Endless Silver Machine

Ling planned to return along the original path, maybe he could meet Aika who was chasing him. It turned out that this approach was correct.

"Where did you go?"

As soon as they met, Aika anxiously asked her reproachful questions.

"sorry……"

Facing Ling's apology full of guilt, Aika's anger that had surged up due to worry and exhaustion gradually subsided.

"People from the Holy See may appear at any time, and our purpose is to investigate this matter. I can probably understand your current mood, but please be patient a little longer."

"Um……"

Aika didn't know if it was because her words were too harsh, which made Ling, who had always been strong, a little frustrated.

"It's great to find you, though."

"Have you been looking for it for a long time?"

"Although this is your home, I can't leave you alone."

Ling was startled for a moment, then immediately lowered his head deeply.

"Thank you, thank you. I will lead the way next..." Her voice seemed to be filled with excitement, "I have also thought a lot, and I will never run away again this time. I am mentally prepared enough."

The person she was half an hour ago was completely different from the person she was now, and her back coincided with that of the girl just now.

Should I ask her about that girl now? If it were her now, there should be no problem with this topic.

"Ling..."

"Finally found you."

Just as Aika was about to call Ling, a voice from the front made him shut up quickly.

The middle-aged woman I met on the stone brick road seemed to have returned here after a trip home. The small basket full of fruits was no longer in her hand.

I don't know if she heard the name she just called Ling, but a cold sweat broke out on Aika's back.

Ling also stood still a little stiffly. As she promised, she won't run away this time.

"Hello, first time meeting..."

She greeted the middle-aged woman politely.

"You suddenly ran away just now, and Auntie was shocked." The woman smiled and touched Ling's head, "When we first met, where did you come here from?"

"Well..."

How should I explain this problem to the other party? Aika has considered revealing the location of her home, but the Chise family and the Heinz family may still be connected, so this statement may also cause problems.

"Pufa Town," while Aika was still struggling, Ling said a place name full of memories, "We live in Pfa Town."

"Pufa Town..." The woman didn't seem to react immediately to the place name, "I see, that town is some distance away from here, and I've been there very few times."

"She has been there very few times" means that she has at least been to Pufa Town. Aika and Ling tried their best to recall things related to Pfa Town in their minds. If the secret is revealed during the conversation, the consequences will be disastrous.

Fortunately, the women don't seem to doubt their words now.

"I'm Sophia, are you just passing through this village?"

If you want to investigate, you have to find an excuse to stay in the village. Aika and Ling looked at each other. Ling meant to give all the power of speech to Aika.

"Actually, when we came here, we were attacked by a pack of fire wolves. Although we hid safely until they left, all our luggage was lost while escaping."

Aika deliberately pretended to be depressed, which seemed quite impressive to Ling. Should we doubt the credibility of every word he says from now on? Ling suddenly thought of this question.

"Then you can stay with us for the time being, and we will try our best to help you contact your family."

Aunt Sofia suddenly decided such a big thing for the entire village.

"For example, if we can work here in exchange for a few days of food, we can probably go back along the original road..."

How is it possible to contact family members... If you just live and work at the same time, it is generally acceptable, so Aika had already thought of an excuse before coming here.

"But let the kids work..."

"Aunt Sofia...we used to help our family a lot when we were kids, so we don't need to worry so much."

Ling finally stood up and helped Aika convince the hesitant Aunt Sophia.

"If you say so..."

It seemed that she finally accepted their opinions.

Aika breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ling beside him. She still had a complicated expression on her face, as if she had something to say but had to hold it back.

"It's lunch time now. Are you all still hungry?" Aunt Sofia turned around and said, "I also have a daughter about your age. Let me entertain you to my house first."

Hearing Aunt Sophia's words, Ling's body trembled visibly. Aika noticed it, but Aunt Sofia probably didn't notice this small movement.

"Come with me."

She still has that friendly smile.

