Table of Contents | Yuri Mega Carrd
A Lifetime of Pure Joy
By: 明小十
author page | untranslated
translator ch 1-23 | translator ch 24-100
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93 End
EXTRA Chapter 94
EXTRA Chapter 95
EXTRA Chapter 96
EXTRA Chapter 97
EXTRA Chapter 98
EXTRA Chapter 99
EXTRA Chapter 100
Chapter 1
Table of Contents | Next Chapter
At 2:30 in the morning, the street was empty, the sky was full of snow, and Wan Lai was silent.Qi Yi finally finished the last bit of work at hand. Stretching her waist comfortably, she turned off the computer, plugged in the charging cable for her phone, turned off the light and went into the warm quilt. When she was in a daze, about to sleep, there was a sudden knocking sound.Bang, bang, bang.Qi Yi immediately became sober, the knocking sounded urgent. She quickly crawled out of the comfortable bed and went to the door to check the situation.As soon as the door opened, she saw a woman covered in snow standing there with red eyes. Most of the snow had already turned into water and her long curly hair, which had been carefully curled with a delicate curve, was miserably attached to the side of her pale face. In the snow-drenched coat, with a pair of large sunglasses in one hand and a wet shirt clinging to her body, was an upset beauty.”Zhu Zhu, why are you soaking like this?” Qi Yi became anxious, worried that her friend’s appearance would be photographed by some squatting paparazzi. Qi Yi pulled Zhu Qing Huan into the room, “Come in quickly.”Zhu Qing Huan pursed her lips tightly and followed Qi Yi into the room.”What’s the matter? Why did you come to me in the middle of the night?” Qi Yi helped Zhu Qing Huan take the sunglasses and wet coat in her hand, “Have you… been crying?”Zhu Qing Huan has a very gentle temper and most people who see her soft and gentle eyes would not be willing to bully her. If she was really bullied, she would only smile and never care about the bullying. Qi Yi attended college with her for four years. In the four years, she had never seen Zhu Qing Huan cry because of anyone. Later after college, Zhu Qing Huan entered the entertainment circle and smoothly became a top-notch flower. During the period, there were many private messages from strangers. They all said very dirty words ands cursed at her, but Zhu Qing Huan would only silently read them one by one with her eyes down. She was never once angry, she would even add an extra “Thank you for paying attention to me” as a reply. Such a strong person, Qi Yi rarely ever sees her cry.”Xiao Yi,” Zhu Qing Huan’s lips trembled lightly, “She is back.””Who?” Qi Yi was puzzled.Zhu Qing Huan raised her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering: “Nanyang, she’s back.”Qi Yi was taken aback and understood Zhu Qing Huan’s fear.Zhu Qing Huan knew from the beginning that the name of the person that he was going to marry was Nanyang.Over 20 years ago, Zhu’s family opened a small company. When Zhu Jun married Yu Fengli, the company was developing well. Although it didn’t make much money, it was profitable. But after Yu Fengli became pregnant, the whole country encountered an unusually severe financial crisis. Small companies, like the Zhu family’s, became cannon fodder for larger companies. Although the company had a project in progress, it was not without problems. These problems would slowly escalate into a larger one, and eventually destroy the company’s entirety of production. During this time, Zhu Jun had stood on the top floor every day. He contemplated about ending his life, but the debt would not be solved with just his death.At this time, the city’s richest man, Mei Group’s Chairman Mei Zhongli, approached Zhu Jun. Chairman Mei Zhongli said, “I can save your company and your life. I have only one condition, let your daughter and my daughter get married when they grow up.”The desperate Zhu Jun didn’t dare to ask Mei Zhongli’s reason for doing so, so he agreed, engaging his unborn daughter to the Mei family in the form of an exchange of benefits. Mei Zhongli also wanted to name his unborn daughter Qing Huan.Zhu Jun glanced at the rough-edged notebook he could afford, and the names already written in the notebook. He lowered his head to Mei Zhongli. “Well, because of you, she will be named Qing Huan.”Since then, the relationship between the Mei family and the Zhu family has become closer. Mei Zhongli would frequently visit and show more care for the situation of the Zhu family’s than his own relatives. He watched Zhu Qing Huan grow from a baby to a little girl, from a girl to a teenager, and then from a teenager to a mature woman. During this period, he kept telling Zhu Qing Huan, “When you grow up, you will have to marry my daughter Nanyang. Remember, you can’t like others, you only have one choice, which is Nanyang.”But since childhood, Zhu Qing Huan has never seen Nanyang. All she knows is that Nanyang is 11 years older than herself and that she had been sent to Australia to study ever since she was a child. Mei Zhongli said that when she comes back, they would get married.She didn’t even know what Nanyang looked like.”Did your father say that? She is coming back?” Qi Yi looked at Zhu Qing Huan’s red eyes with distress.”Ah.” Qing Huan frowned lightly and continued choked voice, “I had a fight with my dad. I said that I didn’t want to marry a stranger.””Zhu Zhu…””Xiao Yi,” Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes were moist again, “I don’t want this, I don’t want my marriage… it is the plaything of the rich, do you understand?”Love and marriage should be a free existence; it is not easy for a person to live alone in this world. Being able to choose a person whom you admire for the rest of your life is the most important thing in a woman’s life. But she didn’t have a choice. Her marriage was sealed from a sentence since she was born. The name of that shackle was “Nanyang”.Who would be willing?Qi Yi sighed and said, “Go take a shower first.”Zhu Qing Huan just stood still, her eyes still lost in a daze: “I want to struggle just this once.”Qi Yi looked at her, she opened her mouth but could not find any words. Her eyes were full of pity.”From childhood to adulthood, every step of my life was arranged by Uncle Mei. I studied in the school he picked for me, befriended the people he picked, and was sent to the entertainment circle by him. Even the brokerage company helped me get signed.” Zhu Qing Huan’s pale face hung down, “But there is only the case of marriage, I want to be the master of myself.””I will send you to Mei’s tomorrow.” Qi Yi smiled relievedly, “Go find Mr. Mei, tell him everything you want to say.”Zhu Qing Huan gave a hum and looked at Qi Yi gratefully: “Thank you, Xiao Yi. I have disturbed you in the middle of the night, sorry.””What are you being polite about? How many years have we been friends?” Qi Yi smiled and touched Zhu Qing Huan’s wet head, “Go take a shower or you’ll really have a cold. How are you going to record the variety show in two days?”Zhu Qing Huan nodded obediently.They only slept for four hours. Early the next morning, Qi Yi wore two dark circles under her eyes and drove Zhu Qing Huan with her sleepy eyes. She slowly drove to the Meishi Group Science and Technology Park. As a teacher, Qi Yi has to go to school early to see the students study early, otherwise she would be late.The heavy snow was still falling. After arriving at the destination, Qi Yi took an umbrella from the car and handed it to Zhu Qing Huan before telling her to cover herself properly.Zhu Qing Huan was sobered up by the cold air when she got out of the car. She put on her sunglasses and confirmed that no one noticed her identity. She bent over and said goodbye to Qi Yi quickly before clutching her umbrella and walking towards the park entrance.The new security guard at the door hurriedly put down his half-eaten meat buns and stopped her: “Miss, who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?”Zhu Qing Huan buried the lower half of his face into the collar of her jacket and replied softly: “Looking for your Chairman Mei.””President Mei hasn’t gone to work yet and there is probably no one in the office. Why don’t you wait for a while, until his secretary comes and I will let you in after I confirm?””You…” Zhu Qing Huan wanted to say something, but then thought about it. She didn’t want the security guard to recognize her, so she pursed her lips and asked, “Where should I wait?””Over there,” the security pointed to the corner of the street, “Turn around. You can see a bus stop. There is a roof and bench seats. It does not leak and is very comfortable.””Okay,” Zhu Qing Huan nodded to the security guard politely, “Thank you.””You’re welcome .” The security guard waved his hand happily.Zhu Qing Huan slowly moved to the bus stop that was described by the security guard. She raised a hand to take off her sunglasses and wiped the mist on it with her neckline.Turning the corner, the station is close at hand.The heavy snow covered everything visible to the naked eye with white and wind swept the snow and filled the surrounding air, making everything blurry.Snow was blown under the umbrella as Zhu Qing Huan walked. She squinted her eyes and through the broken snow on her eyelashes, she vaguely saw a person sitting next to the stop sign.A vague outline.She blinked and the snow on her eyelashes melted.The person’s appearance suddenly became clear.It was a young woman, wearing a warm and elegant white down jacket with long, black hair dripping on the pure white cloth, as beautiful as silk. She was lowering her head to eat a bunch of candied haws. Her bulging mouth was chewing slowly and the yellow syrup stained her snow-white fingertips, with a greasy beauty. Those low-hanging eyebrows curled up in the cold, but it did not prevent them from looking good. This beauty of hers could leave anyone in awe, wishing if only they could capture it on some empty canvas.She had jet black hair contrasted by her white clothes, an extremely cold person.If winter could transform into a person, it would be her. Pure and clear, cool and unique, the ends of her eyebrows and hair are endlessly shaking. Just looking at her, it was as if one could feel the snow blowing from her character.She doesn’t seem to belong to this chaotic and impetuous era.The woman suddenly stopped chewing and slowly raised her head to look in Zhu Qing Huan’s direction.Zhu Qing Huan stared at those tea-like light brown eyes and her heart suddenly stopped.The woman was stunned, she lowered her head and fumbled around in the pocket of her jacket with one hand. After a while, she took out a pack of tissues and raised them to Zhu Qing Huan from a distance:”Yes.” Zhu Qing Huan was in a daze, “…Huh?””Wipe it.” The woman raised her hand further towards Zhu Qing Huan, seemingly reluctant to speak.Zhu Qing Huan blinked a few times and hurriedly returned to her senses. After touching her face, she realized that the snow in the corner of her eyes had turned into a wet mess.”Yes, it’s snow. It melted…” Zhu Qing Huan explained in a panic, afraid this woman would misunderstand that she was crying. Although it is not shameful to cry, it is not good to be misunderstood.”Yeah.” There was only one word, cold and distant.Zhu Qing Huan quickly cleaned up her emotions and went under the shed to take the tissues. She sat silently next to the woman, carefully maintaining distance between them.Is there really so much snow in her eyes?Strange.The woman began to eat the bunch of candied haws again, without saying a word. She frowning slightly, as if she was distressed about how to eat it before the icing was finished.”Return it to you, thank you.” Zhu Qing Huan handed the remaining tissues back to the woman beside her.”You keep it.””Then, thank you.””Yeah.”Zhu Qing Huan swayed back and forth like she was sitting on pins and needles. The air was silent for a while. She felt a little embarrassed, as she had nothing to say: “You… …Are you waiting for the bus here?””No.”Still simple words.”Then you… what are you waiting for?””Waiting for Mei Zhongli.”“Mei…” Zhu Qing Huan reacted, only to notice that she called Mei Zhongli directly, “Are you an employee of Mei’s? “”Staff?” The woman frowned questioningly, “…Is it.” She was silent for a moment and asked Zhu Qing Huan on her own initiative, “What about you? Waiting for the bus?”Zhu Qing Huan heard her say that in one breath. With so little words, hearing the woman take the initiative to ask her, Zhu Qing Huan smiled: “I’m the same as you, waiting for your chairman.”The woman bit down another candied haw, and softly replied: “Yes.””In fact, it’s nothing serious,” Zhu Qing Huan was originally not the type that likes to reveal her life to a stranger, but she wanted to find some topics to chat about with this woman, “You may not know me, but my name is Zhu Qing Huan. Have you heard my name before? I…I’m a star, and I’m on the hot search often these days.” The woman stopped eating candied haws, before sighing softly.”Of course I know that you are called Qing Huan.””Really?” Zhu Qing Huan was very happy when she heard the stranger say this. “Then you may just be familiar with my name. You haven’t clicked it in to see it, so just now you did not recognize my face.””…” She did not speak.Zhu Qing Huan looked down at her toes, not knowing what to say.After a while, the woman took the initiative to speak: “Why are you looking for Mei Zhongli?”Zhu Qing Huan smiled bitterly. It stands that she shouldn’t talk about this with strangers. Who knows if this person is good or bad? What if the stranger turned face and sold her information online?. But… the engagement between her and Nanyang had long been deliberately let go by Mei Zhongli and it is already well known in the circle. What’s the difference?”It’s nothing, you should have seen it from Group 8 or elsewhere. Mei’s daughter and I…” Zhu Qing Huan frowned, her eyes filled with bitterness, “I…I don’t want to…”” I don’t want to marry Mei’s daughter is it?” The woman lowered her head and bit on the rock candy, asking vaguely.Zhu Qing Huan did not speak.The woman was silent for a long time, she suddenly turned over and searched in her handbag for something. After a while, she took out a bunch of strawberry rock candies. Her eyes were on her food from beginning to end as she said, “If you really don’t want to marry, just talk to that person, they wouldn’t force you.”Zhu Qing Huan looked at her suspiciously: “Who? Uncle Mei?” The woman did not answer. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and suddenly stood up. While eating a rock candy, she softened her voice and said to Zhu Qing Huan: “I’m leaving now. It’s snowy outside so be careful.””Then you…” Zhu Qing Huan wanted to tell her to stay a bit longer since the woman didn’t have an umbrella, but the woman didn’t give her a chance to say anything.She quickly turned and left. Zhu Qing Huan stared blankly at her back, seeing the thin white figure blend with the heavy snow outside. Without any awkward feelings, the figure combined with the snow like a masterful painting.A strange thought flashed in Zhu Qing Huan’s heart:If only there was an umbrella in that woman’s hand.
Moreover, it must be an ancient plain oiled paper umbrella.
Chapter 2
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Entrance of Mei’s Group Park.”Oh, you’re back. You should’ve let me know that you would come so early. I shouldn’t have to find out so late. Had I known, I would’ve slept at the company to greet you.”Mei Zhongli couldn’t help but tidy up his suit collar. He is a spirited old man. Although his hair and beard had grayed, he still looks full of style. His left leg looked as if something was wrong with it and he walked with a limp, thus needing to lean on a sturdy wooden cane. He shifted his cane to the other side, as if he was afraid of tripping the person walking beside him. His gray beard couldn’t cover his smile, “How was your vacation in Australia these past years?”Nanyang ate the rock candy in her hand. Strawberry, hm.”It’s good to see that you’re well. Now that you’re back this time, let’s have you take a look at the company.””…”Mei Zhongli took her through the main office area and pointed to the group of people who were preparing for work, “This is the operations department. You can work here for now. As long as there isn’t too much trouble, I can help you progress upwards. Now that the company has developed smoothly, there hasn’t been an accident within a year… “Just then, they came face to face with two men. A younger-looking man with specks of white on his sideburns and a middle-aged man with extremely sharp eyes.”President Mei.””Greetings, President Mei.”Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui shook Mei Zhongli’s hand.Mei Zhongli smiled and introduced them to Nanyang: “It just so happens, Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui, these two men besides me, are the two largest shareholders of the Mei Group.””This is President Mei’s daughter?” Liu Zhen squinted his eyes at Nanyang, and looked at Mei Zhongli, “I just heard Mr. Mei’s plans for next year?””I’m too old now. I want to let her take over my position next year. ” Mei Zhongli smiled as he looked at Nanyang.”What does President Mei mean by this? Is it a trifle to manage a company?” Liu Zhen changed his expression. “Don’t blame me for speaking badly, but if you are interested in training her, shouldn’t you start from the bottom of the company? You’ve let her idle around until she’s in her thirties. Without any prior training, you can’t just suddenly pull her in to let her manage a company. That’s too irresponsible of you, Mr. Mei.”Mei Zhongli’s smile slowly disappeared, “Liu Zhen, are you disapproving my daughter?””The company is not just your hard work. Forgive me for not agreeing with your hasty decision.” The elderly Sun Guohui gave his opinion as well, “Forget it. Come on, old Liu, too many employees are watching…”Mei Zhongli raised his hand to interrupt Sun Guohui, “He deliberately picked this time to come here and shout at me, let the whole company watch this fool”Liu Zhen grinned and replied: “Mr. Mei’s words are too chilling.””Others may not know you, but do you think I don’t know you yet?” Mei Zhongli leaned forward with a cane and looked like two people with a glare different from his usual amiable appearance. Freezing the two into ice, he spoke in a low voice, “Don’t think that I don’t know what your thoughts are. If you want to eat this company by yourself, then your eyes are too big for your appetite.”Liu Zhen stared back with equal force. With his sight on Mei Zhongli’s eyes, Liu Zhen swallowed and replied: “I only have the best intentions for Mei’s.” Mei Zhongli sneered.”You may have a big part of the shares in your hand, but I also have a lot of it. I’m going to leave you here for today. As long as I am in this company, she won’t be able to have any power.” Liu Zhen calmly said this sentence before he turned and left without looking back.Nan Yang just stood by and looked at them without saying a word.Mei Zhongli glanced at the busy employees, sighed, and waved them away.”You don’t need to feel pressured. The company knows that you are my daughter. If you want to do say in the company in the future, they’ll all obey.””…”The company was very large and the two of them talked and slowly came to the company cafeteria. The employees, who had breakfast here, greeted the pair when they passed by Mei Zhongli.A handsome man in a straight suit came over and nodded at Mei Zhongli, “Mr. Mei.” He took another peek at Nan Yang, “This is…your daughter, right?”Mei Zhongli pointed at the man and said to Nanyang : “This is Xiao Wang, the company’s director of operations.”“Hello, my name is Wang Zinan.” Wang Zinan reached out to Nanyang.There was no expression on Nanyang’s face. She glanced at Wang Zinan’s hand and bit down on a rock candy strawberry without any intention of moving to shake his hand.Wang Zinan’s outstretched hand stayed held up in the air awkwardly. Seeing that Nan Yang didn’t pay attention to him at all, he retracted his hand angrily.Mei Zhongli watched Wang Zinan, smiled and said in a joke: “I can tell you in advance, don’t think that she is pretty and bother her. I have arranged a marriage for her a long time ago. If I find you harassing her, you’ll be released from Mei’s by tomorrow.”Wang Zinan let out a sigh of disappointment.”Now, hurry up and go eat. And don’t forget to give me me your report before the end of the month.””Okay, President Mei.”Wang Zinan looked at Nan Yang reluctantly for the last time and went to fetch his meal dejectedly.”I’ll take you directly to my office.””Yeah.”Mei Zhongli took Nanyang up to his office on the twelfth floor and introduced her to the current situation of the company along the way, explaining everything in the company. Seeing this situation, the employees inevitably eavesdropped and whispered something. Nanyang didn’t seem too interested, just lowering her head to eat the rock candy strawberries in her hand.Opening the office door, two people seem to have been waiting inside. Mei Zhongli smiled, letting Nanyang go in first. Before following her, he asked his secretary to not let anyone near his office.The two familiar back figures turned around, revealing themselves to actually be Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui. The pair that they had met not too long ago.Mei Zhongli locked the office door. Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui glancing at the locked door, stepped forward in two steps.Then, with their heads down, they knelt towards Nanyang in a pious and dignified manner, as if they were worshipping a god.Mei Zhongli also put down his cane, supported his limping left leg and slowly knelt down in front of Nanyang.”Liu Zhen, the 68th descendant of the ancestor Yuntang, greets the ancestor.”” Sun Guohui, 65th descendant of the ancestor Bian Zi, greets the ancestor.””Welcome back, ancestor.” Mei Zhongli said this respectfully, with his forehead close to the ground.If someone breaks in by accident at this time, they would definitely feel that something is wrong with their eyes, or if they haven’t woken up yet. In any case, three successful middle-aged and elderly entrepreneurs are kneeling towards a young woman. This scene is an extremely strange sight.Nan Yang raised her hand, motioning for them to get up. She found a corner of the sofa to sit down, and vaguely said with a candy-stained mouth:”What scene was that you were just performing earlier? I was stunned.”Mei Zhongli replied: “Your last ID card has expired. I took the liberty to give you my a new identity as my daughter to allow to return smoothly from Australia and to let you use my influence. This time the ID card is still your original name. I dare not give you my surname. I declared that you have your mother’s surname. Don’t worry.”Liu Zhen said earnestly: “You’ve never been interested in company affairs, so I publicly said that I want to take you off the chair. This way, you won’t have to do any company chores in the future.””Old Liu thinks thoughtfully,” Sun Guohui smiled gently, “We really don’t want you to waste time on these common things.””Yes.” Mei Zhongli rubbed the crutch in his hand and said with emotion, “We’re old, and we have to arrange the way forward for you. The ancestors ordered it to come down for generations after the three passed. We did our best to protect you like our ancestors and we dare not forget our task for a moment. Fortunately, it has been peaceful for the past three thousand years. Although there has unexpected been twists and turns, we we’re still able to follow our ancestors’ instructions”Every time they saw her, they couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. It’s like seeing an old classmate they haven’t seen for many years. They don’t know what other topic to start with, so the three of them tacitly decided to discuss the past.Nan Yang was silent for a moment. She turned her head and looked out the window, “…I saw her today.”Mei Zhongli immediately realized who Nan Yang was talking about and couldn’t restrain the joy in his eyes: “Did she recognize you?”Nanyang answered very softly.”No.””Why? Didn’t you say that she would remember this time?” Mei Zhongli was surprised.”I don’t know either.” Nan Yang looked at the snow on the window sill and grabbed the sofa leather with her fingertips resting on the armrest of the sofa. “Maybe… there is still a lack of confirmation.”“Why…this…” Sun Guohui wrinkled his eyebrows, lost in thought.”Don’t worry Ancestor! The three of us will look for the reasons for this. I made a marriage contract for you, and you will have many opportunities to confirm in the future.” Mei Zhongli remembered the daughter of the Zhu family. “I also prepared the little girl. In order to help with the process, I gave her the same name as your love. This child is beautiful and has a gentle personality. Ancestors will love her. “Nan Yang lowered her eyes and said, “…but just seeing her earlier, she seemed unwilling to marry me.” Mei Zhongli opened his mouth, not knowing how to reply.”She may come to you to divorce later.” Nan Yang looked at the snow outside the window again, “If she really doesn’t want this marriage contract, don’t force her. Just retreat and leave.””But Ancestor… “”Her destiny is her own. You don’t have to entangle it with mine.” Nanyang paused, her voice becoming softer and quieter, “Little Mei, I know you made this engagement for my sake. I am very grateful. But, no one guessed that she would still not remember me. Have you ever considered the possibility that she already has someone she likes? What if she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life with a woman? If we do this, what should she do? Grieve?”Mei Zhongli looked at Nan Yang’s eyes. When she said these words, her eyes were filled with heart-shaking tolerance.In the decades he knew her, only when she was talking about that person could he see a little glimmer in her indifferent eyes.”…I see.. this matter…Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.” Mei Zhongli gradually clenching his hand into a fist while holding the cane.Liu Zhen looked worriedly at Nanyang and then at Mei Zhongli, vaguely feeling that the matter would not end so easily.Author’s Theater
From the Lord of Beifang to an ancient Ancestor in the modern ages
Nanyang: I am old [looks at sky]
Chapter 3
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Nanyang didn’t stay at Mei’s for too long and left after a while. Mei Zhongli gave her the key to his villa and asked the secretary to send her home.Sure enough, when Nanyang has only just left the building with her front foot, Zhu Qing Huan entered the Meishi Garden with her back foot. Mei Zhongli asked Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui to leave first, before Zhu Qing Huan into his office and chatted with her alone.”Uncle Mei…” Zhu Qing Huan took the initiative to speak.Mei Zhongli sat down calmly and interrupted, “Girl, I know what you want to say. Your father called me and said that you left home after arguing with him last night. You ran away?”Zhu Qing Huan’s thoughts were blocked by Mei Zhongli’s preemptive strike. She pursed her lips and nodded: “Yes.”Mei Zhongli motioned to his assistant to pour Zhu Qing Huan a cup of coffee. Stroking his beard, he chuckled: “Have you seen Nanyang?””No. Is she back already? “Zhu Qing Huan frowned slightly.Mei Zhongli nodded, it seems that Ancestor didn’t reveal her identity when they met earlier. He guessed that the boring temperament of the ancestor must be the type to say one word, but never two.”She just came back today and should be on her way home now. Prepare yourself and go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register your marriage with her tomorrow afternoon.”Zhu Qing Huan was startled.Marrying… tomorrow?Why so urgent?”Uncle Mei, I…actually I…” The refusal was squeezed to her mouth with difficulty and she was about to spit out.Mei Zhongli seemed to be able to penetrate her mind and slowly said: “Girl, Nanyang is a very good person. You will be very happy if you marry her. I, Mei Zhongli, wish for the two families have a good friendship for many years. If you get married, it will only make the friendship between our two families deeper. If your father and I become in-laws, it will be much more convenient to help him in the future. Of course, it will be much more convenient to help you as well.”Zhu Qing Huan gritted her teeth and dared not say more.How could she not hear the threat hidden beneath Mei Zhongli’s gentle words?What he meant was obviously that if you marry obediently, you would help your family. If you don’t obey, I will show you a fact: It is very easy to help you, it is equally easily to crush you.When she was young, she always thought that Dad and Uncle Mei were very good friends since their relationship was so close. However, when she grew up she had discovered that only people of equal status are worthy of being friends. Dad is just a little person who is trying to take advantage of the benefits that Mei brings hi, and is eagerly trying to get along with Mei Zhongli. She is the destined scapegoat in this “friendship”.But what can she do? She doesn’t care about her career in acting, won’t mind giving up all her acting awards, and can give up Mei Zhongli’s many high-quality resources. But can she not care about the life and death of her parents?If the Mei Group wants to crush Dad’s small company, it would be as simple as trampling an ant to death.In the past few years, they have flourished under the good blessings of the Mei group and the family had become well off. Mom and Dad are used to such a generous life. If the whole Zhu family is down because of her stubbornness, how can her parents get used to their days in poverty?The courage she had accumulated for a long time was easily disintegrated by a few words from Mei Zhongli.Her destiny had been decided from birth. She was born to be kept in captivity, confined, and shackled.She can’t resist, nor can she be willful, just like how an ant’s arm can never lift a human’s foot.”Tomorrow at two o’clock in the afternoon, I will ask a chauffeur to drive you to the Civil Affairs Bureau.” Mei Zhongli’s indifferent voice seemed to be sentencing her to a crime, “Remember to wear a white shirt and put on a beautiful makeup. You are going to take a wedding picture tomorrow. This photo will be the only wedding photo in your life.”Zhu Qing Huan lowered her head and her nails dug into her palm.When Nanyang arrived at the new house, it was lunch time. She opened the security door, changed shoes at the entrance, and watched the takeaway with her mobile phone.
Suddenly, a young girl in an apron hurriedly rushed over from the kitchen. With delicate features and clear eyes, her white forehead was covered with oily sweat. When she met Nanyang, she looked surprised and started to kneel while holding the spatula: “Greetings to the esteemed Ances-“Nanyang held her by the arm, “No need to bow.”” Esteemed Ancestor, you are back. Will you have dinner? I’m going to make it right now.” The girl suddenly remembered something, “Yes, I forgot introduce myself. My name is Sun Xuxue, my grandfather is Sun Guohui. Grandpa asked me to take care of you.”Nan Yang was a little confused, her identity is a secret. Generally speaking, Mei Zhongli and the others would not easily tell their families this.Sun Xuxue saw Nan Yang frowning and immediately explained: “I am the 66th-generation heir chosen by my grandfather. Grandpa said that after he passes away, it will be my duty to protect you.”Nan Yang nodded and said, “You don’t need to be so polite. It’s good to treat me as a peer.”“No,” Sun Xuxue shook her head solemnly. “Since childhood, grandpa told me that you are more important than my relatives and lover. Rebellious. How can I be worthy of treating you as a peer?”Nanyang couldn’t help sighing.Three thousand years ago, she obtained immortality by using a forbidden technique. Her three direct disciples feared that their beloved Master would run into accidents after they died so they came up with such a bad idea: find a successor for each generation and use near brainwashing methods to make their Master the faith of these successors. The God in their hearts becomes the only meaning for them to live, and then let that descendant find the next descendant, and so on. Sometimes Nanyang is curious what sort of method Yuntang and the others have used to extend this set of brainwashing teaching for dozens of generations until today.”Are you eating now? Or will you eat after a short rest?””Let’s eat now.” Nanyang walked to the table and turned over two glasses to pour water, “Has your grandfather talked to you about me?””Of course.””…What did he say?””Grandpa said that you are a person who doesn’t talk very much, but you are actually very nice and especially kind.”Kind?Nanyang’s fingers on her cup of water shrank and the end of his eyes wrinkled bitterly.Sun Xuxue set down plater after plate of hot dishes, “He told me about your past. Grandpa said, more than three thousand years ago, you picked up a seven-year-old beggar when you happened to be out. You took her back to Beichao and accepted her as your youngest apprentice. That apprentice is Master Qing Huan. Master Qing Huan fell in love with you at the age of seventeen. You hesitated and escaped several times, but in the end you still chose to disobey the yin and yang conventions. When you fell in love, you had a very happy time together. Later, by chance, Beichao discovered that Master Qing Huan was the young master of the No. 1 demonic sect. When the young Master Qing Huan was only three years old, it was Beichao and other righteous sects who slaughtered her whole family and turned her into an orphan. You are her lover and at the same time, her family’s murderer. After knowing this, Master Qing Huan betrayed the Beichao sect and returned to the evil sect. She is from the evil sect, Beichao is righteous. The two sects would never get along. Grandpa said that in the last battle of righteous and evil, the evil naturally failed to overwhelm the righteousness’s blade. Master Qing Huan also died under your sword in the fight. Due to the regret and pain, you wanted to make it up to her. Later, you sacrificed a lot and finally learned a forbidden technique to gain longevity so that you and the soul of Master Qing Huan will have a lifelong entanglement. Grandpa said that when Master Qing Huan has reincarnated for the 99th time, she would remember you. When she remembers you, you would begin to grow old with her and finish this life together.”Nanyang didn’t speak, but her fingers were tightly holding onto the water glass.”But it took more than three thousand years for the 99th generation…” Sun Xuxue whispered to herself, “The average of each life would only be 30 years.””Because not every life is a human being. ” Nanyang recalled the past years, her eyes drooping slightly, “Sometimes a rabbit can only live for a few years. Sometimes a flower can only live for one season.”Sun Xuxue was surprised: “How do you recognize her?”Nanyang was silent for a moment, and replied: “That forbidden technique. I don’t know how to explain it to you but I can sense her.””Then… the first 98 reincarnations, have you found her in every life?””Yeah. I found them all.”Nan Yang turned her head and looked at the empty living room, her voice getting softer and softer, “Although she hasn’t remembered me, but for more than three thousand years… I have been by her side in every life. Never absent.”Sun Xuxue doesn’t know how long three thousand years feel. She only knows that the three years of high school felt like an eternity. After graduating, even the students in their junior high school graduation photos can’t even recognize themselves. What kind of obsession is it to make one person remember another for three thousand years?”Grandpa and the others must also love you very much, so that’s why they want to facilitate your marriage with Miss Zhu.”Nan Yang sighed lightly and there was a small trace of loss in her usually emotionless eyes: “But…I..I saw her today, but she still doesn’t recognize me.”Sun Xuxue seemed to be able to feel the Ancestor’s despair and her heart also pricked: “Esteemed Ancestor, don’t be sad. There must be a step that hasn’t been completed yet. My grandfather and I will go study the forbidden technique scroll even further, it won’t take too long so don’t worry.””…Actually, you don’t have to take my business seriously. If you have something you want to do more. You can do it first.””How can that be? You are the most important thing. I… I have nothing to do.”Nan Yang was silent for a long time before slowly speaking,”Xuxue, don’t you know. I won’t be looking for the next generation’s descendants again.”Sun Xuxue’s eyes widened: “Why?”“You have done a lot for me, I know that and I am very grateful.” Nanyang slowly clenched her fingers, “But I really can’t bear to see one living person after another, again and again. Miss a chance at having a better life because of me.”Sun Xuxue stared at Nan Yang blankly.She seemed to understand why so many people from generation to generation have willingly followed Nanyang. A person’s kindness is certainly valuable, but she could have chosen not to be kind. Yet after all these thousands of years, she can still retain sympathy for everyone in her heart.Why did such a kind person let her beloved die by her sword back then?Author’s Theater
Nothing for today
Chapter 4
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All was still in the snowy morning.Nan Yang woke up dazedly on the soft bed. When her mind sobering, the words Sun Xuxue said yesterday suddenly flashed by her mind-”A life with you is the best life.”When she advised the 20-year-old Mei. When Zhong Li gave up looking for the next descendant, he also answered her like this.Nan Yang was still sitting in a daze when the phone beside her pillow suddenly began to vibrate. She reacted in two seconds, rubbed her eyes, unplugged the charging cable and answered the call: “Hello?””Ancestor, did I bother your rest?” Mei Zhongli’s voice came from the receiver.”No. What’s the matter?””I want to tell you that the girl from the Zhu family did not withdraw from the marriage contract. I’ve negotiated with her yesterday. Today, you two can register for marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau. She’ll be there at 14 o’clock. Is this time convenient for you?”Nan Feng was stunned for a while.”Inconvenient? Then should I tell her to come some other time?””…..you negotiated with her and she said yes?””Yes.””Then two o’clock today is good.”What to change into, what to wear. Nanyang wanted to marry her as soon as possible. She had waited for this day for more than 3,000 years.”Okay, I’ll let Xuxue drive to pick you up at twelve o’clock.” Nan Yang hung up with a hum. After thinking about it for a while, she realized that this should be their first official meeting and it was an important day for them to be getting the certificate. She touched her messy long hair while getting out of bed and went to the bathroom for a shower.After washing, she found the suitcase that hadn’t been unpack yesterday. She took out all kinds of white shirts and unfolded them on her bed one by one. Her hair was still dripping, but she didn’t care. Her head was only filled with thoughts of what to wear. Which would be the best to get married in.The thought that Qing Huan would sit next her and see her from a closer perspective made Nanyang nervous.Except for the absence of the mole between her eyebrows, Zhu’s facial features are exactly the same as the original Qing Huan’s. A few hours later, Qing Huan will look at herself with those familiar eyes and she may even remember herself at any moment, remembering all their pasts together. Perhaps, Nanyang can still get the forgiveness that has been waiting for three thousand years. Listening to Qing Huan’s words, I don’t blame you.Nanyang thought that if she saw Qing Huan beforehand, she wouldn’t so nervous to meet Qing Huan again. But for some reason, it seemed that Nanyang was more anxious than before.Nanyang stood in front of the bed piled with clothes for two full hours. When she stood her haired had already dried naturally but she was still struggling with her wardrobe.Before long, Sun Xuxue arrived. With Nanyang’s consent, she took a key to the house, opened the door and made a beeline for the bedroom.”Ancestor, why haven’t you changed yet? Why are you staring at a bed of clothes in a daze?””I… don’t know which one to wear to see her.”Nan Yang seemed to be forced into saying saying embarrassing. Her ears turned red immediately. She was used to being cold and only when she is thinking of that person in her heart will she let her ice-cold and white skin melt.”Well, can I come in and help you choose?””Yeah.”Sun Xuxue walked in with a smile while looking at the uniformly white clothes on the bed, she said: “I heard Grandpa say that you are not a person who cares about clothes.””Yes.” Nanyang affirmed this statement.”It seems that you really value this meeting. However, you should really pay attention. After all, ancestor, you are getting married today.” Sun Xuxue picked up a gorgeously tailored white shirt and handed it to Nanyang, “Just wear this. You are the best-looking person I have ever seen in my life. Even if you wear rags, you will still look the best.”Nan Yang was used to hearing others praise her appearance, but this time she heard it and couldn’t help but curve her eyes.After twelve o’clock, she didn’t dare delay too long. After changing her clothes, she followed Sun Xuxue out to the location sent by Mei Zhongli.When Sun Xuxue drove, she couldn’t help but secretly glance at Nanyang in the passenger seat.She didn’t deliberately flatter her because she was the Ancestor. The Ancestor really was extremely good-looking and beautiful, the kind of beauty that is completely different from common beauties.Nanyang is a woman who has not been infected by modern elements. She doesn’t wear any perms, hair dyes, makeup, gold and silver jewelry between her wrists and necks, and has no piercings on her smooth earlobes. From the long black hair to the long fingers, everything exudes a kind of elegance brought from ancient times. When she looked at you with those tea-like light brown eyes, it was as if an ancient scroll of history was slowly unraveling in front of your eyes. The years have settled in her eyes, just looking at her. Those eyes seem to have touched the past, every dynasty, every person, every bronze halberd with blood, every snowflake that spans the ages of the past.How many good things did Zhu Qing Huan’s ancestors do to allow such a beautiful person to wander in this world alone for three thousand years, just to be with her.When they arrived at the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the car that picked up Zhu Qing Huan had already arrived. It was impossible for Mei Zhongli to let Nanyang wait for Zhu Qing Huan so he took Zhu Qing Huan over half an hour in advance and asked her to wait for Nanyang.After all, Zhu Qing Huan is a public figure. She stood in a secret place, wearing a mask and sunglasses, hiding behind a potted plant in a very low-key manner, without an assistant by her side.From a distance, Nanyang saw the figure standing at the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau.The charming and gentle long curly hair was scattered behind her, framing her thin shoulders and slender waist. She was also wearing a white shirt, as if wearing a wedding gown like Nanyang.Nanyang’s footsteps paused and a few greetings flashed through her mind.Zhu Qing Huan turned her head back, as if she just wanted to look around and just so happened to meet Nanyang’s gaze. She was stunned, taking off her sunglasses and mask. She looked around again, not knowing what she was confirming.Nanyang stabilized her fluttering heart and slowly stepped forward to stand in front of Zhu Qing Huan.The words that Nanyang had just prepared vanished from mind she faced Zhu Qing Huan. She found herself struggling to form any words in Zhu Qing Huan’s presence.Although Nanyang didn’t say a word, Zhu Qing Huan realized something and looked startled: “You…you were at the bus stop yesterday morning…you are…you are…””Well, I am Nanyang. “When Nanyang said her name, her eyes were slightly red.I am Nanyang.I am your master.Zhu Qing Huan first looked shocked, then the shock slowly turned into doubt. She is 24 years old this year while Nanyang is 35 years old, but the woman in front of her definitely does not seem to be in her thirties. She was too young, looking as young as Qing Huan herself.”We… shall we go in now?” Nanyang was still a little bit nervous after suppressing her tone, she even spoke in a whisper.Zhu Qing Huan was silent for a while, she then asked uncertainly: “Are you really Nanyang?”Nanyang looked at Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes and let out a shallow hum.”But you… are you really 35 years old?”She looked disbelieving.Nanyang froze for a moment, lowered her head and dug into her pants pocket, reaching out with an ID card. She stared at the ID card for a long time. Her lips were moving slightly, as if doing some simple addition and subtraction.”Hmm…” She murmured softly, “…This one is indeed thirty-five years old.””This one?” Zhu Qing Huan frowned, “How many do you have?””No, just one.”Nanyang put her ID card away and didn’t want to continue the topic, so he said: “Go in?””I…” Zhu Qing Huan felt a little embarrassed. It’s normal to be embarrassed. After all, she was about to walk into the Civil Affairs Bureau with a strange woman who she has only seen twice and take wedding photos with her.”Let’s go.”Nanyang raised her hand, as if she wanted to catch Zhu Qing Huan’s fingers, but she restrained herself and lowered it the moment she raised it Not yet, it is not the time yet. She should wait a few more days for their relationship to thicken before she can try to hold her hand.They walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau together while Sun Xuxue waited outside.They sat in front of the staff, Nanyang took out her household registration book. She didn’t record her household registration under Mei Zhongli’s name, and the household registration book only had her name. Soon there will be another name lying with her. This narrow pamphlet will always be a private space for the two of them.The two individuals filled out the “Declaration of Application for Marriage Registration” and pressed their fingerprints in the column of the declarant. Nanyang pressed it with her right hand and when she pressed it down, her fingers were shaking.Then they went to take pictures.The Civil Affairs Bureau does not help retouch the photos, but they still ened up gorgeously. As a star, Zhu Qing Huan’s facial features must be impeccable on camera. What is rare is that Nanyang next to her looks even more beautiful than Zhu Qing Huan. When the staff handed them the marriage certificate, they couldn’t help but take a few more glances.Two women, one charming and gentle, with long hair curled hair and the other cold and quaint, with ink hair like water. When they appear in the same scene, they seem to be incomparably harmonious, as if the two people should have been so close together.Nanyang looked at the marriage certificate in her hand and dazedly touched the two faces on the photo with her fingertips.Finally, she is finally her wife.She remembered the night three thousand years ago, when she knelt beside Qing Huan’s corpse and personally carved a tombstone for her. When the prefix “Beloved Wife” was carved, her hands were trembling with guilty conscience and a heart full of regret.Fortunately, time was compassionate enough to give her a chance to make up for that time.In this life, she must hold her hand well and be a good wife to the very end.Author’s Theater
The two were a bit awkward in the early stage, but later stages become so sweet that they vomit milk.
Nanyang is 20 years old in body and appearance. So to some extent, Qing Huan is 4 years older than her
Chapter 5
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Nanyang was injured just after receiving her certificate.It wasn’t a car accident or any other major catastrophe, it was purely on her own. When she walked outside the Civil Affairs Bureau with her marriage certificate, she was in a daze. She didn’t know what she was thinking about, but she slammed right into a transparent glass door as she walked.Zhu Qing Huan was also lost in thoughts at the time, so she didn’t have the time to pull her to safety. When she reacted, Nanyang was already holding her head and bending over. She hurriedly walked over and checked up on her. Zhu Qing Huan saw an exaggerated red mark on Nanyang’s forehead, which was so big that her skin seemed to be cut with a little bit of blood leaking out.”You…” Zhu Qing Huan wanted to help, but she felt that they weren’t familiar enough to do that so she had to stand to the side, “Are you okay?”Sun Xuxue heard the noise and quickly ran in. Holding Nanyang in a panic, she stumbled: “Esteemed… Boss Nan, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”Nan Yang rubbed her forehead with her index finger and narrowed her eyes with pain, “I’m okay. You see if the door needs to be payed for.” Her body covered with internal force. A head bump was just skin trauma, the door was probably worse off than Nanyang. Who knows what will happen if she couldn’t control her internal force.Sun Xuxue looked at the door and found the door nearly shattered to pieces. Eyeing the damaged door, she said urgently: “Quick, let me take you home. We can go to the private doctor. What if you’re badly injured?”She was sent back to Mei’s villa by Sun Xuxue. The trip was as fast as a plane trip with how frantically Sun Xuxue was driving.After returning to the villa, Nanyang was quickly examined. She reluctantly leaned on the pillow as three doctors in white coats walked around. Her head was promptly wrapped in at least five layers of gauze, making her able to hear her own echo wen she spoke.Mei Zhongli, Liu Zhen, and Sun Guohui sat on the couch five meters away from her. As soon as they heard that something had happened to Nanyang, the three immediately put down their work and rushed over. Sun Guohui has always been gentle and kind, but at this moment was he berating the Sun Xuxue standing beside him in a very stern voice. Sun Xuxue was forcefully resisting the tears in her eyes, and occasionally glancing at Nanyang on the bed.In fact, this injury was nothing for her. Nanyang was once the head of the Beicho Palace of the No. 1 martial arts school. The strongest grandmaster around. When flying over eaves and walls were still common, she used to walk without touching the ground. Later, when she gradually reached the modern age, she had to get rid of the habit so that she did not look like a floating ghost.If she hadn’t been distracted by the new marriage certificate in her hand, how could she hit a door straight on like that? But then again, what if she smashed into the door? The Tang Sect’s top hidden weapons back then was unable to hurt her bones. No matter what she said, Mei Zhongli and the others couldn’t hear a word. Looking at their panicking at such a small injury, Nanyang felt more like she was headshot by Gatlin.The doctors and Mei Zhongli whispered a few words, then the doctor left with the medicine box.”Ancestor, the kind of thing that happened today was due to our negligence, we really…” Mei Zhongli was full of guilt.”I’m really fine.” Nanyang interrupted him.Mei Zhongli was silent for a while, he switched topics and talked about a piece of news that made Nanyang happy: “You and Zhu Qing Huan have obtained the certificate so I told her to move into the villa. She’ll be living with you from today onwards.”Nan Yang’s eyes lit up. Although she didn’t speak, Mei Zhongli could read the satisfaction in her eyes.”She is moving right now, otherwise I would’ve told her to come and see you.””It’s okay, don’t bother her.”“She should be able to finish the move at night, but it is estimated that she will not be able to make it for dinner.””…” Nanyang was silent.Mei Zhongli stood up and bowed to Nanyang with Liu Zhen and Sun Guohui: “Then we’ll be going first, please rest well. Xuxue will be here to take care of you.””Go,” Nanyang responded.Nanyang spent her time reading while waiting for Zhu Qing Huan. Sun Xuxue tirelessly brought her tea and water throughout the day.Mei Zhongli came by in the evening to personally deliver Nanyang’s meal, saying that Zhu Qing Huan was still on the way. He also estimated that it might take her another hour or two.With that in mind, Nanyang sat on the window sill after eating and stared at the villa door in a daze.At 21 o’clock, the moving company’s car finally came in. Zhu Qing Huan got off the car and helped the movers transfer the cardboard boxes. Nanyang watched Zhu Qing Huan carry box after box into the house, as if watching her enter her future little by little.Zhu Qing Huan finished moving everything in after half an hour. She looked a little tired. After sending away the movers, she stood alone by the small fountain in the back garden and paced back and forth, deep in her thoughts.Nanyang asked Sun Xuxue to take a break. She went downstairs and took some ready-to-eat things from the refrigerator. With an armful of ham, canned food, milk, and so on, she went to the back garden to look for Zhu Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan was sitting by the fountain, her enchantingly curled hair wrapped around her beautifully-lined waist. Because of her posture, a small piece of skin was exposed between her jacket and trousers at the back of her waist. Tired and beautiful.Nanyang walked to her and asked softly, “Are you hungry?”Zhu Qing Huan recovered her senses abruptly. She stood up and looked at the cold food in Nan Yang’s arms. One by one, she took them down and put them on the edge of the fountain. She felt the cold of the cans penetrate her fingertips just from a pinch.”What are you doing with so much? Isn’t it cold?” Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help frowning.”You didn’t have dinner. Eat some.”Zhu Qing Huan pursed her lips, “How do you know that I didn’t have dinner?”Nanyang was silent for a moment, she replied, “I was looking at you from upstairs.”Zhu Qing Huan said nothing.The two fell into an awkward silence again.”Your head… is it okay?” Zhu Qing Huan took the initiative to speak, “I saw that the glass was broken, there was blood on the glass.””I’m okay,” Nan Yang said softly.Zhu Qing Huan frowned: “Sit down, won’t you get tired?””Okay.” Nan Yang sat down by the pool obediently and raised her hand to casually push her hair behind an ear. This action revealed the heavy gauze wrapping around her temple.When she raised her hand, Zhu Qing Huan saw a section of red on her wrist. She thought it was a tattoo at first, but when she took a closer look, she found that it was a large scar.What a dazzling scar. Such an ugly thing shouldn’t appear on a woman as clean as snow.What kind of injury did she receive to suffer from such a big scar?Nanyang noticed that Zhu Qing Huan was staring at her wrist. She didn’t mind her curiosity. Instead, she turned her wrist up and unbuttoned her wrist cuff. Nanyang rolled her sleeve up a bit so that Zhu Qing Huan could see her scar better.With a faint smile, she asked: “Are you curious?”“This… is it a burn?” Zhu Qing Huan asked tentatively.”Yeah.” Nan Yang nodded, “I was casting a sword for someone and I accidentally injured myself at that time.”Zhu Qing Huan frowned. Zhu Jian? She heard those two words clearly, but could not understand their meaning.”You don’t want to eat anything?” Nanyang asked, putting her hand on the edge of the stone fountain.”I’ll eat later, I’m not too hungry now.” The corners of Zhu Qing Huan’s hooked up and she replied with in mild tone, “Do you always care about others like this? Like a bad guy.”Nanyang’s eyes curved into crescents: ” Am I a bad guy?””Well…then let’s get rid that title,” Zhu Qing Huan said to Nanyang, “we are not familiar with each other, yet you still remember me. I also keep on catching you laughing at me, isn’t abnormal? “She had known Nanyang for not too long. If she had known her for a few decades, Zhu Qing Huan would’ve known that Nanyang had never laughed in these past years. This was simply because there was no reason to make her laugh.Nanyang was silent for a moment, she asked: “Do you have anyone you like?”Zhu Qing Han shook her head: “No.”Nanyang was silent once again, her voice became much quieter and her tone seemed somewhat afraid: “Then you… …can you try to like me?”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback. She opened her mouth and tried to search for the right words. She hesitated for a moment, then whispered back: “I don’t like women.”Nanyang tightened her grip on the fountain.”Sorry, I don’t look down on people who like women. I just want make get it straight. After all, we will live together for a long time in the future. Even if you are a stranger to me, I don’t want to see you disappointed. I don’t like women and I don’t plan to talk about relationships in the future. Please don’t expect anything from me.”Zhu Qing Huan paused, she continued: “This marriage is not my own choice. You get the certificate. But this is already my limit. You’d better not ask for anything else. In the future, you can go to other people should you like someone else. I also hope to have my own freedom. We can act as a couple in front of the media. Privately, however, I would like to keep my distance.”Not liking women was actually an excuse. In fact, she hasn’t really liked anyone so she can’t tell whether she likes men or women. She just didn’t dare to have too much involvement with rich people. Her interactions with Mei Zhongli had left her too big of a psychological shadow. In the face of money, everything about her seems so insignificant. Her personality, her will, and her dignity was only worth dirt. She also didn’t want to love a rich person. The rich love you when they want to love you and will continue saying that they love you while having others in their arms. They have all this money and the privilege that comes with it. But what do you have?If she can’t hold onto her own heart then there is only the option of getting hurt.Nanyang lowered her face, making Zhu Qing Huan unable to see the emotions in her eyes.It was silent for a long time until she whispered: “But I like you.”Zhu Qing Huan frowned and was puzzled by Nan Yang’s sudden confession: “We have only met twice, why would you like me?”Nanyang raised her eyes to look at her.”A long time ago. I’ve liked for a very long time.”She muttered like it a dream.Zhu Qing Huan was silent, closing her eyes to think about the meaning of Nanyang’s words. She concluded that she probably her her on TV when she was in Australia.”I’m sorry…I may not be able to accept this…”This kind of love at first sight from a screen is too unreliable. Shallow and frivolous.Nan Yang stared at her for a while, her tone was full of patience: “Qing Huan, look at my face.”Zhu Qing Huan got goose bumps when she heard Nanyang call her this. Most of her friends call her Zhu while her elders liked to call her girl. Very few people called her by the last two words of her name. Yet the woman in front of her, who couldn’t even talk about being her friend suddenly called these two words affectionately. It was so intimate, she even had the illusion that Nanyang had called this name many, many times before today.”I… what are you doing?” Zhu Qing Huan hugged her arm.Nan Yang’s eyes flashed with a gloomy light, as if restraining something. When she spoke again, the humble tone in her voice could no longer be hidden: “Am I not good-looking? Why won’t you try to like me?”Nanyang’s face is not just beautiful, she is perfect. Like a work of art carved by hand. Even Zhu Qing Huan, as an entertainer who relies on her face to eat, has to admit that her face is not as good as Nanyang’s. Not just herself, even the in entertainment industry where beautiful women gather, she is unable find a single face better than Nanyang’s. But she has to like her just because she looks good? Zhu Qing Huan was dumbfounded by this sentence that seemed to ooze narcissism.The friendliness in Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes slowly faded and her voice became colder: “I don’t think you’re thinking clearly right now.”Nanyang saw the coldness and alienation in her eyes, the kind that was impossible to cover up with etiquette.Nan Yang suddenly smiled.For the first time, Zhu Qing Huan saw her smile so much, showing part of her white teeth and a small pear vortex on her lips. When she laughed, even the curvature of her nose was beautiful.However, she was smiling clearly but the bitterness in her eyes could not be concealed.”I’m sorry.” When Nanyang apologized and she stopped smiling. She returned to her cold face again, “I might indeed be a bit confused.”Looking at Nanyang’s appearance, Zhu Qing Huan felt soft again. .”We can be ordinary friends.” She compromised.Nan Yang shook her head, still trying her best to maintain a gentle tone: “You don’t have to force yourself. I know that I’m… a horrible person.” Zhu Qing Huan wanted to say something, but Nanyang had already gotten up.She softly reminded Zhu Qing Huan: “Remember to eat. It’s cold at night so don’t stay outside for too long.”After speaking, Nan Yang turned and left. She walked very slowly. Her back was stretched by moonlight making she look lost and lonely.Zhu Qing Huan looked at Nanyang, who did not look back and suddenly felt a sense of guilt in her heart. She felt that she had done nothing wrong, but she was still very guilty. Guilty for a reason that she could not explain.Author’s Theater
Master is so pitiful, rejected on the first day of confession…
Chapter 6
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Mei Zhongli got up very early, a big boss like him didn’t have the luxury to sleep in. He limped downstairs with his cane, wanting to go to the kitchen to get something to eat.He walked to the dining room and saw a figure faintly busy behind the glass door of the kitchen. He shouted to that side: “Xiao Liu, help me fry an egg!”The person inside did not respond. Mei Zhongli didn’t care too much about that. He sat down and took out his cell phone to check today’s stock market situation. While watching, he took out a glass and poured some milk for himself.After a while, a sound came from the kitchen’s sliding door. Footsteps gradually approached him and a plate of freshly fried eggs was gently placed in front of Mei Zhongli. Mei Zhongli glanced at the plate and almost spat out his mouthful of milk when he saw the dazzling scar on the wrist of the hand holding the plate of eggs.”Ancestor…” Mei Zhongli wanted to quickly stand up.Nanyang used her index finger to press down on his shoulder with a bit of internal strength. The light push made him promptly return to his chair. There was no expression on her face but she didn’t seem to be angry either: “I don’t know if you are used to eating over hard or over easy eggs. So I made medium over eggs. Are you used to eating them?” Mei Zhongli looked at Nan in amazement.Nanyang was wearing her usual style of white shirt, this time with a little oil star splashed on the collar of her shirt, her sleeves are pulled up to her elbows, revealing a white forearm. She also wore an apron around her waist. This pyrotechnic outfit made her look like a gentle wife in an ordinary household.Mei Zhongli had never seen Nanyang cook, she had always been the one being served.”You know how to cook? Why are you interested in coming to the kitchen today?” Mei Zhongli felt strange.”I’ve always known,” Nanyang wiped her hands on the apron. “She’s here. I want to make some breakfast for her.””So…”Mei Zhongli feels that Nanyang is very different from before. He had followed Nanyang since he was very young. In his impression of her, Nanyang had always been a cold person who does not speak or smile, which is very in line with her identity as a three-thousand-year old antique. Mei Zhongli felt that that was normal and the god he admired should be like this.But since Nanyang came back from Australia and met Qing Huan, she began to melt. Melt into a mortal.For the first time, Mei Zhongli felt that Nanyang was warm. It turned out that a gentle light can also appear in her eyes.”You eat first, I’ll go give her breakfast. It’ll be cold after a while.”Nanyang returned to the kitchen and brought out a large plate. The food on the plate is very rich, there are roasted garlic bread, tenderly fried beef, cooked water shrimp, and sliced ham. There are also dipping sauces of various flavors that are squeezed into the corners but are still neatly arranged.She’s been preparing for a long, long time.Mei Zhongli was inexplicably pained as he watched Nanyang carefully carry the food away.Although Zhu Qing Huan moved in, she did not live in the same room as Nanyang. Considering that the two of them were basically strangers, Mei Zhongli did not force her and arranged a room next to Nanyang’s room.Nanyang came to the door of Zhu Qing Huan’s room and knocked on the door with difficulty.For a long while, no one responded. Nanyang knocked again.Is anyone in there?She increased her strength a little and knocked hard on the door with her knuckles.After a while, the door of the room opened. Zhu Qing Huan messed with her long curly hair, squinted sleepily, and said in a hoarse voice: “What’s the matter?”Nanyang raised the hand holding the plate. “I made breakfast for you. Would you like something to eat?”Zhu Qing Huan glanced at the food on the plate and smiled reluctantly, “Thank you, but the calories are too high. I’m about to join a show and can’t eat it. So many carbs… you don’t need to cook for me, it’s not worth wasting your time on me.”The smile on Nanyang’s face froze. Her fingers on the edge of the plate turned white.She pursed her lips, and when she raised her eyes, they were still gentle: “What do you usually eat?”Zhu Qing Huan looked a little unwilling to answer, but still said, “Boiled cabbage.”Nanyang nodded lightly : “I’m going to learn.”Zhu Qing Huan stared at the ground and said lightly: “I said I don’t need you to cook for me, I can cook by myself, thank you for your kindness. I have already said it, let’s stay out of each other’s ways. It’s best not to have too many intersections.”Nanyang lowered her eyes. There was still no obvious emotion on her face but the fingers of her right hand were shaking, trembling clearly.Zhu Qing Huan looked at her and could feel her sadness.Maybe the current Nanyang is really interested in her, so the big boss who doesn’t ever touch the kitchen has worked so hard to cook for her. At least this interest is a little sincere. Zhu Qing Huan wondered how long this interest can be maintained. She was used to seeing female artists in the circle deceived by the gold masters and abandoned. After they were thrown away, there was nothing left but their broken hearts.”I see.”Nanyang lightly spat out two words. She held her plate tightly and turned to leave.Zhu Qing Huan watched her slowly move away, her fingers curled up on the door frame.She understood the truth, but she was also unaccustomed to ruining the sincerity of others in this way.She was not used to Nanyang looking at herself with that look. When Nanyang looks at others, there is no emotion in her eyes, but every second she looks at herself, there is a forbearing tenderness in her eyes. This made Zhu Qing Huan feel like her random words or actions were bullying Nanyang.She hates people who bully others, and of course she hated herself who bullied others.Fortunately, she has work today. The company didn’t leave her too much time to think about her turbulent emotions. The agent called her as if she was urging her for life, asking her where she was now and kept reminding her that the recording would begin in five hours.Zhu Qing Huan went back to the house and put on simple makeup. She then asked the driver of Mei’s family to send him off. When passing by the living room, Nanyang was looking at her mobile phone on the sofa and Zhu Qing Huan took a quick glance. She vaguely saw a picture of cabbage on the screen of the mobile phone and the small ant-like characters next to it, which looked like a tutorial.Her fingers tightened against her palms.Zhu Qing Huan scolded herself secretly, she fault for looking at something indiscriminately.Today’s announcement was to record variety shows. If nothing else, the recording should be finished this afternoon.It was a sports variety show. A whole day of running and jumping. There were a lot of guests invited today, most of them are the actors from the “God Dance” TV series that will start soon. There are quite a few TV dramas that are promoted through variety shows before they are aired, but almost none of them have been promoted before they filmed. The reason Shenwu dared to make publicity in advance was because it invited two extremely popular people to be the leading male and female actors. A diehard fan can forcibly brush pass the brain-deficient romance drama if it has their favorite idols starring in it.One disadvantage of too much traffic is that even before Xia Shan and Zhu Qing Huan have met, the two fandoms have started a brainless battle in advance. Today I will take a photo of your brother’s mourning hall, and tomorrow you will cut the ghosts that penetrate the center of the earth for my sister. Both sides feel like they are the world’s most popular, and both sides agree that the other side is rubbing their own heat. This is a very common hype method among brokerage companies, which stimulates conflicts among fans and makes the fans spontaneously enthusiastic. It may even get them one or two free hot searches. As long as the conflict doesn’t end, it doesn’t matter how ugly the entry is, they have a way to clear the star themselves.Of course, under normal circumstances, the war between fans does not affect the relationship between the stars themselves. Exceptions are in special circumstances.Xia Shan had arrived at the recording venue long ago and saw Zhu Qing Huan surrounded by a group of people from a distance. He happily ran over to greet her, his agent was unable to hold him back.”Hello, to meet you,” Xia Shan smiled brightly, “I’ve watched your other dramas. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.””Hello…” Zhu Qing Huan immediately looked around and confirmed that there are enough staff here. She and Xia Shan will not be photographed alone, “Nice to meet you.””I really look forward to working with you.” Xia Shan smiled and stretched out his hand, wanting to shake Zhu Qing Huan’s.Zhu Qing Huan shook it with straight face and made a small joke: “I hope your fans won’t edit me into a gorilla.”Xia Shan laughed loudly.She is so cute.”We’re going to have a long run in a while, you have to remember to warm up.” Xia Shan pointed to the prop site in the distance, “I just went to see those levels. It’s very difficult. If you can’t get through, tell me and I will help you.”Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help but hook her lips upwards. Xia Shan is 21 years old, still in college and three years younger than herself. This little boy is soft and glutinous. He likes to speak with a lot of sticky tones. He is a southerner. Xia Shan shot straight up and didn’t experience the pain of climbing up step by step in the entertainment industry so the refreshing warmth still remained in his eyes. Zhu Qing Huan had a good impression of him.”Okay, I ‘ll find you if I can’t get through.” Zhu Qing Huan smiled at him.She didn’t deliberately smile charmingly, but her face was very demon-like. Like a succubus that could not be ignored. From the curvy eyebrows to the full lips, from the beautiful eyeliner at the end of her eyes to the moist lipstick on the lips, the movements of her eyebrows are all amorous. She smiled as if she wanted to seduce someone. And yet it’s not the kind of dazzling seduction, it’s a soft and subtle seduction, like a hidden weapon.There has never been a woman who could integrate the two extreme qualities of “sexy” and “gentle” so well.Xia Shan’s agent was worried in the distance, thinking that his child was going to be taken away.Xia Shan had indeed been hooked away, but not just because of the current moment. His soul had already been captured when he first watched her TV series.The variety show was recorded smoothly and the snow stopped at noon. The venue and props were not affected at all.Zhu Qing Huan ran for a whole day without a break. While running, she kept asking questions in her mind. She didn’t know if there was something wrong with the concept of variety show planning, who let a bunch of stars who rely on their faces to eat jump up and down here and there. There is no way to look good. If it weren’t for the high ratings of this variety show and the fixed schedule arranged by the company, she would definitely not be jumping around like a monkey here.She didn’t eat breakfast so she was very hungry for a while. Strenuous exercise on an empty stomach can make people anemic. After a while, she saw stars rising in front of her face, and felt like vomiting. For a few moments, she thought that she was about to vomit on the track.When the recording finally ended at night, Zhu Qing Huan basically climbed into the nanny car.”Where should I send you back?” Xiaoye looked at Zhu Qing Huan with distress.Zhu Qing Huan reported the Mei’s address weakly.”You changed your address?” Xiaoye was a little surprised, “Could it be that the paparazzi found your previous address?””No,” Zhu Qing Huan was still sweating on her forehead, “I’m going to my father-in-law’s house.”It was so natural. The three words “my father-in-law” were said, as if she had become accustomed to the existence of this marriage and assumed that Nanyang was her serious wife. Zhu Qing Huan was in a daze when she realized this and after the trance, she wanted to slap herself.Xiaoye’s expression was as expected. Zhu Qing Huan was taken by the wealthy. This is no longer a secret in the circle and it is had long been discovered by the public: “I have heard the boss say that you were going to get married to the daughter of Mei Zhongli, the city’s richest man. The boss and Mr. Mei have a good relationship. He doesn’t mind you getting married during the rising season.””…” Zhu Qing Huan said nothing.”How about you bring your wife to the set and let us take a look?” Xiaoye was gossipy, “Does she look good?”Zhu Qing Huan didn’t smile and deliberately teased Xiaoye: “Very ugly.”Xiaoye immediately made a sympathetic face. What a pity, I wish I was so beautiful, I actually want to marry an ugly monster. However, wealthy people generally do not look good, and it is normal that money and beauty cannot be combined.It was almost ten o’clock in the evening when Zhu Qing Huan returned to Mei’s villa.She supported her sore waist and droopy eyelids, suppressed the desire to vomit. She just wanted to go back to bed and sleep quickly but when she walked in, she saw a light on in the living room. Nanyang was asleep on the sofa. Half of her face covered by her long black hair, she had an open recipe book in her hand.Zhu Qing Huan wanted to pretend that she didn’t see it and went directly to her room, but when she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped again and turned to look at Nanyang who was on the sofa.Sleeping like this will make you sick.She looked at the recipe in her hand and glanced at the kitchen where the lights were on. There was a cooking pot on the stove.Did you cook something?Could it be cooked all day?The fingers on the handrails of the stairs tightened.She laughed at herself, laughed at her hesitation at the moment, and then turned upstairs.Only stepped up three steps.She couldn’t help but stop again and sighed heavily, not knowing why her conscience was hurting. After a short pause, she turned around and walked down three steps. She came to the side of the sofa and patted Nanyang on the shoulder with her fingertips: “Hey.”Nanyang slept very shallowly and was patted. She woke up immediately. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Zhu Qing Huan, with a lazy tone in her voice: “You’re back.”For some reason, Zhu Qing Huan felt that Nanyang’s voice was softer than Xia Shan’s southern voice. Even better.”Yeah.” Zhu Qing Huan bit her lip vigorously then looked at the illuminated kitchen.Nanyang noticed that she was looking at the kitchen and asked, “Are you hungry?””I…”She is not hungry. Not only is she not hungry, she also wants to vomit.Nanyang said: “There is a little boiled cabbage in the pot. I just made it. Would you like to eat some? It was marinated with salt and sugar before cooking. It should be delicious.””…” Zhu Qing Huan opened her mouth and wanted to say something.Nanyang looked at her with misty eyes: “What’s the matter?””It’s okay…you….”Nanyang smiled extremely shallowly and went to the kitchen. Zhu Qing Huan was paralyzed on the sofa, motionless. She had a bit of a headache thinking of stuffing that tasteless crude fiber into her mouth.Before long, Nanyang brought out a bowl of simple boiled cabbage. She put the bowl and chopsticks on the coffee table and pushed them in front of Zhu Qing Huan. The cabbage in the bowl looked very good, and it was steaming with crystal clear heat.Zhu Qing Huan sighed silently, dragged her weak arm to hold the bowl and put a bit cabbage into his mouth.The moment the cabbage touched her tongue, her face turned thoroughly green.Boiled cabbage has always been unpalatable, she has this mental preparation. But she didn’t expect that Nanyang could make it unpalatable to the next level. She was sure that Nanyang had put too much seasoning in it, otherwise the
Chapter 7
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When Sun Xuxue came out of her room, she came just in time to hear Zhu Qing Huan say the two cruelest sentences to Nanyang in the softest tone:”Don’t waste your time on me. It’s really not worth it.””I won’t like you.”Sun Xuxue watched Zhu Qing Huan walk upstairs with a pale face, walking fast and anxiously, as if she wanted to escape from this place immediately. Her heart tightened. Zhu Qing Huan’s simple words were really hurtful. What is Nanyang feeling right now?Sun Xuxue walked towards the living room lightly, with the living room light still on. She saw Nanyang standing there, staring at the stairway for a long time. After Zhu Qing Huan left, Nanyang seemed to have returned to her icy cold indifference.It could’ve been 20 minutes or half an hour. Nanyang moved as if she was waking up from a long dream, her back was a little stiff. She slowly walked back to the coffee table, picked up the dirty dishes and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.Sun Xuxue hurriedly ran over: “Esteemed Ancestor, let me wash it.”Nanyang stood by the sink, glanced at Sun Xuxue lightly, and said, “It’s okay, it’s just a bowl.”But Sun Xuxue obviously saw the way Nanyang was holding the bowl. Her right hand was badly shaking.”Ancestor, in fact, you…” Sun Xuxue felt wronged for Nanyang, “Why do you do this? The more you act like this, the less she’ll appreciate it.””I don’t know, this might really be the worst strategy.” Nanyang’s deep voice echoed through the kitchen.”Then you…””But I have no other choice.” Nanyang’s lips bent bitterly, “None.”Because I love you, I have no other choice but to be nice to you.Sun Xuxue has never been in a relationship, she could not understand this logic.”But she won’t get it at this rate…” Sun Xuxue was angry for Nanyang.”Xuxue, you are used to thinking about things from my perspective so when I don’t get a response, you will think that the other party has a problem.” Nanyang put the washed bowl on the table and rubbed the porcelain bowl with her wet hands. “But she doesn’t have to fall in love with me. After all, I am just a stranger to her. She has a life that belongs to her and other things that she values. She doesn’t have to do anything for me. Because of my own obsession, I must accept this. My memories and my love, at the end of the day, are one-sided.”Nanyang lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling, “So you shouldn’t blame her for anything. Even I would be disgusted if I had a lingering spirit.”Sun Xuxue crinkled her nose. She can understand what Nanyang said, but how can such a Nanyang not make people feel bad?She dedicated her eternal time to the watching over her deceased love. She loves so deeply that it should’ve drove her made. But she was still so patient, respecting every new reincarnation of Qing Huan gently.Sun Xuxue heard from Sun Guohui that in one lifetime, Nanyang had found Qinghuan a little late. She already had a man she loves, a firm and unswerving love. Nanyang said nothing and did nothing but when she got married, she attended the wedding banquet as a stranger. She gave an unsigned flower basket, sat at the table, and watched her walk towards her happiness in her wedding dress. After that, she left the city. During that lifetime, Nanyang never bothered her again. The only time she saw her in that lifetime was when she used her eyes to walk her away on the most beautiful red carpet in her life.Was she sad? Did she secretly cry on the night of the wedding banquet?Except for Nanyang herself, no one knows the answer.If it were not because this was her 99th, if it were not because she had the possibility of recovering her memory, Nanyang would have never allowed Mei Zhongli to forcibly bind her to her side in the form of marriage. She put all her hopes on Zhu Qing Huan, so she was embarrassed to her. She did not hesitate to bury herself in the humble soil. As long as there is the possibility of seeing her sun again, she was willing to disappoint herself a thousand times. A million times.Just for a reunion.Author’s Theater
Nanyang: I’m too miserable
Chapter 8
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Nanyang was ready to go back to sleep after washing the bowl.When she returned upstairs, she suddenly heard a strange movement from next door. She has high martial arts skills and very good ears, so she could hear through the walls. Qing Huan was quietly grunting, as if she was enduring intense pain.She almost instinctively opened Qing Huan’s door, wanting to check up on her. Her hand froze froze just as she was about to open the door. It stayed hovering in the door. Nanyang wanted to open the door, but she didn’t dare to.Would Qing Huan mind her entering?Does she need Nanyang’s help?Qing Huan seemed to take a deep inhale, the voice in her throat was almost insuppressible. Nanyang grew anxious and couldn’t stop herself any longer; she burst into Qing Huan’s room.Zhu Qing Huan was not on the bed. She laid down on the ground embarrassedly, her enchanting curly hair against the floor like drifting clouds. She covered her belly with one hand, her face was pale, her forehead was full of sweat, and her neck was glistening.Nan Yang hurriedly squatted down and helped her up from the ground. Zhu Qing Huan was almost hallucinating due to the pain. She squinted and looked at Nanyang, who was almost hugging her to her chest. Her lips trembled: “You…”Nanyang helped Zhu Qing Huan lie down with furrowed brows. She bent over and placed a hand on Zhu Qing Huan’s forehead. When Nan Yang moved, her long black hair tickled Zhu Qing Huan’s face. The hair was very soft. A gentle sweep made her want to scratch her face.”Gastroenteritis, fever.” Nanyang spat out these two words like gold.Zhu Qing Huan was dizzy with pain. She only knew that she had gastroenteritis, but she did not expect to also have a fever.”I’ll take you to the hospital.”Nanyang turned and left, trying to go back to her room to get the car key.”Don’t…” Zhu Qing Huan called her weakly, “Don’t go to the hospital, I… will be photographed.””Don’t want to live?” Nanyang frowned at her. She seldom speaks to Zhu Qing Huan in such a serious tone, but even this very tantrum-like sentence is delivered in a soft tone.”No… I have a contract, I can’t get into trouble before the shooting starts…” Zhu Qing Huan’s voice trembled, “My marriage with you has not been released yet, but everyone in the circle knows that I am involved with the Meis. If I go to the hospital with you, tomorrow… tomorrow there will be headlines of us having a child out of wedlock…”Nanyang has never felt so bothered by the rules of the entertainment industry.”Then you just lie down like this, can you do it?” Nanyang felt bad.”It’s okay…you can pour me a glass of water. My gastroenteritis is an old problem, there’s medicine in the drawer.” Zhu Qing Huan curled up into a ball on the bed. Her eyes couldn’t open, but she didn’t forget to add: “Boiled water is fine. Don’t put sugar or salt in it…”That boiled cabbage may become a psychological shadow for her for a lifetime.Nanyang sighed and poured a glass of water downstairs. She found the medicine in the drawer and handed both to Zhu Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan got up with difficulty. She was dizzy and her eyes were empty. She stared at the swaying glass of water, coughed dully, and tried to raise her hand but had no energy.”Should I feed you?” Nanyang asked for her opinion.Zhu Qing Huan raised her eyes and looked at Nan Yang a little unhappily, as if expressing displeasure at her transgression. She was ill at this time, with hot flushes around her eyes. Although she made an unfriendly expression, she looked unusually charming.’Qing Huan’ cultivated Taoism back then so her face was always dyed with the coldness that is unique to a monk, which concealed her originally beautiful features. ‘Zhu Qing Huan’ hasn’t cultivated in any way. With her frowns, the enchanting features of her face can be displayed to the fullest, like a vixen that can bring down people and cities with a single glance.The looks of her and Nanyang are two extremes. One is like a flame, while the other is as cold as frost and snow. The inevitable result of frost and snow being close to the flame is to be melted, evaporated, turned into water, and transformed into a degenerate.Nanyang endured it for a long time before forcibly resisting the idea of kissing her.”Open your mouth.”Nanyang held up the capsule.Although Zhu Qing Huan seemed to want to refuse, her eyes were so painful that she couldn’t see clearly so she obeyed and opened her lips a little bit. She waited groggily to be fed. Nanyang pushed the capsule into her mouth. When her hand left, she couldn’t help gently rubbing Zhu Qing Huan’s lower lip with her fingertips. It was moist and soft, with a scorching temperature.Zhu Qing Huan felt the desire hidden in that short touch. She swallowed the pill dry, frowned, and warned Nanyang: “Don’t kiss me.”Her intention was to protect herself, but she said this with a sickly look on her face that only made Nanyang’s indifferent eyes a little more cloudy.Nanyang was silent for a while. Suddenly she stood up and walked out of the bedroom without saying a word, without closing the door.Zhu Qing Huan looked in the direction where Nanyang disappeared. Is she angry? Zhu Qing Huan vaguely wondered.She didn’t have the energy to think too much and the surging illness made her drowsy. She sank herself into a soft bed and closed her eyes to sleep.She didn’t know how long she slept, half asleep and half awake until someone patted her shoulder lightly.Zhu Qing Huan opened her eyes in a daze and saw Nan Yang standing next to her bed.”I made you a bowl of porridge.” Nanyang held a white porcelain bowl in her left hand and a small spoon in her right hand. “Get up and eat something, or you’ll feel uncomfortable in your stomach.””You went to cook the porridge. Oh…” Zhu Qing Huan rubbed her forehead.I thought you were gone.When the second half of the sentence appeared in his heart, Zhu Qing Huan didn’t think anything was wrong. She might indeed be burnt up and confused.”Yeah.” Nanyang nodded, “Eat some so it’s more comfortable.”Zhu Qing Huan glanced at the porridge and her stomach groaned. She was really hungry, she hadn’t eaten anything all day and the vomiting just now emptied her stomach. As for porridge, no matter how bad her cooking is, it probably won’t be worse than the boiled cabbage.”Give it to me.” Zhu Qing Huan dragged her body and sat up.Nanyang handed it over. Zhu Qing Huan took the bowl, scooped up a large spoonful and move it into her mouth.When her tongue touched the spoonful of porridge, she almost exhausted all her life energy to force her body to not vomit and spray all over Nanyang.The tip of her eyebrows finally wrinkled, “What the hell did you do? What did you put in it?”Nan Yang looked at her forbearing expression and was taken aback. She quickly explained, “It’s just a little sugar.”Impossible. A little sugar can never make such a disgusting taste.”You should stop cooking,” Zhu Qing Huan put the bowl on the table, her eyes lost a little of its light and she corrected a hobby that was not suitable for Nanyang to develope. “You cook really badly. . . ” “”Is it. . . really that bad?” Nanyang stammered for a rare moment.”Are you deliberately retaliating against me?” Zhu Qing Huan narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Nanyang.Nanyang shook her head.The shake was very sincere.Zhu Qing Huan touched her forehead, it was still hot and she was still hungry. She resisted the discomfort of her body and got up from the bed, pulled a blanket over her shoulders, bent weakly to get into her slippers, then whispered to Nanyang in a hoarse voice:”Come with me. “The kitchen should have never expected that it will be visited again in the middle of the night. Even more unexpected, is the extremely odd scene inside of it.A dying ill person stood in the front and was cooking with trembling hands, while the healthy person stood in the back with her hands behind her back doing nothing.Zhu Qing Huan was standing weakly in front of the stove wrapped in a blanket, with a pale face, the color was a burning blush at the end of her eyes. She was still holding her aching belly with one hand, but with the other hand she had to pick up the spoon and stir the water in the porridge pot.Nan Yang just stood quietly behind her, staring silently at her beautifully permed curly hair.She just looked at her like this, as if going back more than three thousand years ago, every time she looked at the back of Qing Huan cooking. Just looking at her, it was as if they were still in their Rongku Pavilion. She was still Nanyang who could not cook well and she was still the Qing Huan who only cooked for Nanyang. It was as if they had just walked for a long period of time, there was no goodbye, no separation, she was always there, waiting for her master to find her.”Go get a piece of paper to write down,” Zhu Qing Huan’s voice suddenly sounded, “The process, the materials used.””Okay.”Nanyang returned to her senses and walked out of the kitchen to the upstairs bedroom to pick up a paper and pen. When going upstairs, she used her light footwork to complete a round trip as quickly as possible.The water in the pot was ready. Zhu Qing Huan found the rice jar and reached in to grab the rice.She had already grabbed the amount she wanted to eat, and was about to take her hand out of the rice jar when she gave a start. She hung her head and thhe expression on her face was unreadable, but the hand went down again and grabbed the amount for two people.Nanyang returned with a pen and a notebook. Zhu Qing Huan put the rice in the porridge pot, pointed to the pot and said to her: “The ratio of rice to water is almost one to eight. If you want to be thinner, one to ten will do. Any thinner it will become soup. If you use glutinous rice or mung beans, you have to soak it in advance and then cook it. The taste will be much better. In fact, white porridge is very fragrant without any condiments. If you want to put some sugar or salt, you can do it, but don’t put too much. . No matter what the seasoning, if you put too much, it will be bad”With that information shared, Zhu Qing Huan gave up a bit of space, “Come on, you put some sugar, let me see how you put the sugar.”She is really curious about how Nanyang put in her seasoning.Nanyang put down the half-written notebook, walked obediently to the side of the sugar jar, took the spoon in her right hand and took a spoonful of sugar. When she lifted it to the top of the porridge pot, her hands were shaking very violently. With a shake of her hand, all the sugar in the spoon was poured out.Zhu Qing Huan hurriedly reached out and intercepted the falling sugar, making it spill outside the pot instead.Well now she knows why Nanyang’s cooking skills are so devilish. With hands this shaky, the ingredients will never be well placed. How can the cooking be delicious.Nanyang lowered her eyes and said softly: “I’m sorry.”Zhu Qing Huan saw that she was actually apologizing, and couldn’t help curling her lips: “Why do you apologize? You grew up being served, a big boss like you. It’s normal to not know how to do this considering your background”Nanyang is not the big boss, her status is much more honorable than the “big boss”. She was born as the Lord, and later she was appointed as head of the sect. She was worshipped and had offerings. It was indeed never she duty to do these mundane chores. Qing Huan had always served her wheneve she needed anything.Therefore, when Qing Huan left, she never took care of herself.Nan Yang looked at Zhu Qing Huan who was stirring the porridge pot and asked softly: “Have you always been good at cooking like this?””Yes, I have been very good at cooking since I was a child,” Zhu Qinghuan said. There was a little undetectable complacency in her voice, “But I’m lazy, so sometimes I would rather go hungry than cook for myself.””Your gastrointestinal problems should be related to you not having breakfast.””Maybe. But that’s how it is to be an entertainer. When filming is so busy, who will care about eating when you are really busy? Besides, eating this kind of carbon will make you gain weight.”Nanyang said with a hum, ” But you’d better eat breakfast.”Zhu Qing Huan chuckled, “You’re just like my mother”Nanyang closed her mouth and said nothing.”Okay, it’s done,” Zhu Qing Huan gathered the blanket on her body and said to Nanyang, “Bring two bowls.””…two?”Nanyang was stunned.”What else? Take three?” Zhu Qing Huan tilted her head to look at her, “Are you going to eat two bowls alone?”Nanyang’s ears were a little red and she didn’t answer, she moved to take out two bowls from the cupboard. She rinsed them again in the sink and handed it to Qing Huan.She looked at the appearance of Qing Huan serving porridge and thought to herself, it’s not impossible to eat two bowls.The fragrant white porridge was served in a porcelain white bowl, steaming hot with tempting mist. Zhu Qing Huan walked to the dining room with two bowls of porridge. Nanyang wanted to help her, so she dodged for a while and avoided Nanyang.The two of them sat at the dining table, the living room was dark all around, only the dining room side had a light on overhead, making it look like a separate little world. Zhu Qing Huan was eating the porridge she made, except for the extra bit of sugar, it was delicious.”Why do you put sugar in everything?” Zhu Qing Huan took a mouthful of porridge and asked vaguely, “You want to put it in the cabbage, you want to put it the porridge.” AfterNanyang swallowed the porridge in her mouth and replied: “I like to eat sweet things.””Yes. The first time I saw you, you were eating candied haws. You even ate several of them…” Zhu Qing Huan’s voice was soft and gentle, “Eat less of those things, you are 35 years old and prone to diabetes. If you really like sugar, you can try chocolate. The pure cocoa butter tastes delicious and when you are sad, you will feel better. . “” I will remember. “Nanyang nodded seriously.Zhu Qing Huan held a spoon and secretly glanced up at Nanyang who was opposite of her.Before coming to the kitchen, Nanyang tied her hair up in a hurry. The hair on her temples fell loosely on the side of her face, looking very demure and gentle. She is still wearing a pure white shirt. She seems to wear only white all the time. The shirt buttons are tightly buttoned one by one, revealing a strong sense of abstinence.Actually… she is pretty good. Indifferent to outsiders, gentle and accommodating to only one person, the person herself is good looking and not too old. Apart from poor cooking, there are no shortcomings to pick out.It’s just a pity, how long can this love last?When she was in high school, a girl treated her like this. She would send good mornings and good nights on time every day. She would use her pink water bottle to make a pot of hot water for her in the morning between classes. She would secretly stuff her desk with a lot of lollipops and she would tell her every day : Zhu Zhu, I like you. Although she didn’t have that kind of affection for that girl, she was still moved by her kindness. She yearned for the “like” that was said in her mouth. If one person likes another person, they are willing to do anything for that person. It sounds really tempting.But a person who likes her so much will also like others overnight. One day, she suddenly confronted her and said, Zhu Zhu, a prettier transfer student came from the next class and I decided to like her. Please return my water bottle to me.So she returned the pink water bottle, along with her trust in “like”.She has always been reluctant to fall in love, especially with rich people like Nanyang because she does not want to see such beautiful things as “like” being spoiled. Since childhood, rich children have always loved to spoil things. When they like something, they treat it as a treasure. If they don’t like it, they will throw it away as rubbish because they have more retreats and better option
Chapter 9
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“Master?””Master!”Nanyang returned to her senses and look at the disgruntled Yun Tang.”Master, why are you in a daze? How can you be distracted while teaching?” Yun Tang couldn’t laugh or cry. She saw a lot of masters teaching on top while the disciples were distracted below, but she had never seen the master themselves be distracted during the course.Bianzi, who was sitting next to Yun Tang, yawned.”Where was I?” Nanyang lowered her head and flipped through the book, but the book was just tussled by the blowing wind and she was unable find the place where she just stopped.”Page one hundred and five of The Ten Directions of the Big Dipper, the Ten Directions of the Birth Gate Judgment.” Yun Tang reminded.Bianzi took advantage of the confusion to take another yawn and rub his sleepy eyes.”Oh… I’m looking for it.”Nanyang is not always so distracted, but her heart had been weighted down these past two days. She never stopped thinking about a certain thing, even when she was eating or sleeping.Yun Tang complained: “Fortunately, Junior Sister Qing Huan was sent to study at Hongfei Pavilion. If she followed you, she probably won’t be able to learn anything for another 20 years.”Bianzi murmured while staring at her. “Don’t worry, Qing Huan wouldn’t listen to something as boring as ‘Heavenly Dipper Ten Square Formation’ in Hongfei Pavilion. I’m afraid she’s just dozing off like me.””Keep being lazy, one day you will be in danger and regret not learning the formation method!” Yun Tang pushed Bianzi around.Nanyang opened the book, but couldn’t read a single word. She simply closed the book and stood up: “Forget it, we’re done for the day. You will practice swords after class. I still have something to do.”She wanted to visit the sword casting pond to have a look.Tomorrow is Qing Huan’s sixteen-year-old birthday and she hasn’t figured out what birthday gift to give her. It would be great if the sword that had been casting for last six years could be completed today.As soon as she walked out of the pavilion, the disciples of Beifang who were near and far knelt down when they saw her and greeted, “Greetings to Esteemed Lord.”She is also accustomed to other people’s bowing to her. As a lord, it is common to be worshipped wherever she goes.When she came to the sword pool and opened the stone door, a scorching heat wave rushed toward her face. Rong Huai was standing by the pool in a thin shirt, holding a book in one hand and touching his chin in the other, as if thinking about something. Hearing the sound behind him, he came back to his senses, smiled and said greeted Nanyang: “You’re here.””My sword…””Well, well, I know. Your sword is your sword. Every time you speak, it is about your sword. Look at what you did to yourself because of that sword.” Rong Huai swept a glance at the scar on Nan Yang’s left wrist that was burned when she casting the sword. “Don’t hold too much hope. I think it will take over a year to heal.””Another year?”Nanyang was worried.”What’s the hurry, Qing Huan is only fifteen years old. She is so young and has so little skill that she won’t be able to hold it even if the sword is cast.” Rong Huai looked at Nan Yang’s expression and felt a little funny. This clear and cold Lord of Beifang has always been estranged and indifferent to others, but she cares so much for her little apprentice. Every year, before Qing Huan’s birthday, Nanyang will frown for several days and search for something to give.”Why don’t you give her a copy of your calligraphy. Your calligraphy is famous all over the world, she can use it as an heirloom.””…she is still young, this is not very practical.””Then… you can let Hongfei Pavilion give her on a day off and take her out to play. She will definitely be very happy.””So…I think so too.” Nanyang nodded and accepted Rong Huai’s suggestion.Since tomorrow is her birthday, it should be possible to give her a holiday starting from this afternoon.Nanyang bid farewell to Rong Huai and went directly to Hongfei Pavilion.When she got there, class was still in session. Seeing her walking into the class, Ping Zilai put down everything in her hand and hurriedly knelt down to her while in mid-sentence. All the disciples in the class also knelt down at their desks. At once, the floor was covered by the bowing figures, but in one corner, there was a young girl soundly sleeping on the table.”Esteemed Lord is here, what are your orders?” Ping Zilai asked respectfully, leaning on the ground.Nanyang’s gaze was fixed on the sleeping girl in the corner and she waved her hand to signal everyone to get up. With her clasped behind her back, she leisurely made her way towards that inconspicuous corner.The sunlight from the window shone on half of the girl’s feminine face and every eyebrow was clearly lined with warm light. She had her face on a book, her opened mouth was staining the book with her drool.The corners of Nan Yang’s mouth moved, as if she was smiling but she was not smiling. She stretched out her hand, squeezed the girl’s soft face, and whispered to her: “Qing Huan.”Qing Huan opened her eyes in confusion and saw Nanyang’s blurry figure. She was so frightened that she quickly got up from the table, lifted her robe, and knelt down in an instance: “Master…”Nanyang supported her arm and didn’t let her kneel down completely. Qing Huan’s expression was still a bit dazed, a large red print appeared on half of her face and the trail of drool at the corner of her mouth was illuminated by the sunlight.Nanyang took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of Qing Huan’s mouth, helping her clean it.Qing Huan didn’t dare move. She looked at Nanyang’s eyes carefully. She thought that her master would be angry when she bumped into her sleeping in class, but Nanyang didn’t seem to be angry and there was still no expression on her face.After wiping, Nanyang held Qing Huan’s hand and took her straight to the door.”Give her a day off.” A cold voice sounded when the two passed by Ping Zilai.Being led by Nanyang, Qing Huan became dizzy with joy for a while and couldn’t help but gently squeeze the back of Nanyang’s hand. Nanyang’s hand is very soft because she is the Lord and doesn’t need to do any work. The only place where there is are callouses is the area from her index finger to her thumb. She practiced with swords the year round and after a long time she would have such callouses Qing Huan likes to touch it very much, she likes the feeling of her soft fingertips scratching against the roughest part of Nanyang’s hand.Nanyang felt Qing Huan pinching her. She didn’t like such frivolous behavior but she didn’t say anything, nor did she let go of Qing Huan’s hand. She just asked, “Tomorrow is your birthday, is there anything you want?””I like everything Master gives me.” Qing Huan said with a smile.Nanyang expected that she would say so. Qing Huan is always tolerant towards Nanyang. She will return all the questions of choice to Nanyang and go with whatever Nanyang chooses.”I’ll take you down the mountain for a day.” Nanyang said lightly, “However, I can’t go too far, so we’ll just go around the village at the foot of the mountain.””Okay, I have always wanted to go there to see it.”Sure enough, she expressed her expectation with a happy face.”Tomorrow is your birthday, this time I won’t say anything about you,” Nanyang’s cold voice sounded again, “but the next time I find you sleeping in class, I will take out the ruler.””I see. “Qing Huan curled her lips. She didn’t believe that her master was really willing to beat her.Beifang has never allowed underage disciples to go down the mountain. There are more than a dozen disciples are stationed at the gate of the mountain to guard them all the year round. Adult disciples who want to go down the mountain must have a task and hold a badge given by the Lord to pass. When Qing Huan was young, she was picked up by Nanyang to join Beifang and has never stepped outside before. Although they can’t go beyond the mountain, Qing Huan was still satisfied.The village at the foot of the mountain has been blessed by Beifang for many years and therefore hold the members of Beifang in very high regards. When Nanyang brought Qing Huan into the village, everyone who saw them would bow their heads to say hello.It was in this small village that Nanyang met Qing Huan for the first time. It because of Qing Huan stealing two steamed buns that caused her to be beaten almost to death. She had always been reluctant to take care of mundane things, but she took the young Qing Huan back to Beifang. Not only was she saved by Nanyang, she also became her third direct disciple. Ordinary Beifang disciples cannot even dream of being taught by the Lord, but Nanyang easily broke her own principles and accepted Qing Huan’s arrival.Back in her hometown, Qing Huan somewhat impressed the streets here. This village has left her with some not very good memories and she was a little uncomfortable in heart. But looking at Nanyang next to her, she said nothing.She didn’t want to ruin Nanyang’s good mood.”I have a thatched house here,” Nanyang walked in front and pointed out a direction with her chin. “Sometimes, I will rest there for a night when it’s too late to go back to the mountain. Would you like to come with me?” Okay, I’ll go wherever Master goes.”Nan Yang smiled without a trace.This sticky little guy.The thatched house had not been visited for a long time and as soon as they entered the house, a strong smell of dust came over their face. Qing Huan pulled Nanyang out and asked her to sit on the stone steps outside: “Master, please have a seat while I fetch water to clean up the house.””Yeah.”So Nan Yang sat there waiting for Qing Huan in peace. She raised her eyes and watched Qing Huan carry the bucket in and out and she had no intentions of helping. It’s not that she doesn’t want to help, but that she doesn’t have the concept of helping at all. In her world, such labor services like washing, cooking, and sweeping have nothing to do with her. It was natural for others to do it since she was the Lord.This is the case for people in high positions. They are used to being dignified and have noble spirit in their bones.Qing Huan was finally almost completely done with wiping the room. The small face was completely gray. Before the water on her hands even had the time to be dried, she heard Nanyang say: “I’m hungry.”Qing Huan immediately put down the water basin and wiped the sweat from the sides of her face “I’ll cook for you.”Nanyang nodded: “Yes.”Qing Huan has always been good at cooking and she is especially good at catering to Nanyang’s taste. She knew that Nanyang was addicted to sweetness and had to eat sugar every day. If she didn’t eat sugar today, she would have to have a lot of sugar in her dishes. Nanyang’s indifferent temperament meant that she has almost no likes or dislikes and her only preference is to eat sweets. Of course Qing Huan took it to heart.”I’m going to buy some ingredients.” Qing Huan put down her sleeves, “I looked at the stove and there was nothing.”It’d be strange to have anything since Nanyang never cooks for herself.”I’ll accompany you to buy it.” Nanyang stood up from the wooden stool that was brightly polished by Qing Huan.”Okay,” Qing Huan has never refused any of Nanyang’s requests, “Master, you pay for it. I’m poor.”Nanyang glanced at her coldly.Poor? What poor, she gave her a large bag of silver every month. Hongfei Pavilion is made of famous family sons and daughters, naturally there is no shortage of money in their pockets. Since Qing Huan is an orphan, Nanyang was afraid that she will be discriminated against among the other disciples so she generously provided her with a lot of money. She didn’t want Qing Huan to have to bend down in front of others.How much money did she give her? All that money alone could create another sect. If she shouted poor again, there would be no rich people in Beifang.What Nanyang didn’t know was that every time Qing Huan received money, she would secretly send it back to Rongku Pavilion again. For so many years, it was basically the same bag of silver that Nanyang sent over that she sent back. She knows that Nanyang is not short of money, but she still wants to leave all the best to her master. Even if it is redundant and unnecessary, she wants to leave it all to her.”Master, what do you want to eat?” Qing Huan walked in front, tilting her head to figure out what to buy.”Anything.” Nanyang replied lightly.”Okay, I’ll see what I can buy,” Qing Huan pursed her mouth and was silent for a while. She smiled, “I always cook for Master. It’s my birthday tomorrow. Can Master also cook for me? Your birthday gift?””No.” Nanyang simply refused.”I teach you.” Qing Huan said softly.”I don’t want to learn.” There was no expression on Nanyang’s face.Qing Huan stopped talking. She closed her mouth and didn’t mention it again.Nanyang’s hand is used to hold the sword and hold the pen. With such a beautiful hand, how can she bear use it to cook?Qing Huan sighed silently in her heart. It’s just a pity that she’ll never have the opportunity to eat Nanyang’s personally cooked rice in her life.Author’s Theater
Three thousand years ago (indifferent): No. Don’t want to learn.
