Mo Li Never Leave.

"Whoosh, whoosh," the sound of cars speeding by outside.

"Rustle, rustle," the sound of dry leaves rubbing against each other in the courtyard.

Time passes quickly.

The moment Xu Xi reunited with the witch was at the chilly onset of autumn, but two months had slipped by, quietly bringing them to the desolate end of autumn.

Before long, the harsh winter would completely replace the autumn season.

The feeling was subtle.

Time was like a flowing stream, slipping through one's fingers. Everyone could clearly sense the passage of time, yet no one truly grasped its essence.

It was only when the "water" in their palms was nearly gone that they realized how swiftly time had rushed by.

In the bedroom, Xu Xi walked over to the tall display cabinet and gazed at the sugar jar and wand inside, lost in deep thought.

Over the past two months, he had not only been cultivating but had also put in great effort to bring his younger sister into the real world.

But unfortunately, she had not responded.

Xu Xi could only infer from small details that she was still watching over him and had not truly left.

Yet, Xu Xi was truly at a loss.

Over these two months, he had called out Xu Moli's name countless times and had even communicated with Krisha to return the sugar jar to its original position.

But no matter what he did, the girl showed no sign of appearing.

Was she still angry about what happened in the past?

Was the resentment in her heart still unresolved?

"What exactly is the reason?"

Unable to communicate face-to-face or understand his sister's true thoughts, Xu Xi could only speculate about why she refused to appear.

But it was all futile.

Xu Xi was about to begin his third simulation, and the girl still showed no intention of appearing.

Xu Xi didn't even know where she was at this moment or if she was watching him.

"Whoosh~~~"

The soft sound of the wind drifted into his ears.

Xu Xi opened the cabinet door, took out the porcelain sugar jar, and placed it together with the Eternal Tear on the small wooden table in the bedroom.

These were the only two items connected to his sister after the first simulation ended.

The former was the sugar Xu Xi had given to his sister.

The latter was the tear his sister had given to him.

"Come to think of it, I haven't actually tasted the candy inside," Xu Xi said as he pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the pale green cylindrical sugar jar with a nostalgic expression.

In the cultivation world of the first simulation, he had bought candy almost exclusively for Moli.

Xu Xi thought the candy wasn't particularly delicious, but for some reason, the girl loved it dearly and would always light up with joy whenever she saw it.

"Let's try one."

Xu Xi opened the lid of the sugar jar and took out a white hard candy from the top of the pile.

The candy had a faint malt aroma and a subtle hint of glutinous rice flour.

It was hard, so he could only lick it slowly.

It was sweet, with a faint trace of sourness.

Was this kind of candy considered delicious? Xu Xi thought it was decent as a snack but far from addictive.

"Could it be that Moli only pretended to like the candy to make me happy?"

Xu Xi paused, his expression hesitant.

He suddenly recalled how, during the first simulation, the girl had always appeared so intelligent and mature, sometimes even more composed than a real adult.

Back then, Moli had never been known for her love of candy within the Forest Sword Peak.

From start to finish, she only accepted candy from Xu Xi.

But Xu Xi had never delved deeper into this.

He had simply assumed that his sister liked candy and had bought a lot of it for her.

"Looking back, I really was an inadequate older brother," Xu Xi leaned back slightly, resting his back against the wooden chair, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"The reason she accepted it every time was simply to avoid hurting my feelings."

"Have I been too... overbearing?"

"I rarely asked for her opinion, defined her life on my own, hid the fact that I created an external spiritual root for her, and even fabricated lies to deliberately distance her."

The wooden table by the window was bathed in sunlight, revealing its fine grain.

The porcelain jar filled with candy and the blood-red, warm tear both glistened under the light.

Xu Xi remained silent.

He felt as though he had finally understood the real reason why his sister refused to appear and reunite with him in the real world.

Everything he had done in the past had placed too much pressure and emotional burden on a young girl.

Especially when he left the Heavenly Sword Sect before his death.

The words he had deliberately said to Moli at that time were undoubtedly a heavy emotional blow to her, who had once idolized and relied on him.

"I'm sorry, Moli..."

"I wasn't a good enough older brother."

The candy released its sweetness in his mouth, but the echoes in his heart were filled with bitterness.

After a long silence, Xu Xi parted his lips and spoke to the empty room, even though he didn't know if his sister was watching.

It was just the apology in his heart.

It was just the regret in his heart.

That made Xu Xi speak without thinking.

"Click—" Xu Xi gently closed the lid, returning the sugar jar to its original state. But at that moment, a faint wetness touched the back of his hand.

Was it sweat?

Yanshan City was exceptionally cold in autumn; it couldn't possibly be hot enough to cause sweating.

Was it rain?

The weather outside was clear; there was no chance of rain.

So, what was it? What was this sudden wetness?

"Brother, I'm sorry..."

"...I'm sorry... It was me... It was my fault..."

A heavy sensation pressed down on his shoulder. It was the sound of a girl's sobs, the long-lost, willful dependence on her older brother.

Jade-like arms stretched out from behind, wrapping around Xu Xi's neck.

The girl cried uncontrollably.

Xu Xi was stunned for a moment, but then his expression gradually softened.

Gently holding the girl's hand, his voice carried a familiar warmth from the past: "Welcome home, Moli."

The girl cried even harder. Unlike the witch's silent tears, this was a release of emotions that had been suppressed for too long. She cried loudly, cried messily.

Xu Moli had carried endless guilt and self-blame over Xu Xi's death.

But now, she heard Xu Xi's apology.

This contrast, this disparity, shattered her emotional defenses, revealing her vulnerable side.

"..."

Outside the room.

The silver-haired witch, Krisha, held a tray with a calm expression. On the tray was the hot tea she had prepared for Xu Xi, along with some accompanying sweets.

Normally, Krisha would have entered the room directly.

But the sound of Xu Moli's crying made her pause.

Just this once.

Only this once.

The forgiving witch turned and left, choosing not to open the door. She would leave this precious time to the "kind-hearted one." She would only grant this opportunity once.

From now on, the emotionless witch would not allow such indulgence again.