had done since going to the Honkai: Star Rail World.
His mother listened with a smile, then looked at Bai Luan and asked:
"Do you have a girlfriend you like?"
Bai Luan was in the middle of an eloquent speech when his mother's question choked him up.
He coughed a few times, then awkwardly scratched his head and said:
"Yes, Mom."
"That's truly not easy, to actually make you open up."
"Oh, Mom, as a human, I must have one or two flaws, right?"
His mother didn't say much in response to Bai Luan's retort, but instead smiled and asked:
"Do you have a photo?"
"Uh… a photo…"
This request from his mother put Bai Luan in a difficult spot. He did have photos of Herta, but his dream self didn't.
In his phone now, there was only the Honkai: Star Rail game.
He couldn't just open his phone, point to Herta in the game, and tell his mother that this was the person he liked, could he?
His mother couldn't even fully comprehend the concept of transmigration, let alone such a complex situation.
His mother would definitely think he was still like before, liking pretty little characters in a game.
Bai Luan knew his mother would show an attitude of not quite understanding, but still being supportive.
But his mother's understanding was truly wrong.
Feeling that it would be very troublesome to explain clearly, Bai Luan didn't know how to begin explaining for a moment.
His mother saw Bai Luan's predicament, so she stopped asking about photos and instead asked:
"Do you truly like her?"
Facing his mother's inquiry, Bai Luan nodded seriously.
"Mm."
"Treat her well."
"Mm."
"In the future, if you have children, you can't let her raise them alone."
"Mm."
His mother began to ramble, imparting the wisdom of their generation to Bai Luan.
Perhaps these things were outdated in this era, but what did that matter?
Just listen quietly to what Mom says, keep it in your heart, regardless of whether it's useful or not.
"It's a pity I can't let Mom meet her."
『It is not impossible』
Bai Luan was stunned, then a crack suddenly appeared beside him, and Herta stepped out from it.
Herta glanced at Bai Luan and asked:
"Where is this? It doesn't look like the Little Black Room. Where have you been again?"
After a brief moment of dazed, Bai Luan looked at Herta, who had walked over to him, and suddenly started to laugh.
He laughed very happily.
Thank you, System.
You truly deserve me to kowtow to you.
『Since it is a perfect dream, why leave regrets?』
Yes, why leave regrets?
Bai Luan introduced Herta to his mother, who was still stunned by the sudden appearance of a person:
"Mom, this is the person I love."
Herta roughly understood the situation from Bai Luan's single sentence.
She was quite satisfied with how Bai Luan introduced her, so she decided to play along.
"Nice to meet you, Auntie. My name is Herta, Bai Luan's partner…"
Herta paused slightly, glanced at Bai Luan, then smiled and continued:
"And companion."
Herta easily won over his mother with just one sentence.
Bai Luan watched them quickly start chatting, and soon it reached the part where his mother revealed his embarrassing past.
He knew his mother would talk about these things.
But Bai Luan didn't expect Herta to actively inquire about them either.
Well, this was an unavoidable part of meeting the parents.
Since he had made up his mind to say a proper goodbye to his family before leaving, Bai Luan took Herta back to the house.
The whole family was pleasantly surprised by Herta's arrival, and as a member of the Genius Society, Herta found it incredibly easy to charm his family.
In just one evening, his family was almost completely won over by Herta.
His father even laughed and patted him a few times, praising Bai Luan for his capability in finding a girlfriend whose looks rivaled his mother's when she was young, although he was immediately scolded by his mother for saying so.
The next morning, Bai Luan and Herta bid farewell to his family.
Except for his mother, they all thought Bai Luan was just returning to the city.
Bai Luan took one last deep look at his family.
This time, it's truly goodbye.
I will never, ever forget you.
Even though there were no regrets left, his eyes still uncontrollably welled up with warm moisture.
At least… cry after turning around, he thought.
Suddenly, his hand was gently held by a warm and firm grip.
It was Herta.
She naturally took his hand, her face showing no extra expression, just a faint smile at him.
"Let's go."
"Mm, let's go."
Holding hands, the two walked out of the old house that held his brief, beautiful dream, step by step.
His mother stood at the doorway, gazing at Bai Luan and Herta's receding figures side by side, her eyes filled with the relief and peace of seeing her child truly happy.
This child no longer needed her to worry.
She said nothing more, only a serene curve quietly appeared on her lips.
In reality, Bai Luan got up from the game pod, but he didn't leave immediately.
He was still savoring the dream he had just had.
It was… truly beautiful.
"Is there a timeline where there really is a me who can live so happily?"
『Yes, there is』
"Is that so…"
Bai Luan gently exhaled, a slow smile gracing his lips.
"That's wonderful."
Bai Luan got up from inside the game pod, taking one last look at it.
"But, the me now won't lose to him either."