…………

At noon, residents living in this village returned home one after another. From time to time, residents would greet Aunt Sofia from a distance and ask whose children Aika and Ling who were following her were from. Aunt Sofia would smile and say "keep it secret for now."

"The people here are so welcoming..."

"Um……"

Ling's answer seemed a little absent-minded.

The two of them were at a distance behind Aunt Sofia. This distance was not far but not close. They spoke in a low voice so that Aunt Sofia would not hear them.

"...Aika, listen to me."

Ling struggled in distress for a long time. Even if he kept hiding it, he would know the truth in a few minutes, so it was better for him to tell him now.

"Aunt Sofia...she is..."

"Is it your mother?"

She didn't expect that these words would come out of Aika's mouth first, and Ling couldn't hide her surprise.

"Why do you know? I have never told you about my family!"

"Shhh..." Aika secretly glanced in the direction of Aunt Sofia, "It just feels like that. And when we first met, your reaction was so big, I think she must be a very important person to you."

"Always observing so carefully in such a useless place..."

"By the way, I'll take the liberty to ask..."

"Um?"

"Are there any girls about your age among your relatives?"

"...Why do you ask that?"

"When I was looking for you just now, I met a girl who looked very similar to you. Without her help in guiding me, I might not have found you now."

"Is that so..." Ling was silent for a while, then shook her head, "No, I am the only child in the family. There are no girls around my age in this village."

"Then what exactly is she..."

"That's probably me a year ago."

Ling said this lightly.

"Sorry, I didn't hear clearly..."

Aika really couldn't believe what she was hearing. Although this kind of speculation has already been made in my mind, it still requires a certain amount of mental preparation to believe it.

"If you met me around here, I would have been painting the sea on the edge of the cliff. That was the last time I painted."

"Yes, that's it..."

Since Lingdu made it so clear, Aika had to admit this amazing fact. In fact, what he couldn't accept was that Ling could be so calm.

Looking at Ling's expression again, Aika knew that he had understood it wrong.

"I looked strange at that time..."

She clutched her arm tightly. After tying up her ponytail, one could see at a glance that Ling's snow-white neck was stained with a layer of light red.

"I don't think there's anything strange about her, but I think she looks more like a young lady."

"There is no way I can become the eldest lady..."

"That kind of temperament is indeed innate. I felt this way when you and Senior Lilith stood together."

Why is there such a big difference between Ling a year ago and Ling now? Is it because of that incident? Aika could only think of this possibility.

"Coming……"

Ling murmured to remind Aika who was thinking about the matter.

"In front of you is our home. There is one thing I forgot to tell you..." Aunt Sophia paused deliberately and let it slip, "Actually, our home is the village chief's home."

Aika guessed this when she knew that the person in front of her was Ling's mother.

"Eh? Aren't you a little surprised?"

Aika immediately noticed his mistake, his attitude here was too natural.

"Yes, it's because I was so shocked that I couldn't speak... I really didn't expect it, haha..."

Now Aika could only fool around with a smile. Although it was a bit unnatural, it would be easier to be suspected if he said nothing.

"Yeah, that's what it is."

Aunt Sofia nodded with satisfaction, not minding the awkward silence before at all.

"I'm talking about you..."

Ling gently pushed Aika's waist with her elbow.

"What's wrong?"

"Come on your usual self, why are you so stiff?"

"I'm more nervous than you are!"

"Why are you nervous?"

"Isn't this your home? And I have to meet another you later. Of course I will be nervous!"

"Don't use the term 'other you', it sounds too awkward!"

At this time, Aunt Sophia's voice intervened in the quiet argument between the two.

"By the way, I haven't asked your names yet. If you don't mind, can you tell me first?"

Oops! Aika directly said that there was no problem with her name, but Ling had not yet prepared a pseudonym. I was so busy changing her hairstyle that I didn't notice that her name was also one of the proofs of her identity.

"I am Ryo, he is Aika, and we are childhood sweethearts."