Three thousand years later (raising the porridge bowl and crying): Please have a bite
Chapter 10
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After eating the porridge, Nanyang sent Qing Huan back to her room.After eating, Qing Huan seemed to be in a much better condition but she still had a low fever. Nanyang took a wet towel and put it on her head, she also placed a basin of cold water on the stool next to the bed to wash the towel.The capsule she had eaten before worked and she soon became dazed.Nanyang bent over, touched her hair, and asked softly, “Do you want me to stay with you?”She shook her head in a haze.”Okay, then call me if you feel uncomfortable. I’ll hear it.”The sleepy eyes closed completely.Nanyang’s fingertips paused on the swirl of her hair. She could only touch her like this when she was sleepy. Nanyang pressed her lips tightly, her eyes lingering on this familiar face. With such familiar eyebrows and eyes, she has kissed them countless times, but now can only stare at them while its owner is sleeping.It doesn’t matter, she is already her wife and they still have a long time to be together.Nanyang caught a strand of the curly hair laid out on the pillow, bent her head, and kissed the soft end of the hair.Yes, the hair ends.She didn’t dare to kiss her forehead, she didn’t dare to kiss her cheek, she didn’t even dare to kiss the top of her hair, because the kiss would make Qing Huan feel it. She was fortunate that there were no tactile nerves distributed in her hair. She kissed the end of the hair and only she, would know the charm of this moment.After the kiss, she felt a little frivolous like in the past and her ears were thoroughly red.She returned to her room, but did not change into her pajamas. Instead, she sat upright on the corner of her bed, listening to the movement next door. She was afraid that Qing Huan would wake up again in the middle of the night.Nanyang sat there, motionless. She poured her whole body’s internal energy into her ears, listening to the faint sound of sleep. Only after a long time did she lower her eyes, filled with satisfaction.Early the next morning, Zhu Qing Huan woke up. She slept well last night and the fever disappeared when she got up in the morning. She rubbed her dizzy head and went downstairs, trying to pour herself a cup of hot water.As soon as she entered the living room, she saw a bowl of porridge on the dining table from a distance.Zhu Qing Huan was dumbfounded.She really did it?Zhu Qing Huan picked up the kettle on the coffee table and poured herself a glass of water. After drinking the water, she couldn’t help but glance at the steaming bowl of porridge. Did Nanyang say last night that she wouldn’t put any more seasonings?Zhu Qing Huan licked her lips, walked over slowly, and carefully glanced at the contents of the bowl. It looks normal, it’s not thick or thin. If you really just boiled rice and water together, it should…Why not try it?The first two of Nanyang’s dark dishes left her with psychological trauma. This time she picked up the spoon with a look like death she was staring at death itself, scooped up a bit of the porridge, and carefully stuck out the tip of her tongue to minimalize the surface area of her tastebuds.It’s really tasteless.For the first time, she felt that lack of taste was a perfect thing.Zhu Qing Huan sat down at the table, dragged the bowl to her, and began to eat spoonful by spoonful. She noticed that there was still a notebook beside the table, which Nanyang used to remember the recipes of white porridge yesterday. She dragged it over and opened it.Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help frowning.This handwriting is too ugly.Crooked, like a crawling bug, she writes in traditional Chinese, which is even more ugly. They say that the words take after the person. If this is true then how come Nanyang’s face is so beautiful while her words are written so madly? No matter how messily an ordinary person writes, he can at least understand what he is writing. She was afraid that not even Nanyang could understand her own handwriting.Her phone suddenly rang. Zhu Qing Huan swallowed the porridge and saw that it was Qi Yi’s call, so she turned on the hands-free and didn’t delay eating.”Zhu Zhu, have you seen Weibo?” Qi Yi seemed to be eating breakfast too, speaking vaguely.”Just woke up, what’s wrong?””The news of your marriage with Boss Nan came out and it’s hanging on the hot search. It was still boiling half an hour ago, but now it has boomed. Your comment section is now a mess, everyone knows the top new actress Zhu Qing Huan will be married to a wealthy family when she’s 24. You quickly check your page. Your fans are crying rivers.”Zhu Qing Huan sighed.”Sooner or later, I’ll get the certificate. This can’t stay a secret forever.”It’s normal for her fans to cry about her marriage. The company gave her a girlfriend-like persona. The usual comment area is all about calling her wife and wanting her attention. Now it must be a scene out of a romantic tragedy with how many broken hearts there are. After all, she is a new star so announcing her love affair or marriage news will cause a large number of fans to abandon her. It was possible for the number of anti-fans to shoot up. It can’t be helped, since she used a girlfriend persona to eat the dividends of the fan economy, a marriage is bound to be received negatively. For a long time before, in order to promote, Mei Zhongli spent a lot money to get her on the hot search almost every two days. The hot search can increase her popularity, but it will inevitably annoy people and drag down her reputation. She had always had a lot of black fans and now this marriage announcement can be taken as a chance to completely run wild.She also wanted to know if this marriage news exposure was done by Mei Zhongli and her company Xiaotian Entertainment. They never asked her about this kind of thing. Her account and password were all handled by the company anyways. The company owner and Mei Zhongli were old friends so what can she influence?”I see them all scolding you on your page, marrying a 35-year-old woman for money. They describe your wife as old, fat, and ugly, and have special fetishes, saying that you sold your body for fame and wealth,” Qi Yi chewed something for a bit, “So what does Boss Nan look like? Is she really a middle-aged aunt?”Zhu Qing Huan’s lips rose unconsciously and her voice was soft: “No…””No?””She’s pretty.”Zhu Qing Huan’s index finger and thumb gently rubbed the handle of the spoon.”35 years old, no matter how good you look, you’re still…” At this time, the phone beeped again, indicating that there is a new incoming call. Zhu Qing Huan took a look at it and said to Qi Yi: “Xiao Yi, I have to take a work call.””You answer it, talk to you later.”After connecting to Xiao Ye’s phone, the sound of eating instant noodles came from the receiver.”Zhu Zhu, you’ve seen about your wedding news right? We took advantage of the early morning to snipe a wave of hot search at night, you know, suppressed the bad entries and put the blessing entry on top. I wanted to talk to you, but Boss Nan called us in advance and told us to not disturb you since you were sick.”Zhu Qing Huan was stunned, she pursed her lips for a while then asked, “How did she know?””Probably heard it from Mr. Mei. If Mr. Mei wants to expose your marriage, he’ll definitely tell her first.””…” Zhu Qing Huan was silent.”I’ll tell you some good news. There will be a celebrity dinner in Mingdu Building two days from now with a charity theme. The scale is very large. The list of celebrities can be spread out and sponsors are in place. You bring Boss Nan to participate. Come on, you just announced the wedding news, the heat is just right. The less you show your face, the worse the rumors are going to get you know?””You can arrange these things.” Zhu Qing Huan was noncommittal.”Okay, just in time. You and your Boss Nan donate some money to do charity, it’s a good opportunity to shut up the Internet sprayers.” Xiao Ye heard another gulping sound of drinking water, “I’ll send you the tie and place later. I’ll send the clothes from the sponsor first. You two try the size.””I see.” Zhu Qing Huan hesitated for a while and asked: “Nanyang… is she really willing to appear in front of the media?”Nanyang seemed to love to be peaceful and once exposed to the camera, her life would be destined to become noisy. Zhu Qing Huan felt that she didn’t seem to be a troublemaker and she should also understand that the entertainment industry was extremely messy.”Yes, Boss Nan called us and said that she would attend with you,” Xiao Ye smiled, “I guess she saw those comments on Weibo that scolded you, saying that you had a sugar mommy. Middle-aged aunt or something, she might come out to say something for you, who knows.”Zhu Qing Huan’s nails gripped the handle of the spoon and her eyelashes trembled.Author’s Theater
Nothing for this chapter
Chapter 11
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In the afternoon, the sponsor’s dresses that Xiao Ye mentioned were sent over. It just so happened that there were no announcements. Zhu Qing Huan was holding the two big boxes, standing by Nanyang’s door and hesitating, not knowing whether she should knock on the door.Nanyang sat on the window sill with a book, listening to the footsteps pace outside the door. She did not take the initiative to open the door. She gave Qing Huan the choice of meeting. When Qing Huan was ready to meet her, she would open the door. If Qing Huan didn’t want to see her after thinking about it, then she wouldn’t bother.It’s just that the book in her hand hasn’t had its pages flipped for a long time.The door was finally knocked. Nanyang curled her lips in relief. She put down her book and went to the door, opening the door for Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan hugged the dress box, pondered for a moment, and said, “I heard Xiao Ye say that you promised to attend the charity dinner?”Nanyang gave a hm.”You have to be prepared. Now the enthusiasm of our marriage news is still high. Once you show your face, you will definitely be unable to have peace in the future.” When Zhu Qing Huan spoke, her charming eyebrows were warm and soft. “Every time you go out. You’ll have to wear a mask and sunglasses, it’s impossible to go to shopping malls and restaurants openly. When you go out, someone will stare at you, or even harass you. Did you really think about it?”Nanyang looked at the dress box in her arms with a very light smile: “After that, I will stay at home all the time.””You won’t go out for the rest of your life?” Zhu Qing Huan was helpless.Nanyang was silent for a moment and whispered: “As long as you go home, I will stay at home for the rest of my life.”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback.A lifetime?The “lifetime” of a rich person is so light that they can make a promise to a person they’ve only known for a short time. Their words are only pleasant to hear. If other people heard such words, they would probably to be deceived to tears.”Do you want to try on the clothes?” Nanyang interrupted her thoughts.Zhu Qing Huan restrained her emotions and nodded: “The sponsor sent the dresses.””Come to my room or go to your room to try it on?””…I’m fine with whatever.”“Come in.”Zhu Qing Huan was confused and walked in with Nanyang, not thinking at all that they could actually try their outfits in their respective rooms.She opened the box and inside were two couple-style red dresses. There are no other colors, just pure red with simple tailoring and full design stitching, which complemented Zhu Qing Huan’s beautiful face. The sponsor clearly sent the dresses with Zhu Qing Huan’s build and temperament in mind. It’s a pity that the sponsor had never seen Nanyang and gave her the same red dress. If the designer saw the cold and snowy Nanyang with his own eyes, he would really want to put the red dress in the dyeing vat to make it white.Nanyang usually only wears white shirts and she does not wear white T-shirts. She only wears shirts. The color of the shirt is at best the difference between snow white, tea white, moon white and milk white. If she needs to wear a coat or down jacket, it must be white. It doesn’t matter what she wore, it must be white. The only exception to this were her pants. Zhu Qing Huan was worried that she would not accept the dress, “I’ll ask for another dress…””Why do you want to change it?” Nanyang bent down and gently touched the soft cloth in the box with her fingertips, showing no expression on her face. “Do you think it would look bad if I wear it?””No…” Zhu Qing Huan pursed her lips, “Can you wear this?””Can accept it.”Nanyang looked at the dress for a while, then suddenly straightened up. She got up and began to quietly take off her clothes.She lowered her eyes, her complexion was as usual, her slender fingers unbuttoned the white shirt one by one, revealing the white underwear inside. She is very thin, her skin is a cold white, the kind of exquisite color that can only be cultivated by spending years without ever seeing the sun, but there are many long strips of scars on such exquisite skin, which looks like a sharp weapon. After taking off her shirt, she began to take off her pants. As soon as the zipper of the black bottoms was unzipped, a flat and tight belly was exposed. The sunlight outside the window hit her skin obliquely and outlined the graceful outline of her abdominal muscles.It is a good-looking body that must’ve been exercised regularly. Every bulging bone and muscle was perfectly placed.It’s really hard to maintain a 35-year-old body like this.Zhu Qing Huan had not reacted yet, she was staring closely at the every move of the woman changing clothes. Her eyes followed Nanyang’s movements, watching her strip herself down to just her underwear little by little. She does not seem to realize that this is a very rude thing to do.The dress is a tube top. Nanyang’s fingers are on her underwear buttons and she was about to unbutton it when she turns her head to look towards Zhu Qing Huan: “Should I take it off?”Zhu Qing Huan snapped back to her senses, hastily retracted her gaze and hurriedly said, “You… you don’t have to right now. I will have them send no show underwear for dresses tomorrow.”Why did she stay here and watch Nanyang change her clothes?How could such an intimate and private thing happen between them?Zhu Qing Huan picked up her dress box and walked straight to the door, not caring what Nanyang was doing. Her mind was confused and she even forgot that the moment she opened the door, someone might see Nanyang without clothes from the outside and just left. Fortunately, she still remembered to close the door when she left.Nanyang watched her suddenly leave and stopped taking the dress.Is Qing Huan… shy?When she left, there seemed to be a little red on her ears.After a long time, Nanyang smiled lightly, lowered her head, and gently stroked her shoulder blades and collarbone with her fingers then touched her lower abdomen.She didn’t know how many times Qing Huan had kissed these places and now she’s shy just from looking at it.Nanyang’s fingers slowly moved up again and when they moved to where her heart is, the emotions under her eyes suddenly stopped. Her warmth gradually cooled down and became ice.Her fingertips moved slightly and lightly touched a scar there.Dinnertime soon arrived.During the day, Zhu Qing Huan went to catch two more announcements. Xiao Ye followed her around and sent her home in the afternoon. She went back to the room and changed into her dress with some light makeup.Nanyang had already changed into her dress and waited for her in the living room in advance.When Zhu Qing Huan came downstairs, she saw Nanyang wearing the red dress and was lost for a moment.It is strange that even if this woman wears red, she still feels that she is extraordinarily cold, like a handful of snow wrapped in flames. The extreme contrast between the person and clothes made her look more mysterious and charming. It made people unconsciously want to get closer to her, to look at the cold white skin of her neck and shoulders, and watch her press her lips together. The stained spot on her lips was shining with wet marks. It seems that only by looking at her could they be sure that she is a real woman.So lovely. It made Zhu Qing Huan not want to take Nanyang out.She didn’t know what was up with her and she couldn’t figure it out.Maybe people will instinctively have exclusive thoughts about things that are too beautiful.She didn’t have time to dwell too long because of the WeChat’s humming and shaking. Zhu Qing Huan walked to the gate hurriedly and called Nanyang: “Let’s go, hurry up or we’ll be late.”Nanyang followed her without saying a word.The two got into the nanny car that Xiao Ye parked at the door. Xiao Ye turned her head from the driver’s seat and saw Nanyang, who was closing the door and asked with a startled expression: “Who’s artist are you? Why are you at Zhu Zhu’s house?”Nanyang lowered her eyes and said lightly, “I’m not an artist.”As soon as she opened her mouth, Xiao Ye recognized her voice. Nanyang had been called hers two days ago, telling her about some things. Xiao Ye’s mouth was wide open, big enough to stuff three egg, and the two words Zhu Qing Huan said to her that day echoed back and forth in her mind—”Very ugly.”She was wrong. It turned out that beauty and money can really exist at the same time.”Boss Nan, Nan, Nan, I…” Xiao Ye couldn’t restrain the smile on her face, “I didn’t expect that you…you…I am honored to meet you, you are so beautiful! I didn’t expect… “Xiao Ye, start driving or we are going to be late.” Zhu Qing Huan thoughtfully reminded Xiao Ye about the party.Xiao Ye glared at Zhu Qing Huan, seemingly complaining that she was out there talking nonsense about Nanyang’s face and spreading bad rumors.”Zhu Zhu, I’m serious,” Xiao Ye started the engine, “I think your fans who came out of the pit will come back soon. You only need to post your couple photos on Weibo. The group of people who originally called your wife ugly will all wish to become your love rivals.””Really?” Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help but smile, “When they all become my love rivals, won’t the bullying be even worse?”Xiao Ye opened her mouth and was speechless.Nanyang remained silent but stared at Zhu Qing Huan closely, noticing the tired bloodshot eyes.Tired after working all day.”You sleep for a while.” Nanyang said suddenly.”I’m fine, not very sleepy.” Zhu Qing Huan reluctantly put on a smile.Whether she was sleepy or not, Nanyang knew better than she did. Nanyang had been with her for centuries. Nanyang could tell what she was thinking of at the moment just from the raise and fall of her lips and eyebrows.When Qing Huan is sleepy, the whole person becomes a little disoriented, but she also likes to be strong. Once, when she poured sugar into Nanyang’s milk, her eyes were as dull as a dead person. Nanyang told her, “Go to sleep first. I don’t need to drink milk.” She shook her head hard and replied, “I’m not sleepy. Master must drink milk before going to bed.” Then, two seconds after she finished speaking this sentence, her head fell and plunged into the milk bowl. Nanyang hurriedly fished her face out of the milk. When it was taken out, she was still asleep.Zhu Qing Huan opened her drooping eyelids and glanced at Nanyang, “…Are you not wearing makeup?”Nanyang did not wear makeup. She didn’t need it. Every part of her face was born just right and there is no need for decoration.”I don’t know how to put on makeup.” Nanyang replied.Xiao Ye interrupted and said, “Boss Nan should at least put on lipstick, right?”Zhu Qing Huan raised her eyes to look at her, “Do you want it? I have some in my bag.”Nanyang was silent for a moment, then said: “You want me to apply it, I’ll apply it.””Then apply it.” All the female celebrities who were present must have put on lipstick. Nanyang would stick out with her paler lips.”I can’t do it, you help me.”Nan Yang said lightly.She really couldn’t. She hasn’t even ever touched this kind of thing before. If she did it by herself, her trembling hands would paint her mouth into a horror scene.”…Okay.”Zhu Qing Huan agreed gently. She took out her cosmetic bag and asked Nanyang to choose a color but Nan Yang asked her to choose so she picked a Dior 740 color number. The color is a cold maple leaf color, dark red with warm brown orange, which matches their dressesZhu Qing Huan twisted out a little lipstick, turned sideways, and forced herself to apply lipstick to Nanyang with sleepy eyes.She was so sleepy that when she lowered her eyes to stare at Nan Yang’s lips, they were basically closed.Nanyang looked at her sleepy face and couldn’t speak with the sticky lipstick still being applied to her mouth. She watched the part of Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes that remained opened become smaller and smaller, until finally, the hand holding the lipstick dropped. The same was true for her sunken head.Nanyang immediately raised her right hand and caught her face.It really caught Zhu Qing Huan’s face, the soft cheeks smacked into Nanyang’s cold palm, the weight of her entire head was transferred to Nanyang’s hand, and the soft flesh on the side of the face was cutely smooshed. Her lips were pouted a little.When her hand dropped, the lipstick made a red streak on Nanyang’s face.Nanyang didn’t mind her face being soiled, she just quietly watched Qing Huan sleeping in her palm without blinking.After a long while, the corners of her lips finally couldn’t help but slowly curl up.This was the first time she had such a gentle smile on her face when there were outsiders.Why is she still a child who sleeps whenever she’s sleepy?Xiao Ye secretly looked back in the rear-view mirror. She saw Nanyang holding Qing Huan’s small face, steadily still, her eyes seemed to reflect only Qing Huan alone. While looking at the person in the palm of her hand with a smile, Nanyang raised her other hand and gently wiped the lipstick from the corner of her mouth with her thumb. It was as if she was wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.Xiao Ye made a mental note of inexplicably sexy this action was.The car drove for an hour, Nanyang held her palm straight for an hour.For an entire hour, motionless.Xiao Ye still kept a calm expression on her face, but her heart had exploded long ago.One hour! Doesn’t her hand hurt?! How could there be such a gentle person in this world!!!Author’s Theater
Nanyang: Of course it hurts… TAT
Chapter 12
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When Zhu Qing Huan woke up, she was still lying on her stomach with her head on Nanyang’s palm.”Zhu Zhu, get up. We’re here.” Xiao Ye’s voice came from the driver’s seat and she heard the engine go out.Zhu Qing Huan was in a daze for a while, then she suddenly became sober and hurriedly lifted her face. She habitually wiped the corners of her mouth, but did not expect to actually wipe off a handful of drool.”Zhu Zhu, Boss Nan is so kind to you. Did you know that you slept for an hour? Boss Nan has been holding your face like this.” Xiao Ye smiled bashfully.Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback for a while. She busy looking for a tissue from her bag, her face flushed with shame. She finally found some tissues and tremblingly took one to wipe the saliva off of Nanyang’s hand.Nanyang just raised her hand and watched her hurriedly wipe her palms while repeatedly apologizing without a single word. Although she wiped every finger very carefully, the sticky saliva still remained on Nanyang’s skin.”Go to the bathroom later to wash it?” Zhu Qing Huan didn’t dare look at Nanyang’s eyes.”Yeah.”Nanyang retracted her hand and shook it. It was indeed a little sticky.She doesn’t dislike it at all, or rather, she has long been used to it. When Qing Huan was young, she often drooled when she ate or slept. Yun Tang made a saliva pocket for her and tied it around her neck. Even so, she still had to wash her clothes once a day. It is normal for a child to drool. Sometimes Nanyang will help her wipe when she sees it and pinch her sticky face.”Thanks,” Zhu Qing Huan murmured in an almost inaudible voice.”It’s okay. Let’s go.””Okay.”Xiao Ye got out of the car and Zhu Qing Huan took her bag followed.”Aren’t you coming too?” Zhu Qing Huan noticed that Nanyang was still.”You go in first. Wait for me at the door, I have something to deal with.” Nanyang said lightly.”Okay.”Zhu Qing Huan thought she had some secret affairs of the company, which was not convenient for her to hear so she went to the door of Mingdu Building with Xiao Ye first.They gradually walked away.Nanyang let go of her left hand, which she had been holding tightly. Her nails had left blood marks on her palms. The pain between her eyebrows that could no longer be suppressed was finally revealed.Her right hand began to tremble, trembling more and more severely, in the end it became a spasm. She squeezed her right wrist tightly with her blood-stained left hand and arched her body uncontrollably. Soon, a layer of fine sweat leaked from her forehead and sweat dripped from the tip of her nose.She frantically took out a box of ibuprofen from the bag she carried with her with one hand, tremblingly four pills and stuffed them into her mouth,.Don’t let her wait at the door for too long. It is winter and she is wearing such a thin dress.She wanted to bite her lip to distract her attention, but it wouldn’t work. Her lips would have deep marks if she did that. The media would start gossiping if the marks were captured in a picture. So instead she bit her tongue and her mouth was soon filled with the rusty taste of blood.After five minutes, she finally got better under the effect of the medicine.She weakly cleaned herself with the tissue left by Qing Huan, wiped the sweat from her forehead, wiped the blood from her tongue, cleaned up her expression, opened the car door and stepped out.Finally, controlled the frightened body.Xiao Ye locked the car from a distance when she saw Nanyang come out.”Go in.”Nanyang’s face was as calm as usual.She walked to Zhu Qing Huan’s side and went into the hall side by side with her.As Zhu Qing Huan had expected, Nanyang instantly became the center of attention when she walked inside.There even more cameras aimed at Nanyang than herself.The venue of the dinner is very large, reporters were distributed on both sides and carrying a variety of cameras, the ground line was tied into a knot. When they saw the new star walk in, they frantically aimed their cameras at her and started clicking away nonstop. When seeing the women who appeared next to the flowery Zhu Qing Huan, their eyes practically glowed green, as if they had already thought about the headline for tomorrow.Watching more and more media begin filming them, Zhu Qing Huan felt that the distance between herself and Nanyang was a little inappropriate. As newlyweds, they should not go their separate ways. She smoothly approached Nanyang and gently took her arm.It looked like she was wrapped around her, but in fact, not a single finger actually touched Nanyang’s skin.Nanyang was a little surprised, but she didn’t show it on her face and just looked down at the hand seemingly resting on her arm. She lifted her other hand, as if she wanted to touch Zhu Qing Huan’s wrist. It was only a moment before she controlled herself and reluctantly put down her hand.Mei Zhongli was afraid that the media would cause trouble to Nanyang so he had already laid down rules in advance to only allowed filming, not interviews. No one wants to offend the Mei Group, but it is clear that several media groups are already ready to make their move.The celebrities have arrived one after another. There were many round tables in the middle. Each celebrity had their own seat, some have already taken their seats, others were performing fake sisterhood in front of the camera.When Zhu Qing Huan walked in with Nanyang, many celebrities looked over.One is coquettish and feminine, while the other is cold and snowy. The two extreme beauties strongly stimulate everyone’s aesthetics. They wear similar styles of dresses, but do not look alike at all. Even so, most people were still stunned and couldn’t figure out who was the star and who was the magnate.Nanyang suddenly became expressionless. Once she was exposed to the eyes of the crowd, she would turn into a stranger staying cold and want to show the slightest gentleness in her eyes.There were also many grand gatherings in Beifang as well, Nanyang appeared this cold whenever she attended. Qing Huan once said, “Master is putting on airs like this, she can’t be held!”In fact, Nanyang just really doesn’t like crowds.There are a lot of people and a lot of right and wrong, this has always been the case for three thousand years.Zhu Qing Huan thought of the comments on the Internet that scolded her for losing the bottom line for money to marry a middle-aged short fat-yuan aunt and immediately thought of the funny scenes of those people being slapped in the face after Nanyang was exposed to the public. Although she always said that she didn’t care about the comments that made her feel bad, how could she really not care about it? The thought of those people being slapped in the face made her feel more comfortable.The arc of Zhu Qing Huan’s smile suddenly froze.Did Nanyang… also think of this, so she agreed to attend the dinner with her even if… her quiet life will be messed up.Zhu Qing Huan quietly glanced at Nanyang beside her.Tsk.Such a stiff face.Although it seemed to others that she just had no expression, Zhu Qing Huan could feel the displeasure in the rhythm of her breathing.Fortunately, Mei Zhongli warned the reporters not to allow interviews otherwise the group of whimperers would approach them. She could not imagine what Nanyang’s face would look like.”It hasn’t started yet, do you want to eat something?” Zhu Qing Huan asked softly.”Not hungry.” Nanyang shook her head.Zhu Qing Huan took her to find her seat and the two sat down, “Then drink some water first, you must be thirsty.””Not thirsty.”Short and concise, as if her words were made of gold.Ok.She does not seem to be too happy.Nanyang suddenly stood up and said, “I’m going to go wash my hands. Where is the bathroom?””Over there.” Zhu Qing Huan pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.Nanyang nodded and walked towards the place Zhu Qing Huan pointed.She wanted to go to the bathroom to be alone. Washing her hands wasn’t an urgent matter. She just didn’t like so many people staring at her. Their eyes had dirty looks, which made her feel very uncomfortable.Wearing such a red dress with exposed arms and legs has already made her very awkward. If it were not for the sake of Qing Huan, she would not wear such revealing clothes in front of so many. Although she has experienced the baptism of modern culture, she is an ancient person down to her bones and so it is always inappropriate for her to expose some parts of her body.After Nanyang left, Zhu Qing Huan was a little bored in her seat and wanted to take out her mobile phone to play. Since there were so many cameras here, she resisted the urge since it would be odd for a person to squat here and play on their phone. She thought about finding some “sister” to act out a friendly scene.Just as she was thinking of this, the “sisters” came from the door.Holding two glasses of champagne, Xia Shan walked over carefully, looking sad. He greeted Zhu Qing Huan and asked in a low voice: “You, are you really married?”Zhu Qing Huan smiled and nodded: “Yes.”Xia Shan sighed regretfully, “Alas, originally our company also planned to speculate on our CP, but unfortunately…”Zhu Qing Huan also feels pity. If Shen Wu can properly hype the CP, her popularity would shoot even higher. Now that she is married, that chance is gone. Obviously, the audience will not pair a married woman with an inexperienced teenager.”I’ve liked you for a long time. I have been looking forward to acting in the drama with you and getting to know you better.” Xia Shan’s eyes are red and the like in his mouth sounded so innocent, “But now that you’re married, it wouldn’t be good to get too close to you.””We will have a lot of opportunities to get to know each other well in the next few months,” Zhu Qing Huan comforted him gently, “We can also get together more after the shooting.”Xia Shan smiled and handed her the champagne glass in his hand: “Here you go.”Zhu Qinghuan took it, clinked it with Xia Shan’s glass, and took a sip.”Then I’ll see you on the set, there are more media now so I won’t talk to you much.” Xia Shan showed tact. He looked around to confirm that no one was watching him, then smiled warmly at Zhu Qing Huan.”Bye.”Zhu Qing Huan sent this cute little brother away with a smile.She sipped the wine in the glass slowly. When she finished the glass, a long time had passed but Nanyang was still gone.Is she lost?Zhu Qing Huan felt that she should go and look for her. If the media noticed that she was alone for a long time, they would write silly nonsense.She got up from her seat and walked around the venue. Many stars chatted together in twos and threes. A few acquaintances came over to say hello to her, but she didn’t think much about it and left with a perfunctory response.When she reached the porch, she saw a familiar slender figure from a distance, wearing a red dress, leaning against the wall and talking to a woman on the opposite side.Zhu Qing Huan walked over and patted her on the shoulder: “Nanyang…”The person turned around and saw Zhu Qing Huan, her lips bent inwardly: “Zhu Zhu?”Very similar, but not her.After all, she was the one who disturbed the person so it is not good to simply walk away. Zhu Qing Huan had to chat with them: “Long time no see, Dan Jin.” She nodded at the woman opposite Jin: “Yan Ran.”These two are both members of the most popular female group in China. The ice beauty with a similar temperament to Nanyang is Dan Jin, who is in the C position on the team, and the woman with the gentle temperament opposite her is named Jiang Yanran, the captain of ANT.Dan Jin and Jiang Yanran usually act in a lot of dramas. Some time ago, they filmed a drama with Zhu Qing Huan so the three of them got to know each other. Both of them have very good personalities and are reasonable people who are well-read. Zhu Qing Huan likes to play with them.”You guys are also coming to the dinner party?””Well,” Dan Jin nodded, “There are many stars invited for this dinner, so the ANT group also ended up here.”Jiang Yanran smiled at Zhu Qing Huan: “Zhu Zhu, I heard that you’re married. Congratulations.””You all know about it.” Zhu Qing Huan smiled lightly.”I can’t help it, when I open my phone it’s all your name,” Jiang Yanran shrugged helplessly, “Our company originally wanted to promote our concert, but it was so suppressed that it couldn’t get the heat out. In the end, our concert had to be postponed for half a month.””I just saw your wife,” Dan Jin said suddenly, “very beautiful.””You’re just as beautiful, Xiao Jin.” Jiang Yanran looked at Dan Jin, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.Dan Jin froze for a moment, avoided Jiang Yanran’s gaze, then smiled politely: “…Thank you Team Captain.”Zhu Qing Huan sighed in her heart. Jiang Yanran is really afraid that others can’t see that she likes Dan Jin. Every time she looks at Dan Jin’s eyes, it’s like she wants to die for her at any given moment.She more or less knew about their situation. Jiang Yanran has a lot of money in her family and the Rujiang Group is the only company with financial resources rivaling the Meis Group. She didn’t have to enter the entertainment circle, but she entered to take care of Dan Jin. Dan Jin’s family is very poor. Not only is she poor, but her father is also patriarchal and owes a lot of debt. The whole family relies on Dan Jin to make money alone and pay off the debt to support her younger brother. Jiang Yanran has been secretly helping Dan Jin to get resources. Dan Jin’s C position practically thanks to Jiang Yanran. If not for Jiang Yanran’s secret support, who knows how many directors she would have to sleep with to get this far.Zhu Qing Huan felt that this matter is very odd, why are they not together yet? ANT fans out there are stacking out their fanfics and she has even read one or two fantastic ones.”Were you looking for someone?” Dan Jin took the initiative to ask this.”Well, looking for my…” Zhu Qing Huan vaguely said the two words, still blushing with half of her ears and bitterly speaking, “Looking for my wife. Her name is Nanyang.””The report said she was thirty-five years old?” Dan Jin seemed to recall that face, “But, she looks only a little over twenty.””The rich probably take care of themselves very well.” Zhu Qing Huan said that, but she was also a bit doubtful.”It’s strange. She looks very young, but those eyes…”Dan Jin likes to read books. People who read a lot are often able others well. She can easily tell at a glance whether a person is shallow or not, but she couldn’t understand Nanyang. She even had a feeling that the indifference in Nanyang’s eyes could not be washed away without hundreds of years.Maybe it’s just her illusion.Dan Jin chose not to say this. She was not a nosy person, she only pointed the way to Zhu Qing Huan: “I just saw her in the toilet, she should have gone back to find you now.””Thank you,” Zhu Qing Huan nodded to her politely, “Then I’ll leave first.”Jiang Yanran smiled softly and promised: “Go ahead, remember to stand with us ANT when we take a group photo later. Let us rub your light.””Alright.”Zhu Qing Huan agreed with a smile.She walked to her seat. After walking over, she noticed Nanyang who had returned.Zhu Qing Huan sat down next to her and asked casually, “You’ve gone for so long.” ButNanyang seemed to be distracted and didn’t reply.”What’s the matter?” Zhu Qing Huan tried to call her, “Why are you in a daze?”Nanyang returned to her senses and slowly turned her head to look at Zhu Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan saw the clear tea-like light brown eyes glowing red and there was a little redness around her eyes.Zhu Qinghuan was taken aback.How…Had she… been crying?Author’s Theater
*Can you guess why Nanyang is crying? I bet an extra chapter, you can’t guess.
P.S. For those interested in Dan Jin and Jiang Yanran, check out my other work ‘I Love You After All’
P.P.S. Friendly reminder: Don’t ship th
Chapter 13
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”What’s wrong?” Zhu Qing Huan frowned.The host on the stage had already started the opening speech of the party. The lights in the hall were dimmed and all the light was focused on the stage. Those red eyes were hidden by the darkness, making them seem just like an illusion.”It’s nothing.” Nanyang’s flat voice came in response.From the sound, it seems like there is really nothing wrong. However, Nanyang is not someone who cried very easily. What happened? Did something happen while going to the toilet?After a while, Nanyang took the initiative to speak: “Be prepared. I just hugged a woman earlier, I might’ve been photographed.”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback.For some reason, her heart hollowed out and she felt a little pain.What was she disappointed in?Shouldn’t she have understood long ago that the rich are casual? As long as they were out of sight, she will go hug other women unscrupulously.She was prepared for the two to be separated after the wedding, but she didn’t expect for it to happen when they had just announced their marriage. This was the first time that they attended a public event together and Nanyang couldn’t wait to find someone else. Is she really so eager that she couldn’t wait to get a room after the dinner party and had to risk being discovered by the reporters to be with someone else at the dinner party?Nanyang’s voice interrupted her ruminations.”It’s a friend I haven’t seen for a long time. It’s been so long, I gave her a hug.” Nanyang continued in a faint voice, “Don’t misunderstand, I can take you to meet her some day. I’m sorry, I should have come to ask you first.”Listening to her explanation, Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback and the turbulent emotions faded away. After they disappeared, she couldn’t help laughing at herself in her heart.Nanyang hugged a friend, but Zhu Qing Huan was already thinking about loathsome things.”You want to hug your friend, why are you asking me?” Zhu Qing Huan replied softly.”I can only hug others with your permission.”Nanyang’s voice still hid her emotions, but Zhu Qing Huan could hear the loyalty hidden inside.”…” Zhu Qing Huan turned her head away, biting her her lower lip. Her chin trembled slightly, “Why?”Why is her “permission” so important?Nanyang acted like she head a very idiotic question, “Huh?” She patiently replied: “Because I am yours. If my arm is going to touch another person, of course I need your consent.”Nanyang is… her person?Can she completely own someone?Nanyang lowered her voice and continued: “If it’s really caught on camera, I will do my best to suppress it. I’m sorry, I didn’t expect to cause you trouble.”Zhu Qing Huan was silent for a while, her voice soft: “No need to apologize to me, I’m not angry.””Mhm.”Nanyang closed her mouth. She doesn’t like to talk in public. It is very rare for her to say so much at once.While Zhu Qing Huan was still sinking in the darkness, she quietly turned her head to take a peek at Nanyang beside her.Nanyang sat not close nor far away from her. She could see her desire to get close and the respect she expressed by suppressing that desire. Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes fell on her slender neck and the white skin on her shoulders. She couldn’t help thinking. When Nanyang holds a person, will that person touch these places? Where will that person’s hand be placed on Nanyang? Behind the neck? Or waist?How does it feel to be held by Nanyang?The host on the stage began to read the name of each star, then read the amount of their donation. One after another, money-scented numbers echoed on the stage and everyone was smiling and beaming. As if everyone had really carried out a perfect redemption. As if these numbers could be implemented in every poor person’s home.Nanyang listened carefully to the host’s speech for a while and said softly to Zhu Qing Huan during the gap: “It’s almost time for you. I donated a very high amount for you, higher than all of them.”Zhu Qing Huan said nothing, but the light on the stage reflected in her eyes and she looked a little gentler again.Nanyang did donate a very beautiful number in her name. When the number was read by the host, there was a soft “ooh” from the audience.This gold master is really willing to give this little flower money.Many people looked at Zhu Qing Huan with envious eyes. It must be great to marry into a wealthy family. In this entertainment circle where capital speaks, her path will definitely be smooth in the future. Maybe soon, she will develop from a small flower into a big flower.After the dinner is over, a group photo of the stars will be taken. Zhu Qing Huan knew that Nanyang definitely wouldn’t like this so she told her in advance that she should go to the toilet to avoid it.As soon as Zhu Qing Huan came onto the stage, ANT’s Xiong Xue’er carried her to ANT’s center. Xiong Xue’er asked her where Boss Nan had gone. Zhu Qing Huan pretended to not know where she had gone. Xiong Xue’er looked disappointed and said that she wanted to see Boss Nan herself. Hearing Dan Jin and the others talk about Boos Nan’s looks made her face itch. She wanted to see too.After taking the photo together, everyone went back to their seats. The venue came up to pack things, both sides of the press have also been withdrawn.Zhu Qing Huan sat at the table and sent Nanyang a WeChat to ask her to come back.When Nanyang came back, she happened to run into a group of people walking out so she waited a while. She only walked into the hall when there were fewer people. There were almost no people left in the hall, only a few reporters still packing their equipment.Maybe she stalled for a bit too long, Zhu Qing Huan slumped over the edge of the table and was dozing off again.She pecked her head down, just like a sleepy duck. She was really tired today and it seemed as if her body was not her own. Once away from the camera, her heart relaxed, and she felt like sleeping on the spot.Nanyang walked to the stage and stood in front of Zhu Qing Huan. She didn’t speak and just looked at her with a small smile in her eyes. Zhu Qing Huan leaned to the side of the table with her head hanging down, her eyes closed, and so she naturally did not see Nanyang in front of her.Finally, she fell asleep completely and her body went limp.Nanyang had prepared for this a long time ago and opened her arms. She let her fall into her arms and hugged her steadily.It seems she’ll have to have a talk with the boss of Xiaotian Entertainment. Arranging so much work for Zhu Qing Huan and making her this exhausted is not good for her health.Nanyang hugged her like this, and carried her all the way to Xiao Ye’s car. When she arrived at the villa, she took her out of the car and carried her all the way back to her room.Without permission, Nanyang did not dare to take off her clothes so she could only unzip the zipper on the back of her gown to make her chest more comfortable. Nanyang covered her with a quilt, tucked the quilt, and took a look at the makeup on her face. She hesitated for a while, then walked to the bathroom.She searched for a long time on the washstand in the bathroom before she found makeup remover in the pile of bottles and cans. She took the bottle of makeup remover and read the instructions carefully, then found the cotton soft towel, poured the makeup remover on it, then went back to Qing Huan’s bed and squatted down. She carefully and gently wiped her eyebrows, cheeks, nose, and everything else with the soft towel little by little, so that every inch of her was wiped clean. After wiping, she took a soft towel and dipped it with clean water and wiped again to make sure Qing Huan was comfortable.Before going to bed at night, Qing Huan would do another set of skin care. But Nanyang didn’t know anything about it, so she sat by the bed, searched a woman’s daily skin care process, and started learning step by step. After studying, she searched the room all over and found all the toners, lotions, essences, and eye creams. Like a primary school student, she spread all the skin care products on the bed and picked them up in turn according to the steps on the phone. She applied everything on Qing Huan’s face.The sleeping Qing Huan very obedient, allowing Nan Yang to wipe her face awkwardly. She showed no reaction throughout the entire process.Nanyang couldn’t help but smile while applying the last cream. She has never served people like this before and her status has been honorable since ancient times. She was always the one being served, it was unthinkable for her to do such a thing. Even the original Qing Huan didn’t get the chance to receive Nanyang’s service. Until Qing Huan’s death, Nanyang was the person who was cared for in their relationship.Almost completely done, Nanyang’s fingers stopped on Qing Huan’s chin. She stared at her lips with scorching eyes, frowning slightly and suppressing the desire in her heart.Suppressed to the point that there was pain in her eyes.In the end, she still didn’t dare to do anything. She gently picked up the curly hair on the side of her pillow and softly kissed the ends of her hair.Having done this for the second time already, Nanyang did not have red ears.She was about to go back to her room to rest, but after a few steps she changed her course. Nanyang went to the kitchen downstairs to make a bowl of porridge and quietly placed it on Qing Huan’s bedside table.What if she wakes up at night and gets hungry.Zhu Qing Huan also slept soundly for the entire night, completely unaware that she was being moved around and only woke up at dawn.After she woke up, she habitually opened Weibo to read the various news and to see if the photos of Nanyang hugging her friend had leaked out yesterday.Unexpectedly, she didn’t see Nanyang hugging someone else’s photo, but saw Nanyang hugging her at the top of the list. There are also three entries related to this photo on the hot search and one of them has reached the top of the list.Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes widened in surprise.In the photo, the environment was extremely large it showed a woman hugging another woman in it. The person who took the photo should have opened the device in a hurry. The pixels are average and only a rough outline can be seen. Although the photo is blurry, she could clearly see her unconscious self and Nanyang’ with her. She seemed to be smiling in the photo, but it also seemed that she was not smiling. Nanyang held her in a very delicate posture, as if afraid of harming Zhu Qing Huan. Her curly hair was wrapped around Nanyang’s arm, like seaweed entangled in a guqin.She opened the comments.Zhu Qing Huan laughed.【Sea guitarist: Ahhhhhh, it’s too sweet!!!! awsl!!!! Is this a real person????? 】【Aysehj: Begging to have such a kind gold master to fall in love with me [Kneel Down ] [Kneel Down ] [Kneel Down] Beautiful and rich, please leave a way for ordinary people to survive!!! [Cry] 】【From deep sea Cube Devil: The actual fact is that you can find a lot of people who are not able to get a good deal on a lot of things. The kind that has no face, no money, no temper [love] [love] [love]】【Every day I write about the unintentional talking and laughing: [cute] don’t grab the South boss with me, thank you [smile][smile][smile]】【 Authentic boiled fish panties: I beg the fairy sisters to make their debut together, I will be a fan [kneel] [cry] [kiss] I want to see the two of them filming a TV series together [praise]】【Snail Pie 123: Is this really a 35 year old?????? Still have so much hair?????? 】Zhu Qing Huan saw that there was a hypertext link called “Nan Huan Girl’s Love CP” in the comments, mumbled this strange CP name and clicked it.She has not seen many people who write homoeroticism for two people who are already married. It seems, as long as the face value is enough, there will be a large number of face value dog eyes to produce food.Zhu Qing Huan clicked on an article with high views.In the fanfic, Nanyang and she are childhood friends. She has seen her most immature and self-willed moments. When she grows up, the two of them will be together naturally. She supported her in pursuing her dreams, silently supported all her decisions, loved her, and protected her until they were old.At the end of the fanfic, there was also a section of their daily life when they became two little old ladies. Nanyang was drinking tea in an old enamel cup and Qing Huan tried on a wig that she had just bought in front of the mirror. They were betting with each other to see who bought more shoes last year. Nanyang stubbornly ran to put out all the shoes of the two people and counted them one by one. After counting, she found that she had lost so she angrily handed Qing Huan a wrinkled fifty yuan bill. Let her have a fun afternoon playing mahjong.Zhu Qing Huan looked at the words and caressed them with her fingertips, full of broken desire and despair.If only she could have this kind of happy life.Author’s Theater
The same article dramatized the ending [dog head]
Yesterday, no one guessed it, hehehehehe
Chapter 14
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Nanyang woke up early in the morning to cook porridge for Zhu Qing Huan. When she made the porridge, she became lost in thought. She couldn’t just keep on giving Qing Huan plain porridge that didn’t taste anything, but she didn’t know what else to make. Maybe… if she couldn’t add seasoning just because of shaking hands then she could buy something online…The sudden ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts.Nanyang turned off the fire on the stove and took out her mobile phone. When she saw the caller ID, she couldn’t help but curve her eyes. She pressed the phone to her ear: “A Cheng?”A childish voice came through the phone: “My ancestor, I wish you good morning.” There was a rustle over the line, “I’m already on my knees, quickly let me get up.””Okay, but I don’t know whether you’re kneeling or not?” Nanyang cracked a rare joke.”It’s a modern society. It’s too feudal to kneel down just to say good morning.” Ming Wan Cheng’s voice was energetic and sounded like she was in a good mood. “Do you have time today? Last night’s reunion was too hasty, you gave me a hug and left immediately. Can we meet up today?””Yeah.” Nanyang agreed.”Then see you in an hour. I’ll wait for you at Wanda’s Starbucks.”Nanyang thought for a while and said, “Change to a higher-end and more secretive place. My photos are now all over the internet, so going to Starbucks will be too troublesome.””Starbucks is really not considered secretive, but isn’t it considered high-end? A cup of coffee is fifty or sixty, so expensive.” Ming Wan Cheng sighed, “Ancestor is so rich, even Starbucks is low-end to her.””This era is more convenient than thousands of years ago. As long as we have a mobile phone, we can always keep in touch. If you are short of money, call me. “Nanyang is not a money-making person and has no concept of money whatsoever. From ancient times to the present, she had been served by people and was never short on money. It didn’t matter in the end, Mei Zhongli and the others are more than willing to spend money on her. Sometimes they even wished for Nanyang to spend more. They were so willing, that in order to avoid giving Nanyang any competition for the family’s property, Mei Zhongli avoided having children or even marrying his wife.”I will remember what you said, I will come to you for more money in the future!””Okay, see you in an hour. I will send you the address when I find the restaurant.”Ming Wan Cheng smilingly ended the call after saying, “This disciple bids Ancestor farewell.”Nanyang put the cooked porridge on the dining table and returned to her room to take the car keys. After Qing Huan moved in, she rarely took the initiative to go out. She prefers to stay alone or with Qing Huan. The world outside the house is too noisy and those people and things have nothing to do with her. The unconnected sorrows and joys of others are rubbish to her ears.When she arrived at the reserved restaurant, Ming Wan Cheng was already waiting there.She noticed the sound of footsteps approaching and turned her head.She looked like a teenage girl with her long hair draped softly on her shoulders and her eyebrows were as clear as a stream in spring and summer. When she met Nanyang, her eyes rippled with joy.When she was not speaking, she had the same temperament as Nanyang. She was calm and indifferent, giving off an untouchable aura. It was a trait that belonged only to those who had practiced swords and cultivated Taoism.Ming Wan Cheng is Qing Huan’s apprentice.Or rather, it was Yun Tong who helped Qing Huan accept this disciple.Before her death, Qing Huan had never accepted a disciple. After her death, Nanyang gave her the prestigious title of Lord and everyone in the world knew that there is a Lord named Qing Huan in Beifa. Now that the name is hung up, it is unacceptable that she has no disciples. So Yun Tong, as the senior sister of Qing Huan, accepted a young disciple in Qing Huan’s name.To a certain extent, Nanyang has always treated Qing Huan, Yun Tong, and Bia Zi as her children, so their disciples are equivalent to her grandchildren. It’s said that grandparents always want to spoil children a little bit more. Nanyang’s love for Ming Wan Cheng has the same logic. Not to mention that Wan Cheng is the only serious disciple under Qing Huan’s name. When Wan Cheng was young, she always loved to hug her like a little granddaughter.Wan Cheng has a cute face and is a little orphan who was picked up by Yun Tong from outside. Being so similar to Qing Huan made Nanyang feel sorry for her and she helped pick out her name. Evening clarity, the sky light as water. Her name was taken from this allusion.Wan Cheng was scolded by Yun Tong for not practicing her sword well, but Nanyang pulled Yun Tong aside to persuade her. When she ran around and turned Beifa upside down, Yun Tong was so angry that she was going to beat her, but Nanyang intervened: “The child is young. Don’t do it.” Even Yun Tong and Bian Zi didn’t dare be rude to Nanyang, but Wan Cheng was another case. Not only was she extremely bold, she even dared to pull Nanyang’s eyebrows.Nanyang was extremely tolerant and said, “Let her grab it, it will grow back anyways.”However much she indulged in Qing Huan back then, was how much she indulged in Wan Cheng. Ming Wan Cheng was also well aware of her special identity. She knew that Nanyang loves Qing Huan. Since she was the disciple of Master Qing Huan, Nanyang also showed her near equal favor. Relying on this bias, she was never punished for pulling pranks and messing with people in Beifa. She had no fear at all.Wan Cheng grew up listening to Yun Tong tell stories about a princess.In Yun Tong’s story, there was a beautiful and delicate little girl living in a luxurious palace with big eyes, long eyelashes, and two dimples when she smiles. Butterflies will circle her when she is happy and boys will line up to coax her when she is angry. If she likes you, she will kiss you, hug you while being cute and well-behaved. Ming Wan Cheng longed for the princess in the story. She secretly decided that when she grew up, she must go and abduct a princess to bring back.She said that because she wanted to abduct, then she must abduct.She slipped down the mountain at the age of sixteen and went to find her princess in the surrounding countries. Yun Tong was going to catch her, but Nanyang said, “Let her go.”No one thought that two years later, Wan Cheng would really bring a princess back to the mountain.That was the eldest princess of Xixia Kingdom, Xizhu. She was a little older than Wan Cheng, so A Cheng called her older sister. Yun Tong and Bian Zi watched her for a long time, and felt that this princess was very virtuous, gentle and beautiful. Not a bad counter to the chaotic A Cheng. That night Cheng said triumphantly that this was the result of her robbery. As the princess was being sent to be married, she broke through the soldiers and snatched her out of the sedan chair.The princess blushed and stared at Ming Wan Cheng, scolding her for being rowdy.Nanyang could tell that although the princess always scolded A Cheng, she liked A Cheng in her heart. She would quietly go to the kitchen to help A Cheng cook, pull the corner of A Cheng’s clothes and walk on A Cheng’s shadow, kiss the corner of A Cheng’s mouth while sleeping, and sometimes personally washed A Cheng’s clothes.In any case, the princess was willing to cook and wash clothes for a person, which Nanyang thought was great. She has never washed anything for Qing Huan.The two of them seemed to be glued together and neither of them could do without. If the princess goes down the mountain to buy things in the village, A Cheng will run from the Rongku Pavilion to the Jianjian Pond while shouting: “Where is my sister?” If A Cheng is confined in the library, the princess will come. When she arrived at the main hall of the head, she would cautiously call Nanyang and ask her, “Did A Cheng make a mistake again?”Nanyang would reply with yes, she made mistakes every day.The princess often apologized for Ming Wan Cheng. She was always apologetic to Nanyang and told her to not be angry with A Cheng.Nanyang was silent for a moment and said, “I’m not angry. Just don’t make her keep her knees on the washboard. The washboard of Rongku Pavilion had been knelt by her and I couldn’t wash my clothes.”The princess smiled and said yes.Once, Nanyang accidentally bumped into A Cheng, who was punished to kneel on the washboard all night and sat high on a stone table, her trousers reaching her thighs. The princess sat on the edge of a stone bench and gently kneaded her red and swollen knee. A Cheng grumbled aggrievedly, “Sister, don’t you punish me to kneel. The brothers and sisters are all laughing at me.”The princess smiled and said, “A Cheng, I just hope you can learn to be a gentle person.”A Cheng asked: “What is gentleness?”The princess said, “Don’t bully your brothers and sisters just because they like you. Don’t just pluck her eyebrows just because the ancestor Nanyang loves you. You have to understand that plucking your eyebrows is very painful, just like it hurts if you kneel on the washboard.”A Cheng nodded, “Okay, I will become a gentle person like my sister.”The princess smiled and bowed her head, kissed A Cheng’s swollen knee, and said, “A Cheng is so good. Cheng, when will you marry me?”From that day on, Cheng kept yelling in front of Nanyang every night: “I don’t want to practice the Taoist way, I want to marry a wife! Every time I finished yelling, I was hung up and beaten by Yun Tang, and she was beating while teaching: If you marry the old woman, you must fix the Tao! Do you still want to run after being punished in Beijing? Dream on!”They got along very well and Nanyang was also considering letting them get married.However, the princess was abducted after all.If you lose something, don’t you want to find it back?After going around, Xixia Kingdom finally found Beifa. Xixia is a small country with little power, so they wanted to use their princess as a bargaining chip. Now that the princess had been robbed, they had to get her back.How could Nanyang take care of them. She asked more than a dozen disciples from the Northern Punishment to tie up the Xixia messenger who had come, beat them in a sack, and throw them back.Xixia Kingdom is very angry. Are you a gangster sect? In anger, the whole country is ready to crusade against Beichaoshan. The number of disciples of Northern Punishment is already large, and they are all masters who are proficient in kendo. The big soldiers cultivated in a small country can cost a dozen to a hundred. Northern punishment has always been that people do not offend me and I do not offend. If you have to scratch the tiger’s mane, you should not blame yourself for the dead.So after fighting for half a month, Xixia was annihilated.Nanyang didn’t intend to make it so serious, and the country was not punished by the North. The king seemed to be mad, he just smashed all the manpower of the country on this battle. The big country next to it saw the opportunity and easily entered their palace, killed their king, and occupied them. The disappearance of a country is as simple as that. As soon as the person on the throne is changed, a new country is established. The people don’t think it matters, as long as they can eat and drink, they don’t care what your monarch’s surname is.Just when everyone felt that they could finally have a peaceful and good time, an unexpected news came from Lunjiantai–A Cheng’s princess had jumped off a cliff and died for her country.Jumped off from the highest point of Lunjiantai. Before the jump, she and A Cheng were there for a walk after dinner, and A Cheng was still talking about Xizhu last night, a little bit stunned. It was such an ordinary afternoon, she let go of her hand, there was no sign, no farewell, and no turning back.Martyred.——Really an arrogant woman.Yun Tang sighed.——But it’s not necessary, is it?Bianzi was puzzled.-People inherently went. Outsiders are nothing to ask for.This is how Nanyang explained it to Yuntang and Bianzi, and it was the same way that comforted Cheng Ming.A Cheng understands this truth, the princess has the destiny and perseverance that belongs to the princess, she can love her, but also loves her country. She understands, but she can’t help but think about it. The person she loves is dead, how can she not think about it?That month, Nanyang sat on Lunjiantai every day, and didn’t dare go back at night. Because A Cheng ran here every day, every day she wanted to jump from here and lie down beside the ice-cold bones under the cliff.”Are you willing to do anything as long as you can see her again?” Nanyang once again grabbed A Cheng who wanted to jump off the cliff and asked.A Cheng cried, “Don’t you want to see my Master Qinghuan? Don’t you want to see her?”Nanyang grabbed her right hand and trembled for a long time before saying:”I don’t want you to follow in my footsteps. A Cheng, forbidden surgery has a price.””I’m not afraid.”Nanyang looked into her eyes, and her voice increased: “Very painful price.””I’m not afraid of pain.”Nanyang let go of her hand and said, “Okay.”She didn’t want A Cheng to be like her, but there was no other way. Perhaps, as long as there is hope of seeing that person again, and no matter how painful alive in this world, A Cheng will be happy, just like herself.That night A Cheng, like Nanyang, won eternal life, and a hope for the ninety-ninth century.Since then, they have each followed the reincarnation of their lover, leaving Beifangshan to find the next life of the princess. In ancient times, there were no good communication tools. The only reliable thing was to pass the books to the flying pigeons, but the two people were in different places and gradually lost all contact.No one thought that after three thousand years, at a charity dinner where stars gathered, A Cheng, who was squeezed in a small corner with no fame, saw the windy old man standing beside Zhu Qing Huan.After three thousand years of reunion, apart from fate, there is no other possibility.And fate is undoubtedly the thing that should be cherished most in this world.A Cheng stood up from her seat and looked at Nanyang with red eyes, and could not help but cry: “Old, old ancestor.” Nanyang smiled at her: “Sit down, no need to kneel.””Insane, kneel here…” she wiped out a tear, and waited for Nanyang to come over and sit down before she sat down.”Have you ordered?” Nanyang picked up the menu.”I ordered it, and ordered the most expensive Big Mac package.” As expected, it was the familiar A Cheng. One hundred holes in Nanyang, not only ninety-nine holes.”Yeah.” Nanyang responded.”Thank you, ancestor,” Cheng nodded, “I watched Weibo. You and Zhu Qing Huan seem to have a good relationship.”Nanyang looked at the menu and frowned, “Presumptuous. What should you call her?””Uh …Master, I’ll call her Master.” Cheng immediately corrected her address tomorrow night, “I saw some people on Weibo say that Master can fall asleep at the dinner party, maybe she’s pregnant, I haven’t heard you say it. Is this an accidental pregnancy?”Nanyang’s face suddenly became cold, “Naughty, how can the two women get pregnant by accident?””Yeah…” A Cheng, scratching her head.”…What about you, have you found her in this life?””Yeah!” Cheng nodded vigorously, “This is the ninety-seventh life. I can wait until she turns into a human. Don’t you know that she was just a ugly golden retriever in her last life. I only know that the snail that eats vegetable leaves is a pebble on the side of the road in the last life. Why can my master reincarnate so beautifully? It is plum blossoms and rabbits, I am so envious. “Aesthetic?Nanyang lowered her eyes, remembering a lifetime when Qing Huan turned into a small spider.Nanyang is afraid of spiders. In those few years, she kept her in a fish tank. She wanted to touch it but didn’t dare. She had to be wary that
Chapter 15
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”Choo–“Qi Yi sneezed.”What’s wrong with you? Got a cold?” Zhu Qing Huan, who was sitting next to her, asked.”No,” Qi Yi sniffed vigorously. “No snot.”Before saying a few words, their voices were quickly overwhelmed by the howling KTV ghosts.Holding the microphones is Zhu Qing Huan and Qi Yi’s college classmate, Liao Zifeng. This man is tall and handsome, three words were enough to sum him up.Today was a gathering of several classmates from their university to have a good time. Zhu Qing Huan was about to join the group and they took advantage of her to make an appointment before joining the group. Zhu Qing Huan was an Arts Department Officer for the Student Union in the university. The others here were her colleagues. They’ve participated in many school activities together back then. The biggest event they did in the four years was when they set up a 100-square-meter stage on the campus in three days and invited ANT, who was not as popular at the time, to perform at the university. Although they weren’t as famous, the band still consisted of celebrities, attracting many people to come to the concert. Many of those people were idlers and not related to the school in any way. Their student IDs allowed them to bring friends, so many students sold their guest spots like scalpers.After graduation, everyone developed independently and blossomed. Although Zhu Qing Huan became a top-notch celebrity flower in one fell swoop, it did not affect the friendship between them, especially Qi Yi. Qi Yi was attracted by Zhu Qing Huan’s face. When she was freshman, she wanted to come and confess secretly, but she completely gave up the idea after spending two days with Zhu Qing Huan. Zhu Qing Huan was just a hedgehog wrapped in cotton. She looked soft and gentle, but she was actually very defensive and would never show her heart to others. Qi Yi didn’t have the confidence to spend so much time and energy to warm such a piece of ice.”Xiao Yi, take medicine if you have a cold!” Lin Xin shouted with a smile on the other side of the sofa.”I don’t have a cold!” Qi Yi called back.They were only two meters apart, but they could barely hear each other.”Zifeng, how about you stop singing for a bit!” Zhu Qing Huan had to roar these words to be heard. Several of their faces were a bit ugly and her head was about to be blown up by Liao Zifeng.Liao Zifeng’s singing stopped, he turned around and laughed before speaking loudly into the microphone: “Then we will invite our superstar, Miss Qing Huan! Come on! One! Song!”Zhu Qing Huan stopped talking. She is an actor, not a singer. She sings like a high-speed serial tailgating scene.Lin Xin thought of a better idea. She clapped her hands and stood up: “Let’s not sit around and listen to him screaming. How about we play some games?” Lin Xin asked the waiter to bring the same number of cups as the people they had. “Let’s play the bragging game. How about making the loser do Truth or Dare?””Let’s play. Let’s play.” Everyone agreed and Liao Zifeng finally put down the microphone.No matter what the occasion, as long as the sieve cup is brought out to play the bragging game, everyone will get heated up.Zhu Qing Huan has little desire to play, but since everyone wants to play, she can’t be an exception. Otherwise, no matter how familiar they are, there would be someone secretly saying that she is acting above them.Five people sat down in a circle around a coffee table. The peanuts and melon seeds on the table were shoved to one side. One person picked up their cup and shook up the content inside it. After shaking it, he slammed it on the table. Everyone sneakily lifted their lid to see their points and hid them for fear of being watched by the person next to them.Zhu Qing Huan took a peek at her sieve cup. One 3, two 1s.”You call it first, Zhu Zhu.” Liao Zifeng threw the start to Zhu Qing Huan.”Six 6s.” Zhu Qing Huan lied calmly.Fifteen dice with 6 starters are quite conservative. She doesn’t have a 6 in her hand, so let’s scream so that others will mistakenly think that she has a 6 in her hand.Qi Yi followed: “Nine 6s.” She really dared to call. Generally, no one would dare to add three dice counts in one breath. It is estimated that they did have a 6 in their hands and Zhu Qing Huan was cheated again.Zhu Qing Huan smiled and shook her head.Qi Yi’s friend, Lin Xin, saw her shaking her head, and asked, “Zhu Zhu, what are you laughing at?”Zhu Qing Huan replied, “I think you can drive her, there won’t be nine in 6.”Lin Xin said, “Zhu Zhu is so confident? Then I can open it. If there are nine of them, you will come and be punished for me.”Zhu Qing Huan nodded softly: “Okay.”She didn’t expect this. The circle opened so fast, everyone opened their sieve cup. Zhu Qing Huan scanned everyone’s dice, silently counting the points of 6 and 1 (1 is the universal point). After counting a circle, she found that adding her two 1s, the sum was exactly nine.Qi Yi couldn’t help laughing: “Zhu Zhu, why pit yourself? You have two omnipotent points in your hand and yet you still dare to ask Lin Xin to drive me. You really can’t calculate.”Liao Zifeng interrupted: “Anyway, Zhu Zhu lost here. Willing to take a bet, you must be prepared to accept the punishments! Choose one, truth or dare?”Several people around them laughed unkindly.Zhu Qing Huan can understand their laughter. She is an artist. They are eager for her to choose truth so they can ask about some scandals that have been raging in the circle. No matter what they say, they will post anonymously on the Internet after they go home, “A friend in the circle said that XX CP is a fake, XX is a fostered XX, and XX and XX are actually divorced. Blah blah blah”. People love to gossip like this, especially with a sense of superiority from their “reliable” source.But why offend unrelated fellows in the entertainment circle?Zhu Qing Huan had no choice but to choose a dare.”Come on, give me your phone.” Liao Zifeng smiled meaningfully.”What do you want to do?” Zhu Qing Huan became vigilant. Her phone had too much classified work information and the company will be held accountable if it is leaked out.”Don’t worry, I won’t look randomly. I just want to send a message to your boss,” Liao Zifeng raised an eyebrow, “just send her the KTV address and see if she will come.””What’s the point of this?” Zhu Qing Huan frowned, “What will we do if she really comes?””Come on, come on. Let’s sing together and get to know each other better.” Lin Xin patted Zhu Qing Huan on the shoulder. “My guess is that there’s an 80% chance that she’ll ignore it. The young boss is very busy. How can a simple message summon her all the way here?”Liao Zifeng started grabbing at Zhu Qing Huan’s phone: “Hurry up! You already chose dare, don’t chicken out now!”Zhu Qing Huan was tightly guarding her phone when a thought came to her. her fingers fingers relaxed and she half-heartedly let her phone be taken away by Liao Zifeng.Suddenly, curiosity grew in her heart.Will she… really come?She wanted to see if Nanyang would really put everything down to come to her side because of a message.Liao Zifeng confirmed with Zhu Qing Huan the dialog box of Nanyang on WeChat and quickly typed in several words. Within two minutes, he returned the phone to Zhu Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan glanced at the phone screen with a guilty conscience.At the top is Nanyang’s message to herself in the morning-“The porridge is on the table, remember to eat.” She did not reply to the message. The next text is the KTV location just posted by Liao Zifeng and a line of small words-“I’m sick.” Yes, come and pick me up”.Liao Zifeng noticed Zhu Qing Huan’s astonishment when she saw the line of words and he shrugged, “I had to have an excuse, otherwise it would be too dry.””But this is…” Isn’t that bad?Zhu Qing Huan frowned again. This is teasing Nanyang. If Nanyang did not come, then it would be fine, but if she did come? Seeing herself sitting here safe and sound and realizing that she was played by a game, what would Nanyang think?But there was another voice in her heart saying that she was also looking forward to this. She hoped that Nanyang would really put everything down and come to her. She wanted to know if she really liked her that much.She was caught in a tangled contradiction. While looking forward to Nanyang’s arrival, she also didn’t want her to come. The two voices were noisy in her heart.The phone shook suddenly.Zhu Qing Huan picked up the phone hurriedly and saw a new message from Nanyang-“Room number?”Nanyang is a very strict person and this rigor is manifested in every detail of her life. For example, she never let her shirt appear wrinkled or stained. If it is dirty, she must replace it with a new one within an hour. Another example, each of her WeChat messages will use punctuation marks, commas, periods, and colons as standard and every sentence is as neat and tidy as the college entrance examination composition. If she needs to use a question mark, she will only hit one and there will never be a second one. As for the exclamation point, this kind of thing does not exist in Nanyang’s world at all.Nanyang has no interest in exploring most things, so her communication with people basically ends with a full stop. Generally speaking, what makes her use a question mark is already the most important thing in her heart.Zhu Qing Huan pursed her lips and looked at the [“Room number?”] on the screen. She sent the floor and room numbers in a ghostly manner.After she sent the message, she couldn’t help but read WeChat nervously. The game was still going on, but she didn’t have any thoughts at all. She continued playing with a few friends perfunctorily, but her mind was as messy as paste.After about half an hour, the KTV room door was gently pushed open.Her heartbeat stagnated.Zhu Qing Huan was ready to stand up at any time, both legs were nervously numb. When the door was opened, she hurriedly got up and looked over.Nanyang touched the door with her left arm, frowning and looking around the noisy room with colorful lights flashing, her eyes filled with barely suppressed anxiety. She was only wearing a thin white shirt, an off-white down jacket on her arm, and her long hair was a little messy.Zhu Qing Huan walked over to her and greeted her stiffly. After approaching, she discovered that the collarbone on Nanyang’s shirt was wet with sweat, her cheekbones were also faintly red, the hair on her temples stuck to the side of her face, and the frequency of her chest fluctuations was faster than usual. . The right hand half-hidden by the down jacket was holding a box of medicine and her thumb was tightly pressed on the carton. Only the words “Wei Shu” in the front could be seen in the name of the medicine.As soon as she approached, Nanyang immediately grabbed her wrist, and a word overflowed between her lips and teeth: “You–“”Oh, you are really here!” Liao Zifeng whistled, “Hurry up, let’s play a big adventure game! Boss Nan, come and play together!”Nanyang’s words were interrupted and her mouth remained half-opened. Half a sentence of caring swallowed into her stomach, looking at these people in the private room, the ups and downs of her chest slowed. She took another look at Qing Huan, who was ruddy and healthy. Hearing the word game they said, the depressed anxiety in her eyes gradually cooled.Zhu Qing Huan looked at Nanyang nervously. Apart from the greeting she had just said, she didn’t dare to speak any more, carefully observing Nanyang’s expression.But Nanyang didn’t show an angry gesture. She was silent for a while and returned to her usual expressionless look. She let go of Qing Huan if nothing had happened, and said softly, “Have fun, I’m leaving now.”After she finished, she regained her usual expressionless appearance. She turned and left.”What’s wrong? This is…” Liao Zifeng still didn’t know good he had done. Qi Yi glared at the back of his head.Zhu Qing Huan was stunned for a few seconds before she instinctively opened the door and gave chase.In the corridor, she grabbed Nanyang’s arm, her voice a little anxious:”Are you…are you angry?”Nanyang froze and stood with her lips pressed for a while. When she spoke again, there was a gentle tone in her voice: “No, I’m not angry.”She hid her emotions quickly and well, so well that Zhu Qing Huan thought that the disappointment in her eyes not so long ago was just her imagination. Zhu Qing Huan asked unwillingly, “Why aren’t you angry?”Nanyang looked at her and the corners of his lips were naturally curved: “You are not sick again, why am I angry?”Nanyang’s words rendered Zhu Qing Huan speechless.Wouldn’t you be angry like this? Why isn’t she angry with the way she’s treated?”You and your friends continue to play, I can’t accompany you.” Nanyang lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to sing, and I don’t know how to play those games. In front of your friends, maybe I’ll make you lose face.”Zhu Qing Huan didn’t know how to reply.”I’m leaving first, remember to go home early.”Nanyang nodded at her as a farewell.Zhu Qing Huan watched Nanyang go further and further, before finally disappearing at the corner of the stairs. Her body shook unconsciously and suddenly, a thought occurred.She wants to follow Nanyang.She wanted to see if Nanyang would explode after she left her. She wanted to know if Nanyang was angry, to what extent, and how she vents her anger.So she followed her quietly.She has been followed secretly by countless paparazzi. This is the first time she has followed others in such a despicable manner.Follow your wife.Nanyang walked out of the KTV, her half-wet white shirt fluttering in the cold winter wind, she walked very slowly, seemingly forgetting to put on her jacket.As she walked, she suddenly stopped in front of a small shop. Then, she stood there for a long time, without talking or moving.Zhu Qing Huan hid in the distance, holding her breath and staring at her.Who knows how much time has passed when Nanyang finally took a step and walked slowly into the messy canteen.Soon after, she came out of the commissary. Holding a paper box upright in her hand, when she came out, she asked the uncle sitting at the door to borrow a small folding stool. Holding the stool, she found a trash can and sat down right in front of the trash can. Then, she opened the box of golden chocolates she had just bought, took out a piece, peeled off the golden tin foil and stuffed it into her mouth.Zhu Qing Huan could only see her slightly bulged cheeks chewing, chewing non-stop. After eating one piece carefully, she threw the tin foil into the trash can, took out the second and third pieces, and smoothly sent them to her mouth as if she was on the brink of starvation.Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback for a moment, and what she said suddenly buzzed in her head—”You are thirty-five years old, and prone to diabetes by eating this way. If you really like sugar, you can try chocolate. It’s pure cocoa butter and it tastes delicious.””Eat when you are sad, and you will feel better.”Eat when you are sad, the mood will get better.His eyes flickered, as if she had seen Nanyang who was sitting across from her that night again. Under the soft light, she was holding her elegant long hair, her side bangs hanging loosely on the side of her delicate face.She nodded seriously and said:Okay, I remember it.Qing Huan bit her lips tightly, her nails sinking deeply into the skin, and her heart ached.She stared at Nanyang and watched her eat a whole box of twenty-five chocolates in front of the trash can, wearing her thin white shirt with the cold wind blowing at her.Twenty-five yuan. Not a single piece is left.It takes twenty-five pieces of chocolate to soothe her sadness, how sad is she?Why is she so sad and so gentle?Author’s Theater
The way Nanyang loses her temper is to eat chocolate and eat herself to death
Chapter 16
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Ming Wan Cheng clamped the phone between her cheek and neck while rapidly typing on the keyboard with her free hands. She was trying to reply to her agent on the computer, but was distracted by Nanyang’s phone call: “Qing Huan is gone?””Yeah,” Nanyang’s voice seemed especially faint after being filtered by the phone. “She went to shoot God Dance and left a week ago.”Nanyang didn’t correct her name, and Ming Wan Cheng raised her eyebrows in surprise: “That……You are not free again?””Yes. I told Xiao Lizi that there is nothing to do recently, he said I can go to work at Mei’s anytime. He told me, if you don’t want to work then you can sit in the office and play Tetris.””Why don’t you play games on Steam? The picture quality, playing on the company’s 5G network must be amazing!”Nanyang was silent for a moment, and her voice was lower by three points: “…because I only play Tetris.”Ming Wan Cheng held back a laugh: “Old ancestor, I’m not making fun of you. We are both ancient people from three thousand years ago, but look at me, I know everything about the development of modern entertainment. You can’t blame my master for not liking you, a big star who is on the cutting edge of the trend. How could she like old antiques who can only play Tetris?””But, Tetris is fun.” Nanyang frowned stubbornly.”Yes yes. It’s fun, it’s fun. If you say it’s fun, it’s fun. Ay, I don’t understand. How could my master think you’re pleasing anywhere? I think it’s a lard blindfolded by a thick love buff.””…What is a buff?””Buff, how do I explain it…” Ming Wan Cheng frowned and thought, “For example, you were caught by Huangquan Gu more than 3,000 years ago. Toxic vomiting blood, this is a kind of debuff buff.””…Hmm.”Nanyang wrote the “buff” crookedly next to “Blindfolded Lard” in the open notebook.There are many other fresh words in her notebook. This is her habit. Whenever she encounters a new word that she doesn’t understand, she writes it down in her notebook and takes it out to read it over and over again. It’s not that she is curious about these things, but she just doesn’t want to embarrass Qing Huan and cause an awkward atmosphere when they talk just because she can’t understand some words.”You… are you using a pen to write what I said?” Ming Wan Cheng heard the scratching of a pen tip on paper and tried to stifle the bubbling laughter, “Oh, ancestor… what can I say about you. You are too cute! Come on, hahahaha…”If Ming Wan Cheng had her video chat turned on, she would get to see Nanyang sitting upright at her desk with a serious face, copying the words “Blindfolded Lard” stroke by stroke as a warning to herself. This would definitely cause Ming Wan Cheng to die from laughter.Nanyang’s pen paused on the paper and the tips of her ears were red. She put the pen on the table and said coldly, “Hang up.””Hey, don’t don’t. I have to ask you about Qi—”Du—Nanyang cut off the phone.Ming Wan Cheng is really too noisy. If they hadn’t had the friendship of ancestors and apprentices, Nanyang would never interact with someone so nonsensical.She cut out the phone interface, clicked on Weibo, clicked on personal attention, and clicked on the only name in this interface.[Zhu Qing Huan Amber: Join the group, and report safety [blows kiss][blows kiss][blows kiss]][Zhu Qing Huan Amber: I met a familiar face by chance @ANT-Danjin #Jiang Yanran’s two sisters are filming #TV series new version of Yitian Tulong Ji #Looking forward to Yan Ran’s Zhao Min and Xiao Jin’s Zhou Zhiruo [Bihart]][Zhu Qing Huan Amber: #vlog#takes you to see the shooting location, the secret location has been coded [squeeze my eyes] Ah, the woods here are really comfortable , I’m in love with zqsg [love][love][love]][Zhu Qing Huan Amber: #TV drama God Dance #Previous forgot to bring the topic [laugh and cry] @TV drama God Dance Official BO [holds fist][holds fist][holds fist]][Zhu Qing Huan Amber: #TV drama God Dance #Tonight at 8 o’clock in the air, super talk, recklessly flop, see or leave [rose][rose][rose]][Zhu Qing Huan Amber: #TV drama God Dance #Meet us The male protagonist Xia Xiaoshan’s brother @Xiashan Lay sent a selfie of the nine palaces, please check the [cute][cute][lovable] C-bit brother is super cute, no rebuttal [squeezing eyes]]Nanyang took notes while she read, she carefully wrote down the words “vlog”, “zqsg”, “chaohua”, “flop”, and “C position” one by one, then switched to the Baidu page and entered the words into the search box one by one. She carefully wrote the explanation after each word, and if some of them were not well understood, she would write a small note next to them with a red pen.After writing, she read the record of today several times and then flipped it back. Every Weibo record that Qing Huan has posted is on it, a thick one, with more detailed annotations than the “Tao De Jing” under her pillow back then.In the days when Nanyang couldn’t see her, she could touch the words she posted on the Internet and feel the temperature at her fingertips.She missed her a bit.Perhaps, it’s not just “a bit”.Forget it, do something else.Nanyang closed her eyes and closed the notebook.She flipped through the mountains of candy jars and ibuprofen pill boxes on the table and found the game console she had just played halfway through. It is the kind of black and white game machine that cost ten dollars many years ago. It is equipped with two AA batteries. It emits harsh music when it is turned on and can only be used to play Tetris. Nanyang likes this very much. Although Mei Zhongli will give her a lot of game consoles, she can’t understand those new things. It’s interesting to try but she prefers this in the end.She hugged her knees and sat on the chair, holding the inferior game console in both hands and playing intently.The purple paint on the buttons have been rubbed off and when they are pressed, they will make a funny “biubiu” sound, the background music that can be called electronic garbage is extremely spicy. Nanyang doesn’t mind at all, on the contrary, she thinks such a game console is pretty cute.Just like Qing Huan, she always treats everyone with an almost indifferent tenderness, making many people stay away from her. She doesn’t need anything else, it’s enough for Nanyang to like it.Because she is Qing Huan.Besides, Zhu Qing Huan is not the most difficult one in the ninety-nine reincarnations. In one lifetime, Qing Huan turned into a female general and when Nanyang approached her, she almost cut off half of Nanyang’s ear.Suddenly a message alert sounded from her mobile phone. Nanyang’s gaze stuck to the game console, thinking that it was Ming Wan Cheng asking about Qi Yi so she didn’t look right away.After playing the game, Nanyang picked up the phone. After unlocking, she clicked on the WeChat interface and found that the unread message prompt came from the dialog box of Qing Huan.It’s just that after clicking in, there is only a line of small gray words left–[“Wife” withdrew a message. ]Most people will feel a little regretful when they see these words, lamenting that they could have peeked into the other party’s secrets a few seconds earlier. Nanyang is unlike these people. She felt that since Qing Huan withdrew her message, it was something she didn’t want to let her see. Since she didn’t want to, Nanyang will respect her wishes.Just like Qing Huan said to her when she left: I need to be focused during filming, don’t bother me too often. She really didn’t bother her. This week, without sending a WeChat or making a phone call, Nanyang let himself disappear from the world of Qing Huan.Nanyang started playing her Tetris again. She was very engaged when playing this game and this type of line clearing was able to satisfy her obsessive-compulsive disorder. She was too fascinated by the game so she didn’t see the message “the other party is typing” appear at the top of her phone screen for ten seconds.Ten seconds later, everything returned to its original condition and no new messages were sent.Author’s Theater
Qing Huan: My cute and spoiled wife, why haven’t you sent me a message yet?
Chapter 17
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Later in the day, Nanyang received a call.An unfamiliar number she hung up directly.After a while, the number called again. Generally, the salesman will not poke at a person so persistently, it should be someone who is really looking for her. Nanyang answered the phone and put it to her ear.”Hello? Nan, boss Nan?” A somewhat familiar voice came, with a little excitement in her tone, “I’m Xiao Ye, the last time I accompanied you and Zhu Zhu to the dinner. Do you remember me?””Yeah. Do you need something?”Nanyang was in the middle undressing, but when she heard that the other party was Zhu Qing Huan’s assistant Xiao Ye, she stopped unbuttoning her shirt. The shirt was half undone, revealing a large area of cold white skin and half of her beautiful collarbone.”Well, our company has something to ask you. Mr. Mei and our boss said that you will cooperate with us to promote your marriage with Zhu Zhu, that is… You see, Zhu Zhu has been in the group for a week. You haven’t visited her yet, so the media might start spreading baseless rumors. Zhu Zhu’s Weibo comments are all messages that ask her to post your photo. Our company also thinks it can create a big wave. Can you see if you can come when you have time…””Send me the address.”Nanyang uttered five words bluntly.Xiao Ye froze for a moment, it seems that she did not expect an agreement so smoothly: “OK OK, I’ll give it to you in a text message. I’ll be at the filming site, our hotel rooms will also be sent to you.””I’ll come over in a bit. “”Then you rest first, I’ll just…” Xiao Ye suddenly realized what Nanyang just said, “Huh?! Are you coming over tonight?”“Yes.””But it’s already night…””Is it inconvenient?””Is it convenient—” Xiao Ye’s voice hesitated and the ending was drawn out very long, as if waiting for someone’s response. After a while, she suddenly laughed, “Convenient, convenient, come on.””Okay.”Nanyang hung up the phone, glanced at her disheveled clothes, and buttoned back the buttons she had just undone..Xiao Ye looked curiously at Zhu Qing Huan who was staring at the script on the sofa. She seemed to watch deeply, motionless, not even drinking water. After looking carefully for a while, she found that Qing Huan didn’t turn the page at all and she didn’t even move her eyes up and down to read.”Zhu Zhu, are you in a daze?” Xiao Ye asked carefully.Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes finally moved. She picked up the phone and looked at the time. It was ten o’clock.”Why don’t you go to bed first.” Zhu Qing Huan put down the phone, no expression on her face.”No, I’m not sleepy and I have nothing to do when I go back. I’ll wait with you.” Xiao Ye laughed dogmatically.Zhu Qing Huan’s eyebrows scrunched: “Wait with me?””Wait for Boss Nan to come. You have been sitting here in a daze, aren’t you waiting for her?”Xiao Ye thought Zhu Qing Huan would deny it directly and then say some nonsense to get away from the topic, but Zhu Qing Huan just pursed her mouth, lowered her eyes, said nothing, and continued to flip the script in her hand.Xiao Ye yawned and sat cross-legged to play a mobile game.Time passed slowly, and the hour hand gradually passed twelve.Xiao Ye played until her eyes were blurred and she finally won a victory. After off the game, it was half past twelve. She yawned again: “Zhu Zhu, let’s go to sleep. I don’t think Boss Nan will come over today. It only takes an hour for her to come by plane and it will only take two and a half hours if she includes the time on the road. If she started to come over at half past nine then she should already be here by now. She hasn’t come yet, maybe she’s already asleep. Let’s go to bed too.”Zhu Qing Huan’s fingertips paused on a page of the script and she squeezed it tightly.”You go to bed, I’ll wait.””You have to film tomorrow morning.””It’s okay.””Well, don’t wait too late. It’s almost one”Zhu Qing Huan put down the script, “Then I’ll go and wash up first.” When she got up, she found that her legs were numb.Xiao Ye yawned and nodded.Zhu Qing Huan went to the toilet, ready to wash. Xiao Ye’s footsteps had reached the door and after a moment of opening the door, Xiao Ye’s surprise voice suddenly came:”Boss Nan, you are here!”Zhu Qing Huan’s back froze and after a long while, she turned around slowly.Xiao Ye brought Nanyang in. Nanyang’s white down jacket hat was still buttoned on her head and her fluffy collar was wrapped around her bright white face. She didn’t hold any bag in her hand. She only carried a thermos bucket and when she walked in, she still had it on her body.Nanyang put down the thermos, and while undressing, said to Zhu Qing Huan, “I came here by highway. It took a long time. I ‘m sorry to disturb you.”Zhu Qing Huan bit her lip and remained silent for a long time. After a long while, she asked softly: “Why didn’t you take a plane?”Nanyang hung the down jacket on the hanger at the door, there was still a white shirt inside. She picked up the thermos, walked over and handed it to Zhu Qing Huan with a faint tone: “I have cooked porridge for you. The plane doesn’t allow passengers to take food so I can only drive by myself.”Xiao Ye saw that Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes were lost for a moment .But soon, the emotion disappeared without a trace.Zhu Qing Huan used a polite smile to cover her gaffe just now: “Thank you, but I can’t eat this kind of carbohydrate at night.”Nanyang was silent for a while. She lowered her head and touched the thermos.The corners of her mouth seemed to sink, but she held it back while she was thinking and just hummed in a low voice: “…That’s right, you are an artist. You can just throw it away in a bit. “Zhu Qing Huan was quiet, before she finally got out of the bathroom:” You go take a shower. The weather is so cold, I’m afraid you’ll get a cold if you don’t take a hot shower.”Nanyang was stunned for a moment.Take a shower?She looked at her empty hand and suddenly realized that she had nothing but a thermos.”You didn’t even bring your toiletries or a change of clothes?” Zhu Qing Huan felt a little funny seeing her like that. “Are you here just to deliver food?”Nanyang clenched her hand, the frown showing in her brows. She also began to think about her own change of clothes.Zhu Qing Huan stared at her for a while. She smiled softly and sighed before walking to her closet, “I’ll bring you some new clothes that I haven’t worn. There are disposable toothbrushes in the toilet. You use them first. I’ll ask Xiao Ye to buy some more items for you tomorrow.”Nanyang pursed her lips, “You mean…I can stay here with you?””Well,” Zhu Qing Huan nodded, “There are other crew members living in this hotel. If we live in two rooms, they might think that we don’t get along.””…”Nanyang didn’t speak any more.Zhu Qing Huan gave her the shirts, pants and new underwear that she hadn’t even cut the labels off of. Nanyang took them without saying a word and went into the bathroom.Zhu Qing Huan looked at Xiao Ye, who had been watching the show the entire time and asked, “Why are you still here?”Xiao Ye was so happy watching that she forgot that she was still sitting in the newlyweds’ room late at night. When she was reminded by Zhu Qing Huan, she promptly got up: “Yes, I’m gone. I’m leaving! Good night!”Xiao Ye ran out but was stopped by Zhu Qing Huan at the door.”Wait a minute!”Xiao Ye turned her head and saw Zhu Qing Huan walk to her while carrying the thermos bucket. Zhu Qing Huan gently stuffed it into her hand.”This is…?” Xiao Ye was puzzled.”I’m dieting and can’t eat this at night.””So, do you want me to throw it away for you?” Xiao Ye asked carefully.”No, don’t throw it away,” Zhu Qing Huan bit her lip and lowered her eyes, her voice lightened a lot, “Please heat it up and take it to the studio tomorrow morning. I will eat it for breakfast.”Author’s Theater
Nanyang: Your hungry rider has been delivered. Congratulations on getting [white porridge without any taste] x 1. Please give a good review.
Guess who will sleep on the sofa tonight, betting on the hand!
Chapter 18
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After sending Xiao Ye away, Zhu Qing Huan sat back on the sofa and read her script while waiting for Nanyang to finish washing up.After half an hour, the bathroom door finally opened and a pile of mist gushed out of it. Nanyang walked out in the fog with her wet hair hanging on her shoulders while wearing Zhu Qing Huan’s tea-white shirt with her two slender, cold white legs walking out bare.Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help but glanced at those long and seductive legs, wondering: “Didn’t I get you pants?””Broken.”Nanyang answered briefly.What Zhu Qing Huan gave her was a pair of loose, ripped jeans. She couldn’t find any other pair of new pants here. But obviously, a rigorous person like Nanyang couldn’t accept that a pair of pants would be worn in such shape, so she would rather be naked than wear something incomplete.Zhu Qing Huan’s gaze lingered on Nanyang’s chest. When Nanyang was walking, it was obvious that it was trembling along with her motions and the wet shirt also outlined that place. Zhu Qing Huan was puzzled again: “Where’s the underwear? Didn’t I get it for you too?””Small.”It was another simple word.Ok.Zhu Qing Huan couldn’t help but glance at Nanyang’s chest again. Dry coughing in her throat, she looked away. Don’t dare look at it again.The pants too broken to wear and the bra too small to wear, Nanyang ended wearing only a white shirt and panties. Dressed in this way, she would still shake them around in front of Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes, a moment to take a towel, a moment to take a hair dryer, a moment to bend down to pour a glass of water. When she poured the water, Zhu Qing Huan almost buried her face in the script page.In fact, Nanyang’s character would not allow herself to appear in such a disheveled state in front of outsiders. However, there are only two people in this room. Qing Huan and herself. Perhaps now Qing Huan is not used to being so frank with Nanyang, but thousands of years ago, they have rolled the sheets over and over again. Let alone legs and breasts, what place of hers has Qing Huan not seen.But Zhu Qing Huan didn’t know this, she only felt that this woman seemed to be seducing her.Moreover, it seems that the seduction is extremely effective.Zhu Qing Huan could not believe that she would blush because of a woman’s body one day. The reason is that she herself is already a perfect woman, her face and figure are outstanding and it is enough to stand in front of the mirror and look at herself. But now she is beginning to wonder. She has always had no interest in women before, is it just because she hasn’t met a better woman, so she doesn’t like it? Is it possible that once a woman with a face and body that surpasses her own appears, she will actually be charmed to the core?Moreover, she was wearing such a spacious white shirt.Wearing a white shirt with bare legs is really foul.Zhu Qing Huan was a little bit ashamed of her thoughts. She buried her head and walked into the suite bedroom. She took out a pillow and a quilt and placed it on the sofa, turning to Nanyang who was blowing her hair: “Do you sleep on the couch or do I sleep on the couch?”Nanyang was affected by the roaring hair dryer in her ears. She turned off the hair dryer and asked: “What?””Do you sleep on the couch or do I sleep on the couch?” Zhu Qing Huan repeated it with a good temper.Nanyang held the warm hair dryer and nodded docilely: “I sleep.”Zhu Qing Huan paused, and then said: “Tomorrow you will go to the studio with me. There is an interview that wants you to appear on the camera. If you’re unwilling then I can turn it down.”” Willing, ” She replied.Zhu Qing Huan gave a hum, took her own change of clothes and walked to the bathroom. She began to take her shower as soon as the door closed.Nanyang sat on the sofa and simply made her own bed. The quilt was used by Qing Huan and still has her usual perfume smell on it. It is Kiehl’s musk perfume, which smells like a very crisp pen ink fragrance, plain with a little cold sexiness.Nanyang turned off the light in the living room, put the quilt on her naked thighs, and went into a daze while rubbing the quilt with her fingertips.The phone shook suddenly.The only one with enough guts to disturb her in the middle of the night is Ming Wan Cheng.Nanyang didn’t want to pick up, but it kept shaking and being annoying so she had to answer the phone.”Old Ancestor, I want wish you good night. I’m already kneeling down here.” Ming Wan Cheng added artificially: “Hurry up and exempt me.”From her perfunctory tone one could hear how much she spurned this courtesy of Beifang. Nanyang has always received kneeling wherever she went, because in ancient times, the hierarchy was distinct, and Nanyang’s status was very high. All her disciples and even the other sects in Jianghu had to kneel down with to greet her. More than 3,000 years ago, everyone was kneeling in front Nanyang so Ming Wan Cheng didn’t think there was anything wrong. She cheerfully knelt together with them, but now that she has received the influence of modern culture, she is reluctant to be kneeling.Even so, the respects must be paid, even if it is just a “kneeling” on the lips.”What’s the matter?” Nanyang indifferently picked at the quilt.”I just asked someone to find out that Qi Yi is Zhu Qing Huan’s friend. Don’t you think it’s such a coincidence?” Ming Wan Cheng chuckled. “My master and my little princess actually became friends. Won’t this be extremely convenient in the future?””…What do you want to say?” Nanyang asked lightly.”I want you to help me build a bridge in the middle,” Ming Wan Cheng sighed, “You don’t know that Qi Yi’s family is quite rich. Although they aren’t as rich as Mei, their standard of living is definitely higher than that of most people. She’s from a scholarly family, her parents are both university professors. She is also a teacher, her family style is very elegant. How can I have a chance to get to know her as an 18th-line star? You have to help me.””That’s her friend, not mine, I can’t make the decision.””Aren’t you both married now? What’s the difference between yours and mine?””…” Nanyang was silent.”Old Ancestor, please, please, please, shall I kneel for you? I’ll really kneel for you. I can take a photo and send it to you to show my sincerity! Please, please. You…”Ming Wan Cheng began to act like a baby again. She used to seek Nanyang’s asylum by acting like a baby again and again, otherwise her skin would have been opened up by Yun Tang’s whips.Facts have proved that since this trick worked three thousand years ago, it works just as well today.”Okay.”Nanyang agreed.”Thank you, thank you, I know that only Ancestor treats me best in the world. I will kneel for you here. You can rest early!”Nanyang couldn’t help but hook her lips: “Okay, you don’t need to kneel anymore from now on. You can skip the kneeling.”Ming Wan Cheng was quiet for two seconds.”Really?” Her voice was incredulous.”Yeah.” In fact, Nanyang didn’t care much about this tradition.”You should have exempted me long ago. This is called feudal dregs,” Ming Wan Cheng snorted with a smile. “You said that you have been kneeled to for a lifetime. I don’t know when you can taste the taste of kneeling to others..”Kneel to someone else.The curvature of Nanyang’s lips froze.Kneel to someone else?Hasn’t she …… ever kneeled?The fingers placed on the quilt curled up and clasped the curved pattern.The light-hearted expression on Nanyang’s face slowly disappeared and Ming Wan Cheng’s voice in her ear gradually blurred.She’s knelt before.Her fingertips began to tremble slightly. The humiliation that ran rampant in her blood at that time crawled into her heart with familiarity.At the beginning, Qing Huan discovered that she was actually the young miss of an evil sect. Knowing that it was Beifang who killed her family under the banner of decency more than ten years ago, she insisted on severing ties with Nanyang. Nanyang was still seriously injured at the time. She could only lay on the bed weakly while trying to retain her, using all the words she could think of and using the humblest tone she could manage.But Qing Huan still wanted to leave.So Nanyang dragged her three broken ribs to climb down from the bed with difficulty, lowered her lonely head, bent her knees, and knelt in front of Qing Huan.She said: I used to be too dull and reserved. I didn’t say sweet love words to you. I was wrong. Qing Huan, I love you. I only love you in this life. I love you most. Except for you, I have no attachment to this world, please don’t leave me.I beg you.Don’t leave me.Please, don’t go, please.That was the only time she kneeled to someone.It was also the first time she uttered the word “I beg” in a humble tone.And Qing Huan sneered and said:You are too ridiculous, Nanyang. Look at what you look like now, the clear and cold Nanyang that looked like a god is long gone. You are just a mortal who will fall in the love of children, what else do you have that is worthy of my love?She also said, Nanyang, you are not worthy of being my master.Then she decisively left, without any hesitation, and never looked back.As soon as she left that time, she knew that they would have their swords facing each other in the future.Nanyang’s eyes were slightly red.The bathroom door was suddenly opened and Zhu Qing Huan walked out from the inside while wiping her hair. Nanyang looked at the identical face, quickly cleared up her emotions, and let all the sorrows be suppressed by indifference.On the mobile phone, Ming Wan Cheng had already long hung up on the call and only the main interface was on.Zhu Qing Huan looked at Nanyang who was sitting on the couch, wiped her hair and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”Nanyang didn’t speak.”Is the light in the bathroom too bright and disturbing you?” Zhu Qing Huan looked at Nanyang and saw that she still didn’t respond, so she reached out and turned off the light in the bathroom. It was dark outside for a while and only a little light remained in the crack of the bedroom door.Nanyang finally said, “Do you not blow your hair?””I…” Zhu Qing Huan paused and her voice lowered, “I can take it back to my room and blow it.”Nanyang was silent for a moment and said, “You don’t have a mirror in your room.””…It’s okay.”Zhu Qing Huan took the hair dryer and pushed open the bedroom door, took a look at Nanyang who was covered by the darkness, hesitated for a moment, and walked out.Nanyang sat for a while. She had been driving for several hours at night. When the environment became dark, sleepiness swept her. The sofa was quite soft, she laid down with her clothes closed, wrapped the quilt with the fragrance of Qing Huan’s body tightly, and carefully hid her toes in the quilt.It might be because she was too tired, or it might be because of the smell of a loved one on the quilt, but she quickly went into a deep sleep.It was so deep that she didn’t hear the sound of the bedroom door being opened.Zhu Qing Huan pulled her wet hair behind her ears and held a mobile phone for lighting. She didn’t turn on the flashlight function of the mobile phone. It was too bright. She was afraid that Nanyang would be woken up so she just adjusted the brightness of the screen a little bit and relied on the light of the screen to move around.In addition to her mobile phone, she also held a neatly folded charging cable in her hand.When she first came out, she saw Nanyang’s mobile phone on and at a glance saw that there was only 15% battery left. Nanyang came in such a hurry today. She didn’t bring any clothes so she probably wouldn’t bring a charging cable. If she got up tomorrow and found that her phone is out of power, it will definitely be very inconvenient.Zhu Qing Huan quietly picked up Nanyang’s mobile phone from the coffee table, connected her own charging cable, and plugged it into the socket next to the sofa.The moment the power was turned on, the screen lit up, but there was no charging tone.Sure enough, there was a mute sign on the upper left corner of the screen.A gentle smile appeared in Zhu Qing Huan’s eyes. Nanyang really loves her peace too much. The mobile phone is always muted. Like her personality, it is low-key and silent. Even if the heart worries about something, the mouth won’t say a single word.After all, she is a silly woman who can only eat chocolate desperately when she is upset.She walked into the bathroom quietly again and saw that Nanyang’s old underwear was hung on the railing without washing. She could also guess that all the clothes that Nanyang, who is accustomed to being pampered, were always handed over to the nanny to wash when they were changed. This time when she came out alone, she must have not realized that she needed to wash her clothes herself.But if she didn’t wash it, what will she wear tomorrow? She didn’t bring new ones, so she couldn’t go out in a vacuum.Zhu Qing Huan is not the kind of person who is nice enough to help people wash their underwear. She is also a little hesitant, but then she remembered that Nanayang is her legal wife. It wouldn’t hurt to help her wash these small items. What more, she really couldn’t think of a better solution.She set the phone screen to constant light and placed it on the sink. She rolled up her sleeves and gently took Nanyang’s bra and panties.The slippery bubbles and soft fabric rubbed back and forth between the palms of her hands. When she lowered her head and stroked a piece of her underwear with her fingertips, half of her face instantly blushed in the dark.Author’s Theater
Will have to be discontinued from now on because it’s only available on jjwxc and I started using a different site for raws. Unless anyone wants to help me get them?
