Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
52. Laughter and Tears

“Daaaaddddyyy!” Yin’er’s scream pierced the air before her small figure came into view.

Jin Shu turned toward the sound, just as a blur of silver, blue, and gold shot around the corner of the building. He immediately recognized the silver as Yin’er’s fur, but the flashes of blue and gold? Those were new.

Her tiny wings flapped frantically, though they looked restricted, causing her to wobble in the air.

It wasn’t until she drew closer that he finally saw the cause of her trouble—and the unexpected colors. Yin’er was dressed in a miniature robe of white and blue silks with gold accents, complete with a fitted hood snugly covering her head, with holes for her ears to poke through.

The sight struck him like lightning. It was, without a doubt, one of the cutest things he had ever seen. It was like seeing his child in their most adorable outfit, and he couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized.

Unfortunately, his admiration left him unprepared.

Bang!

Yin’er barreled into his chest with the force of a raging bull, sending him crashing to the ground.

Bam!

His back hit the floor—or so he thought. The surface beneath him was much softer than the unforgiving earth he remembered from his previous falls. A surprised yelp sounded near his ear, and it dawned on him that he hadn’t fallen alone.

The realization came too late. He, Yin’er, and Biyu all tumbled to the ground in a chaotic heap. The impact sent Yin’er bouncing off, while Jin Shu lay sprawled and dizzy.

Groaning, he tried to push himself up, only to feel his hand land on something unusually warm and squishy. He looked up and immediately burst into laughter. His hand had landed squarely on Biyu’s face, squishing one side comically into the other, making her resemble a distorted painting.

“Mmrm!” she mumbled, her words muffled by his hand.

He was laughing too hard to move it. That is, until she threw his hand off with enough force to topple him forward.

Smack!

His face slammed into the ground, leaving him groaning in pain. He was fairly certain his nose was broken.

A sharp scream pierced the air, slicing through his thoughts.

“Aah! What are you doing to Junior Sister Biyu?!”

Before Jin Shu could process the words, a sudden yank on the back of his robes sent him hurtling through the air. He twisted mid-flight, catching a glimpse of Tian Li clutching a ripped strip of his robes, her arm still outstretched.

She ripped my robes and flung me? Just how strong is she?

Bang!

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Jin Shu crashed to the ground. He skidded across the grass, coming to a stop with a jarring thud against the building Aunt Chen had kindly offered him to stay in.

He lay there in silence, staring at the sky as he tried to piece together how his life had come to this.

Not so long ago, he’d been on Earth, battling alien monsters in a desperate fight for survival. Then he’d died. Somehow, that had led to a second chance as a young master in a renowned family, living a life of luxury without a care in the world.

And now? Now, he was on a quest to find his missing mother, only to discover she wasn’t missing at all—she was off adventuring, searching for a hidden realm built by phoenixes. A noble mission, he was sure. But one that had somehow culminated in him being tossed around like a sack of potatoes.

The sheer absurdity of it all finally hit him. A chuckle escaped his lips, followed by another, until he was full-on laughing, unable to stop.

Life truly had a sense of humor.

No matter how hard he tried, Jin Shu couldn’t stop laughing. It was the hardest he’d laughed in either of his lives. At some point, he wasn’t even sure what he was laughing about anymore.

“I think you knocked him insane,” Biyu muttered, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“Ahem! Well, he shouldn’t have attacked you,” another voice responded haughtily. Jin Shu recognized it as Tian Li’s. At least, he thought it was—it was only the second time he’d heard her speak all week.

“Daddy is insane? What’s that?” Yin’er’s small, curious voice piped up.

“It means he lost his mind,” Biyu explained, sounding both amused and exasperated.

“Daddy lost his mind? Should we help him find it?” Yin’er asked, her tone filled with innocent concern.

“I don’t think we can,” Biyu replied solemnly. “It seems to have gone far, far away, never to return.”

Honestly, Jin Shu was starting to believe the same. Is any of this even real?

His laughter grew uncontrollable, almost manic, as he released more air than he could take in. He began to choke, struggling for breath, yet he still couldn’t stop. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, spilling over as he reached up to wipe them away.

And then, as suddenly as it had started, the laughter stopped.

In its place, silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

The three onlookers finally stepped forward, gathering around him.

“Jin Shu, are you okay?” Biyu asked, worry etched across her face.

“Daddy, are you hurt?” Yin’er added, her small paws fidgeting nervously.

Tian Li said nothing, but she stood nearby, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. He noticed a flicker of concern in her eyes. “D-did I hurt you badly?” she stammered.

