"Madam Qi, " Hou Yingying's voice was hoarse. "Just give me more time… I promise I will find a way to— "

*PAK*

The loud smack echoed inside the living room. Lena instantly furrowed her brows, she used the wall to support herself as she took her first step towards the door, the wooden floor squeaking beneath her feet.

'Maybe this reaction had something to do with the original soul inside this body.'

Considering that Hou Yingying had raised Lena Hou alone, it was understandable how they were attached to each other. Lena let out a sigh. These two were actually very pitiful. Living in the slums of the poorest City in the Shan Country, shunned by their family, these two were already living like this for as long as Lena could remember.

"You dare lie to me? You already said the same thing a couple of days ago! Hou Yingying, I want my money as soon as possible! And you will give it to me, or you and your daughter will suffer!" the woman screeched, disgust apparent in her voice. "If only you had agreed to abort that child of yours and married my son, this would have been easier for everyone! You wouldn't be struggling now!"

"Madam Qi! Don't go overboard!" Hou Yingying snarled. "I promise I will pay you! This has nothing to do with my daughter!"

"Just sell your daughter to the brothel!" Madam Qi responded with a sneer. "I will come back tomorrow! And by then I want my money! If you can't give me anything, then just make sure your daughter is at least clean! I will take her as compensation!" the woman demanded before stomping her way out of the house.

When Lena finally managed to get out of her room, the woman was no longer there. "M— Mother?" she asked awkwardly. Frowning at the blood on the floor, Lena asked, "Are you alright?" She held her breath as she walked towards her mother. The thick smell of blood instantly assaulted her senses. She knew it wasn't just blood. Something else was there.

With her heavy limbs and throbbing ribs, Lena approached the silent Hou Yingying. "You're sick," she said.

"Why are you here? You are supposed to be in bed." Ignoring her daughter's words, Hou Yingying stood up and helped Lena up so she could sit down in the only chair inside the barren living room, if this could even be called a living room. To Hou Lena, this was nothing but a dilapidated space.

Her eyes were instantly glued on the gaping holes on the walls, it made warm air gush into the house and through the door that was hanging at a jaunty angle.

"Lena… stop thinking about this and rest. You need to recuperate," her mother coaxed. In response, Lena let out a sigh. She squinted at the bitter shards of glass on the dull wooden floor and watched as her mother scrambled to pick up the pieces. "Are you still feeling the pain in your body?" Her mother asked, her voice gentle as she continued to clean the glass. "I bought the medicine for broken bones, and they told me it will heal your bones within a few hours. Isn't that great?" She started cleaning the blood off the floor.

Lena didn't miss the gloom behind her mother's gentle voice.

"I'm feeling better," Lena answered, her gaze lingering on the only photo frame on top of  the sink. It was a picture of her mother with the infant Lena in her arms. Almost immediately, Lena could see the vivid images of this body playing with the frame in her hands.

"Oh! You must be hungry." Her mother stood and walked towards their kitchen which was only a few steps away from where Lena was sitting. "I already prepared a nutritious soup for you. Let me— "

"You are sick," Lena interrupted her. She watched Hou Yingying freeze under her gaze. "The blood on the floor… it was black. Did someone poison you?" she continued. If her memory served her right, Hou Yingying had always been like this. She was weak and gentle and soft.

However, the fact that she had been steadily losing weight was undeniable. Lena stared at the happy woman in the photo before staring at what was left of her mother. "Who did it?" she asked calmly.

"Daughter… what are you talking about?" Her mother turned towards her and let out a small chuckle. "Who would dare poison me? I am nothing but a weak woman."

Lena pursed her lips, her eyes glued on her mother's sharp cheekbones, her thin and dry skin, before drifting towards her protruding collar bones. This woman does not have much time left.

"Why are we even talking about poisons? What would we know about them?" Her mother smiled and approached her. She then put her calloused palm on Lena's forehead. "Do you have a fever? Why don't you lie down? I will prepare the soup and bring it to your room."

"How long?" Lena asked, unfazed by her mother's fake smiles and kind words. "Days?" she asked, the corner of her lips turning downward as she felt her chest tighten. The body's reaction towards Hou Yingying was too strong. Even Lena's soul could feel its pain.

"I— What- What are you talking about?"

"Mother— " the unfamiliar word came out of her mouth. She stared at the woman who did all sorts of jobs just to make sure that Lena had something to eat every night.

Eighteen years.

For eighteen years, this woman never complained. Not even once.

"How long do you have?" Lena managed to get the words out from her throat. She could feel her body tremble at her own words. "Were you planning to keep this from me until you died?"

"Child… I— How about we — How about you go to your room? I will prepare the soup for you. We can talk while we are eating?" A sad smile replaced the gentleness in Hou Yingying's face. She lifted her hand and started stroking Lena's head. "We can have dinner together," she added.

Staring straight into Hou Yingying's gray orbs that perfectly resembled hers, Lena nodded before turning her head away. She lowered her gaze and let Hou Yingying help her up and walk her towards her room— their room. It was the only room in this space.

'Hou Yingying's life will end soon,' she thought as tears pooled in her eyes. The overwhelming grief soon followed. It flowed inside her, clawing her heart with misery and sadness.