Chapter 19
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Perhaps it was because she was tired from driving last night, but the Nanyang who rarely woke late slept till 8 o’clock today. She broke her daily habit for her to wake up at Mao’s hour, which was about 6 o’clock in the morning.She was awakened by Xiao Ye’s voice.“Why did you let Boss Nan sleep on the sofa…” Xiao Ye’s deliberately lowered voice came from the hallway.Zhu Qing Huan’s voice was also suppressed very low: “I let her choose first and she wanted to sleep on the sofa.”“Aren’t you both married? Haven’t you ever slept together on the same bed”“… No.”“Damn, why?”“I was… unwilling.”“You don’t want to and she really didn’t touch you?”“Well, no.”“Boss Nan is too good. Last time in the car, I can see that she likes you very much. She likes you so much but can hold back from touching you, what kind of fairy is this! Look at the poor boss Nan, sleeping on the sofa overnight… probably folded her waist…”Nanyang sat up in a daze. Xiao Ye and Zhu Qing Huan saw that she was awake so they didn’t go on.“Boss Nan, you are awake,” Xiao Ye said with a smile, “It’s good now that you’re awake. You can quickly clean up, we are going to the studio.”“We will both go out first and wait for you outside.” Zhu Qing Huan took Xiao Ye out thoughtfully, for fear of making Nanyang uncomfortable.Nanyang got up from the sofa and went into the bathroom sleepily. After washing, she took the clean underwear that was hanging next to the radiator to change into without realizing that she hadn’t washed them at all last night. She was accustomed to getting clean clothes every day, so she didn’t notice anything off.When she picked up the fully charged mobile phone on the coffee table, she still hadn’t noticed anything strange.The phone screen was flashing like crazy. When Nanyang unlocked the screen, Sun Xuxue’s messages flooded the screen. She freaked out when she couldn’t find her Ancestor when she came over. She was even planning to call the police if her Ancestor did not answer the phone. Nanyang replied: [Visiting class. ]After a while, Sun Xuxue’s messages popped up again, [Eldest Ancestor, don’t run around alone okay?] [Grandpa will scold me if he knew that I lost you] [Uuuuuu Where is the address, please give me one. I’ll find you.] [Is it the god dance crew?] [Would you like me to help bring something over?] [Do you want to refuel your car?] [The garage is missing a BMW. You drove a BMW, do you want me to drive your Audi over?] [Aren’t you always saying that the BMW’s color is ugly? How anxious were you, yesterday? You drove the car you didn’t like and left…]Nanyang Frowned.Tap the avatar and tap the three dots.Add to blacklist.Confirm.Ok.The world is finally quiet.After getting ready, she picked up the down jacket hung on the hanger at the door and put it on before securing her hat onto her head. Her ears were sensitive and got red easily so they needed to be sheltered from the cold wind.Xiao Ye drove the two of them straight to the studio of God Dance in her car.This is the Cangzuo Film and Television City, the base for the shooting of costume films. It is a national test site for the film and television industry. Eight of every ten costume films were shot here. The same small pavilion can be seen in at least three different dramas. Therefore, it is destined to gather a large number of film and television stars that are in business. Not only stars but diehard fans of said stars and paparazzi are also crowded here.When they arrived at the shooting set, Zhu Qing Huan went straight to the dressing room. She is the heroine and must constantly be racing to be on time. She had to wait a long time for Nanyang to get up this morning. If she is too late, the director is probably going to be mad.In the dressing room, Xia Shan had arrived long ago. His wig and makeup had been done so he had been wandering around in a sweater. Seeing Zhu Qing Huan come, his face lit up and he went forward: “Zhuzhu just got here?”“Ahem!” Xiao Ye hurriedly intercepted. Xia Shan always came over to stick to Zhu Qing Huan and that was fine then, but today’s situation can’t have that! Boss Nan is here! The big wife is here! Xia Shan might die today if he’s caught with Zhu Qing Huan in the presence of Boss Nan!Nanyang, who was walking at the back, frowned as expected.She generally doesn’t let her emotions show in public. If she frowns in the presence of so many people, it means that she is indeed extremely unhappy.“Morning.” Zhu Qing Huan just smiled and nodded at him.Xia Shan was about to walk closer when his assistant pulled him back. The assistant whispered something in a low voice. He glanced at the silent Nanyang in a daze and finally sat back in his seat obediently.The two makeup artists came over to fix Zhu Qing Huan’s hair. Xiao Ye took out the hot porridge that Zhu Zhu had ordered yesterday, but she changed it to a lunch box after it was heated up in the morning to replace the insulated bucket that Nanyang had brought. Because of this, Nanyang did not notice that Zhu Qing Huan was eating her porridge.Zhu Qing Huan was eating in a hurry as the makeup artist prepared her. Nanyang sat on the sofa at the back, took out her Kindle, and turned it on. In addition to a long list of Chinese and foreign masterpieces, there were several new files at the top. She asked Sun Xuxue to help her make the bi-format “NanHuan GL CP” fan fiction.When she saw the name of the CP, her eyebrows scrunched into lumps.It’s too ugly, really.It was unpleasant, but she was curious so she clicked on it. The more she looked, the more furrowed her eyebrows became. These homo sapiens like to write tragedies too much nowadays. Can’t these writers see that they’re happily married and well? The batches of dramatic texts that cannot be separated from life or death, disturbed her.She opened another one, this one has no tragic plot. Just a colorful plot throughout. From the first chapter to the end of the last chapter, there were all kinds of passionate, vulgar, descriptions of parts and actions below the neck and under the clothes. In addition to the portrayal of various postures, there was no other nutritious content.Nanyang stretched her brows and added a bookmark.Well.This is called an excellent creation. An excellent creation allows you to learn while passing time.Later, she will go to Weibo to find the original author and follow them.She still hasn’t realized how horrible it would be her reputation if she suddenly followed a spicy fan fiction writer. Fortunately, the official “Nanyang” account that Xiaotian Entertainment hyped up was not used by her.After finishing the fan fiction, she began to read it again.The Kindle did not expect to be used to read these types of raunchy texts.Zhu Qing Huan’s makeup and hair were almost and she immediately went to the dressing room to change into her costume.The plot of God Dance probably talked about that in ancient times, when the sky fell severely and it didn’t rain for several months, the national teacher selected a so-called “goddess” among the commoners and sent them to the sacrificial platform to perform a sacrificial dance. She would be sacrificed after the dance to ask the heavens for rain. The girl who didn’t die when she was sacrificed took a breath of relief; she was quietly rescued by the prince of the dynasty and hidden in the East Palace. After that, a lot of bloody incidents happened.There is no doubt that Zhu Qing Huan is playing the poor little one who was sent to the sacrificial platform and Xia Shan is playing the unlucky prince.Before Nanyang came, Zhu Qing Huan had been filming the sacrificial dance for three days, but it hadn’t been going well. It’s not that she danced poorly, it’s that the director Li Dong was too demanding. If the angle is wrong, he will start over again. One action is performed 20 or 30 times and he may turn over the actions that have already passed. These days, Zhu Qing Huan has danced so much that stars also danced in front of her eyes, she thought that they might as well sacrifice her too.Just dancing is enough. The key is that the clothes in this scene are particularly complicated – red ribbons twisted around the whole dress. In order to ensure the beauty of the dance, the skirt came in eight layers. It looked good when turning, but it was extremely suffocating and difficult to move around in. She couldn’t even use the bathroom.She needed three people to help her put on the clothes, a process that lasted more than an hour. After getting dressed, she was already sweating while coming out of the changing room.Nanyang lifted her gaze from the Kindle only to get startled by the sight of Zhu Qinghuan wearing the red dress.She’s wearing traditional clothing.Qing Huan.Nanyang was entranced.At that moment, Nanyang seemed to have returned to a certain day three thousand years ago. Going back to the usual morning of three thousand years ago, she who wore a newly bought red dress, smiled and asked her Master if she was good-looking. Nanyang would reply with a straight face, “What kind of monk would dress in such gaudy and vulgar clothes?” Qing Huan would come over, lie on her knees, and say, “Master, am I not pretty? I’m so beautiful, why don’t you try to like me?”At this moment, Nanyang suddenly felt like the past three thousand years were simply a bad dream.After waking up from her dream, she’ll find that they’re both still in ancient times; they’re still in their home where it snowed year-round.After Nanyang realized her momentary lapse of concentration, she immediately retracted the lost look in her eyes and sorted out her expression as quickly as possible. Fortunately, no one noticed anything wrong with her. Everyone’s attention was on Zhu Qing Huan who had just changed.Red really matched her soft and charming face too much. Everyone sighed in their hearts, this is not a sacrificed goddess, this is a sacrificed demoness. This is the face of a seductress who deserves to be sacrificed. Here stands a modern succubus, someone who can pull the most stable and reserved person from the clouds into the abyss of desire.Xiao Ye hurriedly went forward to wipe Qing Huan’s sweat, unscrewed the water bottle, and let her drink a little water. She didn’t dare to drink too much since she couldn’t use the toilet for a while.A group of people came to the dressing room while she was drinking water. Zhu Qing Huan had mentioned their plans to come over yesterday.The deputy director came over to communicate a few words and agreed to accept the interview first and then start filming after the interview.With the mouth of the mineral water bottle in her mouth, Zhu Qing Huan took small sips while looking at Nanyang who is sitting on the sofa in the corner. Nanyang understood what she meant, closed the Kindle after reading half of the various postures, swept her long hair behind her ears, stood up, and walked to Qing Huan’s side.It’s just that her hands were still shaking slightly.Although Nanyang covered it up well, Zhu Qinghuan still noticed her abnormality at a glance and asked in a low voice, “Do you still want to be interviewed? If you don’t want to, I can ask Xiao Ye to say…”“No,” Nanyang interrupted her, looking aside, “It’s fine.”Zhu Qing Huan pursed her lips, as if she wanted to hold Nanyang’s hand and soothe her; she moved her fingers, but she couldn’t lift he hand to Nanyang’s.The reporter chose a secluded room with only a sofa in the room. They set up the equipment, asked Nanyang and Zhu Qing Huan to sit on the sofa, and began the interview.“Come on, please introduce yourself.” The reporter hid behind the camera and guided them with a smile.Zhu Qing Huan waved to the camera with a standard smile, a standard tone, and a standard tone: “Hello everyone. I’m Zhu Qinghuan, Zhu Zhu, I am very happy to accept this interview with Huazhong Entertainment, how is everyone. “Nanyang seemed to be in a daze, meaning silent.The reporter whispered a reminder: “Boss Nan? Boss Nan?”“Huh?” Nanyang’s eyebrows moved lightly.“Introduce yourself!” The reporter urged in a low voice.Nanyang looked at Zhu Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan immediately covered for Nanyang, “Sorry, she is usually not very talkative so let me introduce her. This is Mei company’s young boss Nanyang. I don’t think I need to say more since we already know her. After all, you were always depending for more pictures of her in the comments.”The reporter was relieved to see Qing Huan defusing the situation with a small joke to the audience.“If I may ask, how ave you been doing after your wedding? Is the relationship very sweet?”Nanyang: “…”Zhu Qing Huan: “Our relationship has been very smooth and she is very supportive of my work, otherwise she wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”She dryly laughed at her own joke.“May I ask you two some more questions. You just got the marriage certificate, but the official wedding has not been held yet. Have you started planning for it yet?”Nanyang: “…”Zhu Qing Huan: “This may be considered later because I’m relatively busy at work now and she doesn’t have much free time, maybe she will make it up later.”“There will be a large couples variety show in the future. I heard that the program group intends to invite two people. Do you have any plans to participate?”Zhu Qing Huan: “We’ll have to see if we’re fortunate enough to receive an invitation that fits with our schedules.”“May I ask Zhu Zhu, what do you think about some comments on the Internet that oppose your marriage?”“I think…”Nanyang started to drift off again. At first she listened to two light-hearted polite remarks, but then she became selectively deaf. The entertainment industry is so boring, always asking some fake questions, and then forcing the stars to make up fake answers; she does not even know who would believe this.After who knows how long, the reporter cautiously called Nanyang again while breaking out into a cold sweat: “Boss Nan? Boss Nan? You have to say at least two words please, if you don’t say anythign we really can’t cut it here. Please…”Nanyang came back to her senses and uttered two words: “You ask.” The reporter was relieved and asked the last question: “Do you two have any plans to have children? Who is going to give birth? Have you discussed this issue?”Zhu Qing Huan: “We haven’t discussed this yet…”“I’ll give birth.”Nanyang replied smoothly.
Chapter 20
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The reporter from Huazhong Entertainment packed up the equipment contentedly, carrying their tripod away. This interview was taken well and Nanyang’s three words made up for all of her silence. Her persona is really too broken. The cold and domineering president is willing to suffer for her little wife. Now, isn’t this type of infatuation most popular amongst the fans? The ultimate contrast, the ultimate gap moe.After finishing their interview, the two people walked back to the filming set one after another.Zhu Qing Huan’s steps in front suddenly slowed down, as if she wanted to wait for Nanyang to walk by her side; but when Nanyang saw her slow down, she also slowed down to stay behind Qing Huan.Zhu Qing Huan was silent for a long time before turning her head to reassure Nanyang: “Don’t worry, I won’t take the contents of this interview seriously.”Nanyang frowned, “I’m serious.”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback and abruptly turned back. Her voice fluttered from the front, “…Don’t talk nonsense.”“I’m not talking nonsense. If you want a child in the future, I will give birth for you.Nanyang used the most indifferent tone to say such a thing promise.Zhu Qing Huan lowered her head, her nails sinking into her palms, her lips pursing once again.EWhen they arrived at the shooting scene, all the personnel and equipment were in place and they were waiting for Zhu Qing Huan. The makeup artist came over to fix her makeup and helped her stand on the altar.The sacrificial platform was built from scratch by the crew in three days and was a little high, in order to show the solemnity of the sacrificial offering – surrounded by various red silk ribbons that swayed messily in the wind, there were also two cameras on the sacrificial platform to take close-up shots.Xia Shan, dressed in the costume of a prince, was sitting far away on a high wall. His purpose was to contribute to the scene by being amazed by Zhu Qing Huan’s dancingDirector Li Dong came over to say hello to Nanyang and then turned his attention to taking his shots.Looking at the familiar ancient scenery, Nanyang sat on the fishing chair off to one side, carefully scanning all the props with her eyes. In fact, the scene is pretty good, but there are too many cameras and high armrests stacked in the venue, destroying these ancient elements, that would otherwise fill her with nostalgia and take her back to her past.Qing Huan’s dance was also not what Nanyang had expected. She needed to stop with basically every other action. Each action is taken apart one by one and the same action is done many times. Perhaps the edited product can be even more stunning.When Nanyang was about to take out the Kindle to go back to reading, she was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.She habitually flinched, looked up, and saw the face of a strange woman.It was Zhao Dan, the second female actress of God Dance. She played the role of a young palace maid placed next to the prince by the queen. Since this was not one of her scenes, she wasn’t wearing her costume and only had her hair and makeup done.She took the initiative to contact Nanyang for no other reason than to get closer to the Mei family’s power backing Nanyang. Moreover, Nanyang herself is so good-looking that she turned the heads of both men and women. It’ll be better to be with her than some rich old man. Everyone in the circle knows that these kinds of wealthy people are looking for celebrities to marry for the sake of face or temporary interest. After marriage, everyone still plays their own roles and keeps to themselves. Especially for the rich, once the freshness has passed, it is normal to keep a few small flowers in private.“Greetings Boss Nan, my name is Zhao Dan, an artist of Hengyuan Media.” Zhao Dan drew a seductive smile and took the initiative to reach out for a handshake.Nanyang who glanced at her hand and made no attempt to shake it just nodded politely: “Mhm.”“Can we take a walk to talk? I…have something to tell you.”Nanyang lowered her head and looked at her Kindle, saying with a light tone, “Talk here.”“There are so many people here, it’s not very convenient.”Nanyang raised her eyes suspiciously, glanced at Qing Huan who was dancing in the distance, and asked, “Is it related to her?”Zhao Dan hesitated, “Uh…it’s related…”Nanyang gave a hmm and put down her Kindle. She stood up and motioned Zhao Dan to lead the way.Zhao Dan smiled, and led Nanyang to the corner of the city wall not too far away. She knew that there was a hidden place there where no one would be.Zhu Qing Huan glanced in Nanyang’s direction during the gap between dancing and saw that the fishing chair was empty. She immediately looked around with her eyes subconsciously, looking for Nanyang’s shadow. Nanyang was very easy to find -she was the only one in the audience wearing a white down jacket- Zhu Qing Huan quickly discovered that Nanyang was walking slowly behind Zhao Dan and disappeared at the corner of the city wall.She immediately retracted her gaze and felt a bit suffocated.The filmer found that her expression was off and asked thoughtfully: “Zhu Zhu? Are you tired? Do you want to take a break?”“…I’m fine.” Zhu Qing Huan pulled out a smile with some difficulty.“It’s okay. Smiling so hard, you must be tired.” The photographer gave Li Dong a gesture and Li Dong nodded, allowing an intermission.Zhao Dan led Nanyang to the hidden corner and looked around to make sure there was no one. Finally, she was relieved and raised her eyes indulgently: “Boss Nan.”Nanyang just looked at her indifferently and waited for her to get to the point.“I also went to the last charity dinner. You may not have noticed me, but I was very impressed with you at that time. You were walking on the red carpet and many of the reporters were photographing you. I was in my seat, captivated by you…” Zhao Dan deliberately slowed down and paused.Nanyang listened to this unnutritious opening remark, sighed inwardly, and stuffed her hand into the pocket of her down jacket.Um?There’s something in here?She lowered her head slightly, grabbed the unidentified objects things from her pockets, and studied them.There’re… chocolates.When she came yesterday, she didn’t put any chocolate in her pocket.She suddenly remembered the morning when Qing Huan and Xiao Ye stood together at the door and spoke in low voices while her down jacket was hung on the hanger at the door.Yes… it was Qing Huan who secretly put them in her pocket.Nanyang couldn’t help bending her eyebrows in delight.“Boss Nan, I know that you have just gotten married and I bless you newlyweds but there are some things you should know in your heart. We all know about your marriage. I just want to say, if you’re feeling bored by your marriage life one day. If you lose interest…”Nanyang’s attention was on the chocolate in her hand and she wasn’t listening to what Zhao Dan was talking about.She gently held a piece with her index finger and thumb and looked at it. This is the Danish AnthonBery imported Eddon Berg bonbon chocolate. The colorful piles are all made into small wine bottles – very delicate and lovely.She peeled off a golden one and put it in her mouth. She bit into it and a rich aroma of wine broke out in her mouth. The chocolate had just the right sweetness and the ingredients were solid. The small bottle is filled with wine and the thick fermented liquid slid down her throat. The wine in each piece of chocolate was different. The first piece she ate was Cointreau, which tasted good.After eating the first piece, she quickly picked up the second piece. The second piece was Scotch.The third piece was Socha Golden Tequila.The fourth piece was Canadian whiskey.The fifth piece was Danish Silver Fox Vodka.The sixth piece was Gaul.The seventh piece was Remy Martin VSOP.The eighth piece was Jimbian whisky.The ninth piece was French ouzo.The tenth piece was cognac.The eleventh piece…No more, there were only ten.After Nanyang finished eating the last piece, she put her index finger in her mouth and squeezed off the cocoa butter remaining on it with the tip of her tongue.Zhao Dan finally finished talking endlessly. Her face was red and her tongue was dry. At the end of her monologue, she finally blushed heavily and added a final sentence: “So Boss Nan, would you like it?”Nanyang consumed too much alcohol and was not a good drinker. At this moment, she basically drank ten kinds of wine together – making her very dazed.She frowned; Zhao Dan said a lot but she didn’t hear a word, only feeling like a fly buzzed around in her ears for the past half hour. If she wasn’t drunk, she might not have been so rude but after ten kinds of alcohol, she had no impulse control whatsoever. Sounding extremely disgusted, she coldly spat out a simple sentence:“You are very noisy.”
Chapter 21
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After Li Dong called for a break, Xiao Ye immediately ran over to give Zhu Qing Huan a drink and the makeup artist also came over to touch up her makeup. Zhu Qing Huan was holding the water bottle but she had no thought of drinking at all. Her mind was filled with seeing Nanyang follow Zhao Dan somewhere else.“Zhu Zhu, why are you in a daze?” Xiao Ye patted Zhu Qing Huan’s motionless hand that was holding the water bottle.Zhu Qing Huan suddenly thrusted the water bottle back at Xiao Ye and she seemed a little flustered:“You, you take this first; I have something to do.”After she said this, she bunched up her large skirt and hurriedly walked off the sacrificial platform. Except for Xiao Ye who called her back twice, no one else noticed Zhu Zhu’s departure.She wants to see Nanyang.She wants to know what Nanyang is doing with Zhao Dan.Just like the last time she wanted understand Nanyang when she was angry, she wanted to know everything about Nanyang, and she couldn’t help it. As if it was an instinct ingrained deep within her, she did not think twice about going after Nanyang even though she herself hated people stepping into her private life.Zhu Qing Huan came to the corner of the city wall where the pair had disappeared and quietly peeked around the corner.Zhao Dan was looking around, wheedling some very suggestive words, and even Zhu Qing Huan could hear the dirty meaning of her words. Nanyang, who stood opposite her, did not seem to acknowledge her words, opting to instead madly eat chocolates with her head down.Zhu Qing Huan looked at the chocolates in her hands, her ears a little hot.This is given to herself when a fan saw her. She didn’t like sweets very much and had to avoid avoid such foods since she was an actress. She remembered Nanyang’s sweets addiction and stuffed a fistful of the chocolates into Nanyang’s jacket while she was asleep.There are 60 chocolates in a box and a total of 10 flavors of wine. She gave Nanyang one of each flavor with the intention of allowing Nanyang to taste all the flavors, but she didn’t expect Nanyang to rapidly eat them all in one go.The most important thing when drinking alcohol is to avoid mixing since it’s extremely easy to get intoxicated. Although the amount of alcohol in the chocolate is not much, it is still a bit scary to drink ten kinds of alcohol together.Sure enough, as Nanyang ate one after another, her eyes and cheekbones were visibly covered with pink. She seemed to become more unfocused and stood in stunned silence after discovering that there was no more chocolate in her pocket.“So Boss Nan, would you like it?”Zhao Dan finally asked this sentence while blushing heavily.Nanyang frowned and looked at Zhao Dan who stood opposite from her.Her face was filled with confusion, Zhu Qing Huan was sure that she hadn’t heard a single word of Zhao Dan’s monologue.“You are very noisy.”She said in disgust.Nanyang’s method of pronunciation is very characteristic. She pronounced the word “noisy” so that it sounded like “noisy”, but after a bit of deliberation, it also sounds like “ugly”. The two pronunciations of “noisy” and “ugly” are somewhat similar. In addition, Nanyang’s speech was a bit slurred at the moment, so it sounded like she was scolding the other party for being noisy and ugly.Zhao Dan was stunned, tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran away crying while aggrievedly.Fortunately, she in the opposite direction and did not pass by Zhu Qing Huan, otherwise the scene would been even better.Seeing Zhao Dan run away, Zhu Qing Huan slowly walked towards Nanyang. Nanyang shouldn’t be too drunk. She was still standing upright without support, but her eyes were no longer focused. Originally, only her cheeks were red, but now the blush had spread to her neck and ears.Nanyang saw Zhu Qing Huan walk up to her. She closed her eyes and grabbed Qing Huan’s wrist.“Send me home,” her voice was trembling, and she seemed to realize something, “I’m…drunk.”She can’t stay outside in this state, it’s not proper.Nanyang’s skin had always been cold, but the palm covering her wrist at this time was scorching hot. Zhu Qing Huan swallowed inexplicably, patted the back of Nanyang’s hand with her other hand, and calmly said: “Don’t worry, I will ask Xiao Ye to take you back to the hotel.”“No, you take me…” Nanyang squinted, her watery eyes seeming to tear up.“I still have to shoot my scenes, Xiao Ye will send you back safely.” Zhu Qing Huan replied.Nanyang shook her head stubbornly: “No, you take me… you have to send me…”Zhu Qing Huan is a very soft-hearted person. Looking at Nanyang in this vulnerable state, she sighed. She’ll have to ask the director for a leave. It’s just a pity that she could only get a few shots in after all the trouble to put on her outfit.She took the dizzy Nanyang back to the set and roughly explained the situation to the director. Li Dong originally wanted to refuse, but he glanced at Nanyang who was indeed in poor condition at this time and did not dare to offend the Mei Group, so he reluctantly agreed. Zhu Qing Huan let Nanyang sit in the fishing chair first and went back to the dressing room to change her clothes.When she came back half an hour later, Nanyang was still sitting in a daze on the fishing chair in the same state as before.“Do you feel better?”Zhu Qing Huan walked to her, trying to reach out to touch her blushing face, but she stopped mid-way and didn’t dare touch Nanyang.Nanyang didn’t speak, but her eyes were wide open.“Let’s go, I’ll take you back.” She said softly.Nanyang’s body trembled, as if her consciousness that had been asleep for a long time suddenly became clear. She raised her cloudy eyes and uttered a word between her lips and teeth:“Hands.”Zhu Qing Huan was stunned at first, then understood what Nanyang wanted. Her face was a little hot, but she nodded docilely and stretched out her hand.Nanyang poke out four slender fingers from the cuffs of the thick down jacket and gently pulled her closer.Zhu Qing Huan took Nanyang and said goodbye to the other colleagues who were still working. The people in the crew watched the love scene between the two of them with sour hearts.The area of Zangzuo Film and Television City was relatively large and the shooting location of Shenwu (God Dance) was rather close to the middle of the city, which meant that it was going to be a long walk to the parking lot. Walking on the quaint streets and shuttling through various shooting scenes, they were able to experience many different time periods. Over here is the Warring States Period, the other side is the Tang Dynasty, this side has a princess and general, and over there is the guard and thieves. As they walked by these sights, it was like they were walking through many time periods at once, hand in hand.On the way, they ran into Dan Jin and Jiang Yanran who were shooting a new version of The Legend of the Dragon Slayer. Jiang Yanran played Zhao Min and Dan Jin played Zhou Zhiruo. They were currently having a break. Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo squatted together to eat a box lunch. Zhao Min was still picking at the vegetables in Zhou Zhiruo’s lunch box, revealing a strange harmony.“Zhu Zhu!” Jiang Yanran waved to her.Dan Jin held up her cell phone while eating as if she was on a video call with someone. Seeing Zhu Qing Huan, she smiled and pointed the camera of her mobile phone towards her and said, “Chiqiu, say hello to my beautiful sister.”A sweet voice came from the phone: “Not as beautiful as you.”Dan Jin smiled apologetically and Zhu Qinghuan waved her hand, indicating that she was not bothered.After greeting Dan Jin and Jiang Yanran,, Zhu Qing Huan was ready to quickly pull Nanyang away to not bother them shooting their scenes. Unexpectedly, Nanyang refused to be pulled.Nanyang didn’t budge.Zhu Qing Huan had to stop and turn around. She faced Nanyang with confusion in her gentle eyes: “What’s the matter?”Nanyang stared directly at a little brother who was playing the role of a hawker. To be precise, she was staring at the plastic candied haws in the little brother’s hands.She lifted her hand and pointed at the red props: “I want to eat.”Zhu Qing Huan took her index finger, pressed it down, and whispered, “It’s fake, you can’t eat it.”Nanyang slowly turned her head, staring at Qing Huan, and repeated blankly: “I want to eat.”Okay.Look at this battle spirit, it seems like she won’t go if she doesn’t eat any candied haws today.“Go a little further, there is a small cart selling real candied haws. I’ll take you there to buy a bunch, okay?” Zhu Qing Huan coaxed softly.Nanyang was silent for a long time before finally slightly nodding her head.So she took Nanyang, turned a few more intersections, and found the hawker who was pushing a trolley to sell candied haws. This vendor must have some sort of background to be able to sell things in such a place where it is not unusual to see celebrities every day.“What do you want to buy?” The hawker held a stick in his mouth, “I’m giving you a discount since my wife likes you. It’s Zhu Zhu, isn’t it?”“Thank you for your love.” Zhu Qing Huan thanked him politely and asked Nanyang, “Look, which one do you want to eat?”Nanyang stared at the various candied haws in the cart in silence for a long time and sighed.She wants to eat all of them.Zhu Qing Huan understood the meaning in her eyes. Of course, she couldn’t buy all the candied haws so she rushed to choose a bunch of candied haws with red bean paste before Nanyang could speak and quickly asked for them to be wrapped in a paper bag.“How much?”“Thirty per candy.”“Thirty?” Zhu Qing Huan frowned, “So expensive? It’s only six yuan outside.”“You are a big star and you still complain about this little money. It was originally fifty, but I gave you a discount,” the little brother sighed, “Be considerate, after all, it’s candy sold in an attractive place.”“…okay.”Although she is indeed a star who earns a lot, Zhu Qing Huan is still very frugal at heart. No matter what, unnecessary waste should be avoided. If it was her normally, she would never pay 30 yuan to buy a bunch of candied haws.“Here.” She handed the candied haws to Nanyang.Nanyang took the candied haws obediently and started eating without saying a word.Zhu Qing Huan pulled her back onto the path and they walked for a while when the ancestor suddenly spoke again: “I don’t eat black.”“What?” Zhu Qing Huan turned and frowned.Nanyang pointed to the piece of bean paste in the middle of the hawthorn and repeated: “I won’t eat this piece.”“You…” Zhu Qing Huan, who was normally a good-tempered person, suddenly had an urge to knock Nanyang unconscious. No wonder why Xiao Ye didn’t come. If Xiao Ye came, she would have already jumped up and started cursing by now.“You help me eat.” After Nanyang finished speaking, she forced the bunch of red bean paste candied haws into Qing Huan’s hands.Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback, looking at the bunch of candied haws in her hand, not understanding what Nanyang meant.Nanyang repeated it again: “You eat the black bits and leave the rest for me.”Zhu Qing Huan’s face turned red.How close does one have to be to someone in order to let the other person help gnaw off part of the food with her mouth, leave saliva on the surface of the food, and then the first person eating the rest?“Hurry up.” Nanyang urged a little impatiently.“You…” Zhu Qing Huan stopped talking.“Hurry up.”She really won’t leave if she can’t eat it, will she?Forget it…It’s better to do just one more thing than one less thing. If spent too much time here, the paparazzi will eventually notice them.Zhu Qing Huan sighed for a long time and tentatively bit the bunch of candied haws while blushing. Biting off only the bean paste in the middle of the hawthorn is a technical job. She had to use her teeth to crush the sugar coating before sticking out her tongue to carefully lick the bean paste out little by little. When the bean paste was completely licked out, the hawthorn was covered in saliva and the sugar coat was broken into crumbs.How are you going to eat this???Nanyang took it from her hand and without changing her face, took a generous bite and started chewing.Zhu Qing Huan felt that her whole body was burning with shame.What kind of woman is this??Her face flushed and she pulled Nanyang to the parking lot as fast as she could, desperately trying to go faster so she wouldn’t have to deal with any more mishaps.Fortunately, Nanyang ate the candied haws with no bean paste contentedly and no mishaps occurred.However, that was only before getting into the car.Xiao Ye was supposed to be driving, but there were many things on the set that had to be packed so Xiao Ye didn’t follow. Zhu Qing Huan helped Nanyang into the passenger seat, fastened her seat belt, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the car.As the car drove on the road, Zhu Qing Huan finally breathed a sigh of relief.Nanyang, who was holding a bunch of candied haws, suddenly stopped eating. She sat for a long time, frowning as her face became redder and redder. After a while, she began sweating heavily.This is unusual, the effects of the wine should have been reduced.“What’s wrong with you?” Zhu Qing Huan glanced at her.Nanyang’s expression seemed like she was trying to hold back something, but her hands were no longer controlled and were moving towards the back of her back.When Zhu Qing Huan saw her like this, she was still wondering why until it struck her.Mei Zhongli told herself before that Nanyang has a minor illness called cholinergic urticaria. This is not a serious disease. It is mainly caused by heat, mental stress, hot drinks, or alcoholic beverages. It makes the body temperature rise and causes an itching, tingling or burning sensation, usually on the upper trunk and upper limbs. It only causes a feeling of itch and no skin lesions appear with it. There is no cure for this, but it won’t appear so long as the body is kept cool with no exposure to heat.Mei Zhongli told her to not let Nanyang get hot. She used to live in a very cold place and was not used to warmer weather. After drinking, it was especially important to expose her to heat.Oops, the heater in the car seems to be turned a bit high.“You…are you itchy?” Zhu Qing Huan asked tentatively.A large area of Nanyang’s neck was already reddening. She couldn’t hold back and she started to pant a little while breathing.“I’ll drive faster, you endure a little.”Zhu Qing Huan opened the car window on Nanyang’s side to let the cold wind blow in. As the winter wind blew in, Nanyang’s expression improved but she still had a heavy frown.The cold air came in like a knife, scraping the back of Zhu Qing Huan’s hands that were holding the steering wheel. She clenched her teeth, her hands trembling from the cold, but still kept a tight grip on the steering wheel.Fortunately, the hotel is not far from the studio and it took only 20 minutes to arrive.After getting out of the car, Nanyang walked faster than Zhu Qing Huan, her neck was still red and it looked like she had developed a papular wind mass. Zhu Qing Huan asked the valet who was waiting at the hotel to park the car, followed Nanyang, and held the room card.The moment Nanyang reached the door, Qing Huan immediately swiped the card. Nanyang pushed the door open and walked in, not caring about whether the door was closed or not she immediately began undressing.She still kept some of her sanity and completely strip, just taking off her down jacket and sweater. Wearing a thin white shirt, she stood in front of the window, opening it a little to let the cold wind blow onto her.Zhu Qing Huan carefully walked over and asked softly: “Are you okay?”Nanyang hasn’t spoken in a long time. She pursed her lips and seemed to have finally eased a little, replying in a dumb voice, “I’m so dizzy.”“Then you lie down, I won’t close the window.”Nanyang glanced at the sofa, walked over, and plopped herself on the sofa. Her back was still itchy so she must expose her back to the col
Chapter 22
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Zhu Qing Huan went back to the room alone when she saw that Nan Yang was asleep. She took out a computer back in her room to write in her diary and thought about her script ideas while doing so. Before she knew it, the sun had already set.The back of her neck was sore and numb from sitting for a long time so she got up to stretch. When she was stretching her arms, she thought of Nan Yang who was still sleeping on the sofa.Let’s go take a look?Zhu Qing Huan remembered Nanyang’s drunken appearance earlier today: the way she called people noisy and the way she refused to leave without eating some Tanghulu. She couldn’t help pursing her lips into a small smile. Zhu Qing Huan gently opened the door, revealing the dark living room. Using the light from her bedroom to navigate her way towards the sofa, Qing Huan looked down at the sleeping Nanyang.Nanyang was still in the same position as before with her face resting on the red cushion, her breathing shallow, and her long hair draped all over her back.Zhu Qing Huan was relieved to see her sleeping soundly. Goal accomplished, she promptly turned around and walked towards the bathroom.When she stepped into the bathroom, she paused.That’s not right.Red… red cushions?Weren’t all the cushions supposed to be white?Zhu Qing Huan hurriedly turned around and bent down to check. She touched the cushion on Nanyang’s pillow with trembling hands and found that her hands were sticky and wet. She raised her palm, seeing it stained with dazzling red blood.Her heartbeat seemed to stop.Her eyes fell on Nanyang’s sleeping face again and after looking carefully for a bit, she saw that her nose was bleeding. She was bleeding a lot. She never knew that a person could bleed so much from their nose to the point that the entire cushion was dyed red.Zhu Qing Huan was frightened. She tried to call Nanyang’s name several times but got no response at all. After she regained her senses, she immediately dialed the 120 emergency number.What followed was a long and sluggish wait. She didn’t know how long it took but there were finally knocks on the door. She went to open the door and the noise around her seemed to start again. Qing Huan was a dazed and out of it, but she still managed to follow Nanyang to the ambulance.There seemed to be many people carrying cameras. Those people surrounded Nanyang’s stretcher. Nanyang, who was lying on the stretcher, was still bleeding from her nose. It seemed that she could not stop bleeding. Half of her face was covered in blood and even her white shirt was being dyed a bright red.After Zhu Qing Huan came back to her senses, she found herself sitting on a bench in the hospital.The doctor came out of the ward with a clip and saw her sitting at the door. He asked,“Are you her family member?”Zhu Qing Huan stood up hurriedly and nodded: “Yes, I… I am her wife.”“Well,” The doctor looked at his clipboard, “she just has too much nasal bleeding and is somewhat anemic. She has been given blood plasma. Although she has a lot of bleeding, she miraculously has no major damage to her body. We still don’t know the cause. It can be assumed that it may be due to anger or other similar reasons. In short, her body is very weak so nosebleeds should be normal.”After saying that, the doctor looked up and his eyebrows were a little serious: “Did you know that her right hand has a problem?”Zhu Qing Huan looked at the doctor in confusion.“She’s missing tendons in her right hand. It may be more serious than nosebleed. Although it will not be fatal, she will always suffer from severe pain. If she’s not taking daily pain medication, it’d be hard to live a normal life.”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback.Her mind flashed.She suddenly remembered Nanyang’s right hand that was always shaking when she put in seasoning, and the ugly, crooked letters on the notebook.Yet in the nanny car that night, Nanyang held her head with her right hand for an entire hour.It turned out that… her right wrist tendon is broken?If Qing Huan was a little slower and more careful when wiping Nanyang’s hand at that time, wouldn’t she have been able to notice that something was wrong with that hand?Zhu Qing Huan was full of doubts when she suddenly heard the sound of crutches leaning on the ground from the corridor in the distance. She turned to the sound and saw that it was Mei Zhongli. Not only did Mei Zhongli come, but Sun Guohui and Sun Xuxue also followed.Zhu Qing Huan suddenly became scared.Mei Zhongli glared at her with sharp eyes, as if complaining that she didn’t take good care of Nanyang.The doctor continued: “She is awake now. You can go in and see her.”Mei Zhongli led the group of people into the ward first and Zhu Qinghuan followed hesitantly. Of course she wanted to see Nanyang, but she was terrified of Mei Zhongli and she felt very guilty.She couldn’t help thinking, could Nanyang’s nosebleed have something to do with her boozy chocolate?Nanyang was leaning on the bed; her face was as pale as paper. She was biting her tightly.She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mei Zhongli; but when she saw Qing Huan standing at the back, her face stiffened and she asked Mei Zhongli coldly,“Who let her in?”Zhu Qing Huan was taken aback.Misty tears welled up in her eyes.She… is she mad?Mei Zhongli glared at Zhu Qing Huan again and gave Sun Xuxue a look. Sun Xuxue immediately patted Zhu Qing Huan on the shoulder and took her out of the ward. After a few words of comfort outside, Sun Xuxue came back immediately.“Close the door.”Nanyang ordered.Sun Guohui, who was standing at the back, closed the door and locked it.Seeing that the door was tightly closed, Nanyang finally showed hints of the pain that was torturing her. She slumped to the side of the bed with her weakly supported body and her jet-black hair fell to the ground.“Come on…” Nanyang was trembling all over and sweating heavily, “Inject me with analgesic.”As soon as Mei Zhongli heard her say “injection”, he knew that things were bad. Nanyang is person who is very good at enduring pain. Usually, she would be fine after some ibuprofen. Now that she’s asking for an “injection of analgesics,” it means that she has no time to wait for the capsule to work in her stomach.“I’ll go to the doctor now!” Mei Zhongli said immediately.“The door… don’t open it too wide.”Nanyang raised her sweaty eyelids with difficulty, “Don’t let her see me.”Mei Zhongli’s eyes flashed with bit of pain and nodded.Nanyang’s left hand was curled up beside the bed, not knowing whether to cover the scar on her heart or her broken right wrist. Her head was hanging over the edge while she was still trying her best to endure. Sun Xuxue could see what she was enduring, so she hurriedly took a trash can, wrapped a plastic bag over it and put it next to Nanyang.Nanyang finally couldn’t hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.Bright red blood dripped intermittently down her chin into the trash can. She vomited a lot, and, in the end, the blood was mixed with the sticky saliva in her mouth. A long line of blood hung down from her lower lip as she kept spitting.It really hurts.Her heart, her right wrist, and the blood vessels all over her body hurt so much that it was like breaking her bones inch by inch and grinding them into pieces. Under the severe pain, her reason was almost unable to suppress her impulse. At this moment, she could not wait to insert a knife into her chest to immediately stop this never-ending purgatory.“Ancestor…” Sun Xuxue was so distressed that she couldn’t help it.Sun Guohui was silent on the side. He has lived longer than Liu Zhen and Mei Zhongli and has followed Nanyang for longer. He has seen Nanyang like this countless times. He feels distressed but has become more numb to it.Yes, this has happened countless times.Nanyang herself is almost numb.Three thousand years ago, she had chosen the forbidden technique from the very beginning. She knew that she would bear such a price.The doctor came over quickly and injected Nanyang with the medicine according to Mei Zhongli’s request.The pillows and large sheets were soaked with sweat.After a while, her expression slowly returned to its usual dullness. Sun Xuxue, who had just come in, took a tissue and thoughtfully wiped the sweat off her forehead.With a blank face, she took a tissue from Sun Xuxue’s hand, opened her mouth slightly, and wiped the blood drawn from biting her tongue.There were tears in Sun Xuxue’s eyes: “Ancestor, don’t bite your tongue every time, okay? If your tongue is broken, then you won’t be able to even eat food. Can’t you at least bite your lips? I’ll be able to apply medicine for you…”“She will see if I bite my lips.”Nanyang said lightly.Sun Xuxue opened her mouth silently with tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t say another word.“Xuxue, give me a mirror.” Nanyang looked at her.Sun Xuxue hurriedly took out a small mirror and tremblingly handed it to Nanyang.Nanyang opened the mirror and scrutinized her face in it. She was still a little pale and there was a little blood scab on the corner of her mouth. She wiped it off with a piece of paper and folded the paper towel back and forth to wrap the blood scum before throwing it into the trash can.“Go out and tell her that she can come in.”Nanyang, who had thoroughly cleaned up, sat up on the bed and glanced at the idle people in the room.“Yes, Ancestor.”Everyone knelt down, kowtowed to Nanyang, and then exited the room one by one.“Little Lizi.” Nanyang called out.Mei Zhongli immediately stopped and bowed his head respectfully, “What’s the matter, Ancestor?”“I’m very grateful to you for running so far for me in the middle of the night and taking care of me.” Just as Mei Zhongli was about to speak, Nanyang lifted her hand to interrupt him continued, “But I don’t want to see you giving her such a look again.”Mei Zhongli jolted and was so frightened that he hurriedly bowed down: “Ancestor, I…”“No need to kneel,” Nanyang stopped him from kneeling, turned her head sideways, and said in a light voice, “I’m not blaming you. I just want you to know that maybe she was yours for the first ten years. Just a tool that you raised to please me. But now she is my wife and is on an equal footing with me. I am not asking you to kneel her. I just want you to communicate with her and treat her better. Do you understand?”Mei Zhongli lowered his head: “I… I understand, don’t worry.”Nanyang looked at him with a frown: “Okay, go rest now. You’ve worked hard tonight.”“Thank you for your understanding.” Mei Zhongli bowed again and withdrew.When everyone was finished, Nanyang lowered her eyes and stroked the thread on the white quilt, quietly waiting for Qing Huan to come in.After a while, Zhu Qing Huan slowly walked in with red eyes and cautious movements. Seeing Nanyang leaning against the head of the bed, she stopped a distance away and whispered, “I’m sorry.”“What did you do wrong?” Nanyang smiled gently at her, “You were the one who sent me to the hospital when I had a nosebleed in the middle of the night. I should thank you.”“If it wasn’t for my booze…”“It has nothing to do with chocolate,” Nanyang’s voice was very soft, “It’s delicious. I said that before and I’m still willing to eat it again.”Zhu Qing Huan resisted the urge to cry and asked, “Weren’t you mad at me just now?”“I…” Nanyang suddenly remembered that she had just been in a hurry earlier. They’ve been married for some time, and Nanyang had never spoken to her in that tone before. She must’ve been frightened. Guilt filled her heart, “I’m sorry, it wasn’t your fault. It’s mine… I was in a daze and mistook you for someone else.”“…” Zhu Qing Huan was silent.“Come closer.” Nanyang’s deliberately lowered her voice.Zhu Qing Huan bit her lip, unable to bear Nanyang’s tone and moved over in small steps.After a while, she couldn’t hold back and asked, “What’s so good about me that I deserve you liking me so much?”Nanyang pursed her lips and smiled:“Look, even when you don’t like me still give me chocolate. Being so kind, of course I like you.”Every word of Nanyang’s collided softly in Zhu Qing Huan’s heart.Faced with such Nanyang, how could she not be moved at all?Not just Zhu Qing Huan, how could anyone not be moved by Nanyang’s overflowing love? But she couldn’t believe her, she was afraid that she would take it seriously and fall in love with her recklessly only to be rejected. Qing Huan was afraid that when she finally falls in love with someone, what she gains would only be disappointment and even despair. She didn’t dare to let herself sink. She didn’t have any chips; she couldn’t bet anything.However, when Nanyang’s eyes looked at her, she had the urge to believe her regardless.Such affectionate and long eyes.It was as if she had loved her for centuries.Seeing the moved expression in Qing Huan’s eyes, Nanyang’s heart trembled but she still struggled to maintain her sanity.“You don’t have to be under pressure. If you don’t like me, you can still dislike me. Don’t go against your own heart just because of a little guilt.” Nanyang said slowly, “Qing Huan, I just hope you can be really happy. As long as you live happily, I don’t care if you love me or not.”Her tone was not greasy nor fake, she said every word so sincerely, as if she was gently wrapping each word with the blood of her heart.She said, as long as you can live happily.Love me or not, I don’t care.As long as you can live.After a long time, Qing Huan’s tears flowed down the corners of her eyes. She choked back her sobs and asked,“What if… I want to divorce you?”
Chapter 23
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“What if… I want divorce you?”The cold wind from outside the window penetrated through a tiny crack in the window, gently ruffling the long ebony hair of the frail woman on the hospital bed. Her hair swayed over her thin shoulders like a touch of algae falling onto a frozen lake.Nanyang bit the tip of her tongue, which was already dripping with blood. Only then could she resist the desire to vomit the mouthful of blood that climbed up her throat. Her right hand that was propped up on the bed began to tremble so much that she couldn’t stop trembling with her whole body. The severe pain in her entire left ribcage was so painful that she didn’t even have the strength to speak for a while.After a long, long time, her misty eyes looked at Qing Huan and she finally hummed a heavy and helpless laugh. Her voice was hoarse:“Okay, I’ll…… prepare a divorce agreement.”Her expression was grave, there was no perfunctory reassurance or joking.Zhu Qing Huan didn’t actually think about a real divorce. She was just testing whether or not Nanyang planned to keep her word that, “As long as you live happily, I don’t care if you love me or not.” The result was already what Qing Huan was hoping for. What Nanyang said is true. She really will let go of all her obsessions to respect Qing Huan’s wishes.She suddenly felt that she had fallen a little more, but she still didn’t dare to take the last step. She was afraid. She remembered the pink colored glass again and remembered the joy she felt when she received it, and the disappointment when she returned it with her own hands.Why is Nanyang so good to her, but Qing Huan still can’t open her heart?Zhu Qing Huan hated herself. Although she was forced to get married, isn’t she just half-heartedly going along with this? During these days of getting along, Nanyang never “forced” her to do anything. She doesn’t “force” her to sleep with her, nor does she “force” her to go to the rich man’s table to drink with her.On the contrary, she loves her, protects her, and cares for her with all her heart. It’s not that she doesn’t want to try with her, but she can’t get over the hurdle in her heart because she hesitates and can’t move forward. In the end, she’s just letting this marriage torture herself and Nanyang.She’s not good enough, she has low self-esteem. She is not as rich as Nanyang, she is not as good-looking as Nanyang, she can’t compare to her in anything. Nanyang is a perfect person, there are a lot of women waiting for her to choose them. Qing Huan doesn’t know why Nanyang likes her so much. Because she doesn’t know the reason, she doesn’t dare respond to this god given affection.It’s her who doesn’t deserve Nanyang. What Qing Huan resents and what she dislikes… from the beginning to the end, it was herself.Nanyang picked up the mobile phone beside her and dialed someone’s number. The light of the screen reflected on her pale face, outlining her long fluttering lashes.Her voice was soft and low, like the desolate night outside the window:“Hey, Chen Lu…… well, excuse me. I need to get a divorce……”Zhu Qing Huan suddenly stepped forward, blocked the microphone on the phone, looked at Nanyang with tears on her face, shook her head vigorously, and said with a crying voice:“No……. don’t get divorced…… don’t, don’t leave me……”Nanyang raised her eyes and looked at her in surprise.“I don’t really want to divorce you, I’m just…… I just……”Just asking? Just testing?The last time she was in KTV, she had tested Nan Yang’s patience like this. Now she’s once again testing Nanyang’s reaction to a divorce. How many times did she use this boring method to endlessly hurt Nanyang? Could it be that every time that Qing Huan made Nanyang look as if she’s lost her soul gave Qing Huan some kind of sick satisfaction?Does she even deserve such a sense of security?Nanyang looked at Qing Huan, who was stubbornly holding onto her phone, and suddenly got what was going on. Her heart softened and she realized that Qing Huan wasn’t being serious.Qing Huan blurted it out and probably didn’t expect that she would really contact a lawyer. Blame her for being too serious, Nanyang didn’t take a closer look at Qing Huan’s expression when she said this, and didn’t figure out Qing Huan’s true thoughts so she recklessly wanted to find a lawyer for divorce.She knew that Qing Huan had been living under Mei Zhongli’s control for more than ten years and for various reasons, she had to wrap herself in a layer of gentle thorns. Nanyang didn’t know how treat her in a way to make Qing Huan open the wall around her heart.But there’s still a lot of time, and the thing that Nanyang’s the best at… is waiting.Three thousand years ago, they were masters and apprentices when Qing Huan fell in love with her. Nanyang also repeatedly avoided her because wall in her heart was too tall.It was Qing Huan who stayed by her side for more than ten years, who took care of her gently, who never gave up, and who finally coughed up blood after kneeling in the Kunlun snow to beg her, kneeling for one day and night.Qing Huan could’ve lost her life then; it was finally then that Nanyang began to accept her feelings. Qing Huan was so patient with her back then, and now, it’s her turn to be patient for Qing Huan.Everything can be done slowly and as long as she is still by her side, she no longer needs much luxury.Nanyang hung up the phone, put it to the side, and stretched out her arms to hug Qing Huan, who was crying miserably at this time.But when her arm was halfway up, she still held back and asked first:“Can I hold you?”She is sometimes so strict that she is rigid, yet she can be presumptuous in some situations. However, Nanyang has a righteous personality engraved in her bones, the two words she has said the most in her long life are “nonsense” and “presumptuous.”Obviously, since she often reprimands her disciples like this, she will definitely not allow herself to mess around and be presumptuous. Especially in the face of Qing Huan who has no memory.But Nanyang didn’t think properly think it through, a girl who’s overwhelmed crying, how is she going to properly give permission?Zhu Qing Huan just lowered her head and continued sobbing without a word.Without permission, Nanyang leaned back on the bed and the corners of her lips hooked helplessly: “Next time you joke with me, don’t look so serious. I’ll take it seriously.”Zhu Qing Huan buried her head further, choked up, and said, “I’m sorry, it’s all… it’s all my fault.”“It’s okay. It’s normal for married couples to joke with each other.” Nanyang easily forgave her and there was still a familiar tenderness between her eyebrows, “I don’t blame you. I was just confused. You can’t have such temper with me in the future. As soon as you talk about divorce, I have to draw up a divorce agreement every time. ”“……”Nanyang won’t be angry? Is this a real person?The atmosphere was a little solemn although Nanyang deliberately wanted to ease the mood, Zhu Qing Huan was still upset. Nanyang tilted her head, quietly swallowed the blood that was sneaking up her throat, and changed the topic: “When I was taken out of the hotel, was it caught be paparazzi?”“…I think so.”“Did you check Weibo? Were my photos being leaked?”“I don’t know, not yet…… didn’t have time to look.”Nanyang snorted and patted the side of her bed: “Come and sit down. If you keep standing, your feet will hurt.”Zhu Qing Huan didn’t move. After standing in place for a while and seeing Nanyang pick up her phone, she finally walked over and lightly sat on a tiny edge of the bed.The moment Nanyang opened the hot search on Weibo, her face turned blue.List entry: Zhu Qing Huan domestic violence. It was followed by a small red “boiling” color.Upon first glance, the whole page is full Nanyang’s nosebleed while she was lying on a stretcher. Because there was so much blood, her shirt was soaked, and it gave bystanders the impression that Nanyang had serious injuries.The comment section exploded, and they flamed Zhu Qing Huan.[I don’t know how hard this beating was, how can she beat Boss Nan to bleed so badly.]Some fans have turned retracted their support and even turned into anti-fans. Since the last time Nanyang was on a hot search, she accumulated a good amount of popularity from passerbys. She left everyone with the impression of a domineering president who loves her wife and yet this time she was beaten to the point of a nosebleed, everyone unanimously expressed their distress.[Boss Nan is so pitiful], [Zhu Qing Huan is such a scumbag], [How could you hurt Boss Nan’s feelings], [Refuse domestic violence, domestic violence is shameful], [Divorce, divorce, divorce quickly], etc……Nanyang: “……”Zhu Qing Huan: “……”Domestic Violence???Where is this?Did she use alcoholic chocolate to commit domestic violence against Nanyang?The friend requests kept popping up on the top of her phone. Nanyang clicked on it and found that it was Sun Xuxue, who had been deleted by her from before, so she approved her request. As soon as she added her, Sun Xuxue sent a large paragraph:“Ancestor, don’t look at Weibo. We have contacted Xiaotian Entertainment to join forces to control it and it will be suppressed early tomorrow morning. The clarification draft has been sent to the marketing account of ten million-level fans and Mei is also communicating with that side. The entry should be taken down in a bit. You have a good rest, take care of your “complexion”, and tomorrow you only need to show your face in front of the interview and say a few words. Then things will naturally clear up. Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. Just stay in the room with Zhu Zhu, I won’t go in and disturb you. I’m sorry for the nonsense, you can continue your business after reading [hee-hee] [hee-hee]”Go on?What to continue?Nanyang’s face sank and her fingers clenched slightly.Zhu Qing Huan secretly glanced at her screen, a little puzzled: “Ancestor? Why does she call you… Ancestor?”Nanyang lied without changing her face: “It’s the nickname they gave me.”“Why are you called this?” It sounds a little old.Nanyang raised her eyes and smiled, “Because they say I look like an immortal.”Zhu Qing Huan listened and couldn’t help holding back a shallow grin, tears still dripping down her face.“You’re smiling?” Nanyang saw that her little joke amused Qing Huan and couldn’t help but laugh a little more. She picked up a tissue and put it in Qing Huan’s palm, so that she could wipe her tears, “It’s good to laugh, don’t be unhappy.” ”“I didn’t, I just ……”“Sleepy, huh?” Nanyang noticed Qing Huan’s bloodshot eyes. She was busy shooting during the day, taking care of Nanyang’s drunk self in the afternoon, and running around the hospital at night, so it was strange that Qing Huan was not tired, “I’ll ask them to take you back to the hotel. Try to get a good night’s sleep.”Zhu Qing Huan was silent for a long time before she finally shook her head: “I’m here to accompany you.”“You still have to film tomorrow; how can you rest well here.” Nanyang picked up her phone, “I’ll asked them to send you.”Zhu Qing Huan stubbornly shook her head again: “I won’t go back.”Nanyang stared at her soft and watery eyes for a while, then said, “Then I’ll go back with you, okay?”Zhu Qing Huan was stunned for a moment and looked at the needle on the back of Nanyang’s hand that was being infused.“I’m fine, it was just little nosebleed. It’s not very serious.” Nanyang pressed the call button at the bedside, “I’ll call the nurse to pull out the needle for me and I’ll drive you back.”“But……”“Alright, delay a little longer before you fall asleep again.” Nanyang looked a little helpless, “My hand is not very convenient today, I can’t hold you so before you fall asleep… let’s go back together, okay?”Zhu Qing Huan looked at her for a long time, and finally nodded with a red face.Nanyang talked a lot tonight.She felt that Nanyang had talked more tonight than all the previous days combined.Nanyang doesn’t like to talk, and she doesn’t like to speak with filler words such as “um,” “ah,” and “eh,” and she knows it. But after Nanyang noticed that Qing Huan’s mood wasn’t very good, she would endure the discomfort of her body and force herself to say so many sentences softly. Using up her energy and speaking in her soft tone, just to make her laugh.Zhu Qing Huan endured the stinging in her eyes and didn’t let the tears fall again.How could she be willing to really divorce her?
Chapter 24
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Nan Yang insisted on being discharged in the middle of the night. Mei Zhongli and the others tried to persuade her for a long while, until the emotions in Nan Yang’s eyes completely froze over. Afraid of truly angering her, they finally shut up.Sun Xuxue really did drive over the white Audi that Nan Yang liked. Nan Yang happened to swap keys with her for the ugly BMW she’d driven there, then drove off in her beloved Audi A4L, taking the already drowsy Zhu Qinghuan back to the hotel.Zhu Qinghuan dozed lightly in the car.When Nan Yang was discharged, she had already changed out of her hospital gown. Sun Xuxue had sent all her new clothes straight to the hotel, so she had no choice but to wear that white shirt stained half red with blood. After parking at the hotel, she saw that Qinghuan was already asleep. She got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, bent down, and said softly, “Qinghuan, we’re here.”Zhu Qinghuan mumbled something and didn’t wake up.Nan Yang wanted to reach out and carry her, but her right hand was still spasming. The painkiller injection from earlier was gradually wearing off. Whether she herself hurt or not didn’t matter much; she was mainly afraid that if her hand gave out halfway, Qinghuan might fall.“Come on. Over here. I’ll carry you on my back.”She touched Qinghuan’s head. Zhu Qinghuan was half-awake, her consciousness still hazy. She only felt herself being guided by a hand, then slumping onto a cool, soft shoulder.Nan Yang lifted her steadily onto her back, hooking her right forearm under Qinghuan’s knees so both of them would be more comfortable. Carrying her from the garage all the way into the lobby, she felt the warmth against her back and couldn’t help letting the corner of her lips curve upward.There were many reporters staking out the lobby. They’d thought they’d already gotten the biggest scoop of the day and were about to pack up and leave. No one expected that only a few hours later, Nan Yang—who had been half-dead on a stretcher not long ago—would come back. Not only that, she was carrying Zhu Qinghuan on her back.A cold, aloof boss in a white shirt stained half with blood, walking unhurriedly through the crowd with a sleeping, glamorous superstar on her back. The scene was absurdly striking—more dramatic than any TV drama.The reporters surged forward, fumbling with microphones and shoving them toward Nan Yang’s face.“Boss Nan! Boss Nan!”“Boss Nan, have you seen the trending topics?”“Is your health already recovered? Just a few hours ago you were covered in blood—are you really able to stand and walk now?”“Is it true, as some media have reported, that Zhu Qinghuan committed domestic violence against you?”“What do you think about domestic violence? Will you speak up for this group?”“Did Zhu Qinghuan hit you herself? Does she hit you often?”Nan Yang didn’t want to say a single word. She only felt like a swarm of flies buzzing around her head, endlessly noisy.The reporters followed them all the way from the lobby to the elevator. Even while Nan Yang was waiting, they kept firing questions, all revolving around the accusation of Zhu Qinghuan’s domestic violence, until Nan Yang’s scalp started to ache.After what felt like ages, the elevator finally arrived. With a ding, the doors opened, but several reporters blocked the entrance, refusing to let Nan Yang in, still shouting questions.“Boss Nan, your silence—is it because the domestic violence is so severe that it’s already caused you mental or—”“Boss Nan, why won’t you answer us directly?”“Boss Nan, why do you keep silent? Are you being threatened, or—”“Boss Nan—”“Boss Nan, please look this way!”“Boss—”“So noisy.” Nan Yang finally frowned and cut them off coldly. “What does the intimacy between the two of us have to do with any of you?”The reporters instantly fell silent.Intimacy…?While they were still stunned, Nan Yang immediately squeezed into the elevator with Qinghuan on her back and shut the doors.At last.Peace and quiet.“…If you say it like that, they’ll misunderstand.” Zhu Qinghuan’s gentle voice came from behind her. She had actually woken up as soon as the first reporter started shouting, but knowing that waking up would only make them crazier, she’d kept pretending to sleep.“You’re afraid I’ll ruin your public image,” Nan Yang said flatly.Zhu Qinghuan shook her head. When she did, Nan Yang could feel her warm cheek brushing against her neck.Nan Yang herself didn’t quite believe she’d been able to say the word “intimacy” so bluntly in front of so many people. But she wanted to protect the person on her back—her health and her reputation. She didn’t want Qinghuan to wake up the next morning and see the words “domestic violence” linked with her name again. Even though her own ears had turned red afterward, her long black hair hid it well. Qinghuan couldn’t see.“Put me down,” Zhu Qinghuan said softly.Nan Yang set her down and stood off to the side, arms folded.The elevator quickly reached their floor. One after the other, they returned to the room.Zhu Qinghuan went in first. She took off her coat, glanced at the sofa already stained with blood, and said to Nan Yang behind her, “You sleep on the bed tonight.”Nan Yang was already undoing the buttons of her shirt. Hearing that, she looked up at her. “And you?”“I…” Zhu Qinghuan lowered her head, not daring to meet her eyes. “I’ll sleep on the bed too.”“Mm.”Nan Yang agreed.They showered one after the other. Nan Yang went last, saying that after she washed, the bathtub would definitely be full of blood. Sure enough, it was. When she was blow-drying her hair, Qinghuan spent a full ten minutes rinsing the tub clean.Nan Yang turned off the hair dryer and suddenly asked, “Is there any of that chocolate left from this morning?”Zhu Qinghuan put the hose back and gave her a helpless look. “Yes, but you shouldn’t eat it today.”“I like the Sauza Gold tequila flavor,” Nan Yang said, recalling it. “It’s very rich. The cocoa liquor is intense too. But the Remy Martin V.S.O.P one is just average.”“…Dry your hair and go to sleep.”“I want another piece. The Sauza Gold tequila one.”Zhu Qinghuan sighed. “You’ve already brushed your teeth.”“It’s fine. I’ll brush again after.”“…Then just one piece,” Zhu Qinghuan softened again, even though she knew it wasn’t really appropriate to let Nan Yang eat liquor-filled chocolate at a time like this. “Only one.”“Mm.”Zhu Qinghuan went into her bedroom, with Nan Yang following behind. She took out the chocolate box from a drawer, picked a Sauza Gold tequila one, and handed it to Nan Yang.Nan Yang sat on the edge of the bed, deftly unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and chewed slowly with her lips closed.Before long she finished it. She licked her lips and said, “I want another.”“No.”Zhu Qinghuan refused without hesitation.“Alright.” Nan Yang didn’t push it. She just looked around the room and suddenly said, “Do you want to go put on a face mask in the bathroom?”“I’m not doing one today.”“Do it. You usually always do.”“Today I’ll just—” Zhu Qinghuan suddenly realized something and looked at her suspiciously. “You… you want me to go to the bathroom so you can sneak more chocolate, don’t you?”Nan Yang’s lips curved slightly. She shamelessly admitted it. “Yes.”Seeing her sitting on the bed like that, smiling, the word “covertly flirtatious” popped into Zhu Qinghuan’s mind again. What did that mean? Restrained on the outside, shameless behind closed doors. In public she was exceptionally reserved; in private she was a completely different person. Maybe not to the point of outrageous, but the contrast with her usual self was still enormous.Not just enormous—huge.Like right now. That smile that showed just a bit of teeth again, a small dimple at her lips, giving her a cool, restrained kind of allure. She rarely smiled. Even when she did, it was usually just a slight curve of the lips, and only when facing Zhu Qinghuan alone. It was very rare for her to smile and show her teeth.Did she really like chocolate that much?“Then… you can have one more,” Zhu Qinghuan compromised again. “No more than that. I’m afraid something might happen to you.”“Alright. Thank you,” Nan Yang said, satisfied, leaning over to reach for the chocolate box.Zhu Qinghuan froze, her brows knitting slightly. “Why are you thanking me?”“Because it’s your chocolate. You’re giving it to me. Of course I should thank you.”A strange emotion flickered in Zhu Qinghuan’s eyes. She picked up her serum and went to the bathroom. As she stepped out of the bedroom, she paused, turned back, and said softly, “What’s mine is yours.”Nan Yang stiffened. Her hand stopped halfway through unwrapping the chocolate, and she looked up.“I mean the chocolate,” Zhu Qinghuan explained quickly, then turned and hurried into the bathroom without looking back.Nan Yang smiled faintly, put the unwrapped Sauza Gold tequila chocolate into her mouth, and chewed slowly.When she was almost done, she went to the living room, poured herself a glass of water, and rinsed the sticky sweetness from her mouth. Looking at the bloodstains still on the sofa, she expressionlessly raised a hand and touched her nose.After drinking, she went to brush her teeth.Zhu Qinghuan had finished her skincare and was standing by the sink, washing Nan Yang’s white shirt that was half soaked in blood. The basin was full of foam, the water already turned red. The stained area was too large, and she was carefully scrubbing it bit by bit.“Why bother washing it? Throw it away,” Nan Yang said through a mouthful of toothpaste.“It’s a Stella McCartney white shirt. Limited edition. It costs several thousand,” Zhu Qinghuan said, wiping foam off her cheek with her shoulder. “Let me try. It should come clean.”“This shirt has a brand?” Nan Yang asked vaguely, toothbrush in her mouth.“Do you think the white shirts Uncle Mei prepares for you are just ordinary white shirts?” Zhu Qinghuan sighed. “The ones I’ve seen you wear—Ann Demeulemeester, Givenchy, Fendi, Margiela. Which one was cheap?”“Mm…” Nan Yang didn’t understand a word, focusing on brushing her teeth.Mei Zhongli cared deeply about Nan Yang. He’d practically scoured the world for every major designer’s white shirt, just so that even wearing nothing but white, Nan Yang could still feel different moods. All of those expensive shirts were designed by top designers and suited her temperament perfectly. Even standing still, doing nothing, she looked unmistakably “valuable.”Nan Yang finished brushing and said again, “Stop washing it. I don’t want it.”“You’re so wasteful,” Zhu Qinghuan sighed.“…Sleep.”Zhu Qinghuan struggled a bit longer. Seeing that it really wouldn’t wash clean, she finally gave up, yawned, and went into the bedroom.They lay down on opposite sides of the bed, not touching. Luckily the bed was big enough for each of them to claim their own small space.Zhu Qinghuan faced the desk, darkness before her eyes, the room falling silent. It should have been time to sleep peacefully, yet her heart began to pound chaotically in her chest.She knew what it meant to allow Nan Yang onto her bed. It was an extremely ambiguous signal. Even if it didn’t really progress into anything physical, it still implied consent to a certain level of intimacy. If tonight Nan Yang reached for her hand, or took the initiative to hold her, or even… kissed her forehead…She thought she probably wouldn’t refuse.She bit her lip, waiting until her shoulders trembled with tension.Nan Yang, however, had no such thoughts. The day had been exhausting. She was far more tired than after driving for hours the night before. Not long after closing her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.Zhu Qinghuan heard Nan Yang’s breathing grow long and steady and was stunned for a while. When she came back to herself, she smiled helplessly and sighed softly.She turned toward Nan Yang, hesitated, then quietly slipped her hand under Nan Yang’s blanket.She found Nan Yang’s right hand and gently held her wrist in her palm, carefully massaging the slightly misaligned tendons on the inside with her thumb.The burning pain in Nan Yang’s wrist eased under the effective massage. Even in her sleep, the corner of her lips curved up in contentment.
Chapter 25
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The female second lead of Divine Dance was quietly replaced.The entertainment industry isn’t that big. When someone pulls strings behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long for it to be exposed. When #Zhu Qinghuan Domestic Violence# climbed to third place on the trending list, Xiaotian Entertainment quickly discovered that the black-tagged topic had been bought by Zhu Qinghuan’s rival—Zhao Dan’s camp, the actress originally cast as the second female lead of Divine Dance. They were deliberately stirring trouble; otherwise, a bizarre accusation like “domestic violence” wouldn’t have appeared out of nowhere.Xiaotian Entertainment immediately informed the Mei Group. After Mei Zhongli found out, he immediately reported the matter to Nan Yang.Zhao Dan abruptly withdrew from the production. She left overnight, without any explanation. The director merely announced her departure in the work group chat. Soon after, the group welcomed her replacement: a newly signed Xiaotian Entertainment artist—Ming Wancheng.Who was behind this entire operation was obvious without saying.When Ming Wancheng checked into the hotel with her suitcase, she was smiling from ear to ear. It was already too late on her first night to visit her patron. Early the next morning, she ordered takeout, carried two boxed meals, took the room number Nan Yang had sent her, and knocked loudly on the door.Zhu Qinghuan opened it. She and Nan Yang were getting ready; Nan Yang was brushing her teeth in the bathroom.“Hello hello hello, Teacher Zhu!”Ming Wancheng’s eyes lit up at the sight of Qinghuan’s face. Finally, she could see her master up close—the woman who had bewitched the Ancestor for three thousand years. What exactly did she look like?Ah. She really was beautiful.After all, Qinghuan was the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the martial world; of course her looks were outstanding. It wasn’t that she was less beautiful than Nan Yang—her beauty was simply more “alluring,” while Nan Yang’s was more “cold.” Modern aesthetics tended to favor colder features. But three thousand years ago, in ancient times, someone like Qinghuan would have been far more popular. Nan Yang’s status made people afraid to comment on her appearance, and even more afraid to harbor improper thoughts about her. Women toward whom no one dared have improper thoughts were often treated as genderless in the minds of most men. And those obsessed with ranking women’s beauty in the martial world just happened to be the same men prone to indulging in fantasies.With such a seductive master, no wonder the Ancestor Nan Yang had been completely ensnared. The two of them together gave off the unmistakable vibe of a fox spirit seducing a cold, aloof immortal.“And you are…?” Zhu Qinghuan had no impression of the high-school-aged girl in front of her. Ming Wancheng’s fame was simply too small.Who am I? I’m your beloved little disciple.“I’m the new actress playing the second female lead. My name is Ming Wancheng. You can call me A-Cheng,” Ming Wancheng said cheerfully.“And… what do you need?” Zhu Qinghuan was a little puzzled. It was too early in the morning to be paying courtesy calls; there would be plenty of time to talk on set.“I’m looking for—”Ming Wancheng caught sight of Nan Yang coming out of the bathroom. Without waiting for Qinghuan’s permission, she walked straight in, opened her arms toward Nan Yang, took a few quick steps, and made to give her a huge bear hug.Nan Yang’s expression turned cold. She stepped back to avoid her and barked in a low voice, “Insolent!”Ming Wancheng hugged empty air. She looked aggrieved; the word “An—” had already slipped halfway out of her mouth before she forcefully twisted it into, “Nan Yang, you’re so heartless.”“You—” Nan Yang was about to correct her form of address, but after glancing at Qinghuan standing nearby, she clenched her teeth and let it go.“You two know each other?” Zhu Qinghuan forced a smile.“She’s the one who introduced me here,” Ming Wancheng said with a carefree grin. “We’re even from the same company, Teacher Zhu. It’s just that my status is too low. Since debut, I’ve only played two corpses. Thanks to Nan Yang, I finally get to play a living person!”Unlike everyone else, she didn’t address Nan Yang as “Boss Nan,” but called her by name without restraint. More importantly, judging from Nan Yang’s expression, she seemed to allow it.Who exactly was this girl, to receive such special treatment from Nan Yang—and to show up early in the morning without any reservations?“What do you want?” Nan Yang’s gaze already carried irritation.“I brought you breakfast,” Ming Wancheng shook the plastic bag in her hand. “I ordered an extra portion this morning, so I came to—” She bit her tongue, swallowing the words “pay my respects.” “—to bring it to you.”Zhu Qinghuan lowered her eyes without speaking, picked up two bottles of lotion, and returned to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.Nan Yang noticed Qinghuan leaving but didn’t think much of it, assuming she was just tidying up. She reached out to take the plastic bag, but Ming Wancheng only loosened one finger, keeping a firm grip on the other side with a hint of internal force. Not wanting to waste time, Nan Yang released it—only for Ming Wancheng to snap her right hand into a finger-sword and slash toward Nan Yang’s cheek.Nan Yang knew this brat was itching for trouble. She formed a finger-sword with her left hand, channeling three-tenths of her internal force to block the strike. Ming Wancheng didn’t stop; she flipped her hand into a palm strike and chopped toward Nan Yang’s shoulder.Annoyed, Nan Yang directly pulled out the BM47 butterfly knife she always carried on her belt. With a swift backhanded flick, she opened it and pressed the blade against the base of Ming Wancheng’s ear.Seeing the blade, Ming Wancheng immediately begged for mercy. “Ancestor, I was wrong.”“Have you lost your mind from sleep?” Nan Yang lowered her voice. “Do you have any idea what would happen if someone saw us using martial arts?”“I just wanted to see whether, with a beauty in your arms and indulgence in excess, your internal force has deteriorated,” Ming Wancheng grinned shamelessly.Nan Yang frowned. “What do you mean?”Ming Wancheng shrugged. “You haven’t checked the trending topics yet? Thanks to your line last night about ‘our intimacy,’ no one’s saying my master committed domestic violence anymore. Now they’re all saying you bled nonstop from overindulgence.” She clicked her tongue and patted Nan Yang’s shoulder. “A noble sacrifice.”“Is that how you use that phrase?” Nan Yang corrected her sternly.“Is that the point?” Ming Wancheng stared at her. “Don’t you care most about your reputation? Aren’t you always restrained and composed? What possessed you to say something like that to the media?”“…”Nan Yang fell silent.Seeing her say nothing again, Ming Wancheng sighed. “Then… since you’ve already sacrificed this much, your relationship with her…”Nan Yang still didn’t speak.Ming Wancheng understood.“A long road ahead, Ancestor.” She patted Nan Yang solemnly. “But you should thank me. Now that I’ve shown up today, your relationship should advance another step.”“What do you mean?” Nan Yang asked.Ming Wancheng snorted. “Your emotional intelligence is hopeless. Go comfort her—before my master gets so mad she passes out.”“Mad…?”Ming Wancheng cupped her fists at Nan Yang. “I’m leaving. I put the food on the coffee table—two portions, for you and Master. Yours has extra sugar; Master’s is sugar-free. Enjoy.”With that, she dashed off at lightning speed.Passed out from anger?Nan Yang frowned at the tightly closed bedroom door. Could Ming Wancheng’s arrival have made Qinghuan jealous?She didn’t go in immediately, instead sitting quietly on the sofa to wait. About ten minutes later, Zhu Qinghuan came out with her phone tucked against her ear, apparently talking to Xiao Ye, repeatedly saying “Okay, I’ll come down right away.” Her expression seemed normal. After hanging up, she looked at Nan Yang with gentle eyes. “Are you going to set today?”“Yes.”“Okay.” Zhu Qinghuan headed toward the door. “Then let’s go.”Nan Yang followed, took a white wool coat from the rack, and put it on as she stepped out.In the elevator, Zhu Qinghuan suddenly turned around, pulled two liquor-filled chocolates from her down jacket pocket, and handed them to Nan Yang.“For you.”Nan Yang took them and looked.Remy Martin V.S.O.P.Her lips curved slightly. As expected—she was upset.“Why this flavor? I said yesterday I don’t like it,” Nan Yang asked knowingly.“Did you? I didn’t pay attention. I just grabbed them randomly,” Zhu Qinghuan replied calmly.Nan Yang lowered her head, unwrapped one, popped it into her mouth, and put the other into her coat pocket. She chewed quietly, savoring it, swallowed the cocoa butter, then said slowly, “She’s the friend I told you about at that dinner—the one I hugged. Her name is A-Cheng. We’ve known each other a long time. There’s nothing between us. It’s just…”Just a simple grandparent–grandchild bond.Nan Yang paused, then chose a more suitable term. “Just simple friendship. She likes someone—your friend, Qi Yi. She asked me to have you help introduce them. I agreed for now. You can ask Qi Yi later if she’s willing. If not, it’s fine—I can persuade A-Cheng to give up.”Zhu Qinghuan listened carefully. Though her expression barely changed, the light in her eyes softened slightly.“She brought us breakfast earlier. Yours didn’t have sugar—she knows you’re controlling body fat.” Nan Yang clicked her tongue. “Unfortunately, you won’t get to eat it. You left in a hurry; it’s still on the table. It’ll probably be spoiled by the time we get back.”“Then I’ll go get it now,” Zhu Qinghuan said seriously.“Sure.” Nan Yang straightened up against the elevator wall and pressed their floor button. “While you’re at it, bring me a Sauza Gold tequila chocolate. And remember—don’t grab Remy Martin V.S.O.P by mistake again.”Zhu Qinghuan’s ears seemed to redden slightly. She turned away without replying.A moment later, the elevator reached the ground floor and started going back up. When it arrived at their floor, Zhu Qinghuan stepped out with one foot, the other still inside. Suddenly she turned back, swiftly stuffed two Sauza Gold tequila chocolates—hidden in her clenched palm—into Nan Yang’s coat pocket, then turned and left immediately, afraid that lingering even a second would let someone see her burning cheeks.So she’d been hiding them in her hand all along.Nan Yang smiled helplessly and stepped out of the elevator, waiting for her at the doors.Lowering her head, she counted the three chocolates she now had left, calculating when she should eat them.The two Sauza Gold tequila chocolates had been warmed by Qinghuan’s palm, their texture slightly soft. A bit of melted cocoa butter seeped through the wrapper and stuck to Nan Yang’s fingers.Nan Yang lowered her eyes, extended her tongue slightly, and slowly smeared the chocolate on her fingertip over the unhealed wound on her tongue.
Chapter 26
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Zhu Qinghuan grabbed the two boxed meals from the coffee table and hurried downstairs with Nan Yang. She had no intention of being late a second time after already leaving early once. Xiao Ye had originally brought the company car out, but the old nanny van had some issues. Nan Yang pulled out the key to her Audi A4L and tossed it to Xiao Ye, telling her to drive Nan Yang’s car instead.Xiao Ye’s eyes widened. “Boss Nan—no offense, but you should know I’m Zhu Zhu’s assistant, not your assistant.”Nan Yang looked at her silently, took out her phone, and placed a call.Five minutes later, Sun Xuxue appeared in front of Nan Yang at lightning speed. Two minutes after that, she drove the white Audi A4L up from the garage. Nan Yang opened the car door for Qinghuan and helped her get in. Before getting in herself, she said to Xiao Ye in the nanny van next to them, “I don’t want her to be late. You can drive a bit slower behind us.”It was a strangely layered sentence—at first it sounded caring, but the more you thought about it, the more it sounded like mockery. Sun Xuxue shivered in the driver’s seat. The Ancestor really was covertly flirtatious—her words always carried double meanings.Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan sat in the back. Using the short time on the road, they opened the breakfast Ming Wancheng had brought them.Two boxes of medicinal congee—cooked smooth and fragrant, very nourishing, without an overpowering herbal taste.The moment Nan Yang saw the words “medicinal” and “nourishing” on the box, her face nearly froze into ice. A-Cheng’s words from the morning flashed through her mind again.Overindulgence.“They look the same… which one is sugar-free…” Zhu Qinghuan frowned, lifting the two boxes to see if there was a sticky note underneath.“Just pick one and start eating,” Nan Yang said calmly. “If it’s sugar-free, keep eating it. If it’s the extra-sugar one, give it to me.”“Is that… okay?”Zhu Qinghuan blinked. Was Nan Yang going to eat what she’d already started?“Eat. We won’t have time later.”“…Okay.”Zhu Qinghuan checked her phone—there really wasn’t much time. She grabbed a box at random, peeled the plastic off the disposable spoon, and scooped up a bite.The instant the congee touched her tongue, her brows knitted tightly—exactly the same expression she’d worn that night she’d tasted the ridiculously cloying porridge Nan Yang had cooked herself.She held the bite in her mouth, stuck between swallowing and spitting, her face turning red from the strain. It was way too rich. She didn’t dare swallow at all—one mouthful like this would cost her at least an hour on the treadmill.Nan Yang realized immediately that she’d picked the wrong one. She straightened and scanned around for tissues. There weren’t any in the back seat, so Sun Xuxue, driving, started rummaging through the small compartment up front. Zhu Qinghuan kept holding that bite in her mouth, brows furrowed, looking miserable.Nan Yang’s brows tightened too. She glanced at Sun Xuxue fumbling for tissues, then opened her palm and held it out in front of Qinghuan.“Spit here.”Her light brown eyes were completely steady; her tone was flat.Zhu Qinghuan stared at Nan Yang in disbelief. Covering her mouth, she pushed Nan Yang’s hand away.Nan Yang reached her hand back toward Qinghuan’s lips again, repeating, “Hurry. Spit it out.”Seeing how serious Nan Yang looked, Zhu Qinghuan’s throat bobbed—and she swallowed.The syrupy sweetness spread over her tongue, slid down her throat, and sank into the warm pit of her stomach.Thank goodness she hadn’t actually spat into Nan Yang’s pale, delicate palm.Sun Xuxue finally found tissues and tossed an entire big pack to the back. “Zhu Zhu, wipe— Old—Boss Nan, you’re… you can’t…”Just those few words, and her heartbreak was practically spilling out.This was the “god” their family had followed for generations. And their god had held out her palm to a mortal and told the mortal to spit chewed food into it???Seeing that Qinghuan had already swallowed, Nan Yang withdrew her hand, took a bottle of water from the side compartment in the door, twisted it open, and handed it to her.“…Thanks.”Zhu Qinghuan blushed as she accepted it, sipping in small gulps.Nan Yang said nothing, expression unchanged. She picked up the box Qinghuan had taken one bite from and, using the same spoon, began eating it calmly, one mouthful at a time.The car fell into silence, broken only by the soft sounds of the two of them eating congee.In the front, Sun Xuxue was still questioning reality.Before long, they arrived at the set. Zhu Qinghuan rushed straight to the makeup room. Nan Yang guessed she’d be dancing the ritual dance all day again, so she didn’t follow—she took Sun Xuxue and wandered around the Zangzuo Film City for a couple of loops.Zangzuo Film City was huge. Almost every corner had a crew filming, and the most popular locations had productions lining up to use them. While Nan Yang strolled, quite a few people recognized her—after all, she’d topped the trending list twice. Men covered their mouths and whispered while pointing. Actresses flushed and pretended not to see. Sun Xuxue watched Nan Yang’s expression grow darker and darker, knowing it was all fallout from last night’s line about “our intimacy.” She had no idea how to comfort her. She couldn’t exactly say, Ancestor, try to look on the bright side—at least people think your endurance in bed is amazing.But… was the Ancestor really the one being “endured”?Sun Xuxue scrunched her face.Ah. A lofty, untouchable flower like her… and she was the one on the receiving end in bed. Devastating.“It’s almost lunch,” Nan Yang finally said, no longer in the mood to wander. “Let’s go back and find Qinghuan.”“Okay!” Sun Xuxue answered immediately.They meandered back to the Divine Dance crew.It was Ming Wancheng’s first day on set. The moment Nan Yang returned, she caught A-Cheng loudly announcing that she was treating everyone to Haidilao hotpot takeout for lunch—everyone included.For someone who winced at the cost of a Starbucks, Ming Wancheng obviously didn’t have that kind of money. It was easy to guess she’d gotten it from Nan Yang. The moment she complained she was broke, Nan Yang had tossed her a thick stack of bank cards bound with a rubber band and said, “I don’t know how much is on each of these. Take them and use them. When you run out, come to me again.”When Ming Wancheng received that stack, she’d practically wanted to marry Nan Yang on the spot.With one extravagant meal, she instantly won over the whole crew. People praised her for being far more socially savvy than Zhao Dan and promised to look out for her in the future. Ming Wancheng got her first taste of the convenience money could buy—and deeply regretted spending her whole life just playing around. If she’d thought even a little about making money, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.Nan Yang waited in the makeup room for a while. Zhu Qinghuan came out of the fitting room in fresh clothes. She’d finally finished the ritual dance segment and said goodbye to that eight-layer red silk gown; she couldn’t even hide the smile on her lips.“You’re back,” she said to Nan Yang with a small smile, then asked Xiao Ye, “What are we eating for lunch?”“A-Cheng said she’s treating everyone to Haidilao takeout,” Xiao Ye replied excitedly. “It should be here soon. Finally we won’t have to eat plain rice with garlic shoots and stir-fried meat. Zhu Zhu, you love hotpot the most, right?”“I do.” Zhu Qinghuan smiled politely. “Then I should properly thank Miss Ming.”“…”Nan Yang didn’t speak. For some reason, she could still hear something slightly off in the way Qinghuan said “Miss Ming.”Still sulking?“You’ve already eaten two meals from her,” Nan Yang said blandly.“Don’t talk nonsense.” Zhu Qinghuan understood what she meant: you accept someone’s food, you owe them. She’d already accepted two kindnesses—making a fuss over “jealousy” would be unreasonable. But she wasn’t jealous. She was just being properly polite. She couldn’t suddenly start calling her “A-Cheng” like they were close.Xiao Ye looked utterly lost. What were these two talking about? Why did it feel like they were speaking a language only the two of them understood?Not long after, the delivery arrived. Everyone sat together cheerfully—several people around each pot, trays of beef, lamb, and vegetables spread around them. Everyone was happily swishing food through the broth. Even the usually stern Li Dong was smiling today.Nan Yang sat with Qinghuan at one pot, along with Ming Wancheng, Sun Xuxue, and Xiao Ye. Ming Wancheng had ordered all beef-tallow broth. Haidilao’s beef-tallow broth was famously spicy—spicier the longer it boiled, the kind that made your face and neck go red from the heat.Nan Yang had just lifted her chopsticks when Qinghuan lightly tapped the back of her hand with hers.“Don’t eat it. It’s too spicy,” Zhu Qinghuan lowered her voice, frowning. “Did you forget your cholinergic urticaria?”“Mm. I remember.”Nan Yang set the chopsticks down. She rolled her shoulders back slightly, tugged at her cuff, and shrugged off the white wool coat she was wearing.With the coat off, she was left in a thin white shirt—and she picked up her chopsticks again.“Aren’t you cold?” Zhu Qinghuan asked. They were outdoors, with cold wind cutting through. No one there dared to take off their down jackets.“I want to eat.” Nan Yang touched her arm. “Just one piece of lotus root. If I take the coat off, I won’t get overheated again.”Zhu Qinghuan bit her lip and turned her head away. “…Then just one piece.”“Mm.”Nan Yang picked up a slice of lotus root, dipped it in a thick layer of red oil, and put it into her mouth. After chewing a few times, her ears reddened and she frowned—her eyes full of mild disgust and a weird, masochistic satisfaction, as if she was somehow enjoying it.After swallowing, she took a sip of milk tea. A moment later, she said, “I want another piece.”Zhu Qinghuan put her chopsticks down, looking a little angry. “You can’t keep doing this. You eat one and then you want a second. You’re thirty-five—can’t you control your diet? Eating so much unhealthy food isn’t good for you. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get sick later?”Ming Wancheng stared at their interaction, dumbfounded.This was what the Ancestor called “no real progress”?Why did it look exactly like an old married couple to her?Sun Xuxue, displeased, set her bowl down. “If she wants to eat, let her eat.” She knew Nan Yang’s body was that of a twenty-year-old, plus she had powerful martial arts and internal force. What harm could a few slices of lotus root do?“Forget it. I won’t eat.” Nan Yang put down her chopsticks and lowered her gaze slightly toward Qinghuan. “Don’t be angry.”Zhu Qinghuan kept her head down, poking at the kelp in her bowl without speaking.The atmosphere at the table turned awkward. Everyone could tell Qinghuan wasn’t happy, and Nan Yang’s face had gone dark as well. No one dared say anything.They all silently swished their food in the broth, the air quiet enough that the only sound was Ming Wancheng crunching through crown daisy greens.Suddenly, Nan Yang’s brows pinched. She stared at Ming Wancheng. “Why didn’t you order a clear broth pot?”Sun Xuxue thumped her bowl onto the table, fuming as she echoed, “Yeah! Why didn’t you order a clear broth pot?”Xiao Ye also looked at Ming Wancheng with a wounded expression. “I can’t eat spicy either. Why didn’t you order a clear broth pot?”Ming Wancheng was still holding a mouthful of crown daisy. Her “dumbfounded” expression expanded by a full tier.What???Had she said a single word this entire time? What the hell did this have to do with her???
Chapter 27
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Before the hotpot was even finished, Nan Yang received a call.
It was from Mei Zhongli.Seeing the caller ID, she set down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked aside to answer.“Ancestor, am I disturbing you?” Mei Zhongli’s voice sounded deeply weary. “I’m sorry—I know it’s mealtime, you might be in the middle of—”“It’s fine. What’s wrong?”“We originally didn’t intend to let you know, but… A-Zhen…” Mei Zhongli let out a heavy sigh. “He’s critically ill.”“…What?”“A-Zhen has actually been unwell for a long time. We didn’t tell you before. We thought things would improve, but these past few days… it’s been confirmed as late-stage cancer. He was the youngest of the three of us—who could have imagined…” Mei Zhongli sighed again. “He probably won’t be able to continue looking after you. Yesterday, when you fell ill, he couldn’t make it from his hospital bed, and he felt guilty for a long time. After careful consideration, he decided to pass on the duty of protecting you to the next generation while he’s still lucid.”“Alright.” Nan Yang agreed without hesitation. “Send me the hospital address. I’ll go over.”“Yes. The successor he’s chosen is also at that hospital. You can meet her and get acquainted.” Mei Zhongli said with emotion, “For the next several decades, she’ll be the one protecting you.”“Mm. You’ve all worked hard.”“We’re fine. You’ve already walked through more than three thousand years. Seeing that your long-held obsession is finally about to be fulfilled, we should at least see this last duty through.”From beginning to end—Nan Yang couldn’t bear to interrupt the inheritance of their faith. Fortunately, this was Qinghuan’s ninety-ninth lifetime. Once she regained her memories, Nan Yang would begin aging like an ordinary person. After Qinghuan’s century was over, these meaningless inheritances would no longer be necessary.After hanging up, Nan Yang returned to the table. The others were flushed from the heat, gulping down milk tea between heavy breaths.“Xuxue,” Nan Yang picked up her own milk tea and took a sip, her expression unchanged. “We’re leaving right after we finish eating.”As soon as she said that, everyone at the table froze.Zhu Qinghuan and Xiao Ye looked at Nan Yang in surprise. Sun Xuxue voiced the question for them. “Why are we leaving all of a sudden? Where are we going?”“Back.” Nan Yang replied flatly.“Why… why go back so suddenly?” Zhu Qinghuan frowned.“This trip was only meant to be a set visit,” Nan Yang said, setting down her milk tea and pulling out a napkin. “Xiaotian Entertainment wanted me here to cooperate with some publicity. The effect has already been achieved—staying too long would only invite gossip. And I have things to handle on my end.”“What things?” Sun Xuxue blinked her innocent eyes.Nan Yang looked at her and lowered her voice slightly. “You really don’t know?”Sun Xuxue froze, then recalled what her grandfather had told her earlier. “Oh—ah, right, right, right, there is something. Then… are you driving back or flying?”“Flying. The nearest flight. Book it immediately.”“Okay.”Sun Xuxue went off to make arrangements.Nan Yang finished the last of her milk tea, then stood up with Sun Xuxue to head for the airport. As she put on her coat to leave, Ming Wancheng and Xiao Ye both said brief goodbyes. Zhu Qinghuan said nothing.Nan Yang put her car keys away and had taken about ten steps when she suddenly felt someone gently tug at the hem of her coat.She turned around and saw Qinghuan’s fingers clutching her coat. Instinctively, she wanted to reach out, but couldn’t bring herself to lift her hand. Her brows lowered slightly as she asked softly, “…What is it?”“Are you leaving because you’re angry with me?” Zhu Qinghuan pressed her lips together, a faint bite mark on her lower lip. “…Because of how I spoke to you just now, so you—”“No. I really do have something to take care of.” Nan Yang explained concisely.But what exactly that “something” was—she couldn’t tell Qinghuan. Matters involving Liu Zhen and the others would only sound muddled if explained. And Nan Yang herself was never good at lying. Even though she knew this would leave a knot in Qinghuan’s heart, there was no choice. Before Qinghuan recovered her memories, Nan Yang couldn’t recklessly expose her identity.She couldn’t very well say: I’m someone from over three thousand years ago. Everyone who follows me is my disciple. You are my disciple too—but I killed you with my own sword. Not only did I kill you, I caused the deaths of your mother, your father, your entire clan. And now I’ve come looking for you because I still want to continue our bond.Any normal person would probably call the police after hearing that.“Then…” Zhu Qinghuan lowered her gaze to the floor and let go of Nan Yang’s coat, her voice growing softer and softer. “When will you be back?”Nan Yang took out her Audi A4L keys and placed them in Qinghuan’s hand. “I won’t take anything from the hotel, and you can use my car for now. I can’t give you an exact time, but I’ll try to be back before the New Year.”There was still a month left before the Lunar New Year.After a brief pause, Nan Yang asked, “Are you going on the Spring Festival Gala this year?”Zhu Qinghuan was silent for a moment before answering, “I received an invitation. But… if you come back, I won’t go. I’ll stay with the crew and spend the New Year with you.”“I understand.”Nan Yang nodded.Zhu Qinghuan hesitated, then took out two pieces of Sochagold Dragon Tongue Agave chocolate from her pocket. Instead of handing them over, she slipped them directly into Nan Yang’s coat pocket. “These… I was planning to give them to you tonight. Don’t eat them right away. Eat them after your plane lands, okay?”“Okay.” Nan Yang replied quietly.“Boss Nan, if you don’t leave now, the flight’s going to be delayed,” Sun Xuxue couldn’t help interrupting.“Go.” Qinghuan took a step back and gave Nan Yang a gentle smile.Nan Yang looked at her deeply, said goodbye, and then hurried off with Sun Xuxue.Xiao Ye watched Zhu Qinghuan standing there, staring at Nan Yang’s retreating figure—for a long, long time.She thought that once Nan Yang disappeared from view, Zhu Qinghuan would sit back down and continue eating. But she didn’t. Long after Nan Yang was gone, she was still standing there, unmoving, as though she were reluctant to part with even the air Nan Yang had breathed.She was deeply unwilling to let her go.Just by looking at her back, Xiao Ye could feel that unwillingness—straight from her heart..When Nan Yang and Sun Xuxue arrived at the municipal hospital, it was already six in the evening.Liu Zhen had been placed in the VIP inpatient ward, in a private room. When Nan Yang entered, he was eating. Seeing the Ancestor arrive, he immediately tried to get up.“Stay seated, A-Zhen.” Nan Yang sat down on the chair beside his bed. “Are you feeling any better?”Liu Zhen instinctively wanted to say “better,” but when the words reached his lips, only bitterness remained in his eyes.“I… I’m afraid I won’t be getting better.”“……”Nan Yang’s gaze sank slightly.“I’m sorry, Ancestor. The time I spent guarding you… was only these short forty years. I didn’t even get to see you truly fulfill your wish…” His aged voice trembled with a sob.Forty years ago, Liu Zhen had been only six.At six, Liu Zhen didn’t know anything about guardians, nor did he know who Nan Yang was. On his sixth birthday, he secretly ran out to pick up a cake, got lost on the way, and stood at an intersection crying in fear. Then, all of a sudden, a cool, aloof woman in a white shirt walked up to him and gently patted his head.She asked, are you lost?He nodded through his tears. Sister, please help me.She said, okay. Follow me. I’ll help you find your mom.The cool woman in the white shirt walked ahead, and he followed behind, his little finger clutching the hem of her shirt. When they passed a street stall, she suddenly stopped, paid for two skewers of candied hawthorn, and handed one to him.Chewing on her own skewer, she asked, is it good?His mouth full, he nodded vigorously.Then she said, then don’t cry anymore, okay?He nodded again.After finishing his skewer, he asked, sister, can you buy me another one?But by then they were already far from the stall. Even so, the woman in the white shirt patiently said okay, and led him back and forth through the streets again and again. Later, he couldn’t remember the details clearly anymore—he didn’t even remember whether they ever found another skewer of candied hawthorn. But he would always remember the hem of her shirt fluttering in the breeze, like a pure, soft white cloud, casting the warmest shadow over his childhood world.He had said, sister, when I grow up, can you marry me?She hadn’t answered—only looked at the young boy before her, the corners of her eyes curving ever so slightly.From that day on, Liu Zhen loved most the sight of Nan Yang’s eyes curving like that. She never smiled. When something amused her, only her eyes would bend into crescent moons—reserved, gentle. He thought she was the most beautiful person in the world. She wasn’t talkative, and she rarely smiled, but she was kind to every weak soul, especially to children. He wanted to follow her—for a lifetime.He thought that perhaps the legendary “Qinghuan” of long ago had fallen in love with Nan Yang in the same way.But sadly, in this life, he wouldn’t be able to see her through to the end.“Ancestor, I’m sorry to trouble you to make this trip. I know you were visiting Miss Zhu—I didn’t want to…” A tear slid down from the wrinkled corner of Liu Zhen’s eye.“A-Zhen, don’t think too much.” Nan Yang interrupted softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you.”Liu Zhen understood what she meant. She would accompany him through this final stretch.Unable to hold back, Liu Zhen began to sob. Hearing those words, it felt as though he’d returned to being six again—still that helpless little boy, with this unchanged woman before him as his sole faith. She was just as she had been back then—just as beautiful, just as kind, still offering him the greatest patience and goodwill.Nan Yang comforted him gently. Gradually, Liu Zhen calmed down, and the two of them spoke quietly about the past.Before long, Liu Zhen glanced at his phone, his eyes lighting up. “Ancestor, my successor has arrived. She’s in the hallway outside right now. Would you like—”“I’ll go meet her. Lie down properly.”Nan Yang stood up, tucked the blanket around Liu Zhen, and walked out of the room.She carefully closed the door. Just as her fingers lingered on the handle, a familiar female voice suddenly sounded behind her.“Nan Yang.”Her body jolted violently.Her back teeth clenched, inch by inch.It was…It was her.How could it be her?“What, it’s been so long,” Jiang Banxia said behind her, a wicked smile curling at her lips. “My Ancestor—are you unhappy to see me?”Nan Yang’s fingers tightened around the handle until they turned white.“Why did you leave without a word?” Jiang Banxia laughed softly near her ear. “I searched everywhere for you. I went to so much trouble to find you, to become your guardian—shouldn’t you thank me for my loyalty?”“Thank you?” Nan Yang’s gaze froze into ice as she let out a low, cold laugh. “Thank you for imprisoning me in Australia for a full six years?”
Chapter 28
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Nan Yang should not have come back this late.She should have appeared by Qinghuan’s side in the year Qinghuan turned eighteen—when she had just stepped out of her high school campus, just shed her youth and naivety. She should have met her then. She should have held her hand, accompanied her to every elective class, watched her run along the red track on the field, watched every drop of sweat fall beneath the basketball hoop, and handed her a chilled bottle of mineral water straight from the refrigerator whenever she needed it. She should have stayed by her side, always and forever, walking with her inch by inch through her growth in university. She should have loved her at the most suitable age, spared her unnecessary disappointment and frustration, and let her understand—at her very first encounter with love—how beautiful and enduring it could be.What she never expected was that, before all of that, she would meet Jiang Banxia.Jiang Banxia was a Chinese–Australian mixed-race woman, and she and Nan Yang were neighbors when Nan Yang lived in Australia.The area where they lived was remote. Both the Jiang family and Nan Yang preferred quiet, and several detached villas were scattered sparsely among the woods. Morning mist drifted through the trees, and grand sunsets filled the evenings. Aside from the lack of people, it was practically a paradise on earth. But precisely because of that, Jiang Banxia had no friends growing up. There were no children her age among the neighbors. She played alone—took the bus alone to a distant primary school, hid alone in the treehouse her father built to play with Barbie dolls, ate alone, slept alone, and sat alone, lost in thought.At some point, Jiang Banxia gradually fell in love with the beautiful woman next door. She liked leaning against the fence to watch Nan Yang water flowers, and she liked sitting in the tree to watch Nan Yang swing. She felt that everything about Nan Yang was captivating. When Nan Yang stood in the morning mist, she seemed like mist itself; when she stood in the evening glow, she seemed like the sunset. She was cute when she ate donuts, cute when she squatted by the roadside teasing stray puppies—even the small sneeze she gave after catching a chill was adorable. Jiang Banxia was always bringing her food, clinging to her and chatting. From the time she was a naïve eight-year-old, she stuck to Nan Yang, all the way until she grew into a mature, stunning woman.Jiang Banxia found it strange that Nan Yang never aged. She always looked around twenty. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to find out. She was curious about everything related to Nan Yang.Once, when Liu Zhen visited Nan Yang in Australia, Jiang Banxia happened to hear him call Nan Yang “Ancestor.” Curious, she followed Liu Zhen the whole way. He noticed her and asked why she was following him. She said she liked Nan Yang, wanted to understand her, and wanted to know why he addressed her that way.Liu Zhen asked, do you really like her that much?Jiang Banxia nodded repeatedly. I do. I like her very much.Liu Zhen smiled with satisfaction and asked, then do you want to follow her for a lifetime?Yes. Of course I do.Good. Then become my successor.From that point on, Jiang Banxia learned Nan Yang’s secret—the reason she was immortal.They never told Nan Yang about this. Liu Zhen felt that Jiang Banxia was not yet qualified to appear before Nan Yang as a successor. He wanted to teach her more, to give Nan Yang a sufficiently mature guardian.After learning Nan Yang’s secret, Jiang Banxia loved her with a near-mad intensity. She was born in Australia and, though half Chinese, had never been back to China. She yearned for the mysterious East, and someone like Nan Yang—an ancient being who had walked out of three thousand years ago—held a fatal attraction for her. She especially loved talking with Nan Yang. Although Nan Yang lived in Australia long-term, she didn’t communicate much with people and spoke English poorly, always stumbling over her words. Whenever Nan Yang spoke English, Jiang Banxia stared at her lips, listening to those awkward, unpolished words, not spending a single second without wanting to kiss her.She knew Nan Yang was waiting for someone named Qinghuan.In the year Qinghuan turned eighteen, Liu Zhen messaged Jiang Banxia to say that Nan Yang was returning to China. Jiang Banxia cried the entire night, jealousy driving her nearly insane. The woman she loved so deeply was going to look for another woman. The next night, she secretly took Nan Yang’s ID card and passport, drove for twelve hours straight, and resolutely threw them into the Murray River.Nan Yang’s ID had already been close to expiring. With this, things became even more difficult. She couldn’t find her documents, and because her appearance no longer matched the age on the ID, she couldn’t seek help from the embassy. She dragged things out until they expired. Meanwhile, Mei Zhongli tried to fabricate a new identity for her back in China, but that period coincided with major events, and the overall climate was tight. Even with the Mei family’s extensive connections, some things simply couldn’t be done through influence alone. And so the delay stretched on—six full years. Only after the effects of those events gradually faded did Mei Zhongli manage to arrange a new identity for her, allowing her to return to China smoothly.Nan Yang had discovered six years earlier that Jiang Banxia was the one who took her documents. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand what the girl was thinking; she simply never expected her to “imprison” her by her side for so long in this way. Six years. Qinghuan grew from eighteen to twenty-four. Nan Yang missed the best years of her life. She failed to guard her properly at her side, and that was what allowed Qinghuan to grow such a sharp, hardened wall around her heart.That was why, after Nan Yang returned to China, Mei Zhongli could only bind Qinghuan to her through marriage.And that was why the beginning of their story was so helpless and so awkward.Nan Yang had thought that once she left Australia, Jiang Banxia would disappear from her life. Considering that Jiang Banxia was still young and that there would be no further entanglement, she didn’t tell the three successors back in China about the incident. What she never imagined was that Jiang Banxia had already connected with Liu Zhen early on and become one of her disciples. And now, she had returned to China and was standing right in front of her.“What exactly do you want?” Nan Yang kept her composure, staring coldly at the woman before her.“I heard you’re already married. Is that true?”“Yes.”Jiang Banxia gave a bitter smile. “…Do you really love her that much? Loved her for three thousand years—must it be her and no one else?”“That has nothing to do with you.”“I’ve seen your interviews and photos. She doesn’t love you at all. Every time she’s with you, she’s deliberately keeping her distance. You’ve been back for so long, and she still shows no sign of recovering her memories. What if she never remembers in this lifetime? Are you just going to live as a widow, guarding a woman who will never love you?”“……”“Look at me—am I really inferior to her?” The pain in Jiang Banxia’s eyes was impossible to ignore. “Am I not prettier than her? Am I not braver than her? What does she have that makes you humble yourself like this in this marriage, clinging to it shamelessly? You’ve been married to her for so long—have you even slept together? I bet she hasn’t even let you kiss her. As long as you’re willing, I can kiss you anytime, love you, give you everything you want. I can even die for you. I can stay by your side for a lifetime. Why can’t you try liking me?”Nan Yang lifted her gaze and looked at her.Suddenly, she curved her lips into a mocking smile.“You’re not worthy.”She said it in the coldest voice of her life.Jiang Banxia froze. Nan Yang had never looked at her like this before—as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke.Those three simple words plunged her completely into despair.Before coming, she had kept telling herself that as long as she was brave enough, she had a chance to move her. But the way Nan Yang spoke just now made her realize that, to Nan Yang, she might be nothing more than a speck of dust. Nan Yang and Qinghuan had been bound to each other for three thousand years, like two vines entwined at birth—tighter and stronger with every passing year. And she was just a presumptuous little ant, foolishly trying to gnaw through their branches, arrogant and laughable.You’re not worthy?Nan Yang’s expression remained indifferent. She didn’t want to waste any more time here and moved to go around Jiang Banxia.Jiang Banxia instinctively blocked her path. “Nan Yang, I—”“Get lost.”Nan Yang didn’t even look at her, coldly spitting out a single word.“Nan Yang—”“Are you deaf?” Nan Yang looked at her, disgust filling her eyes. “Get lost.”Jiang Banxia stubbornly stood in her way, refusing to step aside.Nan Yang raised her hand slightly and released a burst of inner force, easily flinging Jiang Banxia aside. Carrying her pent-up anger, she struck hard. Jiang Banxia let out a muffled groan and slammed heavily into the wall, stumbling to the floor. She clutched her chest in agony, blood spilling from the corner of her lips the moment she opened her mouth.“You—” Jiang Banxia stared at Nan Yang in disbelief, sweat pouring down her face.“I usually treat people with kindness. That doesn’t mean I’m easy to bully,” Nan Yang looked down at the disheveled woman on the floor. “You must understand one thing. Three thousand years ago, I was a supreme lord. The people I killed could fill an entire city’s morgue. You’d better stop provoking me—and stay away from my wife. Otherwise, I’ll let you experience the rules of that world from three thousand years ago.”With that, Nan Yang withdrew her gaze and walked down the corridor at her unhurried pace, gradually disappearing into the distance.“Nan Yang!!!”Jiang Banxia screamed hoarsely through blood, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.Nan Yang did not look back.She walked away so calmly, as if she had merely left behind a beggar to whom she had just tossed a few coins—or a vicious dog that had been given a few sips of warm water and still dared to bark at her.Jiang Banxia watched her recede in despair.She had grown up abroad. In her world, there was no distinction between high and low—everyone was equal, and so she could freely pursue whatever she loved.But in that moment, she suddenly realized that, to Nan Yang, people did have ranks.Under normal circumstances, Nan Yang treated others without hierarchy—polite, distant, the same to everyone. But the moment someone tried to draw close to her, to profane her, an expression of incomprehension would appear on her face.Yes. Incomprehension.She truly did not understand why an ordinary person would dare harbor such covetous thoughts toward her.
