Re-birth: The Beginning after the End-Chapter 252: YOU’RE HERE

"Then think of me cheering you on," Mo Xing whispered, taking her fingers in his and pressing gentle kisses to her palm. "And hoping your beauty pills become renowned across all realms. I'll support your every decision."

Li Hua's cheeks warmed with color. She averted her gaze from his intense golden eyes, focused on the different colored flowers in the garden.

His hand moved to cradle the back of her neck, his touch both possessive and tender. "Tell me what you need, my love. If you desire the moon and stars, I will find a way to place them in your hands."

Li Hua's vision blurred as unexpected tears formed. She met his gaze, recognizing the absolute truth behind his words—the Underworld Emperor would reshape reality itself for her if she asked.

"Okay," she whispered, the simple word carrying the weight of unspoken emotions between them.

"I'm sorry, not interested." A voice—cold, emotionless, yet disturbingly familiar—yanked Li Hua from her memories and back to the present.

She blinked, disoriented. The golden-leaved trees had vanished. Instead of the Forgotten Gardens, she found herself standing near the cultivation caves, nowhere close to the female residence where she'd intended to go.

What the hell? Her mind reeled as she tried to understand how her reminiscing had led her so far off course.

"Please... could you please tell me why?" A young man's voice quavered with emotion, drawing her attention to the scene unfolding nearby.

Two disciples stood facing each other—a heartbreak in progress. The male disciple's face betrayed raw vulnerability, while the female kept her back to Li Hua, her posture rigid with finality.

Li Hua felt a flush of embarrassment at witnessing such a private moment. She should leave immediately, yet something rooted her to the spot.

"Not interested," the woman repeated, her tone flat and devoid of compassion.

Li Hua's instincts flared with recognition. That voice—why did it sound so eerily like someone she knows? And this scene... the positioning, the words, the emotional weight hanging in the air... it felt like watching a moment she had somehow lived before.

A chill traced Li Hua's spine as déjà vu settled over her like a shroud.

Before Li Hua could retreat into the shadows, the female disciple turned, her gaze fixed on the ground. In that moment, Li Hua's heart hammered against her ribs as a vivid memory crystallized in her mind.

"What can I do to make you like me?" A tall, handsome man in gym shorts had asked, his voice carrying the same desperate hope as the male disciple's.

The woman—Anna—had acted as if she hadn't heard him, her dismissal ice-cold as she spat out, "Not interested." She'd turned and walked away without a backward glance.

Li Hua's hand flew to her mouth as she remembered stumbling upon this exact scene after an exhausting meeting with their board of investors. The parallel was uncanny—Anna rejecting yet another handsome suitor who'd made the mistake of approaching her.

Back then, when Anna's gaze had met hers, Li Hua couldn't resist saying, "Aw, another heart joins your collection. Do you keep them in alphabetical order or by size?" The quip had slipped out before she could stop herself, earning a rare laugh from her usually stone-faced right hand.

Now, in this mirrored moment across worlds and lifetimes, Li Hua found herself speaking the identical words as their gazes locked.

The female disciple stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowing with recognition. And just like in Li Hua's memory, her response was eerily familiar.

"Can't help I'm so charming. Admit it, that's why you keep me by your side." The words hung in the air between them, a bridge spanning universes.

Something inside Li Hua shattered—a dam of loneliness she hadn't realized she'd been carrying since her awakening in this world. Tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks in silvery trails. Her legs, which had carried her through countless battles across lifetimes, suddenly failed her.

"Anna," she whispered, the name a prayer, a confirmation, a homecoming.

Before she could collapse, the female disciple was there, strong arms catching her with the same instinctive precision that had saved Li Hua countless times in boardrooms and battlefields alike. Their eyes met—Anna's gaze, unmistakable the familiar face similar to her past life.

"Hey boss." Two simple words, spoken with that characteristic blend of irreverence and devotion that only Anna could manage.