Jin Shu sniffed, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m fine,” he said, though his words trembled. “It’s just… I’m so happy to be alive. And I’m so glad my mom is okay. When she disappeared, I was terrified something had happened to her.”

He paused, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to hold back another sob. “But she was just out there, doing whatever she wanted… like always. I should have known. I should have known nothing could ever happen to her.”

Tears began to spill from Biyu’s eyes as well. “Of course she’s okay!” she said, hurriedly wiping at her cheeks. “She’s your mother—and my master—after all. What could possibly happen to her? She’s basically invincible!”

She tried to laugh, but it came out as a choked sob instead. Jin Shu hadn’t noticed before, but she must have been just as worried as he had been, holding it in this whole time.

Tian Li hesitated, glancing between the two of them. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” she said carefully. “But I do know this: Martial Aunt Mei’er, while not quite as strong as my master, is still absurdly powerful.”

Yin’er nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Big Sister Mei’er is the strongest!”

Jin Shu couldn’t help but smile. He grabbed Yin’er and pulled her into a hug, holding her close to his chest. “My mom’s the strongest, and my little Yin’er is the cutest!” he declared, laughing as he rubbed her head affectionately.

As he held her, he couldn’t help but notice the fine robe she was wearing again. It was clearly custom-made and of incredibly high quality.

He glanced up at Tian Li. “Did you make this for Yin’er?”

She flinched slightly at his voice. “I-I did… S-so what?!” she stammered, trying to sound defiant but failing miserably.

Jin Shu’s smile widened. “I love it. It’s super adorable.”

Tian Li froze, staring at him with wide, startled eyes.

Realizing he was still lying on the ground, Jin Shu stood up. Tian Li quickly stepped back, her gaze darting away nervously, but to his surprise, she didn’t flee like she usually did.

“You really think so?” she asked cautiously, her voice quieter now.

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Oh!” Tian Li suddenly stepped closer, pointing excitedly to Yin’er’s robe. “Isn’t it the cutest?! Look, I added this cross-stitch pattern here, and these little accessories to match her natural colors! The blue works so well with her fur, but if I’d had more time, I’d have made her something in pink—or maybe purple—to accent her golden eyes!”

She launched into an impassioned explanation of her design choices, her enthusiasm spilling over as she detailed everything she’d done and what she still wanted to create.

Jin Shu was momentarily taken aback by her sudden fervor. It was the most animated he’d ever seen her. Watching her now, he realized how passionate she was about fashion, and for a brief moment, it stirred a long-buried memory. One he’d rather keep forgotten.

“Do you know much about fashion?” she asked, stepping even closer. Now just inches away, Jin Shu couldn’t help but notice for the first time how tall she was—nearly the same height as him.

His gaze flickered downward instinctively but shot back up just as fast. Her open-style clothing left little to the imagination, and half of his imagination was dominated by a sixteen-year-old.

Flustered, he blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Uh… my girlfriend was a fashion designer!”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

“Girlfriend? What girlfriend?” Biyu interjected sharply, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Uh, no, I meant… a girl I knew was a fashion designer,” he stammered, waving his hands awkwardly in an attempt to smooth things over.

Biyu’s glare didn’t ease, and Tian Li tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.

“What kind of clothing did she design?” Tian Li asked, her tone curious but cautious.

“Um… it’s probably something you’ve never heard of or seen before,” Jin Shu admitted. After all, his girlfriend had been a designer from Earth, and her creations were miles apart from anything that matched this world’s fashion sense.

Well... His eyes flicked over Tian Li’s outfit before he caught himself. She stepped back warily, her gaze sharpening. He cleared his throat, forcing his thoughts to stay on track. Actually, she might like Earth’s fashion, he realized, slightly amused.

“I could show you some designs if you’re interested,” he offered, trying to smooth over the moment.

Her wariness vanished, replaced with bright-eyed excitement. “Really?! You’d show me?”

“Sure…” He glanced down at his robes, which were still dirt-streaked and grass-stained from his earlier tumble. “But, uh, let me change first.”

“Okay!” she said, nodding enthusiastically.

He turned toward the building behind him, intent on heading inside, but paused when he noticed the three of them following right on his heels.

“Uh… I’m going to change,” he said pointedly.

“Go ahead,” Tian Li replied breezily, waving him off. “We’ll wait in the drawing room.”

He blinked, caught off guard by her sudden nonchalance. One moment, she’d been too skittish to stand within ten feet of him. Now she was practically glued to his side, chatting as if they were lifelong friends.

Shaking his head, he entered the building. What just happened?

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