Chapter 29
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Nan Yang had Sun Xuxue go with her to buy some fruit. She’d arrived in too much of a rush earlier—her mind consumed with seeing Liu Zhen—so she hadn’t brought anything in hand. She didn’t know whether Jiang Banxia would still be there when they went back. She didn’t want to see her, so she moved slowly through the supermarket.Sun Xuxue handed Nan Yang a mask, afraid she might be recognized.Nan Yang looked at the attentive, considerate Sun Xuxue, a hint of doubt appearing in her eyes. Could it be that Xuxue also…Sun Xuxue noticed Nan Yang studying her with a suspicious look. She shivered and hugged her arms. “An-Ancestor… why are you looking at me like that?”“You—” Nan Yang dragged out the last syllable, making it sound faintly suggestive.Sun Xuxue’s eyes went wide. “Ancestor, what are you doing? Y-you—are you running a fever? Don’t look at me like that, I’m scared!”Nan Yang withdrew her gaze and gave a satisfied hum. Xuxue was obedient. This was how a successor should be—reacting to her favor with nothing but fear and nervous respect.Sun Xuxue remained tremblingly silent for quite a while. When she finally spoke again, her voice was on the verge of tears.“Ancestor… are you… are you planning to cheat?”Nan Yang froze, the corner of her mouth twitching.“If you want to cheat, I’ll help you find other pretty ladies, y-y-you don’t pick me, I’m scared! If Grandpa finds out, he’ll break my legs!” Sun Xuxue looked like she was about to cry.“Quiet.” Nan Yang said coldly.“But—”“Quiet.”Sun Xuxue wilted, head drooping.How could Ancestor possibly take a liking to her? She was a bottom too. What could two bottoms even do together—bottom their way into flowers?Luckily, Nan Yang wasn’t omnipotent enough to read minds. If she knew the nonsense filling Sun Xuxue’s head right now, her face would definitely turn greener than the Wangzai milk she was holding.Nan Yang bought a lot of things—expensive bird’s nest, and even Liu Zhen’s favorite sachima, plus apples, snow pears, walnut drink, braised duck, yogurt… a scattered assortment that filled three large bags. She carried two herself and handed Sun Xuxue the lightest one.Sun Xuxue originally tried to show off and take them all, but Nan Yang actually let go. Hugging three heavy bags at once, Sun Xuxue was caught off guard and plopped straight onto the floor. Nan Yang didn’t even look at her. She only frowned and picked up the food that had fallen, muttering softly:“The strawberries are all crushed.”Strawberries???She didn’t care whether her butt was crushed?Sun Xuxue thought furiously: even if Ancestor begged her, she still wouldn’t be her mistress! This was too much!In the end, Nan Yang carried the two heaviest bags, while Sun Xuxue trembled along with the lightest one. The two of them wandered back slowly, one in front and one behind.Jiang Banxia was no longer there. Nan Yang had hit hard earlier—she must have gone to see a doctor. That was exactly the effect Nan Yang wanted: to make her behave for a while. Otherwise, the moment she got bored, she would start stirring up trouble again.Nan Yang didn’t tell Liu Zhen about what Jiang Banxia had done. Liu Zhen didn’t have much time left. Nan Yang didn’t want his last days to be filled with guilt—guilt that he hadn’t found her a truly excellent successor.“Ancestor, you met Banxia, didn’t you?” Liu Zhen’s eyes were threaded with bloodshot veins. “What do you think?”Nan Yang took a bite of the overly sweet banana in her hand, neither confirming nor denying. “A-Zhen, don’t worry about that. Besides, I’ll only live another sixty or seventy years at most. With Xuxue helping, that’s enough.”Liu Zhen understood what she meant, and disappointment inevitably rose.“I’m sorry. Did I fail to teach her well…?”“It’s not your fault.” With banana still in her mouth, Nan Yang picked up the Wangzai beside her and took a sip.“Ancestor, you don’t like her?” Sun Xuxue sat on a small stool, diligently peeling an apple, eyes fixed on the spiraling peel as it fell. “I’ve met Sister Banxia. She’s really nice—she cares about you a lot. The moment she saw me, she grabbed me and asked about you, this and that. I feel like she understands how to take care of you better than I do.”Nan Yang didn’t speak, taking another sip of Wangzai.“And Sister Banxia is so pretty. Mixed-race people are always so pretty. Her eyes are gray—so beautiful.” Sun Xuxue chuckled. “I think she looks a bit like Zhuzhu—both are that kind of gorgeous, striking type. Ancestor, you like Teacher Zhu so much. You should like Sister Banxia too, right?”“I like Qinghuan for more than her face.” Nan Yang said lightly.Sun Xuxue immediately looked up, staring at Nan Yang with a suspicious gaze.“….” Nan Yang felt her scalp prickle under that look. She frowned, cleared her throat, and added, “Her face is only a small part of the reason.”She suddenly remembered the first time she slept with Qinghuan.Qinghuan had been feverish then, her cheeks flushed red, making her even more bewitching. Nan Yang had never intended to give herself to Qinghuan right there on a hospital bed. But Qinghuan looked at her with those moist, reddened eyes, the slight upward curve at the corners like a little fox. In a soft voice by her ear, she said: Master, take off your clothes. Master, I want you. Master, if you can’t take it, then bite me.Nan Yang never bit her in the end. But that time, Qinghuan made her cry.Qinghuan kept whispering by her ear: Master, cry louder. Master, I like watching you cry.With lashes lowered, that gentle yet sly, irresistibly charming face dragged Nan Yang’s last shred of reason into the abyss.“Ancestor, what are you thinking about?”Sun Xuxue stared in confusion at Nan Yang’s ears, which had suddenly turned red.“….” Nan Yang snapped back to herself. She didn’t answer, only lowered her head and ate her banana. She lifted a hand to tuck hair behind her ear, and under the cover of that motion, secretly pinched her own burning ear.“Here, the apple’s peeled.” Sun Xuxue handed over the clean, white apple.Liu Zhen looked at it and smiled. “I still remember when I was little—Ancestor peeled an apple for me herself. Xuxue, you probably haven’t seen Ancestor peel apples, have you?”“No.” Sun Xuxue’s eyes lit with curiosity.“An apple this big,” Liu Zhen gestured, about the size of a small pineapple, “she peeled until it was basically just this big of a core.” He pinched his fingers together into a pitiful little circle, about the size of a roll of tape.“HAHAHAHA…” Sun Xuxue burst into laughter.“I watched her peel the skin and the flesh right into the trash. All that was left was the core. But I still gnawed that core clean. Back then, Zhongli was eighteen. When he saw Ancestor peeling an apple for me, he scolded me.” Liu Zhen smiled with a hint of mischief. “I knew he was jealous. Because Ancestor had never peeled an apple for him.”“Wow, I want to eat an apple core peeled by Ancestor too.” Sun Xuxue grinned at Nan Yang.“I can peel one for you right now.”Nan Yang glanced at her coolly, her hand slowly reaching toward the BM47 butterfly knife strapped at her belt.Sun Xuxue’s face changed instantly. She waved her hands frantically. “No, no, no—don’t, don’t, don’t! I—I don’t want it anymore! I’m not eating, I’m not eating!”Nan Yang frowned. “What are you afraid of?”She wasn’t threatening her. She really could peel one.“N-no, no, I—I’m scared…” Sun Xuxue looked close to tears. “Ancestor, please, stop scaring me all the time. My heart can’t take it. If you scare me a few more times, I might really end up dying before you do.”Sun Guohui had told her: Nan Yang used to carry a sword called Luoshuang, but for various reasons, that long sword was no longer suitable to keep with her. Now she carried a BM47 butterfly knife year-round. Closed, it wasn’t long and was easy to conceal; flipped open, it doubled in length and was perfect for self-defense. This BM47 was something Sun Guohui had helped her find—Model 47 from BenchMade in Oregon, a heavier blade, its tip cut like a sharp diamond. Sun Guohui had said Nan Yang had used that knife to cut everything—bloody deer hide, rotten bear meat, dead firewood. If you wiped the tip with toilet paper, that paper could probably be tested for tens of thousands of germs.Sun Guohui had warned Sun Xuxue again and again: the moment you see Nan Yang start reaching for her knife, don’t ask why—just beg for mercy. Because whether she intended to kill someone or cut fruit, the result would be lethal.“I really don’t have that kind of luck. Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll peel it myself. I’ll do it myself.”Sun Xuxue hurried back to her little stool, terrified that Nan Yang might actually pull the knife out by accident.Liu Zhen looked helpless at Sun Xuxue cowering in the corner, then smiled at Nan Yang. “Are you tired? If you want, you can go back to the Mei residence to rest first.”“I’m not tired. I’ll stay with you.”Nan Yang tossed the apple core into the trash, sat down, and took out her Kindle to read.She wasn’t someone who liked to chat. Liu Zhen knew that, so he didn’t force conversation. They simply stayed quietly together: Liu Zhen on his phone, Nan Yang reading. There was no exchange, yet he understood—this was how she showed care. As long as she sat beside him, his last stretch of road wouldn’t be lonely.Nan Yang had always been like this—cold as ice to outsiders, but carrying her own kind of concern for her disciples. In the beginning, everyone thought the person they followed was like a flake of snow blown in from ancient times—unreal, impossible to grasp, not worth craving, not worth expecting. But once they truly followed Nan Yang, they would draw countless tiny acts of care from her: a skewer of candied hawthorn, an apple peeled by her own hand. They would discover that while they were looking after Nan Yang, they were also being carefully looked after in return. That was why, across so many generations, no branch of the Three Venerables’ lineage had died out. Inheritance mattered—but more than that, Nan Yang was worth following.Liu Zhen knew that though Nan Yang never said it aloud, she still carried them in her heart. Like how, upon hearing he was critically ill, she immediately put everything down and rushed to his side.She cared about every single disciple she had.But over three thousand years, how many disciples had she personally seen off with her own hands?She watched them follow behind her as children, awkward and green, and then watched them slowly grow into frail old age. Again and again, she sat at bedsides like this—at partings of life and death—saying again and again, don’t be afraid, I’m here with you. I’ll walk you through this last stretch.She kept sending away the people she cared about.Whether it was Qinghuan through her reincarnations, or the disciples who followed her—she was saying goodbye countless times. From the day she chose the forbidden art, she had known perfectly well: her fate was farewell.Liu Zhen’s only regret was that he no longer had the time to wait—to wait for the day when Nan Yang would finally no longer have to say goodbye.
Chapter 30
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Ming Wancheng noticed that her Master Qinghuan had been distracted—and not just for a moment, but the entire day.Today, the two of them were filming a scene together. In the script, the divine maiden portrayed by Zhu Qinghuan awakens in the Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters. The Crown Prince happens to be meeting with foreign officials at the time, so the palace maid Xiao Yun—played by Ming Wancheng—comes in first to attend to her. The scene itself isn’t long. The divine maiden is weak and barely has any lines; most of the dialogue consists of Xiao Yun openly and subtly provoking her. Ming Wancheng had long stretches of lines. She hadn’t slept at all the night before, barely managing to memorize most of them, but the moment she arrived on set today, Qinghuan’s expressionless face scared everything right out of her head.“You are now in the Eastern Palace. Perhaps you don’t yet understand what it means to be secretly hidden here by the Crown Prince, but… he is the Crown Prince. Even if I shouldn’t speak out of turn, I must still warn you. These past few days, His Majesty has already noticed the abnormalities during the sacrificial rites. Guards were dispatched long ago to the area where you jumped off the cliff—they are still searching for your body. If they discover that His Highness has hidden you here, do you know what the consequences will be? Do you know what this will mean for His Highness? Do you know—”Sweat poured down Ming Wancheng’s forehead as she recited her lines. Zhu Qinghuan lay on the bed, her makeup giving her a sickly pallor, staring into space in silence.“Cut!”Li Dong called for a stop once again, lifting his megaphone and shouting toward the set. “Zhu Qinghuan, what’s going on with you? Didn’t sleep enough? Can you at least give your scene partner some reaction? And you, Ming Wancheng—when you’re reciting your lines, can you put the right expression on your face? How should you be looking at her? With disdain. With viciousness. Or even no expression at all would be better than this bootlicking look you’ve got right now!”“Yes, yes, yes—sorry, sorry, Director.” Ming Wancheng bowed deeply, sighing helplessly inside. The woman opposite her was her master—her grandmaster’s wife, no less. How could she not look like a bootlicker?Zhu Qinghuan snapped out of her daze as well, climbing off the bed to apologize to the director. “I’m sorry, Director Li.”“Take a short break. Sister Liu, touch up their makeup!” Li Dong waved his hand. “You two rehearse properly. If it still looks like this when we shoot again, nobody’s wrapping today!”“Sorry, sorry.”“Yes, Director Li.”When they saw Li Dong get up and leave his seat to pour himself some water, both of them let out a quiet sigh of relief.Xia Shan had been watching Zhu Qinghuan film the whole time. Seeing that they were on break, he hurried over with a disposable paper cup filled with warm instant black coffee. Qinghuan was still sitting on the bed, her gaze slightly unfocused. Xia Shan perched on the edge of the bed and handed her the coffee.“Zhuzhu, didn’t you rest well?” he asked gently.“I—”Before Zhu Qinghuan could answer, Ming Wancheng cut in from the side.“Hey, pretty boy. Do you know she has a wife?”Xia Shan froze, glancing awkwardly at Ming Wancheng, who was frowning at him. Embarrassment flickered in his eyes. “I…”Ming Wancheng pressed on aggressively. “She’s married, and you’re still hovering around like this. What, you think your scandals aren’t messy enough already? You want to start some unfinished affair with a married woman too?”Xiao Ye stood nearby, completely stunned. She had never seen a newcomer dare to be this blunt—actually talking to a top idol like this. Xia Shan had connections too; if he wanted to make trouble for Ming Wancheng, it wouldn’t be impossible.But Ming Wancheng was someone who had lived for over three thousand years. What hadn’t she seen? Entering the entertainment industry was purely for fun. Over the years, she had tried just about every profession for fun—she had even spent several months working as a masseuse who didn’t sell her body. She didn’t care whether she could survive in showbiz or not. If she couldn’t, she’d just stop acting. Nan Yang adored her anyway and would definitely support her. Someone as fearless and lawless as her lived entirely by impulse. If Xia Shan really dared to provoke her, she might very well kill him in secret on a bad day. After all, she and Nan Yang both came from the brutal, blood-soaked jianghu of three thousand years ago.People of the jianghu had always believed in acting first, talking later.Xia Shan cast Ming Wancheng a resentful look. His temperament was gentle, and he didn’t dare say anything more. He silently stood up and left.Ming Wancheng sat down beside Zhu Qinghuan and sighed. “You’re way too gentle. Any trashy peach blossom dares to cling to you. If paparazzi really caught this, your wife would be wearing a green hat so tall it’d grow grass.”Zhu Qinghuan nodded obediently and placed the untouched black coffee on the table beside her.Watching the two of them, Xiao Ye felt the world was truly wondrous—how could it produce such different people? When Ming Wancheng was quiet, she looked especially well-behaved. With her cute features, she resembled a soft, glutinous little rabbit. But once she opened her mouth, she was lively like a panting golden retriever. And when Zhu Qinghuan was quiet, she looked seductive, like a little siren—at first glance, the kind of woman who seemed improper and flirtatious. Yet after talking to her for a bit, you’d realize she was shy, gentle, and soft like water.Xiao Ye clicked her tongue twice. Nan Yang really was the most normal one—restrained on the outside, restrained on the inside.Ming Wancheng spoke again. “Honestly, if you’re really sleepy, just drink it. You don’t have to avoid suspicion to this extent.”“I’m not sleepy,” Zhu Qinghuan said softly, shaking her head.“Then I get it,” Ming Wancheng said, plopping down on the edge of the bed with a grin. “You’re missing Boss Nan, aren’t you? She’s only been gone half a month, and you’re already spacing out during filming. You’ve got someone in your heart, for sure.”“No…” Zhu Qinghuan hugged her knees, her long lashes lowering. “I’m not thinking about her.”“Then why do you keep checking your phone? Every time Director Li calls cut, you grab it. And every time you’re disappointed afterward,” Ming Wancheng teased wickedly, knowing her master was thin-skinned. “What, did Boss Nan forget to message you?”“…” Zhu Qinghuan said nothing, looking away.“She’s been pretty busy these days. A shareholder of the Mei family just passed away—the old man was very close to Nan Yang. She’s helping handle the funeral,” Ming Wancheng pursed her lips. “She should be back in about ten days. Just in time for the New Year. Don’t be too anxious.”After a long silence, Zhu Qinghuan asked very softly, “You and her… are you that close?”Ming Wancheng was sharp enough to catch the sour note in her tone immediately and couldn’t help laughing. “You’re really eating vinegar over nothing. Didn’t she tell you? She and I are basically grandmother and granddaughter.”Zhu Qinghuan froze, not quite processing it.“She treats me like a granddaughter. I treat her like a grandma,” Ming Wancheng said bluntly, without any hesitation. “There’s no way I’d ever like a woman like her. She’s an ice block. After all these years, you’re the only one who’s ever managed to melt her. Besides, I already have someone I like.”Granddaughter? Grandma?What kind of nonsense was this?Zhu Qinghuan didn’t really understand the bond between Ming Wancheng and Nan Yang, but Ming Wancheng’s openness made it clear there was no ‘that kind’ of relationship between them. Her last bit of doubt finally dissipated, and her eyes curved into a smile. “Qi Yi?”“She told you?” Ming Wancheng laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, it’s Teacher Qi. I… I wanted to tell you before, but I was embarrassed to bring it up. After all, we’re not close enough for me to ask you to introduce me to a girlfriend…”“Girlfriend?” Zhu Qinghuan twitched at the corner of her mouth. “I can’t guarantee she’d become your girlfriend. At most, I can invite you both to a meal and give you a chance to get to know her. You’re… still just a teenager, not even in college yet. Xiao Yi has been working for years. I don’t know if she’d be willing…”“I get it, I get it, I get it! I’m already super grateful that you’d even consider it!” Ming Wancheng nodded enthusiastically, like a Labrador who’d finally found a bone.Xiao Ye couldn’t help but remind them, “Zhuzhu, don’t you think you should rehearse the scene?”These two were way too good at chatting—and about complete nonsense.“Oh right, we still have work to do. Let’s rehearse first,” Ming Wancheng said with a grin.“Mm.” Zhu Qinghuan nodded gently.While Zhu Qinghuan lowered her head to read the script, Ming Wancheng pulled out her phone and opened Nan Yang’s chat window, furiously typing out a massive wall of text—“Ancestor, is your brain made of wood? No matter how busy you are, you can’t just ignore your wife! Have you not messaged my master for days now? Do you know how many times she’s checked her phone? Is your head full of paste or lard? If you keep this up, I can’t help you anymore—my master is going to run off with another man sooner or later. That other man will even bring her coffee! And you? You won’t even send her the system’s built-in coffee emoji! What the hell are you doing all day? With behavior like this, you still want to rekindle old love? Rekindle my ass! Go rekindle your IQ first! I swear, can you please put just a little bit of modern relationship awareness into that pure, empty little brain of yours? Don’t tell me you didn’t message her because you were writing her a letter—your handwriting looks like a dog crawled across the page, I’m begging you, just type! Don’t make me urge you again. If I have to do it next time, I’m calling you on speaker so the entire crew can hear what kind of trashy behavior this is. Do not make me send this a second time—HURRY UP AND MESSAGE MY MASTER IF YOU WANT FILMING TO CONTINUE NORMALLY!! [cleaver][pig head][frenzy]”Ming Wancheng stuffed her phone back into the jeans pocket beneath her costume and sighed.She felt a little regret. Maybe she shouldn’t have sent Nan Yang such a long message. She knew Nan Yang’s temperament better than anyone—she disliked long, complicated things. Faced with a wall of text like this, she’d probably only skim a few keywords.As Ming Wancheng spaced out, she suddenly heard the notification sound of a WeChat message from Qinghuan’s phone.Both of them smiled faintly at the same time. Qinghuan picked up her phone and opened the new message, while Ming Wancheng leaned in to sneak a look.It really was from Nan Yang.But—In that ridiculously short white chat bubble, there was only a single, lonely thing—“[coffee].”That’s right. Just one system-built coffee emoji, with a rigorously placed period after it.Ming Wancheng’s eyebrow twitched.So after all that she wrote, Nan Yang only noticed the words “coffee emoji”…Zhu Qinghuan stared at the adorable little coffee icon on the screen. After a long moment, she couldn’t help but laugh. Her fingertip gently traced over Nan Yang’s elegant snowy landscape avatar, then over the photo she had set as the chat background—a princess carry at a banquet. Finally, her finger came to rest on the tiny coffee icon, and she tapped it lightly.Her fingertip was still there when a new message suddenly popped up, replacing the coffee and kissing her finger through the screen—“I miss you.”
Chapter 31
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On the day Liu Zhen was laid to rest, snow fell from the sky.Funerals always seemed to be like this—if it wasn’t raining, it was snowing. Everyone stood beneath black umbrellas, solemn before the coffin, as if adding one last brush of bleakness to the dead.Mei Zhongli, Sun Guohui, and Sun Xuxue all wore black suits, standing on the right side closest to Liu Zhen’s coffin. Nan Yang stood on the left in a thin white shirt, her brows and eyes as pale and still as well water.Only she and the Liu Zhen inside the coffin knew: the white shirt she wore was the very one from the first day they met.Back then, six-year-old Liu Zhen had clutched the hem of that shirt and followed her through street after street, rubbing that scrap of fabric between his fingers as he asked nervously, Sister, when I grow up, will you marry me?Nan Yang had never been good at remembering things. She couldn’t even recall the age printed on her own ID. But when it came to the people she cared about, her memory was ironclad.Sometimes, that was a blessing. Sometimes, it was a curse. The dead slept in the most peaceful and beautiful dreams, while the living sank into the most painful old memories.The clearer you remember, the more it hurts to part.Sun Xuxue walked behind Nan Yang with a black umbrella, shielding her as the snowfall thickened. “Ancestor, it’s getting heavier.”“Bury him,” Nan Yang said softly.Mei Zhongli lifted a hand. Four men in black suits came over, each taking a corner of the coffin and carrying it toward the grave. Mei Zhongli, Sun Guohui, Sun Xuxue, and Nan Yang followed behind to see him off. When it came time to lower him into the ground, they scattered petals into the earth, letting them fall with the soil that covered the coffin.Afterward, a cross was set up before the grave. All of Liu Zhen’s friends came forward, one by one, to lay down fresh flowers.Mei Zhongli placed a bouquet of calla lilies.Sun Guohui laid down a handful of chrysanthemums, yellow layered with white.Sun Xuxue placed a bundle of yellow carnations.Nan Yang placed a small, delicate spray of hawthorn blossoms.After the flowers, the mourners drifted away from the graveside. Nan Yang remained a little longer. She didn’t say anything dramatic or sentimental. She wasn’t that kind of person. After a long silence, just before she turned to leave, she murmured two words:“Thank you.”By the time the funeral ended, it was already evening.Mei Zhongli and Sun Guohui returned first to the Mei Group to handle urgent matters. After Liu Zhen’s death, a huge portion of shares now faced the problem of having no heir. He had never married, and his parents had passed long ago, so they had to consult lawyers about what to do. Fortunately, before the burial, they had found his will among his belongings.He had left all of his assets to Nan Yang—without reservation.Mei Zhongli needed to transfer every movable and immovable asset into Nan Yang’s name as quickly as possible.Sun Xuxue stayed by Nan Yang’s side. That night, she drove Nan Yang to dinner.At the restaurant table, Sun Xuxue had a mouthful of creamy mushrooms and asked around it, “Ancestor, things are basically settled here now. Are we getting ready to go back to the Divine Dance set?”There were only two days left until the New Year. Sun Xuxue had heard that Zhu Qinghuan had truly turned down the Spring Festival Gala invitation—she was probably waiting for Nan Yang to return. Now that Liu Zhen had been buried safely, they could still make it in time.“Mm.” Nan Yang took a bite of bread.“Okay. I’ll book a flight for tomorrow afternoon. That way you can sleep in tomorrow morning, and we’ll arrive right when Zhuzhu finishes filming. I asked her today—she doesn’t have a scene tomorrow night. She said she can wait for you.”“No rush.” Nan Yang’s expression didn’t change as she tapped her fork lightly against the porcelain plate. “We might not be able to leave tomorrow.”“What do you mean?” Sun Xuxue froze.Ancestor wanted to go back to Zhuzhu—Sun Xuxue knew that. Ancestor stared at Zhuzhu’s chat window every day, spacing out. Sun Xuxue could tell she wanted to send a message, but was afraid of disturbing her. A few days ago, A-Cheng had sent a massive rant, cursing Ancestor out from top to bottom. Ancestor hadn’t gotten angry. She had read it carefully, once, then pressed her lips together and—hands trembling—sent three words:I miss you.Not long after, Zhu Qinghuan had replied with a single: Mm.That afternoon, Ancestor stared at that lonely “Mm,” smiling to herself, dazed for at least three hours.She missed her so much that even Sun Xuxue could see she wanted nothing more than to be at Qinghuan’s side immediately. So why say they might not be able to leave tomorrow?“Did something happen?” Sun Xuxue’s eyes went wide.Nan Yang looked as though she’d already finished eating. She wiped her hands with a napkin, lifted her gaze coolly, and said, “Xuxue. You’ve always kept my wallet. Did you seriously not notice that my ID and driver’s license are missing?”Sun Xuxue blurted out in shock, “What?”Nan Yang didn’t answer. Calmly, she rose from her seat and walked away without haste. She didn’t leave the restaurant, and she didn’t go to the restroom. Instead, she turned a corner and approached a seat hidden behind a flower stand. She stopped, folded her arms, and looked down at the person sitting there.“Having fun?” Nan Yang asked coldly.Jiang Banxia saw that her stalking had been exposed, yet she didn’t panic at all. The corner of her mouth curled. “When did you notice?”Nan Yang ignored the question. She simply extended a hand, ice gathering in her eyes. “Give them back.”Jiang Banxia smiled wickedly. “Already threw them away.”“Is that so.” Nan Yang remained expressionless. She flicked a glance toward Sun Xuxue behind her. “Xuxue. Go get them reissued. They must be ready by tomorrow night.”Still reeling, Sun Xuxue stammered and nodded. “O-okay. I-I-I’ll go right away.”“And tell the owner to clear the place. I’m booking out the restaurant for tonight.”“Yes.”Sun Xuxue could more or less guess what was about to happen. She didn’t dare say another word. She hurried off to find the owner.Jiang Banxia laughed, sultry and amused, twirling a curl around her finger as she spoke to Nan Yang in a coquettish tone. “What’s wrong, Ancestor? Clearing everyone out—what, you want to do something with me?”“I didn’t want to waste time on you,” Nan Yang said, lowering her eyes as she began unbuttoning the cuff at her wrist. “But now that I see things clearly, if I don’t waste this little time today, I’ll waste far more time in the future.”“So you’re already unbuttoning—this impatient?” Jiang Banxia smiled as she lifted the wineglass and took a slow sip through half-lidded eyes.Nan Yang unfastened the cuff and rolled her sleeves up past her elbows. “Put the glass down.”“Why put it down? What, is the glass in the way?” Jiang Banxia set it back on the table, licking her lips as if to entice her.“Yes,” Nan Yang said evenly. “It’s in the way.”With her sleeves rolled, Nan Yang pressed her lips together. Unhurried, she took a BM47 from her belt. With a clean, practiced flick, she snapped the blade open at top speed and caught it in her hand. She stepped forward, bent slightly, and pressed the blade point to Jiang Banxia’s left chest—right over the heart.Jiang Banxia glanced down at the blade and gave a scoffing laugh. “Trying to scare me—”She never got to finish.The knife tip drove into her chest and jammed the rest of her words forever in her throat.The blade sank a full ten centimeters, nearly punching through her body. The blood was trapped inside, not spraying out in a gush. The latch wasn’t secured; the dangerous handle hung straight in the air while the safe handle dropped, a thin line of blood sliding down along it.Nan Yang’s voice remained soft, as indifferent as ever.“See? If you hadn’t put the glass down, it would’ve splashed onto my clothes. What a nuisance.”She released the BM47 and straightened. Then she picked up a white handkerchief and wiped the small smear of blood that had accidentally touched her fingertips.Jiang Banxia opened her mouth, her face twisting as if she wanted to speak. But the moment her lips parted, thick blood welled up and spilled out, running down her chin and onto her neck.Sun Xuxue returned just then—and saw everything.She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming.“Xuxue.” Nan Yang tossed the used handkerchief onto the table. “Send her to the hospital. Where I stabbed is still a little distance from the heart. Take my knife out first. Clean it properly.”Sun Xuxue bit down hard on the back of her hand. With the other hand shaking, she fumbled for her phone and dialed emergency services in a daze.Nan Yang looked at Jiang Banxia, who still retained a shred of consciousness, and spoke slowly, word by word, each syllable clear.“I warned you. If you provoked me again, I would make you personally experience the rules from three thousand years ago. You should never have tested me with the same clumsy trick twice. If I didn’t make myself clear last time, then let me make it clear now: you’d better know your place. A mere mortal, daring to harbor delusions about me. Understand this— not everyone is qualified to stand at my side the way she is.”Jiang Banxia’s gaze drifted, unfocused.“You admire me. In principle, I should say thank you. But you’ve repeatedly used these methods to disgust and disrupt my life. So whatever happens now, you have only yourself to blame.” Nan Yang stood with her hands behind her back, looking down at the woman who didn’t know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. “This is my flaw: if I care about someone, I care about them. If I hate someone, I hate them. Unfortunately for you, everything you’ve done is exactly what I hate most. I’m sparing your life for A-Zhen’s sake. Next time, A-Zhen won’t have that much face left to borrow.”Even Sun Xuxue could hear the meaning: if Jiang Banxia dared to pull another stunt, Nan Yang might truly kill her.Sun Xuxue knew Nan Yang carried the ruthlessness of the jianghu in her bones. Yet over these three thousand years, year after year, she had learned to keep that ruthlessness tightly leashed, and she had learned how to respect everyone as equals. It wasn’t as if no one had ever fallen for her before—clinging, refusing to leave—but Nan Yang had never overreacted. At most, she simply ignored them. Given time, they would grow bored and give up.But no one had ever been like Jiang Banxia—someone who had become a real obstruction in the path between the two of them.Because of Jiang Banxia, six full years had been dragged away from them.Nan Yang had waited three thousand years for only one thing: these last few decades of being together in this final lifetime. Every day wasted meant one less day with Qinghuan. How could she not feel resentment?Even so, when Jiang Banxia resurfaced and haunted her again, Nan Yang still hadn’t truly “counted it” against her. As long as Jiang Banxia kept her distance, Nan Yang was willing to let the past go. But Jiang Banxia refused to change. Once again, she tried to use the same low, crude tactic to pin Nan Yang in place.No wonder Nan Yang finally snapped—and delivered her last warning in the most extreme way.And even then, she still hadn’t taken Jiang Banxia’s life.This outcome was already mercy, to its very limit.
Chapter 32
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Sun Xuxue was efficient. The restaurant was cleared in time, and the ambulance arrived as fast as it could. By the time she and the nurses lifted the unconscious Jiang Banxia onto the gurney and into the ambulance, Nan Yang was already gone.Sun Xuxue’s goodwill toward Jiang Banxia had never gone beyond appreciation for her striking, mixed-heritage beauty. The moment she realized Jiang Banxia had placed herself on the opposite side of Nan Yang, she chose Nan Yang without hesitation. Nan Yang had never told them before that she’d been stuck in Australia for so many years because of a bastard like this. When Sun Xuxue found out, she was stunned—she and Nan Yang both couldn’t understand how someone could dare to act so arrogantly.At the hospital, Sun Xuxue didn’t ask a single question about Jiang Banxia’s condition. Instead, she hovered around the doctors, repeating the same thing over and over: hurry up and remove the knife. Sun Xuxue knew Nan Yang liked that blade. Whether Jiang Banxia lived or died had nothing to do with her—she needed that knife back, cleaned, disinfected, and returned to Nan Yang as soon as possible.Nan Yang was a bit of a neat freak. If the knife came out any later, she’d probably spend the whole night scrubbing it herself.Sun Xuxue barely slept that night. She processed the knife overnight, and early the next morning she went to the police station at Nan Yang’s registered address to help her replace her ID. But reissuing an ID would take two months, so she obtained a temporary one first. Normally Nan Yang would have to be there in person, but Sun Xuxue knew they didn’t have time. She asked Mei Zhongli to pull some strings and got it done quickly. One way or another, Nan Yang had to make it back today.By noon, Sun Xuxue had booked the tickets and drove to the Mei residence to pick Nan Yang up.Mei Zhongli wasn’t at the villa—he was probably still busy with Sun Guohui handling Liu Zhen’s share transfers. Sun Xuxue entered through the front door out of habit, glanced around the first-floor living room, didn’t see Nan Yang, and went straight upstairs to Nan Yang’s room.The moment she opened the door, Sun Xuxue went stupidly still.That cool, snow-white woman wasn’t sitting on the bay window reading as usual, wasn’t at the desk writing notes, wasn’t leaning by the wardrobe picking clothes.She had collapsed right by the doorway—lifeless, unmoving.She looked as if she were already dead. Her long, jet-black hair spilled across her snow-white shirt. She lay turned to one side. Blood spread across the floor. Most of her cheek and shirt were soaked in it. Her right hand clutched something so tightly that the entire hand was dyed red—yet her fingers still hadn’t let go.“Ancestor!” Sun Xuxue dropped to her knees in a panic, hands hovering helplessly, not knowing where she could even touch her.Nan Yang’s consciousness was still there. Her lashes trembled violently, but she forced one eye half-open through the pool of blood and looked at Sun Xuxue, her voice hoarse.“I… I’m fine.”“I’m taking you to the hospital, I’ll call right now—” Sun Xuxue was shaking all over.“No.” Nan Yang tried to move. Her left hand curled slowly, and she braced her shoulder up a little. “It’s already passed. The hospital… isn’t necessary. It would waste time.”Waste time catching the flight.Sun Xuxue understood. Nan Yang didn’t want Qinghuan to be left waiting for her.If Sun Xuxue had arrived two hours earlier, she would have taken Nan Yang to the hospital no matter what. But now… it really had passed. It was over. Even if Nan Yang had forced herself through it alone.Eyes red-rimmed, Sun Xuxue helped Nan Yang up without saying anything more.Nan Yang stood unsteadily. Her right hand, which had been clenched the whole time, loosened at last.Inside were two Sorcha Gold Tequila chocolates—crushed to crumbs in her grip. The liquor inside had already blended with the blood in her palm. The cocoa butter fragments had softened from her body heat, sticking to her fingertips in a slick, cloying paste.Qinghuan had said not to eat them right away, so she never had. She was obedient—if Qinghuan didn’t let her, she wouldn’t. Just like before, when Qinghuan had said, Don’t keep eating all that starch, you’ll get diabetes—try chocolate instead. From that day on, aside from begging for one skewer of candied hawthorn while she was drunk, she had never eaten candied hawthorn again.Only… in the end, it still broke.Maybe she shouldn’t have been holding them when the pain hit.“Ancestor, the flight takes off in three hours. We… should we change to the next one so you can rest a little?” Sun Xuxue asked carefully.“It’s fine. I’ll take a shower. Wait for me downstairs. We won’t miss the flight.”Sun Xuxue let out a quiet sigh. She had no choice—she knew Nan Yang was stubborn about promises. She went downstairs without another word.Nan Yang locked the door behind her and unfastened the top three buttons at her collar. This time, she didn’t have the patience to undo every single one. After the third, she simply grabbed the neckline and pulled the shirt off over her head. She rolled the white shirt into a ball in her hands and wiped the blood from her nose and chin. One side of her collarbone was smeared with red; the other remained pale and fine—like a butterfly with one wing dyed crimson, rising and falling with each shallow breath.When she finished, she tossed the shirt into the pool of blood and walked slowly into the bathroom.The shirt sank gradually into the blood. Red dampness crawled across every clean corner, like ivy spreading up a wall, clamoring to stain every inch of blank territory. Before long, the whole shirt had fallen from pure white into blood red. From the slightly curled collar, fat drops of blood fell one after another.Drip.Drip.Like an endless pronouncement of a cruel, grotesque sentence.Five hours later.It was already a little past six in the evening. The moment they got off the plane, Nan Yang and Sun Xuxue hailed a taxi and rushed to Zangzuo Film and Television City.When they arrived, Zhu Qinghuan was filming the last scene of the day with Ming Wancheng.Another day with the Crown Prince absent. Another day where a palace maid bullied the divine maiden. Today, Ming Wancheng had to slap her Master Qinghuan three times. She was already terrified; after learning Nan Yang would arrive that afternoon, she became even more miserably frightened.For the sake of realism, most dramas had actors hit for real so it looked like actual impact. And if they hit for real, they could also sell a “professional and dedicated” image—pure benefit, no downside. With someone as strict as Li Dong, of course he would demand that Ming Wancheng slap Zhu Qinghuan for real.As Ming Wancheng rolled up her sleeves, she planned at least twenty different trajectories—each one looking real while hurting as little as possible. Luckily, she possessed formidable inner power. The instant her palm landed, she could rebound the force back into her own hand. She would suffer more pain herself, but her master wouldn’t.Nan Yang arrived quietly at the edge of the set, found a folding fishing chair, and sat down. Sun Xuxue wandered over by the camera to watch. The scene was in full swing—no one noticed Nan Yang had come. Nan Yang had no intention of interrupting their filming.Ming Wancheng’s slaps were beautiful—perfectly convincing. Everyone present believed she was truly hitting. Only Zhu Qinghuan knew: each time Ming Wancheng’s palm made real contact with her face, it didn’t hurt at all. It was as if she’d simply been firmly patted.Li Dong was satisfied. Ming Wancheng made it look good, and Zhu Qinghuan’s expression was spot-on—tears trapped in her eyes but not falling, wronged yet stubbornly enduring. They got the scene in three takes.Three takes meant Ming Wancheng had slapped her master a total of nine times.Nan Yang could tell Ming Wancheng hadn’t truly slapped her, but even so, displeasure flickered in her eyes. She might not have struck, but she had, in fact, touched her. Touching was still improper.“All right!” Li Dong clapped his hands. “That’s a wrap for this scene. Zhuzhu, A-Cheng, good work. You two can go first. Xiao Zhang, prep the location change—tell Xia Shan to get ready!”The rigid expression Zhu Qinghuan had held finally relaxed. She didn’t have to keep her tears in anymore, either. She walked off set, closing her eyes as she massaged her temples, reaching toward Xiao Ye. “Xiao Ye, towel.”A soft towel was placed into her palm. The instant it was handed over, a familiar, cool temperature brushed past the web of her thumb.Zhu Qinghuan opened her eyes at once. They were still red, but her smile couldn’t be held back. “Nan Yang?”Nan Yang stood in front of her and hummed in acknowledgment.It had been a month since they’d last seen each other. Nan Yang was still her cold, quiet self, dressed in a pure white puffer jacket zipped up tight, with only a hint of the white sweater collar showing beneath. She must have showered not long ago—her hair had been hurriedly dried, slightly fluffy, carrying the clean scent of shampoo.Only… her lips looked a little too pale.“Are you not feeling well?” Zhu Qinghuan caught it instantly.“So you noticed.” Nan Yang didn’t bother hiding it. She even let out a cough she’d been suppressing for a long time, muffled and low. “I… got a bit chilled on the way. I’ll be fine once we’re inside.”“You got cold?”Zhu Qinghuan frowned, quietly troubled. Nan Yang’s body was truly delicate—she couldn’t be too warm, and she couldn’t be too cold. How was she supposed to take care of her properly?“NAN YANG!” Ming Wancheng jogged over, bold as ever, lifting her skirt without a shred of shame and stuffing her phone into her jeans pocket. “When did you get here? I was just looking for you.”Nan Yang replied flatly, “Don’t call me by my name.”Ming Wancheng clicked her tongue, deeply unimpressed. “Fine. Boss Nan. Such a big attitude.”Zhu Qinghuan forced a small smile and followed softly, “Sorry… Boss Nan.”Nan Yang: “…”Ming Wancheng burst out laughing.“You can call me by my name,” Nan Yang said calmly, explaining to Qinghuan. “I just don’t let her call me that.”“Is that so?” Zhu Qinghuan lifted her eyes, bright with light.“Yes.”Ming Wancheng looked at the two of them, hugged her arms, and pouted. “Looks like I’m pretty unnecessary. I’ll go first, then.”She walked a few steps away, deliberately slowing, sneaking a glance back—only to see that no one tried to keep her. She gritted her teeth, furious, clutching her right hand—already reddened from taking the rebound force—and loudly called for her assistant as she stormed off to the hotel.“I’m going to change first. Wait for me a moment,” Zhu Qinghuan said, handing the towel to Xiao Ye. A gentle curve warmed her lips. “I prepared hotpot in our room. I fried the hotpot base myself—salad oil and Pixian chili paste. It’s not very spicy. This time you can eat a bit more.”So she had remembered all along—the hotpot Nan Yang hadn’t gotten to enjoy that day.Nan Yang lowered her eyes, hiding the sudden fracture in her gaze. She cleared her throat and said, “Okay. We’ll go back and eat hotpot.”
Chapter 33
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An hour later, Xiao Ye dropped them off at the hotel.When the hotel room door opened, they saw that a hotpot cooker had already been set out on the coffee table, along with a bowl of vivid red hotpot base. An apron had been hastily tossed into a corner of the sofa.Zhu Qinghuan changed her shoes, went over to neatly fold the apron, then filled the pot with water, turned on the power, and poured in the broth base. While it simmered, she opened the refrigerator and brought out plate after plate of neatly arranged ingredients: lamb, beef, crab sticks, shrimp dumplings, leafy greens, lotus root, bamboo shoots, beef balls, potatoes. None of the portions were large, but the variety was complete.Qinghuan’s cooking was, as always, flawless.Nan Yang sat on the sofa and scooped up a little of the hotpot broth with a soup spoon, taking a shallow sip. It was fragrant, and the level of spice was perfectly controlled. After entering the mouth, the heat lingered briefly on the tip of the tongue, but never burned the throat or stomach. A sip of soda was enough to wash away that hint of spice without causing any discomfort. It satisfied her craving without harming her body.Did Heaven know that they were meant to be together, and so took away all of her own talent for cooking and transferred it to Qinghuan?Nan Yang pressed her lips together, still slick with red oil, and sighed quietly to herself.Long ago, there had indeed been a period when she learned how to cook. But it did not last long. After she used a forbidden technique and her right hand was destroyed, she was never able to grow accustomed to using her left hand. From then on, she could no longer do such delicate tasks well.“Why are you just drinking the soup?” Zhu Qinghuan brought over the last plate of vegetables and smiled helplessly. “I’ll make you a dipping sauce. Do you eat sesame oil?”Nan Yang nodded.“What about sesame paste?”Another nod.“Scallions?”Nod.“Garlic?”She shook her head.“Alright, I got it.” Zhu Qinghuan went into the kitchen. Luckily, the suite arranged by the production crew came with a small kitchen; otherwise, today’s hotpot would have been difficult to manage. Just the various condiments alone had covered the entire countertop. When they bought everything yesterday, Xiao Ye had even asked two bodyguards to help carry it all, just to get these bottles and jars inside intact.After mixing the sauce, she returned to the sofa and handed Nan Yang her bowl. She guided Nan Yang to sit by the window, then opened it just a crack so that the cold air could gently brush against Nan Yang’s shoulders and back.She had always quietly kept Nan Yang’s minor illness in mind.At some point, they seemed to have returned to the way they interacted three thousand years ago. Nan Yang was still the revered master who sat idly and waited for food to be fed to her, and Qinghuan was still the little disciple who served her without complaint. It was always like this over those three thousand years: as long as they met, as long as they were together, even if Qinghuan remembered nothing, she would still instinctively take good care of the woman called Nan Yang.It must have been an instinct carved into her soul.Nan Yang straightened her back, held her chopsticks properly in her right hand, touched the tips to her lips for a moment, and only then carefully reached toward the pot.Zhu Qinghuan sat beside her. Seeing the slight tremor in Nan Yang’s right hand, she couldn’t help but say, “What do you want to eat? I’ll pick it up for you.”Nan Yang withdrew her chopsticks and said, “Lotus root.”“Okay.” Zhu Qinghuan sat up, searched through the pot, found a slice of lotus root cut to just the right thickness, and placed it into Nan Yang’s bowl. “What else?”“Lotus root.”“…”
She picked up another slice.“What else?”“Lotus root.”A third slice.“Lotus root.”A fourth slice.“Lotus root.”“There’s no more. I only put in four slices.” Zhu Qinghuan switched to a slice of carrot and offered it to Nan Yang. “Try this. This one’s good too.”Nan Yang moved her bowl away, frowning. “No.”She had not eaten carrots for five hundred years.“You’re still picky,” Zhu Qinghuan sighed, though the corners of her lips were still gently curved. “Then do you want sausage? Or shrimp dumplings? They’re cooked really well. The beef balls are good too—I made them myself with minced beef. Want to try one?”“…Mm.”Nan Yang pushed her bowl right up next to the pot and watched Qinghuan place the meats and balls into it one by one. She didn’t say much, and Qinghuan didn’t mind her silence, patiently serving her food. Apart from their exchanges over what to pick up, the two of them were quiet.Strangely enough, the silence wasn’t awkward at all. Instead, it carried an inexplicable sense of harmony.Zhu Qinghuan filled Nan Yang’s bowl to the brim and pushed it back to her before finally taking her own first bite.Nan Yang held the bowl, her gaze lowered, focusing on the steaming food inside. She ate in small bites, lips closed, restraining the sounds of chewing. At a glance, one could tell it was refined etiquette cultivated over many years.While eating a meatball, Zhu Qinghuan secretly watched Nan Yang. Nan Yang was very quiet when she ate, sitting upright, holding her chopsticks with discipline. Her lowered eyelashes were long. They didn’t curl like Qinghuan’s, drooping slightly and covering part of her pale-colored eyes. Those uncurled lashes made her eyes, clear as light tea, look much hazier. Normally, she kept a stern face, showing little difference, but now, amid the rising steam, Zhu Qinghuan seemed to catch a trace of softness and allure hidden within.Suddenly, she wanted to see what those eyes would look like when crying.She had never seen Nan Yang cry. The only time she had seen her eyes turn red was that night when she reunited with Ming Wancheng after a long separation. If she would cry just from hugging Ming Wancheng, then what about hugging herself?Zhu Qinghuan froze, only then realizing how strange that thought was.She and Nan Yang weren’t long-lost reunions. Why would Nan Yang cry from hugging her?What was she even thinking?After eating for a while, a fine layer of sweat gradually formed on Nan Yang’s forehead. Though the hotpot wasn’t especially spicy, after eating so much, her lips had been stimulated into a deep red, and a faint flush spread across her cheekbones. From time to time, she even had to sniffle.Zhu Qinghuan pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. “How about you stop eating?”“I want to eat.”Nan Yang took the tissue and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Just as she picked up her chopsticks, she paused, then put them down again. She was sweating all over. Even with the window open, she was still wearing a sweater, and it felt stuffy.She raised her hand, grabbed the collar of her sweater, and pulled it straight off.Zhu Qinghuan was startled when she saw Nan Yang suddenly undressing, instinctively thinking she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. She was about to flusteredly avert her gaze when she caught sight, out of the corner of her eye, of a shirt beneath the sweater.Her heart, which had just leapt into her throat, hadn’t even had time to settle before it felt a little ridiculous.As Nan Yang removed the sweater, she lifted part of her shirt hem, revealing a section of her abdomen. The skin there was fine, the muscles taut, but starkly crossing it were three long, vicious scars. They were so long and deep, yet showed no trace of stitching—something impossible under modern medicine.“That spot…” Zhu Qinghuan knew it was rude, but she couldn’t help herself. “Those scars… are they…?”Nan Yang set the sweater aside and smoothed her slightly wrinkled shirt. The corner of her lips seemed to lift in a faint smile, her voice as calm as ever.“If I said you were the one who cut them, would you believe me?”“……”Zhu Qinghuan frowned. She didn’t understand what Nan Yang meant by joking like this.Nan Yang pressed her lips together, picked up her chopsticks again, and said, “Aren’t you eating anymore?”“I’m full. If you’re not full yet, eat a bit more.” Zhu Qinghuan quickly cast aside her earlier doubts and thoughtfully turned the pot down to keep warm.“Mm.”Nan Yang kept eating the meatballs and lotus root in her bowl without pause. She ate for a long time, scooping every ingredient Qinghuan had put into the pot into her own bowl and finishing them bite by bite. In truth, she had been full for a long time, but she couldn’t bear to waste a single bit of the food Qinghuan had made.Of course, among everything she ate, carrots were the sole exception.It wasn’t that she couldn’t tolerate the taste of carrots. Long, long ago, she used to eat them.But there had been one lifetime when Qinghuan was reborn as a small, fluffy white rabbit. She kept it by her side, cared for it meticulously, and fed it the best and most expensive carrots every day. Once, she went to the market to buy fresh carrots. The sky suddenly changed; lightning flashed and thunder roared, and she was trapped in a pavilion by a heavy rain. The rain fell all day. When it finally stopped and she returned with fresh, tender carrots, she discovered that the little rabbit had been frightened to death by the thunder.Frightened to death.It was a little absurd. She knew that. Later, when she occasionally mentioned this past to her disciples, she would always see them struggling to hold back laughter.But only Nan Yang herself knew that it wasn’t a rabbit that had died of fright.It was her Qinghuan who had died.From that point on, she could no longer eat carrots. Once carrots entered her mouth, she would instinctively feel nauseous.“Full yet?”Zhu Qinghuan’s voice suddenly came from beside her.She had already stood up, put on her apron, and begun cleaning up the messy table after the hotpot. In one hand she held a stack of greasy bowls; in the other, a pair of chopsticks that had picked up all kinds of raw meat and vegetables. Her gaze flicked toward the bowl in Nan Yang’s hands.Nan Yang handed her the bowl.“Then I’ll go wash the dishes.” Zhu Qinghuan walked toward the kitchen. She didn’t ask Nan Yang to help clean up, only said, “If you’re bored, go sit in the bedroom for a bit. I’ve already washed all the clothes you left here—they’re on the bedside. You… you were sweating just now, so see if you want to change.”“Alright.”Nan Yang obediently went to the bedroom.The room was just as it had been the day she left: a simple bed, a simple desk, a simple wardrobe. Neatly stacked on the bedside were twelve white shirts in different styles, giving off a faint scent of laundry detergent, perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle.Nan Yang sat sideways on the edge of the bed, her fingers slowly brushing over the surface of the shirts, gentle and unhurried, as though she were caressing Qinghuan’s palm.She had known for three thousand years that in this world, only she could care for her with such meticulous tenderness.Nan Yang lowered her eyes. By chance, her gaze fell on a book pressed beneath Qinghuan’s pillow.A little curious, she bent down slightly, pulled the book out, and looked at the cover. It was Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.Nan Yang casually flipped through it.The pages rustled past, a sea of white paper—and unexpectedly, a continuous flash of gold passed by.She stopped at a certain page and looked more closely at the strange golden shapes.They were…They were chocolate wrappers.Golden foil, clearly carefully smoothed flat. The edges were a little worn, but each piece retained its original shape.Inside a copy of Romeo and Juliet, every few pages there was one such wrapper: on the page about the Montague and Capulet families’ feud, on the page where Romeo first meets Juliet at the Capulet ball, on the page where Romeo holds Juliet’s hand and marries her under the friar’s guidance, and on the page where Romeo commits suicide atop Juliet’s lifeless body.Nan Yang counted them one by one. Scattered throughout, there were exactly twenty-five.Twenty-five.She suddenly realized what they were.They were the twenty-five pieces of chocolate she had eaten that day, sitting in front of the trash bin.Nan Yang stared at the carefully smoothed wrappers, subconsciously biting down on the tip of her tongue, failing to control the strength in her daze.A metallic sweetness instantly filled her mouth.The fingers resting on the pages curled. She slowly lowered her head, her back deeply hunched, the tip of her nose pressed against one golden wrapper on the page, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to hold it in.After a long while, a tear slipped from the corner of her tightly shut right eye, tracing down the bridge of her nose and falling onto the surface of the foil.That single tear easily seeped through the wrapper, dampening a line of lead type beneath it.It was a line spoken by Romeo.At the Capulet ball, Romeo first meets Juliet and falls in love at first sight. After the party ends, he sneaks into the Capulet garden, lingering beneath Juliet’s window. In his turmoil, standing alone in the cold moonlight, he murmurs this line—now blurred by tears—“If only she knew that I love her.”
Chapter 34
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On New Year’s Eve, most of the Divine Dance crew chose to stay with the production to celebrate the holiday.Li Dong was considerate enough to give the entire crew a day off. Not only did he give them time off, he also hired an outside team and booked a hotel to host a New Year’s Eve banquet. Originally, it was meant to be an internal crew dinner—everyone gathering for a proper reunion meal. But after discussing it with the producer, Li Dong brought in sponsorship from a currently popular short-video platform and arranged for the entire banquet to be livestreamed on mobile from start to finish.That way, they would not only earn a substantial advertising fee, but also build early exposure for Divine Dance. With Zhu Qinghuan and Xia Shan both being top-tier celebrities, there was bound to be a flood of fans tuning in. Once those fans pushed the stream to the top of the day’s popularity rankings, it would draw in even more casual viewers looking to join the excitement. In the end, the production team, the cast, and the platform would all win.Zhu Qinghuan hadn’t planned to attend the banquet at all, but the nature of the event had already changed. This was no longer a simple crew reunion dinner—it was a commercial activity. Once profit became involved, whether she went or not was no longer her decision.And Li Dong certainly wasn’t going to let go of Nan Yang’s heat. Her marriage to Zhu Qinghuan was currently under public scrutiny; if Nan Yang could appear on camera with Zhu Qinghuan during the livestream, both Li Dong and the sponsor would be smiling so hard they’d gain a few extra laugh lines.With a nervous heart, Li Dong contacted Nan Yang. He could tell she didn’t like this kind of noisy gathering. After all, the Mei family stood behind her—if she truly didn’t want to come, he couldn’t force her. Yet to his surprise, Nan Yang agreed. And she agreed quickly. She only asked him one question: would Qinghuan be going?Li Dong said of course. Nan Yang said, then I’ll go too.At five in the afternoon on Lunar New Year’s Eve, the crew had almost all arrived at the Fengxian Building where the banquet was being held. The ground floor had a hall reserved just for them. The venue was decorated in blazing red—after all, it was the New Year. Bright red paper lanterns hung everywhere, couplets were pasted at the entrance, red balloons dangled from the chandeliers. The festive atmosphere was overflowing. Xia Shan had arrived early; his assistant kept reminding him about this and that, and he looked like it all went in one ear and out the other, busy scanning the room for Zhu Qinghuan.Around six, Xiao Ye’s nanny van pulled up to the hotel entrance.Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan got out together. There was a livestream today, but it wasn’t some major red-carpet event, so they didn’t need gowns—something more casual would do.Zhu Qinghuan wore a light blue wool coat and a camel cashmere scarf. The coat was unbuttoned, faintly revealing a beige turtleneck sweater underneath. She was dressed simply, her makeup light, but with her long curled hair falling loose, even the plainest outfit carried a seductive charm, making people look at her with eyes tinged with desire.Nan Yang stood beside her, and the moment they entered the hotel, she took off her down jacket. Today she wore a white Ann Deuleester shirt. Unlike an ordinary white shirt, this one carried a distinctly European courtly style: wide puff sleeves, tightened on the inside at the upper arms and elbows with ties. The long ribbons were knotted into intricate bows, hanging behind her elbow joints. Every time she lifted her arms, the beautiful ties would sway gently back and forth, impossibly pleasing to the eye.Shirts like this were usually worn with the collar open, showing a hint of collarbone.But Nan Yang still buttoned every single button, neat and severe.Zhu Qinghuan couldn’t help stealing glances at her. The shirt suited her so well—vintage, elegant, expensive.In the center of the venue, the phone used for the livestream had already been set up, and Li Dong had arranged the surroundings deliberately. He had prepared plenty of interesting activities for the audience.On the first table were bundles of bamboo strips and neatly folded red cloth—everyone would make lanterns first to warm up the room. On the second table were three tall stacks of couplet paper. Each lead actor would write one set, then later the production would post them on Weibo for a repost-and-lottery giveaway to fans. On the third table, flour and water had been laid out for everyone to make dumplings together—this would tie into a small game. Besides these three tables, a ring of long tables lined the perimeter, covered in assorted desserts and cakes, red wine and drinks, available for anyone to take at any time.Assistant director Qian Dao saw Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan arrive and waved them over to the livestream phone so they could greet the fans who had been waiting.“Come on, come on—your Zhu Zhu and Boss Nan are finally here,” Qian Dao said smoothly. He used to be a host, and it showed—his delivery was sharp and he knew how to hype a room. “Everyone, spam the chat! Thank you to [Shark Baby] for the crown, thank you to [Boss Nan Debut Now] for the rainbow fireworks, thank you to [Zhu Zhu Is Definitely On Top] for the carnival gift—happy New Year to everyone in the livestream! Don’t forget to double-tap the screen, double-tap, double-tap! Double-tap those little hearts!”Zhu Qinghuan chimed in with a few lines of her own, asking for double taps.Qian Dao was riding the excitement. Whether Nan Yang wanted to or not, he egged her on at the camera, insisting she say something too.Nan Yang’s expression darkened.Mindful that they were live, Zhu Qinghuan quietly tugged on the ribbon tied to Nan Yang’s puff sleeve and gave her a small shake of the head.Nan Yang clenched her teeth, forced down her irritation, looked into the camera, and with visible effort squeezed out a few words through her teeth:“Bro… double… tap. 6… 66.”Qinghuan stared at Nan Yang with a complicated expression.The face was genuinely gloomy—more like she was saying: Bro, if you dare double-tap, I’ll make sure the grass on your grave grows into the shape of 666 next year.Ignoring the flood of comments screaming past on the screen, Zhu Qinghuan hurriedly pulled Nan Yang out of frame. Pinching the tie on Nan Yang’s puff sleeve between her fingers, she guided her to a quiet corner table, handed her a small plate, and told her to go pick out some cake for herself.Nan Yang still didn’t look like she wanted to smile, but she was noticeably less tense than before. She held her small plate quietly, picking up one colorful dessert after another and stacking them until it formed a small mountain.“Don’t eat so much. We still have to make dumplings later,” Zhu Qinghuan said, lightly tapping the back of Nan Yang’s hand with her fork.Nan Yang immediately stopped reaching for more.There were lollipop-shaped cakes—round, coated in a layer of blue chocolate, with a paper stick inserted for easy holding. Nan Yang held the plate in one hand and stuffed the lollipop cake into her mouth with the other. One cheek puffed out from how much she’d crammed in, round and full like a hamster.As she chewed, her eyes curved slightly. Qinghuan noticed the tiny expression and knew she liked it, so she grabbed another and placed it on Nan Yang’s plate. “One more for you.”Nan Yang accepted it without hesitation. She hadn’t even finished the one in her mouth before she stuffed the new one into her other, still-empty cheek.Now both cheeks bulged at once—she looked even more like a hamster.“Swallow before you eat again,” Zhu Qinghuan sighed helplessly. She poured a cup of soda and handed it to Nan Yang. “Why are you such a glutton?”Nan Yang took the soda, chewed slowly, swallowed, and only then took a small sip.Ming Wancheng arrived as well. She wore a festive red coat today with a brown scarf. The moment she entered, she came over grinning and said, “Happy New Year,” to Nan Yang.Over at the livestream, the warm-up segment ended, and Li Dong and Qian Dao began organizing everyone to go make lanterns at the first table.The bamboo strips and red cloth had been portioned out in fixed sets—one for each person. The lead actors stood beside their sets, frowning as they tried to figure it out. Nan Yang assumed she would share one set with Qinghuan, but Li Dong had prepared a separate set just for her.Her hand wasn’t convenient to use. And even if it were, she couldn’t do this kind of work. She hadn’t been able to three thousand years ago, either.The moment she picked up a bamboo strip and gently bent it—Crack.It snapped.Nan Yang looked down at the bamboo strip broken into two in her hand. Then she lifted her eyes to Qinghuan and said, “Teach me.”Qinghuan was always good at this sort of thing. She was carefully working on her own set now. When she heard Nan Yang call her, she didn’t even look up. “I’ll teach you in a bit. Try it yourself first.”“No. Teach me.” Nan Yang’s brows pinched slightly.“Just a second.”Zhu Qinghuan still kept her attention on the lantern in her hands.Nan Yang stared at the bamboo strip that had split apart in her hand for a while, then, annoyed, tossed the pieces back onto the table.Head lowered, she looked at the red cloth pressed beneath her fingertips and remembered another New Year’s Eve.That night, after dinner, seventeen-year-old Qinghuan came to her sleeping palace to teach her how to make lanterns. Back then they weren’t together yet. She was still the lofty, untouchable master, and Qinghuan was still the gentle, humble little disciple. Qinghuan patiently taught her every step, but she could never learn. So Qinghuan came up behind her, took her hand, and tried to guide her movements.And in the instant Qinghuan’s hand covered the back of hers, she jerked away.Coldly, she told Qinghuan: Don’t touch me.In the candlelight, Qinghuan’s hands hovering awkwardly in midair—and the dim pain in her eyes—seemed to still sway before her, mixed into the flickering gloom.Nan Yang’s brow furrowed deeper.Looking back on the past, all she saw was regret.She was still lost in thought when someone tapped a finger lightly against the back of her hand. She lifted her head and saw Qinghuan standing in front of her, smiling, wearing her warm beige turtleneck. In her hand was a brand-new bamboo strip.“I’m here to teach you.”The fingers Nan Yang had resting on the table instantly curled.Nan Yang lowered her voice, very softly:“…Can you teach me by holding my hand?”Zhu Qinghuan froze. The tips of her ears flushed. She glanced around—one of the livestream phones was filming this way—and instinctively wanted to refuse.Nan Yang saw her hesitation and lowered her gaze. “Forget it.”“I… I’ll teach you,” Qinghuan said, softening again.Every time Nan Yang showed even the slightest hint of disappointment, Qinghuan couldn’t help compromising. She didn’t even understand why—like an innate instinct she was born with.Zhu Qinghuan was two centimeters shorter than Nan Yang. She stood slightly behind Nan Yang on the left, looped her right arm around Nan Yang’s waist, and laid it over Nan Yang’s right hand. Her left hand reached around as well, touching Nan Yang’s left thumb. The posture was far too intimate; it looked as if she were holding Nan Yang tightly from behind. And because she had to lower her head to look at the bamboo strips, her chin brushed against the shoulder of Nan Yang’s shirt, making it seem even closer.This was the first time she had been this near to Nan Yang.Nan Yang never wore perfume, but up close Zhu Qinghuan realized she carried a faint, elegant plum-blossom scent. As though she had soaked in a plum grove for thousands of years—so natural, so effortless, never out of place.Breathing in that plum-blossom scent, Qinghuan’s thoughts gradually drifted. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to tighten her arms, pull Nan Yang into her embrace, rub her long hair, kiss her earlobe.If she really did hold her, would this cold woman obediently rest against her shoulder?Maybe… she would even lean to her ear, exhale warm, damp breath, and murmur the line she had once said to her—the day they got married—“I like you.”Crack.The bamboo strip snapped again.Qinghuan jolted back to herself, her face turning a vivid crimson.Her fingers were still resting over the back of Nan Yang’s hand, and in Nan Yang’s grasp was a bamboo strip now clearly broken into two. Splintered fibers curled jaggedly from the break, trembling in the air.A flat voice came from in front of her:“Your fingertips are very hot.”
Chapter 35
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“It’s too—too hot. The heating is turned up too high.”Zhu Qinghuan hurriedly released Nan Yang’s waist and pulled her burning fingers back, embarrassed, rubbing the corner of her clothes between her fingers.“I’ll have Xuxue go back to the hotel and bring you a lighter jacket,” Nan Yang said, not lifting her eyes to look at Qinghuan, and so missing the flush of shyness on her face.“…No need.”Nan Yang gave a quiet hum and said nothing more.Qian Dao held up the selfie rig and swept the livestream phone toward them. “Let’s check in on how our lead actors are doing! Xia Shan has already started cutting the red cloth—he’s the fastest so far! Fans, remember to cheer him on in the chat! Miss Zhu Zhu has only finished the lantern frame so far; she’s helping our guest star Boss Nan now—wow, this really is peak romance! And our adorable Miss Ming Wancheng… my god, A-Cheng, what happened?!”Qian Dao’s voice suddenly shot up in alarm, drawing both Nan Yang and Qinghuan to look over.Ming Wancheng was baring her teeth as she cradled her hand. While bending the bamboo strips, she’d accidentally gotten a splinter stuck in her index finger. It hurt so much her tears were about to fall, yet she still bit her lip and forced herself to endure it, looking utterly pitiful.Qinghuan hurried over, staring at Ming Wancheng’s red, swollen finger, instantly tense. “What happened?”“Master…” Ming Wancheng’s mouth puckered, and she burst into tears.During the time they’d worked together on set, Qinghuan had privately taught A-Cheng quite a few acting techniques. A-Cheng promptly took advantage of that and openly started calling Qinghuan “Master.” Everyone on the crew was used to hearing her say “Master” all day long and didn’t think anything of it. But Nan Yang didn’t know about this. Hearing A-Cheng openly call out “Master,” her mind jolted, panic flashing uncontrollably through her eyes.“I’ll help you get it out. Don’t move,” Qinghuan said, calling out to Xiao Ye off to the side. “Xiao Ye, help me find a needle!”Qian Dao, holding up the livestream phone and loving the drama, started hyping things up. “Whoa, whoa! Look at the first and second female leads of Divine Dance—so much love, right! Any fans shipping the ‘Cheng-Huan’ CP? Flood the chat and let Boss Nan see it! Boss Nan, aren’t you going to rein this in? Hahahahaha—”Nan Yang wasn’t jealous of Ming Wancheng at all. In her eyes, Qinghuan was a child, and Ming Wancheng was the child of a child. Seeing Qinghuan with Ming Wancheng only gave her one feeling—maternal affection.Although Ming Wancheng had indeed lived for over three thousand years, she had used the forbidden technique at eighteen, so she looked like an eighteen-year-old girl. Coupled with her flippant manner and complete lack of worldly composure, she looked exactly like a green, inexperienced teenager. Twenty-four-year-old Qinghuan lowering her head to remove a splinter from eighteen-year-old Ming Wancheng looked even more like a gentle mother taking care of a mischievous daughter.After removing the splinter, Qinghuan left the livestream area with Xiao Ye to deal with the bloody needle in the restroom. Taking advantage of the gap, Nan Yang lowered her voice and asked Ming Wancheng, “Why do you call her Master?”“I—I asked her to teach me acting,” Ming Wancheng said with watery eyes, her index finger still in her mouth, her words a little unclear. “If I casually let her teach me something, then calling her Master is perfectly justified. Otherwise, every time I call her by name, Ancestor, you say I’m being disrespectful.”Nan Yang nodded in understanding.After that incident, no one was really in the mood to make lanterns anymore. Only Xia Shan dutifully finished his. Seeing the livestream chat repeatedly asking to move on to the next segment, Li Dong signaled Qian Dao to cue the next activity.The next segment was writing Spring Festival couplets.Since writing couplets wasn’t very visually engaging, it was done at the same time as dumpling-making at the neighboring table. Those who wanted to write couplets could do so; those who wanted to make dumplings could make dumplings. Qian Dao walked back and forth with the livestream rig, following wherever the chat told him to point the camera.Activities that required technical skill were quickly avoided by the actors. Most of them couldn’t even write neatly with a pen, let alone a brush. Exposing one’s shortcomings to fans and passersby on a livestream wasn’t a good idea.By the time Qinghuan returned from the restroom, things were already underway. Seeing the dumpling table crowded—and knowing Nan Yang disliked squeezing into crowds—she said to Nan Yang, “Shall we go write couplets first?”“Mm.”Nan Yang agreed at once.They walked over to the couplet table, with Ming Wancheng following along, her index finger still in her mouth.Knowing Nan Yang’s right hand was impaired, Qinghuan didn’t hand her a brush. She picked up a large rabbit-hair brush herself, dipped it in ink, gently brushed her fingers over the red couplet paper, then tilted her head and asked, “What do you want to write?”Nan Yang didn’t answer that. Instead, she asked, “You know how to write with a brush?”“Not really. Just for fun,” Qinghuan said with a soft smile.“I can teach you,” Nan Yang said calmly.Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. “You? I’ve seen your handwriting. This might sound rude, but… it’s really not very good. You can’t even write well yourself, and you want to teach me?”Ming Wancheng took her finger out of her mouth and cut in, “That’s not true. She used to write very well.”She really had.Three thousand years ago, among the three revered masters of the Northern Campaign, each was famed not only for swordsmanship but for another skill. Master Yu Xiu for alchemy, Master Rong Huai for sword-forging, and Master Nan Yang for calligraphy.A single piece of Nan Yang’s writing had once been worth a fortune. She had no need for fame or profit; she wrote when she wished and didn’t when she didn’t. Only when she owed someone a favor would she deign to write a piece. The fewer works that circulated, the more precious they became. Countless wealthy merchants spent obscene sums just to obtain one of her calligraphies to hang at home as a family heirloom.In her life, there were only three things she’d ever been truly obsessive about: candied hawthorns, calligraphy, and Qinghuan.Calligraphy had once been, besides swordsmanship, what she was most proud of.But that was only once.Both swordsmanship and calligraphy now belonged to the past.Nan Yang clasped her hands behind her back, her left hand lightly gripping her right wrist, her thumb rubbing over the missing tendons beneath the skin.“Really? I find that hard to believe,” Qinghuan said with a smile, lowering her head and touching the brush tip to the red paper.Ming Wancheng said earnestly, “Of course it’s true. If you saw it with your own—”“A-Cheng,” Nan Yang cut her off.Ming Wancheng opened her mouth, then obediently fell silent.Nan Yang stood beside Qinghuan, watching her write, offering quiet guidance as she did.“Pause at the start, guide the stroke lightly. Twist gently at the turns, hook evenly on the return. Correct form, solid structure. Emphasize the dots, keep the verticals straight and the horizontals level. Let the downward strokes go from light to heavy, then from heavy back to light. Don’t hesitate when you put the brush down, and don’t grip too tightly when lifting it. When writing couplets, be bold with your strength—otherwise the brushwork won’t come through, and you’ll lose a lot of expressiveness.”“You sound pretty convincing. Want to write one yourself?” Qinghuan lifted the brush and held it out to her teasingly.Nan Yang instinctively seemed about to take it, but the moment she raised her hand, her fingers curled back.After a long pause, she turned her gaze aside, looking down at the ground, her right hand slowly dropping.“I… can’t write anymore.”Her calm voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.Only then did Qinghuan realize how impolite it was to ask someone with an injured right hand to write—joking or not. She blinked a few times, pressed her lips together, and quickly changed the subject. “Then… is there anything you want written? You say it, I’ll write it.”Nan Yang looked at her, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. “Nothing in particular. Write whatever you like.”Qinghuan gave a soft acknowledgment, lowered her head, and silently picked up a Spring Festival couplet collection Li Dong had already had placed there, flipping through it casually.She chose one at random, bent down, and—holding the brush in a distinctly modern pen grip—wrote out neat, proper characters stroke by stroke.Watching the black ink on the red paper, Ming Wancheng couldn’t help recalling the horizontal plaque that had hung over the gate of Rongku Pavilion for more than a hundred years.She didn’t know exactly when it had been put up. She only knew that it was a blessing Nan Yang had written for her Master Qinghuan when Qinghuan was seventeen. Through countless passing years, that plaque had never been taken down. The red had faded to pale, and the black ink had lightened to gray, but she could still recognize the four characters on it.“A Lifetime of Quiet Joy.”It was a pity that Master Qinghuan never received that lifetime of quiet joy.She died forever at seventeen.Ming Wancheng looked at Nan Yang. From the distant look in Nan Yang’s eyes, she knew Nan Yang had also sunk into memories of the past. She had heard Yun Tang say that during that New Year, Nan Yang promised Qinghuan she would write an even better one the following year and replace the old plaque. But Qinghuan never lived to see the next New Year’s Eve. On the following Lunar New Year’s Eve, Yun Tang asked Nan Yang whether they should take the old plaque down. Nan Yang didn’t answer. After a long silence, she only murmured, “I’ll give it back to her.”Give her back the four words on that plaque.When Nan Yang said she would, she always did. Ming Wancheng knew that Nan Yang was someone who kept her promises.Wasn’t she already keeping it now?Qian Dao carried the livestream phone over, his sing-song delivery snapping Ming Wancheng out of her thoughts. “Let’s take a look at the couplet team now. Oh, there are way fewer people here than at the dumpling table! And the chat’s not lively enough either—does that mean you don’t want the handwritten couplets from the lead actors? Hahahahaha—yes, yes, spam it, spam it! Let’s see how Zhu Zhu is writing—”As he spoke, Xia Shan wandered over from the dumpling table, craning his neck curiously to look at the couplet in Qinghuan’s hands.“Fans, what do you think? Flood the chat and show Zhu Zhu!”To be honest, her writing was only average. But fans could spin praise out of anything. The screen flooded with “so good so good,” “please let me win,” “put it on an altar,” “perfect calligraphy 666,” scrolling at a terrifying speed. The viewer count in the top right corner already showed 100K.That didn’t mean there were only 100K viewers—it was just the system cap. In reality, there were likely close to a million people watching.Over at the dumpling table, plenty had already been made—and even cooked. Qian Dao began ushering everyone to sit together and eat some dumplings, smoothly introducing the main game of the night—The Coin Penalty.While making dumplings, they’d randomly sealed disinfected one-yuan coins inside some of them. When everyone sat down to eat, whoever bit into a coin would have to drink alcohol. If they refused to drink, they’d have to accept a truth-or-dare style punishment.Normally, alcohol wasn’t allowed on livestreams, but clearly an exception had been made this time. The drinks were low-alcohol anyway—Corona, only 4.6%.Qian Dao called all the leads, including Nan Yang, over to sit down, adjusted the livestream phone, and fixed it in place.Qinghuan and Nan Yang were seated fairly far from the camera. Looking at the piles of beer bottles on the table, Qinghuan grew a little worried and whispered to Nan Yang, “Don’t drink later. If you get a coin, tell me—I’ll drink for you.”Nan Yang was silent for a moment, then said, “I can drink.”“It’s really hot in the hall. If you drink too, I’m worried your cholinergic urticaria will flare up again,” Qinghuan said, her face reddening. “I… I can’t exactly reach in and help you in front of everyone…”Nan Yang turned her head away, her ears instantly flushing red.
Chapter 36
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Nan Yang was never a lucky person. She had been that way for three thousand years.The very first dumpling she ate contained a coin. Even she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. When she bit down, the shock nearly made her gums bleed.Ming Wancheng noticed the frown on Nan Yang’s face and immediately knew she’d hit it. Never one to shy away from stirring trouble, she shouted at Qian Dao, “Boss Nan got one! Hurry, hurry—penalty drink, penalty drink!”Ming Wancheng knew Nan Yang couldn’t hold her liquor. Worse, when she got drunk, she turned incredibly dazed and cute. The drunker she was, the cuter she became. Unfortunately, Nan Yang was usually extremely self-disciplined and never allowed herself to get drunk in front of outsiders. Now that Ming Wancheng finally had a chance to see her drunk, the thought alone made her giddy. There was no way she’d pass up any excuse to make Nan Yang drink.Sure enough, Qian Dao eagerly played along and interacted with the livestream. “Wow, didn’t expect the first coin to be found this fast! Congratulations to our Boss Nan on getting the first piece of New Year’s luck! Come on, come on—open a Corona and fill her glass!”Ming Wancheng personally opened a bottle of Corona and cheerfully poured Nan Yang’s glass until it was brimming.Nan Yang looked at Ming Wancheng with a hint of killing intent in her eyes.A long, slender, pale hand reached over and took the glass from in front of Nan Yang. It had been filled too full, and when the glass was lifted, some beer spilled out, wetting those thin, soft fingertips.Zhu Qinghuan gave Nan Yang a gentle smile, her eyes rippling like water. She brought the rim of the glass to her lips and drank the beer in small sips.Ming Wancheng let out a disappointed “Eh?” and sulked back into her seat. Looks like there was no hope of seeing the Ancestor drunk today. If Qinghuan-as-Master had already taken the first drink for her, then there was even less chance the Ancestor would drink later.Nan Yang watched Qinghuan drink for a while, the heat in her eyes growing stronger and stronger. She quickly looked away, not daring to watch anymore, and picked up her chopsticks to eat another dumpling.The second one—crack. Once again, she nearly drew blood.“What kind of luck is this? Two coins in a row!” Qian Dao shouted excitedly. “Quick, pour one for Boss Nan’s wife!”Qinghuan hadn’t even finished her first drink before the second glass was pushed over. She drained the last bit of the first and immediately picked up the second to drink.At this point, Nan Yang didn’t even dare to reach for the dumplings anymore.Everyone at the table noticed her uncanny ability to hit every single coin and began egging her on to keep eating. Nan Yang said nothing, her expression darkening. After Qinghuan finished the second glass, she shook her head at Nan Yang and said, “It’s fine, go ahead and eat. This beer isn’t very strong.”“Are you sure it’s okay?” Nan Yang asked seriously.“It’s really fine. Eat, don’t worry,” Zhu Qinghuan replied softly.Nan Yang nodded and picked up her chopsticks again, transferring dumplings from the big platter into her own bowl. Seeing that Nan Yang’s right hand wasn’t very steady, Qinghuan even helped her, filling her bowl to the brim.Nan Yang ate them one by one. Every so often, she would frown, spit out a coin, and continue. She hadn’t even eaten half a bowl before Qinghuan had already collected six coins.Ming Wancheng couldn’t help but marvel. “Just how many coin dumplings did you wrap?”Qian Dao chuckled. “I saw them putting in a coin every two dumplings or so. Director Li prepared a whole basket of coins, and everyone just tossed them in while wrapping, hahaha. It’s not just Boss Nan eating them—you see, everyone’s gotten one or two. Everyone’s drinking except Boss Nan. She hasn’t had a single sip, leaving it all to Zhuzhu. That’s really not very considerate.” He turned to Nan Yang. “Boss Nan, you should drink a little too. Look at Zhuzhu—her neck’s all red from drinking!”Zhu Qinghuan really had drunk quite a lot. Even though Corona wasn’t very strong, downing so much in such a short time still hit hard. A mist had formed in her eyes, and her cheeks and the tips of her ears were flushed red. She had told Nan Yang it was fine and to eat without worry, and Nan Yang had truly taken her at her word—feeding her a mountain of coins. Qinghuan couldn’t drink fast enough to keep up with Nan Yang’s dumpling-eating speed. By the end of it all, Nan Yang was full, but Qinghuan hadn’t eaten a single dumpling, only drinking on her behalf the entire time.Zhu Qinghuan stared at the five coins still sitting by her hand, her vision starting to blur.Nan Yang finally noticed something was wrong. She immediately put down her chopsticks, frowned slightly, and wanted to reach out to touch Qinghuan’s shoulder, but hesitated, her hand hovering in midair. “Are you okay? Why is your face so red?”Zhu Qinghuan turned her head to look at Nan Yang. After drinking, her gaze was unfocused, the corners of her eyes reddened. Her already enchanting features now overflowed with allure, like a fox spirit ready to seduce an immortal.Those seductive eyes held a hunger she never showed at other times, roaming greedily over Nan Yang’s face and body. The alcohol was surging through her, blurring her consciousness. All she knew was to stare at Nan Yang—to look at her cool, elegant face, her long, pale neck. She frowned slightly, staring at that patch of snow-white shirt on Nan Yang’s shoulder.She really wanted to hug her.She really wanted to bury her face in that white shirt.She didn’t know when she had fallen for Nan Yang. Maybe it was that night after the banquet, when Nan Yang supported her while she slept in the car for a full hour. Maybe it was when she saw that photo of Nan Yang carrying her out after the event. Or maybe… it was when she secretly watched Nan Yang sit in front of a trash can, silently eating twenty-five pieces of chocolate. Mei Zhongli was right—Nan Yang was a very, very good person. Beautiful and kind, thoughtful and loyal. Beneath her cool exterior was a childlike sweetness that only she herself could glimpse. She was clearly a pampered young lady, yet she still clumsily cared about every detail of her. Falling in love with her was only a matter of time.But Nan Yang was too gentle with her, never asking for anything, never taking the initiative. She wanted to take things further, but didn’t know how. She had never been in a relationship, never chased a woman before. She didn’t know how to show affection. She gave her chocolate, cooked hotpot for her, washed her clothes, even let her sleep in the same bed. Yet Nan Yang was always so proper, never crossing any lines, never even holding her hand on her own initiative.Sometimes she found Nan Yang’s stiffness endearing.Other times, she found it infuriating.Like now—she was already this drunk, and Nan Yang still wouldn’t even help her up.How hateful.Across the table, Ming Wancheng looked on anxiously at Qinghuan, who had completely lost control of her expressions, and hurriedly said to Nan Yang, “Don’t let my Master drink anymore. She’s already drunk.”Qian Dao slapped the table. “Hey, no way! If you eat the coin, you drink. Everyone’s drinking—why do the two of them get special treatment?”Xia Shan had been heartbroken watching the dazed, drunk Zhu Qinghuan and quickly spoke up to help her out. “Didn’t we say earlier that if you don’t drink, you can do a dare instead?”Qian Dao immediately seized on that. Turning to the livestream phone, he shouted, “Alright, fan benefits time! Zhuzhu can’t drink anymore, so she has to do a dare! What do you want her to do? Flood the comments! I’ll count down—three, two, one—and screenshot. First comment wins! Go, go, go!”In truth, there was no need to screenshot at all. The moment he finished speaking, the comment feed exploded with “Kiss!” “Kiss!” “Kiss Boss Nan!” “Kiss kiss kiss!” “Kiss one, kiss one, kiss one!” Not a single exception—every comment demanded they kiss.“The viewers all want Boss Nan and Zhuzhu to kiss!” Qian Dao grew even more excited and looked at Nan Yang. “Boss Nan, it’s up to you now! If you don’t kiss her, Zhuzhu has to drink five more cups. If you kiss her once, everything she hasn’t drunk is wiped clean. What a deal! Come on, kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!”Everyone at the table except Xia Shan began clapping and chanting “Kiss one!” Alcohol had dulled their usual restraint, and with the buzz kicking in, everyone was flushed and exhilarated.Zhu Qinghuan half-lifted her eyes and hazily looked at Nan Yang beside her.This coward—how could she possibly kiss her?Nan Yang sat upright, expressionless. The cheering grew louder and louder, and she finally frowned.Zhu Qinghuan closed her eyes and reached for the beer bottle on the table, whispering to Nan Yang, “It’s fine. Don’t mind them. I’ll just drink it.”Her fingers touched the bottle. She had barely lifted it two centimeters when another hand suddenly appeared, pressing it back down.Nan Yang moved the beer bottle away from Qinghuan’s hand. She looked deeply at her, then shifted her body slightly, a faint heat flickering in her eyes.Zhu Qinghuan seemed to sense what was about to happen. Her whole body tensed, not daring to move.Nan Yang lowered her lashes, braced her arm against the edge of the chair, and slowly leaned toward Qinghuan.They were already sitting close together, barely two hand-widths apart. Nan Yang only needed to lean in slightly to reach Qinghuan’s face. She drew closer and closer, watching the growing panic in Qinghuan’s eyes, the cheeks flushed as if they might bleed. Her gaze fixed on Qinghuan’s lips, her slightly furrowed brows filled with tightly restrained desire.The cheers around them grew deafening, flooding into Zhu Qinghuan’s ears. She couldn’t make out a single word—everything around her dissolved into noise. But the chaos inside her heart was even louder. She could clearly feel her heart pounding wildly, crashing around her chest so fast it nearly stole her breath.When Nan Yang’s lips were still twenty centimeters away, she suddenly stopped. After a moment, she turned her head away, lifted a jacket from the back of the chair, and gently draped it over Qinghuan’s head.Darkness fell instantly.Rapid breaths collided within the confined space beneath the jacket, the temperature rising quickly.One corner of the jacket was gently lifted. Through the faint light filtering in, Qinghuan saw Nan Yang’s straight nose and delicate lips. She held her breath, trembling as she closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss to come.In that small world sealed off by a jacket, all her senses were amplified. She could clearly feel the woman beside her drawing closer, even sense Nan Yang’s cool breath brushing her brow. Her breathing grew faster and faster, her cheeks and ears burning as if they were about to catch fire, until it felt like her bones would melt from the heat.A moment later.Something cool and soft touched the tip of her nose.Her nose.Just her nose.She dazedly opened her eyes a sliver.Before she could react, the intimate, heated breathing withdrew. The jacket was gently lifted away, and light returned to her vision.It was over.It… it was over?She had waited for all that… just for a peck on the nose?Nan Yang had covered their faces with the jacket, so everyone around them assumed they had truly kissed. Cheers and whistles erupted, even Ming Wancheng had been fooled and was clapping hard, her face red.Why?Why did she only kiss her nose?Did she not want to kiss her?Was she not pretty enough? How could she endure not kissing her?Was she toying with her?Why?!Zhu Qinghuan forced back the urge to cry. The alcohol surged violently through her, smashing her remaining rationality to pieces. She stared at Nan Yang with burning resentment, at that cool, expressionless face, anger swelling in her chest.Why wouldn’t she kiss her?!She completely forgot the livestream was still running, forgot the room full of people from the entertainment industry. She suddenly stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. Everyone stared at her in shock. She ignored them all, grabbed Nan Yang’s wrist, and without explanation dragged her away from the table.Nan Yang had no idea why Qinghuan suddenly changed so drastically. Startled, she didn’t resist, letting herself be pulled from the hotel hall into a sparsely populated corridor, then all the way to the restroom at the end of the hall.The restroom was empty. Dim white light from the overhead bulb barely illuminated the cramped space. Two mops by the door gave off a damp, moldy smell.Once inside, Qinghuan slammed the door shut. She stared intensely at the slightly disheveled Nan Yang. Before Nan Yang could react, Qinghuan grabbed her shoulders with both hands and roughly pushed her back against the wall.Nan Yang stared blankly at this suddenly unfamiliar Qinghuan, still not pushing her away.Biting her lip, Qinghuan swept her gaze hungrily over Nan Yang’s lips. She raised her left hand to Nan Yang’s face, her thumb carefully pressing against Nan Yang’s lower lip, slowly forcing its way in and making her open her mouth.Nan Yang didn’t want to hurt her, so she complied, parting her teeth.Qinghuan, eyes red, smiled in satisfaction. She suddenly leaned forward and kissed Nan Yang on the lips.A strong scent of alcohol flooded Nan Yang’s mouth.Nan Yang’s eyes tightened slightly. The kiss was aggressive. Almost the instant their lips touched, Qinghuan’s tongue pushed through her teeth. The soft, wet tongue roamed forcefully through her mouth. Nan Yang couldn’t help letting out a muffled hum, her hands gripping Qinghuan’s waist as she let her lick and bite at her lips.Qinghuan was very drunk. It was her first time kissing someone like this, and the heat spread through her entire body. Her hands roamed restlessly over Nan Yang, tugging at her shirt, unable to suppress the urge to tear it open. She inexplicably wanted to rip apart those buttons Nan Yang always fastened so neatly, to see her flustered, to see her afraid, to see ripples of emotion finally break across that expressionless face.Nan Yang suddenly frowned hard and let out a hoarse, broken sound between stolen breaths. “It hurts…”Her tongue had been bitten.Qinghuan unexpectedly tasted blood. The metallic tang exploded in her mouth, and her mind went blank as she abruptly sobered.What was she doing?She panicked and released Nan Yang, stumbling backward. As she pulled away, the tip of her tongue was still stained with Nan Yang’s blood.Nan Yang leaned weakly against the wall. Her dark hair was slightly disheveled, her lips speckled with blood. Her shirt had been mostly torn open—the top two buttons ripped clean off and lying beneath the sink. The third and fourth buttons had also been undone, revealing a small stretch of pale abdomen rising and falling with heavy breaths.Nan Yang looked at the stunned woman before her, narrowed her eyes slightly, sweat beading at her temples.“Insolent.”She scolded her in a hoarse voice laced with an unexpected softness.
Chapter 37
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Qinghuan stood there in a daze, staring at the disheveled Nan Yang before her, Nan Yang’s blood still in her mouth. The alcohol ebbed away in an instant.She sobered up completely.What had she just done?!W-was that really her just now?How could she have gotten that drunk?Nan Yang braced herself against the wall and slowly straightened up. From her side profile down to the tips of her ears, everything was flushed red. She lowered her head and looked at her shirt, more than half of it undone, her trembling fingers brushing over the snapped threads where the buttons had been torn away. She let out a muffled sigh.“Won’t you help me button it up?” Nan Yang asked helplessly, looking at the still-stunned Qinghuan.Qinghuan’s body jolted violently. Embarrassment finally surfaced in her shocked eyes. Her face had already been red from the alcohol; now her whole body felt scorching hot with shame. She had always been reserved and gentle, never having done anything out of line in her life. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand how she had turned into that person just now. If she’d crossed even a little further, this could have become something criminal.Marital assa—“What are you thinking about?” Nan Yang pressed her lips together and drew the blood at the corner of her mouth inside.Qinghuan lowered her head, not daring to look at her. She shuffled forward timidly, hands trembling as she carefully reached for the buttons on Nan Yang’s shirt and awkwardly helped her fasten them.The third and fourth buttons could still be done up, but the first and second buttons were gone entirely—how was she supposed to button those? Qinghuan’s eyes reddened in embarrassment. She turned and crouched down, finding the two small buttons beneath the sink and clutching them in her hand. She glanced back at Nan Yang’s shirt. The neckline of the white shirt Nan Yang was wearing today was already cut low; without those two buttons, most of her collarbone was exposed.Nan Yang would never allow her collarbone to show when wearing a shirt.“I—I’m sorry…” Qinghuan spoke, tears instantly welling up at the corners of her eyes. “I… I was drunk. I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I’ll go find needle and thread right away. Y-you wait here, I’ll sew it back on for you.”Nan Yang reached out and touched Qinghuan’s hair. Her fingers slid down to cup her cheek, her thumb wiping away the tear at the corner of her eye. Her voice was impossibly gentle.“I’ll wait for you to come back.”Qinghuan nodded, wiped her tears, and hurried out of the restroom.Nan Yang rubbed her arm and looked at herself in the mirror above the sink.She really did look rather improper. Her long black hair, reaching to her lower back, had been messed up badly by Qinghuan. Parts of her shirt were torn, and the ribbons on the puffed sleeves hung unevenly. After that kiss, her face no longer held its usual cool detachment. Even though she’d forced her expression blank, she couldn’t hide the hint of allure in her eyes.Thinking of how Qinghuan had looked when she left, Nan Yang’s lips curved upward slightly.How was it that she was the one who’d been forcibly kissed, yet the other woman was the one crying?Nan Yang turned on the tap, bent down, scooped up some water, and took a mouthful. She rinsed carefully, washing away all the metallic taste of blood.About twenty minutes later, Qinghuan finally returned.She was breathing hard when she pushed open the restroom door—it looked like she’d run all the way back. She was terrified someone might see Nan Yang like this if they came in to use the restroom, so she’d rushed to find needle and thread. But the needle in Xiao Ye’s miscellaneous kit had already been used by Ming Wancheng to pick out a splinter. With no other choice, she’d dashed out of the hotel, bought a sewing kit from the nearest convenience shop, and hurried back.Nan Yang was leaning against the sink, arms crossed. When she saw Qinghuan, she lowered her arms. The collar of her shirt instantly fell open, revealing a large expanse of skin at her chest.“No one came in, right?” Qinghuan asked nervously.“No,” Nan Yang shook her head.“…Okay. I—I’ll sew it right away.”Qinghuan opened the sewing kit and placed it on the sink. She took out a spool of white thread and the thinnest needle. She held the needle between her lips, deftly pulled off a length of thread, then took the needle out again, pinched the thread’s end, and threaded it quickly.With her eyes lowered, she pressed the small button to Nan Yang’s collar, carefully and cautiously pushing the needle through the thin fabric, always angling it so the tip faced herself.Nan Yang watched her intently as she sewed. Her ears grew redder by the second. The lighting in the restroom was poor, so Qinghuan was very close to her chest as she worked. Nan Yang could keenly sense every one of Qinghuan’s breaths, the warm air brushing over her collarbone and stirring restlessness in her mind.She felt like she couldn’t hold back anymore.How could she hold back? She’d endured it for three thousand years. For over three thousand years, there hadn’t been a single day she didn’t want to kiss her—yet she’d never once lost control.Today, she truly didn’t want to restrain herself anymore.Nan Yang raised her hand and cupped Qinghuan’s chin, gently lifting it. Qinghuan was halfway through sewing, her gaze flustered. Before she could meet Nan Yang’s eyes, she felt a cool touch on her lips.Nan Yang lowered her head and softly took Qinghuan’s lower lip between her own.This kiss was completely different from the fevered one earlier. Nan Yang kissed her with restraint, using only her lips to touch Qinghuan’s, slowly rubbing against them, little by little. Without tongues, the kiss lost some of its heat and moisture, but the softness of their lips brushing together became all the more intoxicating. For some reason, this kind of kiss was even more heart-stirring—no desire, no urgency, just endless tenderness and affection.Qinghuan’s eyes widened as she looked at the pale brown eyes so close before her, half-lidded. For a brief moment she was confused, then, blushing, she slowly closed her eyes.The instant she did, her nose inexplicably stung.She suddenly felt as though she had been waiting for this kiss for a very, very long time.As if they were meant to be this close, year after year, for all their lives.Unfortunately, before the kiss could last much longer, Nan Yang suddenly turned her head away, hissing softly.Qinghuan stared down blankly and realized that at some point, the sewing needle in her hand had pierced Nan Yang’s chest. A few drops of blood had already seeped out, staining the white collar of her shirt red.“I—I’m sorry…” Qinghuan hurriedly pulled the needle away, fumbling to find some tissue, but she hadn’t brought any.“It’s fine.” Nan Yang tugged her shirt and wiped away the blood.“Don’t move. I’ll finish sewing quickly, and then we’ll go straight back to the hotel,” Qinghuan said, gripping the needle, frowning, steadying her chaotic breathing and forcing herself to focus on Nan Yang’s shirt.Nan Yang, however, lowered her head again and leaned closer, wanting to continue.Qinghuan hurriedly raised a finger and pressed it to Nan Yang’s forehead, pushing her back slightly. There was a faint hint of helplessness in her voice. “Don’t kiss anymore. What if someone comes in to use the restroom? Let me finish sewing your buttons first.”Nan Yang hummed in agreement.After a while, she watched Qinghuan sewing intently and asked in a low voice, “You like me, don’t you?”Qinghuan froze. The tips of her ears instantly turned even redder. She bit her lip. After a long moment, she nodded awkwardly.They’d already kissed twice—denying it now would be far too affected.She did like her. She longed to be close to her, and even more, she hoped that one day she could openly do all the things lovers do with her. Before, she’d been troubled by the lack of a proper moment to make it clear. Now, this moment couldn’t be more fitting. The words had already been placed before her—she only needed to nod slightly to completely have the woman before her. There was no reason left to run away.“Then from now on, I can treat you as my true wife, right?”“…Mm.”Qinghuan avoided Nan Yang’s gaze and nodded again.Nan Yang couldn’t help smiling, the kind of smile that showed just a hint of teeth, forming shallow dimples.At last, she belonged to her.After a moment of silence, Qinghuan said, “I’m sorry. I… I actually never hated you that much. It’s just… it’s my own problem. I was scared. I… I was afraid to have feelings with someone as rich as you. I thought… I wasn’t worthy of you.”Nan Yang stared at the floor and fell silent for a while.“Why would you think you’re not worthy of me?” she asked softly.“You’re so perfect—family, background, and you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You have so many other choices. There are so many actresses in the industry prettier than me. I… I have nothing. Everything I have now was given to me by the Mei family. I don’t know what there is about me for you to like. I was afraid you’d stop liking me at any time. I didn’t dare…”“Qinghuan,” Nan Yang interrupted, her tone calm, as if stating the most ordinary fact, “throughout all of history, there has only ever been one person worthy of me. And that person is you.”Throughout all of history?What history?Ancient what?Nan Yang saw the confusion in Qinghuan’s eyes and only said, “One day, you’ll understand.”Qinghuan pressed her lips together and accepted her words. Since Nan Yang said she would understand one day, she would patiently wait for that day. After a long while, suppressing the unease in her heart, she cautiously looked up and asked, “Can I trust you?”Nan Yang looked at her, took hold of the fingers that were holding the needle, and spoke in a low voice.“Yes. You can trust me. I will love you until I die.”Qinghuan knew Nan Yang wasn’t someone who casually said “like” or “love.” Since their marriage, Nan Yang had only ever said once, on the very first day, “I started liking you a long time ago.” After that, she had never uttered a single word of liking again. In fact, Nan Yang wasn’t just unaccustomed to saying those words to her—she wasn’t used to saying them about anything at all. She loved candied hawthorns so much that when she craved them desperately, she wouldn’t say “I like them.” She would only say, “I want to eat them.”Someone who rarely even said “like” was now holding her hand and saying, clearly and deliberately, I love you. I will love you until I die.She could trust her, right?She could.Even if she were lying to her, she was willing to believe her.Qinghuan bit her lip hard, tears spilling uncontrollably. Through her sobs, she said, “Then in the future… you absolutely must not bully me.”“…Have I ever bullied you?” Nan Yang asked, a little puzzled.“N-no, I’m just saying it in advance. I…” Qinghuan lifted the hand holding the needle and wiped at her tears, looking a little aggrieved. “After all… after all, I’m your real wife now, I…” She started crying again, her voice choked. “Anyway—anyway, don’t bully me…”Nan Yang looked at the crying woman before her, her heart melting into a puddle. She stroked her hair and soothed her gently. “I won’t bully you. Don’t worry. I’ll cherish you. Stop crying.”“Mm.”Qinghuan wiped her tears while still trying to sew Nan Yang’s shirt with watery eyes, looking both pitiful and a little ridiculous.Nan Yang couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from lifting.It was time, wasn’t it?It should be.Her right hand slipped into her trouser pocket, pulling out a black cord.At the end of the cord hung a round piece of crystal-red jade. It looked as though it had been caressed for countless years, smooth and lustrous like water. It seemed to have been shattered once before—the surface was crisscrossed with cracks, with many small missing pieces. Though time had worn them smooth, the imperfections remained.Nan Yang brushed it with her thumb, a trace of tender reluctance in her eyes, then carefully handed it to the woman opposite her.“This is for you.”Qinghuan took it in her hand. Her heart suddenly trembled for no reason.This jade…For reasons she couldn’t explain, a thought rose up in her heart. This jade had always belonged to her.It felt like it wasn’t the first time she’d touched it. Not only not the first—she seemed to remember holding it as an incomparable treasure, clasping it in her fingers day and night.“This is my most precious possession. It’s been with me for a very, very long time,” Nan Yang said with a smile. “Whether you believe it or not, it… was made from my blood. I hope it can take my place and stay by your side when I’m not with you.”Blood?Qinghuan lowered her head, staring at the crystal-red jade in shock.Under the dim restroom light, a thin sheen reflected off its surface. Within that faint glow, she seemed to glimpse several small characters, densely and unevenly carved—May we be like the swallows beneath the eaves,
Meeting each other year after year.