Instead, Ling calmly placed a name on his head that had not been discussed at all.

"Ryo, what a good name." Aunt Sofia held her hands and smiled, then turned to Aika, "What's your name?"

Aika quickly followed her words and introduced herself.

"Aika and Ryo, my daughter also yearns for the relationship between childhood sweethearts. Unfortunately, our village does not have children as old as her. Please get along well with her during this time."

"I'm not yearning for..."

"Um?"

"No, nothing..."

Ling immediately swallowed back half of what he had said.

That's why she faked the relationship between the two so naturally, Aika seemed to realize something.

Ling blushed and glared at Aika fiercely.

"I think we can get along well."

Aika took it upon herself to nod along with Ling's share.

"Ah, it's that person from just now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind.

Only then did Aika realize why he felt so cordial with the girl when he met her for the first time. That's because her voice is exactly the same as Ling's. When talking to her, Aika unconsciously regarded her as Ling, which is why the communication felt so easy.

The pink-haired girl held the folded triangular-legged easel in one hand and carried a small box containing painting supplies in the other hand. She walked down the stairs that the two of them had just passed.

Holding so many things, she moved slowly, and the strange posture of walking made Aika couldn't help laughing.

"Do you need my help?"

"No need..." the girl rejected Aika's kindness, "I can't let someone I just met once come to help."

This subtle pride and stubborn character are all too familiar to Aika.

Now, Ling has added a new image in Aika's heart.

"Let me help you."

Ling suddenly walked up to the girl and took the tripod-legged easel from her hands without permission.

"You really don't need help, I can do it alone!"

"Don't be so polite. Rely on the people around you more, and the person you ask for your help will also be happy."

"Are you happy..."

"Um."

Ling looked at her past self tenderly, her eyes full of nostalgia. She knew clearly that nothing she did here would change the future, but she still taught the girl what she had learned in the past year.

No, the future has changed. Because the one who said this was the future Ling.

This statement may be a bit strange. What Ling in the past and Ling in the present lacked was just one year of time with everyone. So did Aika, Luoluo and Wei Xi change Ling? Perhaps this is a small part of the reason, but whether she can make changes ultimately depends on her.

"your name?"

"Ling..."

"My name is Liang. I may have to ask you to take care of me during this period. Please give me your advice."

"Ryo, are you sister?"

"I'm probably a year older than you. You can call me sister."

At home, Luoluo and Wei Xi both call her "Sister Ling".

Aunt Sophia said that she longed for a relationship with her childhood sweetheart, and perhaps there were more different identities in her dreams. In this village, she had no friends who could accompany her through her childhood.

In comparison, Aika has Luo Luo by her side, and Wei Xi has Liu Yin by her side, so they may be much happier than her.

But happiness or not is not a conclusion that others can make at will, so Aika will not sigh for her. He believed in Ling, she did hide too much, but only in this way, she would learn to discover her own flaws in her deliberate disguise. How beautiful is Ling at that moment when she peels off the last layer of her mask and breaks out of her shell?

Aika hopes to witness that moment with her own eyes, even if the person accompanying her at that time is not herself.

"Do you care about Ryo?"

Aunt Sofia's voice brought Aika's thoughts back to reality.

"Because we are family."

Aika didn't hesitate at all to say such words in front of Ling Zhen's family. He believed that if it was Ling, he would answer the same way.

Something doesn't seem right... Aika hesitated at this time. If she was faced with this kind of problem, she would definitely deny it first, and then she would be kicked hard as the object of embarrassment to her...

"Really? Although I only have one daughter, Ling, I have met many boys your age. What a boy is thinking can easily be revealed on his expression."

Aunt Sofia seemed to be happy and poked the tip of Aika's nose with her extended finger. Aika took a few steps back in panic, almost tripping over herself.

Suddenly feeling the dazzling gaze beside him, Ling came back here without knowing when, pouting with an unhappy expression.

…………