"Bang!"
"D-Did we kill him… or not?" someone asked uncertainly.
A burst of laughter followed. "Haa… hahaha!"
"Retreat! We've assassinated their captain!"
"Su Quan, wake up, baby."
----
A serene voice echoed softly in Su Quan's ears. The gentle tone rang in his mind until, slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
Confusion washed over him as his blurry vision cleared, revealing not the battlefield, but the face of a woman with soft pink hair leaning close to him. Her face looked enormous from his perspective.
"Are you feeling alright, baby?" the woman asked, tilting her head in concern.
Su Quan's eyes widened at the word baby. A grown man being called that, it didn't make any sense.
'Wait… wasn't I in my camp? Where is this place?'
"Why do you look so confused?" she murmured, extending her hand to gently touch his forehead.
"Hah… thank goodness. You're alright now. The fever is gone. I was so worried." She exhaled in relief, brushing his forehead with the back of her hand.
"Come here," she whispered, and before Su Quan could react, she easily lifted him into her arms.
"W-whoa… Eh?"
'My voice…'
He raised his hand, and his eyes nearly popped out when he saw tiny fingers and smooth skin, no trace of his old, battle-worn hands.
"Let's go, Mommy! We'll miss the plane at this rate!" a soft, childish voice called out.
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot!" the woman, apparently his mother, replied quickly.
Su Quan turned his head to look around, trying to grasp his surroundings, but his mother gently held his head and rested it against her shoulder and started walking.
'Is this… my second life?' he wondered, watching curiously as a little girl around five years old bounced happily behind them. 'And who is she?'
"The plane is ready for departure..."
A staff member's voice echoed through the airport speakers, clear and formal, directing passengers toward the boarding gate.
Su Lin paused mid-step and turned around, her eyes scanning to make sure her daughter, Su Yan, was following.
Su Yan tilted her head slightly, her twin ponytails swaying as she walked.
Her curious gaze drifted to her little brother, who was resting in their mother's arms, yet his eyes were darting around, observing everything with unusual alertness.
Noticing her stare, Su Quan quickly shut his eyes and pretended to sleep, nestling his head against Su Lin's shoulder.
'Why is she looking at me like that...?' he thought uneasily.
But before he could think further, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
'W-what's… happening…?'
His thoughts blurred, and within moments, Su Quan slipped into sleep.
-------
"Welcome to Beijing Airport."
The announcement rang out loudly, jolting Su Quan awake. He rubbed his eyes with his small fists, blinking as he squinted through the bright terminal lights.
"Mommy… did we reach China?" he mumbled sleepily, the word Mommy slipping from his lips naturally.
His body felt strangely refreshed, lighter than before.
"Yes, baby," Su Lin replied with a gentle smile. "We've arrived in China. We just need to book a taxi to our apartment now."
Su Quan nodded and tilted his head, but before he could respond, a strange sensation filled his mind, fleeting images of laughter and memories that didn't seem to belong to him.
'What… are these memories?'
"Mommy! I see Aunt Amelia!" Su Yan suddenly shouted, pointing excitedly in one direction.
Su Quan, still resting his head on Su Lin's shoulder, blinked in confusion. Aunt Amelia? That didn't sound right. She wasn't supposed to be here.
"Are you trying to fool me again, dear?" Su Lin asked with a soft chuckle, glancing at her daughter.
Su Yan pouted in response, looking at Su Lin with squinted eyes. Between her two kids, she is the playful one and most of the time says random things.
Thinking of that, Su Lin's eyes softened, a shimmer of sadness flickering within them.
She quickly blinked it away, hiding the tears before her children could notice.
Her thoughts drifted toward the child she had lost the day they were born.
---
"You finally showed up, huh?"
Su Lin blinked in surprise, her steps halting as a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Huh? You're here?" she asked, her tone filled with disbelief as she turned to see her best friend standing right there in China.
"See? See? I told you the truth!" Su Yan huffed, crossing her arms with her cheeks puffed out in mock frustration.
Su Lin couldn't help but smile. She leaned down and planted a light kiss on her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry, okay? Happy now?"
Su Yan's pout melted instantly into a bright grin, and she nodded with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Su Quan's gaze was fixed on Amelia, the so-called Aunt Amelia.
The blonde woman was grinning mischievously, twirling a strand of her hair while making silly faces at him and sticking her tongue out.
"You're not funny, Aunt," Su Quan said flatly, his expression deadpan.
"Aww, really?" Amelia pouted dramatically. "Sometimes you just need to act like a kid, you know."
She sighed as if deeply offended, giving Su Quan a look that made it seem he had somehow wronged her.
------
"So, why are you in China?" Su Lin asked, her gaze drifting to the passing buildings outside the car window.
"Well, I had some business here," Amelia replied casually, her blue eyes flickering toward the road as she drove. "I've been here three days before you arrived, so... yeah."
"You're not good at lying, Aunt," Su Yan muttered from the back seat, arms crossed as she leaned against the window beside Su Quan.
"Who said I'm lying? I really do have some work to do," Amelia said quickly, her voice a touch too defensive.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles faintly whitening.
"Yeah, yeah…" Su Lin said lightly, adjusting the collar of her black business coat, though a hint of suspicion lingered in her tone.
In the back seat, Su Quan remained silent, simply watching the exchange unfold.
His gaze shifted from one familiar face to another: his mother, his sister, and this "Aunt Amelia." They all felt familiar, yet at the same time… strangely foreign.
[Skill Acquired: Driving Skill: Level 1.][Requirement: Observation of a fundamental skill set fulfilled. Practice to level up infinitely.]