Chapter 38
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After Qinghuan finished sewing Nan Yang’s buttons back on, she yawned twice in a row. Nan Yang could tell she was tired. After everything today—and all that beer—now that the buzz had faded, sleep was catching up with her fast.Qinghuan was the type who could fall asleep the moment she decided to. From the first yawn, Nan Yang had already prepared herself to scoop her up at any time.“Let’s go back,” Qinghuan said, and sure enough her eyes had started to narrow.“Okay.”Nan Yang looked at Qinghuan’s drowsy eyes and added, “I’ll carry you on my back.”“It’s just from here to the garage—only a few hundred meters. Why would you carry me…” Qinghuan’s ears reddened. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and turned her head away, refusing to look at Nan Yang.“If you won’t let me carry you, then I’ll kiss you,” Nan Yang said, making a rare, shameless joke.But Qinghuan shifted her gaze back, eyes sparkling as she looked at her. After a long pause, she murmured softly, “Then… kiss me.”She really, truly liked kissing Nan Yang.If it meant she could kiss her, any clumsy excuse would do.Nan Yang stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Qinghuan’s waist, brought her lips close to Qinghuan’s ear, and lowered her voice. “I’ll kiss you and carry you. How about that?”Qinghuan’s ears turned so red they looked like they might bleed. She nodded slightly.With permission granted, Nan Yang placed a light kiss on Qinghuan’s earlobe. Her right hand lifted to the back of Qinghuan’s head, gently stroking her enchanting curls. Her lips traced over the earlobe, brushed along Qinghuan’s cheek in a lingering path, and finally settled on that same soft territory.It was a long, tender kiss. Both of their ears were flushed, but the way their lips moved against each other was far more natural than the first two times.Qinghuan couldn’t help tightening her arms around Nan Yang’s slender waist. The kiss made her legs go a little weak.They were still tangled together when the restroom door suddenly creaked open with a long “Squeeeak—”Qinghuan immediately turned her head, dodging Nan Yang’s lips.Ming Wancheng stood in the doorway, one hand still half-twisting the handle, staring in shock at the mirror—at the two of them who had been kissing intimately one second ago, and had been rudely interrupted by her the next.The air went terrifyingly silent.“I…” Ming Wancheng realized what she’d done, and she sounded like she was about to cry. “I-I-I-I wasn’t doing it on purpose, you—you…”Nan Yang still had an arm around Qinghuan’s waist. She narrowed her eyes at Ming Wancheng, licked the trace of Qinghuan’s saliva from her lips, and spoke in a voice cold as ice. “Then are you going to keep watching?”“N-no no no no no no I’m not watching!” Ming Wancheng shook her head frantically while backing away. “Don’t worry, I’ll call security right now and have them lock down a ten-meter radius around this restroom! You two take your time kissing, take your time, no rush, no rush!”Qinghuan was so mortified she couldn’t even look at Ming Wancheng. She clung tightly to Nan Yang and buried her face in Nan Yang’s shoulder like an ostrich.“I’m sorry, Master, I’m sorry, Ancestor, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I’ll get out right now!”Ming Wancheng bowed several times in a row and practically fled in a stumble.Nan Yang stroked Qinghuan’s long hair, kneading the back of her neck through her curls, and whispered, “Want to keep going?”Qinghuan shook her head, still buried in Nan Yang’s white shirt. Even through the fabric, the heat of her face seemed to burn straight into Nan Yang’s heart.“Then let go of me. I’ll carry you to the car, and we’ll go back to sleep.”Qinghuan hummed and loosened her grip. Nan Yang turned her back and bent down. Qinghuan climbed onto her, resting against her shoulder, arms circling her neck.Nan Yang hoisted her up steadily and turned her head to speak softly. “If you’re sleepy, just sleep. Don’t worry. I’ll get you back safely.”Qinghuan nodded.The walk from the restroom to the underground garage wasn’t long, but Nan Yang went slowly. She liked the feeling of carrying Qinghuan. It made her feel like she had gone back more than three thousand years, to that distant ancient time, when she had carried her little disciple the same way—step by step, swaying through the winding snowfields of a northern campaign.A route that should have taken ten minutes took nearly half an hour because Nan Yang walked so slowly. By the time they reached the garage, Qinghuan had indeed fallen asleep on her shoulder.Earlier, Qinghuan had put the crystal-red liu jade around her neck. Now her right hand looped around Nan Yang’s neck, pinching the jade and stuffing it into her mouth, holding it between her lips while she slept soundly.Like a child—needing to hold something in her mouth even while sleeping.Because she was holding the jade, her lips were slightly parted, and saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth, dampening the shoulder of Nan Yang’s shirt.Nan Yang couldn’t help smiling. She shifted her grip under Qinghuan’s legs and lifted her a little higher.Qinghuan didn’t know when she had fallen asleep. She only knew that the instant she got onto Nan Yang’s back, she was overwhelmed by drowsiness. They hadn’t known each other for that long, and yet she felt that beside Nan Yang, she could let her guard down completely. She knew Nan Yang would take good care of her.She slept heavily, biting the red jade Nan Yang had given her.In the haze, she seemed to dream.In the dream, she stood in a canyon. The air around her was oppressive, so hot that sweat gathered at her temples. There was deafening noise all around, as if a crowd had gathered—hoarse, desperate shouts of killing and battle.This didn’t feel like the modern world.Dazedly, she realized she was holding a sword, dressed in ancient white robes, her skirt spattered with blood.As she stared in confusion, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.“Qinghuan.”She jerked her head up and saw Nan Yang’s face, cold as snow. Nan Yang was dressed in a simple, archaic white robe patterned with pressed cranes, her dark hair gathered into an elegant bun. Anxiety filled her eyes. She held a long sword the color of pale snow-violet. She reached out as if to grab Qinghuan and said, “Qinghuan, come with me—”Qinghuan instinctively swung her sword and slashed viciously at Nan Yang’s reaching hand.Nan Yang pulled her hand back in time, but the edge of the sword wind still tore off a corner of her sleeve. The blade also nicked her little finger, and the pure-white strip of cloth drifted down with blood from her finger staining it.Qinghuan’s mind held only one thought.Kill her.Kill Nan Yang.She was her enemy. Kill her.She clenched her teeth, gathered all her strength, and raised her sword to strike Nan Yang. Nan Yang stared at her in disbelief and retreated again and again, scrambling to evade her attacks. Nan Yang clearly had a sword too, but she never lifted it against Qinghuan. She only dodged, even as she was gradually forced into a corner with nowhere left to go.Tears filled Nan Yang’s eyes. Her voice trembled. “Qinghuan, what’s wrong with you?”I want to kill you.We are sworn enemies. I must kill you.Pain beyond measure flooded Nan Yang’s gaze. “Qinghuan… I’m your Master.”But Qinghuan had only one thought.Kill her.She is the one who destroyed my entire sect.I must kill her.She raised her sword again. Nan Yang only looked at her through tears—this time she didn’t dodge.So Qinghuan’s sword pierced forward easily, plunging solidly into Nan Yang’s side.Nan Yang folded forward, brows knotted tight, staring at her in grief as blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.Qinghuan yanked the sword out. A burst of bright blood sprayed from the wound and splashed across Qinghuan’s cheek. Nan Yang staggered back two steps, clutching her side, planting her sword into the ground to barely hold herself up.Qinghuan lifted her sword and stabbed again.A third time.A fourth.Every strike landed at Nan Yang’s waist and abdomen. Each one sank into flesh, and each time hot blood spattered Qinghuan’s face. By the end, her sword no longer showed its original color, and Nan Yang’s white robe had turned completely red.Nan Yang gripped that snow-violet sword tightly, yet never once raised it.Never once did she aim it at Qinghuan—not for a single second.Qinghuan raised her sword again and again.Again and again, she struck Nan Yang.At last, Nan Yang collapsed into a pool of blood, one hand pressed firmly against her abdominal wound, her eyes unfocused—like a white crane shot from the sky, wings broken, unable to fly, only able to lie in scarlet despair and wait for death.She was truly going to die by Qinghuan’s hand.Then why was Qinghuan crying?Master…Why won’t you fight back?Why won’t you kill this rebellious disciple?Master…Master, why won’t you leave?Nan Yang lay on the ground, lashes slowly lowering, heavy blood crusting along her lids. Her lips moved faintly, gathering the last of her strength to whisper a plea:“Stop messing around… come back with me… I won’t punish you to copy scriptures again, I won’t make you stand in the corner again… I won’t punish you anymore. Come back with me, Qinghuan… come back with me.”Come back with me.Back.Back to where?Where are we supposed to go?We can’t go back.We can never go back, Master.Master…Master…“Qinghuan?”A gentle voice sounded by her ear.“Qinghuan, wake up.”It was her.“Qinghuan, wake up. You’re sweating so much.”Qinghuan’s eyes snapped open. She saw the familiar ceiling.A throbbing pain burst between her brows, so sharp it felt like it might tear her forehead apart.It took a full ten seconds before she realized she was lying in the hotel bed. Nan Yang was holding her, softly repeating her name, long fingers brushing the sweat from her forehead, her voice full of concern. “Did you have a nightmare? Why are you shaking so much?”Nan Yang.She… she was alive?Qinghuan hadn’t escaped the dream yet. She scrambled up and looked at the woman beside her, real and warm. Her gaze darted over Nan Yang’s body wildly, then she panicked and reached for Nan Yang’s lower abdomen, lifting the hem of her shirt without thinking.No blood.But there were several deep, wide scars—just like the ones she’d seen before, twisted and terrifying.Nan Yang flushed when Qinghuan suddenly pulled up her clothes. She grabbed the hem and covered herself again. “You… what’s wrong? Why did you suddenly—”Was that really just a dream? Why did it feel so real—so real that Qinghuan felt as though her face was still smeared with burning blood.She fought down the tears and threw herself forward to hug Nan Yang, pressing her arms around her with all her strength, as if she wanted to grind her into her bones and blood.Thank goodness. Thank goodness it was a dream.Nan Yang was alive, still by her side. And she hadn’t taken a sword and hacked her to pieces.Nan Yang patted her back soothingly and murmured into her ear, “A nightmare, wasn’t it? You’re drenched in sweat, and I couldn’t wake you up no matter what. Do you want to take a shower?”After a long time, Qinghuan finally spoke hoarsely. “…I do.”“I’ll go run the bath for you.” Nan Yang patted her shoulder, signaling for her to let go.But Qinghuan didn’t release her. She held on tightly, her voice growing softer and softer. “Carry me there.”“Okay. I’ll carry you.” Nan Yang stroked her long curls.Qinghuan fell silent for a moment, then murmured again, “…Wash me.”Nan Yang froze. A heartbeat later, her ears flushed red.“…Okay. I… I’ll wash you.”
Chapter 39
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Nan Yang picked Qinghuan up in a bridal carry and slowly walked into the bathroom.She set her down on a small stool, then went to the bathtub to turn on the water, testing the temperature with her fingers beneath the faucet. As the tub filled, she also poured in some bubble bath, letting the foam gather at the bottom.Qinghuan sat obediently on the little stool, hugging her knees and gazing dreamily at Nan Yang’s back.The dream from earlier felt as though it were replaying right in front of her eyes—so vivid it made her shudder. Every sword strike she had delivered, she could almost still feel the faint resistance as the blade cut through Nan Yang’s flesh. Why had she dreamed something like that? Was it because she had seen the scars on Nan Yang’s lower abdomen and unconsciously spun some imagined story around them?She decided to ask directly.
“The scars on your stomach… how did you get them, really?”Nan Yang’s back stiffened for a moment.After a long pause, she let out a soft laugh. “It’s nothing. Just punishment I deserved.”“You… are you…” Qinghuan hesitated, unsure how to phrase it, “are you involved with the underworld or something…?”The corner of Nan Yang’s mouth twitched. She cut her off at once. “No.”“Then how could you end up covered in scars like that?” Qinghuan frowned, worry plain on her face. “This is a society ruled by law. No normal person would have injuries this terrifying. What happened to you? Why can’t you tell me?”How could she not have told her?Hadn’t she already said it, that last time they ate hotpot?You did this.Nan Yang merely smiled. She turned off the faucet, swirled her hand through the water a few times to make sure the temperature was just right and the bubbles were thick and soft. Then she straightened, droplets still falling from her fingertips. “Come wash up. The water’s ready.”Qinghuan could tell she was deliberately changing the subject and knew she didn’t want to talk about it. Perhaps there really was a past too painful to revisit. Since Nan Yang didn’t wish to mention it again, why should she keep pressing? Everyone had secrets they didn’t want to uncover. She couldn’t keep intruding just because of her own curiosity, even if Nan Yang was her wife.Nan Yang leaned against the tiled wall, eyes lowered as she looked at her. “Do you really want me to help you wash?”Qinghuan’s face flushed instantly. After a long while, she nodded.Then, almost immediately, she shook her head again.She wanted Nan Yang to help her, yet at the same time she was afraid of being completely exposed under her gaze. She yearned for greater intimacy, but couldn’t stop herself from feeling shy.Nan Yang understood at once and said gently, “Then I’ll step out first. You undress and get into the water. Once the bubbles cover you completely, I’ll come back in. All right?”Qinghuan nodded.Nan Yang answered softly, wiped her hands on the towel hanging from the rail, and left the bathroom at an unhurried pace, closing the door behind her.Qinghuan undressed, her face growing redder with each piece of clothing she removed. When she was done, she carefully eased herself into the tub, sinking until everything below her shoulders was completely hidden beneath the white foam.She stared at the bubbles floating over her chest for a moment.Then suddenly, she lifted a hand and pushed some of them aside.“I’m ready!” she called toward the door in a small, thin voice, her face and neck burning.Nan Yang opened the door and came back in, dragging over the little stool Qinghuan had been sitting on earlier and placing it beside the tub. She tucked her long black hair behind her ear, unbuttoned the cuffs of her shirt, and rolled her sleeves up past her elbows.Qinghuan was almost entirely hidden in the foam, with only a bit of her shoulders and her face exposed—hardly enough to spark any improper thoughts. Besides, three thousand years ago, Nan Yang had bathed her countless times, from when she was seven years old until she gradually grew up.No matter when it was, Qinghuan had always loved being bathed by her.Nan Yang still remembered that seven-year-old Qinghuan, naked and clutching her new clothes, begging her to help wash her. At the time, Nan Yang had been busy handling affairs related to the northern campaign and told her to wait a little. The work was complicated, and she became completely absorbed, gradually forgetting about it altogether. Qinghuan, bare bottom and all, waited for her for a full two hours. That night, Nan Yang did end up bathing her—but she also caught a chill, and the next day Qinghuan ran a high fever all day.Thinking of this, Nan Yang couldn’t help but curl her lips into a faint smile.Seeing her smile, Qinghuan asked, blushing, “What are you smiling about?”Nan Yang picked up the bath sponge, squeezed some body wash onto it, worked it into a rich lather, and gently rubbed it over Qinghuan’s shoulder. “Nothing. I just think you’re cute.”Cute?Qinghuan frowned.She glanced again at her chest, where she had deliberately brushed away some of the foam.Cute? Shouldn’t it be sexy?Nan Yang lifted the long curls that hung down Qinghuan’s back and swept them forward so that they all fell across her chest. That way, even the little bit that might have been visible was completely hidden.The soft sponge pressed against her slender back, moving in slow, gentle strokes. The touch was so pure, devoid of even the slightest hint of desire—she was simply, carefully washing her.Maybe she really had been overthinking it.Nan Yang was meticulous and tender. As the gentle motions continued, Qinghuan slowly began to grow sleepy again. She hadn’t slept much to begin with, had suffered that frightening dream, and the alcohol still hadn’t fully worn off. Soaking in warm water only made her drowsier.And her back was itchy in the most pleasant way.So comfortable.Go to sleep.She’ll take care of everything.The instant Qinghuan drifted off, Nan Yang lifted a hand to support her chin, preventing her from slipping under the bathwater.She let out a soft sigh.Twenty-four years old, and still just a child.Nan Yang set the sponge back into the water, then slid her arms beneath Qinghuan’s back and knees and lifted her out of the tub. Water splashed everywhere, soaking Nan Yang’s clothes, but she didn’t care. She didn’t even let her gaze linger on the naked woman in her arms. Looking straight ahead, she carried Qinghuan back to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and took a towel to dry her off.As she wiped Qinghuan’s body, despite her best efforts to maintain a gentlemanly composure, her hands still lingered a little too long in certain places. When she realized she had been wiping one particular spot for a full three minutes, her face flushed all the way down to her neck. She immediately forced her thoughts to a halt, closed her eyes, and waited for the desire to subside before continuing.Once she was dry, Nan Yang picked her up again and moved her to the other side of the bed, the side that hadn’t been dampened by water, then wrapped her up tightly in the blanket.Nan Yang went back to the bathroom, turned off the light, and tidied up the water-soaked floor. She then turned off the bedroom light, closed the door, and climbed into bed, lying down on the slightly damp side.In the darkness, she gazed absentmindedly at the sleeping face before her. Her fingers lifted, as if she wanted to touch the center of Qinghuan’s brow.But in the end, she didn’t.Her hand shifted instead, sliding around Qinghuan’s back. She leaned closer, hugging her tightly through the blanket, burying her face in the still-damp ends of her hair.It was already past midnight. Outside the window, the dull thuds of fireworks and firecrackers carried through the glass, and from afar, a clock tower rang out twelve resounding chimes. New Year’s Eve. Most people were still awake—some gathered around mahjong tables, some went out in pairs to watch the fireworks, others were still drinking over a late reunion dinner, and countless families were ringing in the new year together with the Spring Festival Gala on television. People who went to sleep as early as they had were probably rare.Nan Yang brushed her nose against Qinghuan’s curls and murmured softly by her ear,
“Happy New Year.”After a brief pause, she continued in an even softer voice,
“In the new year, love me well.”She kissed her hair and closed her eyes..The next day, the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.Qinghuan woke up groggily. It took her a moment to realize that she was naked beneath the blanket. Turning her head slightly, she saw Nan Yang’s sleeping face right beside her.Nan Yang wasn’t covered by the blanket at all. She was only holding Qinghuan tightly through it, her face buried in her hair. When she slept, her eyelashes looked especially long—not curled, but lying smoothly against her lower lids, so perfect they seemed almost painted on.She’s so beautiful. No matter how many times she looks, she never gets tired of this face.Qinghuan watched her for a long time before finally leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to those long lashes.But kissing just her eyelashes wasn’t enough.Naturally, she moved lower, lightly kissing Nan Yang’s lips. She nibbled softly at her lower lip with her teeth, then flicked her tongue out to lick the spot she had bitten.Nan Yang tasted sweet. Maybe she ate too many sweets on a regular basis—her very skin seemed to hold a hint of sweetness.Just as Qinghuan was carefully kissing her, Nan Yang suddenly let out a muffled cough.Qinghuan startled and quickly pulled back, staring blankly at the cool, aloof woman whose brows had drawn together.Nan Yang coughed several more times, then slowly opened one eye, a sickly flush of watery red lingering in it.“Morning,” she said, her voice low and hoarse.“Y-you’re sick?” Qinghuan immediately noticed. The room had been dim earlier, and she hadn’t seen how pale Nan Yang’s lips were. “Did you catch a cold?”“It’s nothing,” Nan Yang replied. She was very obviously sick; her voice was raspy to the extreme.“Why didn’t you cover yourself with the blanket?” Qinghuan was a little angry. “You wrapped me up so tightly, but you didn’t even cover a corner for yourself.” As she spoke, she moved to lift the blanket and cover Nan Yang.Nan Yang reached out and pressed down on her hand.“Don’t,” she said, squinting and shaking her head. “You’re not wearing any clothes.”Qinghuan froze. She shifted her legs beneath the blanket and felt her bare skin brush against the soft bedding, her face flushing all over again.“I’ll go to the bathroom first. You get dressed, and I’ll come back in a bit.”Nan Yang released her and got out of bed, her movements a little sluggish. Her left hand pressed against her temple, and the inner side of her wrist—covered in glaring, splattered scars—was still painfully obvious even in the dim light.She left the bedroom and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.Qinghuan sat dazed for a moment before crawling out from under the blanket and putting on clean clothes.While searching for her sweater by the bedside, she accidentally shifted her pillow. At once, a bright red envelope appeared before her eyes without warning.A very, very thick red envelope—so thick it looked like a brick.Her eyes widened in surprise as she picked it up and opened the seal to peek inside.It had been stuffed to the absolute limit. The opening was even split slightly from being forced apart, and a thick stack of red banknotes was crammed inside, arranged with meticulous neatness. She struggled to slip her fingers into the gap and slowly pulled the stack out. When she was about halfway through, a small slip of paper slid free and fell onto the blanket.She set the half-drawn banknotes aside, picked up the note, and unfolded it.When she saw the three crooked characters written on it, a brilliant smile bloomed on her lips.“Lucky money.”
Chapter 40
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It turned out that Nan Yang truly felt that the little red envelope couldn’t possibly hold all of her feelings.When Qinghuan unlocked her phone, five unread messages from Nan Yang popped up on the lock screen. She tapped them open and was stunned by a screen full of orange-yellow transfer notifications.Nan Yang had transferred money to her four times—50,000 each time—for a total of 200,000.The daily transfer limit on WeChat was 200,000.Beneath the four transfer notices, in the white chat bubbles, were still the same simple three words—Lucky money.Qinghuan couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips. She accepted each transfer one by one, then withdrew the money from her wallet into a blank bank card of her own. Truthfully, she earned more than enough for herself, and Nan Yang certainly didn’t lack money—but she still wanted to save it all for her. There was plenty of time ahead. She could use this money to buy Nan Yang lots and lots of candied hawthorns and chocolate.After getting dressed, she got out of bed and went to the medicine box to find cold medicine for Nan Yang.As she searched, she sighed helplessly. How could this woman be so foolish? Just to avoid offending her when she wasn’t dressed, she really hadn’t covered herself with a blanket at all.Once she found the medicine, she put two capsules and three tablets into a small bottle cap and took it to the living room. She boiled a kettle of water. When Nan Yang came out of the bathroom after washing up, the water had just finished boiling. Qinghuan mixed hot and cold water into a cup at just the right temperature and handed it to Nan Yang together with the bottle cap of pills.The moment Nan Yang took the cap holding the capsules and tablets, she suddenly sneezed.“Ah—choo!”Her arm jerked violently, and all the pills flew out of the cap, bouncing across the floor and rolling under the sofa.She rubbed her nose, looked at the pills on the ground, and squatted down to pick them up.Qinghuan clicked her tongue, bent over, and lightly slapped the back of Nan Yang’s hand. “Why are you picking them up? They fell on the floor. I’ll get you new ones.”“I’m afraid you’ll step on them,” Nan Yang said, still keeping her head down as she gathered them all up. “You might slip.”“……”Qinghuan pressed her lips together. Because of that one sentence, her heart began to race again.It was like Nan Yang was making her fall for her at every single moment.Just as Nan Yang was picking up the pills, a sudden knocking came from the door. Both of them stood up and walked over together.When they opened it, Ming Wancheng stood outside, wearing a red sweater and holding a food container, smiling brightly.“Master, Happy New Year! It’s the first day of the New Year—I brought you dumplings.” As she spoke, she also bent slightly toward Nan Yang. “Boss Nan, good morning, and Happy New Year to you too!”Qinghuan smiled and took the container from Ming Wancheng’s hands. “Didn’t you call her ‘Ancestor’ last night? And today you’re calling her Boss Nan again?”Ming Wancheng’s expression froze instantly.“I—I last night… I called her Ancestor… did I…?”“Yeah,” Qinghuan said casually. “I’ve seen Xuxue call her that too. Nan Yang said it’s a nickname you all gave her?”Ming Wancheng glanced blankly at Nan Yang, who wore a completely neutral expression, then hurriedly nodded. “Yes, yes, yes. It is. Just a nickname.”“Then can I call you that too?” Qinghuan asked with a smile, turning to Nan Yang.Nan Yang was silent for a moment before replying dully, “Do as you like.”Qinghuan found her expression amusing and didn’t think much of it. She carried the dumplings inside first, planning to heat them up in the kitchen so Nan Yang could eat a bit after taking her medicine.Only after Qinghuan left did Ming Wancheng finally let out a long breath. “That scared me to death. I thought Master had noticed something.”“There doesn’t seem to be filming today,” Nan Yang said coolly.“Right. It’s the first day of the New Year—Director Li gave us the day off,” Ming Wancheng nodded innocently.Nan Yang tilted her head slightly, the tail of her brow lifting. “Since there’s no filming, you don’t need to come mooch a ride with us to the set. The dumplings are delivered. You can leave now.”Ming Wancheng looked like she’d stepped in something nasty. “Ancestor, how can you be like this? It’s the New Year. I came all this way hoping you’d enjoy some family bliss—”“Family bliss?” Nan Yang frowned. “Is that really how that phrase is used?”“Uh… then what’s it called?” Ming Wancheng racked her pitifully limited vocabulary. “Fa… family… happiness?”Nan Yang could see perfectly well what Ming Wancheng wanted. She sighed softly through her nose and pulled out a large red envelope she’d already prepared.It was thick—but still not as thick as the one she’d given Qinghuan.She tossed the heavy envelope into Ming Wancheng’s arms. Ming Wancheng beamed, catching it steadily, grinning like a lackey. “Thank you, Ancestor! I knew you loved me the most. Wishing you and Master a hundred years of happiness and an early child!”The corner of Nan Yang’s lips curved faintly, a trace of amusement in her voice. “Scram.”“I’m scramming right now!”Ming Wancheng ran off cheerfully, then suddenly stopped after a few steps. She turned back sneakily, scanned the hallway to make sure no one was around, then lowered her voice and said to Nan Yang, “Ancestor, you need to restrain yourself. Hot kissing in the bathroom is one thing, but you didn’t even spare my Master on New Year’s Eve. Look at you—your voice is hoarse like this. My Master must have been exhausted last night.”At first, Nan Yang didn’t understand what Ming Wancheng was implying. By the time she did, Ming Wancheng was already long gone.She ground her teeth and clenched the dirty pills in her hand.She suddenly regretted not stuffing them into Ming Wancheng’s mouth.Qinghuan hurried over from the kitchen, phone in hand just after hanging up a call. She looked around outside, excitement barely contained in her voice. “Where’s A-Cheng?”“She left,” Nan Yang answered briefly.“She left?” Qinghuan leaned halfway out the door, looking around with a hint of regret. “What a shame. I’ll have to tell her the good news on WeChat later.”“What good news?”“It’s Xiao Yi,” Qinghuan said, smiling as she waved her phone. “My friend Qi Yi—the one A-Cheng’s always wanted to meet. She just called and said she’ll come visit me on set this afternoon. I asked her to eat at the nearest mall. I’ll bring you and A-Cheng along so you can all meet.”Nan Yang fell silent for a long moment before saying four words:“A four-person date.”Qinghuan blushed slightly. “Don’t talk nonsense. Xiao Yi doesn’t even know A-Cheng. What date?”Nan Yang nodded, her expression indifferent. “Mm. Two people on a date, two people on a blind date.”Qinghuan: “……”In a way, it really was a blind date.A blind date—with a ‘parent’ tagging along.When Qinghuan told Ming Wancheng the news, Ming Wancheng replied with a screen full of exclamation marks. Even through the screen, Qinghuan could feel her excitement and anticipation.Qinghuan didn’t quite understand why Ming Wancheng was so interested in Qi Yi when the two of them had never even spoken. That same lack of understanding extended to Nan Yang—she still couldn’t comprehend why someone as perfect as Nan Yang would love her, and only her, so wholeheartedly.Could it really be love at first sight?It still felt a bit far-fetched.They finished the beef dumplings Ming Wancheng had brought, and by then it was already noon. Qinghuan began picking out clothes and doing her makeup in preparation for the afternoon meeting. Nan Yang sat on the bed playing her cheap game console. As rows disappeared in Tetris, the grating “biu—biu—” sounds echoed nonstop through the room.Nan Yang’s nose was running, but both hands were busy with the game, leaving her no time to wipe it. All she could do was keep sniffing.Qinghuan sat on the other side of the bed, drawing her eyebrows in the mirror. Hearing Nan Yang’s increasingly frequent sniffles, she sighed, put down the eyebrow pencil, grabbed a tissue, and walked over.She folded the tissue and pressed it over Nan Yang’s nose.“Blow,” she said gently, looking at her seriously.Nan Yang looked up in surprise. Her right hand instinctively loosened its grip on the console, pressing the tissue instead. “I… I’ll do it myself.”Qinghuan didn’t let go. She merely glanced downward and said lazily, “You’re about to die.”Nan Yang hurriedly lowered her head, put her hand back on the buttons, and flusteredly guided the block into the right gap. Qinghuan pinched her nose through the tissue again. “Blow.”Nan Yang hesitated before finally blowing gently.The warmth inside the tissue turned scorching in an instant.Qinghuan folded the tissue again and placed it back on Nan Yang’s nose, carefully wiping away what remained. Nan Yang kept her head down, eyes fixed on the Tetris screen. She knew it was improper to let Qinghuan wipe her nose for her, but she couldn’t bear to put the game down. It wasn’t that the game was truly that fun—she just couldn’t stand dying so easily.Stubborn to the point of rigidity. This trait really ran through every detail of her life.“Wear a turtleneck today,” Qinghuan said as she tossed the tissue away and lightly pinched Nan Yang’s nose. “You’ve caught a cold. You can’t let the wind get into your clothes.”“I don’t have a turtleneck,” Nan Yang replied, her nose tip slightly red as she sniffed again.“Wear mine. I have a white one,” Qinghuan said, then added, “It’s not new—I’ve worn it before. Do you mind?”Nan Yang shook her head. “I’m afraid you’d mind.”“What nonsense,” Qinghuan scolded lightly. “Why would I mind?”“Mm.”Nan Yang responded, still focused on her Tetris.“You still haven’t gotten ready. Xiao Yi will be here soon, and A-Cheng’s been ready for ages. Everyone’s waiting on you,” Qinghuan said softly, giving Nan Yang’s arm a gentle push.“I don’t need to get ready. I just need to put clothes on.”“Then put them on. Hurry up, or we’ll be late.”“Wait. Let me finish this round.”“When will your round ever end? Can’t you just pause it?”Nan Yang shook her head stubbornly. “No pausing.”Qinghuan looked at her helplessly, then went to fetch the white turtleneck herself. After finding the right orientation, she simply pulled it down over Nan Yang’s head.Nan Yang’s eyes stayed glued to the console, but she straightened up obediently, even lifting one arm on her own to let Qinghuan slide the sleeve on.Truly a pampered lord.Qinghuan sighed silently, indulging her as she carefully helped her into the sweater. Once it was on properly, she adjusted the collar so it sat just beneath Nan Yang’s chin, then pulled her long black hair out from inside the sweater, spreading it evenly down her back.It was obvious that Nan Yang’s game still wasn’t over. With no other choice, Qinghuan grabbed her sleeve and dragged her to the door, helping her into her coat the same way as before and then changing her shoes for her.She kept pulling her along—from the room to the elevator, then from the elevator to the garage. Even when Nan Yang sat down in the passenger seat, she was still clutching that shrill game console, unable to stop.Why didn’t she just marry Tetris?Qinghuan gripped the steering wheel and scrunched her nose in mild irritation.
Chapter 41
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A ten-minute wait in the garage later, Ming Wancheng hurried over, opened the rear door, and climbed into the back seat.“Hello, Master. Hello, Ancestor.”Now that she knew Qinghuan accepted “Ancestor is just Nan Yang’s nickname,” Ming Wancheng started calling her that openly. Otherwise, if she used Nan Yang’s name too casually, Nan Yang would scold her later for being disrespectful.Qinghuan glanced at Ming Wancheng in the rearview mirror. Ming Wancheng’s outfit today was… interesting: a yellow cashmere sweater paired with blue denim overalls, her chestnut-colored hair falling softly over her shoulders. She looked like a long-haired version of a little yellow minion. But that was how an eighteen-year-old girl should be—bright and youthful, like the morning sun around seven or eight.Ming Wancheng’s body was eighteen. The age on her current ID was also perfectly consistent: eighteen. In ancient times, eighteen was already old enough to marry. But in the modern world, eighteen was just a girl who had only recently stepped out of high school. No matter how many thousands of years she had truly lived, that face still looked unformed and young, with a faint bit of baby fat at her cheeks.She really was cute.Nan Yang was, to some extent, a face person. She was supposed to be dignified and restrained, a cultivator with a clear heart and few desires—yet Qinghuan’s enchanting face had coaxed her into bed again and again. None of the other disciples from the northern campaign ever received that kind of favor, but Ming Wancheng did. Besides being Qinghuan’s nominal disciple, a large part of the reason was simply this—Ming Wancheng was genuinely adorable.A-Cheng’s eyes were round and wide, her lashes long and curled, like a little deer lingering beside a stream—clear, yet lively in a way that tempted you to look again. When she blinked, it made people want to buy all the candy in the world and feed it to her piece by piece.That said, when she started being shameless, Nan Yang really did consider stuffing dirty pills into her mouth.Qinghuan started the car. She clipped her phone into the holder on the dashboard and opened the navigation to the mall where she’d agreed to meet Qi Yi. Nan Yang finally finished the round she’d been playing; her neck ached from being bent too long, so she set the console down and didn’t pick it back up.“Master, is Teacher Qi here already?” Ming Wancheng asked cheerfully, leaning over the front seat.“Almost. She just got off the plane.”“Oh…” Ming Wancheng’s big eyes spun. “But it’s the first day of the New Year. Why is Teacher Qi coming to visit you on set? Doesn’t she need to spend New Year’s with her family?”Qinghuan smiled faintly. “Xiao Yi’s parents are very busy. They usually don’t have time to be with her. She told me they went abroad again a few days ago for some academic research—I don’t really understand it. She spent New Year’s Eve alone.”“Teacher Qi is so pitiful,” Ming Wancheng said, genuinely sympathetic.“It’s not that bad. You know she’s a high school teacher. Her students adore her. She probably got a lot of New Year’s wishes last night.”“But there still wasn’t anyone with her,” Ming Wancheng said, lightly knocking her chin against the soft headrest. “If next New Year she’s still alone, I’ll go keep her company.”Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. “You’re thinking too far ahead. You’re young—Xiao Yi might not want to develop something that deep with you.”Nan Yang, expressionless, rubbed the corner of her eye.Young?A thing that had lived for over three thousand years—young?While they were chatting idly, the phone in the holder suddenly jumped to a video call request.Qinghuan glanced at it and accepted without thinking.“Dad, Mom—Happy New Year.” She smiled warmly into the camera.On the small screen, Zhu Jun and Yu Fengli, two middle-aged adults, squeezed close together in bright red outerwear. From the look of it, they were eating dumplings at the dining table. They were grinning so widely, both trying to fit into the frame, both leaning forward at the same time. Zhu Jun lifted a dumpling with his chopsticks and pretended to shove it into the camera. “Happy New Year, kid! Here—eat a dumpling!”“I already ate this morning,” Qinghuan said softly, a little spoiled and sweet. “You two eat more.”“Your dad prepared lucky money for you,” Yu Fengli said with a performative huff. “You’ve been busy with work again and can’t come home, so we tucked it under your pillow in your bedroom. Remember to take it next time you’re back.”“I’m married—why would I need lucky money?” Qinghuan shook her head helplessly. “Besides, someone already gave me some.”Zhu Jun’s tone turned sour. “Oh? Your wife gave it to you?”Qinghuan glanced at Nan Yang beside her, who stayed silent, and her smile practically overflowed. “Mm. She did.”“Look at that expression,” Zhu Jun clicked his tongue. “You’re practically blooming. And to think you fought me to the death at first, swearing you wouldn’t marry her no matter what. See? Your old man didn’t harm you, did he?”“You hadn’t even met her before. What if she treated me badly? Wouldn’t you have ruined me then?”“Hey, you little brat! Now you’re talking back to your father too? I should tell Boss Nan to discipline you properly. Every day you don’t know how to respect your elders—what exactly do you think you’re doing?”Nan Yang lifted her brow slightly.Respect elders?Qinghuan had never respected elders in her life.Not only did she not respect them—she pinned her “elder” down on the bed and bullied her mercilessly.“Okay, okay, I’m driving,” Qinghuan said, cutting him off. “I’ll call you again tonight.” She glanced at Nan Yang and asked softly, “Do you want to wish them a Happy New Year?”Zhu Jun perked up immediately. “Boss Nan is with you? Boss Nan, Happy New Year! When you have time, come back with our girl—your mom will make you something delicious.”Yu Fengli smiled and asked Zhu Jun, “Should I call her son-in-law or daughter-in-law again?”“Our girl married into her family,” Zhu Jun said decisively. “So we should call her son-in-law.”Yu Fengli nodded and spoke to the camera. “Son-in-law, come back when you have time. If there’s anything you want to eat, tell Zhuzhu in advance and I’ll cook it for you.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together. She still didn’t choose to appear on camera, only saying from off-screen, “Happy New Year.”Zhu Jun and Yu Fengli added a few more blessings, then ended the call so they wouldn’t distract Qinghuan while she was driving.Nan Yang rested her chin on her hand and looked out at the tall buildings flashing past.So good.Qinghuan finally had parents who loved her.With gentle parents and a loyal wife, her life would be complete.Nan Yang had wandered through three thousand years for nothing more than giving her a full, flawless life. Seeing Qinghuan happy was her own happiness.Because Qinghuan took the video call mid-drive, she’d driven blindly for a stretch, and the consequence was that she got onto the wrong overpass. It took them an extra twenty minutes to get off and back onto the right route.When they reached the mall, all three put on masks. In a sense, they were all public figures—some more famous than others—and it wasn’t impossible that some roaming fan might recognize them. Wearing masks was safer.Because of the twenty-minute delay, Qi Yi had already arrived at the restaurant. She sent Qinghuan a WeChat message with where she was sitting and told them to hurry over.The moment Ming Wancheng entered the mall, she started getting shy and fidgety, dragging her feet and insisting they go browse jewelry stores first. She said it was her first time meeting Qi Yi, and she hadn’t prepared a gift. That would be inappropriate.Nan Yang and Qinghuan couldn’t argue her down, so they followed her around the first floor, through Zhou Dasheng and Lao Miao Gold. The saleswoman took one look at how the three of them were dressed and knew they had money, immediately hurrying over to serve them. Ming Wancheng was very direct—she asked to see diamond rings by name.Qinghuan’s mouth twitched.They hadn’t even met yet, and she already wanted to give a diamond ring.Nan Yang stood far back, arms crossed, watching silently as Ming Wancheng leaned over the glass counter and pointed this way and that. Qinghuan walked over to stand beside Nan Yang as well, saying nothing, simply waiting for Ming Wancheng to pick a gift.“We… didn’t have a diamond ring,” Nan Yang suddenly said, her voice unreadable.Qinghuan froze, then thought about it—she was right. “Mm… yeah. We just… registered the marriage.”“Do you want one?” Nan Yang turned to look at her. “If you do, go pick one.”Qinghuan forced a small smile. “Isn’t that a little impulsive?”“Mm. It is.” Nan Yang swept her gaze around. The diamond rings here were all too cheap. If she was going to give one, it should be something not so easily bought.Qinghuan looked at the glass display beside them. Then she bent down, her fingertips brushing the glass.“Look at these earrings,” Qinghuan said, a little excited. “Aren’t they beautiful?”The pair she pointed to were diamond studs with six delicate points, like two tiny snowflakes. The studs used a six-around-one setting: each had a 0.06-carat center stone and six 0.16-carat accent stones, flashing with a cold brilliance under the overhead lights. On the small label beside them was the price: 4,919 yuan.“If you like them, buy them,” Nan Yang said without looking closely, tossing out four simple words.Qinghuan stared a moment longer. When she looked up, her ears were faintly red. “I want us to wear them together. You wear one, I wear one.”“…” Nan Yang paused, then answered, “Mm.”Qinghuan tilted her head, studying her, then frowned. “But… you don’t have pierced ears.”Nan Yang was from the ancient world. She had her own strict principles, so even now she carried very little that had been “contaminated” by modern habits. She didn’t wear makeup, didn’t put on jewelry—naturally, she’d never gotten her ears pierced.“If you like them, buy them. It’s fine,” Nan Yang only said.Qinghuan nodded. “Okay, then I’ll buy them.”Even if she wore them alone, it didn’t matter. They were beautiful, and she’d loved them at first sight.Over there, Ming Wancheng had also chosen a ring shaped like a Mobius strip, with a circle of small diamonds set around it—very pretty. A ring with diamonds that weren’t too conspicuously large was more suitable for everyday wear, and it wouldn’t scare someone when given as a gift.When it came time to pay, Nan Yang walked over to the POS machine as if it were the most natural thing in the world and covered both purchases.Ming Wancheng couldn’t help sighing in admiration. “Is there a better shopping companion than her? The whole time she doesn’t talk, doesn’t nag, doesn’t complain, doesn’t point fingers—she only steps up at checkout. Ah… if my heart didn’t already belong to Teacher Qi, I’d want to marry—”Qinghuan glanced at her slowly.Ming Wancheng shut up immediately.
Chapter 42
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The three of them finished shopping and took the elevator together to the top floor, where the Japanese restaurant they had reserved was located.On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the mall was not crowded. Most people were at home accompanying their elders or visiting relatives to exchange New Year’s greetings. Those who came out to wander the mall were mostly young people, many of them couples. There were few people in the elevator as well. The three stood pressed into a corner, tugging their masks up a little higher.The elevator walls were mirrored. Qinghuan happened to glance up and noticed Nan Yang behind her, staring at her through the reflection.She turned her gaze aside and reached her hand back, giving Nan Yang’s forearm a light shove as she whispered, “Don’t look at me.”“I’m not looking at you,” Nan Yang replied coolly from behind.“That’s a lie.” Qinghuan frowned. How could this person do something and still refuse to admit it?“I really wasn’t.”After Nan Yang spoke, there was a faint rustling sound, as if she were taking something out of her bag. A moment later, a pale, slender hand holding a tissue reached out from behind. Qinghuan thought she was about to wipe her face or forehead and was already blushing, ready to dodge. Instead, the hand stretched straight past her and pressed against the mirror in front of her.With the tissue between her fingers, Nan Yang carefully wiped away a small smudge of cigarette ash.Qinghuan: “…”So it really was just her cleanliness obsession.And she truly had not been looking at her.Qinghuan bit her lip, a flash of embarrassed irritation rising in her usually gentle heart.Even though only her eyes were visible, Ming Wancheng could tell that Master Qinghuan was angry. Nan Yang, however, was still fully focused on wiping the mirror. Ming Wancheng panicked. If she upset Master Qinghuan, who would introduce her to potential partners? She glanced around, then quietly lifted her foot and lightly tapped Nan Yang’s calf with her ankle as a warning.Nan Yang immediately stopped wiping the mirror.Irritation gathered in her exposed eyes as she coldly looked at Ming Wancheng. Two muffled words came from beneath her mask:“How dare you.”Ming Wancheng rolled her eyes dramatically and turned her head away, pretending not to know Nan Yang.Hopeless.The elevator chimed with a “ding” as it reached the top floor. After the people around them had exited, the three followed one by one. The heating upstairs was turned up high. The moment they stepped out, a wave of warmth rushed over them, flushing their faces slightly red. Qinghuan instantly forgot the earlier displeasure and was the first to urge Nan Yang to take off her coat.If she really overheated, that would be bad.They had booked a private room at a Japanese restaurant. Qi Yi had already been waiting for a long time. When the server led them inside, Qi Yi was propping her chin on her hand, looking half-asleep, her gold-rimmed glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose.They closed the door, took off their masks, and sat down. Ming Wancheng kept staring at Qi Yi, the tips of her ears flushed red. When she lowered herself onto the cushion, she nearly twisted her ankle.“Xiao Yi, wake up a bit,” Qinghuan said, tapping the table lightly with her knuckles.Qi Yi rubbed her eyes, her voice hoarse. “You three really are hard to invite.”Nan Yang sat down straight-backed. Her jet-black hair fell loose to her waist, draping over her shoulders. The white turtleneck sweater accentuated her jade-like complexion, her brows and eyes steeped in cool aloofness, making her look like a deity who could be seen but not approached.“Boss Nan, this is my first time meeting you in person,” Qi Yi said with a smile, extending her hand. “You really don’t look thirty-five at all. So young, and beautiful too.”Nan Yang glanced at the hand Qi Yi had extended, then turned her head slightly and asked Qinghuan in a low voice, “May I shake hands?”Qinghuan was pouring tea into the cups. She froze for a moment. “Of… of course you can.”So Nan Yang slipped four fingers out from her sweater sleeve and lightly touched Qi Yi’s knuckles with her fingertips.Qi Yi withdrew her hand, rubbing her thumb and index finger together as if savoring the coolness of Nan Yang’s skin. She clicked her tongue. “Wow. Never would’ve thought Boss Nan was henpecked. You even have to ask permission just to shake hands?”“She’s stubborn. Don’t tease her,” Qinghuan said with a smile.Qi Yi shook her head. “Zhuzhu, you’re already defending her? I didn’t even say anything.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together and remained silent.Qi Yi noticed Ming Wancheng sitting quietly in the corner. Adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses, she asked with interest, “This little sister must be the second female lead you mentioned, the one in your group?”“Yes. Her name is Ming Wancheng. You can call her A-Cheng.”Qi Yi smiled warmly at Ming Wancheng. “Zhuzhu said you’ve always wanted to meet me?”Ming Wancheng nodded vigorously, her face red.Qi Yi lifted her water glass and took a sip. “Why do you want to meet me?”Ming Wancheng straightened her back, blinked her big eyes, and with utmost sincerity and excitement called out, “Sister!”Qi Yi stared at her with water still in her mouth.Blushing and stammering, Ming Wancheng forced herself to shout out the rest of the sentence, “C-can you… keep me?”“???”Nan Yang: “…”Qinghuan: “…”Qi Yi: “Pff—cough, cough…”She nearly sprayed a mouthful of water across the table at Nan Yang.Qi Yi covered her mouth and damp chin with a napkin, staring in shock at the teenage girl across from her. Then she turned an incredulous gaze toward Qinghuan.Ming Wancheng continued, “Sister, I’m at least a minor celebrity. I’ll become a big star in the future, really famous. You won’t lose out by keeping me.”Qinghuan hadn’t expected Ming Wancheng to say something like this either. She was even more confused than Qi Yi. If Ming Wancheng truly wanted a sponsor, shouldn’t she be looking for some wealthy tycoon? Qi Yi was just a high school teacher. Her family wasn’t poor, but there was no way she could casually throw money around. What exactly was Ming Wancheng thinking?Nan Yang sat to the side with a dark expression. At that moment, only one thought echoed in her mind.A three-thousand-year-old, and she really had the nerve to call someone “sister.”Still, Ming Wancheng currently looked eighteen. Qi Yi was twenty-six this year. In a sense, she really was eight years older than A-Cheng. Three thousand years ago, A-Cheng had called princesses “sister.” Calling someone sister now was, in a way, reasonable.Qi Yi sighed helplessly, looking at the youthful girl across from her. “Your name is A-Cheng, right?”Ming Wancheng nodded eagerly.“Then, A-Cheng, have you graduated from high school?”Ming Wancheng looked blank. “High… school?”Qi Yi frowned, confusion plain in her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’ve never been to high school?”Ming Wancheng slowly shook her head.“What about middle school?”Another shake.“Elementary school? You didn’t even go to elementary school?”Still shaking her head.Qi Yi’s expression grew increasingly grim. “You mean you’ve never even completed the nine years of compulsory education?”Ming Wancheng opened her mouth, thinking to herself that over a decade of sword cultivation at Beifa Mountain might count as some kind of diploma.Qinghuan hadn’t expected Ming Wancheng to have never attended school either. Now things between her and Qi Yi looked even more uncertain. Qi Yi came from a scholarly family, every degree in her household higher than the last. Qi Yi herself had a master’s degree and was currently preparing for a doctorate. Meanwhile, Ming Wancheng hadn’t even finished elementary school.What was this? The cutest education gap?“Sister, would you dislike me because of this?” Ming Wancheng knew exactly where her advantage lay. She blinked her innocent eyes, deliberately letting a hint of tears gather.Qi Yi squeezed out words through clenched teeth. “I… I don’t think we’re even at the point of talking about ‘dislike’…”Ming Wancheng suddenly leaned forward and grabbed Qi Yi’s wrist.“Sister, just try it. Try keeping me. I’m really easy to support. Please. I’ll be very obedient. I’ll do whatever you tell me, really.” Her voice trembled, tears nearly falling.Nan Yang’s face had practically frozen into ice, her hands clenched into fists.What a disgrace to the sect.Truly a disgrace to the sect.Qi Yi was startled. Her gold-rimmed glasses slipped down her nose again. The girl’s warm body heat wrapped tightly around her wrist. She twisted hard, but couldn’t break free.Qinghuan interjected, “A-Cheng, why don’t you let go of Xiao Yi first, you two—”Ming Wancheng ignored her entirely, staring straight at Qi Yi. “Sister, where are you staying tonight? Want to stay at our hotel? Can I come see you tonight?”Qi Yi pushed her glasses up, her voice trembling. “Zhuzhu, I suddenly don’t feel very hungry. Maybe I should head out first. You all take your time…”Tears slid down from the corners of Ming Wancheng’s eyes. “Sister, don’t you like me?”“I…”Qi Yi looked at the pitiful girl in front of her, scared yet soft-hearted. She had never been confessed to so fervently before. Her mind was a mess, her words tumbling out incoherently. “I don’t dislike you…”“Sister likes me?” Ming Wancheng broke into a smile through her tears, slipping a small note she’d prepared into Qi Yi’s hand. “That’s great. This has my phone number and WeChat. Sister, remember to add me when you get back. Send me your location tonight, I’ll come find you!”Qi Yi accepted it in a daze, her glasses fogged over.A server knocked on the door. The set meal Qi Yi had ordered was ready. Ming Wancheng finally had to release Qi Yi, clearing space on the table for the dishes. Once the food was served, the atmosphere eased slightly. Ming Wancheng ate sashimi while grinning foolishly at Qi Yi, so much so that Qi Yi was covered in goosebumps.The Japanese food had been Qi Yi’s choice. Nan Yang didn’t particularly like Japanese cuisine. She preferred traditional Chinese food.Qinghuan noticed that Nan Yang hadn’t touched her chopsticks much and asked softly, “Is your hand uncomfortable? Why aren’t you eating sushi?”Nan Yang stared at the green condiment on her plate for a long moment before replying quietly, “Wasabi.”“You don’t like wasabi?”“It’s not that I don’t like it,” Nan Yang paused, her voice dropping. “I’ll cry if I eat it, so I can’t.”Qinghuan pictured Nan Yang accidentally eating wasabi, clutching her eyes and crying. She nearly laughed, but still soothed her gently. “Then don’t dip it in wasabi. Try Thousand Island dressing, or just a bit of soy sauce.”Nan Yang shook her head again. “I don’t want to eat.”“At least have a little. You had dumplings this morning; they’ve probably digested by now. If you don’t eat anything now, you’ll get stomach pain later.”“…I really don’t want to. You eat.”“Just try one. This place tastes pretty good.”Qinghuan picked up a piece of caviar sushi and held it to Nan Yang’s lips. She suddenly remembered how Ming Wancheng kept calling Qi Yi “sister.” Qi Yi was eight years older than her, so she called her sister. Nan Yang was eleven years older than her—could she call her that too?“Do I really have to feed you?” Qinghuan’s smile turned a little mischievous, her tone deliberately tinged with intimacy as she softened and teased out the next two words. “Sister?”Nan Yang’s eyes snapped up, her light-brown pupils trembling violently.
Chapter 43
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When Qinghuan called out those two words, Ming Wancheng froze with half a slice of sashimi still in her mouth. She stopped chewing instantly, not daring to move at all, and looked toward Nan Yang with trepidation.In ancient times, this would have been called “overstepping one’s station.”It wasn’t as though she had never seen anyone use words to lightly tease Nan Yang like this before. Back then, there had been a grand martial gathering held at Tang Fort, and Nan Yang had taken her along. In the dense bamboo forest of Bashu, Nan Yang had been squatting alone by a cold pool, teasing a panda. The young mistress of Tang Fort happened to run into her when she came down from Tianji Pavilion. The young mistress knew Nan Yang’s identity, yet refused to address her as Ancestor, insisting on squatting behind her and calling her “sister.” Nan Yang could tolerate children calling her sister, but she could not tolerate such impropriety from an adult. After the Tang family’s young mistress called her “sister” for the third time, Nan Yang impatiently flicked her sleeve and swept her straight into the bone-chilling cold pool with internal force.After Tang Fort’s disciples hauled her out in a flurry, the young mistress ran a green nose for a full month.Ming Wancheng looked at Master Qinghuan with worry. She feared that in the next second, her master’s face would be pressed straight into the miso soup.Yet strangely enough, the Ancestor did not seem angry at all.Not only was she not angry—Ming Wancheng even caught sight of a suspicious blush on Nan Yang’s ear.Nan Yang said nothing. She simply opened her mouth and accepted the piece of caviar sushi Qinghuan fed her. Then she closed her lips and chewed quietly with impeccable manners, her lashes lowered, not uttering a single word of reproach.The sushi was large. As Nan Yang chewed, her cheeks puffed out slightly. Combined with her naturally straight lashes resting low against her lower lids, they looked even longer, and the more one looked, the more adorable she seemed.Qinghuan stole glances at Nan Yang like this, and a sudden urge to kiss her rose again in her heart.When you like someone, it really does feel like no amount of kissing is ever enough.By the end of the meal, everyone had their own thoughts. Qi Yi had been so frightened by Ming Wancheng’s burning gaze that she barely ate anything. Ming Wancheng, on the other hand, kept shoveling food into her mouth while staring at her, eating so much that her suspenders felt a notch tighter. Nan Yang ate only that single piece of sushi. Afterward, she retreated to the corner, holding her handheld console and playing Tetris.Qinghuan poured Nan Yang a cup of tea, but Nan Yang couldn’t free her hands, so Qinghuan held the cup and fed her. Nan Yang took a small sip from the rim, and when she pulled away, a bit of moisture clung to her lower lip.Without thinking, Qinghuan wiped it away with her thumb. The cool, soft touch, tinged with a teasing dampness, made her linger for two extra seconds.She suddenly remembered the night they had just gotten married. She had eaten Nan Yang’s poisonous cabbage and ended up with gastroenteritis. When Nan Yang fed her medicine, she had also brushed her lips with her thumb just like this.She seemed to understand now the desire that had flickered in Nan Yang’s eyes back then.If Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were not here right now, she would definitely lift Nan Yang’s chin and kiss her.Nan Yang suddenly spoke. “If you’re done eating, let’s go back.”Qinghuan gathered her wandering thoughts, cleared the haze from her eyes, and looked at Qi Yi with her usual clarity. “Xiao Yi, since you’re already here, stay the night. Our crew booked a lot of rooms at the hotel—there are a few empty ones. You can go straight over and sleep.”Qi Yi nodded, then immediately realized something and looked at Ming Wancheng in alarm.Ming Wancheng hurriedly said, “Sister, if you don’t call me, I won’t go over.”Qi Yi’s gaze was still full of suspicion.Nan Yang had already stood up, draping her coat over her arm, her voice flat. “We don’t need to walk together later. Everyone can browse on their own. A-Cheng, take good care of Teacher Qi. After you’re done, remember to bring Teacher Qi back to the hotel.”Ming Wancheng understood perfectly. Nan Yang was annoyed that she and Qi Yi were acting as light bulbs—she wanted some alone time with Master Qinghuan. That was fine; Ming Wancheng thought Qi Yi was a light bulb too.Qinghuan chimed in, “Then Xiao Yi, you go wander around with A-Cheng. Come back to the hotel in the evening. Let me know when you’re back—I’ll book a table at the hotel restaurant and we’ll eat together again. How does that sound?”“Sure!” Ming Wancheng agreed cheerfully.Qi Yi shot Qinghuan a fierce look that clearly said, “I can’t believe you sold out your teammate.”“Go.”Nan Yang uttered a single word and walked out alone. Qinghuan hurried after her, tugging at the hem of her coat and whispering something, seemingly telling Nan Yang to put it on.Nan Yang lowered her voice in reply. “I’m wearing a shirt underneath. It’s hot.”“Alright.”Qinghuan sighed and put her mask back on, muttering to herself about how difficult this person was to take care of.“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Nan Yang asked.Qinghuan shook her head. She really didn’t have anywhere particular in mind.Nan Yang fell silent for a moment, then said, “Then come with me somewhere.”Nan Yang rarely had a place she actively wanted to go, so Qinghuan was a little surprised. She had thought Nan Yang would want to head straight back to the hotel. After all, she loved quiet; on a normal day, staying in a noisy place like this for even one extra second felt like someone scraping a knife against her skin.Nan Yang had a destination in mind and walked without hesitation. They took the elevator down to the first floor, then the escalator to the basement. Next to the escalator was a boutique shop that could be seen from above. Nan Yang must have noticed it while they were still on the first floor.Once inside, Nan Yang sat on a tall stool in front of the counter and asked the owner expressionlessly, “You can pierce ears here, right?”The owner took one look at the eyes above the mask and knew this was an absolute beauty. Beautiful people were welcome anywhere. She immediately put down her calculator and smiled. “Yes, yes, we can.”Qinghuan stood behind Nan Yang, startled when she heard the question.She wanted to get her ears pierced?“You’re already thirty-five—why are you suddenly thinking about piercing your ears?” Qinghuan leaned against the counter, tilting her head to look at Nan Yang’s face.Nan Yang lowered her gaze. After a moment, she replied, “Didn’t you… want us to wear them together?”Qinghuan suddenly remembered the diamond earrings she had bought on a whim not long ago. She had only said it casually, that she wanted to wear a matching pair with Nan Yang. Since Nan Yang didn’t have pierced ears, she would never have forced it. Besides, they were just earrings, not rings. Whether they wore a pair together wasn’t that important.But she had never imagined that Nan Yang had truly taken it to heart—and had even scoped out a piercing shop back on the first floor.Nan Yang had never had her ears pierced, but she knew roughly that the stud would go from one side of the earlobe through to the other. Strictly speaking, it was a penetrating wound. She had suffered many injuries in ancient times and knew what penetrating wounds felt like. Unsure whether piercing an earlobe would feel similar to being pierced through the waist or abdomen, she asked Qinghuan, “Does piercing hurt?”Qinghuan had three piercings: one in each earlobe, and one in the upper cartilage of her left ear. She touched the stud on her earlobe, recalled her college experience, and said slowly, “Um… earlobes don’t really hurt. Cartilage hurts.”Nan Yang nodded.After disinfecting the piercing gun and taking out alcohol, the owner glanced at the woman with cool, distant eyes. “One on each side?”Nan Yang thought for a moment. “Just one.”“Which side?”“…The left.”She slept on her right side. Piercing the right would affect her sleep.“Alright, the left.” The owner nudged her glasses with a knuckle, signaling Nan Yang to lean forward. She pinched Nan Yang’s left earlobe between her thumb and index finger, kneading the small patch of pale skin. “Right in the middle?”Nan Yang hummed in confirmation.Qinghuan stared unblinkingly at that delicate earlobe held between the owner’s fingers. Nan Yang’s skin was sensitive—just that light pinch made her pale ear flush red. Qinghuan frowned, an uncomfortable feeling rising in her chest, an impulse to grab Nan Yang and leave.How could she let someone else touch her earlobe?Nan Yang leaned over the glass counter and asked Qinghuan again, “It really doesn’t hurt?”Qinghuan suppressed the discomfort in her heart and curved her lips at her. “It really doesn’t. What, are you afraid of pain?”Nan Yang was silent for a while before giving a small nod.“…Yes. I’m very afraid of pain.”Qinghuan couldn’t help but smile. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out an Alpenliebe lollipop—tropical fruit flavor. She tore open the wrapper and took out the colorful candy.“I was planning to give this to you after we got back. Looks like I need to coax you now.”Smiling, Qinghuan pulled Nan Yang’s mask down to her chin and gently placed the round, cute lollipop into her mouth.Nan Yang closed her lips around it, her cheek moving slightly as she used her tongue to taste the candy.Qinghuan propped her arm on the glass counter, resting her chin in her palm, her alluring eyes curving into a smile. “Is it good?”Nan Yang answered vaguely, “It’s good.”With candy in her mouth, her speech was unclear. When she said “good,” it came out as “goo.” Qinghuan was utterly charmed by it, her heart melting as her smile brightened even more.Pop.A small sound from the piercing gun.“All done,” the owner said, tidying up the scattered items on the counter. “Remember to rotate it every day so it doesn’t grow into the flesh. Apply some alcohol to prevent infection. After a week, you can change to another earring.”Qinghuan thanked the owner and paid via WeChat.Nan Yang sucked on the lollipop and frowned slightly as she touched her earlobe. So it really didn’t hurt. It was a strange sensation—she could clearly feel something pass through her flesh, yet there was no pain at all.Of course, that was only for the first ten seconds.Once the alcohol on the stud seeped into the wound, Nan Yang’s brow furrowed deeper. She wanted to scratch it, but even a light touch made the fresh piercing sting sharply.“Don’t touch it. Bacteria will get in,” Qinghuan said, lightly tapping Nan Yang’s hand with the empty lollipop wrapper.“Mm.”Nan Yang obediently lowered her hand.Her left earlobe was red and swollen, almost as if it might bleed. Silver was too soft, so earrings used for fresh piercings were usually steel studs. To prevent festering, it couldn’t be removed for the first week. But steel easily irritated the skin, so alcohol had to be applied often.Applying alcohol before the wound healed was obviously not a pleasant experience.“Does it hurt?” Qinghuan asked softly, feeling a bit distressed.Nan Yang shook her head.“This month, don’t wash your hair yourself. It’ll get the wound wet, and if it gets bad, it’ll fester. When you need to wash, tell me—I’ll help you.”Nan Yang hesitated, then asked in a low voice, “Then… what about bathing?”Qinghuan opened her mouth. When she realized what Nan Yang meant, half her face flushed red. She gave Nan Yang’s arm a light shove and scolded softly, “You’re awful.”
Chapter 44
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Qi Yi walked in front, with Ming Wancheng trailing behind her.When Qi Yi went into a clothing store, Ming Wancheng sat obediently on the sofa bench at the entrance and waited while she tried things on. When Qi Yi went into a phone shop, Ming Wancheng looked at phones with her, along with the salesperson. When Qi Yi went into Golden Arches, Ming Wancheng stood at the very end of the line, staring pitifully as Qi Yi bought two cups of iced cola.Qi Yi came over holding the two cups and handed one to Ming Wancheng.“I like drinking cold stuff in winter. Can you handle it?”Ming Wancheng could not.Ever since she had used a forbidden technique three thousand years ago, her internal organs had been extremely fragile. One hot pot meal could give her stomach pain for half a week. Unless she was truly craving something, she usually avoided stimulating food and drinks like this whenever possible.But with Qi Yi handing it to her, how could she refuse?Ming Wancheng accepted it with a grin. “Of course I can. If you can drink it, Sister, then I can too.” After that, she latched onto the straw and took a huge gulp. Even through the translucent plastic lid, you could see the ice level drop noticeably.Qi Yi watched her finish, then saw the way she bared her teeth and winced. She couldn’t help laughing. “A-Cheng, you’re actually pretty cute when you’re normal. In the future, don’t go around saying such outrageous things. You’re a young girl—studying properly is the right path.”Ming Wancheng smacked her lips, scrunching up her face. “I’m serious, Sister.”Qi Yi pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses and said helplessly, using the tone one used to coax a child, “A-Cheng, you’re still young. Do you even know what it means to be ‘kept’?”Being told she was young, Ming Wancheng immediately climbed right up the ladder. “I’m young, but I know everything.”“…I don’t have that much money to keep a celebrity,” Qi Yi said. “And I don’t have any connections in the entertainment industry. I can’t help you get resources. I can’t give you anything.”Ming Wancheng hurriedly said, “I know. I don’t need you to help me find resources. I… I’m easy to support. You just need to give me food and a place to sleep.”Qi Yi found it funny. “Then that’s not ‘keeping’ you. That’s just… raising you.”“Then raise me,” Ming Wancheng answered shamelessly.Qi Yi was baffled. “Why are you being so stubborn about me? We’ve never even met before. Zhuzhu said you’ve been interested in me for a long time. I’m not like Zhuzhu—I’m not a big star. How would you even know me? Why would you be interested?”Ming Wancheng froze. Her lashes lowered, and she stammered softly, “A-actually… I have seen you.”Before she joined the crew, she really had gone to see Qi Yi several times.She had found the high school where Qi Yi taught and hidden far away on a street corner, wanting to catch one glimpse of her little princess. She had not been reborn as a human for so many lifetimes. She missed her—desperately.At night, Qi Yi had to supervise evening self-study, and after that, she still had to grade assignments. So she got out very late. When she left the school, it was usually already eleven at night. Ming Wancheng would hide beside the convenience store at the corner and watch Qi Yi ride her bicycle slowly along the sidewalk. Qi Yi rode at an unhurried pace; Ming Wancheng could easily keep up from far behind just by walking.She did not want to disturb her. She only wanted to look at her.The first two nights passed peacefully. Qi Yi made it home safely, and Ming Wancheng did nothing.But on the third night, when Qi Yi’s bicycle had gone about halfway, a strange man suddenly turned out from a side lane. His back was hunched, his beard ragged, his eyes small and leering. He stared hard at Qi Yi on her bicycle, like a predator that had finally found a tasty prey. Qi Yi’s features were refined and clean, the kind of quiet, bookish good girl who easily attracted criminals. The more “proper” a girl looked, the more she cared about her reputation; the more she cared, the less likely she was to make a scene—this was what every man preparing to commit a crime told himself.Just as he reached to grab the back of the bicycle, his collar tightened, and his entire body lifted off the ground.A furious-looking girl who appeared to be only in her teens hoisted a full-grown man up, turned, and dragged him into a dark alley. Before he could even react, a fist slammed into his face, his nose bursting with blood.Ming Wancheng beat the bastard thoroughly. She nearly used Beifa Mountain’s ancestral Frost Palm, but considering this was a society ruled by law, she forced herself to hold back and did not take a life.For the entire week afterward, she went every night, on time, to watch Qi Yi get off work. She followed from a distance, using her gaze to escort her home. She never once approached or tried to strike up conversation, but simply watching Qi Yi’s back as she rode her bicycle made Ming Wancheng feel steady and warm inside. It was only when Nan Yang called her to the Divine Dance crew that she temporarily stopped this quiet, secretive protection.In truth, Qi Yi had noticed her too.How could she not, with someone trailing behind her for days? In a hurried glance, she had not seen a face, only vaguely made out a petite young girl. She assumed it was some mischievous student and did not pay it much attention.Now, hearing Ming Wancheng mutter “I have seen you,” Qi Yi’s mind turned—and she immediately thought of that suspicious figure who had followed her at night not long ago. Her face showed surprise. “Don’t tell me you were the one, those nights…”Ming Wancheng rushed to explain. “I-it was because someone weird was following you… I was afraid you’d get…”Qi Yi frowned. “Someone was following me?”“Yes!” Ming Wancheng nodded hard. “A very ugly man. He looked like he was up to no good.”“Then… you knew he was following me, and you still followed me too. Weren’t you scared?” Qi Yi studied the girl in front of her, whose eyes still held traces of childishness.Ming Wancheng thought, What is there to be scared of? A bunch of ordinary mortals—I could take on a whole crowd with one finger.But since Qi Yi asked, Ming Wancheng naturally seized the chance to sell a sob story. “Of course I was scared, Sister. But I was more scared something would happen to you.”The light in Qi Yi’s eyes wavered. She seemed to lose focus for an instant. She pressed her lips together, turned her head aside, and took a sip of iced cola. After a long time, she finally spoke softly. “Next time something like that happens, call the police.”“I understand, Sister,” Ming Wancheng replied obediently.Qi Yi lifted her wrist and checked the time. It was still early, and she suddenly didn’t know what to do next. She looked around the mall and saw a huge promotional banner hanging down from the fifth floor—Spring Festival movie posters. There was a period war film called War Thunder. Qinghuan had a small cameo in it. Qi Yi couldn’t help wondering whether Qinghuan might take Boss Nan to see that movie.Maybe she could take A-Cheng too. They might even run into them at the cinema.“Want to go watch a movie?” Qi Yi asked, taking the initiative.Ming Wancheng agreed at once. “Sure. Sister decides.”“Mm. I’ll check seats.”Qi Yi opened the ticketing app and chose the nearest showing of War Thunder—half an hour later. Logically, the cinema on the first day of the Lunar New Year should have been packed. But maybe this mall was in a more remote location, or maybe other holiday films were doing better. This showing was not full; only the center seats were sold out. Qi Yi bought seats in the middle of the third row from the back. They were a little farther, but the 3D effect should still be decent.Hope glittered in Ming Wancheng’s eyes. “Sister, you’re taking me to a movie—does that mean you’ve agreed to keep me?”Qi Yi’s finger, poised to pay, stopped midair.“Not going.”She put her phone away and started toward the elevators.Ming Wancheng hurried after her, words spilling out in rapid-fire panic. “I won’t say it, I won’t say it, I’ll never say it again! Sister, don’t be mad. Let’s watch the movie. I really won’t say it!”Qi Yi sighed and said nothing.In the end, they still went.They were delayed at the entrance because Ming Wancheng wanted popcorn. The line was long, and Qi Yi waited with her for a full twenty minutes. After they bought the popcorn, Qi Yi also bought two new cups of iced cola. When Ming Wancheng took hers, her eyes were full of both delight and suffering.What kind of weird habit was drinking iced cola in winter?By the time they entered the theater, the film had already started rolling the opening production logos. They hunched and moved down the aisle to the third row from the back. Qi Yi went in first, with Ming Wancheng following behind. As she did, Ming Wancheng glanced toward the back row without thinking.The screen’s light washed over the seats. The front rows were brighter, while the back was comparatively dim, so young couples liked the corners of the last row. The theater wasn’t full today. In the last three rows, aside from her and Qi Yi, there were only two people—sitting in the far left corner of the very last row.In that quick glance, Ming Wancheng vaguely caught a flicker of metallic reflection.She looked again. It was a metal stud catching the screen’s light—an earring. It must have been newly pierced. Even in the dimness, that earlobe was vividly red. She raised a brow and was about to keep following Qi Yi to their seats. But as her gaze swept over the owner of that stud, and she saw the face clearly, she froze on the spot.A-Ancestor.She stood there, stunned and unmoving.The Ancestor had pierced her ear?!Nan Yang was rigid to the bone—so rigid she imposed a whole set of harsh rules on herself, using them to restrain her every moment. In ancient times, women did pierce their ears, but to a cultivator like Nan Yang, the body was not something to be casually damaged. Being injured in the martial world was unavoidable, but she would never willingly harm her own body—not even by making a tiny hole. This was one of her principles, one she had guarded for three thousand years without breaking.So what on earth was happening today? What wire had snapped that she was actually willing to pierce her ear?Ming Wancheng had stood there too long, blocking part of the screen with the shadow of her head. Irritated whispers came from the rows ahead. Qi Yi hurriedly pulled her into their seats. Even after sitting down, Ming Wancheng couldn’t help turning back to look again.As the images on the big screen flickered, the ambient light alternated between bright and dim, outlining the two low-key figures in the corner. They had already removed their masks, revealing two striking faces—one cool and distant, the other seductive and luminous. You could faintly see their lips moving, as if they were whispering to each other.Nan Yang suddenly frowned and lifted a hand, as though she wanted to touch her left earlobe.Qinghuan lightly tapped Nan Yang’s hand with the movie ticket she’d rolled into a tube, seemingly scolding her in a couple of words. Nan Yang’s shoulders gave a small lift, like she had sighed. Her lips moved; she said something.Qinghuan’s face instantly flushed red. She fell silent for a long while before lifting her eyes to glance left and right. After confirming no one was seated nearby, she tilted toward Nan Yang, leaned in, and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Nan Yang’s bright red earlobe.
Chapter 45
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The film was a standard Lunar New Year popcorn movie: packed with traffic idols making cameos, while the male and female Best Actor winners shouldered the burden of critical reception. The special effects outshone the story, and once it was over, you could barely remember what it had been about.Qinghuan’s screen time totaled less than two minutes. After delivering a genuinely stunning mask-removal shot, she disappeared from the film entirely. She didn’t really operate in the film industry anyway, and the director knew full well that the moviegoing crowd wasn’t fond of traffic celebrities like her, whose looks outweighed their acting. Let her show her face, placate the fans, and that was enough.Once Qinghuan’s appearance ended, Nan Yang closed her eyes.From the way her breathing gradually grew long and steady, Qinghuan could tell she’d fallen asleep for a short while. Nan Yang was very good at controlling the length of her naps. Almost the instant the end credits music started, she opened her eyes.After the movie, the two of them waited until the audience had mostly cleared out before putting on their masks and heading outside.At the exit, they discovered Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi waiting there. Ming Wancheng was holding a cup of ice cola with only a little left at the bottom, one hand pressed to her stomach, her face looking a bit pale.Ming Wancheng spoke up on her own initiative. “I saw you earlier. We can head back together.”Qinghuan immediately noticed something was off and asked, “A-Cheng, you don’t look too well. Are you feeling uncomfortable?”Ming Wancheng nodded awkwardly and whispered, “Yeah… drank too much ice cola.”Qi Yi looked guilty. She was an adult—drinking iced drinks in winter was something her body could handle—but she’d forgotten that Ming Wancheng was still just a teenager. Letting a kid drink two large cups of ice cola at once had been her oversight.Nan Yang knew that back then, the princess had died by leaping off a cliff, her internal organs shattered on impact. A-Cheng had borne the price of the forbidden technique, inheriting the same fragmented, damaged organs. Aside from the hotpot she indulged in when she truly couldn’t resist, she usually avoided stimulating foods altogether. After downing two cups of ice cola, her stomach had to be in bad shape.“Let’s go back,” Nan Yang said.It was already quite late, so the four of them went together to the underground parking garage. Qinghuan had driven there, but on the way back Nan Yang had wanted to take over. Unfortunately, the driver’s license she’d lost because of Jiang Banxia still hadn’t been reissued, so she had no choice but to give up. Qi Yi took on the task of driving. To make it easier to give directions, Qinghuan sat in the front passenger seat, leaving Nan Yang and Ming Wancheng in the back.As the car moved along, Ming Wancheng leaned weakly to the side, cold sweat breaking out as she clutched her abdomen.While passing through a tunnel, Nan Yang suddenly turned and extended her palm toward her, her voice very light. “Come.”Ming Wancheng looked at Nan Yang in surprise.Nan Yang added, low and cool, a single word: “Your hand.”Ming Wancheng froze for a moment, then tremulously placed her hand into Nan Yang’s palm. Nan Yang didn’t grasp it. Once their palms met, she circulated her inner energy, sending waves of true qi into A-Cheng’s body to ease the burning pain in her organs.Ming Wancheng lowered her gaze, feeling the pain soothed by Nan Yang’s energy. For once, she didn’t crack irreverent jokes at Nan Yang. After a long moment, her eyes grew slightly damp. A rare, bitter smile tugged at her lips as she lowered her voice. “Thank you, Ancestor. You… care about me this much. Really. Thank you.”Nan Yang glanced toward Qinghuan in the front seat and murmured softly, “You should be thanking her. She’s the one who taught me how to care about other people.”Ming Wancheng withdrew her hand, her tone filled with respect. “I’m much better now.”“Mm.”Nan Yang resumed her upright posture, arms folded, quietly watching the night scenery flash past the window.Under the neon lights, Nan Yang, seated by the window, looked like a god of frost and snow who had fallen into the restless mortal world. Her naturally straight posture curved like the stem of a narcissus. Ink-black hair spilled loosely over her slender shoulders, washing across the white knit of her sweater like bare branches dusted with fine snow.She tilted her head slightly. A sharp glint of light flashed at her left ear. Her light brown eyes gazed silently into the distance, the colorful glow of the streets flowing and churning within her pupils, as though thousands of years of passing eras were rising and falling there one by one.What a cold yet gentle person.Qinghuan’s Master must have paid an immense price back then to be able to obtain someone so beautiful.In the new year, she hoped the Ancestor and Master could be well together and that nothing strange would happen again.Ming Wancheng made her New Year’s wish with utter sincerity, never imagining that it would end up becoming a terrifying jinx.When the four of them reached the hotel and had just parked and entered the lobby, they were stopped by an unexpected guest seated inside.“Nang Yang.”A familiar voice.Nan Yang’s steps halted instantly. Almost at the same time, she frowned and turned a cold gaze toward the source of the sound.Jiang Banxia.It had only been a few days since Nan Yang had stabbed her. By all rights, with a wound that deep, she should still have been lying in a hospital bed. Yet there she stood before her now, her strikingly beautiful face pale as paper, one hand pressed to the wound in her chest. She clearly wasn’t in good condition, and faint bruises from IV needles still marked the back of her hand.Aside from Nan Yang, the other three had never seen Jiang Banxia before. Ming Wancheng didn’t even know such a woman existed. Thinking she was a friend of Nan Yang’s, they all stopped and waited for them to catch up.Nan Yang’s voice was icy. “What are you here for again?”Jiang Banxia ignored her tone. “I have something I want to say to you.”Nan Yang’s expression was frosty. “I have nothing to say to you.”“I don’t mind saying it here.” Jiang Banxia took two steps forward, the corners of her lips curling into a provocative smile.Nan Yang only looked at her, frowning, saying nothing.“Where would you like me to start?” Jiang Banxia’s smile deepened as she rubbed the area over her heart. “How about we start with that little gift you gave me. Truly unforgettable.”Nan Yang’s gaze darkened.Jiang Banxia leisurely looked toward Qinghuan beside her and let out a cold laugh. “After all, this isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this, is it?”This isn’t the first time you’ve driven a blade into someone’s heart, is it?Qinghuan could clearly feel Nan Yang’s back stiffen in an instant.Then Nan Yang turned and looked deeply at Qinghuan’s face, as though desperately suppressing some emotion. She didn’t remain silent for long. Soon, she withdrew her gaze and said in a low voice, “You go upstairs first.”Ming Wancheng could tell something was going on and understood that Nan Yang needed to handle this alone. She called Qi Yi and Qinghuan over toward the elevators.As Qinghuan left, she couldn’t help glancing at Jiang Banxia a few more times. Her intuition told her that this woman liked Nan Yang—and not in a simple way. From the few lines of their exchange, it seemed there was a history between them.Those gray eyes suggested a mixed-race woman. Could this be from Nan Yang’s time in Australia…?Qinghuan felt deeply uncomfortable, but she knew this wasn’t the moment for her to speak. She could only follow Ming Wancheng into the elevator with her head lowered.Nan Yang turned and headed for a small garden behind the hotel. Jiang Banxia followed, her steps still unsteady.When they reached a secluded corner with no one around, Nan Yang stopped beside a dense poplar tree, her brows knitting slightly. “Wasn’t I clear enough with you last time?”Jiang Banxia narrowed her eyes, her tone devoid of any respect. “You were very clear. So what? I like you. That’s not something you get to decide alone. If I insist on pestering you every day, what can you do about it? After all, I know all your secrets. If I want to, I can let everyone in the world know you’re a monster who’s lived for three thousand years. I can also let my Junior Grand-Uncle Qinghuan know exactly how, three thousand years ago, you brutally wiped out her entire clan, and how you cruelly let her die in your—”“Is this really how you want to speak to me?” Nan Yang cut her off coldly. “Are you reminding me again and again that only the dead can keep my secrets?”“You won’t kill me,” Jiang Banxia said with utter confidence. “This isn’t the chaotic era of three thousand years ago. If you kill someone now, you go to prison. You waited three thousand years—are you really willing to spend the rest of a few decades behind bars? Or become a fugitive, never knowing peace for the rest of your life?”Nan Yang was completely unmoved. “I don’t mind adding another unsolved case to the police records.”Seeing that her threats had no effect, Jiang Banxia changed tactics. “Nan Yang, have you ever thought that maybe she doesn’t want to be entangled with you through ninety-nine lifetimes at all?”Listening to Jiang Banxia’s increasingly ineffectual words, Nan Yang turned away, ready to leave.“Nan Yang!”Jiang Banxia called after her. “Don’t you think you’re selfish? Because of your guilt and your regrets, you forcibly bound her soul with a forbidden technique. What if she doesn’t want to remember that manipulated life from three thousand years ago? What if she no longer loves you?”Nan Yang’s back froze. She didn’t move for a long time.“Nan Yang, to her, you will always be a sinner! Without you, three thousand years ago she wouldn’t have lost her entire family, and she wouldn’t have died so miserably with a sword through her heart in that ravine. Without you, in this lifetime she wouldn’t have grown up under restraints, with even her marriage out of her own hands. You look so devoted, but who exactly have you moved? You spent three thousand years, and all you did was move yourself. From beginning to end, you never truly gave her the right to choose. She may seem to love you now, but without you, she would have loved someone else—perhaps lived an even freer, better life. You’ve been forcing her all along, cornering her until she had no choice but to love you. Nan Yang, don’t you think you’re the one who created her tragedy of being shackled for three thousand years? Don’t you think your very existence is a mistake?!”Your existence is a mistake.Nan Yang clenched her fists tightly, a dull pain spreading through her heart.In her ninety-eighth lifetime, she had said the same thing to her.Nan Yang, your existence is a mistake.She no longer spared Jiang Banxia another thought, lowering her head and striding quickly back to the hotel lobby. Once inside, she headed straight for the restroom on the first floor, entered the furthest stall, and locked the door tightly.Her fingers trembling, she lifted the toilet lid, bent over—and suddenly vomited a large mouthful of blood.
Chapter 46
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A-Huan believed that she was clean.Even though she took different clients every night, she stubbornly insisted that she was clean. She wore heavy makeup, yet when she dressed herself, she looked different from the other girls. Others were ordinarily pretty; she was exceptionally beautiful. When ordinary people did this kind of work, it was called cheap. When a beautiful woman like her did it, it was called falling. The difference was that after spitting on the former, people could still click their tongues in regret at the latter.In this smoke-filled, filthy tenement building, dirty people and dirty things happened every day. Today it was Xiao Yan stealing fifty yuan from a client’s pocket while he wasn’t paying attention; tomorrow it was Xiao Fang scamming a timid, honest man out of all his hidden savings. A-Huan felt that at the very least, she earned her money honestly with her body. However much effort she sold, she took exactly that much cash—clear and fair, no deception. Even though the phrase “clear and clean” sounded laughable just passing through her mind.Because everyone else was filthier—filthy without restraint—while she was filthy with restraint, filthy with reasons, she could calmly label herself as clean.Of course, that was all before she met that woman.A-Huan had never imagined that a place reeking of men’s sweat and rancid desire would welcome a young woman. At eight in the evening, the woman walked in as if she were browsing a boutique. She had long, jet-black hair, wore a snow-white shirt, and her skin was so fine it seemed to glow. From the expensive fabric of her clothes to her ethereal, worldly-detached face, she looked like a pampered young lady. A-Huan slapped herself inwardly. What was clean? This was clean. From head to toe, she was like untouched snow. The drunken men in the shop all lifted their eyelids, staring at her in unison, wishing they could trample her ten thousand times with their foul gazes.Sister Liu at the counter spoke to her in broken Mandarin. “Wrong place, maybe?”The woman shook her head and asked simply, “You don’t take female clients?”Sister Liu raised her brows, voice lifting. “We do, we do! Look at me, being ignorant. You can drink downstairs or go upstairs—we’ve got private rooms. Just take a look, pick whichever girl you like, and go talk to her directly. The details are up to you.”She looked around the shop once. When she spotted A-Huan standing by the wall, she walked over without hesitation and asked calmly, “How much?”There wasn’t a trace of lust on her face. If anything, she carried an air of seriousness and restraint. A-Huan even started to wonder if she was an undercover cop, pretending to be bold here.“Six hundred without staying overnight, fifteen hundred for the whole night,” A-Huan replied with a gentle, seductive smile. “But not tonight. I’m already booked. Come queue tomorrow.”From far away, Sister Liu laughed. “You’ve got great taste. She’s the prettiest one we’ve got.”The woman nodded, no displeasure on her face. “All right. I’ll come tomorrow. I’ll book the whole night.”Then she turned and left. A row of scantily dressed women stood beside her, yet she didn’t spare them a single glance.Xiao Fang teased A-Huan. “Since when do you take female clients?”“Men or women, what’s the difference? Anyone who pays is the boss,” A-Huan answered quietly. The woman looked rich and beautiful. Letting her be her first female client wasn’t a loss. Besides, she needed money so badly right now—did gender really matter?The next day, A-Huan thought about it for a long time, wondering if the woman had just been playing her. She felt there was a good chance she had. Still, before work, she carefully did her makeup and picked a light-colored outfit to match that woman. Standing by the wall waiting for clients, her eyes kept drifting outside.At the same time as the day before, the woman really did come again. She didn’t seem to like talking much, ignored Sister Liu’s enthusiastic greeting, and walked straight up to A-Huan, asking her to take her upstairs.A-Huan led her into a small room and locked the door, chatting as she did. “You’re so pretty. If you really like women, there’d be plenty lining up for you. Why come to a place like this for fun?”Standing behind A-Huan, the woman asked softly, “What’s your name?”“Why ask my name? Planning to book me again?” A-Huan smiled gently. “I’m A-Huan. Huan as in happiness.”The woman seemed momentarily dazed. “…You don’t have a surname?”Amused, A-Huan laughed. “You here to do a census?”The woman didn’t get angry. She pressed her lips together and said, “My name is Nan Yang.”A-Huan was surprised that she would offer her real name. People who came here to seek pleasure usually wanted to blur their real identities beyond recognition, afraid that rumors might drift out of this filthy place and stain their respectable daytime lives.“You don’t need to tell me your name. I won’t remember it,” A-Huan said, sitting on the bed and looking at Nan Yang, who was still standing there. “The sheets get changed every day. They’re clean. Sit.”“Wait.”Nan Yang took out a wallet. When she opened it, A-Huan saw it stuffed full of red bills. From the thickness alone, she knew Nan Yang had far more money than this—the wallet simply couldn’t hold any more.Nan Yang counted out fifteen bills and placed them on the bedside table.“We usually get paid after,” A-Huan said with a smile. “You’re not in a hurry for that, but you’re awfully quick with the money.”“You don’t have to do anything with me,” Nan Yang lowered her eyes. “I just want to sleep here. Just sleep.”A-Huan couldn’t believe her ears. Someone actually paid a large sum to book a prostitute and did nothing but sleep?“Can’t you sleep at home? You’re so rich—our bed probably can’t compare to yours.”Nan Yang shook her head. “I just want to sleep beside you.”And she truly meant just that—lying stiffly beside her. From the moment she entered, she hadn’t even touched A-Huan’s hand. She simply lay down, fully clothed, and went to sleep.A-Huan thought she was probably a weirdo. But she liked this kind of weirdo. Same money, no need to exhaust herself acting with stinking men—how great was that?They lay side by side, not touching, and both slept incredibly well through the night.The next morning, A-Huan woke groggily to see Nan Yang already dressed, standing at the foot of the bed, watching her as if she’d been waiting a long time.“How often do you want to see me?” Nan Yang asked.No one had ever asked her that before. It felt strange. Yawning, she answered casually, “How often… once a week is fine.”“Then I’ll come every Sunday.”After saying that, Nan Yang left, clean and decisive, without lingering.Downstairs, the other girls crowded around, curious. What was that aloof, snow-lotus-like woman like in bed? A-Huan told the truth: she slept like a pig.Xiao Fang joked that A-Huan had picked up a fool. Paying for company just to sleep—if that wasn’t a fool, what was? With that money and those looks, she could easily charm a bunch of innocent female college students. Lying in bed with students, even the air would be sweeter than what these women breathed.It was true. Yet A-Huan couldn’t help wondering: if she had finished high school and gone to university, would she have become an innocent student too? If so, would Nan Yang have slept more soundly beside her?Over the next week of work, A-Huan sometimes thought of Nan Yang, counting the days until Sunday. It wasn’t that she missed her so much—she was just curious. Would she really come? Plenty of people made promises to her, men who swore to support her for life at night, only to vanish by morning. Nan Yang was her first female client. Maybe women had more conscience than men?Nan Yang proved she did. Like someone with obsessive habits, she always arrived at exactly eight in the evening—not a minute early, not a minute late.Still cold and aloof, she ignored anyone who tried to strike up a conversation, going straight to A-Huan and asking her to take her upstairs.This time she carried two paper bags. In the room, she handed one to A-Huan. “Candied hawthorn. I brought it for you.”The sugar coating had almost melted. A-Huan didn’t like swallowing hawthorn dry, so she kept licking and swallowing the syrup. Her lips and tongue were too accustomed to suggestive shapes, making her look even more fallen.Nan Yang didn’t seem to mind. Just like before, she took out her bulging wallet, counted out fifteen bills, and placed them on the bedside table.Eating candied hawthorn, A-Huan asked lazily, “Still not doing anything today?”Nan Yang nodded. “Mm.”“Then don’t just come once a week. Come twice, okay?”Nan Yang was silent for a moment. “What’s wrong?”“When you come and don’t do anything, I can actually get some real sleep. I only get to rest when you’re here.”Nan Yang fell silent again, forgetting to eat her hawthorn. “Then… how about I come every day?”“What, you want me sleeping here every day?” A-Huan scoffed. “That’s insulting my profession.”Nan Yang sighed softly. “Then I’ll come twice a week.”“You’re way too easy to talk to,” A-Huan shook her head gently. “Remember, you’re the client. I’m the girl. As long as you pay, you can do whatever you want. Why accommodate me?”Nan Yang hesitated. “Actually, if you want to change jobs, I could—”“Who said I want to change?”A-Huan believed anyone who tried to persuade her to go straight had ulterior motives. She was tired and dirty, but she relied on herself and earned a lot. What could earn more than this? If she believed a client and quit, and they lost interest, she’d fall back into poverty. Without income, how would her brother pay his university tuition? The harvests had been bad; the fields were nothing but corn stalks. Her father’s leg was ill, her mother had a brain tumor. The whole family’s hope lay in the cash she earned night after night. She couldn’t risk even a little.She decided that if Nan Yang ever mentioned it again, she’d kick her out. But she’d worried for nothing. That was the only time Nan Yang brought it up. After being firmly rejected, she never mentioned it again.After that, Nan Yang really did come twice a week—Wednesdays and Sundays, evenly spaced.She definitely had obsessive tendencies.Whenever Nan Yang came, A-Huan slept on the bed. When she woke up, Nan Yang would already be gone, leaving only a small stack of bills on the bedside table. That reserved woman was truly reserved—every stack of bills was always sequential.As she came more often, the two of them grew familiar. Besides her stuffed wallet, Nan Yang would occasionally bring little gifts—flowers, necklaces, anything women might like—appearing beside the cash.Nan Yang loved sweets. She often brought candied treats, especially candied hawthorn and sugar-coated hawthorn balls, filling a small plastic bag each time. She’d eat from the moment she entered until she went to sleep, filling the room with a cloying sweetness. A-Huan teased her for being childish. Nan Yang never got angry; chewing her hawthorn, she’d curve her lips into a faint smile.Sometimes, when A-Huan wasn’t sleepy, she’d chat with Nan Yang, who told her about the outside world. Maple leaves in Canada. Deer in Nara, Japan. Koalas and kangaroos in Australia. A-Huan envied her—she seemed to have endless time to wander the world.A-Huan asked, “Why have you been to so many places?”Nan Yang said, “Because there’s someone who wanted me to travel across mountains and rivers, to see different landscapes for her.”A-Huan laughed. “Who’s that? Bring her to meet me.”After a long silence, Nan Yang said, “It’s you.”A-Huan blushed and called her improper.To A-Huan, Nan Yang seemed to glow with a clean, gentle light. Watching her sit on her bed felt like seeing an angel fall into a cesspit. She couldn’t understand what Nan Yang wanted. Was she obsessed with saving fallen women? Or just too rich and doing targeted charity?Either way, she grew used to her.She began to miss her on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. She often thought of Nan Yang sleeping beside her—on a bed that had seen countless sordid scenes, yet she still appeared sacred and restrained, untouchable. Even every carefully buttoned button on her shirt looked coldly alluring.A-Huan wondered what gift she’d bring next time. Which country had she gone to while she was away? In other countries, would she also come to places like this to find other girls?She even thought of occasionally servicing Nan Yang, to repay her money. Nan Yang refused, as expected. Someone so clean—how could she allow someone like A-Huan to touch her? Her mouth, her hands—none of them were clean. Even A-Huan herself didn’t want to soil Nan Yang with such filth. How could she dirty her?Before meeting Nan Yang, A-Huan had never felt her job was shameful. She believed they simply gave what others dared not. But lately, whenever she saw Nan Yang, she felt ashamed. Sitting on the same bed, she was filthy all over, while the woman opposite her was white as fresh snow down to her toes.That Wednesday, after showering, A-Huan came out and saw Nan Yang leaning against the bed reading.“Hey,” she called.Nan Yang looked up. “What is it?”“Can I kiss you?” A-Huan leaned against the wall, wet hair hanging over her chest, lips curved into a deliberately seductive smile.She felt she’d used up all the courage of her life to say those words.
