Chapter 166 - 3.62

Xu Jiaqi knew that it was time for her to give up.

'It's time for us to leave. Thankfully, the original didn't list her mother as part of the mission. If not, we would be doomed. It's easier to search for this shadowy father figure, for God's sake.'

[Aww..]

"..Is that so. Well, if I come across your daughter one day, I'll make sure to tell her your words. Thank you for providing me with the information, I'll compensate you generously," Xu Jiaqi brought out a golden token with her personal mark imprinted on it.

This meant that Xu Jiaqi wasn't planning on entirely breaking the mother and daughter relationship they were supposed to have.

[Host! What are you doing? Why are you giving her the token?!] The System protested.

'It's just a simple test. I want to see.. How far she can handle things to. She's a smart person, despite all the wrongdoings she committed.'

She saw Xu Yan eyes flutter, her eyelashes tremble, and her emotions fluctuating.

'That's it.'

Xu Jiaqi wanted to draw out some sort of reaction from the woman. It felt too heart-wrenching to end the drama without a resolution like this.

If Xu Jiaqi didn't mend just the slightest bit of threads in the relationship's webs, then until the two of them die, they wouldn't have any sort of closure.

For someone like Xu Yan, there was no point on getting revenge on her.

She was someone who hated herself more than anybody, but covered herself in lies in order to keep her sanity just slightly above the necessary level to continue living.

This kind of person was someone who would accept the revenge schemes thrown at them with open arms. Xu Jiaqi would just waste her strength trying to vindicate her. She would even help Xu Yan's case in harming herself.

Xu Yan, on the other hand, fully knew that her and Xu Jiaqi would never have a proper and normal mother - daughter relationship. It did hurt her, especially when knowing that Xu Jiaqi was a product of her and Han Zhongli's young love.

'Show me more. Let out all of your grievance.'

Xu Jiaqi wanted to see the woman break down. Only then will she be able to leave with a satisfied heart. Only then will the past soul be compensated. Seeing this cruel mother break down. How much could she push her to make her succumb?

She didn't need to hear words of apologies and such. Just the slightest wave of emotions would be perfect.

The facade that Xu Yan put up for years. The greatest revenge, so to say, would be to break that apart. Not putting her through intense torture or anything like that, but just touches that would make her weaken emotionally.

Emotions were sometimes a much larger and effective threat than actual physical weapons.

"I don't need this. Do you think I look like a beggar, to the point where I need to accept tokens like this? Take it away, it's displeasing." Xu Yan's face wrinkled as she turned her head away, throwing the token towards Xu Jiaqi, who caught it with her fast reflexes.

"Are you sure that you don't want it? By holding this, you will be able to earn ten times the authority you've held in your life." Xu Jiaqi chuckled as she played around with the token.

[Host, what can you say about this development?] System was a bit confused as to what Xu Jiaqi wanted to test, and couldn't tell the point of doing this.

'System, do you know why the original body didn't mention her mother in the slightest?'

[Hmm? Is it not because she lost hope in her and doesn't want to recognize Xu Yan as her birth mother anymore?] The System thought.

'But when I met her, my body instantly shook. Tell me, if this was the feelings of a child who didn't hold any sort of sentiment towards her mother, would it be this way? I trembled just by meeting her gaze. In fact, right now, this body is on the verge of collapsing to the ground. The lasting effects of the previous soul was that strong.'

[R-really, Host?!] The System didn't pay close attention, and the Host seemed to hide it extremely well. [If that's the case, then..!]

'Yes. The original soul probably wished to reconnect with her mother. As I'm speaking, tears are fighting to fall out of my eyes.'

[Dear me..] The System finally gasped in understanding.

"..No, I don't want it. It's not something I can use. It's best to put it in your hands."

"..Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am completely sure."

Xu Jiaqi sighed. It was impossible after all. She felt a bit apologetic to the original soul for not being able to bring justice to the case, for not wrapping things up perfectly.

She prepared to leave, but before she could move a step further from her position, Xu Yan spoke up.

"Lady, Since you asked me a few questions.. Won't you answer a question of mine in return?" Xu Yan raised her voice. For the first time, Xu Jiaqi could feel some moments of hesitance inside her voice, but it was fleeting and temporary.

"Go ahead. I have some time to spare." Xu Jiaqi was intrigued.

Was there hope?

"..Do you think I owe an apology to my daughter, if she was still alive?"

For being an irresponsible person, for lying to my lover, and not being a good mother to the child I brought to the world? Those words were on the tip of her tongue, but Xu Yan couldn't say it out loud.

Xu Jiaqi stilled in her place. Her heart was shaking so badly that she almost couldn't restrain it anymore. The original soul was very powerful, to be able to affect her this much.

"Even if you apologized, if you didn't believe that you were wrong, it doesn't matter. In an apology, the sincerity and the meaning behind your words are the key. You're nowhere near sincere, since you can't even begin to accept your own daughter's existence.. You can't even face the most basic thing. Why apologize?"