Li Hua pulled her into an embrace so fierce it might have crushed ordinary people. She buried her face against her friend's shoulder, inhaling the scent that was somehow familiar despite everything—the ocean and steel, just as before. "You're here," she whispered against the silk of Anna's robes. "You're really here."

Anna's arms tightened around her, her own composure finally breaking. Silent tears dampened Li Hua's shoulder as Anna's body trembled with emotions rarely displayed in either lifetime. "Took you long enough to find me," she murmured, her voice thick with feeling. "I've been so alone." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

They clung to each other, two souls reunited across impossible odds—their bond transcending every boundary of existence.

"I thought I was alone too," Li Hua confessed, pulling back just enough to study Anna's familiar and perfect features. "But how?"

Anna shook her head, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around this too." She sniffed and then continued, "But with you here, I feel like everything will be...ok."

Li Hua laughed through her tears as she pulled Anna into another embrace. "Everything is better than okay now."

A deep chuckle rumbled through Anna, the familiar sound vibrating against Li Hua's chest. "I trust you," she said with quiet intensity. "Always have and always will."

When Li Hua finally pulled back, she couldn't contain the excitement bubbling inside her. Her eyes sparkled with an almost childlike wonder. "Tell me everything."

"Not a problem, boss," Anna replied with that characteristic half-smile.

Li Hua glanced around, suddenly aware of curious eyes watching their emotional reunion. She gave Anna's sleeve a gentle tug, her fingers brushing against a concealed blade—some habits transcended worlds. "We'll need some privacy. My quarters are better guarded against eavesdroppers."

Without releasing Anna's hand—as if afraid her friend might disappear if they broke contact—Li Hua led the way toward the female disciples' residence, her steps lighter than they had been since her awakening in this world.

Once they entered Li Hua's quarters, she activated multiple formation arrays with practiced gestures. The intricate formations glowed briefly before fading into invisibility, creating a sanctuary where words could flow freely.

Li Hua settled onto her bed, patting the space beside her. Anna joined her with familiar ease, their shoulders touching as they had countless times before—during late-night strategy sessions.

"You're different," Anna observed, her perceptive gaze cataloging the subtle changes in Li Hua's demeanor, posture, and emotions.

Li Hua smiled, the expression weightless in a way it hadn't been in any of her previous lives. "Yes. A lot has changed."

"For the better, right?" Anna's question carried layers of meaning—concern for her wellbeing, readiness to eliminate threats, devotion that transcended lifetimes.

"Yes," Li Hua affirmed, knowing Anna would detect any hesitation.

"Good." Anna's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. "I'm glad I don't have to get my hands dirty." The statement—delivered with casual indifference—wasn't hyperbole. In both their shared lifetimes, Anna had demonstrated unflinching willingness to eliminate anything that threatened Li Hua.

Li Hua laughed softly, but she recognized the deadly seriousness beneath Anna's words. "How long have you been in this world?"

Anna reached for Li Hua's embroidered pillow and placed it in her lap, fingers tracing the golden floral patterns with unconscious precision. "It's been three years now. I woke up in this body and have been in the Sect since." She shook her head, a rare rueful smile appearing. "The first six months were rough, but I'm thankful for the body's memories and Su Ning's love for historical dramas."

Li Hua laughed, recalling their shared viewing experience from their past. "You've only seen one historical drama."

"One too many," Anna retorted with mock severity, her eyes sparkling with genuine humor.

Their synchronized laughter filled her room—two souls who had traversed impossible distances to find each other again, sharing a moment of perfect understanding across the boundaries of worlds and lifetimes.

"How about you?" Anna asked, bringing the conversation back to Li Hua's experience.

"I've been here for a while," Li Hua replied, tracing a pattern on the silk coverlet. "I entered this body when she was four. Now I'm nineteen."

Anna's composed façade cracked, genuine shock widening her eyes. "How is that possible? You've practically lived an entire life here, but it's been only six months since you died in our world."

"Six months?" Li Hua echoed, the temporal disparity sending her thoughts spinning.

Anna nodded, her expression growing somber. "Since we need to discuss this anyway, I should tell you what happened after your assassination."