Chapter 47
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“Can I kiss you?”Nan Yang froze, just as A-Huan had expected. Her brows knit slightly, as though she were racking her brain for the right words to refuse.“I brushed my teeth,” A-Huan hurried to explain. “Several times. And I haven’t used my mouth on anyone else this past month.”Under the dim yellow bathroom light, her face looked not only alluring, but faintly desolate as well.“I…” Nan Yang hesitated, words stopping short.Seeing Nan Yang’s expression, A-Huan quickly hid the disappointment in her eyes and waved it off, pretending not to care. “I’m just teasing you. I know you like things clean. I wouldn’t touch you anyway.”Nan Yang shook her head. “I’m not saying you’re dirty. It’s just… I used my mouth today too. I should go brush my teeth.”The smile vanished from A-Huan’s face. She strode over and demanded loudly, “You used your mouth? Are you crazy?! Who was it? Who was so impressive that you’d use your mouth on her?!”Her heart clenched in agony. She couldn’t bear the image of Nan Yang lowering herself beneath someone else. The cleanest person in her eyes—how could she use her mouth on another? If she was lonely, why hadn’t she come to her? She was the prettiest here, and her skills were the best. Why hadn’t she chosen her?“What I mean is…” Nan Yang stared blankly at the out-of-control A-Huan. “I used my mouth to eat a candied hawthorn.”She pointed at a bamboo skewer resting atop the stack of bills on the bedside table.A-Huan gaped, stunned. After a long moment, she cursed under her breath—rarely, and crudely.Nan Yang explained, “You don’t like hawthorn, right? I might still have a bit of the taste in my mouth…”“Shut up!”A-Huan swore, flung the towel from her hands, and straddled Nan Yang. She cupped her face and pressed a kiss to those pale-colored eyes.Just the eyes. She didn’t dare kiss her lips. Someone like her—how could she be worthy of touching that pure place, still sweet with hawthorn?She felt every eyelash brush against her lips and couldn’t bring herself to pull away. It wasn’t enough. Nan Yang tasted sweet to her—so sweet that even her brows seemed like licorice candy. She wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole, flesh and bone.This was the cleanest thing she had done in years: kissing a clean woman, kissing her clean eyes.As she kissed her eyes, A-Huan realized something.She had fallen in love with Nan Yang.Only when there is love between two people can something as simple as a kiss to the eyelashes make one’s soul tremble. She loved her—like an earthworm loves a flower, like a rat loves sunlight. Inevitable. Unavoidable.How could someone living in a gutter not yearn for light?At last, A-Huan released Nan Yang’s eyes. She rested against her shoulder, breathing hard, lips pressed together as she savored the lingering sweetness.“I won’t use my mouth on anyone else ever again. Can I kiss you every time?”She asked in a pleading voice.Nan Yang was silent for a moment, then said softly, “Actually, no matter what you’re like, you’re allowed to kiss me.”A-Huan laughed. “You really shouldn’t say things like that to me. The moment you do, I start wanting to go straight.”Because she was leaning against Nan Yang’s shoulder, she didn’t see the dimness that flickered in Nan Yang’s eyes.“It’s fine. You can live however you want. Stay here if you want. Go straight if you want. As long as it’s the life you like, I respect it.”Nan Yang lifted a hand and gently rubbed A-Huan’s long hair, indulgent like the most ordinary lover.That night, A-Huan slept exceptionally well.Because she had heard the word respect from Nan Yang’s mouth. For the first time in all these years, someone had spoken to her about respect. It gave her the illusion that she, too, could stand in the sunlight like a normal person.The next morning, Nan Yang stood by the bedside table, flipping through her wallet.She normally didn’t do this in the morning—she always paid the night before.“What are you doing… giving me extra money for breakfast?” A-Huan murmured sleepily.Nan Yang counted out ten bills and placed them on top of the original fifteen. She said seriously, “This is extra. For last night.”A-Huan froze. She forced a stiff smile. “Extra… money?”Nan Yang looked at her.A-Huan enunciated each word slowly. “You think… I sold myself to you?”That kiss—earned with all the courage of her life—the cleanest kiss she had ever given, the kiss that made her certain she loved her—why did it have to be paid for?Why be so cruel?She had only kissed her eyes. Did she really think that someone like her needed to be compensated even for touching her eyes?Why did even the most precious, simplest thing she had have to be tainted with the stench of transaction?Tears streamed down A-Huan’s face.Nan Yang frowned slightly.She had only wanted to be a little kinder to her.A-Huan climbed out of bed, grabbed the thick wad of bills, and flung them straight into Nan Yang’s face. Red notes scattered everywhere, drifting down beautifully, just like in a TV drama.“Get out! Take your money and get out!!” A-Huan’s eyes were bloodshot, veins standing out on her neck.This was the first time she had ever hated being given money. The bills felt like knives slicing her apart—one cut per note—until she was torn to pieces.Every bill gaped at her like a bloody mouth, mocking her reckless longing.Do you think you’re worthy of loving someone?Nan Yang said nothing. There was a faint, almost imperceptible pain in her eyes. She didn’t pick up the money. She only clenched her fingers, as though she wanted to say something—but in the end, she said nothing and walked alone toward the door.As she reached it, A-Huan sobbed and hurled a pillow at her, screaming, “Don’t ever come looking for me again! I find you disgusting!”Nan Yang turned back and looked at her, brow faintly furrowed.After a long moment, she asked, “Do you really… not want me to come see you again?”A-Huan shouted, “Get out! I’m not joking. Get out right now! Never come back for the rest of your life!”“Why?” Nan Yang struggled one last time.“I said I find you disgusting! You’re so pure and noble, you come to a place like this and do nothing but sleep every day—who are you trying to disgust? Your very existence is the problem! You come here just to remind me that in this whole world, you’re the only one with integrity, and we’re all maggots in the gutter, worms rotting in shit—only you’re human, only you’re clean, right?! People like you make me want to vomit every time I see you! Get out! Get out right now! Don’t ever come back!!”She went on cursing, as though dredging up every filthy word she had ever known, each one a blood-soaked accusation hurled at the woman standing by the door.Nan Yang looked at her one last time, deeply.Then she said nothing, walked to the door, and quietly opened it.So her appearance in this den of pleasure had been a mistake.If her disappearance was what A-Huan wanted, she would grant it.What she wanted, Nan Yang always gave. What she did not want, she always abandoned. Including herself..If A-Huan had known that after saying those words, Nan Yang would truly never come again, she would never have said them.She had never truly blamed her. She should have been grateful—grateful that she had been allowed to kiss her eyes even once. The only thing she hated was her own wretched self.The more she hated herself, the more vicious her words had been that day. Every insult she hurled was aimed at herself.She still remembered one night when Nan Yang set aside a half-read book on the bedside table and went to wash up. A-Huan secretly picked it up, curious. Without warning, her eyes landed on a passage that stabbed painfully into her vision—“Those boys who barely knew her, their crooked handwriting, childish words, little animals drawn on the stationery, calling her a rose, a rich soup brewed from sleepless nights. Standing amid the clumsy dances of her suitors’ confessions, she had no way to say it aloud: it is I who am unworthy of you. I am spoiled orange juice and overcooked soup. I am roses and lilies crawling with insect eggs. I am a North Star that exists in a city of dazzling lights, yet is seen by no one and needed by no one.”Spoiled orange juice and overcooked soup.Roses and lilies crawling with insect eggs.A North Star that exists in a city of lights, yet is seen by no one and needed by no one.That night, she held back for a long time before managing not to let her tears fall onto the pristine white page.I am unworthy of you.Yes… unworthy. How could I ever be worthy?She hated herself for being a rat crawling through filth, hated herself for daring to grasp at light that was never hers. She wanted to curse Nan Yang away, send her back to her clean world. Yet she also wanted desperately to keep her. She loved her, so she wanted to drag her into the mire—while still hoping she could save her.Nan Yang.If not you, who else could save me?I’m sorry, Nan Yang.Nan Yang, please save me.On Sunday, she stood trembling at the doorway, blood rushing backward through her veins. She looked outside, then at the clock, shaking violently. Sister Liu noticed and asked if she was sick.“Sister Liu… do you think she’ll come?” A-Huan forced a smile.“That old flame of yours?” Sister Liu glanced at the time. “Of course she’ll come. Eight o’clock every Wednesday and Sunday, right on time.”Everyone knew about the rich, foolish, gorgeous regular who came looking for her every Wednesday and Sunday at eight—even the girls who’d joined just yesterday.“But I scolded her last time. Told her never to come again,” A-Huan said in a soft, almost coquettish voice.“Tsk. Women are sensitive, not like men. If you said that to her, she might throw a little tantrum. That’s normal.”“Yeah.”A-Huan’s heart sank lower and lower, aching with the weight.Eight o’clock came. At the exact moment, something snapped inside her. She quickly tied it back together and craned her neck to keep looking. Eight ten. Eight thirty. Nine o’clock. That tall, slender figure never appeared.She wondered if she should call her, ask if she was angry. Then she remembered—they had never exchanged contact information. The only thing binding them had been that stack of cash on the bedside table.Fear overwhelmed her. If Nan Yang truly never came again, they would never see each other. Why hadn’t she said it before—no cash, a WeChat transfer would be fine? But then again… she was just a disreputable prostitute. Her WeChat appearing on Nan Yang’s contact list would be like a parasite clinging to bone—repulsive.Sister Liu glanced at her and called out, “Hey, she’s not coming. Want to take another client? There are a couple of gentlemen who want you.”A-Huan shook her head.In fact, she hadn’t taken any clients at all—not today, not for a full week now. If not for Nan Yang being her regular, the house would never have allowed her to refuse work for so long.She leaned against the doorway, eyes fixed on the street corner. Xiao Yan and Xiao Fang said she’d gone mad—throwing away money for a woman, thinking she could stay faithful to one person. Ridiculous.After midnight, the street grew quiet under yellowed streetlights. Interested clients had all been taken upstairs. Only a few girls remained on the first floor.A-Huan finally broke down, sobbing loudly at the door. That woman had always been stubborn. If she wanted pineapple, she bought pineapple. If she wanted red roses, she brought red roses. Now she had told her never to come again—of course she had taken it seriously. Of course she would never come back.What was she supposed to do?If only her world had always been dirty. If she had never seen what clean looked like, she wouldn’t be in so much pain now.The only clean thing in her world.Her light.Gone.Nan Yang stood far away in the shadows at the street corner, watching the woman crouched on the ground, crying.She didn’t know why she was crying, or whether it was for her. She didn’t have the courage to step forward. She was afraid to hear those words again.—Your existence is a mistake.
—I never want to see you again in this life.She didn’t have the courage to look at that face and hear those words.How could my existence be a mistake?I exist only for you.That was the last time Nan Yang ever saw A-Huan in those decades.After that, she continued living in the same city, breathing the same air under the same sky, but never again went to that narrow alley to see her. She longed to accompany her, yet didn’t want to disturb her. If she should no longer appear, then disappearing was the best outcome.Her love for her was the most bottomless love in this world.She loved her no matter what she became—whether on a radiant stage or in a filthy gutter, noble or base, elegant or crude. No matter how rotten her body or soul became, she loved her. If she couldn’t pull her out of the dust, she would fall with her. If she wasn’t even allowed to fall with her, then she would leave.When she needed light, she would become light.
When she found it blinding, she would pass her by.This was all the tenderness she could give.Decades later, upon hearing of A-Huan’s death, Nan Yang went to her burial and brought a bouquet of hawthorn blossoms.The photo on the gravestone showed an aged face. She had seen her grow old countless times. This time, she was still as gentle and kind as ever.Nan Yang carefully touched the photo with her fingertips, meeting the aged eyes in the picture for a long while. At last, she closed her eyes, bent down, and pressed her own eyes to the wrinkled lips in the photograph.Qinghuan.Qinghuan, do you know?The kiss you once granted me was my only light.In all those endless years when I could not be close to you, I was blind in body and soul. Only that night, when you kissed my eyes, was I granted a brief moment of sight.In the distance, strangers gathered to watch the young woman who not only offered flowers with reverence, but leaned intimately against the memorial photo. They covered their mouths and whispered—“Someone actually came to bring her flowers? I thought that strange old woman had no friends…”“Right? She lived alone on that street for decades, never interacting with anyone. If not for her brother handling her remains, I wouldn’t even have known she had family.”“I heard she was a prostitute when she was young, worked on that street. Then suddenly quit. Strange thing is, most women who quit that line want to get as far away as possible so they can marry properly. But she stayed there, rented a drafty basement, and lived there for decades.”“I heard she was waiting for someone?”“Who knows. People say she stood at the street corner every night at eight. But all these decades, no one ever came.”“Didn’t she go crazy in the end? From her thirties or forties, she started acting mad, muttering ‘I was wrong, I’m sorry’ all the time. Who knows what guilty thing she’d done.”“A dirty woman who used to be a prostitute—no matter how miserable her end, she deserves it.”“Exactly. Filthy.”“Serves her right to be unloved and die alone.”“No one ever thought of her. How pitiful.”“Who would think of such a rotten woman?”“I heard she was pretty when she was young. What, don’t you always say you want to marry a pretty woman?”“Bullshit! You’d marry her!”“Fuck you, you dare curse me—you marry her, your whole family marry her!”The wind carried their idle chatter through the cold sky, tearing it apart, dissolving it into the clouds, turning it into an evening rain that gently soaked everyone and everything exposed in the city..After the funeral, Nan Yang booked a flight to Australia.No matter what, this lifetime was over. Her regrets could only be entrusted to the next one.Mei Zhongli went to the airport to see her off.At the check-in gate, a pregnant woman had lost her ticket and was flustered, arguing with the staff. Her husband kept interrupting, drawing a crowd. Nan Yang sat in the waiting area and watched. As she did, something stirred in her heart.Her gaze dropped to the woman’s slightly swollen belly.Mei Zhongli returned with hot coffee and was about to hand it to N
Chapter 48
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Qinghuan sat on the sofa for a full half hour before realizing she had not turned on the lights after coming in.When she first entered, there was still a dim wash of moonlight outside the window. Now, perhaps the clouds had covered it, and the room had plunged into pitch darkness. She fumbled for a long time before finding her phone. She meant to turn on the flashlight so she could switch on the living-room light, but after unlocking the screen, she instinctively tapped into WeChat first, searching for the one person pinned at the very top.Unfortunately, there were no unread messages from her.It had been almost an hour. Did she and that mixed-blood woman really have that much to talk about?Qinghuan let out a soft sigh, unsure whether this kind of concern of hers was a little too much. She understood, of course, that marriage required giving one another sufficient trust, and that suspicion was the worst kind of rift. But emotions were, more often than not, hard to control.She really wanted to claim Nan Yang entirely for herself. If she could, she would hide her away and guard her for a lifetime, so that none of those irrelevant people could covet her.Was that a bit pathological?Feeling irritated, Qinghuan stood up and went to the entryway to look for the living-room light switch. The beam from her phone’s flashlight lit up the space brightly. Slipping her feet into her slippers, she was just about to press the switch when the door suddenly opened.Nan Yang walked in with her eyes lowered, casually placing the key card on the shoe cabinet. Her face was a little pale, her eyes devoid of emotion.“You’re back?” Qinghuan went up to her naturally and helped her take off her coat.Nan Yang gave a low hum and obediently let Qinghuan take the coat. After changing her shoes, she went to the sofa to pour herself some water, not saying a word.Though she was usually quiet, Qinghuan could still sense that something was off with her.“What’s wrong? You seem… a little unhappy?” Qinghuan asked carefully.Nan Yang took a sip of water, as if holding it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. After a long pause, she replied, “Nothing.”Qinghuan pressed her lips together and stayed silent for a while before hesitatingly speaking again. “That woman who came looking for you just now… she… isn’t your ex, is she?”Nan Yang’s hand paused mid-motion. She lowered the glass, fingers long and slender around it, and said in a deep voice, “No.”“Oh…” Qinghuan still felt inexplicably empty inside.Nan Yang looked at her, hesitated, then said softly, “I’ve only ever liked you.”Qinghuan froze. The heart that had been rigid just a second ago felt as though it had been gently struck by something, instantly melting into a puddle of water. She curved her lips softly, her cheeks faintly red, and spoke in a gentle tone. “I… I’ve only ever liked you too.”Nan Yang’s fingers around the glass tightened abruptly.Qinghuan pressed her lips again, her ears burning as she continued, “This is the first time I’ve ever liked someone, so I often don’t know how to treat you well. And I… don’t handle some of my own thoughts very well. For example, just now, you were probably only catching up with a friend, but I was nervous for a long time, afraid that if your gaze lingered on someone else, you wouldn’t like me as much anymore. And for example… like right now, I can tell you’re not very happy, but I don’t know how to comfort you. I want to know why you’re unhappy, but I’m afraid of being intrusive and prying into your privacy. I… I don’t know what the right thing to do is. But I think being honest can’t be wrong, so I’m telling you everything I’m thinking. Before you came back, I was very scared. Now that you’re back, I seem to… still be a little scared. I…”“Qinghuan,” Nan Yang’s voice was slightly hoarse. Her fingers rubbed against the glass in her hand, the surface of the water reflecting the light from the overhead fixture in flickering points. “I was just thinking about one question.”Qinghuan looked up in confusion. “What question?”Nan Yang was silent for a long time. Her lashes cast long shadows against her lower lids under the light above. She bent down to set the glass aside, clenched her fingers into her palm, and when she spoke again, it was as though she had steeled herself:“I was thinking… whether my appearance in your life was a mistake.”Qinghuan’s eyes widened in shock, not immediately understanding what Nan Yang meant.“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten married at twenty-four,” Nan Yang said quietly, her voice as low and heavy as the dark lake behind the hotel. “You’re still in the golden years of an actor’s career. In the next few years, your career would develop very well. Perhaps while filming, you would meet handsome young men. You would, at the right time, naturally fall in love with someone. If it weren’t for me, if it weren’t for the Mei family, you would be much freer than you are now. You like me now perhaps because… you’re already married to me, so you can only like me. If it weren’t for me, you should have had more choices, and more room for career development. I…” The corner of her lips curved bitterly. “I just suddenly feel that, to you, I might be a burden.”A burden that had troubled you for three thousand years.Was everything Jiang Banxia said really wrong?Nan Yang let out a bitter smile.Qinghuan bit her lip hard, a sheen of tears rising in her eyes.“No, Nan Yang.”She shook her head, her voice choked.“Nan Yang, without you, I wouldn’t fall in love with anyone.”Qinghuan didn’t know why she was crying, but as she said these words, the tears spilled uncontrollably. She spoke in broken fragments. “I… I don’t know how to explain it to you. I also feel it’s ridiculous… b-but I have this feeling that in this lifetime… I was waiting for you. Waiting for you to appear. Only after you appeared did I allow myself to try to love someone. My rational mind once pushed you away, but I think I already knew that falling in love with you was inevitable. I don’t know why it’s like this… I… I just feel that we’re meant to be together. I was meant to be your wife, and you should be my wife too… We… aren’t we supposed to be each other’s wife?”Nan Yang stared at Qinghuan in a daze.She suddenly had the illusion that the Qinghuan before her was exactly the same Qinghuan from ancient times, only dressed in modern clothes and standing in front of her.She was just one step away from saying the words written in that farewell letter—If there is another life, I will grant you a lifetime.This life was what I granted you to begin with.A deep, aching light flickered in Nan Yang’s eyes, as if a sentence shrouded in heavy fog was circling, about to emerge:Nan Yang, that regret was never yours alone. It was also my dream… that I waited three thousand years for.Her memories were still a blank sheet of paper, but her soul had long since carved her love into its very bones. Life after life, cycle after cycle—so long as Nan Yang appeared before her, so long as she was willing to reach out her hand, she would always submit to her with unwavering devotion.Crying, Qinghuan stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Nan Yang’s waist, burying her face in the white shirt, her shoulders shaking. She was afraid Nan Yang would distance herself because of those wandering thoughts. She was also afraid her own rambling words would scare Nan Yang away. She didn’t know how to keep her, so she could only hold her with all her strength.Nan Yang lowered her head and gently rubbed her nose against the soft curls. She hesitated, then finally lifted her arms to embrace Qinghuan’s back, her right hand stroking her hair, soothing her again and again.Qinghuan was always so forgiving and kind to her.Three thousand years ago, she had forgiven her just as easily for committing the atrocity of wiping out an entire clan. Three thousand years later, she forgave her just as easily for unintentionally binding her for a lifetime.Nan Yang understood what she meant. Her willingness to stay by her side now was her own choice—just like in that blood-soaked canyon three thousand years ago. Death, too, had been her own choice.Perhaps, at this point, arguing right and wrong was laughable.Right and wrong had already been hopelessly entangled three thousand years ago. Three thousand years later, could anyone really say who owed whom more?At least in this moment, nothing was more important than holding her. She was right there, alive, with warm skin and a heart beating steadily. Nan Yang could still hold her. That was enough.Clinging to Nan Yang’s waist, Qinghuan sobbed and begged, “D-don’t leave me…”“I’m not leaving you,” Nan Yang tightened her arms around her, her voice trembling. “In this life, I want only you, Qinghuan.”Qinghuan cried even harder.They stood there by the window, cold air seeping through the cracks, yet it did nothing to diminish the warmth between the two tightly embracing figures. They were like mountains embracing a river, and a river supporting mountains—sun and moon, time and years cycling over them. Only wind and frost could erode their age; no rain or snow could ever tear them apart.Two entwined vines do not ponder questions like “what if the other didn’t exist.”Because with me, there is you; with you, there is me.They were the same.In this world, only with Nan Yang was there Qinghuan, and only with Qinghuan was there Nan Yang. Without Nan Yang, Qinghuan would have frozen to death long ago at the corner of a desolate village beneath Beifa Mountain. Without Qinghuan, Nan Yang would have quietly died of old age on an unremarkable evening three thousand years ago. In all those past years, had either one of them been missing, the one left behind would never have made it through those long three thousand years to reach this dreamlike modern age.Two people once separated by death three thousand years ago now having another chance to stay together was already a once-in-a-millennium, vanishingly rare gift. She truly should not let baseless hypotheticals disturb what they had now.At least in this moment, I still adore you.And you just happen to adore me as well.That is enough to support us through a lifetime together.Qinghuan only held Nan Yang and cried. As she cried and cried, she somehow ended up soaking half of Nan Yang’s face and neck with tears.She cried far too much.Nan Yang had just gotten her ears pierced today and hadn’t yet had time to disinfect them. Qinghuan’s tears soaked her entire earlobe. The salty tears seeped into the unhealed wound, stinging badly. The pain and itch radiating from the piercing were impossible to ignore. Nan Yang couldn’t help lifting the hand wrapped around Qinghuan’s back to touch her own earlobe.Still crying, Qinghuan instinctively swatted Nan Yang’s hand away. “Don’t touch it. It’ll… it’ll get infected,” she said through tears.Nan Yang frowned slightly and murmured, “It seems like it already is.”“…Don’t move. Let me see.”Qinghuan wiped at her tears, leaned against Nan Yang’s shoulder, and gently pinched her flushed left ear, squinting with watery eyes to inspect it.It really was more swollen.Seeing her own tears all over it, Qinghuan was filled with guilt. She let go of Nan Yang’s waist. “I’ll get a cotton swab and some water to clean it. Wait here.”Nan Yang didn’t let her go. Instead, when Qinghuan tried to pull away, she held her back and drew her into her arms again, making her rest against her shoulder once more.“…Hold me a little longer.”“You—”“Just a little longer.”“But if you don’t clean it soon, it might really—”“No need to make it so troublesome,” Nan Yang said, half-lidding her eyes. Her ear grew redder and redder, her voice dropping lower. “…You can help me lick it clean.”Qinghuan’s eyes flew open, the tips of her ears burning crimson.“I…” she stammered, utterly at a loss.Nan Yang stroked her luxuriant curls again, fingers slipping into the strands, gently kneading with tender strength. Her low, husky voice carried a cool breath that brushed Qinghuan’s ear.“Help me. Lick it clean.”Qinghuan felt her heart pounding wildly, each soft stroke at the back of her head sending her further into disarray. It wasn’t the most intimate thing they had ever done, yet she couldn’t stop the nervous, almost suffocating tension. Every time she drew close to Nan Yang, her heart felt as though it might leap out of her chest.Her feelings for her had never faded.At last, she closed her eyes, held her breath, and leaned in a little. Her red lips parted as she took the flushed earlobe into her mouth.Tears had left a bitter taste there.Along with the salty tang of tears, there was also a faint metallic sweetness of blood. Her soft tongue wrapped around the hard metal stud, the sharp tip pressing against her sensitive tongue—an exquisite collision between ultimate softness and ultimate hardness.Her lips and tongue slowly traced over the tender earlobe, stirring a scene rich with suggestive allure. Her nose brushed Nan Yang’s ear bone, her warm breath settling perfectly into the curve of her ear. With every exhale, the person in her arms stiffened a little more. After only a few breaths, she could clearly feel goosebumps rise densely along Nan Yang’s cheek.Nan Yang suddenly turned her head away, evading Qinghuan.In that instant, a thin silver strand still stretched from her earlobe.In a daze, Qinghuan noticed that Nan Yang’s entire body had flushed red. Even the small patch of skin exposed at the collar of her white shirt was tinted a soft pink.
Chapter 49
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“I’m going to take a shower first.”Nan Yang released Qinghuan, tucked the black hair that had slipped down by her temples behind her ear, and casually wiped the moisture from her earlobe with the back of her hand. The slick sheen smeared into a glistening trail.Qinghuan could feel how unusual Nan Yang was. Her body was burning hot—when she had just held her around the waist, even the warmth at Nan Yang’s lower back had been scorching. Nan Yang’s skin was usually cool; for it to be hot enough to burn meant that, to some degree, she had been stirred.Qinghuan was twenty-four, a grown adult. Of course she could read the flicker of panic that had passed through Nan Yang’s eyes earlier, and she understood why Nan Yang suddenly wanted to shower.That said, they were married now—and had been for a while. In the past, she had never thought about doing anything more with her because they hadn’t truly been together; their marriage had only been a false shell disguising an awkward relationship. But now their hearts were laid bare, they had held each other, kissed each other. Wasn’t it only natural to move on to the next step?Besides, she wanted her.Tonight, she wanted to have her.She needed something deeper to steady her restless, insecure heart. She needed to confirm her place as a wife, to be sure that Nan Yang would remain in her grasp.“Nan Yang.” Qinghuan gathered all her courage and called out to her.Nan Yang paused with the bathroom door half open and turned back. Her inky hair draped over her shoulders, the corners of her clear eyes tinged red. “Mm?”“Do you… do you want to…” When it came time to say it out loud, the difficulty felt like walking on thin ice. The shyness buried deep in her bones still blocked the desire in her heart. “I…”Nan Yang simply stood there quietly, waiting for her to finish gathering her nerve.At last, in a voice so small it was like a withered autumn mosquito’s hum, Qinghuan asked, “Do you want to… do that with me?”When Nan Yang processed what she meant, she froze.Qinghuan bit her lip, glanced away, and forced herself to finish, her voice barely audible. “We could try… right?”Nan Yang’s earlobes flushed even redder. Her fingers clenched the door handle as if she meant to brand her skin into the metal. She averted her gaze, staring at the floor tiles that reflected a dim, shadowy light, and suddenly remembered the nights three thousand years ago when they had been tangled together in bed.It had been too long.Far too long since she had been that intimately entwined with her.For those three thousand years, she had not wanted to disturb Qinghuan’s life, and she had her own principles to uphold. No matter how close she was to her, she remained restrained and ascetic, never crossing the line. At most, she would kiss her eyes, or the ends of her hair. She did not want to offend her, nor did she wish to create irreparable expectations in lives where she could not promise anything. She believed that only in the final life—the one where they could grow old together—should she give all intimacy to Qinghuan as her wife.In her ancient mindset, only after marriage could such things proceed naturally.And once those things were done, she had to marry that person. That was why she had carried the obsession of marrying Qinghuan for a full three thousand years.From the first time they had shared a bed, she had resolved to take her as her wife. Had it not been for those twists of fate, those accidents and separations, they should have had a grand wedding admired by all.For three thousand years, bound by precedent and loyal to her heart, she had never taken that step beyond the boundary. But clearly, three thousand years of abstinence was cruel for someone who had already tasted intimacy.Qinghuan’s voice pulled her back from her drifting thoughts. “Go on and wash up.”Nan Yang, ears burning, was silent for a long moment before nodding and gently closing the door.Qinghuan sat back on the sofa and shook her dizzy head, a little regretful of what she had just said. Would Nan Yang think she was too forward? Too loose, lacking restraint?After the regret came a rush of hopeful anticipation. No matter what Nan Yang thought, she had nodded. In half an hour, she would come out with wet hair. Before long, Qinghuan would be able to hold her, kiss her, touch her, and do everything she wanted with her.But… she seemed to have forgotten something.Qinghuan suddenly remembered that she had no idea how two women were supposed to do it.She shot a quick glance at the bathroom light and listened to the faint sound of running water. She hurriedly grabbed her phone, opened WeChat, and scanned through her contacts, realizing she had only one friend close enough to ask about such things—Qi Yi.She didn’t bother worrying whether it was appropriate and tapped into Qi Yi’s chat, typing rapidly, her fingers fluttering like a butterfly in the light.“Xiao Yi, do you know how two women do it in bed?”She paused, then added another message.“Be specific. The more detailed, the better.”Three minutes passed with no reply. There wasn’t even a “typing” indicator. Growing more anxious by the second, she was about to exit WeChat and search for it herself when Ming Wancheng’s chat suddenly popped up with an unread message.She tapped it instinctively.It was a cloud storage link, complete with an access code.Almost immediately, Ming Wancheng sent another message: “Master, this is a 500GB resource pack. Save it quickly—the link probably won’t last until tomorrow. The first folder is Western, the second is Japanese, the third has plots, and the fourth is TXT files. All are my personal collection. Study slowly, be gentle with our Ancestor, good night~”What?She had messaged Qi Yi—so why did Ming Wancheng reply?Was Ming Wancheng in Qi Yi’s room?Or was Qi Yi in Ming Wancheng’s room?Qinghuan sat there in total confusion.After reeling for a moment, she remembered to open the link and save the carefully prepared “gift.” In her cloud drive, among folders of acting resources and script backups, a folder named “I Love Studying” now sat at the very top with an intimidating 500GB size. She pressed her lips together tightly and tapped into it, hesitating before the four folders.Nan Yang finished her shower. The bathroom door opened, steam billowing out as she walked over while drying her hair.She had changed into a loose white cotton-linen shirt and soft, thin black wide-leg pants. The shirt had elegant wooden buttons, each carved with a delicate plum blossom. Paired with the fresh, heightened scent of her skin after bathing, she drew one in at a glance.The urge rose to hold her, bite at her buttons, and breathe in the rich plum-blossom fragrance at her neck.Nan Yang dried her hair and sat sideways beside Qinghuan, glancing at her phone. “What are you looking at?”Qinghuan hurriedly locked the screen and stood up in a fluster. “I’m going to shower.”“Mm.”Nan Yang didn’t pay any more attention to the phone.Qinghuan went into the bathroom, took out the hair dryer, and set it beside Nan Yang, her face flushed. “You dry your hair first. I’ll be quick.”“Mm.”Nan Yang obediently picked up the dryer, plugged it in, and carefully dried her hair.When she lifted her arm, Qinghuan caught sight of her unbuttoned collar and realized she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.Qinghuan hurried back into the bathroom and closed the door, pressing down the pounding of her heart. After several long breaths, she finally began to clumsily undress.She washed quickly. Without even drying off properly, droplets still clinging to her back, she hurried into a clean apricot-colored knit top. When she came out, Nan Yang was still drying her hair, nearly finished.Qinghuan paused at the bathroom door and rubbed her hair, embarrassed. “Actually… I didn’t get a chance to look at the tutorial.”Nan Yang froze. “…Tutorial?”“Yeah.” Qinghuan nodded awkwardly. “A-Cheng just sent me a lot of… those kinds of videos. I haven’t had time to study yet.”Nan Yang stared blankly for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Mm. Then… maybe you should study a bit more?”Qinghuan picked up her phone, pressed her lips together, and whispered, “Lie down on the bed. We can… watch together.”“Okay.”They went into the bedroom one after the other and lay down as before, one on each side, leaning against the headboard. To see the screen together, they were very close—arms pressed tightly together. Through the knit and the shirt, Qinghuan could feel the warmth of Nan Yang’s freshly bathed skin.Qinghuan randomly opened a video. The moment she saw the two leads, her face flushed all the way to her neck.Nan Yang crossed her arms and watched calmly in silence.The video was about twenty minutes long, with all the necessary steps shown, nothing censored, every detail laid out plainly for the learner.At some point, Nan Yang’s gaze shifted from the phone to Qinghuan’s face.The way she watched so intently was exactly the same as when she had once studied forbidden books.Was this child always so eager to learn about such things?After finishing the video, Qinghuan replayed it in her mind and felt she had grasped it well enough. She asked Nan Yang proactively, “So… do you want to be on top, or on the bottom?”Nan Yang thought for a moment and answered softly, “Up to you.”Qinghuan considered it. “Then you be on top.”“…Okay.”She added, “On top, but receiving.”Nan Yang frowned slightly, looking at her in confusion.“I want you to feel good,” Qinghuan murmured, cheeks red. “But I’m afraid of pressing on you, so… you on top, and I help you. Is that okay?”Nan Yang’s ears and neck flushed deeply. After a long while, she nodded, accommodating her.Qinghuan turned off the light and lay down obediently, her eyes shining with anticipation in the dark.Nan Yang raised her hands and unbuttoned her shirt one by one. Her usual cool, distant air made the restrained, tantalizing motion all the more deadly—like an ice-white magnolia that had budded on a cliff for a thousand years, finally opened by the one who crossed mountains and rivers for her, revealing each dew-kissed petal in a once-in-a-lifetime bloom.When the last button came undone, Nan Yang sat up, braced one hand beside Qinghuan, straddled her waist with her knees, and leaned down.She lifted her head and fixed her gaze on the orderly floral patterns of the pillowcase, unblinking.Soon, the patterns began to warp and ripple, turning into wave after wave. Her eyes narrowed, moisture pooling as she was carried again and again into a drowning she could not escape.Trembling.Lifted.Damp.Falling.Clumsy, inexperienced movements—yet enough to soothe a heart left hollow for three thousand years.Time slipped by.An hour, perhaps two. Somewhere far away, a clock tower rang out many blurred chimes.Cold wind slipped through the window crack, stirring the chocolate wrapper freshly peeled on the desk.Qinghuan held the unwrapped chocolate and carefully fed it into the mouth of the woman sprawled over her. Nan Yang could no longer hold herself up; her body sagged limply, hair at her temples soaked with sweat, the corners of her eyes wet with tears.Nan Yang held the sweet chocolate but lacked the strength even to chew, letting the cocoa butter melt slowly on her tongue.“Are you okay?” Qinghuan stroked her dark, soft hair again and again, her voice full of tenderness.Nan Yang pressed her lips together and gave a weak hum.“Did I do well?” Qinghuan hugged her tighter, voice gentle and slow. “Did it feel good?”“…Mm.”That was all she could manage.Qinghuan smiled in satisfaction and rubbed the top of her head. “I’ll get even better.”Nan Yang turned her face slightly and wiped the tears at her eye into Qinghuan’s curls.“Qinghuan,” she called hoarsely.“Mm? What is it?” Qinghuan kissed the crown of her head.Perhaps because she was held like this, perhaps because reason was still blurred by lingering desire—an impulse surged to tell her everything.If you knew all the truth, would you still let me steal a moment of warmth in your arms?“Qinghuan, do you believe in reincarnation?” Nan Yang asked, staring at the pillowcase patterns that had settled back into order, her voice faintly trembling. “Do you believe… that I have met many versions of you?”Qinghuan’s lips curved as she tightened her arms around Nan Yang’s back and whispered at her ear, “What does it matter whether I believe or not?”Nan Yang turned to her, confusion in her eyes—only to hear a fond, indulgent laugh by her ear.“Even if there were a thousand versions of me, all thousand would still be holding you.”Nan Yang froze.Her body went rigid at once. Only after Qinghuan continued to soothe her did she slowly relax.She tightened her arms around Qinghuan’s neck and buried her face deep into the hollow of her neck, teeth catching the collar of the knit top that had not yet cooled.After a long while, cool tears slipped silently between their tightly pressed skins.
Chapter 50
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After the first time, they tried again a few more times.After one of those times—she no longer knew which—Nan Yang was thoroughly exhausted. Listening to the soft murmurs by her ear, feeling the gentle strokes tracing her back again and again, she drifted off hazily in Qinghuan’s arms.Seeing that Nan Yang had fallen fast asleep, Qinghuan turned off the dim bedside lamp as well, wrapped an arm around Nan Yang’s waist, and closed her eyes.After the distant bell tolled twelve times, she slipped into a deep, heavy sleep.In that hazy state, she dreamed a strange dream.Just like last time, it was once again in a stifling canyon reeking of blood. Bodies lay everywhere. The sight was drenched in shocking crimson—some corpses still intact, others reduced to mangled chunks of flesh. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of rot. A catastrophe of inhuman brutality had clearly just taken place.She seemed to already be dead.Because she was not standing on the ground, nor was she, like last time, wielding a sword and chasing that woman in white, hacking madly. She was floating in midair. Her fingers could not truly curl into her palm, as though she were nothing more than a lingering wisp of a soul, unwilling to leave the place of her violent death.Through the haze, she saw Nan Yang.Nan Yang was kneeling on the ground, holding tightly in her arms a lifeless woman. A pale snow-blue longsword had pierced straight through the woman’s heart. The guard pressed against her chest, the long blade jutting horrifyingly out through her back. Blinding blood soaked Nan Yang’s white robes, staining them a deep, dark red.She stared at the dead woman for a long time before realizing—That woman was herself.She was dead.How had she died?Qinghuan searched her memory for a long while before recalling what had happened a few hours earlier.She had been ordered to kill Nan Yang, because Nan Yang was her family’s sworn enemy. Her father had told her to kill her, and she had to obey. She could not disobey. Even though she knew perfectly well that she did not want to harm that woman in the slightest, she had no way to command her own body. She had been forced by her father to drink human blood for far too long; the backlash had destroyed her sanity long ago. She had lost all control over her own will.Ever since she lost her mind, every word and every action of hers had been controlled by her father using the Bewitching Gu. Like a puppet tugged by strings—if he told her to laugh, she laughed; if he told her to cry, she cried.This body had long since become a half-dead puppet.Her father said, go and kill Nan Yang. And so she lifted her sword through tears, using all her strength to strike again and again at the woman she loved most.She struggled desperately countless times, yet not once did she overcome the body enslaved by the Bewitching Gu. Her consciousness was still alive, but she could only watch helplessly as her own hands sent Nan Yang closer and closer to death, one sword strike after another.Nan Yang never resisted. She was cut until her body was covered in wounds, driven back with nowhere left to retreat, until her back met the cliff wall in despair.And she still did not stop. She even gathered all her inner strength and thrust the final sword toward Nan Yang’s vital point.Nan Yang slowly closed her eyes. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She was calm, like a white crane waiting to return to its roost, serenely accepting the retribution about to fall upon her.But how could she truly kill her?That was the woman she loved most in this life.If one of us must die, how could I ever choose for it to be you?Master—how could I choose for you to die?Even if my body tells me I can no longer love you, Master—my soul, my instinct, will forever hold absolute loyalty to you.So, in that split second of lightning speed, she forcibly twisted the trajectory of the sword in her hand, pulling it away. Without stopping, she seized the hand with which Nan Yang held Luoshuang, guided it, and pressed her own chest toward the sword’s tip, meeting it head-on.Chi—The faint sound of steel slicing through fabric and flesh roared in her ears.Blood from the pierced heart splashed across Nan Yang’s face. When Nan Yang lifted her gaze, the heavy blood obscured her vision, bead after bead dripping down from her lashes.Drip. Drip.They fell onto the fingers that still clutched Nan Yang’s hand tightly, like vivid red petals falling onto fresh snow.The sword had pierced the heart meridian. There was no cure.She died quickly. Almost the instant Nan Yang caught her collapsing body, her soul was torn free, floating blankly in midair, staring in confusion at the lifeless shell in Nan Yang’s arms.So this was how she died.So…She had committed suicide.Nan Yang seemed to forget how to blink, holding her dead disciple in a daze. After a long while, she raised a trembling hand and touched Qinghuan’s cheek, careful and hesitant, as if she wanted to touch her yet feared to do so. Her fingers traced slowly over Qinghuan’s delicate features—her jaw, her throat—until they stopped at the side of her neck, pressing lightly.There was a deathly stillness there. No trace remained of the vigorous pulse a living person should have.When Nan Yang realized the person in her arms was dead, her eyes filled with overwhelming panic. She knelt there stiffly, blood-smeared fingers clamped around the corpse’s shoulders, not daring to move.The clash between the righteous and the demonic factions still roared around them. Accusations from one side, shouts from the other. The chaotic clash of blades was like a filthy, weed-choked river, flooding relentlessly into ears, eyes, and mouths. They had their arguments to make, their power to seize—but no matter what they fought over, it had nothing to do with the master and disciple separated by death in the corner of the canyon.Qinghuan wanted to wipe away the tears on Nan Yang’s face. She wanted to tell her: Master, don’t cry. I have no regrets.I never regretted it, and I never blamed you.I know that when you, as the righteous sect’s supreme leader, annihilated the demonic faction all those years ago, it was not your fault. That I survived by chance and was taken in by you in the northern wastes, that I mistakenly recognized my enemy as my father—none of that was your fault either. I always knew you were also helplessly swept along by this fate, bound by circumstances beyond your control. I understood all of it. So I never hated you—not even for a moment.Not only do I not hate you, I do not hate Father, nor the Northern Punishment either. I know that in this chaotic world, all of you had your own suffering. That I became the sacrifice caught in between was never an outcome any of you wished for.I do not hate any of you.I am only regretful.Master, from now on, I won’t be by your side anymore. How will you go on living?Who will take care of you?Everyone thinks you are the most powerful supreme leader under heaven. Everyone thinks you are cold, strong, invulnerable. But only I know that you are actually a fool who cannot even take care of herself. You can’t cook properly, can’t wash clothes, and when you crave candied hawthorns, you sulk and never say it out loud. If I am no longer by your side, who will take care of you the way I did—like caring for a child?Who will notice that you are, in truth, just as fragile as one?Master.How could I rest in death?Look at you—you’re crying like this, and there’s not a single person to wipe away your tears.How is it that no one realizes that even a god standing so high above the world can still cry?Just as she was about to reach out to touch Nan Yang’s eyes, her vision suddenly blurred.In the next moment, she was no longer in that canyon filled with killing cries. Cold snowflakes drifted down, settling one by one in her hair. She rubbed her eyes and realized she was back on Beifa Mountain, where snow fell year-round.She did not know what year it was. She only vaguely saw a horizontal couplet pasted above a distant doorway, the ink faded to gray-white. Four dark characters were written there, but the wind and snow swept over them, making them impossible to see clearly.Nan Yang sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, looking as cool and elegant as ever. She wore plain white robes embroidered with subtle crane patterns. In her left hand, she held the snow-blue Luoshuang; her right index finger gently traced along the sharp blade.Nan Yang pressed her lips together, her brows knitting briefly, before quickly smoothing out again.She gripped the sword hilt with both hands and slowly lifted it, turning the tip toward herself. Gazing absently into the distance, she pressed the blade against the position of her heart. The sharp edge creased the white fabric into faint folds. Her hands trembled as they tightened around the hilt.What was she doing?Was she going to kill herself?No…No…Don’t…Nan Yang suddenly curled her lips into a faint smile. She glanced toward the four characters on the doorway, tears rising in her eyes, as if she had finally found release. She clenched the hilt.Master…Don’t.Please.I beg you.Don’t.Moments later, resolve sank into those light brown eyes. The snow-blue blade plunged cleanly and decisively into that slender body—“Mas—”Qinghuan jolted upright in bed, the cry from her dream still half-caught in her throat.Her entire body was drenched in sweat. A bead slid down the bridge of her nose toward her philtrum. When the hand braced on the edge of the bed shifted slightly, she felt the sticky dampness in her palm.“Mmm…”Nan Yang, sleeping beside her, let out a soft murmur and turned slightly. Soft black hair slid down from her bare shoulder, wrapping around her collarbones marked with red traces.Cold air slipped through the window crack, stirring the crumpled chocolate wrapper on the desk.Another… another dream.Qinghuan’s chest heaved violently. For a long time, she could not pull herself out of the dream’s suffocating realism. She struggled to steady her breathing, her gaze lowering until it landed on the crystal-red round jade Nan Yang had given her, hanging at her neck.This jade…It seemed that ever since she started wearing it, she had been having these strange, half-real, half-illusory dreams. Nan Yang always appeared in them. It felt as though they had spent many long years together, and had also endured many helpless separations. Some dreams left behind a few fragmented images upon waking; others vanished completely.Like the dream just now. For the moment it was still vivid, but after a few hours—after another sleep—it would leave no trace in her memory. Only during the hours of dreaming and the brief moments after waking could she remember it. Once the drowsiness fully faded, most of the dream would be gone.She could only remember that she had dreamed one strange dream after another. When she tried to recall specific details, only a few blurred images would flash before her eyes.For example, Nan Yang dressed in white.For example, a snow-blue sword plunged into her chest.She knew they were only dreams, yet in her heart there was an indescribable feeling—like a green sprout barely covered by thin soil, struggling to break through, yet unable to emerge no matter what.On the verge of being spoken.On the brink of collapse.Nan Yang stirred again. Because Qinghuan had abruptly sat up, the quilt had been lifted at one corner, cold air pouring into the once-warm bed, chilling the sleeping woman.Nan Yang had always been a light sleeper. The moment the cold brushed her arm, she woke.Seeing Qinghuan sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze, she rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice hoarse. “Qinghuan, what’s wrong?”Hearing Nan Yang’s voice, Qinghuan’s nose stung. She bent down and hugged Nan Yang tightly, saying miserably by her ear, “I—I just had a dream. I… I… dreamed that you… killed yourself.”Nan Yang froze for a moment.She quickly concealed the turmoil in her eyes, hugged Qinghuan back, and murmured gently, “How could I kill myself? If I did, who would be lying here now?”“Mm.” Qinghuan held her even tighter.“Go back to sleep. Don’t you have to resume filming tomorrow?” Nan Yang rubbed the luxuriant curls.“It’s fine.” Qinghuan paused, suddenly realizing she had disturbed Nan Yang’s rest, guilt blooming in her chest. “Did I… did I wake you up?”“No. I’m a light sleeper. It’s not your fault.”No sooner had Nan Yang finished speaking than a soft “gurgle” sounded from her lean abdomen.Waking in the middle of the night hungry was only natural—after all, the last thing she had eaten was the piece of caviar sushi Qinghuan had forced into her mouth.“Hungry?” Qinghuan’s attention was instantly diverted. She kissed Nan Yang’s earlobe and motioned for her to let go. “Wait a moment. I’ll make you something to eat.”“It’s late. Forget it.” Nan Yang didn’t want to delay her filming the next day.Knowing she didn’t want to trouble her, Qinghuan changed tack. “Then I won’t cook. I’ll just make you some honey water.”Nan Yang touched her stomach. After a long silence, unable to resist the urgent hunger, she finally nodded.Qinghuan put on her fluffy robe, slipped into warm cotton slippers, and got out of bed. She went to the coffee table, rummaged through the tray for the sachets of honey she usually drank, filled the kettle, and started boiling water. She poured one packet into a clean glass. After emptying it, she glanced at Nan Yang, who was putting on her clothes. After a moment’s thought, she tore open another small packet and poured that in as well.One packet would have been enough—but since that woman loved sweets so much, she would give her a little more.When the water boiled, she took a metal teaspoon, stirring as she poured. Soon, a rich cup of honey water was ready. Carefully holding the hot glass by its edge, she took small steps back into the bedroom.Nan Yang was wearing only that white cotton-linen shirt with the delicate wooden buttons. During what they had just done, the shirt had been pressed beneath them, and something had smeared a large damp patch across the collar. Because of it, Nan Yang hadn’t bothered to button the nearby buttons, leaving four at the top completely undone. The generous view beneath was half-concealed by the damp collar, tinted with a hazy, indecent allure that made one afraid to look directly.Qinghuan cleared her throat and forced her gaze down to the glass in her hands.She sat sideways on the edge of the bed, picked up the teaspoon, scooped a small spoonful of honey water, and blew on it carefully. After testing the temperature with her lower lip, she lifted the spoon to Nan Yang’s mouth.Nan Yang parted her lips and accepted the spoonful.Watching the tip of Nan Yang’s tongue peek out slightly as she opened her mouth, Qinghuan couldn’t help swallowing.Nan Yang hadn’t done anything inappropriate, yet Qinghuan felt that every movement of hers was seducing her.After six spoonfuls, Nan Yang stopped. “That’s enough. It’s not good to take too much at night.”“Have a little more.”She wanted to see again the way that rosy tongue brushed the metal spoon.“…Alright.”Nan Yang had always indulged her. No matter how unreasonable the request, she would agree.Qinghuan fed the entire cup of honey water to Nan Yang, yet it still wasn’t enough. The way Nan Yang drank honey water was far too alluring—like a noble white horse lowering its head to drink beside ancient Roman columns. She glanced at the empty glass, hurried into the living room, and said, “I’ll make you another cup.”Nan Yang: “……”The second cup was quickly finished.Then a third arrived, without pause.Cup after cup—Like their owner, unrestrained and endless.Just as Qinghuan was about to make a fourth, Nan Yang grabbed her wrist, already frowning. “I… I’m really full.”Her hand rested on her lower abdomen. Even through the shirt, it was clearly a little rounder.Only then did Qinghuan realize what she had just done. Her face flushed completely.“Sleep.” Nan Yang took the glass from her hand, set it on the bedside table, pulled her back to bed, and guided her down. “Yo
Chapter 51
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The next day was bright and cloudless.Life seemed to have slipped back onto its proper track. The dreams that belonged to yesterday were left behind yesterday. With the sun rising today, everyone went about what they were meant to do, as if nothing had been abruptly disrupted or broken.When she woke up, Qinghuan briefly considered asking Nan Yang about the scar on her chest. But remembering how Nan Yang had always avoided talking about the scars on her lower abdomen, she dismissed the thought.No matter what, it must have been a deeply unpleasant memory. Why stir up unnecessary sadness for no reason?Early that morning, Nan Yang sent a message to Sun Xuxue, asking her to bring a cane over from afar. When they went downstairs for breakfast, Nan Yang supported herself with the brand-new cane in her left hand, her steps slightly uneven, her face still calm and unreadable.She usually did not eat breakfast in public places, but today Qinghuan said she wanted to try the hotel’s pickled cucumbers, so Nan Yang accompanied her.When they arrived at the restaurant, the crew members were scattered about in small groups, eating. Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi were sitting face to face at a table. Qi Yi had peeled a boiled egg and was about to put it into her mouth when A-Cheng muttered something. Qi Yi sighed, and the egg was promptly placed into A-Cheng’s bowl of porridge instead.The moment Ming Wancheng saw Nan Yang approaching with a cane, she felt that something was off about her.Something serious must have happened.Her gaze fell on Nan Yang’s unsteady left leg, and she clicked her tongue inwardly. She must have knelt too hard on that leg last night.When kneeling, one should keep the posture proper so that both knees share the load evenly, otherwise you wake up the next day limping on just one leg. Someone like Nan Yang, who probably hadn’t knelt once in eight hundred lifetimes, definitely wouldn’t understand that. Later, she would have to pass on her rich experience of kneeling on washboards to the Ancestor.Qinghuan helped Nan Yang sit down beside Ming Wancheng, her eyes full of curiosity. “Xiao Yi, why are you having breakfast with A-Cheng? Did you sleep together last night?”Qi Yi’s gold-rimmed glasses nearly slid off her nose into her soup bowl.Ming Wancheng blinked her innocent, guileless eyes and replied, “I drank too much iced cola yesterday. My stomach hurt all night, so Sister took care of me.”Qinghuan nodded in understanding and teased Qi Yi, “Xiao Yi, I wouldn’t have guessed you were this kind-hearted.”Qi Yi pushed her glasses back up, remembering the question Qinghuan had asked her on WeChat last night. She snorted and shot back, “Then what’s wrong with Boss Nan’s leg today? Did she fall off the bed last night or something?”Nan Yang’s hand froze mid-motion as she reached for a napkin.Qinghuan hurriedly changed the subject. “Alright, let’s eat. We start filming today. A-Cheng and I need to get to the set early.”Ming Wancheng stuffed a big bite of egg into her mouth and spoke indistinctly, “So in about another month, Master will basically be done filming, right?”Nan Yang picked up the chopsticks that had already been washed and carefully wiped them again with a napkin. Hearing Ming Wancheng chattering with her mouth full, she frowned slightly. “Don’t talk while you’re chewing.”Ming Wancheng wilted after being scolded.Qinghuan swallowed her porridge and said, “Yes, about one more month.”Qi Yi also took a napkin. “What’s your schedule after Divine Dance wraps up?”“There was a large-scale couples travel variety show that’s been trying to get me for a while,” Qinghuan recalled what her agent Shi Ying had told her. “It should be a little over a month from now. I think it’s called something like ‘Honeymoon Together’? There’s a male version and a female version. I was invited to the female one. They said there would be three celebrity couples, traveling abroad and playing games together.”She had already asked Nan Yang about it, and Nan Yang had agreed without any hesitation.Not only had she agreed readily, there had even been a hint of anticipation in her eyes. She seemed to genuinely want to go out into the world with her and see different landscapes.“Female version means that the other two couples will also be all-female ‘wives,’ right?” Ming Wancheng’s eyes rolled thoughtfully. “Have you heard who they are?”“Mm… I’ve heard a bit,” Qinghuan tapped the rim of her bowl lightly with a porcelain spoon. “One confirmed couple is Best Actress Bai Jinqiu and her wife Cen Ziyan. The remaining spot is still under discussion.” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anyone. This is confidential.”“Bai Jinqiu?” Ming Wancheng’s eyes widened. “They actually got Bai Jinqiu?”Her shock was understandable.Bai Jinqiu should be around forty this year. When she was younger, she starred in many classic films, nearly every one bringing home gleaming awards. She was a god-tier actress no one in the industry dared to smear. At the peak of her brilliance, at thirty-five, she suddenly announced her retirement and went abroad alone, saying she was pursuing further studies in acting. After that, the studies never seemed to end. No matter how her fans wailed and scrolled through her Weibo—which she had stopped updating years earlier—she never reappeared in the public eye.Retiring at the height of one’s fame only shrouded her in an even more legendary aura.And now, this actress who had been placed on a pedestal for years had suddenly returned to the country, reemerging before everyone without warning. The very first news she announced upon returning to the camera was that she had married the currently popular young star Cen Ziyan.Cen Ziyan and Qinghuan were from the same generation of breakout celebrities. Like Qinghuan, her acting was passable at best, and she relied largely on her looks to draw loyal fans and traffic. Qinghuan had the Mei family backing her, so her rise to fame was mostly fueled by positive press. Cen Ziyan was different. Without such strong backing, she had been at the mercy of her agency, and most of her fame today came from being dragged through scandal after scandal, becoming a controversial black-and-red celebrity.A legendary actress who had lived in the clouds for years finally deigned to descend into the mortal world—and the first thing she did was marry a so-called “hollow school” zero-acting-skills, black-and-red young star whose total Bilibili parody video runtime might even exceed her actual screen time. On top of that, Bai Jinqiu was forty this year, while Cen Ziyan was only twenty-three, a seventeen-year age gap. It was even more dramatic than the marriage between thirty-five-year-old Nan Yang and twenty-four-year-old Zhu Qinghuan. The day their marriage was announced, it eclipsed the buzz around Nan Yang and Qinghuan’s wedding at lightning speed. After all, both Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan were celebrities, with endless angles for media exploitation, and their fans were fighting across every major forum.Their situation was different from Nan Yang and Qinghuan’s. Nan Yang was an outsider with no fanbase to speak of, so after the initial adjustment period for Qinghuan’s fans, most reactions were blessings. Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan, however, received mostly incomprehension and vicious personal attacks.Logically speaking, with such a hostile environment, they should have kept a low profile. Yet Bai Jinqiu, with her reserved temperament, had actually agreed at such a sensitive moment to go against the tide and appear on a couples travel variety show with Cen Ziyan. Had she completely lost her mind?Qinghuan continued, “Actually, with three celebrity couples, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan bring the buzz, Nan Yang and I bring popularity, and the remaining slot could go to a newcomer. As for how the production team is thinking now, it depends on which investor has the clout to push someone in.”Nan Yang had been silent for a long while, but now she suddenly looked at Ming Wancheng and asked, “Do you want to go?”Ming Wancheng stared at her, dumbfounded, clutching half an egg. After a long pause, she said slowly, “Ancestor, do you know you’re joining a ‘couples travel’ show? Where am I supposed to suddenly find a ‘wife’?”The movements of all four people at the table froze simultaneously.Two seconds later, Nan Yang, Qinghuan, and Ming Wancheng all turned their heads toward Qi Yi, who was sitting in the corner.Qi Yi: ??????“What are you planning to do?” Qi Yi stared at the three of them in horror.“Well… actually, the show never said participants have to be real couples,” Qinghuan said, stroking her chin as she examined Qi Yi. “In special cases, to promote newcomers who don’t want dating scandals, the production team will insert one or two ‘fake couples.’ The audience knows it’s fake, so it doesn’t hurt the newcomer’s single, fan-friendly image, and it can even attract CP fans.”Ming Wancheng’s eyes lit up with excitement.Qi Yi looked utterly confused. “But I’m not a celebrity. I’m just a high school teacher. Why drag me into your entertainment industry nonsense? The production team wouldn’t want to bring a complete civilian like me along, would they?”“These shows usually invite one or two civilians—athletes, illustrators, writers, that sort of thing. Someone with your background as a teacher would actually be very appealing to them. It’s easy to build a persona, give the audience something fresh, and create social buzz. I’m just making a suggestion,” Qinghuan said gently, setting her spoon back into the bowl. “And the filming period happens to be during winter break. You won’t have much to do for that month anyway. Usually during winter and summer breaks, Uncle Qi and Auntie go abroad for academic exchanges, and you’re left alone at home. This year, you could consider traveling abroad with us?”A publicly funded trip, with the show providing all kinds of fun games—and most importantly, the chance to travel and explore with her closest friends. For someone like Qi Yi, who spent most of her time alone, it was impossible for this to hold no appeal.But she also understood that the entertainment industry was complicated, and variety shows all had unspoken rules. Joining a show that was bound to become a hit was not as simple as just traveling, as Qinghuan put it.Besides, she and Ming Wancheng were not even that close, were they?Qinghuan knew this couldn’t be decided overnight, so she said, “Xiao Yi, you can think about it slowly. There’s still plenty of time.”Although she said that aloud, under the table she quietly squeezed Nan Yang’s hand.Nan Yang understood immediately. Without drawing attention, she took out her phone, opened her chat with Mei Zhongli, and concisely instructed him to contact the production team of Honeymoon Together right away and reserve a spot for Ming Wancheng.After sending the message, Nan Yang silently put her phone away and focused once more on her soup bowl.She seemed even more expectant now.She and Qinghuan, Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan.In one month, who knew what interesting things might happen?After finishing breakfast, Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng were heading to Zangzuo Film City to shoot. Qi Yi planned to stay around for a few more days as well, so they agreed to go explore Zangzuo together. With more people, Nan Yang’s Audi A4L could no longer fit everyone, so Xiao Ye was called to bring the nanny van.The weather was good today, and everything seemed to carry auspicious signs. Nan Yang did not want anything strange to appear and ruin her mood for no reason.So while waiting for the van, she went to the restroom alone.Inside, she dialed Mei Zhongli’s number.“Ancestor, good morning to you. What instructions do you have?” Mei Zhongli’s respectful voice came through.“You know Jiang Banxia, don’t you?” Nan Yang said expressionlessly, lightly brushing a small ceramic tile on the sink.“Yes, I do. She is A-Zhen’s successor.”“From today onward, there is no such successor.”“…Ancestor, I don’t quite understand…?”“I don’t want to see her again,” Nan Yang said coldly. “You don’t need to know the reason. You only need to know that in this lifetime, I never want to see her again. Do you understand?”Mei Zhongli rarely heard Nan Yang speak in such an icy tone. Though he did not know the specifics, he could guess that Jiang Banxia must have gravely offended her. He quickly replied, “Rest assured, Ancestor. I will immediately help A-Zhen cultivate a new successor. This time I will screen them carefully. In the future, there will still be three successors guarding your side. None will be missing.”Nan Yang hummed softly. After a brief silence, she added, “You don’t need to use extreme methods to make her disappear. Just send her back to Australia and make sure she never sets foot on the mainland again.”Mei Zhongli had already been mentally planning hundreds of brutal ways to make Jiang Banxia vanish. Hearing this, he froze. “…What? Just send her back to Australia?”“Yes.”“Then… how should this be handled…” Mei Zhongli hesitated. Crippling someone—or even killing them—was easy. Controlling someone so they stayed in one place and never came back was not.“She will soon be deported and permanently barred from reentering the mainland,” Nan Yang said, her brow lifting slightly. “Because her passport and ID have been lost.”“…Already lost?”“They may not be lost yet,” Nan Yang narrowed her eyes. “But I want them lost. From now on, every time she leaves Australia, no matter which country she goes to, she loses them once. Do you understand?”There was a brief two-second silence on the other end. “I’ll take care of it immediately,” Mei Zhongli replied.
Chapter 52
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After the New Year, the crew had a mountain of work to handle as they resumed filming. Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng were practically dragged into the makeup room the moment they entered Li Dong’s line of sight. Before Qinghuan stepped into the changing room, she hurriedly gave Nan Yang—who was sitting on a sofa in the corner reading on her Kindle—a few instructions.“If you get bored, you can go wander around the southeast corner of Zangzuo. There’s a pedestrian street over there. At the second corner from the east, there’s a cart that sells tanghulu. If you want some, go ahead and get a skewer.”Nan Yang lifted her eyes and confirmed seriously, “I really can eat it?”Qinghuan had told her before that at her age she shouldn’t eat too many carbs, or she’d get diabetes. Nan Yang had remembered it the whole time.“Have you actually cut down on your other sweets?” Qinghuan sighed, twisting open the door to the changing room. “Eat it. Just don’t eat too much.”Qi Yi was bored too. This wasn’t her first time visiting Qinghuan on set, and filming had long since lost its novelty for her. Ming Wancheng could tell from the dullness in her eyes, so she scurried over and said to Nan Yang, “Ancestor, remember to bring my sister along. You two go stroll around together.”Qi Yi: “…?”Nan Yang: “…”Qinghuan smoothly followed up, “You two go together, keep each other company. A-Cheng and I will come find you during lunch break, and then we can eat together.”Qi Yi glanced awkwardly at the silent Nan Yang. Out of the four of them, any two random people paired up would have a better relationship than the two of them. She hadn’t even properly exchanged a full sentence with Nan Yang, and now she was supposed to go shopping with this ice-faced woman?Nan Yang put away her Kindle without much expression, stood up with her cane, her left leg still slightly lame, and walked straight out.Qi Yi looked back and forth in confusion, unsure whether she was supposed to follow.Nan Yang had already gone some distance. Noticing no one behind her, she turned back and asked flatly, “Teacher Qi, aren’t you coming?”“Coming, coming.” Qi Yi forced herself to move, pushing up the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose as she hurried after her.They walked in silence the entire way.Nan Yang simply wasn’t talkative by nature, and Qi Yi was slow to warm up. One was a sect lord from three thousand years ago, the other a teacher who lectured from a podium—both of them used to carrying themselves with a certain dignity. Without Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng to loosen things up, the atmosphere between them was nearly frozen solid.When they reached the pedestrian street in the southeast corner, the two women stopped at the intersection and stared at each other, wordless.Qi Yi couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer and took the initiative. “How about… Boss Nan goes to buy tanghulu first?”Nan Yang thought for a moment and said two words, “Fine.”Leaning on her cane, limping on her left leg, she headed toward the cart Qinghuan had mentioned. Qi Yi trailed behind her, watching the uneven movement, and couldn’t help muttering under her breath, “No self-restraint at all. How exhausted must Zhuzhu be…”Her voice wasn’t loud, but Nan Yang’s hearing was sharp. Every word landed clearly in her ears. Nan Yang turned her head slowly and said, “I didn’t think she was tired.”Qi Yi froze when she understood what Nan Yang meant, then sighed. “Boss Nan, you’re thirty-five. You’re eleven years older than Zhuzhu. How can you be content to keep being a—”“Teacher Qi,” Nan Yang interrupted lightly. “Watch your words.”Qi Yi looked around at the not-so-crowded pedestrians. “What’s wrong?”“Matters of the bedchamber are never appropriate for public discussion.”“…!”Qi Yi had always thought she was conservative enough, but she hadn’t expected Nan Yang to be this old-fashioned. What era was this? Did she really have to be so rigid and particular about speaking?Nan Yang stopped at the tanghulu cart, her eyes fixed on the dazzling selection, and asked casually, “Would Teacher Qi like one?”Qi Yi stepped closer and pressed her lips together.“If Boss Nan is treating, I’ll eat.”“Which one does Teacher Qi want?”“I’ll eat whichever one Boss Nan eats.”“Teacher Qi, choose.”“Boss Nan, you choose.”“Teacher Qi needn’t be polite.”“Boss Nan doesn’t need to be polite with me either.”The vendor stared at the two tall women in bafflement as they traded “Teacher” and “Boss” back and forth, circling in courtesy, and still not actually buying anything.After all that politeness, Nan Yang finally bought two skewers of candied strawberries. When the vendor handed them over, she only took her own skewer instead of taking both and then handing one to Qi Yi like a normal person. When Qi Yi took her candied strawberries from the vendor, she couldn’t help thinking: Zhuzhu taught her well. Boss Nan truly blocked every possible chance of contact with other women.Qi Yi bit into her candied strawberries and drifted into thought.She had always been curious—Qinghuan was so beautiful and gentle. What kind of person could possibly be worthy of her?What kind of person could walk at her side without it feeling out of place?Maybe only Nan Yang.They matched in every way—looks, age, status. Just standing together, they made you think: these two women were simply meant to be a pair. They were ice and fire, mountain and sea, moon and sun, flower and butterfly. Every paired scenery under heaven, every creature that clung to its other half.They should be each other’s one and only.Nan Yang ate the largest strawberry at the top of her skewer, then glanced at the daydreaming Qi Yi. “Teacher Qi, watch where you’re going.”Only then did Qi Yi notice she was about to run into a safety bollard. Still moving forward from momentum, she lurched and dodged awkwardly.Nan Yang didn’t reach out to help. She kept her gaze forward. Not far ahead was an underground supermarket. She paused, then said to Qi Yi—who was hurriedly fixing her pants—“I’m going to buy something.”“Go ahead. I won’t go in.”“Mm.”Nan Yang walked unhurriedly toward the supermarket entrance, eating the candied strawberries one by one on the way.Qi Yi watched her enter, growing bored. Glancing around, she noticed several large claw machines set up near the entrance, and beside them a machine where you could scan a code to exchange for tokens. With nothing else to do, she scanned twenty yuan through WeChat, pocketed the heavy coins, and went to play.These machines always had fixed settings: the claw was consistently loose, and it would only tighten up once after forty or fifty tries. Qi Yi didn’t expect much—she was just killing time.Two tokens per try. Very quickly her twenty tokens were gone, so she exchanged for twenty more and kept going slowly.Normally, if she didn’t get anything in the first twenty, she would stop. But today there was an especially adorable rogue rabbit inside the machine. She liked it at first sight and wanted to try a few more times.After the eighteenth failure, Qi Yi clicked her tongue and reached into her pocket again, disappointed. As she was feeling around for tokens, a cool voice sounded behind her.“It looks like A-Cheng.”At some point, Nan Yang had come back out. She was holding an opaque bag—who knew what she had bought. Her hands were clasped behind her waist, her eyes fixed unblinking on the rogue rabbit Qi Yi had been trying to grab.Qi Yi’s face suddenly flushed, a warm pink blooming beneath her gold-rimmed glasses like peach petals in sunlight. “How does it look like her?”“Teacher Qi has been trying for a long time, and still hasn’t gotten it.”Nan Yang’s voice was flat, but whether it was psychological or not, Qi Yi somehow heard a faint trace of mockery.“Sounds like Boss Nan is a claw-machine expert. Want to try?”Nan Yang didn’t like childish games, and she had never played before. But earlier, when she walked past, she had noticed that the machine closest to the supermarket entrance was filled with identical plush foxes—an orderly pile of white foxes, soft-looking, extremely like a bewitching yet gentle Qinghuan. Nan Yang pressed her lips together and walked to the token exchange machine, scanning the code.A moment later, the token slot erupted with a terrifying clatter, like an avalanche of metal.Qi Yi stared, dumbstruck, at the sheer number of coins that overflowed the net and scattered across the ground. Her eyes went huge. She seriously suspected Nan Yang had emptied the entire machine in one go.Nan Yang took off her coat, crouched, and methodically picked up every single token, gathering them into the coat.By the time she finished, the coat was stretched like an overstuffed sack. She slung it over her shoulder, left a small opening, and stood in front of the fox-filled claw machine, pulling tokens out with one hand and feeding them into the slot with the other.It was the first time Qi Yi had ever seen someone operate a claw machine one-handed.Nan Yang hadn’t played before. After one or two tries to get used to it, she understood most of the mechanics. She was a master with deep inner power; she knew how to use that control to make a loose claw tighten. Starting from the third attempt, every time she pressed the grab button, she steadily lifted out a cute little fox.Qi Yi watched in disbelief as Nan Yang landed hit after hit, grabbing plush after plush with perfect accuracy, and felt her entire worldview crumble.“Find me a sack,” Nan Yang said, eyes still on the machine.Half the machine was already empty. Nan Yang spread her coat directly on the ground, and the pile of foxes she’d won stacked up on the mountain of coins. Seeing she was about to run out of space, Qi Yi hurried into the supermarket.She couldn’t find a woven sack. She only found trash bags.The kind used by sanitation workers—huge black bags meant to line oversized garbage bins.It was better than nothing. She dragged the absurdly large trash bag to the checkout, then, under everyone’s strange stares, dragged it back to Nan Yang and began stuffing all the plush foxes into it.Qi Yi had an illusion that she wasn’t a teacher right now, but a cleaner. She wasn’t packing toys, but water bottles from a trash heap.When Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng came over, this was the bizarre scene they saw.Nan Yang, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, bent over and intensely focused on grabbing plushies. Behind her, Qi Yi crouched and kept stuffing the toys Nan Yang tossed back into a strange black trash bag. The claw machine Nan Yang was working on had only three foxes left in it.When Qi Yi had called them twenty minutes earlier, Qinghuan had already been full of questions. After arriving, she was even more confused. She walked up to Nan Yang and watched her smoothly pull another fox from the prize chute, then asked, baffled, “What are you doing?”Nan Yang handed the fox to Qinghuan. There was the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. “It looks like you.”Qinghuan took the fox, rubbed it lightly with her fingertips, and her ears turned a little red.“Then… one is enough. Why did you empty their whole machine…”Nan Yang leaned down, dropped in two more tokens, and aimed for the last fox huddled in the corner.“You’re mine,” she said softly.Qinghuan blinked, still slightly confused.Nan Yang moved the joystick, her lips barely parting, her voice even softer.“Everything that looks like you must be mine as well.”
Chapter 53
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Ming Wancheng was jealous.She scrunched up her small face, staring like a sour little lemon spirit at the overstuffed trash bag. After hearing what Nan Yang said, her round eyes overflowed with envy. Damn it—another day of wanting to marry the Ancestor.Qi Yi stood to the side, silently watching Ming Wancheng’s furrowed brows.A kid like A-Cheng would probably want a plush toy grabbed from a claw machine too.The last fox in the machine was finally pulled out. Nan Yang personally placed it on top of the trash bag. The bag was stuffed far beyond capacity; once the opening was gathered, it was larger than a full-grown adult. With an unchanged expression, she dragged this wildly incongruous trash bag along, took Qinghuan’s hand, and said, “Let’s eat.”Qinghuan glanced helplessly at the enormous bag and squeezed the space between Nan Yang’s thumb and forefinger. “Should I have Xiao Ye take these back to the hotel first?”“I’ll have Xuxue handle it. Xiao Ye still needs to stay on set and look after you,” Nan Yang said, already pulling out her phone to summon Sun Xuxue.Since it would take some time for Sun Xuxue to arrive, they went to find a place to eat first. Nan Yang walked with one hand holding Qinghuan’s and the other dragging the trash bag, drawing plenty of attention. Most people around Zangzuo Film City were industry insiders—staff, famous directors, top celebrities—and many familiar TV faces glanced over at the strange group on the street. Paparazzi and reporters lurking nearby quietly pulled out their cameras. The faint shutter clicks were swallowed by the surrounding noise, unnoticed.The four of them chose a roast duck restaurant and ordered duck wraps.When Qinghuan ate, she only lightly dabbed a tiny corner of each slice of duck in sweet bean sauce—just enough for flavor. Nan Yang was completely different. She pressed every slice of duck firmly into the sauce, so that when she lifted it out, the meat had lost all of its pale color. Once wrapped in the pancake, the pancake itself turned brown with sauce.Ming Wancheng could barely watch. “Isn’t that unbearably salty?”Nan Yang shook her head with her mouth full.Qinghuan sighed, pulled out a napkin, and gently wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of Nan Yang’s mouth. “Use less sauce on the meat. Strong flavors aren’t good for your body.”“Mm,” Nan Yang replied.And she truly did stop dipping the duck heavily in sauce. She even put a completely plain slice of duck into the pancake. But after placing the duck, she picked up a thin strip of cucumber and pressed it hard into the sweet bean sauce.Ming Wancheng nearly applauded.The Ancestor really was a logic genius.Qinghuan was a little helpless, but she had always been soft-hearted toward Nan Yang, so she didn’t say anything more.After the meal, Nan Yang stood to put on her coat. Qinghuan stood in front of her, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she spoke. “I don’t have any filming this afternoon. Something came up with Xia Shan, so today’s scenes were moved to tomorrow. A-Cheng will keep filming, and I’ll go back to the hotel with you, okay?”A trace of softness flowed into Nan Yang’s eyes. She nodded.“Xiao Yi, do you want to come back with us?” Qinghuan folded the napkin and bent to throw it into the trash.Qi Yi was silent for a moment before answering, “I want to walk around a bit more. I’ll head back tonight.”“That works. You can ride back with A-Cheng later.”They exchanged brief goodbyes. The meal had taken a while, and Li Dong was already urging them in the work group chat, so Ming Wancheng hurried off first. Qi Yi said she wanted to sit and drink some tea for a bit longer, so Nan Yang and Qinghuan left ahead of her.As soon as they stepped out of the private room, Nan Yang took the initiative. “Do you have any plans when we get back?”Qinghuan tilted her head and thought. “Mm…”Nan Yang quietly waited as she put up the hood of her down jacket.Qinghuan bit her lip, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, and asked softly, “Were you… tired last night?”Nan Yang froze, her fingers pausing in the fluffy trim of the hood.After a moment, she gently shook her head. Half of her ears turned red and hid themselves inside the hood.Qinghuan pressed her lips together in a smile, the curve of her eyes looking just like the coy little fox from the claw machine. “Then when we get back, we’ll continue. A-Cheng gave me a lot of resources I haven’t gone through yet. I can study while I practice.”Nan Yang’s hand gripping the cane trembled.After speaking, Qinghuan touched her own nose, her eyes a little red. “Um… just thinking about last night makes me want to kiss you.”Nan Yang stopped, obediently saying, “Then kiss.”Qinghuan laughed softly. “This is a restaurant. Even if we’re openly married, we can’t be that shameless.”“Then we’ll kiss somewhere else.”Nan Yang took her hand and calmly scanned the restaurant, locating the restroom. She led Qinghuan over at an unhurried pace, lifted the curtain, and found three stalls inside. The first two were occupied; only the stall at the very end was empty.Nan Yang pulled Qinghuan into the last stall, gently locked the door, set the cane upright to the side, then leaned back against the wall with her hands behind her. She lowered her voice until only the two of them could hear. “Go ahead. Kiss me.”Qinghuan couldn’t suppress her smile. Nan Yang truly indulged her without any limits—if she asked for the stars or the moon, Nan Yang would probably build a spaceship and take her to space to touch them.Smiling, she leaned in and kissed Nan Yang’s lower lip, tilting her head slightly, gently rubbing their lips together. Her fingers even mischievously scratched at Nan Yang’s lower back.Nan Yang predictably jolted, and the two of them pressed together more tightly.With people in the neighboring stalls, they didn’t dare make much noise. Even when their lips and tongues tangled, they were restrained. Qinghuan had only learned how to kiss not long ago, yet the moment she touched Nan Yang’s lips, her body seemed to move on instinct, expertly teasing and exploring every softness, as if it were etched into her bones.Nan Yang’s left leg was already inconvenient. Pinned against the stall wall and kissed like this, her body grew weaker and weaker. At some point, she was already held in Qinghuan’s arms. Being slightly taller, when she went limp, her long legs trembled as they bent.The floor of the stall was still damp from recent cleaning. The cane leaned at an angle, slowly sliding along the wet tiles, imperceptibly changing its angle.Finally, it slipped free from the wall’s last bit of support and fell straight down.Clang.The sound of metal striking tile rang out like a thunderclap.Someone in a neighboring stall let out an annoyed breath.Qinghuan released Nan Yang, breathing lightly, her cheeks flushed. She said very softly, “Let’s go back.”Nan Yang still had her arms around Qinghuan’s neck, her refined breath uneven against Qinghuan’s skin. She hummed in a hoarse voice..Qi Yi stayed alone in the roast duck restaurant for a long time. Once she figured the other three were probably gone, she slowly got up.For some reason, when she was alone, her mind was filled with Ming Wancheng’s envious look toward the bag of foxes. A teenage girl with her lips pursed, big round eyes full of longing, wanting something badly yet not knowing who to ask.Thinking that way, she found herself unconsciously walking back to the supermarket entrance.The shameless rogue rabbit was still lying in the first claw machine, its slit-like eyes looking at her with disdain.Qi Yi clenched her fist. She didn’t even know what she was thinking. When she came back to herself, she was already standing in front of the token exchange machine, her phone screen showing a fifty-yuan payment confirmation.If Nan Yang could do it, she should be able to as well.Even if it wasn’t perfect accuracy—one success out of a hundred would be enough. She didn’t need a hundred rabbits. One was enough.Qi Yi stood in front of the machine with fifty tokens in her pocket. A thin sheen of sweat formed on her nose, her glasses constantly sliding down. She pushed them up with one hand and worked the joystick with the other. The claw descended again and again, brushing the rabbit each time, then loosening and letting it go.Her heart rose and fell along with the rabbit. When it lifted, her emotions lifted too. When it dropped, she felt like she fell even harder than it did.Spending this much money—she might as well just buy one from the supermarket.Qi Yi frowned in frustration.But…Something bought outright was never as joyful as something pulled from a claw machine. Because of the repeated anticipation and disappointment, the reward that came after stacking obsession upon obsession felt especially satisfying.Her pocket grew lighter; the tokens were clearly running low. Just as Qi Yi began wondering whether she should exchange another fifty or a hundred, the claw finally cooperated. It firmly gripped the round rabbit and delivered it smoothly to the prize chute.Qi Yi broke into a wide grin. Forgetting the gold-rimmed glasses slipping down her nose again, she bent over immediately and took out the plush rabbit. She squeezed its squinted eyes hard, glanced around, then slowly reined in her smile and tucked the toy into her crossbody bag.As she stuffed it in, her fingers unexpectedly brushed against something sharp at the bottom of the bag.Qi Yi let go of the toy, frowning. Curious, she grasped the object and pulled it out.It was a small square box, exquisitely wrapped, tied with a beautiful gold ribbon. Qi Yi untied the ribbon and opened the box. The moment she lifted the lid, the distinct feel already told her what was inside.Sure enough, it was a ring.A small band shaped like a Mobius strip, encircled with sparkling diamonds. Tucked against the side of the box’s lining was a folded slip of paper, one corner peeking out.Qi Yi pulled out the note and unfolded it.“Big sister, I’m very happy to have met you.”Her eyes curved unconsciously. She gently rubbed the paper between her fingers—and after doing so, noticed a faint smudge of ink on the finger resting against the back.There was writing on the back too?She flipped the paper over and saw six more words there.“Especially, especially happy!”.Night always fell without warning.Though a curtain blocked most of it, a thin gap still revealed the night outside—colorful lights from high-rise buildings reflecting off one another, adding layered, dreamlike hues to what should have been pure darkness.Countless identical little fox plushies covered the bed, piled from headboard to foot like a sea of toys. A few mischievous ones had tumbled onto the floor, lying askew and peeking at the intimacy on the bed.Qinghuan sat in a nearby armchair, her legs curled up, arms loosely wrapped around her knees, chin resting on them. She gazed absentmindedly at Nan Yang, who was asleep amid the fox plushies.She must have exhausted her.During it, she hadn’t felt she’d gone too far. Maybe she’d been too immersed, or maybe those usually cool eyes, colored by desire, were too tempting. She took her again and again, without restraint—like a child who had just gotten a new toy, forgetting time and moderation while playing.Later—she didn’t know after how many times—she realized Nan Yang was crying.Crying silently, without a single sob. Just burying her face into the soft pillow and letting the tears fall. So indulgent. So yielding. So restrained.So heartbreaking.Qinghuan bit down on the back of her hand. The fingers near her nose still carried a faint, sweetly metallic scent.This woman truly was the greatest gift heaven had given her.She was a handful of fresh snow arranged on a windowsill, the first flower blooming on a branch, a red koi just beginning to wake beneath an icy lake. She was fragile and exquisite, as if she would shatter if touched, scatter if caressed. Qinghuan should be gentler with her, more careful—treat her like a child, caring for every inch of her life at all times.Next time, she absolutely had to restrain herself.Guilt-ridden, she buried her face in her knees.A sudden light flared on the table, accompanied by a soft vibration. Distracted, Qinghuan lifted her head and reached through a mess of chocolate wrappers to find her phone, unlocking it.It was a message from Ming Wancheng.When she opened it, she saw that Ming Wancheng had changed her profile picture. It used to be a panda meme; now it was clearly a photo taken at Zangzuo Film City. In the picture was a rogue rabbit held in her hand, looking about eighty percent like A-Cheng. In the upper-left corner, a hand could be faintly seen hanging down, holding a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.Before Qinghuan could ponder the implications of the image, another message popped up.“Master, you’re trending again and again and again! Hahaha congratulations! Aren’t you going to take a look? [snicker][snicker][snicker]”It probably wasn’t a negative trend—otherwise Ming Wancheng wouldn’t be spamming those annoying emojis.Qinghuan exited WeChat, opened Weibo, and tapped into the trending list.As it refreshed, she scrolled down. The top trend was marked “Explosive”: #Dan Jin Suspends Filming Heaven Sword#. Second was #Bai Jinqiu Wedding Ring#. When she reached the third, her eyes narrowed.#Wives Picking Through Trash#The tag even had an official laughing-crying emoji attached.For some reason, even though her name wasn’t mentioned, she had a strong intuition that this had something to do with her.She clicked in. The first post was a nine-photo spread from a well-known marketing account.As expected, the photos showed the scene from noon—Nan Yang dragging her off to eat after finishing at the claw machines. The paparazzi shots were incredibly clear, clear enough to show every fold on the massive trash bag Nan Yang was dragging.Without even opening the comments, she could see the auto-pinned top comment beneath the post:“Pu’er Tea Is So Hard To Drink pfr: Has the Mei family gone bankrupt?????”
Chapter 54
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Nan Yang slept straight through to the next morning. As usual, she woke up out of habit around the hour of Mao. Still hazy, she saw the clock on the table pointing to 6:01 a.m.She shifted her head slightly and realized she was resting on Qinghuan’s arm.Qinghuan was holding her from behind, one arm wrapped around her waist, still fast asleep. Several strands of long, wavy hair spilled across Nan Yang’s bare arm, the curled tips looping around her wrist. In the faint morning light, the hair shone with an alluring chestnut hue.Normally, a modern person wouldn’t wake up naturally at six. But Qinghuan still had filming today. Nan Yang remembered her mentioning yesterday that she needed to head out early. So Nan Yang gently pinched the soft cheek half-hidden by curls and murmured, “Time to get up.”Qinghuan hummed. Before she was even awake, she closed her eyes, caught Nan Yang’s fingers, and pressed a kiss to them.“…I’m not getting up today. I took the day off…” she said lazily, still not opening her eyes, tightening her hold around Nan Yang.“Why did you take leave?” Nan Yang asked, stroking the top of her head.Qinghuan rubbed her ear against the pillow, her voice still muffled. “You started sleeping at six last evening and never woke up… I was worried you’d feel unwell today, so I… wanted to stay and take care of you…”Nan Yang froze for a moment, feeling as if something soft had brushed across her heart, catching her completely off guard and melting her into a puddle.“Then sleep a bit more. I’ll go make you breakfast,” Nan Yang said, hugging Qinghuan’s back and kissing her ear.Qinghuan’s body stiffened instantly.Those sleepy eyes flew open, her voice clearing at once. “No—don’t. Don’t cook.”Nan Yang knew exactly what she was afraid of. She sighed helplessly. “Don’t worry. I won’t mess up the seasonings this time. I bought a digital scale yesterday—the kind that measures grams. I’ll weigh everything before adding it.”“Th-that still…” Qinghuan stammered, desperately searching for words that wouldn’t hurt Nan Yang’s pride. “You… you were too tired yesterday. I’ll cook. You keep resting.”As she spoke, she climbed out of bed and started fastening the buttons of her sleepwear.Nan Yang ran a hand through her black hair, her voice very soft. “I can’t never learn how to cook.”Qinghuan made a questioning sound. “If you can’t, then you can’t. I can cook—that’s enough.”“But I want to cook for you.”Three thousand years ago, she had sworn to Qinghuan that she would learn to cook one day and make her a whole table of dishes. Sadly, that promise had ended up becoming one of the regrets she could never escape after Qinghuan’s death.Everything she owed her, she had to repay—completely.Qinghuan finished buttoning up, a trace of difficulty in her eyes. Truthfully, she didn’t really want Nan Yang doing such mundane chores. Nan Yang was meant to be cherished and placed on a pedestal; she truly wasn’t suited to dirty work. Nan Yang had already gone into the kitchen for her again and again, and Qinghuan was deeply moved by that alone. Just thinking of Nan Yang gripping a spatula with her trembling right hand made her heart ache.“Teach me how to cook, okay?” Nan Yang asked stubbornly.Heartache aside—once this woman made a request, how could Qinghuan ever refuse?“Okay.”Qinghuan let out a soft sigh through her nose, took clean clothes from the wardrobe, and helped Nan Yang get dressed. Once she was ready, Qinghuan took her hand and led her to the kitchen.Passing through the living room, Nan Yang grabbed the digital scale she had bought at the supermarket yesterday.While waiting for her, Qinghuan habitually took out her phone and glanced at WeChat. Most of her contacts were people from the industry. She had a gentle personality and excellent rapport; anyone who had worked with her was happy to add her and keep in touch. But unless something big happened, they rarely chatted.Today, the moment she opened WeChat, the screen filled with unread messages.[A.N.T – Xiong Xue’er: Boss Nan went bankrupt? What’s going on with the trending topic? 😲]
[Xia Shan: Zhuzhu, are you okay?]
[Luo Shen: If you’re short on money, I can help you out for now 😔]
[A.N.T – Jiang Yanran: I heard the Mei Group went bankrupt? My dad didn’t mention it— is it true?]
[Cen Ziyan: If you’re in trouble, tell me. I should be able to help a little.]
[Xiao Ye: Zhuzhu, why were you guys picking up trash yesterday?! 😱]
[Ming Wancheng: Hahahahaha Master, good thing you didn’t come to set today—Director Li was already preparing to crowdfund donations for you lol]
[Qin Jiabao: My god, you just got married and you already bankrupted someone?]
[Sun Xuxue: Zhuzhu, hurry and tell Boss Nan to check WeChat—she’s not replying to me! 😫😐]
[A.N.T – Dan Jin: [WeChat Red Packet] Wishing you prosperity!]
[Qi Yi: No way, Zhuzhu—did Boss Nan go bankrupt clawing plushies from the machine?]
[Sister Shi Ying: Call back immediately. The company needs to prepare a clarification statement. Log into your Weibo and confirm the account status. knock knock]Nan Yang came over at some point and glanced at the screen full of unread messages. When she caught sight of a few key words, she froze.“I…” Nan Yang stammered uncertainly, “Did I… go bankrupt?”Only then did Qinghuan remember that Nan Yang had gone to bed early yesterday and had no idea she’d gone viral for dragging around a huge bag of plush toys.Nan Yang immediately took out her phone and called Mei Zhongli.At six in the morning, Mei Zhongli was still asleep. His voice was heavy with drowsiness when he answered. “Ancestor, good morning. What’s the matter?”“Am I bankrupt?” Nan Yang asked seriously.Mei Zhongli let out a confused sound. “Huh? Bankrupt? What bankrupt?”“I heard I might be bankrupt.”Qinghuan hurried to explain, “No, no, it’s all a misunderstanding. Don’t panic.”She recounted everything that had happened the day before. Both Nan Yang and Mei Zhongli listened. Before Nan Yang could say anything, Mei Zhongli quickly replied, “Rest assured, I’ll contact Xiaotian Entertainment right away to clarify.”After hanging up, Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing and teased Nan Yang. “How can you be so silly? You actually believed you went bankrupt?”A trace of embarrassment passed through Nan Yang’s eyes.After a long pause, she spoke softly. “…I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to support you anymore.”Qinghuan’s smile deepened. She turned to tidy up the ingredients, saying as she worked, “What’s there to be afraid of? I’m a celebrity, after all. Even if you really went bankrupt, it’d be fine. I can support you.”Nan Yang frowned.Since when was it proper for a disciple to support her master?A teacher being supported by someone else—utterly improper.Qinghuan replied to her friends’ messages one by one. Eventually, there were simply too many well-wishers, and her hands started to ache. She edited a short explanation and thank-you message and sent it to everyone at once.Dan Jin’s chat was different. She hadn’t asked anything—she had just sent several red packets in a row. Qinghuan knew that Dan Jin’s family had recently been hit with misfortune. Her younger sister had contracted a terminal illness, leaving her with enormous medical bills and hospital care. Because she had left in a hurry, she had been accused of refusing to perform, and she was still being attacked online as the top trending topic. Even so, she had still sent Qinghuan so much money—truly rare.Qinghuan sincerely thanked her and returned the red packets. She wanted to help Dan Jin financially, but feared hurting her pride. She had already typed in a transfer amount, yet her finger hovered over the confirm button, unable to press it.Forget it. Jiang Yanran would help her.While Qinghuan was busy on her phone, Nan Yang was on the other side fiddling with the digital scale.The scale required two AA batteries, something Nan Yang hadn’t noticed when buying it. She stared at the powerless scale for a moment, then quietly turned and went back to the bedroom.When she came out again, she was holding her beloved Tetris game console. She walked to the counter, popped the batteries out of the console, and installed them into the scale.Qinghuan had just finished replying to messages and happened to see Nan Yang swapping batteries. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes. “Isn’t that your favorite console? You’re actually willing to sacrifice its batteries?”Nan Yang didn’t answer directly. She just asked, “Are you hungry?”Qinghuan touched her stomach. Ever since they’d gotten home yesterday, they’d stayed in bed exercising, skipped dinner, and now it was morning—of course she was hungry. She nodded. “Yeah.”Nan Yang lowered her head, slotting the batteries into place, her voice quiet. “Nothing is more important than you being hungry.”It was just a game console.Qinghuan pressed her lips together in a smile, slipped her phone back into her pocket, and continued preparing the ingredients. As she picked vegetables, she gently explained the simple home-style dish she was about to teach Nan Yang.Cold mixed sweet lotus root.She didn’t plan to let Nan Yang handle raw lotus root, so she peeled and washed it herself, then placed the cleaned lotus root beside Nan Yang and instructed her on how to slice it.Nan Yang habitually took her BM47 from her belt, flicked it open, gripped it, disengaged the safety, and was about to start cutting.Qinghuan hurriedly stopped her. “What kind of knife is that? Is it clean?”Nan Yang lowered her head and touched the blade, frowning slightly. “It should… be clean.”She displayed an exasperating fastidiousness over trivial matters, yet paid no attention at all to things that truly required hygiene. Qinghuan had no idea what kind of cleanliness her so-called cleanliness even was.Qinghuan took a kitchen knife of similar width and thickness and handed it to Nan Yang. “Use this instead. It’s something we’re going to eat—it’s better to be hygienic.”Nan Yang didn’t argue. She put away the BM47, accepted the kitchen knife, and began cutting with her left hand.Her right hand was badly injured; in some situations, it was indeed less useful than her left. Still, she wasn’t accustomed to using her left hand. The slices she produced varied wildly in thickness—some as thick as a finger, others so thin they were almost translucent. Qinghuan stood beside her with another knife, re-cutting the slices Nan Yang had done, trying to make them as even as possible.Once finished, she told Nan Yang to blanch the lotus root in boiling water and add some white vinegar to prevent oxidation and discoloration. Nan Yang put the lotus root into the pot and immediately went to measure the vinegar. But while she was still carefully pouring vinegar into the measuring cup, the water had already come to a boil. A few seconds more and the lotus root would be overcooked. Qinghuan could only pour vinegar directly from the bottle and said helplessly, “You can use that measured vinegar later when seasoning.”In truth, this dish was extremely simple—slice the lotus root, boil it, then mix it with seasonings. Qinghuan had already handled the most complicated parts. All that remained was adding the seasonings and mixing.Nan Yang studied the recipe, carefully laid out a row of small measuring cups, and followed it precisely, measuring each ingredient cup by cup: salt, chicken essence, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, aged vinegar, sesame oil. Once all the cups were filled, she strictly followed the order on the recipe, pouring them one by one over the lotus root slices.This time, no matter how much her right hand trembled, she wouldn’t add the wrong seasoning.When it was done, she handed a pair of new chopsticks to Qinghuan, her brows softening. “Try it.”Qinghuan accepted them with a smile and took a bite. The entire dish had been made under her supervision, and for once there was no strange flavor. Though it could hardly be called a delicacy, it was at least a perfectly edible dish.It was ordinary—far inferior to her own cooking. But she still put on an expression of surprise. “Wow, you’re amazing.”Nan Yang looked at her seriously, unable to hide the joy in her eyes. “I’ll get better.”Qinghuan heard that oddly familiar line and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.She took another bite and teased casually, “By the way, I’ve taught A-Cheng how to act a few times, and now she chases after me calling me Master. I’ve just taught you something this important—cooking—so shouldn’t you also call me Master?”Nan Yang froze mid-cleanup.She frowned slightly, looked at Qinghuan eating lotus root, and her tone turned solemn.“Impudent.”Qinghuan bit down on the lotus root, staring at Nan Yang in confusion.Impudent? How was that impudent?
Chapter 55
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Cangzuo Film & TV City welcomed an unbelievably peaceful month.The Divine Dance crew advanced steadily through their shoot, and next door, the Heavenly Sword crew finally got their Dan Jin back—rumor had it Jiang Yanran had personally dragged her out of the hospital. Big and small crews alike carried on with their work in Cangzuo at their own pace, and everything felt calm and harmonious.Lately, though, people on the Divine Dance set kept looking at their female lead with naked envy.Everyone knew what the entertainment industry was like. Pairings between wealthy tycoons and big-name celebrities were everywhere—most of them just put on a show for outsiders while living separate lives. A rich spouse might occasionally drop by set to “visit,” but a corporate boss was supposedly buried in work. Once the gestures were made and the scene looked right, they left. And off-camera, there were always plenty of gorgeous mistresses waiting in line.But Nan Yang’s existence was basically a bug.She seemed to have no work at all, and no other obligations pulling her away. She stayed on set day after day, living and eating with Qinghuan, personally driving her to the location every morning. When Qinghuan filmed, Nan Yang sat off to the side reading or playing Tetris. At lunch, when everyone else squatted on the ground with boxed meals, Nan Yang took Qinghuan out to a restaurant for a proper meal. After Qinghuan wrapped for the day, Nan Yang would stand patiently by the changing room door, waiting. The moment Qinghuan came out, Nan Yang would take her hand and walk her home.If it were a celebrity clinging to a wealthy partner, the crew might not have been so surprised. Celebrities needed patrons; they wanted something, so they couldn’t afford to be willful. But Nan Yang was the rich one. She had endless options and complete freedom—yet she still stayed so attentive and loyal beside her wife.It was impossible not to be jealous.How could a love like this exist in such a restless, materialistic age?On the day they wrapped, Xiao Ye lay draped over the railing, chewing on her sleeve as jealousy bubbled out of her.Not far away, Nan Yang leaned against the other side of the railing. She wore a white turtleneck sweater, her coat draped over one forearm, a thermal food container in her hand. She looked as she always did—cool, aloof, never smiling, never talking. From the neatness of her hair to the tips of her fingers, she carried an untouchable, otherworldly air.Only, recently, something about her was different.She’d started wearing an earring.For a woman as old-fashioned as she was—untouched by any modern influence—that bright stud in her left ear was the only ornament on her entire body. Like a sheet of blank paper that had stayed white for countless years, until someone finally pressed a single brilliant drop of vermilion onto it. The diamond didn’t tear apart her classical elegance. If anything, it made her look even more refined.A decoration placed just right only drew eyes harder.Xiao Ye drooped her head, thinking of the matching couple’s stud in Zhuzhu’s left ear.Boss Nan really spoiled her.Qinghuan had already changed and come out. Her final scene was finished. Li Dong had suggested throwing her a wrap banquet, but she declined—accepting only the bouquets everyone handed her—then hurried out to find Nan Yang.The moment she spotted Nan Yang by the railing, her face bloomed into a brilliant smile, and she jogged over.“Why are you running so fast?”For once, Nan Yang’s lips curved. With her usual neat-freak tendencies, she actually pinched the cuff of her sweater and used it to wipe Qinghuan’s sweat.Qinghuan’s eyes were glued to Nan Yang’s face like she could never get enough. “I’m scared we’ll miss the flight. Tomorrow we’re going to the program team for Together on Our Honeymoon. If we can’t go home and pack today, then once we’re in Thailand we won’t even have clothes to change into.”Together on Our Honeymoon was supposed to start filming a week ago, but Divine Dance had needed a few days of reshoots. The entire program had been waiting on Qinghuan. So the second she wrapped, she had to rush straight over.A few days earlier, the director of Together on Our Honeymoon, Qin Jiabao, had told her the schedule details. The first episode was in Thailand. They needed to head first to the ancient city wall in Haojing for an opening game. Each couple would draw lots based on the results. There were many ways to get to Thailand, and filming would begin from the moment they were on their mode of transport.Nan Yang lifted the thermal container in her hand. “I made you steamed egg custard. Eat it on the way.”Qinghuan remembered the half-month-old bowl of custard so salty it had made her gag and shuddered. “Did you weigh the soy sauce properly this time?”“Yes. I measured it exactly—by the grams you told me.”“Mmm. Then I’ll inspect the results later.”Xiao Ye, on cue, walked over to take the flowers and bag from Qinghuan, reminding them, “The flight takes off in four hours.”“Let’s head to the airport first,” Qinghuan said, pulling Nan Yang toward the parking lot. “If we hit traffic, it’ll be a mess.”Sunlight fell across the left side of their faces. The matching diamond studs in their left ears threw off a warm, dazzling light—unconcealed, piercing straight into the hearts of everyone who looked at them, as if they’d fastened the sun itself to their ears.They were going back to the Mei family villa first to pack clothes and luggage, then heading to the Zhu family home to spend the night.Qinghuan hadn’t been home in a long time. Zhu Jun and Yu Fengli both missed her terribly. Besides, they’d been married for a while now, yet Nan Yang had never once visited these “elders.” Yu Fengli had been talking nonstop about cooking for her “son-in-law Nan.” Nan Yang hadn’t wanted to go, but Qinghuan had asked her, and Nan Yang could only give in.After they landed, Mei Zhongli personally came to the airport to pick them up and take them back to the villa. Time was tight; they didn’t have space to chat on the road. As soon as they arrived, they split up and went to their rooms to pack. They’d be gone for at least a month. Qinghuan needed to bring plenty of makeup and clothes. Nan Yang’s packing was much simpler—just a few bottles of sunscreen and an entire suitcase of white dress shirts. In under half an hour, she was downstairs in the living room waiting with her suitcase.While she waited, Mei Zhongli sat on the sofa too, asking after Nan Yang’s life in Cangzuo over the past month.Nan Yang listened halfheartedly. After a while, she seemed to remember something and cut across his rambling. “Xiao Lizi. Do something for me while we’re gone.”The moment Mei Zhongli heard her speak that seriously, he straightened at once, sat rigidly, and bowed his head. “Yes, Ancestor. Please instruct me.”Nan Yang looked toward the staircase.“Combine our two bedrooms into one.”Mei Zhongli’s eyes widened slightly.“From now on… we’ll sleep together. Always.”Nan Yang stared upstairs and said softly.…Once Qinghuan finished packing, Mei Zhongli arranged a car to take them to the Zhu family home. By the time they arrived, it was already seven in the evening.The Zhu family lived in a high-end apartment complex called Yuejiang Residence—on the 34th-floor penthouse, the best-positioned building in the entire community. At night, there was an unmatched view of the city’s glittering lights, and a wide river running alongside the complex. After dark, the multicolored glow danced between buildings, reflecting across the water in dreamlike ripples—like looking down from the heavens at a dazzling human world.Inside the elevator, Qinghuan’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. “You’re going to really like my bedroom.”“Why?” Nan Yang asked.“You’ll see when we go in.”When they reached the top floor and stepped out, they could smell food from far away. As they got closer, they realized the Zhu family had already opened the door for them. In the kitchen, a busy figure moved around. Zhu Jun sat on the sofa watching the evening news broadcast.Qinghuan walked in naturally, changed into slippers at the entryway, and greeted Zhu Jun as she did. “Dad, I’m back.”Zhu Jun immediately set down the remote and came over with a broad smile. “My girl’s home.” Halfway there, he spotted Nan Yang behind Qinghuan, his face lighting up with delighted surprise. “Boss Nan really came? I’ve only seen you on my phone and on TV before—this is my first time seeing you in person. You’re truly beautiful. An honor to meet you.”Right after he spoke, Yu Fengli came out of the kitchen in an apron. She stood beside Zhu Jun, smiling warmly at Nan Yang.Zhu Jun finished his greeting and held out his hand.Qinghuan knew Nan Yang would ask for her opinion. Before Nan Yang could speak, she lowered her voice and said, “Shake it.”Nan Yang gave a quiet sound of agreement and lightly touched Zhu Jun’s palm with her knuckles.In front of the Mei family, the Zhu family had always been unable to hold their heads high. Even though this cool, distant woman was now their son-in-law, they still used honorifics with her. No wonder Qinghuan had always seemed so humble in the Mei family’s presence. Mei Zhongli and the others had always recognized only Nan Yang as their sole authority; everyone else existed to satisfy Nan Yang’s needs—tools, including the Zhu family, and even Qinghuan herself. Qinghuan’s initial fear of Nan Yang hadn’t come from nowhere.Nan Yang was used to being addressed with honorifics and didn’t think anything of it. In her mind, these two ordinary middle-aged people didn’t count as her relatives.Yu Fengli called them into the living room. “Come, come—Zhu Zhu, take Boss Nan to the table. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”“Mom, don’t rush. Take your time,” Qinghuan said, pulling Nan Yang toward her bedroom. “I’ll take her to sit in my room first. If you need help, call me—I’ll come give you a hand.”“Don’t underestimate your mother,” Yu Fengli said with a snort-laugh, waving her spatula. “I’ve been a homemaker for decades. You think I need you, you little thing, for a meal? Go on—take Boss Nan and show her around your dog’s nest.”“Dog’s nest? Mom—don’t say that!”Qinghuan looked flustered and embarrassed. She hurried Nan Yang into the bedroom and shut the door, terrified Yu Fengli would keep saying things that would make her lose face.Her bedroom was the smaller one—not large, but warm and cozy. The walls were painted a fresh blue. The TV stand and shelves were crammed with all kinds of dolls and plush toys. The bed had clearly been tidied by Yu Fengli—spotless, not a speck of dust, the bedding carrying a faint clean scent of laundry detergent.The moment Nan Yang stepped inside, she understood what Qinghuan meant by “You’re going to really like my bedroom.”It didn’t have the cramped windowsill or narrow bay window a secondary bedroom usually had. Instead, it had an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass facing the night view. Outside, orange-yellow points of light floated over a curtain of ink-black darkness—like a Milky Way warmed by the sun, drifting down from the horizon and spilling into the mortal world.“Isn’t the night view beautiful?” Qinghuan smiled and turned off the bedroom light to make the scene outside stand out even more. “At night you can fall asleep looking at this. You’ll have the sweetest dreams.”“Mm. It’s beautiful.” The corners of Nan Yang’s brows and eyes softened slightly; it was obvious she was in a good mood.Qinghuan pulled her to sit at the bedside, facing the window, and they watched the night together.After a long silence, Nan Yang spoke first, softly. “In the twenty-plus years you lived here… were you happy?”“Mm… aside from the ‘bad news’ of growing up knowing I’d have to marry you, I was happy most of the time,” Qinghuan answered in a joking tone.Nan Yang didn’t laugh. After a while, her voice trembled slightly. “Then you… do you regret marrying me?”Qinghuan realized Nan Yang had taken the joke seriously. She immediately grabbed Nan Yang’s hand, squeezing the back of it gently, and said softly, “Don’t overthink it.”“…I’m just afraid you’ll regret it.”Qinghuan smiled and looked out the window, her voice growing gentler. “The only thing I regret is that I didn’t meet you until I was twenty-four. If you could’ve appeared in my world a little earlier, I would’ve fallen in love with you at my very best age.”Nan Yang thought of the six years she’d been kept away in Australia. Guilt flooded her at once. She lowered her eyes and murmured in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible, “I’m sorry.”“What are you apologizing for?”Qinghuan looked at her downcast expression—those naturally straight lashes drooping even more, like two dejected butterflies pressed against her lids. Her heart softened. She lifted a hand, wrapped it around the back of Nan Yang’s neck, and said gently, “Come here.”Nan Yang turned obediently.Qinghuan held her by the neck and leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met naturally, tongues brushing. Qinghuan kept rubbing Nan Yang’s hair, coaxing her closer without her even realizing. The hand resting at Nan Yang’s neck felt the heat rising and rising, and the lips she was kissing had lost their usual coolness.Qinghuan was like a flame, slowly pulling a sheet of snow into a bottomless abyss.At some point, still kissing, her fingers had already moved to the buttons of Nan Yang’s shirt, undoing them one by one from the top.She had only reached the third button when—Bang.The door behind them slammed open.Nan Yang immediately turned her head away and pulled her loosened shirt closed.Yu Fengli stood in the doorway with a spatula in hand, staring at the two of them committing crimes in the dark, her mouth hanging open. She froze for a long while before her jaw finally started to shake and she managed to speak:“Y-you two… are you eating or not?”
Chapter 56
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Dinner was, inevitably, a little awkward.Nan Yang had already returned to her usual blank, icy expression, but the corners of her eyes were still visibly red, and her right hand trembled around her chopsticks. Qinghuan’s face was even redder. No matter what, getting caught kissing someone by your own mother was humiliating.Zhu Jun had no idea what had just happened. He kept urging them to eat. “Kid, why are you spacing out? Your mom made this cured pork just for you—hurry and try it. Boss Nan, you eat too. We don’t know what you like, so we won’t recommend randomly. Just try a bit of everything. If you like something, have more.”Yu Fengli was already in her forties. She’d long since stopped making a fuss over this kind of thing. Young people liking to hug and kiss was normal. She spoke as calmly as ever, joining in the urging. “Eat up. My cooking is really good. This girl’s skills were taught by me, start to finish. I heard Boss Nan likes her cooking—she’s nowhere near me. You have to try mine and see if it’s hundreds of times better than hers.”“…Mm.”Nan Yang reached toward a plate of sweet-and-sour meatballs. She lifted one halfway, and it slipped straight through the gap in her chopsticks, bouncing back into the dish. Her hand shook worse and worse. When she tried again, she couldn’t even clamp it.Qinghuan immediately took her own chopsticks and helped her pick food, then said to Yu Fengli, “Mom, prepare wooden chopsticks next time. These metal ones are too slippery. Her hand is inconvenient to begin with.”“Oh, look at you—so heartbroken for her,” Yu Fengli said, sour as vinegar. “When have you ever been this heartbroken for me and your dad?”Zhu Jun laughed and pulled a bottle of baijiu up from under the table. He took two small cups from the tray and handed one to Nan Yang. “Boss Nan, don’t take offense. Come, have a couple drinks?”Qinghuan cut in at once. “Dad, she can’t drink.”“What’s wrong?” Zhu Jun asked with concern, looking at Nan Yang. “Liver issues? Or did you take antibiotics?”“Neither,” Qinghuan answered for her again. “Her alcohol tolerance is bad. She might even break out in hives. Don’t push her to drink.”Zhu Jun was a Northeasterner, used to having a couple drinks at the table, but since his daughter said so, he could only put the bottle back with a disgruntled little huff.Yu Fengli clicked her tongue twice. “Kid, you protect your wife way too much. I really can’t tell you’re eleven years younger than Boss Nan.” Then she turned to Nan Yang with a gentle smile. “But Boss Nan does look young. By rights you should only be nine years younger than me, yet you make people feel like you’re even younger than our girl.”Nan Yang really was younger than Qinghuan.Her appearance and body had been fixed at twenty. Qinghuan was twenty-four now. In a sense, she was indeed four years younger.In ancient times, twenty might have been called “late,” considering Qinghuan back then had only been seventeen—sixteen or seventeen was already a marriageable age. But in the modern world, twenty was truly too young. If you counted it out, she was only two years older than Ming Wancheng. Ming Wancheng’s face still hadn’t lost its childishness—how mature could Nan Yang’s face possibly look?If Qinghuan never remembered her, and the age on her ID kept being dragged forward year after year until it hit her forties… Nan Yang didn’t know whether she’d be treated like a monster and caught for research.But… when would Qinghuan remember?Nan Yang gripped her chopsticks weakly, filled with confusion about the unknown.Even though Qinghuan hadn’t regained her memories, they were already together, and life had gone smoothly. Qinghuan even seemed to have returned to the way she was three thousand years ago. Just like back then, she took care of Nan Yang with tenderness, cooked for her with patience, helped her block every small difficulty, and even—wickedly—liked watching her cry. Aside from the missing memories, she was practically the same person she used to be.She was her—yet she still couldn’t remember anything about their past.Recently, Nan Yang had been avoiding the question without thinking, unwilling to examine what lay at the core of it. But the problem was right there. She had to face it eventually. If Qinghuan truly never remembered, then Nan Yang would still never grow old in this lifetime. They would still face another separation by life and death.This was already the ninety-ninth lifetime. If there was still no resolution in this one, what about the next?Would she still be able to sense Qinghuan’s next life?If…If she could no longer sense it, yet she herself lived forever, then how was she supposed to walk through the endless years ahead alone?Qinghuan noticed Nan Yang drifting again. After placing three sweet-and-sour meatballs into Nan Yang’s bowl, she tapped the rim with her metal chopsticks. “Stop spacing out. Eat.”“…Mm.”Nan Yang gathered her thoughts and forced her attention back to the food in front of her.Throughout the meal, Nan Yang barely spoke a word. Quietly, she ate half a bowl of rice and the heaping pile of dishes Qinghuan kept placing into her bowl. Yu Fengli’s cooking really was excellent; Nan Yang ate with focus, with no time to chat idly with Zhu Jun. Besides, she had always followed the old teaching: do not speak while eating, do not speak while sleeping. Keeping silent during proper meals and rest was a rule unchanged for thousands of years. And tonight, she also had thoughts she couldn’t shake loose.After dinner, Qinghuan pulled Nan Yang back into the bedroom. This time, she was clever enough to lock the door.Qinghuan quickly realized something was off about Nan Yang after the meal. She called her twice, and Nan Yang didn’t hear her.Nan Yang sat in the same spot she’d been in before they went out to eat, staring quietly at the night view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. Qinghuan sat beside her, wrapped her fingers around Nan Yang’s icy hand, and called again, “Nan Yang?”“…Hm?” Nan Yang came back to herself and looked at the soft, seductive woman beside her.“What are you thinking about?” Qinghuan asked, tilting her head.Nan Yang was silent for a moment before answering softly, “Some things from the past.”Qinghuan looked down at the floor. After a long pause, she asked in a small voice, “Can you tell me?”Nan Yang pressed her lips together and said nothing.Seeing her refusal, Qinghuan hurriedly said, “I’m not trying to pry into your privacy. I just…” She let out an annoyed little sigh, forcing herself to say the rest. “I’m just… really sad that I wasn’t in your past thirty-five years at all. I… want to know what you went through, what you used to be like.”“What I used to be like…” Nan Yang clenched her right hand, feeling the missing tendons in her wrist twitch with pain. Her brow furrowed. “…You’re better off not knowing.”Qinghuan stared at her cool profile for a long time without speaking.When she finally spoke again, bitterness had seeped into her voice. “…Does it have to do with another girl?”Another girl?Nan Yang lowered her eyes, and in her mind appeared again that gentle young woman who loved to wear a pale, moon-white dress.From ancient times to now, there had only ever been her.Whether in the past, full of grudges and bloodshed, or in this noisy modern world, she had always been Qinghuan—the one who loved Nan Yang like her life depended on it. And throughout Nan Yang’s long existence, she had only ever been willing to bow her head to that one person.Nan Yang drifted again.When Qinghuan saw her still not answering, her heart twisted with pain.Nan Yang’s words echoed in her mind over and over: I’ve only ever liked you.Was it really only her?Nan Yang wasn’t a teenage girl. She wasn’t even a green woman in her early twenties. She was thirty-five. In those unseen thirty-five years, had there truly never been a single person who made her heart stir?There was something Qinghuan had never told anyone.Nan Yang wasn’t a virgin.Qinghuan had no obsessive hang-ups about that. She had never believed that what people did when love ran deep was some kind of stain. When she encountered people who harshly demanded their partners must be virgins, she would even offer a word or two, telling them to drop their fixed prejudice. Times had changed. That kind of thing was as normal as eating.But when it happened to her, she still went blank for a while.It wasn’t disgust.It was jealousy—jealousy so intense she’d nearly gone mad.She had seen that cold, detached face of Nan Yang stained with desire—so seductive and so breathtaking, like a flower that bloomed only once in a lifetime. When she watched those pale, tea-brown eyes fill with tears, her fingers, unstoppable, felt like they were accepting a cruel reprieve.She couldn’t help thinking.Who else had seen Nan Yang like that?In whose hands had her first time blossomed?In front of whom had she cried like that, so fragile?This snow had not melted into water only in her palms. How could she accept that? Someone so beautiful, a rare sight in the world—another person had already looked upon her. How could Qinghuan not care at all?If you truly loved someone, you would go crazy over even one extra glance they gave someone else.But the past was already past. No matter how she clung, she couldn’t erase the existence of that someone from before.If she was fated to never hold Nan Yang’s past, then she would hold the woman in front of her with everything she had. No matter what, from now on, Nan Yang belonged to her—forever, unchangeable.“Nan Yang.”She called her name.Nan Yang blinked. “…Hm?”Qinghuan’s voice was lighter than the night outside the window. “Tonight, are we doing it or not?”Nan Yang froze. It took her a long time to pull herself out of her faraway memories and process Qinghuan’s blunt words. Her voice came slow. “…Your parents are right next door.”It wasn’t proper.“It’s fine,” Qinghuan said, looking at her, the curve of her lips as tempting as always. “Besides, you usually don’t like making noise anyway.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together. This time, unexpectedly, she didn’t indulge her. “We have filming tomorrow. Forget it.”Qinghuan had been shooting for several straight days in Cangzuo. Before today, she had forced herself through two nights on set without sleep. Tomorrow she would be thrown straight into the variety show team, and who knew what stamina-based games were waiting for her. Tonight, it was better to let her rest properly.Refused twice, Qinghuan didn’t push again.“Then let’s sleep.”“Mm.”It was only a little past nine, nowhere near their usual bedtime. But Qinghuan had been exhausted for days, and Nan Yang wanted her to sleep more—especially since they had to catch an early flight to Haojing the next morning.After washing up, they turned off the lights and got into bed.Nan Yang didn’t lie down. She wasn’t sleepy yet, so she leaned back against the headboard with her notebook open. The notebook was filled with the home-style recipes Qinghuan had taught her. Over the past month, she had written down a lot, and she pulled it out now and then to review. She still couldn’t manage big dishes, but she could already handle many simple things like scrambled eggs and cold mixed sides.Reading it once before bed had become her new habit.Qinghuan curled against Nan Yang’s side, pressed close at her waist. Since Nan Yang was sitting up, Qinghuan hugged Nan Yang’s thigh like it was a teddy bear. Nan Yang obediently lifted her leg slightly to let her cling more comfortably.Nan Yang thought Qinghuan had fallen asleep. Her leg was stiff with numbness, but she didn’t move.Yet in the angle Nan Yang couldn’t see, Qinghuan’s eyes were open the whole time, wide awake.Nan Yang always indulged her. No matter what she asked, Nan Yang agreed. So why had she refused her today?Qinghuan tightened her arms around Nan Yang’s thigh, her mind unable to stop circling the sentence Nan Yang had said earlier—Some things from the past.Could those “things from the past” make Nan Yang lose interest in sleeping with her, even for a moment?
Chapter 57
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Early the next morning, Nan Yang noticed that Qinghuan hadn’t slept well.She yawned while brushing her teeth, yawned on the way to the airport, and was still yawning while checking in.Because this was a variety show schedule, the flight information had long been exposed to fan groups. The airport was packed with fans seeing her off, holding all kinds of support banners and props. Large and small gifts were shoved relentlessly into Qinghuan’s arms. Xiao Ye kept taking them from her, her arms piled so high they looked like a small mountain.Fans responsible for taking photos lugged around equipment of all sizes, their long lenses nearly poking Nan Yang in the face.There were even a few traitors hidden among the fans. Several cute girls wore support towels around their necks printed with “Boss Nan,” and more than a few cameras were aimed at Nan Yang, snapping away in rapture.It became a bit quieter after security, but there were still plenty of well-connected fans who had managed to get through and hovered around them. With more than half an hour until boarding, they sat in the waiting area. Nan Yang read her Kindle in silence, while Qinghuan stood up and took out a large bag of candy she had prepared in advance, handing it out to fans.At first, giving out candy at the airport had been a company-mandated fan-service routine. Later, once her popularity stabilized, the company stopped requiring it. But she still brought a big bag of candy and snacks every time, handing them out to girls who had skipped breakfast just to catch a glimpse of her.The fans were deeply moved by this, so among the phrases often used for her trending topics was one called “#GentlenessCarvedIntoTheBones#.”In the entertainment industry, how many top-tier celebrities were willing to personally hand out candy to fans at the airport every single time?Boarding finally began. Qinghuan stuffed the last of the candy into fans’ hands, bade them goodbye with a practiced smile, and Xiao Ye handed the pile of gifts to the bodyguards before hurrying after the two of them to board.Because of certain special circumstances, the company hadn’t managed to buy first-class tickets, and the variety show team was pressing urgently, so this time they were sitting in economy. A dense crowd packed together made for a different kind of liveliness. Many people noticed that a celebrity was present and craned their necks to look.The three of them had consecutive seats. According to the tickets, Nan Yang was by the window, Qinghuan in the middle, and Xiao Ye on the aisle. But when they were about to sit down, Nan Yang held the armrest and looked at Qinghuan. “You take the window seat.”She knew Qinghuan liked watching the plane pass through the clouds during takeoff, so she usually gave up the window seat.With the fans gone, the strained smile finally fell from Qinghuan’s face. She walked weakly to the innermost seat, sat down, and covered her mouth as she let out another small yawn.Nan Yang sat beside her, fastened her seatbelt for her, and asked softly, “Still watching the clouds today?”“Not today,” Qinghuan shook her head and leaned over, resting wearily on Nan Yang’s shoulder. Her voice was hoarse. “I’m so sleepy.”“Mm. Then sleep for a bit.”Nan Yang reached up and lowered the window shade.Qinghuan wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s left arm, burying her face deep into the white shirt on her shoulder. She took a deep breath of the plum-scented fabric and spoke in a muffled voice from within the shirt. “Nan Yang, I miss you so much.”The corners of Nan Yang’s eyes curved. She raised a hand and gently rubbed Qinghuan’s long curls. “Aren’t we together all the time?”“Mhm.” Qinghuan tilted half her face up, her lips curling into a sultry smile. “It’s strange. You’re clearly always by my side, but I still miss you so much.”Nan Yang smiled faintly.“What about you?” Qinghuan’s eyes narrowed gently. “Do you miss me?”Nan Yang pressed her lips together and replied softly, “You’re right here with me.”“But don’t you think,” Qinghuan said, her fingers brushing Nan Yang’s forearm, slowly sliding to her cuff and slipping through the gap between the buttons to lightly scratch at the skin of her wrist, “that every second you can’t touch the other person is a second of missing them? Nan Yang, every second I can’t touch you, I miss you so much.”Nan Yang had sensitive skin, and with the close quarters of economy class, even though Qinghuan’s actions weren’t excessive, she still immediately pressed down on her hand, her ears turning faintly red. “Don’t.”Qinghuan looked at the long, slender fingers resting over the back of her hand. The corner of her eye tightened bitterly.She could no longer make sense of certain things.For example, was the Nan Yang in front of her refraining from touch in public out of restraint? Or was she still thinking of someone from the past, instinctively repelled by Qinghuan’s closeness?What had happened last night to make her suddenly recall old memories?Was it a dish on the table? Or some furnishing in the bedroom?Qinghuan buried her head back into Nan Yang’s white shirt, her sharp teeth biting onto a small patch of fabric.She would never cook those dishes from last night again. And the stuffed toys in the bedroom—once they got back, she would throw them all away.With her mind in a mess, she drifted off to sleep.The moment Qinghuan bit onto her shirt, Nan Yang knew that once this child fell asleep, she would end up drooling. With one hand, she pulled a tissue from her pocket and carefully tucked it beneath Qinghuan’s chin.As she was doing so, a small head suddenly popped up from the seat in front of them.A little girl who looked about seven or eight years old was leaning over the seatback, her bright eyes fixed on them. She wore her hair in cute pigtails, with a small butterfly hair clip. When she moved even slightly, the butterfly wings strung with colorful beads fluttered and trembled.Nan Yang had always liked children, especially cute ones. Seeing that no one nearby was paying attention, she curved her lips slightly at the girl.Blushing, the little girl spoke in a crisp, childish voice, “Big sister, I’m a CP fan of you two!”The curve of Nan Yang’s smile froze.Kids this young already knew the term “CP fan”?“You know what CP means?” Nan Yang asked curiously. She herself hadn’t known what it meant before actively looking it up.“My sister told me that if you like watching two people together, you’re their CP fan.” The little girl blinked her big eyes, smiling so wide her dimples bounced. “I really, really like watching you together. I use my mom’s phone to watch. Sometimes you’re on the trending lists, and I keep clicking and clicking and clicking, hoping to push you higher so everyone can see you.”Nan Yang couldn’t help but laugh.The girl’s mother turned around as well, looking apologetic. “I’m so sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you.” As she spoke, she pulled the girl back and murmured softly, “The plane’s about to take off. Why aren’t you buckled in yet?”The little girl struggled a bit. “Wait, Mom.”She leaned over the seatback again, lifted a small hand to her hair, took off the butterfly clip with fluttering wings, and stretched out her arm to offer it to Nan Yang. “Big sister, the little butterfly is for you.”Nan Yang didn’t take it, only smiling gently. “If you give the butterfly to us, you won’t have one anymore.”The little girl shook her head. “I have another one at home on my dresser. Big sister, this one’s for you.”Nan Yang looked at her mother and asked for permission. “May I take it?”The woman was startled, clearly not expecting Nan Yang to ask such a small thing, and nodded hurriedly. “Of course. It’s just a hair clip. If you like it, please take it.”“Mm.”Nan Yang accepted the clip, lightly pinching the fluttering wings between her fingers.Satisfied that she had accepted it, the little girl smiled and obediently let her mother carry her back to her seat.Nan Yang held the clip and examined it for a long while. It was an ordinary hair clip, the kind you could buy on the street for two yuan. Made of stainless steel, the butterfly wings were attached to the central shaft by two thin springs, strung with colorful beads. With even the slightest movement, the wings fluttered up and down.Nan Yang ran a finger along the metal wings.There was a small protrusion along the edge. The moment her fingertip brushed past it, it scraped her skin and drew a bit of blood.She frowned at her bleeding finger, sighing inwardly. How was something like this allowed on a plane, while her BM47 had to be checked in? At least that knife had never cut her.She pinched the sharp protrusion, infused a bit of inner strength, and bent it flat. After feeling it over to make sure it could no longer scratch anyone, she nodded in satisfaction.Asleep with her arms around Nan Yang’s arm, Qinghuan let out a soft murmur in her dream.Nan Yang looked at her peaceful sleeping face, pressed her lips together in a smile, raised her hand, and carefully pinned the butterfly clip into Qinghuan’s hair.The little butterfly trembled as it fluttered, resting atop the delicately styled, alluring long curls, like a gull alighting on the finely embroidered seigaiha waves of classical Nishijin weaving—so refined it looked like a Japanese painting.As time passed, the wings gradually grew still. Nan Yang stared at the now-motionless wings without blinking.After a moment, she parted her lips slightly, leaned in, and blew a gentle breath toward them.Catching the breeze, the butterfly happily fluttered its wings again, reflecting the strong light streaming in from the stratosphere, mirrored in Nan Yang’s smiling eyes.Beside them, Xiao Ye sipped her coffee in silent embarrassment.Boss Nan was really childish.An hour later, the plane landed at Haojing Airport.The pilot’s skills were excellent; there wasn’t even the slightest jolt upon landing. Arrival announcements began to play, reminding passengers to remain seated until the plane had come to a complete stop. The volume was loud enough that almost no one was still asleep—except Qinghuan, who was dead to the world, hugging Nan Yang’s arm.The cabin doors opened, and farewell announcements echoed through the plane.Xiao Ye stood up first, blocking Nan Yang and Qinghuan. As people passed by, many glanced over curiously. A few girls looked like they wanted to come over for autographs, but Xiao Ye’s sour expression scared them off.Once most of the passengers had left, Xiao Ye finally relaxed and leaned over, about to wake Qinghuan.Nan Yang raised a hand to stop her. “Let her sleep a little longer. I’ll carry her out.”Stuffed with unsolicited dog food, Xiao Ye chuckled and made enough space for Nan Yang.Nan Yang unfastened Qinghuan’s seatbelt, supported her arm, and pulled her onto her back, lifting her up with practiced ease. As they squeezed through the narrow aisle toward the cabin door, the flight attendants standing there stared at them in a daze.Haojing was blessed with clear skies that day.Warm sunlight poured down, brushing across the brows of all who had just landed, whether travelers or those returning home.The cool, reserved woman in a white shirt stepped steadily onto each rung of the jet bridge, her pace unhurried and orderly. On her back was a deeply sleeping, stunningly beautiful woman, long curls cascading down and wrapping around the white shirt in front, like a strand of ink dissolving into clear water. As they descended the steps, the butterfly hair clip pinned in the sleeping woman’s hair fluttered its delicate wings. From a distance in the sunlight, it truly looked as though a butterfly had alighted in her hair.
Chapter 58
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The variety show was starting filming in three hours. They rushed nonstop to the hotel the production team had booked. Qinghuan was sleeping like the dead and didn’t wake once. Nan Yang carried her into the car, held her all the way to the hotel entrance, then hoisted her onto her back again and walked into the lobby.The moment they stepped inside, they saw Ming Wancheng standing by the reception sofa with her hands on her hips, phone raised, frowning as she shouted, “Where did my sister go?!”On the other end was probably her assistant. Whatever the response was, Ming Wancheng snapped again, “Wasn’t I telling you to keep an eye on her? How are you only telling me now that she went shopping alone? Do you know what time it is? We’re about to start filming!”She clenched her teeth, listened to a few scattered excuses, and cut them off quickly. “You don’t need to tell me all that. Tell me where she is right now—she’s near you? Then go pick her up!”Two other people were seated on the sofa, their backs to the hotel entrance, so Nan Yang couldn’t see their faces.One of them suddenly stood up—a young woman with a graceful figure, about Qinghuan’s age. The half of her face turned slightly sideways was as fresh and delicate as a white narcissus just beginning to bloom. Her peach-blossom eyes were gentle and clear, like a cold spring in the mountains no one had ever scooped up in their hands. She patted Ming Wancheng on the shoulder and said softly, “A-Cheng, don’t panic. Zuzhu isn’t even here yet.”Ming Wancheng sighed, swept her gaze around, and abruptly spotted Nan Yang in the distance with Qinghuan on her back.“Look, aren’t they here?” Ming Wancheng’s face instantly brightened. She dashed over, calling out from far away, “Oh, you two are finally here! The whole crew’s been waiting on you. Look—Teacher Bai and Sister Ziyan have been sitting here staring at the door for ages. Hurry upstairs, drop your things, the production car’s already waiting outside.”The peach-eyed woman who had spoken earlier nodded at Nan Yang. “Hello, I’m Cen Ziyan.”The other woman on the sofa also stood.Bai Jinqiu had her arms crossed and gave Nan Yang a slight nod as well. She wore sunglasses that covered most of her face—only a still-firm jawline and a beautifully shaped chin were visible. She was dressed in a soft, well-fitted black velvet shirt. The skin at her collar was pale, but along her neck were several faint lines no amount of foundation could fully hide. It was what a forty-year-old woman should look like: no matter how well the face was maintained, the body’s traces of age couldn’t be completely stopped.Standing in the same frame as her, Nan Yang—who should have been thirty-five—looked unnaturally young.Luckily, the production team would probably slap a heavy smoothing filter on the final cut. On television, it wouldn’t be as obvious.Cen Ziyan knew Qinghuan. They had worked together on a drama before and often attended various banquets together. Though their public personas were formulaic “rivals,” both were soft-tempered. No matter how much fans compared them and screamed at each other online, they were still good friends in private. Seeing Qinghuan asleep on Nan Yang’s back, Cen Ziyan seemed to want to go over and greet her.But after taking one step, she stopped cautiously and asked Bai Jinqiu in a gentle voice, “Auntie, can I go say hi to her?”Bai Jinqiu glanced over, didn’t speak, and simply nodded.Cen Ziyan looked like a puppy whose leash had been loosened—her eyes bright with the smile of brief freedom. She walked up to Nan Yang, looked at Qinghuan still sleeping, and politely asked, “May I wake her up?”Nan Yang hesitated, then allowed it.Cen Ziyan lightly patted Qinghuan’s shoulder and called her name twice. Qinghuan slowly woke, and when she groggily recognized her friend, her lips curved up without control. “Ziyan?”She quickly realized she was on Nan Yang’s back and had Nan Yang set her down at once. While straightening her clothes, she smiled at Cen Ziyan. “Ziyan, long time no see. You look thinner than before.”“You’re still sleeping when we’re about to start filming,” Cen Ziyan teased, smiling. “And Boss Nan really spoils you—she didn’t even wake you.” Then she tilted her head, looking at the top of Qinghuan’s hair. “That hair clip is pretty unique.”Qinghuan froze.A hair clip?Had she worn a clip when she left today?Frowning in confusion, she lifted a hand and probed her hair—she actually felt something foreign: cold, hard, like two thin metal pieces. She felt around more carefully, found the main bar of the clip, and gently took it out.It was a small butterfly hair clip strung with colorful beads, its wings able to flutter.Qinghuan looked up at Nan Yang and waggled the butterfly in her hand. “You put this on me?”Nan Yang, expressionless, gave a quiet “Mm.”“…When did you do it?”Nan Yang glanced away, her tone flat. “…On the plane. When you were asleep.”Qinghuan paused. Then, the worry that had been hardened in her eyes for so long softened and melted away. Her fingers curled, clutching the butterfly in her palm. Looking at the woman before her—cold as snow—holding the small joy she had secretly been given, she suddenly felt that everything unpleasant could be put aside for the moment.Cen Ziyan reminded them, “Go upstairs and freshen up. We’re leaving for the set right away.”“Okay.” Only then did Qinghuan notice that pretty much everyone in the lobby had arrived. She knew she couldn’t dawdle anymore, so she tugged Nan Yang along with the luggage toward the elevators, calling back toward the sofa as she went. “A-Cheng, Teacher Bai—see you in a bit.”Ming Wancheng waved. “Master, hurry up!”Qinghuan pulled Nan Yang into the elevator. Xiao Ye dragged several suitcases in after them. Once the doors closed, only the three of them were inside.With no outsiders around, Qinghuan flushed and squeezed Nan Yang’s hand hard. “Next time you have to wake me up. I don’t even know when we got off the plane.”Nan Yang was silent for a moment, then said, “You were too tired. I just wanted you to rest a little longer.”“After today’s recording, the production team’s giving us three days to prepare before we leave for Thailand. I can stay in bed for three whole days then—why would you worry I can’t rest enough?”Nan Yang looked at her, her gaze slowly sliding down from her face to the fingers resting on the suitcase handle.“Mm,” Nan Yang answered softly. “I worry.”Xiao Ye shivered. For some reason, she felt like she could smell exhaust fumes from getting run over by PDA.Qinghuan flicked a fast glance at Xiao Ye, who was shrinking into the corner wishing she could turn invisible, and her face turned even redder. “There’s still someone here!”Nan Yang cast a glance at Xiao Ye, her voice calm as water. “Since when have you been more reserved than me?”“You…” Qinghuan pressed her lips together, then said, “Xiao Ye, cover your ears.”Xiao Ye immediately jammed both index fingers into her ears as hard as she could. After a second’s thought, she even closed her eyes—peace was priceless.Even with her eyes shut, she couldn’t help cracking them open into a thin slit to sneak a look.She saw Qinghuan lean forward and whisper something into Nan Yang’s ear. She couldn’t hear the words, but Nan Yang’s face instantly flushed from her ears all the way down to the base of her neck, and when she looked at Qinghuan, there was a rare hint of panic in her eyes.Qinghuan’s lips curved, a triumphant smile in her alluring gaze.Xiao Ye shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut again in agony.How many more years was she going to have to eat this kind of dog food?!.While they were waiting for Nan Yang and Qinghuan, Qi Yi had also been brought back.The moment she stepped into the hotel, Ming Wancheng lunged at her and cried, “Sister!”Qi Yi lifted the bag in her hand as a shield, blocking Ming Wancheng’s grabby hands. “Stay away from me.”“Where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me?” Ming Wancheng asked, aggrieved.Qi Yi smiled mysteriously, raised the bag, and pulled out a thick purple book, waving it in front of Ming Wancheng. “I went to buy you the Five-Year Gaokao, Three-Year Mock Exams.”Ming Wancheng stared blankly at the copy of Five-Year Gaokao, Three-Year Mock Exams in Qi Yi’s hands. She opened her mouth, but a belly full of words got stuck, not a single one making it out.To trace the beginning of this mess, you had to go back half a month.Filming was about to start, but Ming Wancheng’s pairing still wasn’t confirmed. The production team for “Honeymoon Together” kept pushing from every direction—pressing Ming Wancheng’s company, pressing Ming Wancheng herself, pressing Nan Yang, pressing Mei Zhongli. Ming Wancheng was anxious too. Qi Yi still hadn’t given a clear answer—not agreeing, not refusing. If not for the fact that Qi Yi had classes both day and night, Ming Wancheng would have called her twenty-four times a day.One night, Ming Wancheng nervously dialed Qi Yi again.“Sister?”Qi Yi was already home, grading papers at her desk with the phone on speaker. “Mm?”“Sister, are you still not giving me an answer today?” Ming Wancheng sounded like she was about to cry. “The director told me that if it’s not confirmed by tomorrow, they’re going to replace me.”“Is that so.” Qi Yi remained noncommittal.“Sister, stop avoiding me. We’re just going on a trip with them, that’s all. If you don’t like me, I can stay farther away. When we play games, I’ll try not to touch you. Winter break will be so boring if you stay home alone. Master said your parents won’t be back for months. I just don’t want you to be alone again…”“A-Cheng.” Qi Yi’s eyes stayed glued to the test paper, her red pen drawing an X after a line of poetry. “If ‘Two hearts, if they last’—what’s the next line?”Ming Wancheng froze. “…Huh? What?”Qi Yi asked again.Ming Wancheng was still completely lost. “What are you even talking about?”“That’s a required memorized poem from high school Chinese, Volume Three.” Qi Yi looked at the paper she was grading—another wrong answer—and smiled gently. “See? You don’t study properly. You don’t even know something this simple.”“Sister, if you agree to join me, I’ll start memorizing right away!” Ming Wancheng begged pitifully. “If you’ll come, forget memorizing a few poems—if you tell me to take the Gaokao next year, I’ll do it. Really!”Qi Yi’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh? If you put it like that… I suddenly want to try.”Ming Wancheng’s mouth fell open. She hadn’t expected she’d dug herself a hole and buried herself up to the neck.Qi Yi had originally felt it could go either way, but since Ming Wancheng had thrown those words out, Qi Yi became curious: would this uneducated little idiot actually throw herself into studying? As a highly educated teacher from a scholarly family, what she enjoyed most was rescuing illiterates. And Ming Wancheng just happened to be an illiterate who hadn’t even gone to elementary school.So from that day on, Ming Wancheng inexplicably joined the army of Gaokao exam prep.Qi Yi even gave her a countdown board like the other Gaokao students, making her stare at the days remaining every single day.Ming Wancheng gritted her teeth. Fine—study it is!As long as she could trick Qi Yi into joining the show, what was a little suffering? She just hadn’t received modern education, that was all. She wasn’t stupid. With her intelligence, how could she possibly not handle the kind of courses little kids obsessed over?Half a month later—Standing in the hotel lobby with Five-Year Gaokao, Three-Year Mock Exams in her hands, Ming Wancheng hung her head. Thinking back to the miserable, inhuman study routine of the past ten-plus days, she wanted nothing more than to time-travel back half a month and tear her own mouth into pieces.
Chapter 59
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Once everyone had arrived, the six of them split into two vans and got in one after the other. Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi naturally stayed with Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan.It had been a while since the four of them had been together, and from the moment she got in the car, Ming Wancheng’s mouth never stopped. She chattered nonstop about everything under the sun—from the awful hotel porridge to terrifying high school equations, from a clumsy assistant to Cen Ziyan, whom she had only met two days ago. The noise made Nan Yang’s brows knit tighter and tighter.“Ziyan is really, really nice,” Ming Wancheng rambled, leaning over the back of Nan Yang’s seat in the front row. “Ancestor, just spend more time with her and you’ll know. She’s super approachable. I used to think my Master was already gentle enough, but Ziyan is even more innocent than her. It’s all my Master’s fault for having a face that’s too bewitching. Look at Ziyan—pure like a daffodil. That’s what it means to match inside and out. But when she’s with Teacher Bai, it feels really strange. I don’t know why, but she seems scared of Teacher Bai. Teacher Bai doesn’t talk much either, just like you, but my Master isn’t afraid of you at all. So why is Ziyan so scared of Teacher Bai? Teacher Bai doesn’t look that scary. The first time we met, she even shook my hand. I really don’t get it…”Impatience had already crept into Nan Yang’s breathing.Qi Yi pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose and asked leisurely, “A-Cheng, did you finish the worksheets I left you yesterday?”Ming Wancheng immediately stopped talking. Her head drooped, and she mumbled, “I—I’ll do them after the recording…”“You have plenty of time to gossip about others,” Qi Yi clicked her tongue, “but that Chinese exam you did the day before yesterday was a complete disaster. ‘Beyond the long pavilion, beside the ancient road’—do you remember what you wrote for the next line?”Ming Wancheng stared at Qi Yi blankly.Qi Yi enunciated each word clearly: “‘Beyond the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, a line of white egrets rises into the blue sky.’”Ming Wancheng froze. “…I-isn’t that right?”Nan Yang: “……”Qinghuan: “……”Xiao Ye: “……”Qi Yi smiled kindly. “Copy it twenty times when we get back. If you don’t finish, don’t sleep.”Ming Wancheng let out a miserable “Huh?” and finally lost the energy to keep babbling. She buried her face into the seatback and clawed at her own hair in despair.Logically speaking, as someone who had lived for over three thousand years, she shouldn’t have been so unfamiliar with classical poetry. But she had always been completely uninterested in poetry and verse. In the past, whenever people talked about such things, she wouldn’t even let it pass through her ears. If someone truly had no interest in something, no matter how many chances they had to encounter it, they would still pretend to be deaf and avoid it entirely.If she’d known there would come a day of cramming for the college entrance exam, she would have forced herself to wander through those sour scholars’ poetry gatherings no matter what.Qinghuan smiled and shook her head.Before Ming Wancheng could even squeeze out a tear to win some sympathy, Qi Yi grabbed her by the collar and hauled her up, making her recite the memorization assignment from the night before.Nan Yang hadn’t spoken the entire time. She sat quietly in the corner, playing Tetris on her cheap handheld game console.Ming Wancheng hadn’t memorized it well to begin with, and she stumbled through it like squeezing toothpaste: “‘The wind is fierce… the sky is high… the sky is high… the apes cry mournfully.’”From the front row came a shrill “biu” from the game console.“‘Islets… clear sand white birds fly… fly back…’”“Biu biu”“‘Endless falling leaves…’”“Biu biubiubiu~~”“‘Endless falling leaves… what comes next?’”“Biubiu—biubiu biu”“‘Endless falling leaves biubiubiu?’”Ming Wancheng had been completely brainwashed by the ear-piercing game sounds.Qi Yi twitched the corner of her mouth.Fuming, Ming Wancheng pointed at the front row. “Sister, look at her! She’s affecting my studying! Master, aren’t you going to control your wife?!”Qinghuan pressed down on Nan Yang’s hand that was holding the game console and whispered, “Stop playing.”Nan Yang didn’t look away. Peering through Qinghuan’s fingers at the screen, she precisely guided the falling blocks and said flatly, “Your elbow really does bend outward.”Qinghuan sighed. “Save some brainpower. The game later will be very hard.”Nan Yang lowered her head and said softly, “But I want to play.”Qinghuan had never been able to resist Nan Yang when she asked like this. She immediately let go, surrendering on the spot. “A-Cheng, just endure it.”Qi Yi added, “If you didn’t memorize it properly, don’t try to pin the blame on someone else. Do you want to keep copying as punishment?”Ming Wancheng stared at this circle of demons in shock. Her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly felt like she was the one who had been trapped.And so, amid all the bickering, half an hour passed, and they finally arrived at the filming location.But the moment the car door opened, a group of tall men in black suits surged forward, each holding an eye mask. Xiao Ye recognized the program crew’s headsets on them and quietly exchanged a few words with the leader. Only then did she learn that the game had already begun. They had to be blindfolded and led off the vehicle, and could only remove the masks when the show allowed it.Nan Yang clearly had little interest in such flashy games, but since she was already here, she knew she had to cooperate with filming. Even though she was reluctant, she still put on the eye mask that instantly stripped her of her sense of security.Once her eyes were covered, she fully sharpened her hearing, accurately pinpointed Qinghuan’s position, and reached out to grab her hand.As if she knew what Nan Yang was thinking, Qinghuan gently squeezed the web of her thumb.The two of them were fitted with lavalier microphones and receivers, then guided to slowly move toward their assigned spot. Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi seemed to have been separated. Nan Yang could only hear her own footsteps and Qinghuan’s, along with the movements of several unfamiliar people around them. In the darkness, they seemed to climb a short flight of stairs before being led into a room. The door closed tightly, followed by the sound of a lock clicking shut.Because she was blindfolded, Qinghuan didn’t know what was around her and didn’t dare to move recklessly. Nan Yang quietly sent out a wave of internal energy to roughly assess the objects nearby. After identifying chairs, she pulled the stiff Qinghuan down to sit.“C-can we sit?” Qinghuan didn’t even dare to bend her knees.“Sit. Trust me.”Hearing that reassuring voice, Qinghuan groped her way into bending her legs. Two seconds later, she was indeed sitting on a chair.She sniffed. “Mm… do you smell that? It smells really good.”Nan Yang was silent for a moment before saying, “It’s hot pot.”Just as the two of them were carefully sniffing the air, a loud broadcast suddenly blared through the room—“Welcome, everyone, to the preview edition of ‘Honeymoon Together’! Today, we’ll be playing a small game here to rank the three CP pairs. Based on the rankings, you’ll draw lots in order. Five days later, at Bayu Airport, we’ll all fly together to Bangkok, Thailand. But before that, the draw will determine how you travel from Haojing to Bayu Airport. Inside the draw box are three modes of transportation: either squeeze into a crowded hard-seat train for three days and two nights, or enjoy the scenery in a high-end private compartment. Your fate depends on your performance today! Are you ready?”Nan Yang’s eye twitched. “Hard-seat train?”She had never ridden one in her life.Qinghuan squeezed her hand reassuringly. “We might not come in last.”The PD’s broadcast continued—“If you’re ready, please remove your eye masks!”Nan Yang and Qinghuan took off their masks at the same time. Because they’d worn them for so long, the sudden bright light made their vision blur. Qinghuan rubbed the corner of her eye hard and squinted as she carefully looked around.They were in a cramped space, no more than fifteen square meters by estimate. There was no one else inside besides the two of them. Not far away was a tightly shut iron door with a four-digit combination lock. To their right was a low table, and on it sat a pot of hot pot, bubbling vigorously. To the left stood a tall wooden rack divided into a nine-grid layout, each compartment filled with various meatballs and vegetables for hot pot.Against one wall was a small window, not very large, partially blocked by three metal bars. Qinghuan walked over to take a look and was surprised to see Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi on the other side of the window.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi had just removed their masks as well and were also looking around in confusion. Their room had a completely different style—dim lighting, an overhead lamp casting an eerie blue glow, and several racks around the room. But their racks were filled with animal specimens and various organs soaked in formalin.Likewise, there was a small window in their wall too. From a distance, Qinghuan could see Cen Ziyan’s back through it.It was too far away to make out the layout of Cen Ziyan’s room.The broadcast sounded again—“I believe you’ve all seen your surroundings. Now let me explain the rules of the game. ‘Honeymoon Together’ preview edition, Game One—Escape Room. The three CP pairs have been locked in escape rooms with different themes. You may communicate and exchange information with one another. Your goal is to find the password to the iron door’s lock and escape in the shortest time possible. Clues may be in your own room, or in your opponents’ rooms. How do you weigh the importance of trading clues? How do you ensure you’re the first to escape successfully? Will you form alliances for mutual benefit, or compete against each other? The rest is up to you. Good luck, guests!”After the broadcast ended, all three rooms fell into silence.After an unknown amount of time, Ming Wancheng muttered softly, “What kind of devil genius planner is this? They’re deliberately trying to make us fight…”Nan Yang listened quietly to the rules, unhurried. Instead, she took a few small plates of meatballs and vegetables from the rack and sat by the hot pot to start cooking.Seeing how calm she was, Qinghuan crossed her arms helplessly. “You’re really not in a hurry? Aren’t you afraid of sitting on a hard seat for three days and two nights?”“Aren’t you hungry?” Nan Yang dropped a meatball into the pot. “We haven’t eaten since getting off the plane.”“I guess I am a bit hungry,” Qinghuan leaned against the small iron window. A whiff of formalin drifted over from Ming Wancheng’s room, making her feel nauseous. “But I can’t really eat right now.”Ming Wancheng pressed her face against the small window, peering over eagerly. “Wow, Master, you have hot pot over there? It smells so good!”Qi Yi covered her nose and glanced at the human skeleton specimen beside her, her voice muffled through her hand. “I just want to throw up.”Qinghuan looked over as well. “Why is your side so creepy? Is it a lab?”“Probably,” Ming Wancheng shivered. “They’re spraying dry ice too. I’m freezing.”From the other side, Cen Ziyan’s voice rang out as she leaned toward her own small window. “A-Cheng, Zhuzhu! What’s your situation over there?”Qinghuan called back, “Ours seems to be a restaurant theme. A-Cheng’s is a lab theme. What about yours?”Cen Ziyan’s voice trembled slightly. “Ours is a hospital ward. There’s a bed and an IV stand, and th-the bed even has a prop dummy on it… covered in fake blood. I—I don’t dare touch it.”Bai Jinqiu’s voice could be faintly heard. “Yanyan, come here.”Cen Ziyan responded with a soft “Auntie” and immediately obediently left the window.As the middle link connecting all three rooms, Ming Wancheng shouted to both sides, “Let’s each search our own rooms first! Share anything useful we find!”Qinghuan nodded.After finishing her exchanges with the others, Qinghuan turned back to look for Nan Yang. Nan Yang was still sitting by the hot pot. Two small plates beside her were already empty, and she was lifting a stalk of lettuce to her mouth.“You’re still eating?” Qinghuan said helplessly. Even as she scolded her, she picked up a pair of chopsticks and helped Nan Yang transfer meatballs from the pot into her bowl.“There’s still plenty of time. No rush,” Nan Yang said as she swallowed the lettuce and picked up another meatball.“Eat less. What if you need to use the bathroom?” Qinghuan poured her a cup of water. “We’re still locked in here, and we don’t have any leads.”“…Mm.”Nan Yang agreed verbally, but her chopsticks never stopped.Suddenly, Ming Wancheng’s voice came through the small window. “Master! I found a small box behind the specimen rack!”Qinghuan immediately stood up and looked through the window at the small wooden box in Ming Wancheng’s hands. “There’s… a lock on it?”“Yeah, it needs a key,” Ming Wancheng shook the little lock.Cen Ziyan’s voice came from the other side. “A-Cheng, I found a small key in the dummy’s pocket. See if it can open your lock?”Ming Wancheng happily ran over, took the key, and tried it. Sure enough, it opened the lock. Inside the box was a slip of paper. Qi Yi took it out and read aloud under the dim light: “First digit of the password for Room Two—the number of stuffed fish balls on the rack in Room One.”The air went silent for a second.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi both looked up at the small window, staring at Qinghuan.Qinghuan also turned her head, staring blankly at the completely empty meatball plate by Nan Yang’s side.“Y-you… how many meatballs did you eat just now?” Qinghuan asked cautiously.Nan Yang stared at her bowl, stunned, unable to speak for a long moment.Ming Wancheng lunged at the window, gripping the metal bars as if she wanted to crawl through. “Ahhh! You big-mouthed demon actually ate all of our clues!!!”
Chapter 60
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“Don’t panic,” Qinghuan comforted Ming Wancheng. “It’s only the first digit. If we can find the other three, we can just brute-force the first one by trying them one by one.”“But the clues are chained together!” Ming Wancheng was so annoyed she practically wanted to bite the metal bars. “She ate the very first clue. How are we supposed to find the rest now?”Nan Yang, however, remained completely calm. “Why rush? There’s still plenty of time.” As she spoke, she lifted a shrimp ball toward the lab room. “Want some?”The fury on Ming Wancheng’s face froze instantly. Her raised brows slowly flattened. She craned her neck, staring at the meatball in Nan Yang’s chopsticks, swallowed, and nodded without a shred of shame. “Yes.”Nan Yang took a clean bowl, put in some cooked vegetables and meatballs, and handed a half-filled bowl to Qinghuan at the window. Qinghuan accepted it and passed it through the gap between the bars. Ming Wancheng leaned over the narrow ledge and ate, bite after bite.Qi Yi held her nose and searched the specimen racks with focus. Over in the hospital room, Cen Ziyan and Bai Jinqiu continued hunting for clues as well. Only Room One was completely unmotivated—one person intent on eating hot pot, one person leaning against the window chatting with Ming Wancheng, neither of them showing the slightest interest in moving for the sake of the game.Room Three, the hospital theme, turned up two small locked boxes. In Room Two, the lab, Qi Yi found several torn newspaper fragments that didn’t form anything coherent. The clues were all too scattered. It looked like nothing could move forward without solving the first digit. But the stuffed fish balls were already gone. They couldn’t exactly cut Nan Yang open to count how many she’d eaten. After searching for a while, everyone got tired and ended up leaning by the small window to chat.Qinghuan called through Room Two toward the other side. “Teacher Bai, I never got the chance to properly greet you. Technically this is the first time we’ve met today. It’s too far to shake hands, but hello. I’m very happy to be on this show with you!”Hearing Qinghuan take the initiative to bring her into the conversation, Bai Jinqiu walked over as well. A veteran actress who had spent years in the industry—even if she was cold at heart—wouldn’t throw her face around as willfully as Nan Yang. Bai Jinqiu smiled warmly toward Room One. “Hello. I’ve heard about you from Yanyan.”Ming Wancheng spoke around a mouthful of meatballs, words coming out fuzzy. “Teacher Bai, I really like you too. That movie you did, Blue Laugh—it’s the most classic wuxia film in history, no contest! Every time I change phones, I download it again. And your Golden Bear Award Best Actress acceptance speech clip from back then—I still can’t bear to delete it.”Cen Ziyan set the locked box she’d just found on the windowsill and smiled with her head tilted, standing beside Bai Jinqiu. “A-Cheng, if you say things like that, aren’t you afraid Teacher Qi will get jealous?”Ming Wancheng waved her hands rapidly. “I’m not actually a real couple with her. How could that compare to you four—genuine ‘wives’ for real? For the next month, please don’t feed me too much lovey-dovey sweetness.”Qi Yi emerged from behind a rack, looking dusty and disheveled, a opened glass jar dangling from her hand. Seeing Ming Wancheng happily eating meatballs while chatting away, Qi Yi walked over and frowned. “You look like you’re having a great time. You’re even eating. Don’t you want to get out?”“I mean… Sister…” Ming Wancheng drooped her head and mumbled. “We’ve been stuck in here for over an hour. Aren’t you hungry?”Qi Yi touched her stomach. After rummaging through the lab until it was a complete mess, she’d gotten used to the formalin smell. And if she counted the time, it was already after six in the evening—definitely dinner hour.In fact, everyone in all three rooms was hungry. Ming Wancheng, sharp as she was, noticed people licking their lips more often than before. As the “hub room” connecting everyone, she took the initiative to ask the hospital side, “Ziyan, Teacher Bai—do you want to eat a bit too?”Cen Ziyan asked cautiously, “Auntie, are you hungry?”The moment Bai Jinqiu’s distant gaze landed on Cen Ziyan, it softened. “If you want to eat, then eat a little.”Qinghuan immediately picked up the cue. “Nan Yang and I will cook some for you. Wait a moment.”Nan Yang sat unmoving in front of the hot pot. The broth was nearly boiled down dry. She unscrewed a sponsor’s bottled water and poured it into the pot to keep it going. Qinghuan sat beside her, helping add ingredients.Nan Yang stirred the pot with a large ladle. Her other hand rested on her stomach as she murmured to Qinghuan, “I’m full.”Qinghuan gave her a soft, reproachful glare. “You should have been full ages ago. You’ve been eating for an hour.”“If there were dessert, that’d be even better,” Nan Yang said with a straight face.“…We’re locked in here trying to escape, not attending a banquet,” Qinghuan sighed, turning the heat back up to keep the pot warm. “Are you really not worried we won’t get out?”Nan Yang pulled out a tissue and calmly wiped her mouth. “Worst case, I take the hard-seat train. I kind of want to try it.”“I rode it a few times when I was little. It’s awful,” Qinghuan said helplessly, stirring the pot with the skimmer. “The seats are hard—after five or six hours, you’re done for. Everything hurts. And the carriage is packed, really loud, and the smell isn’t good either. You’re a pampered boss. You probably can’t sit through even three hours, let alone three days and two nights. Forget it.”Nan Yang nodded. “Mm.” She thought Qinghuan made sense.“What ‘mm,’ all you do all day is ‘mm mm mm.’ You’re so boring,” Qinghuan laughed and pinched Nan Yang’s ear. The tiny diamond on it flashed under the light with the movement.“…Eat first,” Nan Yang said, still expressionless. “After you’re full, I’ll tell you how to get out.”Qinghuan raised a brow. “You know how to get out?”Nan Yang had squatted here and eaten hot pot for a full hour without moving an inch, and she still claimed to know how to clear an escape room?Nan Yang only looked into Qinghuan’s eyes—those eyes that clearly didn’t believe her—and said nothing.If Qinghuan had her ancient memories at this moment, she would have understood. Nan Yang had once led disciples from multiple sects through the deadly, treacherous tomb of Consort Si, cracking a square “hui”-shaped labyrinth with ten shifting active directions, while contending with tomb raiders. How could a tiny escape room possibly trap her?For something this low-level, she didn’t even need to calculate directions. Within half a minute of taking off the blindfold, Nan Yang had already judged where things were hidden. And those combination locks were even more ridiculous—she didn’t need to find the code at all. She only had to turn the dial herself. With her hearing, she could distinguish the differences in the lock core’s gear movement and directly listen for the correct digits.She’d kept her head down eating hot pot only to give the others time to create variety-show moments. If Qinghuan truly didn’t want to stay, Nan Yang would naturally take her out of here immediately.The food was cooked. Qinghuan grabbed several clean bowls and chopsticks and divided the hot pot ingredients evenly, smiling as she portioned things out. “Actually… it’s kind of fun, all of us together like this. We can eat and chat. We weren’t that familiar before, but after one round we’ll be closer. It’s a great chance to get to know each other. That’s probably what the crew wanted—have us meet first.”Nan Yang nodded. “Then there’s no need to rush out.”“You’re talking like you really can get out.”“……”Qinghuan picked up two bowls and called to Nan Yang, “Come over too. Let’s chat by the window.”Nan Yang helped carry two more bowls and followed her over, delivering bowl after bowl to the lab room next door. Ming Wancheng took them and then passed two bowls onward to the hospital room.The six of them leaned casually against their walls, eating freshly scalded hot pot food and chatting.After a few exchanges, Qinghuan realized Bai Jinqiu and Nan Yang were very different. Nan Yang’s silence was just… her. She didn’t like talking from beginning to end. Even once she was close with someone, she still didn’t like talking, because that taciturn nature was part of who she was. Bai Jinqiu, on the other hand, was simply slow to warm up. She was still kind at heart. Once hot pot entered the scene and Cen Ziyan brightened a little, Bai Jinqiu’s expression softened too, and she gradually started sharing stories from her years filming.Qinghuan simply dragged the hot pot table over to the window. She cooked and laughed with them, and whenever Cen Ziyan finished eating, Qinghuan would pick up new meatballs for Ming Wancheng, and Ming Wancheng would pass them along to Cen Ziyan—like a relay.Even though the six of them were separated into three rooms, passing food back and forth like this made it feel as if they were truly sharing a meal at the same table.As they chatted, the conversation drifted from jobs to hobbies, and from hobbies to idols.“A-Cheng, who’s your idol?” Qinghuan asked, propping her chin on her hand.“Before I entered entertainment, I really liked Jiang Yanran from A.N.T,” Ming Wancheng said with sparkling eyes. “A.N.T’s leader and main vocalist—she sings at a national opera house level! And she plays piano too. She’s insanely good!”Cen Ziyan nodded. “Yanran is really impressive. Teacher Qi, what about you?”“I know who Xiao Yi’s idol is,” Qinghuan said with a smile, looking at Qi Yi. Qi Yi smiled back knowingly, and the two of them said the same name at the same time:“Planck.”Ming Wancheng blinked curiously. “Is Planck a celebrity?”“A physicist,” Qi Yi explained with a gentle smile. “He founded quantum mechanics. And he’s very handsome.”Ming Wancheng nodded thoughtfully. “Then… I want to be a physicist too. I want to study quantum mechanics.”Qi Yi glanced at Ming Wancheng’s decorative brain—one that couldn’t even recite the required high school classical poems smoothly—and her smile curved with helpless amusement.Qinghuan called toward Room Three, far away. “What about you, Ziyan?”Bai Jinqiu lowered her head and stared at Cen Ziyan without blinking. Cen Ziyan darted an uneasy glance at Bai Jinqiu’s expression. A flash of humiliation—like coercion—skated through her eyes, but she covered it extremely well. Even the camera wouldn’t catch that split-second loss of composure. She pressed her lips together and answered softly, “I… I’ve only ever liked Auntie.”Bai Jinqiu looked pleased and smiled. Following her words, she said, “I don’t have an idol.”For a legend of Bai Jinqiu’s stature, it was normal not to worship anyone. Everyone nodded, understanding, and didn’t press further.Ming Wancheng turned to ask her Master, “Master, who do you like?”“Me?” Qinghuan tilted her head, smiling brightly. “I like Lisa.”Nan Yang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke. “Who is Lisa?”“I know! I love her too!” Ming Wancheng blurted out. “A Thai singer who debuted and built her career in Korea. She’s the main dancer in her group, and she’s super, super cute.” As she spoke, she lifted a hand to wave at the camera in the corner of the ceiling. “Editors, remember to put up a photo later and promote our real-life Barbie!”Nan Yang fell into thought for a long time, then asked quietly at Qinghuan’s side, “You like cute women?”Qinghuan nodded with a smile. “Mm. Everyone likes cute girls.”Nan Yang lowered her head. Her brows creased slightly, and for a long time she didn’t speak again.Qinghuan noticed the sudden dip in her mood. She glanced at the camera above, then lowered her voice. “What’s wrong?”Nan Yang lifted her eyes to Qinghuan. Her straight lashes drooped, hiding the faint, nearly imperceptible frustration in her gaze.“I… don’t think I’m cute.”Qinghuan paused. Looking at Nan Yang, who was taking this far too seriously, she couldn’t hold it in and let out a soft laugh.
Chapter 61
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“No,” Qinghuan said quickly, holding back her laughter as she comforted her. “You really are cute.”Nan Yang frowned. Even hearing Qinghuan call her cute didn’t make her happy. She didn’t think she was that kind of woman at all. Qinghuan had to be saying it on purpose just to soothe her.“Then Boss Nan—other than Zhuzhu, which celebrity do you like?” Qi Yi asked.Nan Yang shook her head. “I don’t have an idol either.”Ming Wancheng spoke without restraint. “Oh? You repressed weirdos never have idols, huh?”Bai Jinqiu and Nan Yang both shot Ming Wancheng a cool, icy look.Surrounded by dry ice, Ming Wancheng shivered.They kept chatting, and the mood grew warmer and warmer. The vegetables on Room One’s wooden rack gradually all went into the pot. Qinghuan brought over every bottle of sponsor water in the room and kept topping up the broth. But with six mouths to feed, they ate and ate until even the water ran out.Nan Yang glanced at the pot, nearly boiled dry, then looked up at the camera in the corner. Her voice was flat. “Director. Add water.”Half a minute later, the broadcast—silent for a long time—finally came back on. The PD’s voice sounded helpless.“Everyone, two hours and seven minutes have passed. It’s 8:30 p.m. Right now, not a single password has been cracked. We understand everyone’s dining needs, but we have to remind you: you’re currently in a tense escape room challenge. We hope that once you’ve eaten and drunk your fill, you’ll start the game as soon as possible.”Qinghuan asked softly, a bit embarrassed, “But one of the clues got eaten…”There was rustling on the other end. Faintly, the PD could be heard saying, “Cut this part later.” Then when the PD spoke again, she’d dropped the official broadcast voice entirely.“Ancestors, it wasn’t just one. There were three clues hidden in that rack of food, and you left nothing. You ate all of it. It’s not that you can’t chat, but you have to play the game a little too, or post-production really can’t work with this. Please, teachers. First, I’ll tell you the clues you just ate: stuffed fish balls—five. Baby bok choy—three heads. Broccoli—eight pieces. Memorize it. You’ll need it.”The PD paused. A long sigh came through the speaker. “Also, we already sent you your character settings. Did you all forget them? Please, please, give us some scheming and backstabbing. A-Cheng’s ‘group’s favorite’ persona, Zhuzhu’s ‘gentle big-sister’ persona, Teacher Bai and Boss Nan’s ‘spoils-their-wife’ persona—start using them! Play the game! Hurry, hurry, hurry!”With the PD calling the process like that, no one could keep slacking. They all returned the bowls and chopsticks to Room One and started searching their rooms seriously.The production team had probably been traumatized by their earlier behavior. Afraid they’d stay completely uninvested, after about ten minutes, something strange began to happen in every room.It started with Room Two. While Ming Wancheng was squatting on the floor digging through specimens, she suddenly sneezed hard. She rubbed her arms and realized the amount of dry ice had at least tripled. It was blasting so hard she began to suspect she’d been sent back to Northern Expedition Mountain. A layer of frost fog formed on Qi Yi’s lenses, forcing her to take her glasses off and wipe them repeatedly with her sleeve. Her clear, bare eyes narrowed dizzily as she struggled to search through the iron racks.Then came Room Three. Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan were quietly searching when their iron door suddenly began to get slammed—bang, bang, bang—followed by the rasping sound of a chainsaw being pulled. It was as if a maniac could saw the door open at any second and charge in after them. The room was small to begin with. The noise made Cen Ziyan instantly shrink into the corner, trembling all over. Bai Jinqiu was startled too, but she quickly regained her composure. She walked over, pulled Cen Ziyan into her arms, and soothed her in a low voice, “Yanyan, don’t be afraid. It’s fake. Auntie is here.”But once Bai Jinqiu hugged her, Cen Ziyan looked even more terrified, as if a demon had pinned her into a corner with nowhere to run, her breathing shaking with panic.Qinghuan noticed the commotion in the other two rooms but didn’t pay them much attention. Instead, she asked Nan Yang with interest, “What do you think will happen in our room?”Nan Yang kept her face calm as she rummaged through a backpack, answering carelessly, “Doesn’t matter.”“Oh? Our Boss Nan is so impressive. Nothing scares you,” Qinghuan teased with a laugh.Nan Yang didn’t respond, unconcerned. She only wanted to turn everything out quickly and get back to the hotel to sleep.Just as Nan Yang picked up a locked wooden box, her gaze lifted by accident—and her whole body went rigid. Her fingers clenched on the edge of the box until her knuckles turned white.Qinghuan sensed something wrong immediately. She glanced at Nan Yang and saw she was staring at a spot with unusual intensity, her eyes opened wider than normal, not even daring to blink.Qinghuan followed her gaze.When she saw the small things on the floor, she froze too.Maybe it was punishment for the pair who had led everyone into eating hot pot instead of playing. Or maybe it was simply to force them to hurry up. Either way, the props team had released a swarm of black-striped, mottled house spiders through an abandoned vent fan in the corner.They were the kind of tiny spiders commonly found indoors—living in kitchen gaps and wall corners. Small bodies, pale brown coloring, eight long thin legs like little curved hooks. Not really venomous, and not especially frightening to look at. Each one was no bigger than a fingernail.But Nan Yang reacted as if facing a deadly enemy. She sprang up, retreated several steps at once, and the wooden box she’d been holding clattered to the floor with a loud, chaotic rattle.Qinghuan stared at Nan Yang—now pressed against the wall. Compared to the spiders, Nan Yang’s reaction shocked her more.“You… you’re afraid of spiders?” Qinghuan arched a brow.Nan Yang braced herself against the wall, eyes locked on the swarm still skittering around aimlessly. A fine sheen of sweat even beaded at the tip of her nose.She really was terrified.“It’s okay, it’s okay, don’t be scared. I’ll box them in,” Qinghuan said quickly. She hurried to the rack and grabbed several empty bamboo trays, carefully herding the spiders into a cluster before covering them. A few slipped away, so Qinghuan grabbed some empty bowls and flipped them upside down, trapping each runaway one separately.“C-can…” Nan Yang’s chin trembled slightly. “Can we just step on them and kill them?”Qinghuan frowned, considered it, then said, “Better not. They don’t look very cute, but they’re still living creatures. I’ll just keep them contained, okay? Don’t be afraid. They won’t get out.”Nan Yang was silent for a long time before nodding obediently. “Okay… don’t kill them.”No matter how frightened she was, she could endure it. No matter what, nothing was more important than protecting Qinghuan’s kindness.But being forced to share a room with a whole cluster of spiders meant she couldn’t marshal her knowledge to help search for clues anymore. She could only press herself to the wall, mind blank, as if her IQ had dropped several levels.After Qinghuan finished trapping the spiders, she walked back to Nan Yang and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, whispering comfort. Only when she got close did she notice that Nan Yang’s lashes had fallen out from fright—several soft, fine lashes stuck damply along her lower lid like new leaves beaten down by a gale. Qinghuan wanted to laugh, but held it in, and instead wiped Nan Yang’s eyes with her sleeve.From the neighboring room came faint sneezing again.Ming Wancheng had already sneezed eight times, tears and snot running together. She’d wanted to look good on camera today, so she’d dressed lightly—just a thin white dress, the hem barely reaching her upper thigh. Their room had been blasted with so much dry ice it looked like some immortal realm: a white sea of fog, visibility near zero. Worse than an ice cellar.Ming Wancheng was rubbing her nose in a daze when something soft, warm, and heavy settled over her shoulders.She turned her head. In the white fog, it took her three seconds to recognize it as Qi Yi’s coat.Qi Yi stood beside her in a thin T-shirt. Under the eerie blue overhead light, she looked even colder and lonelier. She leaned a little closer and asked in a low voice, “You’re freezing like this. Why don’t you tell the director to turn down the dry ice?”Ming Wancheng’s eyes were red. She shook her head. “This is the variety-show effect they want.”“But you’re still an artist. Do they really not care about your body at all?”“Maybe Teacher Bai or Zhuzhu would get cared about,” Ming Wancheng shrugged without a second thought, sniffling. “For a newbie like me, it’s already good that the crew is willing to let me play along. If I can contribute a few laughs, that’s enough.”Qi Yi frowned and stared at her for a long time in silence.After a long while, Qi Yi finally spoke softly. “A-Cheng. You’re a girl too.”Ming Wancheng froze. The smile at her lips slowly flattened until her face went blank. A moment later, she curved her lips again into a gentle smile.“Sister… it feels like only you treat me like an ordinary girl.”She had wandered this world for so many years. With her bright personality, she’d made countless friends. She was everyone’s little sun, everyone’s happy pill. People liked her, liked talking to her, loved watching her clown around—yet not a single one of them truly cared about her. Everyone drew warmth from her, but no one ever wondered where her warmth came from.From ancient times to now, only one person had ever been willing to step into the deepest place in her heart.Ming Wancheng closed her eyes and remembered the first time she met Qi Yi—how she’d drunk far too much iced cola and ended up with agonizing stomach pain. That night, Qi Yi stayed by her side the whole time, guilty, saying sorry again and again.A-Cheng, does it hurt?
A-Cheng, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you drink so much iced cola.
A-Cheng, it must hurt so much. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.That night, she had a blurry dream.In it, a familiar face leaned close before her eyes, holding her hand, crying as she said:“I’m sorry, A-Cheng.”“I’m sorry I left you alone for so long. It must have hurt so much, right?”“A-Cheng, does it hurt?”“Three thousand years… how did you endure it all by yourself? Your side… was empty. No one knew your secret. No one knew you’d have attacks. When the pain in your organs flared up, how unbearable must it have been?”“A-Cheng, my heart aches for you… Why were you tortured so cruelly for three thousand years? Why, when it hurt that much, did you still smile at everyone?”In the dream, she answered with a smile:“Sister, don’t worry. I can endure it. If I endure it well enough, it won’t hurt as much. Everyone is already living so hard in this world—I can’t keep a bitter face at them too. Even if… just one more person feels happy because of me, I’ll be happy too.”That elegant, plain face cried even harder.“A-Cheng… you’re a girl too…”The sun never begrudges the world its light, and the world takes that blessing as a given. But no one ever wonders whether the sun is tired. Whether the sun has a dark side. When the moon rises, does the sun finally drop its disguise, hiding somewhere in a corner to cry in secret?Sister… it feels like only you treat me like an ordinary girl.A normal girl who needs company when she’s sick, a doll when she’s sad, and guidance when she’s ignorant and stumbling.
Chapter 62
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Qi Yi saw Ming Wancheng’s eyes inexplicably redden and hurriedly pulled some tissues from her pocket. “What’s wrong? Did you cry from the cold?”“I didn’t cry.” Ming Wancheng stubbornly forced the tears back.“Then… stay here for a bit. I’ll hurry and keep looking. Once we get out sooner, it won’t be so cold.” Qi Yi adjusted Ming Wancheng’s collar, pulled her to a spot with less dry ice, and returned to the metal shelves to continue searching.Room No. 2 was already dimly lit, and with the dry ice clogging the space, it was almost impossible to see anything. Qi Yi gathered all the specimen jars together, put on the protective gloves provided by the show, and opened them one by one, reaching inside to feel around. The jars were filled with filthy, blood-tinged liquid and the stench of formalin. She endured the discomfort, carefully squeezing and checking one organ after another. Finally, in some jar she no longer knew the count of, she fished out a blood-slick key.Qi Yi checked with Room No. 3 first. Cen Ziyan wasn’t in great condition, and Bai Jinqiu had been holding her the whole time, making it hard for them to search. The sound of the chainsaw outside had stopped; the person outside came every half hour, cutting for ten minutes each time, and this was the gap between sessions. They didn’t have any lock at hand that could be opened with this key, so Qi Yi went to Room No. 1.Nan Yang had just found a locked wooden box. Qinghuan recognized at a glance that the key matched and smiled as she reached to take it. Qi Yi dodged back just as Qinghuan was about to touch it and said, “Remember, we’re lending it to you. You have to give it back later.”“At a time like this, you’re still counting favors?” Qinghuan sighed helplessly.“It’s still a competition,” Qi Yi tilted her head. “I don’t want to spend three days and two nights on a hard seat.”That reminder made everyone realize this game didn’t end just by escaping. The outcome would decide how they traveled from Haojing to Bayu. The losing pair would have to endure three days and two nights on a hard-seat train—no joke at all.The chainsaw outside, the increasing dry ice, the countless spiders—everything was forcing them to escape as quickly as possible. Yet the prospect of three days on a hard seat meant they also had to think about beating the others out. They’d been chatting so comfortably over hotpot earlier that they hadn’t realized how serious this was. Now they were all pushed to the edge and finally started taking the game seriously.Qinghuan glanced at Nan Yang, who was still plastered against the wall, afraid to move, and had no choice but to compromise first. “Fine. I owe you one.”Qi Yi handed her the key.Qinghuan opened the wooden box. Inside was a Sudoku puzzle and some newspaper scraps. The scraps looked like they belonged to the same page as the ones found earlier in Room No. 2. She set them aside and leaned over the table to start solving the Sudoku.Nan Yang called softly, “Qinghuan…”Qinghuan looked up and beckoned to her. “Come here.”Nan Yang glanced several times at the dustpan pinning down the swarm of spiders, hesitated, then carefully edged along the wall until she reached Qinghuan and crouched beside her, eyes still warily fixed on the vent.Qinghuan shifted back a little and pulled Nan Yang down to sit. She settled Nan Yang on her lap, enclosing her in her arms, one hand holding the Sudoku sheet, the other around Nan Yang’s shoulders, pen moving as she wrote and calculated.Nan Yang was basically curled into Qinghuan’s arms, staring fixedly in the spiders’ direction, not saying a word.“Ah… this is so hard.” Qinghuan rested her chin against Nan Yang’s shoulder, scrunching her alluring face into a little pout. “Can you do it?”Nan Yang didn’t answer.Qinghuan hugged the woman in her arms by the waist and chuckled as she lightly tickled her side. “Still scared?”Nan Yang turned her head slightly and whispered seriously into Qinghuan’s ear, “They’ll bite me.”“They won’t. Those spiders only spin webs; they don’t bite.” Qinghuan tilted the pencil outward and gently patted Nan Yang’s hair with her free hand.Nan Yang fell silent for a moment, then muttered, “Spiders bite people.”“Don’t be afraid. I’m holding you—they won’t dare bite.” Qinghuan couldn’t help smiling.“…Mm.”That soft “mm” came from Nan Yang’s nose, muffled and tinged with an inexplicable grievance. Qinghuan’s heart stirred; she held her tighter and barely restrained herself from kissing her.So cute.Cute enough to make you want to squeeze her cheeks hard.Thinking that, Qinghuan actually lifted her hand and pinched the soft flesh of Nan Yang’s cheek, tugging gently.Nan Yang tilted her head to avoid the hand. Her light-brown eyes slid to the corner, casting a dissatisfied glance back at the woman holding her, and she muttered indistinctly between her lips:“Outrageous.”“Why do you always say that to me, like an elder scolding a junior?” Qinghuan laughed softly. “You scaredy-cat afraid of spiders—if you keep being fierce, I won’t hold you anymore.”Nan Yang opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped. In the end, she lowered her head and didn’t say another word.Qi Yi called from the iron window again. “Zhuzhu, didn’t you find some newspaper scraps earlier? Can you bring them over so we can try piecing them together with ours?”Qinghuan was only halfway through the Sudoku and replied casually, “Why don’t you bring yours over here and let us do the piecing?”Qi Yi tapped the iron bars with her knuckles. “Hey, don’t forget—you owe me one.”“Fine, then consider us even.”Qinghuan was already sitting close to the iron window. She picked up the wooden box and passed it over with a lift of her hand.“If you keep being so stingy, I’ll ally with Ziyan instead. As long as I don’t end up on a hard seat, second place is fine by me,” Qi Yi warned, waving the box she’d just received.“Xiao Yi, what’s our relationship? And what about Nan Yang and A-Cheng?” Qinghuan smiled ingratiatingly. “With the bond between the four of us, is it worth allying with someone else? How about this—if we draw a private compartment, no matter where you end up sitting, you and A-Cheng can come rest in our compartment. Deal?”Qi Yi laughed. “Alright. Your word.”The two lowered their voices and discussed a bit more. After they settled things, Qinghuan went back to the Sudoku while Qi Yi pieced together the newspaper.The Sudoku and the newspaper being in the same box suggested they were connected. Sure enough, once Qi Yi finished assembling the page, she found several small fluorescent words reflecting under the lab’s special blue light: R3–C5, R6–C2, R1–C3, R1–C8.Qinghuan immediately understood. “Those are Sudoku coordinates. R is row, C is column.”She found those positions in the completed grid and pulled out the corresponding numbers: 7, 5, 9, 3.“Is this your room’s password or ours?” Qinghuan lifted the circled numbers to show Qi Yi.“Try both.”Qi Yi went to the keypad lock to test them.Qinghuan pinched Nan Yang’s ear and said softly, “Get up for a moment. Let’s go try the code.”Nan Yang gave a quiet “mm,” got off Qinghuan’s lap, waited for her to stand, then followed her to the door.Qinghuan dialed in 7-5-9-3 and pulled. It didn’t open.Qi Yi’s voice came from next door as well. “It won’t open here either!”Qinghuan clicked her tongue and muttered, “Could it be Room No. 3’s code…”Nan Yang kept her eyes on the vent, but her ears were listening closely to the lock. She could hear the faint clicks when certain numbers aligned. She tugged Qinghuan’s sleeve and whispered, “Seven and five are correct. The last two aren’t.”“How do you know?”“…I just do.”Among the three rooms, only she had the ability to listen to the lock; even Ming Wancheng couldn’t. Ming Wancheng’s decade-plus of loose sword training was enough against modern people but lacked deep inner strength—she couldn’t listen to a lock the way Nan Yang could. But Nan Yang was too distracted by the spiders and not thinking clearly. It didn’t occur to her that if she could hear the last two digits, she could also determine the first two by turning them as well.As always, Qinghuan trusted her. She frowned thoughtfully. “Then if seven and five are the correct first two for us, could nine and three be the correct last two for next door? Didn’t Xiao Yi’s side find a clue that their first digit was the number of stuffed fish balls—five? If their first digit is confirmed as five, and the last two are fixed, then they’d only need to turn the second wheel to find the right code.”Nan Yang didn’t take in a single word. She just stared at the exhaust fan.Qinghuan went to the iron window and shared her idea with Qi Yi. Ming Wancheng, usually such a chatterbox, had been frozen into silence. She sat high on the table where the dry ice couldn’t reach, shivering, Qi Yi’s coat draped over her. Qi Yi tugged her, signaling her to come try the lock together. Ming Wancheng climbed down unusually obediently, head lowered, following Qi Yi.They set the first digit to 5, the third to 9, the fourth to 3, then started turning the second wheel from 0. They tugged after each number. When it reached 6, the lock opened.“It’s open!” Ming Wancheng was so excited she was almost in tears.Qi Yi shouted to the next room, “Zhuzhu, we’re heading out first!”Qinghuan hadn’t expected Qi Yi to beat her, but it didn’t really matter. It would be great if Qi Yi’s side got a private compartment. With their relationship, she and Nan Yang could definitely go share the good fortune.“Good luck, Xiao Yi!” Qinghuan called out cheerfully.Qi Yi took Ming Wancheng’s hand, removed the lock, twisted the doorknob with one hand, and pulled it open.They’d all been blindfolded when brought in, so they had no idea what lay beyond the door. Based on the PD’s introduction, everyone subconsciously assumed it would open onto a victory area prepared by the production team—maybe champagne, balloons, an exaggerated drawing box. No matter what, once that door opened, the game would be over.The door opened, and Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng froze.Outside…Was a corridor.A corridor linking all three rooms together. It was even darker than the lab, the pitch-black walls splashed with terrifying red paint like blood flung across them.Amid the sea of red, crooked and uneven, were countless blood-red words—large and small, chaotic yet all the same:Help.And the masked man who had been cutting at the iron door outside Room No. 3 with a chainsaw slowly turned his head. His cold eyes fixed on Qi Yi now exposed to view, narrowing dangerously.
Chapter 63
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Ming Wancheng reacted instantly, grabbing Qi Yi’s arm and yanking her back into the room. As the chainsaw noise dragged closer, she slammed the door shut, fingers trembling as she rehung the lock and pressed it down hard, sealing them firmly back inside Room No. 2.The sound of the chainsaw scraping against the iron door rang out right next to them. Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng both stepped back several paces. Even though they knew it was fake, the split second when the door had opened—the pitch-dark corridor and the butcher-like man—had delivered a brutal visual shock. The overwhelming sense of immersion sent a chill of cold sweat down both their backs.Qinghuan was leaning against the iron window on her side, originally ready to see them off to victory. She never expected that the door would barely crack open before the two of them came tumbling back in. They shut it so fast that Qinghuan didn’t catch even a glimpse of what lay beyond.“Xiao Yi, A-Cheng, what happened?”Ming Wancheng pointed at the iron door, her face twisted like she’d stepped in something disgusting. “It’s connected outside?! Why aren’t we actually out yet? Does that corridor count as another escape room too?”Since the chainsaw had moved to Room No. 2, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan in Room No. 3 could finally breathe a little. Cen Ziyan had been terrified, but when she realized the noise had gone next door, she still shakily crawled to the iron window and tried to comfort Ming Wancheng. “A-Cheng, don’t… don’t be afraid.”Ming Wancheng saw the tears gathering at the corners of Cen Ziyan’s eyes and sighed. “I’m not scared, I’m just shocked. Ziyan, you should worry about yourself—your makeup’s all ruined from crying. Sigh… great, there’s another stage outside. Looks like we’re spending the night here.”Qinghuan chimed in from the other side. “Doesn’t that guy come every half hour for ten minutes? When he leaves later, A-Cheng, you can go out and check the situation.”“That corridor is really terrifying, like a murder scene,” Ming Wancheng was on the verge of tears. “Master, please hurry up and solve the puzzle. That way we can at least have company in the corridor.”“We’re only missing two numbers. It should be fast,” Qinghuan said. She’d originally thought it would be fine if Ming Wancheng’s side got out first—if they drew good seats, she and Nan Yang could ride along on their luck. But now it seemed the corridor was still part of the escape room. The six of them would probably have to stay bound together and cooperate all the way through. In that case, it wouldn’t really matter who sat where in the end. Whoever drew a private compartment would surely let the others come rest there.With that in mind, she said to Ming Wancheng and Cen Ziyan, “Let’s stop competing. In the end it’s all down to luck anyway. For now, let’s just work together and get out. What do you think?”Ming Wancheng and Cen Ziyan both nodded.No one wanted to spend an entire night in a place like this—whether it was the eerie ward splattered with blood, the dim lab reeking of formalin, or the filthy restaurant crawling with spiders. None of them were places you could sleep comfortably.“Then let’s keep searching and try to enter the corridor together.”Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi clearly didn’t want to explore the corridor alone, so they threw themselves back into searching. Over in Room No. 1, Nan Yang seemed to have recovered a little. Though her eyes were still wary, she could spare some attention for the keypad lock. She understood that the only way to avoid sharing a room with spiders was to move on to another space without them. Qinghuan turned the dials while Nan Yang listened beside her, and she quickly picked out the correct code.By the time they cracked it, the person outside had just finished his ten minutes of sawing, leaving a brief window with no one there.After coordinating with Qi Yi, both sides opened their doors at the same time, and four of them stepped into the pitch-black corridor. Inside the rooms, Nan Yang had been hiding behind Qinghuan the whole time, but when faced with such a terrifying unknown, she instinctively moved in front of Qinghuan, taking her hand and keeping her safely behind her.Qinghuan looked at the woman ahead of her—back straight, clear-headed again—and smiled with a soft sigh. Nan Yang facing spiders and Nan Yang in her normal state were like two completely different people, the contrast so stark it was almost funny.There was so much dry ice in Room No. 2 that when Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi came out, cold vapor still clung to them. Even from a distance, Qinghuan could feel the chill.Nan Yang’s senses were sharper than anyone else’s. While the others were still adjusting to the darkness, she already had a rough grasp of the corridor’s layout. It wasn’t long—just enough to connect the three rooms. At the end near Room No. 1 stood a heavy iron door, also fitted with a keypad lock. At the other end was a corner, with no telling what lay beyond it.After inspecting the iron door together, the four of them moved toward the corner to explore.Nan Yang could easily have listened to the lock again, but they’d already forced their way through one password like that. Doing it repeatedly would completely kill the variety show effect. They were here to film a show, not actually trapped in danger. The production team had clearly put a lot of effort into the setup, and it deserved some respect.Besides, aside from the ugly spiders that made her uncomfortable, she was otherwise quite at ease. Everyone here had good personalities, and being with them wasn’t unpleasant. Most importantly, this was Qinghuan’s job. Before long, every moment here might be edited into the final cut and uploaded online for millions to watch. She couldn’t bring negative attention to Qinghuan.She also knew that cracking passwords like this once might earn you a “lucky star” label, but doing it over and over would seriously hurt the overall effect of the show and draw criticism.So it was better to follow the process properly.The space beyond the corner wasn’t large. One tightly shut door smeared with red paint stood there, and from inside came the sound of a chainsaw cutting into flesh. That should be where the butcher who came every half hour was stationed. On the other side was a restroom, its curtain filthy and torn, repulsive enough that no one wanted to touch it.“What do we do? Go in or not?” Ming Wancheng pointed at the dark restroom.“Do we have another choice?” Qi Yi shrugged. “Hurry up. That chainsaw guy will be back out soon.”“…I’ll go first.”Nan Yang stepped forward and crossed the threshold before anyone else, first using her sight to take in the interior.The restroom was small. Many tiles were cracked or missing, the walls splashed with gray-brown and dark red unidentified fluids. A dim yellow ceiling lamp flickered on and off, buzzing with faulty electricity. The sink was full of murky bloodwater. Above the rusted faucet hung a mirror shattered halfway through, its surface clouded and grimy—straight out of a horror movie, the kind that made you feel like something might crawl out if you stared too long.The entire restroom was filled with a nauseating mix of disinfectant and rotting meat.“We’re supposed to search for clues in here…?” Ming Wancheng covered her mouth. “This smells even worse than the formalin in Room No. 2. I’m going to throw up.”“There’s nothing outside,” Nan Yang said succinctly, gesturing with her chin at the three broken wooden stall doors. “It’s inside those.”Qi Yi and Qinghuan exchanged a look.There wouldn’t be a living person inside, right?Nan Yang seemed to read the question in Qinghuan’s eyes and added calmly, “No one. It’s inanimate.”Qinghuan was even more shocked.A corpse???Or a dead animal???Nan Yang pressed her lips together, realized her wording was off, and corrected herself. “I mean… an object.”Qi Yi finally let out a breath, half exasperated. “Boss Nan, you have to finish your sentence in one go. You scared us to death.”Nan Yang: “……”Ming Wancheng and Qinghuan stepped forward. Both reached for a stall door, yet hesitated. Seeing them waver, Nan Yang silently took two steps forward and, expressionless, yanked open the middle stall door.She gave no warning at all. The suddenness made everyone flinch.There was actually nothing scary inside—just an ordinary toilet. The bowl was so filthy its original color was unrecognizable, the cistern yellowed with age, the space cramped and narrow, and a production camera fixed in the upper left corner.On top of the toilet sat a thick package with a label on it: 2.They opened the other two stalls and found the same thing—one package per toilet. The first stall’s package was labeled 1, the third labeled 3.They were clearly supplies prepared for their three pairs.Qinghuan hefted one experimentally. It wasn’t light, but it wasn’t overly heavy either. After a moment’s thought, she suggested, “How about we take these back to the rooms and open them slowly?”“Okay—”Ming Wancheng had barely formed half the word when a sudden loud crash outside swallowed everything she was about to say, scaring it straight back down her throat.The sound of an iron door being kicked open violently, followed by the sudden, unmistakable roar of a chainsaw revving.The butcher was out again.Qi Yi patted the frozen Ming Wancheng’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s fine. He’s just going to saw at our rooms again—”Before she could finish, the terrifying chainsaw noise unexpectedly headed toward the restroom instead, closer and closer.Vrrr—Vrrr—Chaos erupted in the restroom. Ming Wancheng and Qinghuan both stumbled back several steps. Qi Yi froze, rooted to the spot.Nan Yang flung open the last stall door, grabbed the three of them one by one, and shoved them inside. After stuffing them in, she stepped in herself, slammed the door shut, and latched the bolt.The stall was tiny to begin with, and the toilet took up most of the space. Squeezing four people inside was no easy feat. Ming Wancheng, stuck deepest inside, was nearly standing on the toilet lid.“Holy shit…” she couldn’t help swearing.Qinghuan shook her head at her and pointed up at the camera, reminding her they were still filming.Nan Yang kept her eyes on Qinghuan. After a long silence, she suddenly lowered her voice. “Come a little closer.”Qinghuan was wedged awkwardly between Qi Yi and the toilet, barely able to move. Hearing Nan Yang call her, she carefully shuffled over. Once she was close, Nan Yang shifted aside and guided her into the corner, bracing both arms against the walls in front of her to carve out a relatively comfortable space.Ming Wancheng, hugging the toilet cistern, grew sour with envy again.It was so cramped that even with Nan Yang doing her best to make room, the two of them were still pressed tightly together. Qinghuan naturally wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s waist, lips pursed, ears straining to catch the chainsaw sounds outside.Nan Yang lowered her head, completely ignoring the potential danger outside, and spoke softly into Qinghuan’s ear. “Don’t be afraid.”“Do I look that scared?” Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. She curled her fingers and tickled Nan Yang’s waist where the camera couldn’t see. “Not even one-tenth as scared as you are with spiders, right?”Nan Yang’s ears flushed red at the teasing, and she murmured softly, “Everyone has something they’re afraid of…”Especially since, in one of Qinghuan’s past lives as a spider, she’d always broken out at night and bitten Nan Yang’s toes while she slept. After being bitten so many times, it was no wonder she’d become this afraid of spiders.“Alright. Later we won’t go back to Room No. 1, okay? That way you won’t have to stay with the little spiders.”Nan Yang nodded quietly. “Okay.”Qinghuan looked at her lowered lashes, her heart melting beyond repair. She finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She lifted her head, glanced at the camera above, and said politely, “Director, please cut this part in post. Thank you.”Cut it?Cut what?Ming Wancheng was still confused when she suddenly saw her Master Qinghuan lean forward, eyes closed, cheeks faintly flushed, and gently kiss Nan Yang on the lips. At the moment of contact, she even made a small “pop” sound.Nan Yang’s ears turned bright red instantly.Ming Wancheng, hugging the toilet: “……”Qi Yi, squeezed under the cistern: “……”Qi Yi’s face darkened as she ground her teeth.“You two… can you show a little restraint?”
Chapter 64
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The butcher outside, chainsaw in hand, seemed to know he wasn’t very intimidating anymore. He put on a show of strolling past the first two stalls, then sauntered out of the restroom, dragging the chainsaw behind him.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi looked conflicted. Qinghuan looked indulgently amused. Nan Yang’s ears were burning red.Silence hung in the air for two seconds.Qi Yi drawled coolly, “So is it trendy now to lure dogs in just to kill them?”Ming Wancheng let out a long sigh. How was it that Ancestor had this kind of luck—getting together smoothly with the person she liked, pulling off a marriage-speedrun right from the start, chasing her down with barely any obstacles, and then staying glued to each other every second of the day.The butcher seemed to have returned to his own room. No chainsaw sounds came from outside anymore.Nan Yang reached up, slid the bolt open, pushed the stall door ajar, and looked at Ming Wancheng. “You two go out first.”Of course Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi knew what she wanted. They hurriedly scurried out in a flash. Experiencing dog food at close range once in a lifetime was more than enough.Once the miscellaneous bystanders were gone, Nan Yang looked up at the camera and issued a flat command. “Turn away.”The camera’s red light blinked. Even through the cold machine, you could feel the crew’s helplessness. The dark lens lifted and slowly turned aside, fixing the shot on the filthy cistern instead.Nan Yang withdrew her gaze with satisfaction, arms dropping to her sides as she leaned against the wall and stared steadily at Qinghuan. Then she said two words:“Kiss me.”Qinghuan watched her smooth, practiced sequence of moves and widened her eyes in shock.“We’re filming a show right now,” she reminded Nan Yang.Nan Yang didn’t budge. “But you kissed me just now.”Qinghuan explained, “That was just on impulse.”“Impulses still come with responsibility,” Nan Yang replied with complete seriousness. “Because of your impulse, I want to kiss right now. So you have to take responsibility.”Qinghuan had nothing to say to that.She glanced up to make sure the camera really wasn’t filming them, then smiled with a soft sigh and leaned in. Her hand went to the crown of Nan Yang’s head first, rubbing gently for a moment, then slid down behind her ear and hooked forward lightly—before she pressed her lips to Nan Yang’s cool mouth.Nan Yang closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around Qinghuan’s waist, and lowered her head to return the kiss, gentle and careful.It felt like they’d gone back to that time in the roast duck restaurant, sneaking kisses in the restroom. For some reason, they always ended up unable to hold back in the strangest places.Outside the stall, Qi Yi stood with arms crossed, expression flat with disbelief. Ming Wancheng squatted on the floor, poking at a dead stinkbug with a broken wooden skewer.Just thinking about what those two were doing behind the door made Qi Yi’s face warm. When your view was blocked, your mind filled in the blanks all on its own—every kind of messy, inappropriate image crowding in.“Sigh.” Ming Wancheng suddenly let out an aggrieved sigh. “The excitement belongs to them. I’ve got nothing.”Qi Yi almost laughed. “A-Cheng, you can recite the famous line from ‘Moonlight over the Lotus Pond’ now?”“So that’s a line from ‘Moonlight over the Lotus Pond’,” Ming Wancheng sighed even more deeply. “I thought it was from Les Misérables.”Qi Yi held back her laughter, walked over, and bent down to tug Ming Wancheng’s arm. “Get up. Don’t squat there. Isn’t it disgusting?”Ming Wancheng obediently stood. Qi Yi took the wooden skewer she’d used to poke the bug, tossed it away, and told her to wash her hands at the sink.Ming Wancheng did as told. The moment she twisted the faucet, a jet of blood water sprayed out and almost splashed all over her.The props team was insane.While the two of them struggled with the blood-spraying faucet, the pair inside the stall seemed to have had their fill. The wooden door creaked open with a “squeak,” and Nan Yang emerged, pulling Qinghuan out with her, both of them neat and fully dressed, faces calm.“We’re done kissing,” Nan Yang announced blandly.Her expression was so solemn, it was like she was reporting the glorious completion of some sacred mission.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi had a few specks of blood water splattered across their faces and looked rather pathetic as they stared at these two immaculate women stepping out of the stall. Qi Yi removed her gold-rimmed glasses, wiped off the blood flecks on her hem, and her expression started twitching. “If you’re done, let’s go back. I don’t want to spend one more second in this hellhole!”“Mm.”Nan Yang went back to each stall, pulled out the three large packages, and told Ming Wancheng to carry one while she carried two herself. Qinghuan tried to help, but Nan Yang didn’t hand anything over. She only lowered her voice and said, “I can carry them.”The four of them headed back down the corridor. The butcher had returned to his room; when they passed the iron door where the chainsaw was still “cutting bone,” they all instinctively softened their footsteps.They reached Room No. 3 first. In the time spent in the restroom, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan had already solved their code, but they hadn’t come out. Cen Ziyan was clearly terrified, and Bai Jinqiu could only indulge her by waiting inside with her. Hearing the others return at last, they cautiously opened the door a crack and signaled for the four to come in.Room No. 1 was full of spiders, Room No. 2 was full of dry ice—right now, there really wasn’t a better place than Room No. 3. One after another, they filed inside, and the small room immediately felt crowded. After setting the packages down, Nan Yang grabbed the bloody-looking mannequin on the hospital bed with one hand, dragged it to the doorway, and tossed it out with brisk efficiency.Her movement was smooth and clean. As she hauled the mannequin, the straight line of her back carried a cool, sharp kind of handsomeness. For a moment, Qinghuan, Cen Ziyan, and Ming Wancheng all looked at her with open admiration.A woman like that was catnip to younger girls.Bai Jinqiu noticed the way Cen Ziyan was looking at Nan Yang, displeasure flickering in her eyes. She said coldly, “Yanyan.”Cen Ziyan startled like a spooked bird and turned to Bai Jinqiu, timid. “Auntie…”“Come here.” Bai Jinqiu’s face stayed blank.Cen Ziyan immediately walked over to her, hands twisting together. She didn’t dare look at Bai Jinqiu’s face, and on her crossed fingers gleamed an exquisite wedding ring. Bai Jinqiu lifted an arm around her. On the hand resting on Cen Ziyan’s shoulder was a matching ring of the same design.Qinghuan stared at Cen Ziyan’s trembling hands, and a strange illusion rose up—like the ring on her finger wasn’t a wedding band at all, but a heavy shackle.Before she could think further, Nan Yang cut through her thoughts. “Open the packages and take a look.”Only then did they focus on the three large bundles they’d carried back. Each package was labeled with a number, and they naturally took the one matching their room.The space was small. To avoid bumping into the others, Nan Yang and Qinghuan moved into a corner and unzipped their bundle there.Nan Yang reached inside to feel around. The instant her fingers touched something unfamiliar, confusion flashed across her face. She drew her hand out—between her long fingers was her notebook, the one where she’d written down all sorts of recipes.Besides her notebook, the bundle also contained the script Qinghuan had been reading recently for her next project—clearly meant to help them pass the time. Pressed at the very bottom was a thick, bulging item. They pulled it out and unfolded it.It was a sleeping bag.Each bundle contained a sleeping bag and a few of their personal items.Bai Jinqiu got a copy of Crime and Punishment. Cen Ziyan got an MP4 player. Qi Yi got her lesson plans.And Ming Wancheng got a Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests workbook.The purple cover even had a thoughtful addition clipped on—one 0.5 black gel pen.“What is this supposed to mean?!” Ming Wancheng looked like she was about to cry as she held it up. “I came to film a show and you still won’t let me go?!”But Qinghuan noticed something more important.“They gave us sleeping bags, which means we might have to spend the night here,” she whispered to Nan Yang. “But there are six of us, and only three sleeping bags.”Nan Yang spread the sleeping bag open and looked it over, expression unchanged. “We can sleep together.”“You’re that sure two people can fit?”“I don’t know about anyone else.” Nan Yang looked at Qinghuan. “But you and I definitely can.”Qinghuan let out a teasing, drawn-out “Oh?” “And how are you so sure?”Nan Yang set the sleeping bag down and began measuring Qinghuan with her hands in all seriousness. “Your shoulders are about this wide,” she held her hands apart. “Your waist is about this wide,” her hands narrowed to a slim span. “Your hips are—”Qinghuan hurriedly pressed her hands down and flicked a glance at the camera in the corner. “Don’t talk nonsense.”“It’s not nonsense.” Nan Yang shook her head solemnly. “Not off by even a fraction.”Qinghuan eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you know so precisely? I don’t remember you measuring me…” Her voice paused, as if realization struck. “Ah—don’t tell me when I was asleep—”“No.” Nan Yang denied it immediately. “I didn’t.”She truly hadn’t crossed the line. For three thousand years, every time Qinghuan became human, she always looked the same—same face, same figure. Nan Yang had watched her for three thousand years. Every detail of that body was etched into her mind; casually gesturing out the measurements was effortless.But Qinghuan clicked her tongue. “Who would’ve thought? You act so upright most of the time, but you’d do this kind of thing when I’m not paying attention…”“I really didn’t,” Nan Yang hurried to explain. “If you haven’t given permission, I wouldn’t offend you.”Seeing she was genuinely getting flustered, Qinghuan laughed. “Alright, alright, I know. You’re such an old-fashioned prude—of course you wouldn’t dare.” Then she glanced at the camera overhead, leaned in closer, and reached behind her back to find the transmitter, turning off her mic for the moment. She then reached around Nan Yang’s waist and turned off hers as well. After that, in a voice only the two of them could hear, she said:“But I dare to offend you.”Nan Yang lifted her eyes, confused.Qinghuan blinked, her brow carrying a heart-stopping kind of charm. “When you were asleep, I secretly touched you… many times.”Nan Yang glanced at the others not far away, who were studying their sleeping bags, and panic flashed in her eyes.People were talking about bedroom matters—what kind of propriety was this?Qinghuan caught her tension, pressed her lips together with a smile, leaned even closer, and murmured at Nan Yang’s burning-red ear:“Everywhere. I’ve touched your whole body.”
Chapter 65
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Ming Wancheng hugged her Five Years of College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulations book, glanced at the way Nan Yang’s ears had instantly turned bright red in the corner, and sighed helplessly.Who knew what kind of outrageous, wolfish things Master Qinghuan had said to the Ancestor this time.Qi Yi squatted on the floor and continued rummaging through the bundle. Aside from their personal items and sleeping bags, the very bottom held a large pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces. The colors were close to the fabric of the bundle itself, so she had nearly missed them—at a glance, there were probably around three hundred pieces.Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan also pulled out piles of puzzle pieces of roughly the same size. You couldn’t tell what the image was from the fragments alone, but judging by the colors, they clearly belonged to the same picture as Ming Wancheng’s group.Qinghuan seemed to have finished whatever she wanted to say. She switched her and Nan Yang’s microphones back on, took Nan Yang by the hand, and led her over to the others to examine the puzzles together.Each of the three bundles contained a set of puzzle pieces, with letters marked on the back: A, B, and C. Area A belonged to Nan Yang and Qinghuan, B to Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng, and C to Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan. It was obvious that they were meant to complete their own sections separately, then combine them to unlock the next clue.The six of them sat in a circle, pairing off in twos. They poured out their pieces and started assembling them, occasionally glancing at the neighboring sections to look for matching edge pieces.Fortunately, three hundred pieces weren’t difficult. This was clearly a thousand-piece puzzle split into three parts. For an adult, a thousand-piece puzzle would only take a few hours at most. With six people working at once, it shouldn’t take more than an hour.Cen Ziyan’s MP4 could display the time. While sorting pieces, she checked it and told everyone it was already ten o’clock at night.Ten o’clock was Nan Yang’s usual bedtime.Nan Yang slept eight hours every day without fail—lights out exactly at ten, waking exactly at five. It was a routine she had kept unchanged for a thousand years. Except for the occasional night when Qinghuan came home late from work and insisted on tangling with her in bed for a few extra hours, she always followed this schedule.Sure enough, right after Cen Ziyan announced the time, Nan Yang’s eyes were instantly veiled with drowsiness. Her long lashes drooped, hiding her light-brown pupils.Qinghuan slipped an arm around her shoulders and asked softly, “Sleepy?”“Mhm.” Holding a puzzle piece, Nan Yang nodded with heavy-lidded eyes.“Why don’t you go sleep for a bit? I can handle this on my own—it’s not hard.” Qinghuan gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.“It’s fine. Just a little longer.”Getting sleepy on the dot was a habit her body had developed. As long as she pushed through this brief wave of habitual drowsiness, she wouldn’t feel sleepy anymore. Like hunger—endure the worst few minutes, and it would ease on its own.Qinghuan knew she was like an old cadre, insisting on sleeping at ten sharp every night. Seeing her force herself to stay awake was a little painful, so she said, “Then lean on me and doze for a bit.”“It’s really fine.”Half-lidded, Nan Yang continued handing Qinghuan puzzle pieces.Off to the side, Ming Wancheng sighed emotionally. “Hey, don’t you think it’s actually kind of cozy, all of us sitting together doing puzzles like this?”Cen Ziyan lifted her MP4. “Mine can play music out loud. Do you want to listen to something?”Hardly anyone used MP4s anymore. The one in Cen Ziyan’s hand looked especially old—paint chipped along the edges, the metallic coating on the buttons almost completely worn away. It was obvious she loved it very much, often holding and fiddling with it.“Play something, play something,” Ming Wancheng said with a grin. “Seriously, hardly anyone uses MP4s now. Why did you keep such an antique, Ziyan? It must’ve been a gift from someone important, right?”At that, Cen Ziyan froze. After a long moment, a trace of struggle surfaced in her eyes.“Yes…” Her fingers trembled around the puzzle piece. “It was a birthday present from Auntie, when I turned eighteen.”“Eighteen?” Ming Wancheng raised her brows in surprise. “You and Teacher Bai knew each other that early?”Cen Ziyan bit her lip and fell silent.Bai Jinqiu answered for her. “I was close friends with Ziyan’s mother. I watched her grow up.”“Wow…” Ming Wancheng clicked her tongue. “No wonder Ziyan calls you Auntie. You really are her elder.”Bai Jinqiu curled her lips into a polite smile.“Ziyan must really like Teacher Bai. Just look at that MP4—it’s practically been worn smooth,” Ming Wancheng said enviously, blinking. “So nice. The two pairs around me are both fairytale romances.”Qi Yi, who had been quietly puzzling, finally frowned. “Why do you talk so much?”Ming Wancheng shrank back. “Sorry, Sister. I’ll shut up.”Cen Ziyan turned on the MP4, pressed a few buttons, and asked meekly, “What do you want to listen to?”“Anything’s fine. Just play what you like,” Qinghuan said with a smile.Cen Ziyan looked down and scrolled for a while. Her expression stiffened more and more, until she finally lifted her head guiltily. “Sorry. I cleared the memory earlier… there’s only one song left. Maybe… we shouldn’t listen.”“Just play it,” Qi Yi said with an unusually gentle smile.“But that one might not really suit the mood right now…” Cen Ziyan hesitated.“Go ahead,” Qinghuan said, glancing at the increasingly sleepy Nan Yang beside her. She needed something to keep her awake. “We’re just doing puzzles anyway. Any sound is better than silence.”“Then… okay.”Cen Ziyan raised the MP4, pressed play, and turned the volume all the way up.After a brief silence, the loud chanting of The Great Compassion Mantra echoed through the cramped room.Qinghuan: “…”Ming Wancheng: “…”Qi Yi: “…”Nan Yang yawned again.The atmosphere fell instantly silent. No one knew what to say.After all, they were the ones who had urged Cen Ziyan to play it—it wouldn’t be polite to ask her to turn it off. So the whole room sat there, wordless, assembling puzzles to the eerie soundtrack of The Great Compassion Mantra. Combined with the gloomy hospital room and the dry ice drifting in from Room 2 next door, everyone felt their pores tighten.Everyone, except Nan Yang, who remained expressionless and grew sleepier by the minute.They finished their respective puzzles under this surreal atmosphere. The younger ones carefully combined the three sections. It formed an ordinary-looking landscape image, with nothing obviously mysterious about it.Forcing her heavy eyelids open, Nan Yang offered a quiet reminder, “Turn off the lights and look again.”“Huh?” Qinghuan made a sound of surprise. “How did you know to check with the lights off?”Nan Yang calmly raised her hand and rubbed her fingertips together in front of Qinghuan. “Didn’t you notice your hands are covered in glow powder?”“Wow, you’re amazing—spotting something that important,” Qinghuan teased, using the tone one might use on a child.“….”Nan Yang shut her mouth and said nothing more.Qi Yi, closest to the door, stood up, found the switch, and turned off the lights.Sure enough, glowing green words lit up across the giant puzzle on the floor. Leaning in, they saw a crooked message written there:[Door Password — The Sound of the Chainsaw at 6:30 a.m.]The sound of the chainsaw at 6:30 a.m.Six-thirty in the morning.Morning.They all instinctively looked at the sleeping bags piled nearby.Now they finally understood why the production team had given them sleeping bags and time-killing items. They really were meant to stay the night.But there were six people—and only three sleeping bags. How were they supposed to divide them?“Let’s clear some space first,” Qi Yi said, surveying the tiny room—barely over ten square meters, with half of it taken up by a hospital bed—while considering where to lay them out.“Sister, you sleep. I’m not tired,” Ming Wancheng said immediately.Qi Yi knew she was trying to give her the sleeping bag. Smiling, she said, “Don’t push yourself. You sleep the first half of the night; I’ll sleep the second.”Bai Jinqiu said calmly, “Ziyan, you take the sleeping bag.”Cen Ziyan shook her head in panic. “No, Auntie, you—”“Ziyan, are you not listening?” Bai Jinqiu’s voice didn’t rise or fall; she simply looked at her.Cen Ziyan shuddered, lowered her head, and said softly, “No… I’ll listen.”Nan Yang and Qinghuan didn’t need to argue over who got the sleeping bag. Nan Yang had measured it from the start—she was definitely sleeping with Qinghuan.The real question for them was what time to sleep.It was eleven at night now. For a group of entertainment-industry night owls, it was nowhere near bedtime. Qi Yi was used to grading papers past midnight. Everyone looked lively, each playing with their own time-killing items and chatting now and then.Seeing that no one planned to sleep yet, and that her own drowsiness had faded during the puzzle game, Nan Yang opened her notebook again and read some recipes.Bai Jinqiu was reading as well. Since she and Nan Yang were sitting close together, the two cool, aloof women leaned quietly against the wall—one reading a notebook, the other reading Crime and Punishment—the very picture of peaceful years.Perhaps absorbed in her book, Bai Jinqiu loosened her invisible restraint over Cen Ziyan for the moment.Cen Ziyan sat with Qinghuan, looking at the script in Qinghuan’s hands. The two spoke in low voices, discussing the plot, occasionally laughing softly. Cen Ziyan laughed carefully, glancing toward Bai Jinqiu every time she did.Over on Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng’s side, the scene was… unusual.Ming Wancheng lay on the floor, clutching a standard 0.5 black gel pen for college entrance exams, her face nearly buried in the pages of Five Years of College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulations. Qi Yi sat beside her, eyes fixed on her work. She rolled her lesson plan into a tube, and whenever Ming Wancheng relaxed, she tapped her on the head with it.“Why do I have to do homework after work, and even during work? Can’t I skip homework just for today?” Ming Wancheng was on the verge of tears.Qi Yi tapped the back of her hand. “How long until the college entrance exam? Forgot already?”Ming Wancheng reached toward Qinghuan, pleading tearfully, “Master, save me…”Qinghuan raised her index finger to her lips. “Shh.”“Don’t disturb them while they’re reading.” She pointed toward the two silent, middle-aged-auntie-like figures reading in the corner.Ming Wancheng let out a tragic sigh, bit down on the page of her practice book, and tears pattered down, soaking clump after clump of printed text.This was, without a doubt, the most tortuous and terrifying night she had experienced in three thousand years.
Chapter 66
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Ming Wancheng grew more and more miserable as she worked through Five Years of College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulations. She wrote while crying, looking both pitiful and ridiculous. Qi Yi held a wad of tissues, carefully wiping her tears, but no matter how hard Ming Wancheng sobbed, Qi Yi refused to let her off the hook.Maybe when this episode aired, a lot of viewers would think Qi Yi was going too far.But learning more was never a bad thing. A-Cheng hadn’t even gone to elementary school. If she kept making basic, common-sense mistakes in the future, people would mock her one way or another. Even if they didn’t laugh to her face, they’d still stab at her behind her back, sneering that she was uneducated. Qi Yi didn’t want to see her become anyone’s punchline.In later episodes, Ming Wancheng might blurt out a few badly timed idioms out of sheer ignorance. She was already a newcomer—if she got slapped with the “uneducated” stigma on top of that, how was she supposed to survive smoothly in the industry? Forcing her to do homework on camera at least showed the audience she was trying. That way, even if A-Cheng exposed how little she knew later on, it could be framed as an endearing trait, not a scandalous flaw.Of course, Ming Wancheng’s brain wasn’t wired to think that far. All she knew was that she felt wronged.She was crying so hard that Cen Ziyan and Qinghuan both looked over, pity in their eyes.After all, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl.Qinghuan couldn’t take it anymore. After thinking for a long time, she finally came up with a roundabout rescue plan. “I want to use the restroom. Does anyone else want to go?”“I do,” Cen Ziyan immediately said. Then she glanced at Bai Jinqiu timidly. “Auntie… may I go?”Bai Jinqiu gave a faint nod.Qinghuan deliberately tapped Ming Wancheng’s shoulder. “A-Cheng, do you want to go to the restroom?”Ming Wancheng nodded furiously. “Yes, yes!”The three of them stood up and headed toward the door one after another. Qinghuan blinked at Nan Yang. “Going to the restroom.”Nan Yang pulled out a pack of napkins and tossed it neatly into Qinghuan’s arms, saying flatly, “The toilet’s dirty. Wipe more.”“Got it.” Qinghuan smiled softly.Nan Yang watched her walk a few steps away. When Qinghuan carefully pulled open the iron door, Nan Yang couldn’t help adding, “Come back quickly.”Qinghuan’s smile deepened. “I know.”Qi Yi watched the three younger girls file out. She huddled in the hallway, scanned around for a while, and only closed the door once she was sure there was no danger. Smiling, she shook her head. At school, there were plenty of girls who had to go to the restroom in groups. She hadn’t expected that even as grown-ups, they still couldn’t kick the habit.Once the three younger ones left, Room 3 became instantly quiet.Quiet to a terrifying degree.Qi Yi looked at the two women across from her—both stone-faced, one reading a notebook, the other reading a book—and rubbed her arms.Among the three older ones, she was probably the gentlest in temperament. With the younger girls gone, she couldn’t let the on-camera atmosphere freeze over. With that in mind, she forced herself to start a conversation. “Teacher Bai, Boss Nan—what are you reading?”Bai Jinqiu and Nan Yang lifted their heads at the same time.“Literature,” Bai Jinqiu said expressionlessly.“Recipes,” Nan Yang said, even more blandly.Qi Yi fought her way forward. “Is it… good?”“It’s fine.”“It’ll do.”“O-okay… then are you going to keep reading?”“Mhm.”“Mhm.”“Then… you two keep reading…”“…”“…”“…”Qi Yi pushed her gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose.The moment she stopped talking, the air sank back into silence.Qi Yi shivered.She could practically picture how this would look in the final cut—falling dead-leaf effects, a crow screaming “Caw—caw—” across the top of the screen, followed by a long string of speechless ellipses.For some reason, she had the distinct illusion that sitting with these two women was colder than being in Room 2 with the dry ice. Facing them felt like sitting directly in front of two standing air conditioners blasting at full power.Qi Yi lowered her head and looked at her lesson plan. She wasn’t talkative by nature anyway. After two questions led nowhere, she gave up on trying to warm the room.Room 3, which had been lively just moments ago, turned icy in an instant—like a freezer.Meanwhile, the three younger girls were perfectly normal. Cen Ziyan and Qinghuan were already friends, and Ming Wancheng was the type who made friends anywhere. She’d long since gotten close to Cen Ziyan. Once the three entered the restroom, they chatted and laughed like nothing was wrong.The production team had considered that they might need to use the restroom, so the first stall had no camera. They could handle actual needs there. But using the restroom was only an excuse for sneaking out—no one really wanted to go.So the three simply leaned around the restroom and talked.Ming Wancheng sighed. “I seriously admire you two. You married two blocks of ice. Boss Nan and Teacher Bai just sat there forever without saying a word. It’s terrifying.”Qinghuan laughed. “As terrifying as Qi Yi? At least we aren’t being bullied into crying like you.”“Sister isn’t bullying me!” Ming Wancheng hurried to defend her. “I—I can’t solve the problems. I’m dumb. Sister’s doing it for my own good. She’s not bullying me.”Once Cen Ziyan was out of Bai Jinqiu’s line of sight, she seemed brighter, her smile finally reaching her eyes. “A-Cheng, you and Teacher Qi… actually look pretty good together.”“We’re just friends,” Ming Wancheng said immediately, dodging it.They were under the cameras—everything they said would be recorded. Ming Wancheng herself didn’t mind people pairing her up with Qi Yi. She’d even be delighted. But Qi Yi might not feel the same. So Ming Wancheng couldn’t agree with any matchmaking talk on camera.“Then, A-Cheng, do you have anyone else you like?” Cen Ziyan asked. “Or… have you not had a first love yet?”Ming Wancheng shook her head, cheeks red.“A-Cheng’s still young—don’t tease her,” Qinghuan said with a smile. “Speaking of first love, Ziyan… Teacher Bai is your first love, right?”At Bai Jinqiu’s name, Cen Ziyan’s expression stiffened. After a long pause, she nodded and said quietly, “Mhm… yes.”Ming Wancheng added, “But Teacher Bai is so much older than you. Her first love probably wasn’t you.”“A-Cheng.” Qinghuan frowned and shook her head at her.That was the worst possible thing to say.“Then it’s still you two who are best,” Ming Wancheng sighed. To her, the Ancestor and her master were each other’s only one—one a great iceberg frozen for three thousand years, the other a hedgehog wrapped in cotton. Neither of them easily let others see their heart. Only after they drew close to each other did something like love finally enter their worlds.But Qinghuan didn’t think the same way.She remembered that night at the Zhu home—Nan Yang, who normally indulged her, had refused her twice. And when she’d been asked about the past, those deep eyes sunk in memory, full of lingering attachment and unwillingness to let go.Nan Yang was Qinghuan’s first love.But Qinghuan wasn’t Nan Yang’s first love.A thirty-five-year-old woman having a past was normal. Qinghuan didn’t think it was wrong. But she had underestimated her own possessiveness toward Nan Yang. She wanted all of her—not just the present her, but the past her, the future her. She wanted to clutch everything in her hands. And so Nan Yang’s past became a tiny thorn, soft and buried in flesh. When left alone, it was easy to forget. But the moment it was brushed, it sent a maddening, clawing itch of pain.Cen Ziyan’s voice pulled her back. “When we go back, let’s just sleep right away. If everyone sleeps, Teacher Qi won’t make A-Cheng keep doing homework.”Qinghuan came to herself, a masking smile hooking at her lips. “Sure. We’ll do what you said.”Ming Wancheng bowed deeply, moved to tears. “Thank you, sisters—thank you!”“You’re the youngest. Of course we should take care of you,” Cen Ziyan said gently.Ming Wancheng accepted that happily.Who knew what Qinghuan and Cen Ziyan’s faces would look like one day if they ever found out that this “little sister” they doted on had actually lived for over three thousand years.They’d come out claiming it was for the restroom, so they couldn’t linger too long. After a few more sentences, they headed back.The moment they stepped into Room 3, they could feel the heavy chill inside. The room was frighteningly quiet—like you could hear a pin drop.If they didn’t know the three older ones simply weren’t talkers, they might’ve thought the room had been locked in a cold war.When Nan Yang saw Qinghuan return, she closed her notebook and held out her hand. “Come.”Qinghuan walked over naturally and took it, smiling warmly. “Sleepy?”Nan Yang nodded.“Then let’s sleep, okay?” Qinghuan’s eyes curved, soft and alluring.“Okay.”Nan Yang answered with docile ease.So Qinghuan called out a few times, asking if everyone wanted to sleep. Cen Ziyan and Ming Wancheng both agreed; Bai Jinqiu tacitly accepted; and Qi Yi really did stop making A-Cheng do homework, putting away her lesson plan and starting to arrange the sleeping bags.The three pairs spoke in low voices about how to use them. Nan Yang and Qinghuan slept together. Bai Jinqiu gave hers to Cen Ziyan, and sat off to the side, quietly watching Cen Ziyan curled inside the sleeping bag. Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng didn’t get into theirs at all—both leaned against the wall and used the sleeping bag as a blanket for warmth.Once everyone settled in, they turned off the light in Room 3, and the cameras switched to night mode.The room was small. Even though they tried to leave a bit of space, they were still basically packed together. The lower half of Nan Yang and Qinghuan’s sleeping bag pressed against the side of Cen Ziyan’s. Bai Jinqiu sat to Qi Yi’s left, close enough that Qi Yi could clearly hear both Bai Jinqiu’s and Ming Wancheng’s breathing. Six people who’d been strangers that morning had been pulled closer by half a day of games—and the necessity of being trapped together overnight.Even with the lights out, most of them weren’t sleepy yet. In the darkness, Ming Wancheng volunteered to tell everyone a bedtime story.A fairy tale—Puss in Boots, from Grimm’s Fairy Tales.Qinghuan and Cen Ziyan listened with relish. In the dark, Bai Jinqiu stared ahead without expression. Nan Yang lay beside Qinghuan, and her breathing gradually picked up a thread of impatience.“What is it? Don’t you like it?” Qinghuan lowered her voice, her hand misbehaving under the sleeping bag as she pinched Nan Yang’s waist.Nan Yang didn’t answer, but her eyes clearly spelled out two words: boring.She wanted to sleep, but Ming Wancheng’s animated, singsong storytelling voice was so loud she couldn’t drift off at all. In the end, she simply picked up her notebook again and continued reading recipes under the faint night light.Qinghuan frowned. “It’s so dark—why are you still reading? Aren’t you afraid you’ll ruin your eyes?”“…It’s fine.”Nan Yang’s senses were sharp to begin with. Seeing in the dark wasn’t difficult for her.Qinghuan hugged her from behind and didn’t press further, only smiling as she nuzzled her nose into Nan Yang’s soft, ink-black hair.Halfway through the story, Ming Wancheng was interrupted by Qi Yi. “What’s so interesting about fairy tales? We’re all adults. Listening to cats and dogs talk like people—how’s that any different from watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf? A-Cheng, Sister will tell you something fun.”This was the first time Qi Yi had called herself “Sister” to Ming Wancheng. Ming Wancheng beamed. “Okay! Sister, tell it!”Qi Yi took off her gold-rimmed glasses and held them in her hand, a hint of mischief curling at the corner of her mouth.“So, there was a doctor. One night, it was really late—everyone had basically gone home, but he was still in surgery. After handling an emergency, it was ridiculously late. He was about to head home when, at the elevator, he ran into a femalenurse. So he and the nurse took the elevator down together.”Ming Wancheng’s smile froze on her lips, then slowly collapsed. The laughter drained from her eyes.“But the elevator reached the first floor and didn’t stop. It kept going down. Down and down. When it reached B3, the doors opened. A little girl appeared in front of them, head lowered, saying she wanted to ride the elevator. The doctor hurriedly shut the doors.”“Why?” Ming Wancheng blinked, pure innocence laced with fear.“Right. The nurse thought it was strange too, so she asked the doctor, ‘Why didn’t you let her get on?’ The doctor said, ‘B3 is our morgue. The hospital ties a red string to every corpse’s right hand. Just now, that little girl’s right hand had one of those red strings…’”In the darkness came several sharp intakes of breath—someone had definitely been startled.Ming Wancheng was terrified but hooked. Trembling, she asked, “A-and then?”“Then…” Qi Yi’s mouth tilted, and without her glasses she looked oddly roguish. “The nurse slowly held out her own right hand, gave a sinister little laugh, and said—”“‘Do you mean… a red string like this?’”The air went still for a few seconds.Then, without warning, the room filled with scattered sobbing.Bai Jinqiu’s voice—usually so steady—held a rare trace of panic. “Ziyan, don’t be afraid. It’s fake.”Qi Yi chuckled and sighed, stuffing a handful of tissues onto Ming Wancheng’s face. “Why are you crying? You’re huge. This ancient ghost story can scare you?”Bai Jinqiu had been sitting, but when she saw Cen Ziyan crying, she immediately knelt on the floor, bent down, and stroked Cen Ziyan’s head. “Ziyan, don’t cry. Auntie’s here.”Ming Wancheng wailed. “Wuwuwu—Sister, why would you tell that story in a place like this?!”Under normal circumstances, this kind of old ghost story might not have been that scary. But they were literally in a hospital-themed Room 3. There was a bed next to them splattered with fake blood; an IV stand and drip bag sat in the corner with unsettling realism. The immersion was overwhelming.Hearing Cen Ziyan and Ming Wancheng crying, Qinghuan’s heart jumped. She hurried to check whether the woman in her arms had been frightened.She lifted her neck slightly and carefully looked down at Nan Yang’s face.Nan Yang’s notebook had somehow slipped onto the floor. She lay there quietly, eyes shut tight, lashes resting obediently against her lower lids. One arm was bent under her neck as a pillow. Her long, even breathing declared unmistakably that she was fast asleep.Qinghuan: “…”Fairy tales annoyed her so much she couldn’t sleep, but ghost stories could lull her right out.This woman was truly one of a kind.
Chapter 67
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The cramped, ten-odd-square-meter room erupted into a midnight chaos—someone crying here, someone crying there, one side coaxing while the other side coaxed back. Qi Yi tried to comfort Ming Wancheng while also apologizing to Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan, and the racket went on for a long time.Qinghuan thoughtfully covered Nan Yang’s ears so the noise wouldn’t wake her. However long the room stayed loud, she kept that same posture the whole time, never lowering her hand no matter how sore it got.After all that, it was close to two in the morning. The ones who cried had cried themselves out, the ones who coaxed were exhausted too. They exchanged goodnights and prepared to end the draining day with sleep.Ming Wancheng suddenly remembered something and buzzed in a hoarse, just-finished-crying voice, “That puzzle said we have to listen for the chainsaw at six-thirty, but we don’t have an alarm. If we can’t get up at six, what do we do?”Qinghuan patted the sleeping woman in her arms. “Don’t worry—our alarm clock is right here.”Only then did Ming Wancheng remember there was Nan Yang, the unbelievably disciplined miracle of a person, and she finally relaxed.Sleep at ten, wake at six—Nan Yang had kept that routine for three thousand years, immovable as iron. Only in extremely rare cases, when she was worn out to the bone, would she sleep in. But even then, her body would still wake instinctively at six, and her mind would quickly decide whether she was allowed to stay in bed.The room gradually quieted. One by one, they fell asleep.It had truly been a winding, endless day. They had only been in the escape room for a few hours, yet it felt as if centuries had passed.Nothing happened through the night.They slept deeper and deeper, as if no one realized they only had four hours.The cameras positioned in the corners went into standby mode as well; the staff had likely gone to rest too.Until 5:59 a.m.Nan Yang’s lashes fluttered lightly, the soft brush of them tickling Qinghuan’s cheek.5:59:50.The fingers resting at Qinghuan’s waist curled slightly.5:59:59.Her brows knit faintly.Six o’clock.A pair of light-brown eyes opened slowly, misted with a blend of languor and clarity.It was mao hour.Nan Yang remembered the task from the puzzle, so even though she was nowhere near her usual amount of sleep, she forced herself fully awake. In the darkness, she gathered the still-sleeping Qinghuan into her arms, glanced toward the room’s corners, and after confirming the cameras weren’t running, gently kissed the top of Qinghuan’s head.She carefully rose from the crowded sleeping bag, weighing whether she should wake everyone first or turn on the light first.Then she sensed something off.Her hearing and eyesight were excellent. She could tell instantly whether someone was awake or asleep. And in this room, there was clearly one other person who was awake—just like her.Awake, but silent, and unmoving.Nan Yang’s guard snapped up. She gathered her inner strength into her eyes, scanning the room. When she saw Bai Jinqiu awake in the corner, she paused, then slowly relaxed, letting out a quiet breath.She was overthinking it. This was modern society, not the old martial world—where would you even find so many lurking villains with malicious intent?Bai Jinqiu sat perfectly still, posture upright, gaze locked on Cen Ziyan’s face as she slept curled up in a ball. There was unhidden gloom in Bai Jinqiu’s eyes.She hadn’t just woken up.She hadn’t slept at all.An entire night without sleep, doing nothing but watching Cen Ziyan—like an executioner guarding a prisoner, every second suppressing a desire to carve her apart.Nan Yang wasn’t the type to meddle. She pretended she hadn’t seen anything, climbed out of the sleeping bag, stepped unhurriedly over the women sprawled across the floor, and went to the door to switch on the light.“Hiss…”“Oh my god…”“What—”The moment the light came on, a chorus of complaints rose from the floor.Nan Yang stood at the door with her hands behind her back and said coldly, “Up.”Qi Yi covered her eyes, her voice still thick with sleep. “Boss Nan, you’re… unbelievable. You really are an alarm clock.”Ming Wancheng flipped up the sleeping bag draped over her and burrowed her head back inside, whimpering, “I don’t want to get up, wuwuwu…”The instant the light turned on, Bai Jinqiu lifted a hand to cover Cen Ziyan’s eyes, shielding her from the sudden brightness.Qinghuan stirred awake, still half trapped in a dream, her eyes barely open as she mumbled, “The pot’s burnt… hurry to the kitchen, the gas is going to explode…”Qi Yi couldn’t help laughing. “Explode what? Your wife’s about to blow us up instead.”Nan Yang walked toward Qinghuan. Qinghuan was tucked farthest inside. Nan Yang raised her feet high as she stepped over several people, moving with long, elegant strides—like a cold, noble crane threading through a flock of short-legged chickens.When she reached Qinghuan, she crouched and put an arm around her, helping her sit up.“It’s six already?” Qinghuan’s eyes narrowed, still alluring even in sleep, her gaze rippling as she looked at Nan Yang.Nan Yang hummed in confirmation and lifted a hand to smooth Qinghuan’s tousled, curled hair.People who’d just woken up were always full of complaints, or needed time to ease into consciousness. By the time everyone in the room was fully awake and thinking clearly again, twenty minutes had passed.Cen Ziyan checked the time on her MP4 and said softly, “Nine minutes until six-thirty.”Like they had during the puzzle, they sat in a circle. The sleeping bags were piled into a corner. In the center lay the landscape puzzle, now slightly dislodged from being moved around, and they waited quietly for the chainsaw sound at 6:30.To kill time, Qi Yi offered, “If you’re bored, I can tell another story…”Ming Wancheng: “No, no, no!”Cen Ziyan: “Teacher Qi, please don’t…”Qinghuan: “Qi Yi, just shut up.”Bai Jinqiu: “…Not necessary.”Nan Yang: “…”If Qi Yi told another ghost story, got into it, and then the butcher showed up right at 6:30 with a chainsaw and put on a terrifying performance, whose heart could take it?Qi Yi pushed her gold-rimmed glasses up and gave a short, self-mocking laugh. “Sigh. It’s not like I only know ghost stories.”Cen Ziyan checked her MP4 again and reminded them, “Two minutes left.”Ming Wancheng flipped her Five Years of College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulations upside down, found a blank page near the back, and held her pen ready to take notes.Not long after, they heard the same heavy footsteps as yesterday, mixed with the wheeze of a chainsaw being dragged, coming right up to the iron door. After a brief pause, the chainsaw met the door.This time, unlike yesterday’s chaotic noise, the sound came in long and short bursts, with pauses and continuations—clearly following some kind of pattern. But what pattern it was, none of them could tell. They were all completely lost.Ming Wancheng held her pen stiffly, not even sure how she was supposed to record it.Nan Yang glanced at her, took the pen from her hand, opened her own notebook to a fresh page, and began recording.Outside, the butcher seemed afraid they might miss it. He repeated the same sequence three times in a row. Just listening to it made their hands ache in sympathy.“Morse code.”After Nan Yang finished, she dropped those two words, tore the page out, and flicked it with her finger strength into the center of the floor.The thin sheet spun in a few circles and settled.On it was a crooked but very clear line of notation:[·····/··———/—····/——···]Beneath each segment was a neatly matched number:[5/2/6/7]The other five all looked at Nan Yang with different expressions.“This is…” Ming Wancheng stared at the paper—already solved—and looked utterly blank. “…It’s done? Already?”Qinghuan stared too, dazed. “So that’s Morse code… I’ve never even seen it before…”“Boss Nan,” Qi Yi said, stunned, “what exactly does the Mei family do? Train special forces?”Cen Ziyan sighed. “That’s incredible.”Even the director’s team behind the cameras exchanged baffled looks. This was supposed to be a complicated checkpoint—guests should first write down the rhythm, then search for clues to solve it, and only then obtain a Morse code chart. Who could’ve predicted someone would be so idle she’d memorized the entire chart?But Nan Yang really was that idle.Or rather… not idle.In one lifetime, Qinghuan had been the head of an intelligence unit. She almost never spoke normally—she communicated through tapping Morse code. Nan Yang had no choice. If she wanted to exchange even a few words with her, she had to force herself to memorize the entire Morse chart. And when she decrypted messages, there was more than just Morse itself—there was also a second layer of encryption used only between the two of them.In those war-torn years, she and Qinghuan rarely met. Yet within telegram after telegram—obscure, complex strings of code—they leaned on each other and held each other up, surviving that long, punishing stretch of time.Back then, Qinghuan addressed her as “Mr. Nan.” Not the “sir” reserved for men, but the honorific of that era—what people used for someone learned, respected, and of standing.Nan Yang’s eyes half-lidded as she slipped into memory.She and Qinghuan in those years were like duckweed on water, helplessly tossed by the era’s raging flood—yet still carrying hope, still burning with longing.Even now, Nan Yang remembered the telegrams she had decoded in sleepless nights.—“Sir, since the previous safehouse was exposed, we haven’t been in contact for a long time. How have you been lately?”“Sir, the situation has been very tense. A few comrades accidentally exposed their identities and were flayed and had their tendons pulled before dying. I’m a little afraid, and I miss you. These past few days I’ve heard things that have nothing to do with you, but somehow my thoughts always turn and turn until they land on you.”“Sir, don’t worry. I’m very capable—I won’t be discovered. Even for your sake, I’ll do everything I can to keep myself safe. You must take care of yourself too.”“Sir, not long ago I ate some delicious crisp candy in the south of the city. The brand is called Heshuangyu. I paid and left a bag for you—remember to go pick it up.”“Sir, today the bureau served food—chicken drumsticks stewed with potatoes. It was awful, almost as bad as your cooking.”“Sir, yesterday I went on a mission and failed. My superiors were disappointed in me. Suddenly I felt I wasn’t doing as well as others. There were several times I nearly exposed myself, and I can’t help wondering if I’m still fit for this line of work. But the nation is still on the brink of life and death—how can we live in comfort and pretend nothing is happening? Everyone protects themselves; old friends laugh at me for being foolish, for throwing my life away for my country. I’m not sad at all, because I know you will understand my resolve. Carrying the world in my heart, indulging in pleasures, living with passion, hiding it in ordinary days— a nation without heroes is a tragic nation. I dare not call myself a hero, but I am willing to be a firefly, to give off a little light in the dark, so I won’t have to wait for a torch. With you here, I have the confidence to struggle on in this hell.”“Sir, thank you for the comfort you sent yesterday. Of course I know—in your eyes, I am the finest woman.”“Sir, if you have time, please bring ten silver dollars to visit my mother. She’s old, and I can’t stay by her side. I don’t even know whether I’ll live or die—truly unfilial. If Mother asks about your identity, tell her you are someone I can entrust my life to, so she may rest assured.”“Sir, I left a white qipao for you at the silk shop in the north of the city. I sewed it myself in my spare time. It’s in the third compartment behind the counter. It’s a gift for you—thank you for taking care of me all this time.”“Sir, yesterday I saw a very pretty little dog—curly-haired. It’s kept by our commander’s wife. It’s unbearably cute.”“Sir, you are very cute too.”“Sir, you are especially cute. Truly.”“Sir, the capital has fallen. You must protect yourself—don’t be killed by stray bullets, don’t be bombed by planes, don’t be mistakenly killed by insurgents. You must live.”“Sir, don’t worry about me. As long as you live, I live.”“Sir, I’ve been very worried about you lately, and I miss you—so much. I think once this retreat succeeds, I’ll come find you. I’ve lived too tired in this lifetime. The lost road is long, but it will end somewhere. If I could spend the rest of my life by your side, it would be my greatest honor.”“Sir, I’m going to the battlefield one last time. Take care.”“Sir, don’t ask when I’ll return. Perhaps I’ll never return. Perhaps… I’ll be back tomorrow.”“Sir, don’t be too sad.”“Sir, please remember: on this barren land of mine, you are the last rose.”It had truly been a romantic lifetime—so romantic that even now, Nan Yang still remembered every single beat she had tapped out over the radio.And she still remembered, many years later, after the chaos had finally been leveled—sitting on the second floor of a teahouse, wearing the white qipao Qinghuan had given her, at last waiting for her to come back, bloodied but alive, from the smoke of war.She was dressed in a dark green uniform, long curls falling over her shoulders. In one hand she held her wide-brimmed cap; in the other, a skewer of candied hawthorns—bright as a freshly budding flower.She walked over, her tall boots striking the old wooden floor, solemn and dignified. She bent, placed the candied hawthorns into Nan Yang’s hand, then lowered her head and gave the most respectful military salute of her life.Nan Yang was lost in thought. Qinghuan noticed and secretly pinched the back of her hand.“What are you thinking about?”Nan Yang pulled herself out of the memory, letting her thoughts overlap with the present.“The password’s found. We can go out now.” Qinghuan held Nan Yang’s hand and walked toward the exit with a smiling lilt. “Come on—let’s draw lots and see whether we sleep in a private room or sit in hard seats.”Nan Yang curved her lips slightly and tightened her grip on Qinghuan’s hand.As they left the escape room, she bent her index finger and tapped a rhythmic string of Morse code into Qinghuan’s palm.Qinghuan felt the constant tapping and asked, puzzled, “What are you doing?”Nan Yang gave her a faint smile. “Sending a telegram.”Qinghuan laughed. “Oh? Then… what does it say?”Nan Yang didn’t answer. She only shifted her gaze away, smiling quietly, and looked toward the escape room door as it slowly opened.She held Qinghuan’s hand tightly—along with the answer she had just tapped—sealed together in her cool palm—On this barren land of mine, you are also the last rose.
Chapter 68
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When the iron door at the end of the corridor swung open, the faint light of dawn poured in from outside. It wasn’t even seven yet; the sky was caught in a half-lit, half-dark haze. Gray clouds, soft and tightly curled like wool, layered the sky like a thin, gentle blanket, covering the light that was about to be born.They had been trapped in that narrow, suffocating place for far too long. The moment they stepped out, none of them held back. Not far away, the production crew was already waiting. On the emerald-green lawn stood an enormous, brightly colored table piled high with celebratory props. As soon as the group emerged, the show’s staff burst into enthusiastic applause. Firecrackers went off, and ribbons fluttered through the air.The program’s PD stood beside the cameras with a microphone. Her voice, amplified with echo, rang across the open space.“Congratulations to all our guests on successfully escaping! After a full night of exciting gameplay, everyone has worked very hard. Please head behind the table and stand with your CP partners. Next comes the thrilling moment of revealing the results. Are you ready?”Only then did they remember that there was still one final draw at the end of the game—the method of transportation to Bayu.After waiting for everyone to take their places in frame, the PD took a card handed over by the director and read aloud, “The order in which you exited the door just now is—”There was an order for that too?Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng exchanged a look. They had walked out completely at random, never imagining that even stepping out the door would be ranked.“The order is as follows: First place—Teacher Bai Jinqiu and Miss Cen Ziyan. Second place—Miss Zhuzhu and Boss Nan. Third place—Miss Ming Wancheng and Teacher Qi Yi. Let’s congratulate the ‘Bai–Cen’ CP for taking first place!”Everyone was still half-asleep. After a night of tossing about, their spirits were low, and even their applause sounded perfunctory.The director’s team brought over a large raffle box and placed it on the table in front of the six of them. The PD continued, “Now, according to your ranking, you’ll draw for your mode of transportation to Bayu. There are only three balls in the box. Please note: first place gets two chances to draw. That means Teacher Bai and Miss Ziyan may draw once, and if you’re not satisfied with the result, you may put it back and draw again. As for luck—well, that depends entirely on you. If you’re ready, please choose a representative to come up and draw.”Bai Jinqiu asked Cen Ziyan to draw. Cen Ziyan obediently walked over and casually pulled out a ball.She flipped it over. Written on it in marker were two large characters—Private compartment.Straight to the top. Her luck was unbeatable.The others immediately applauded in congratulations.After Cen Ziyan finished, Qinghuan was about to step forward, but Nan Yang stopped her. Nan Yang tugged her back slightly and said, “I’ll do it.”Qinghuan didn’t want to sit in a hard seat. Nan Yang couldn’t risk leaving even the slightest chance of that outcome to Qinghuan. She walked up to the raffle box and glanced into the fist-sized black opening. With her extraordinary eyesight, she easily made out the words written on the two balls at the bottom. Expression calm, she reached in and pulled out one labeled “hard sleeper.”The moment Nan Yang stepped forward, Ming Wancheng had already mentally prepared herself for despair.In the end, the much-anticipated “hard seat” fell, without any suspense at all, into the hands of the Qi–Cheng pair.Qinghuan held the ball marked “hard sleeper,” smiling as she grabbed Nan Yang’s hand and gave it a gentle shake. “Hard sleeper is good too. At least it’s a bunk—way better than a hard seat. You’re amazing.”Nan Yang looked at her. She didn’t smile, but her eyes softened just a little. “I’ve never slept in a hard sleeper before.”“They’re small bunks, with upper, middle, and lower berths,” Qinghuan explained, gesturing as she spoke. “There’s a ladder by the aisle you climb up. The lower bunk has the most space, the upper has the least, and the middle is the hardest to climb into. The bunks face each other—six people in one section. Sometimes you can even chat with the people across from you. It’s pretty fun.”“Mhm.”Qinghuan turned to the PD. “Director, are the six of us taking the same train?”“Yes. All guests will be on the same train, traveling from Haojing to Bayu over three days and two nights. Our crew will accompany you for filming the entire journey. Along the way, there will be new tasks assigned. Filming will be fully open—no clearing the area, no advance notice, no barriers. You’ll be riding alongside the general public, truly interacting with fans at zero distance. The train departs in three days, so be sure to prepare well today!”The pilot episode was basically wrapped up at this point. After a few closing remarks, the PD handed the cue cards to Qinghuan and had her read out a long sponsor thank-you speech.Filming finally ended. The group thanked the crew and, dragging their exhausted bodies, climbed into the two vans that had brought them there, heading back to their hotel to rest.Back at the hotel, Qinghuan removed her makeup and showered at top speed. She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep without even putting on clothes.When Nan Yang came out of the bathroom, she saw Qinghuan lying naked on the bed at a diagonal angle. She pressed her lips together, walked over quietly, and lifted Qinghuan up. Carefully, she straightened her body, tucked her in, and gently arranged her damp hair so it fanned out over the blanket. She picked up the hair dryer and dried it strand by strand.Someone who normally needed a full eight hours of sleep every day was finally overtaken by drowsiness. After finishing Qinghuan’s hair, Nan Yang lay down beside her and fell asleep as well.They slept straight through until six in the evening.When Qinghuan woke up, Nan Yang was still asleep. Groggily, she sat up and stared blankly at the black television screen across from the bed for a long while before realizing she wasn’t wearing anything. A chill ran down the back of her neck.When they returned to the hotel, it had been dim morning light outside. Now, beyond the window, it was the same dim twilight. She rubbed her curls and glanced at Nan Yang sleeping beside her.Even in sleep, Nan Yang’s posture was rigidly proper, immaculate to a fault. Her pajama buttons were all fastened, neat and orderly.Qinghuan leaned over and kissed the diamond stud on Nan Yang’s left ear, deliberately brushing her tongue against the pale curve of her earlobe. Nan Yang didn’t wake, but her ear flushed red all the same.Qinghuan smiled. Thinking Nan Yang might be hungry when she woke up, she found some clothes, got dressed, put on a baseball cap and a mask, and headed downstairs to buy some food.Haojing, a famous ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, was renowned nationwide for its local cuisine. Qinghuan only took a short walk along the pedestrian street near the hotel and already encountered many interesting snacks she had never seen before.Thinking that the other four probably went straight to sleep after returning to the hotel and might not have eaten either, she bought three portions of everything. Sticky, tender zhenggao; crisp and juicy Hulu chicken; crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roujiamo; chewy, sour-spicy Qinzhen rice noodles. Her hands were loaded with bags, so much so that she ended up holding her phone in her mouth just to scan the payment code.On the way back, her slender arms trembled with the weight. She briefly regretted not bringing Xiao Ye along to help.Instead of returning to her own room first, she decided to deliver food to the others. She was worried the food would lose its freshness if left too long.She went to Qi Yi’s room first.After she knocked, it was Ming Wancheng who opened the door.Ming Wancheng still held a pen in her hand, exhaustion plain in her eyes. Through the gap in the doorway, Qinghuan saw Qi Yi sitting at the desk, head lowered, using a red pen to grade the test Ming Wancheng had just finished.“Have you eaten dinner?” Qinghuan asked with a smile.Ming Wancheng irritably raked a hand through her long hair. “Don’t even mention it. I just scored thirty points. How could I possibly be in the mood to eat?”“Here. Eat with Xiao Yi,” Qinghuan said, handing over their portion.Ming Wancheng hurriedly took it, thanking her repeatedly. “Thank you, Master. You’re too kind.”“Study hard.”At the word “study,” Ming Wancheng’s face crumpled again. She let out a long sigh, said goodbye dejectedly, and closed the door.After visiting Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng, Qinghuan headed to Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan’s room. They were married in name and in fact, so like Qinghuan and Nan Yang, they had been assigned a room with one large bed.At the door, Qinghuan noticed it wasn’t fully closed. Whoever had gone in must have been in a hurry, barely pulling the door shut without checking if it latched. Through the narrow crack, she could vaguely see half a piece of underwear tossed on the floor.She didn’t even have time to think about whether she should turn around and leave before she heard the sounds coming from inside.They were intimate sounds—seductive gasps, faint splashing noises, the creak and sway of springs under pressure. No imagination was required to guess what was happening.“No… no more… please…”“Bear with it.”“N-no, Auntie, don’t… like this… mm…”“Yanyan…”Cen Ziyan sobbed softly, pleading, “Auntie, please… let me go…”Bai Jinqiu’s breathing was uneven as she spoke in broken phrases. “You clearly like it, Yanyan… Yanyan, look at me.”Cen Ziyan fell silent for a moment, then cried even harder, trembling as she called out the other woman’s full name.“Bai Jinqiu, I’m begging you. Let me go.”“…I won’t.”“Why?” Her crying voice wavered like petals tossed in a raging storm. “Why won’t you let me go?”“I won’t let you go.”“Why? What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?”“I already let you go once, five years ago. This time, I will never let you go again.”“Then if you left back then, why did you come back?” Cen Ziyan’s voice teetered on the edge of collapse. “Bai Jinqiu, I stopped liking you a long time ago. Don’t you understand?”The sound of water stopped abruptly.When Bai Jinqiu spoke again, her voice carried the weariness of a forty-year-old woman. “I’m sorry… back then… it was my fault.”“I chased after you like a dog back then, and you threw me away like trash. Do you know what kind of life I lived after being abandoned? Do you know how my mother pointed at my spine and called me a slut, accused me of seducing her friend? And now you come back whenever you want, use your filthy entertainment-industry connections to collude with my company and force me to marry you, keep me like a dog again, tie me to your side, let you toy with me and humiliate me at will. Bai Jinqiu, what am I to you? In your eyes… am I even a person at all?!”Her questioning was raw and piercing, as if she were burning up the very last light in her life to shatter the endless darkness imprisoning her.Qinghuan bit her lip, the light in her eyes trembling faintly.Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind her, grasped the doorknob, and gently pulled it closed. With a soft click of the lock, all the shouting and accusations were sealed away on the other side of the door.Qinghuan jolted as if waking from a dream and hurriedly turned around.She turned too fast. Her nose slammed hard into the person behind her, crashing against their chin. A sharp wave of pain shot through the bridge of her nose.“Hiss…”She sucked in a breath.Nan Yang’s expression was calm. She steadied Qinghuan by the waist and placed her cool fingers lightly on the bridge of her nose, gently rubbing the reddened spot.“It seems you know that eavesdropping is a guilty thing,” she said mildly, “and that it can get you startled.”
Chapter 69
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“No, I came to deliver food. I wasn’t trying to…” Qinghuan hurried to explain.Nan Yang shook her head, signaling her to stop. Then she turned and scanned the area. After confirming there were no cameras installed in the corridor, she took Qinghuan by the hand and led her back toward their room.Once inside, Nan Yang set the various plastic bags she’d helped carry onto the table. The food’s steaming aroma rushed straight at them. Without a word, she unpacked the containers one by one and lined them up neatly.“You bought too much.” Nan Yang sat down, took a pair of disposable chopsticks, snapped them apart, and scraped off the wood splinters. She glanced at the table covered in boxes. There was no way the two of them could finish all this.“I was going to bring a portion to Ziyan and Teacher Bai, but…” Qinghuan thought of what she’d just heard, and her ears warmed.“It’s fine. Let’s eat.”Nan Yang handed Qinghuan the cleaned chopsticks, then took another pair for herself. She seemed completely uninterested in whatever was going on with Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan. Her eyes were fixed on the food in front of them. “Are these all local specialties?”“Yeah.” Qinghuan nodded, forcing her attention back. She pointed at a few containers. “This is Hulu chicken. That one is Qinzhen rice noodles. The one in the brown paper bag is roujiamo…”Halfway through, she stopped and let out a low sigh. “I’m still really worried about Ziyan.”Nan Yang sensed Qinghuan’s unease. She set her chopsticks down and followed her lead. “What’s wrong?”“Would you… be willing to let me explain properly?”“Mhm. Go ahead.”“I’ve known Ziyan for two or three years.” Qinghuan lowered her eyes, sinking into memory. “The first time we met, I was cast as the female lead and she was the second female lead. From the moment the cast list was announced, my company started paying for articles to step on her and boost me. Back then, the internet was full of people cursing her. Even now, she still has more haters than true fans.”“Ziyan is genuinely a good person. Our companies are rivals, and our fans are on opposite sides, but she’s never held even a tiny grudge against me. There was a period when Xiao Ye went home, and the company hadn’t arranged a new assistant yet. The hotel was very far from the set, so Ziyan drove me to and from work every day. No matter how late I filmed, she would wait quietly, then drive me back in her car.”“Later, paparazzi caught it. The marketing accounts claimed she was leeching off my popularity. My fans flooded her social media with the nastiest insults. But Ziyan didn’t care at all. She kept picking me up and dropping me off like nothing had changed, until my new assistant arrived—then she just quietly stepped back and disappeared.”“She’s a really good friend. Really kind.” Qinghuan paused, a dimness gathering in her voice. “But someone that kind—someone who insists on showing gentleness to everyone—has severe depression.”“I heard it started about five years ago. No one knows what happened to her. Xiao Ye told me that back then she completely broke down and stayed in the psych department for a while. After a brutal stretch of treatment, she barely recovered. But after she entered the entertainment industry, her company didn’t promote her like a normal artist at all. They let the marketing accounts push her down the path of being hated for clicks. She’s been taking endless, senseless abuse every day.”“Somewhere along the way, her depression relapsed. Sometimes when I go to her room to sit, I can see a lot of antidepressants on her desk. And the way she looks at people—she flinches. Like a cat with its tail stepped on. Every second, she’s tense, bristling.”“When I heard she married Bai Jinqiu, I thought she’d finally found someone she loved—maybe she could slowly climb out of that terrible state. But… from the moment I saw them together, I felt something was wrong. Ziyan is so much thinner. She’s even more tightly wound than before. I was already worried, and then I heard them talking like that just now… I…”Nan Yang listened in silence.She understood. Qinghuan truly saw Cen Ziyan as a friend, so Ziyan’s suffering became a knot in Qinghuan’s heart. Nan Yang didn’t care about Bai Jinqiu or Cen Ziyan—but she cared about Qinghuan. And anything Qinghuan cared about became something Nan Yang would have to care about too.“Qinghuan,” Nan Yang said softly, “the journey is still long. Maybe, in the next month, we can help her.”Qinghuan’s eyes widened in surprise. This was the first time she had ever heard Nan Yang talk about helping someone.Nan Yang was the kind of person who seemed indifferent to everything. Those pale, quiet eyes only rippled when she saw candied hawthorn, arcade machines, or Qinghuan herself. Qinghuan hadn’t told her all this to get advice—she just needed someone close to pour her feelings into. She never expected Nan Yang to offer help of her own accord.“Why would you… want to help her?” Qinghuan asked, puzzled.Nan Yang pressed her lips together. Her tea-light eyes lifted and met Qinghuan’s calmly. “She’s your friend. Someone you care about, isn’t she?”Qinghuan froze. The sorrow congealed in her gaze stirred, then softened into something warm and tender. “Because she’s my friend… you want to help her too?”Nan Yang looked away at the Hulu chicken and gave a quiet hum.Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. Her voice brimmed with secret delight. “You like me that much? So much that you’ll even lower yourself to care about my friends?”“Yes.” Nan Yang picked up her chopsticks, a faint, nearly imperceptible smile at her lips. For once, she didn’t look quite so proper. “I like you that much. What is it that still makes you doubt it?”“Hmph.” Qinghuan laughed through her nose and reached for her chopsticks. “Okay. Eat first.”Haojing was an ancient city steeped in history, and its food seemed to carry the spine of centuries—crisp in a satisfying way, salty with bold confidence, spicy with clean sharpness, sweet without cloying. Nan Yang finished both portions of zhenggao, ate half a Hulu chicken, nearly half a bowl of rice noodles, and one whole roujiamo.Qinghuan had always thought Nan Yang just loved sweets. Only now did she realize it wasn’t just sweets—Nan Yang loved anything that tasted good. Hotpot back then, snacks now. If it was delicious, Nan Yang was interested.How could someone who ate this much still be so thin?“Hey, I’ve never asked you—how tall are you?” Qinghuan took a tissue and wiped the sauce from the side of Nan Yang’s face.Nan Yang swallowed and answered honestly. “170 centimeters.”“And… your weight?”“46 kilograms.”“How do you keep your figure?” Qinghuan asked, genuinely curious. “I invited you to run at the gym with me before and you wouldn’t go. I never see you work out, but you’re always this skinny—and you even have abs. It’s unbelievable.”Ever since Nan Yang used that forbidden technique three thousand years ago, her body had never changed again. Her height didn’t change. Her weight didn’t change. Even the length of her hair and nails never changed. Not gaining weight was perfectly natural.“With a body like yours, it’s a waste not to be an actress,” Qinghuan sighed.“Is that bad?” Nan Yang finally seemed full and set her chopsticks down. “This way, the me you see will always be the most beautiful version.”“Then… tonight, would I have the honor of spending the night with the most beautiful Boss Nan?” Qinghuan slowed her voice, the corner of her eyes lifting like a little fox. The intimate implication hung between the words, draped in deliberate ambiguity.She used that teasing tone to mask her own nervousness.She still remembered the last time she had asked for intimacy—Nan Yang had refused her twice. Qinghuan didn’t know whether Nan Yang still carried that old person in her heart, and she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t be rejected again. Asking this took everything she had. She wanted closeness—desperately—but she didn’t want Nan Yang to compromise just to indulge her. So she stared hard into Nan Yang’s eyes, ready to retreat the moment she saw even a flicker of reluctance.But Nan Yang’s gaze was as calm as ever—neither heated nor displeased. She only said, “Then I’ll go shower first.”Qinghuan asked uncertainly, “You’re agreeing?”Nan Yang looked at her, a trace of confusion in her eyes. “Am I… supposed to refuse?”Qinghuan shook her head quickly. “No, that’s not what I meant…”Nan Yang hummed, rose unhurriedly, and walked toward the bathroom, taking a robe with her.Qinghuan’s mind spun. She couldn’t stop wondering whether Nan Yang’s overly neutral expression meant yes or no. The thorn she’d hidden in her heart stirred again, its fine tip prodding at something soft and aching inside her. Hope and pain tangled together, joy laced with bitterness—like an endless sea closing over her until she could barely breathe.After Nan Yang finished, Qinghuan went to shower as well.Under the water, she forced herself to stop overthinking. She needed to focus. She couldn’t let something this beautiful be tainted by her own dark thoughts.When she came out, Nan Yang was reclining against the headboard, reading on her Kindle.A pure white robe clung to her snow-clean skin, like porcelain holding warm milk—so pale it was hard to tell which was whiter. Her long, ink-black hair fell forward, trailing over the graceful rise of her chest like a curling wave, lush and mesmerizing.She lifted a hand casually. With a light hook of her long, slender fingers, she swept a few strands behind her ear, revealing a clean, sharp jawline and the brilliant diamond at her ear catching a cold gleam.She was breathtaking.Breathtaking to the point of ruin.“Nan Yang,” Qinghuan called her.Nan Yang raised her eyes, pale brown irises reflecting the warm bedside light. “Mm?”Qinghuan stood at the bathroom doorway, barefoot on a small rug, her voice soft and sweet. “Carry me to bed.”Nan Yang obediently set the Kindle aside and walked over at an unhurried pace.Up close, she noticed water droplets still clinging to Qinghuan’s ankle and the top of her foot. She looked for two seconds—then suddenly crouched down. That tall figure folded into a small shadow, like a pilgrim bowing at the hem of a messenger’s robe.With her index and middle finger, Nan Yang tugged at her own sleeve and used the soft fabric to carefully wipe Qinghuan’s slim ankle dry.The curve of the anklebone was delicate, like jade carved with intention. A thin layer of skin covered it like a glaze; the slightest brush of fingertips drew out a faint, rosy mark.“Your feet are pretty,” Nan Yang said, only three words.Qinghuan froze before realizing she was being praised. Her face reddened. Her toes curled as she tried to pull away.Nan Yang reached forward instead. Her cool palm closed around Qinghuan’s ankle, holding it firmly.“Not dry yet.”Qinghuan twisted her calf, her blush deepening. “Don’t you have a cleanliness obsession?”Nan Yang pulled her ankle closer and kept wiping the water beads from the top of her foot with her sleeve. Her voice was gentle, almost tender. “Qinghuan, you’re the cleanest person in the world.”Balancing on one foot, Qinghuan wobbled. She braced her hands behind her against the wall, fingers curling for support. Hearing Nan Yang say something like that made her heart—and her whole body—go soft, so soft she nearly couldn’t hold herself up.Nan Yang finished drying her ankle, stood, and slid an arm around Qinghuan’s waist and under her knees. She lifted her easily into a bridal carry.“Nan Yang…” Qinghuan nestled into her warmth, closing her eyes and burying her face into the cool hollow of her shoulder.“Mm?” Nan Yang set her on the bed but didn’t let go. She lay down with her, holding her tightly against her chest.Qinghuan was silent for a moment. Then, in a small, trembling voice that barely rose above a whisper, she said, “Tonight… take me.”Nan Yang kissed her curls and answered, “Okay. I’ll take you.”Qinghuan began to tremble uncontrollably.They had been intimate many times before, but it was always Qinghuan who asked for Nan Yang. Qinghuan had always been the proactive one.Nan Yang was too quiet. Maybe she was used to being cared for; even in bed, she would simply wait for Qinghuan to kiss her. If Qinghuan didn’t ask for what she wanted, Nan Yang might truly go her whole life without realizing she, too, needed to be cherished.It wasn’t that Nan Yang didn’t want her.She loved her—loved her for three thousand years. How could she not want to touch her? But she wasn’t sure Qinghuan was ready. She didn’t dare ask, and she didn’t dare overstep. So she could only wait—wait for Qinghuan’s nod. Only after receiving permission could she cross that final line.Nan Yang’s fingers slid to the knot at the back of Qinghuan’s robe. With a gentle tug, the thin tie came undone. Nan Yang lowered her head. Her cool, soft lips brushed Qinghuan’s ear tip, then her earlobe, then the sensitive spot behind her ear.The woman in her arms jolted, curling in on herself like a startled little fox.Nan Yang soothed her, stroking her back again and again, carefully easing the robe down. But as she did, Qinghuan’s trembling only grew worse. Nan Yang’s gentleness didn’t relax her—it made her more nervous. Nervous enough that everything she’d buried deep inside surged up at once.The more tender Nan Yang was, the more afraid Qinghuan became—afraid someone this good would one day leave her. Afraid she couldn’t hold on. Because she didn’t know who else had existed in Nan Yang’s past. She didn’t know whether Nan Yang’s heart still held someone else. She didn’t know whose weight was heavier there—hers, or that person’s. The more uncertain she felt, the more terrified she became.Nan Yang sensed something. She paused, her voice uncertain behind Qinghuan’s shoulder. “Are you… crying?”Qinghuan covered her mouth, desperately trying to swallow her sobs.Nan Yang turned her over to face her, guilt filling her eyes. “I’m sorry. Do you not like it?”“No… no,” Qinghuan shook her head hard.“Then what is it?” Nan Yang asked patiently.Qinghuan leaned forward, clinging tightly to Nan Yang’s neck. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Between sobs, she spilled the deepest knot in her heart.“I—I’m scared… I’m scared you’ll like someone else. I don’t want you to like anyone else, Nan Yang. I want you to only like me. I want your eyes and your heart to have only me—only me… only me…”“Why are you suddenly afraid of that?” Nan Yang was thrown completely off balance by Qinghuan’s collapse. She couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong to make Qinghuan think she might change.But Qinghuan only cried—crying and begging.“Nan Yang, please… don’t like anyone else, okay? Please. Only like me, okay?”It was a plea so humble it felt like a small animal kneeling and wagging its tail for mercy, throwing everything away just to beg for a single, eternal corner by its owner’s side.Nan Yang hugged her back, her brows pinching with pain.How was she supposed to comfort her?Someone as inarticulate as she was—how could she possibly soothe a girl properly?Nan Yang tightened her arms and searched through her pitiful store of sweet words, turning the prettiest sentences over and over in her mind, afraid that one wrong syllable would make the woman in her arms feel nothing but falseness.After a long time, Nan Yang—rarely—spoke in a soft voice, even teasing her a little.“Qinghuan, do you know what statues are made of?”Qinghuan blinked, her attention tugged away by the sudden question. Hesitantly, she answered, “Statues? M-marble?”“Mhm.” Nan Yang asked again, “Then do you know what the bell on the ancient city wall is made of?”“…Bronze?”“Yes. Bronze.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together, her voice lowering. “Then… do you know what I’m made of?”Qinghuan stared at her through misty, tear-blurred eyes.Nan Yang paused, as if gathering herself. After a moment, her thin lips parted, and she delivered a painfully awkward, clumsy love confession.“Qinghuan, I was nothing but a pile of useless, broken fragments. It was only when you needed someone to love you that the heavens pieced me together.”Qinghuan’s eyes jolted.Nan Yang seem
Chapter 70
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Eight in the morning.Qinghuan woke slowly. When she shifted her thigh even a little, pain surged through her whole body—especially in a place that could not be spoken of. She sucked in a small breath and turned her head to look at the woman beside her, who had clearly chosen to keep lazing in bed after six.Nan Yang was sleeping on her stomach, naked, the blanket only pulled up to her lower back.Above the thick edge of the quilt was a slender waist that fit neatly in one hand, two delicate dimples evenly set into supple flesh. Higher still was a stretch of skin smooth as jade, its lines flowing and expansive, like mountains and sea. Qinghuan carefully reached out, her fingertips slowly tracing that cool, fine skin, like moonlight gliding across snow—gentle, harmonious, perfectly attuned.As she softly stroked Nan Yang’s bare back, her gaze drifted and landed on several ibuprofen tablets scattered across the bedside table.She thought of last night again.Nan Yang had been very gentle—so gentle that even though it was her first time, the two words Qinghuan said most often were “harder.” It turned out that sex, whether one was giving or receiving, was astonishingly addictive. It was the first time Qinghuan realized her body could move in such wondrous rhythms, that being forced to the brink, stretched to the edge of breaking, could feel like that. In that instant, she finally understood why someone as restrained as Nan Yang would sometimes cry despite herself.Once she’d tasted it, she was insatiable. She clung to Nan Yang, asking her to take her again and again.She had been too absorbed, forgetting entirely that Nan Yang’s hand still carried an old injury. Seeing how much Qinghuan wanted it, and with her left hand lacking strength, Nan Yang had no choice but to use her right—the one missing tendons. She had sweated heavily throughout. In her eyes, shattered desire tangled with pain, though she hid it well. Whenever the pain became unbearable, she would only turn her head aside so Qinghuan wouldn’t see her expression. She never once let out even a muffled groan.Only after it was over did Nan Yang silently take out ibuprofen from the drawer beside the bed, and only then did Qinghuan notice something was wrong.Nan Yang’s right hand couldn’t even bend its fingers. It trembled uncontrollably, the moisture at her fingertips catching the cool night light, shaking violently like a dying fish.Qinghuan’s heart ached unbearably. She held Nan Yang and kept apologizing. Nan Yang only stroked Qinghuan’s sweat-damp curls and said softly, “It’s my fault. My hand isn’t good.”Qinghuan hurriedly replied, “You’re not bad at all. You’re good everywhere.”Nan Yang was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’ll train my left hand properly in the future.”“It’s okay,” Qinghuan held her tighter, pressing her burning face into Nan Yang’s shoulder hollow. “I… I can move myself.”Nan Yang still looked deeply guilty, staring at her right hand for a long time without speaking.That innocent look in her eyes as she stared at her own right hand—Qinghuan would never forget it for the rest of her life.So painful, and so heartbreaking.She pulled the blanket higher, covering Nan Yang’s back, tucking the corners in carefully. Her own body was still uncomfortable, but she needed to get up. Once Nan Yang woke, she would definitely need breakfast.Qinghuan got dressed, washed up, and cleaned away the leftover food boxes from last night, tying them into a large trash bag and taking it out. When she closed the door, she thoughtfully hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the handle, so the cleaning staff wouldn’t accidentally come in and disturb the person resting inside.The pedestrian street beside the hotel had already opened its morning market. Stalls selling all kinds of local breakfasts were bustling. The ancient city’s streets were grounded and unpretentious—despite being in such a busy area, the buildings were still old-fashioned, with gray bricks and white walls. Long chimneys curved upward, puffing out plumes of white smoke. Beneath them were scattered small tables, where people heading to early shifts sat on low stools, eating spicy soup and roujiamo in small groups.Qinghuan bought soy milk and fried dough sticks. When she went to another shop to buy soup dumplings, she unexpectedly ran into Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng eating breakfast there.Both of them had their backs to her, unaware she’d arrived. Smiling, she walked over quietly. From a distance, she could already hear Ming Wancheng haltingly reciting classical poetry to Qi Yi.Qi Yi, head lowered, held a bun in one hand and a red pen in the other, grading Ming Wancheng’s homework.“Xiao Yi, A-Cheng,” Qinghuan greeted them.They both turned around at the same time. Ming Wancheng’s previously miserable little face immediately lit up. “Master? You’re here for breakfast too?”“No, I’m taking it back,” Qinghuan said, gesturing toward the hotel, indicating that Nan Yang hadn’t come along.Qi Yi pulled over a small stool. “Sit for a bit.”“No,” Qinghuan shook her head. “If I’m late going back, it’ll get soggy.”“Oh, you really keep Boss Nan right at the tip of your heart,” Qi Yi said, nudging her gold-rimmed glasses. “Then we won’t keep you. Thanks for the local food you brought last night—it was great.”Ming Wancheng nodded vigorously, bun in her mouth. “Mm, really good!”Qi Yi added, “By the way, there’s nothing much going on today. This afternoon, let’s go to the supermarket together, yeah? We’ll be on the train in a couple of days—three days and two nights, we should stock up on snacks. A-Cheng and I planned to do a big shopping run this afternoon anyway. Want to come?”“Sure,” Qinghuan agreed without hesitation. “I’ll ask Nan Yang when I get back. If she’s up for it, I’m fine.”“Alright, then go on back,” Qi Yi waved at her.“You two be careful too. A-Cheng is still an actress—don’t get recognized.”Qi Yi laughed. “Honestly, we’ve been sitting here for an hour already,” she clicked her tongue, glancing sympathetically at Ming Wancheng, who had her head down. “Not a single person’s recognized her.”Ming Wancheng wasn’t famous yet. Divine Dance had finished filming but hadn’t aired, and she barely had any screen time in the promotions for Honeymoon Together. She really didn’t attract much attention from passersby.“But you,” Qi Yi looked at Qinghuan, “big star—if you stand here much longer, that might change.”Qinghuan stopped chatting, said a quick goodbye, and carried the steaming breakfast back to the hotel.When she opened the door, Nan Yang was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. The moment the door opened, she keenly caught the scent of food and turned her head with the toothbrush still in her mouth to look at Qinghuan.“This afternoon, we’re going to shop for train snacks with Xiao Yi and A-Cheng. Okay?” Qinghuan asked.Nan Yang obediently hummed in agreement.“I heard the Dayan Pagoda Plaza is fun. I checked—it’s only two kilometers from the hotel. Let’s go walk around there too.”“Mhm.”After washing up, Nan Yang sat at the table and watched Qinghuan lay out breakfast in front of her piece by piece.“Does your hand still hurt?” Qinghuan asked, glancing at Nan Yang’s right hand resting on her knee.Nan Yang shook her head.Even so, Qinghuan didn’t let her hold the chopsticks and fed her instead. Nan Yang resisted a little at first, as if she found it improper, but after Qinghuan shot her a reproachful look, she said nothing more and obediently opened her mouth for each bite.After breakfast, both of them were still somewhat tired and lay on the bed to rest.Nan Yang leaned against the headboard reading on her Kindle. Qinghuan curled in her arms, playing on her phone. They chatted occasionally; even when silent, it wasn’t awkward—rather, it was a different kind of comfort.When it was about time, Qinghuan went to the sink to do her makeup, and Nan Yang started getting dressed.Everything proceeded in order.As Nan Yang was fastening the buttons of her white shirt, her brow suddenly twitched violently. Her body jerked, her fingers slipped, and her nail nearly scratched her skin.Again…Why…Why now?Nan Yang clenched her teeth. Dizziness washed over her. She braced herself against the bed, forcing herself not to collapse. She drew in a deep breath, enduring the searing pain stabbing through her heart, forgetting how to breathe for a long moment.After a while, she struggled upright and slowly walked to the bathroom door.“Qinghuan.”She forced her voice steady.Qinghuan was focused on drawing her eyeliner and didn’t look at Nan Yang’s expression. She simply answered, “What is it?”“If I let you go shopping with A-Cheng and the others by yourself… would you be unhappy?”Nan Yang’s tone was very careful.Qinghuan capped her eyeliner casually and replied, “Didn’t you agree to go? Of course I want to go with you.”“…Mhm.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together and said nothing more.After Qinghuan finished getting ready, they went downstairs hand in hand to meet Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng. All of them put on masks, first went to the nearest Yonghui supermarket to shop, then planned to head to Dayan Pagoda Plaza two kilometers away.Nan Yang, masked, revealed only a pair of eyes devoid of emotion. Perhaps because she always looked so detached, no one noticed anything unusual about her today.But soon, Qinghuan did.Nan Yang kept unconsciously touching her left chest. Sometimes her fingers lingered over her heart; sometimes she rubbed it lightly and withdrew.Qinghuan placed a pack of compressed biscuits into the cart, glanced at Nan Yang, and asked quietly, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”“I’m fine,” Nan Yang replied calmly.Ming Wancheng pushed over a cart piled high with snacks, grinning. “Master, Ancestor, is there anything else you want to buy?”“With this many snacks, you’ll need a sack to carry them onto the train,” Qinghuan laughed.“These are to take back and share with you, and with Ziyan and Teacher Bai,” Ming Wancheng leaned over the cart, swaying like a child. “And also for the other ladies on the production team—they worked so hard planning the games.”“You’re really generous,” Qi Yi said, tossing a pack of Wahaha drinks onto the top of the cart.Qinghuan smiled and turned to Nan Yang. “Take a look—anything else you want? Motion sickness pills, hats, sunglasses?”Nan Yang shook her head.“Then let’s check out, put the stuff in the car, and head to Dayan Pagoda Plaza.”Qinghuan pushed the cart toward the register. After only two steps, another long, slender hand pressed down on the handle she was holding.She looked at Nan Yang. “What’s wrong?”“I… have something to take care of. I can’t go with you.”Nan Yang’s voice was already blurred. Under the strain, she had bitten through her tongue out of habit; her mouth was now full of blood and flesh.This was her limit.“What is it?” Qinghuan asked instinctively.Nan Yang’s throat bobbed. To others, it would look like she was swallowing, but no one knew she was swallowing blood.“Personal business.”She could no longer say another word.Qinghuan frowned, disappointment flickering in her eyes, but she said, “Alright then… when will you be back?”“…Tonight.”“Okay. Then I’ll go with A-Cheng and the others. Be careful on your own. Call me if anything happens.”“Mhm.”Qinghuan took one last look at her, still a little confused. But Nan Yang had said it was personal, clearly unwilling to explain further. Qinghuan understood that even the closest relationships needed private space, so she didn’t press the issue. She forced herself to focus on the plans ahead and caught up with Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi.Nan Yang watched her go to the register, then quietly walked through the express exit, avoiding the elevators they would use, and took the emergency stairwell down step by step.Outside the mall, she hailed a taxi. When the driver asked for the destination, she asked instead which hospital was closest. He said Haojing Municipal Hospital. She said to go there.On the way, she sent a message to Sun Xuxue, telling her to come to Haojing immediately and meet her at the municipal hospital.After arriving, she paid the driver calmly, stepped out with her back straight, removed her mask, and walked into the hospital.She had barely crossed the threshold—When she finally released the inner breath she had been forcing down for two hours, she dropped to one knee. Her right hand convulsed violently. Her left hand clutched her heart. Blood spilled from her nose and the corner of her mouth—bright, horrifying red.Her once-perfect posture wavered, then collapsed, soft and boneless, like a mountain crashing down, like a shattered idol. Blood surged from her mouth and nose, spreading quickly, swallowing her collapsed body in endless darkness. The vivid red soaked into her snow-white shirt, creeping upward like countless blood-veined skeletal hands reaching from hell, dragging her, pulling her, hauling her into the abyss of eternal night.
Chapter 71
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When Qinghuan, Ming Wancheng, and Qi Yi were riding to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Square, the sky was heavy and overcast, and rain suddenly began to fall.At some point, fine threads of rain densely covered the car windows, turning the once-clear glass into something like gauze pricked full of needles. The sky had already been gloomy when they set out, but none of them expected it to rain so quickly.Qinghuan took out her phone, switched the city to Haojing, and checked the weather forecast. The light rain was expected to turn into heavy rain and last for about a week. By the time they boarded the train, the rain probably still wouldn’t have stopped.In the back seat, Qi Yi straightened slightly and asked, “It’s raining—are we still going to the square?”Qinghuan put her phone away, thought for a moment, and said, “There are umbrellas in the car. Let’s go take a look.”It was only five in the afternoon. Nan Yang had said she wouldn’t be back until the evening. If Qinghuan returned to the hotel now, she would be alone for several hours—what would she even do?She thought about it, but couldn’t come up with an answer.Without realizing it, she began to think about how she used to fill her time when she was alone, before meeting Nan Yang. Yet clearly, she and Nan Yang had been married for less than half a year, and her memories of that earlier life had already become blurred.Before she had tasted love, she never felt that kind of life lacked anything. On the contrary, when she saw friends around her getting entangled in messy, life-or-death romantic struggles, she even felt grateful for choosing to stay single. But after falling in love with Nan Yang, she realized that love itself was not suspicion, not quarrels, not something dirty or sordid. Those who loudly despised love simply hadn’t yet found the person who truly loved them. They weren’t arrogant, and they weren’t ignorant—they were just unlucky.She felt that the greatest happiness of her life was being loved by a woman like Nan Yang. So gentle, so careful—when Qinghuan was anxious and insecure, she would rack her brain to say sweet, cloying words of reassurance. When those words came out in her awkward tone, Qinghuan only wanted to laugh at the time, but later, when she recalled them, she realized every sentence had been beautiful beyond measure.She believed that when someone spoke words of love, they meant them. Because Nan Yang’s love for her was so beautiful, those words were beautiful too.That was why she willingly sank deeper and deeper into her embrace, until their souls intertwined, faithful until death.Outside the car window, the rain fell harder and harder.When they arrived at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Square, the three of them each took an umbrella and got out of the car.The rain had come suddenly, and many tourists hadn’t brought umbrellas. In small groups, they sheltered under souvenir kiosks to avoid the rain. From a distance, the ancient Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stood in the rain, carrying the weight of centuries, while the statue of Master Xuanzang before the pagoda seemed like a deity guiding lost souls back to their path.Ming Wancheng looked at the rows of souvenir stalls lining the north square and excitedly called Qi Yi and Qinghuan over to take a look. Souvenirs at famous attractions always came in countless varieties, piled high in prominent spots to lure children into dragging their parents over to buy them.“Sister, look—water whistles,” Ming Wancheng said, picking up a small bird-shaped whistle made of clay. Without any hesitation, she put it to her mouth and blew, producing a clear, lilting sound. Qi Yi took it from her hand, saying someone else might have blown into it before, but Ming Wancheng didn’t care at all and paid for it on the spot.With the water whistle between her lips, Ming Wancheng grabbed a rattle drum and beat it—dong, dong, dong. After that, she played with a ceramic xun flute, then picked up a terracotta warrior figurine. Shadow puppets, bamboo grasshoppers, wooden swords—she played with everything she could get her hands on. Several times, when she picked things up, Qi Yi looked like she was about to reach into her pocket, as if preparing to pay.But Ming Wancheng was faster. She directly bought everything she had touched in one go, carrying a huge bag and happily saying she would distribute the little trinkets to the program staff girls when they got back.Qi Yi looked at her with a slightly helpless smile and didn’t say much, just quietly followed behind her, helping carry some of the bags when Ming Wancheng couldn’t hold everything.As they headed toward the next stall, Qinghuan didn’t move.She scanned the child-oriented toys in front of her and said to the vendor, “One of each, please.”The vendor’s eyes widened in surprise. “All of them?”“Yes.”The vendor glanced at Ming Wancheng walking away and laughed. “Are you buying gifts for company employees?”“No,” Qinghuan shook her head. Her brows curved, overflowing with gentleness. “I’m giving them to just one person.”“Oh—” the vendor said knowingly. “Must be for the little baby at home to play with!”Hearing this, Qinghuan laughed until her shoulders trembled, neither confirming nor denying it.As they continued browsing, the rain grew heavier, and gusts of wind picked up. A small umbrella was no longer enough to shield a person properly. Wind carried the rain at an angle under the umbrellas, and before long, half of their pants were soaked.Originally, Ming Wancheng had wanted to head over to Datang Everbright City to take a look, hoping to see the tumbler-dancer who had gone viral some time ago. But with the rain pouring like this, the performer probably wouldn’t come out anyway. Seeing the weather worsening, the three of them could only head back.By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already eight o’clock.They were all soaked and looked rather bedraggled. Their shoes were basically drenched through. After getting out of the car, they didn’t bother with small talk—after hurried goodbyes, they each returned to their rooms to clean up.Qinghuan carried the large bag of souvenir toys, her long hair damp and clinging to her temples, whether from rain or sweat she couldn’t tell. She took out her phone again to check the time. It really was eight o’clock—eight… did that count as evening?She clearly remembered that when she parted from Nan Yang, she had asked when she would be back, and Nan Yang had said, “In the evening.”Could she already be back?Imagining the delight that would appear on Nan Yang’s face when she saw the bag of little trinkets, Qinghuan couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from lifting. Filled with anticipation, she swiped her room card and opened the door, already prepared to greet the person inside.The door opened to pitch darkness.They had drawn the blackout curtains when they left, cutting off even the faint glow of the night outside. The empty room looked exactly the same as when they had left—nothing had changed, not even the position of the disposable slippers by the door.The curve of Qinghuan’s lips froze. After a long moment, the smile she had carefully built faded away. She lowered her eyes, quietly entered the room, set the things down, and sat alone on the edge of the bed.So… eight o’clock didn’t count as evening yet.She twisted her fingers together, feeling as if a hole had been dug in her chest, hollow and cold, letting chills seep out.In Nan Yang’s mind, just how late did “evening” have to be?.Sun Xuxue paced anxiously outside the emergency room, her hair and clothes still wet.She had originally planned to come to Haojing with Nan Yang, but Nan Yang had told her to go to Bayu first, saying things here wouldn’t be delayed for more than two days. She never should have listened so obediently to the Ancestor—she should have stuck to her side no matter what. She clearly knew how serious the Ancestor’s condition was, yet she still allowed her to stay alone in Haojing for so long. She hated herself for it.And this time, the situation was worse than ever before. According to the doctors, when Nan Yang collapsed at the hospital entrance, the blood that flowed from her ran down the steps and all the way to the flowerbed.This was no longer something she could handle alone. She immediately notified her grandfather and Uncle Mei. After hearing the news, Mei Zhongli and Sun Guohui contacted the hospital to seal off information and set off for Haojing at once. They should be arriving any minute.Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Mei Zhongli and Sun Guohui arrived.Sun Xuxue gave them a rough account of what had happened, but she was young, and in her panic her words came out jumbled. Just then, the emergency room door suddenly opened. The doctor looked utterly exhausted and hadn’t even taken two steps before Mei Zhongli stopped him to ask about the situation.“She lost too much blood. We’ve already mobilized all the matching blood from our blood bank, and we’re requesting support from nearby hospitals as well. Please rest assured—there’s no immediate danger to her life.”The doctor knew exactly what kind of background the patient inside had. Nan Yang was now considered a public figure. When the hospital staff recognized that the person lying in a pool of blood was the famous young head of the Mei family, they rushed her into the operating room and called in the top specialists for diagnosis. They knew Mei Zhongli would come sooner or later, and they didn’t dare be negligent.“When did she collapse at the hospital?” Sun Guohui asked with a frown.The doctor thought for a moment. “Around five in the afternoon.”“It’s already ten at night,” Sun Guohui said, glancing at his watch. “It’s been that long, and she still hasn’t woken up?”The doctor shook his head. “Not only has she not woken up, the bleeding hasn’t stopped. We can’t find the cause. It doesn’t look like hemophilia. Right now, all we can do is keep transfusing blood to make sure she doesn’t go into shock and die.”Mei Zhongli and Sun Guohui’s expressions grew grave.“Thank you for your trouble. Please make sure enough blood is allocated—cost is no concern.”“I understand.”After the doctor left, they gestured for Sun Xuxue to join them in a quiet corner.“In the past, whenever the Ancestor fell ill, the inheritors recorded the frequency and duration,” Sun Guohui said, leaning against the cold radiator, his aged fingers trembling. “Before she returned from Australia, she had never fainted during an episode. Ever since she married that Zhu girl, things have become abnormal. That episode at Zangzuo Film City was the first time she’d ever lost consciousness in three thousand years. I raised this issue back then, but I never expected it to become more and more severe. The first time, she was only unconscious for half an hour. After that, each time lasted longer. Now, she’s been out for a full five hours.”“I studied that forbidden technique manuscript,” Mei Zhongli said solemnly. “Unfortunately, the records there aren’t very clear either.”“Perhaps it’s because this is the ninety-ninth lifetime,” Sun Guohui sighed. “The forbidden technique only says the Ancestor can live to the ninety-ninth lifetime. It doesn’t say how far into that lifetime she can live. We all know that to use the forbidden technique, one must first die in the same way as one’s beloved. The Ancestor has already died once. For these three thousand years, her body has been nothing more than an empty shell—eternally preserved in the state of death, serving only as a vessel to endure pain.”“This is a fact all inheritors have understood through the ages. To put it bluntly, the Ancestor has been no different from a corpse for these three thousand years. Only after Zhu girl recovers her memories can her body return to a normal state of birth, aging, illness, and death. But…”“Clearly, the Ancestor’s body is now weakening rapidly. Her episodes are becoming more frequent, and each time she bleeds more and remains unconscious longer. No one knows how long this empty shell can hold out.”After understanding what they meant, Sun Xuxue’s face turned deathly pale. “Are you saying… if Zhuzhu still can’t recover her memories, the Ancestor might just… slowly… die?”“Slowly die?” Sun Guohui gave a bitter laugh. “Xuxue, it won’t be slow. It might be that… on some perfectly ordinary day, she suddenly collapses—and then never wakes up again.”
Chapter 72
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By midnight, the bleeding from Nan Yang’s mouth and nose finally stopped. To be safe, the doctors hung another bag of plasma, then transferred her out of the emergency room and into a high-end private ward. Sun Guohui, Sun Xuxue, and Mei Zhongli sat in a tight circle by her bed, not daring to make a sound, doing nothing but waiting for her to wake.At one o’clock—eight full hours after she had collapsed—she slowly opened her eyes. Her right hand twitched, and the IV needle in the back of her hand trembled with it.To replenish what she had lost as quickly as possible, both her left and right hands were riddled with needle marks. Under the tape was a harsh sprawl of bruised purple and angry red. Her right hand was the worst: even while unconscious, it would spasm reflexively, causing the drip to slip out of the vein again and again. Blue-green veins stood out beneath swollen punctures, like ugly fake blossoms dotting dead branches.She narrowed her eyes, making out the people keeping watch at her bedside, and rasped hoarsely, “You’re here.”The three of them immediately rose and dropped to their knees in salute. “We pay our respects to the Ancestor.”“Get up.”Only then did they stand and sit again.“Ancestor,” Mei Zhongli hesitated, his voice heavy with grief, “your health is getting worse, isn’t it?”Nan Yang lowered her gaze to the battered back of her hand and said nothing.Sun Guohui said, “Ancestor, we truly fear… if she still can’t remember you, you might suddenly just…”“So what if I do.”Nan Yang spoke flatly, no emotion in her eyes. “I used to be afraid—afraid that if she never remembered me, I would have to live forever alone. Now it seems the worst outcome is simply dying a little earlier. That’s already good. Better than living endlessly by myself.”“Ancestor, but how can we just watch you—” Mei Zhongli’s clouded eyes welled with tears.“Don’t be so pessimistic. And don’t grieve so much.” There was a trace of release in Nan Yang’s gaze. “Everyone dies eventually. The fading of life is simply the cycle of the Dao—one rule for all things. Even if I don’t die in these few years, I’ll still die decades from now. Three thousand years ago, I already tasted death once, so I’m not afraid of it. The only thing I worry about…” Her voice softened, nearly imperceptibly trembling. “Is that I can’t stay with her for long.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together.“I want to be with her until the end, too. But if she can’t remember me… what can I do?”“Ancestor, we deserve death. We’re useless—”Sun Guohui hunched deeply, and the old man—well past seventy—began to weep in regret.“It isn’t your fault. You’ve done very well.”Nan Yang paused, bent her arm, and tried to push herself upright, intending to sit up.Sun Xuxue hurried to support her. “Ancestor, you’re still weak. Why aren’t you lying down?”“It’s very late, isn’t it?” Nan Yang asked.Sun Xuxue nodded. “Yes. It’s already one-thirty in the morning. Your body hasn’t recovered—please sleep here tonight.”“So it’s already this late…” A rare flash of panic slipped through Nan Yang’s eyes. “I have to go back. Now.”Mei Zhongli immediately tried to stop her. “Ancestor, your condition is still very bad. You absolutely can’t discharge yourself. The doctor said you need at least one more bag of blood before you can even get out of bed. You might have another episode tonight—we need to make sure we can inject painkillers in time. You cannot, at a time like this—”“I’m fine.” Nan Yang ignored him and spoke only to Sun Xuxue. “Xuxue, when I called you here, I told you to bring one of my shirts. Did you bring it?”She had known her clothes would be soaked in blood, so she had instructed Sun Xuxue to prepare in advance.Sun Xuxue didn’t dare speak. She glanced carefully at Sun Guohui’s face.Sun Guohui showed no expression and said nothing.“Give it to me.” Nan Yang held out her hand.Caught in the middle, Sun Xuxue looked left at Sun Guohui, right at Mei Zhongli. Finally, heart hardening, she clenched her teeth and handed the bag to Nan Yang.Mei Zhongli seemed like he still wanted to argue, but he understood Nan Yang’s temperament—once she decided something, there was no changing it. He could only sigh and leave the ward with Sun Guohui and Sun Xuxue.Nan Yang removed the needle and cannula from the back of her hand herself, changed into clean clothes, put on her shoes, and was about to leave when her steps halted. She looked down at the puncture-riddled back of her hand.She stood there for a moment, then suddenly turned, picked up a glass from the bedside table, and struck it against the floor, cracking off a jagged shard. She gripped the sharp fragment, aimed the most pointed tip at the needle marks on her hand, and slashed down hard.One cut wasn’t enough to cover those dense punctures, so she carved many—crisscrossing, vertical and horizontal—until the flesh was mangled, a ruined mess. Seeing her hands dripping with blood, she finally let out a quiet breath of relief, then stepped out to call the duty doctor to do a quick dressing.Sun Xuxue stared at her hands, heartbreak flooding her eyes. “Ancestor… why would you do this?”“…I can’t let her know.”She couldn’t let her know anything behind it. Any of it.Nan Yang clenched the gauze wrapped around her palms. In her pupils, there was even a trace of gentle laughter.This was enough. This way, she wouldn’t notice how many needles she’d been stuck with.By the time everything was done, it was almost three in the morning. The rain outside had never stopped, and it seemed to be turning into a downpour. Mei Zhongli called a private car to take Nan Yang back to the hotel, and followed along to escort her.At the hotel entrance, the moment the door opened, Nan Yang stepped out.Mei Zhongli fumbled for an umbrella. “Ancestor—your umbrella…”Nan Yang’s back was already far away, her lone, slight figure exposed in the heavy rain, dissolving into mist until she looked like a blurred painting.Mei Zhongli gripped the umbrella weakly. After a long moment, he sighed.The rain was too heavy. Even the short distance from the car to the hotel left her soaked through. The freshly bandaged hands were dotted with rainwater too, the gauze turning sticky against raw, split skin—yet she didn’t frown even once.Into the lobby. Up the elevator. Down the corridor. To her room.Three in the morning—so late that Qinghuan should have been asleep. Yet Nan Yang had a feeling she wasn’t. She was waiting. And because she had that feeling, she had fled the hospital without hesitation and come back to her side.The keycard slid through. A crisp chime.She eased the door open, and darkness spilled out, inch by inch.She didn’t turn on the lights, but she could still see it: in the corner of the bed, a thin figure sitting rigidly still.Nan Yang stepped inside and inserted the keycard into the power slot, but still didn’t switch on the light. She tested forward two steps. Water dripped from her hair and chin onto the clean floor, trailing a wet line behind her.Qinghuan slowly turned her head. Even in the dark, Nan Yang could make out the red-rimmed eyes.“N-nan Yang?”Qinghuan asked in a small, uncertain voice.“Mm.”Nan Yang answered.Qinghuan shivered and stood up. She must have been sitting too long—her legs were numb, and she stumbled a little as she walked over. The moment she got close, Nan Yang reached out and hauled her into her arms, holding her tightly.Qinghuan immediately wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s drenched back, her voice carrying a sob.“You’re finally back…”“I knew you’d wait for me, so I came back.” Nan Yang buried her rain-cold face in that soft curtain of long curls. “I’m sorry I’m late.”“You don’t have to say sorry.” Qinghuan was clearly devastated, still crying, yet she still tried to comfort the woman in her arms. “You said you’d be back in the evening. It’s still evening now. Y-you don’t have to apologize.”“…You’re not angry?”“I’m not angry.” Qinghuan shook her head hard. “I was just worried about you—worried something happened. I called you. No one picked up. Then when I called again, your phone was off. I… I know I shouldn’t have called so many times, but I didn’t know if you were just unable to answer, or if you couldn’t answer at all. I wasn’t trying to interfere with your private life. I was just worried you weren’t safe…”As she spoke, she bit her lip, standing on the edge of an abyss, as if one wrong step would send her falling.“I’m sorry. I’m like this—I can’t be without you. Will you hate me for it?”After all this time, Qinghuan’s first thought wasn’t to blame her for breaking her promise, and it wasn’t to doubt who she had been with. Her first thought was whether her calls had inconvenienced Nan Yang—whether her dependence might disgust her.Nan Yang held her even tighter, guilt choking her.“Don’t think like that. How could I ever hate you?”“But I—”“I can’t be without you either, Qinghuan.”Qinghuan lowered her head. At those words, her drifting heart finally settled.Nan Yang stroked the delicate curve of her curls, then suddenly realized she was soaked through, and she’d gotten Qinghuan wet too. She quickly loosened her hold and looked down. Sure enough, Qinghuan’s front was speckled with rain-dark stains.Only then did Qinghuan notice, and her chest tightened even more. “Did you come back in the rain?”“No. I only got caught for a short stretch.” Nan Yang let go. “I’m going to change. You change too.”Qinghuan nodded. When Nan Yang brushed past her to get fresh clothes, the faint night glow through the window caught the bandages wrapped around her hands. Qinghuan’s heart clenched. “What happened to your hands?”Nan Yang didn’t hide it much. She lifted her hands for Qinghuan to see. “I was pouring water and accidentally broke the cup. The shards cut me. It’s already wrapped—nothing serious.”“You’re thirty-five years old. How are you still this careless?” Qinghuan frowned. All her earlier worries and spiraling thoughts vanished instantly, replaced by nothing but concern for this woman who couldn’t properly take care of herself. “A big boss who’s used to being waited on—can’t even pour water. Your gauze is wet. Later I’ll reapply medicine for you.”“No.” Nan Yang withdrew her hands. “The wound looks ugly. Don’t look.”“It’s just a wound. What part of you haven’t I seen? What’s not allowed for me to see—”Nan Yang opened her mouth. The word insolent hovered on her tongue. After a moment’s consideration, she chose not to say it.Qinghuan paused. After a long while, she murmured hesitantly, “Why do I feel like… at a time like this, you should’ve said ‘Insolent’?”Nan Yang looked at her, the corner of her lips lifting faintly.“It’s fine,” she said softly. “I like it when you’re insolent.”
Chapter 73
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Qinghuan’s ears turned red. “At a time like this, you’re still joking with me.”Then she glanced at Nan Yang’s hands—too awful to look at—and frowned. “With your hands like this, how are you going to shower?”“The cuts are on the back of my hands. If I’m careful, it’ll be fine.” Nan Yang walked into the bathroom and switched on the light.Qinghuan’s brow furrowed even tighter. “The back of your hands? You broke a cup—how would you end up cutting the back of your hands?”Nan Yang’s movement—reaching for the body wash—froze.“I…”She went rigid, fingertips resting on the curved gold label of the bottle. Even from behind, you could feel how tense she was, like every strand of hair had tightened.Qinghuan sensed it. Her brows knit.She didn’t press further. Instead, she walked up and wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s waist from behind, burying her face in the white shirt.“It’s okay. If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to. I really want to know, but if you don’t want to tell me, I can pretend I don’t.”It was a sentence so humble it sank into the dust.The more you loved, the more humble you became. And that humility had nothing to do with whether the other person loved you just as much. It was a compromise you accepted willingly, sweet as honey.“Qinghuan.” Nan Yang’s fingers trembled as they slid over Qinghuan’s hands resting against her lower abdomen. “I’m not telling you the truth not because I’m betraying you. I’m not telling you… because it’s for your own good.”“I understand.” Qinghuan smiled softly. “I understand that whatever you do, it’s for my sake. I understand it all.”Hearing her trust—bottomless, without any boundaries—made Nan Yang’s eyes sting.“I’m just afraid if you wash yourself, you’ll get the wound wet. I’m afraid it’ll fester tomorrow and you’ll be in pain, so I want to help.” Qinghuan tightened her arms, turned her face slightly, and looked at that cool, distant profile from Nan Yang’s shoulder. “Can I help you bathe?”Nan Yang was silent for a long time—so long Qinghuan thought the silence was her refusal. Qinghuan pressed her lips together and slowly loosened her hold. Her hand was already dropping to her side when she suddenly heard the woman in front of her speak in a quiet voice:“Undo my buttons.”Five simple words, spoken in Nan Yang’s bland, restrained tone—yet they were like a boulder dropped into a vast sea, sending up endless ripples in an instant.Qinghuan drew a deep breath, steadied Nan Yang by the shoulders, squeezed her eyes shut hard for a moment, forcing her suddenly racing heartbeat back under control. Then she guided Nan Yang to turn around slowly. Her gaze lowered—she didn’t dare look up—as her fingers found the first button of the white shirt and gently pushed it out of its hole.It wasn’t the first time she had seen Nan Yang’s body, but undoing the buttons still made her heart flutter beyond restraint. Like a girl opening a package—she knew exactly what was inside that little box, and yet she still couldn’t suppress the impatience and anticipation of taking the lid off.When every button was undone, the woman across from her cooperated, dipping her shoulders slightly and slipping the shirt off.Balanced proportions. A slim waist and back. A thin layer of underwear.And savage scars.One over the left chest where the heart lay. Five across the abdomen, long and short. Two thin ones along her waist. Another overlapping the splattered, shard-shaped scar tissue on her wrist. This beautiful body looked as if it had been torn apart while she was still alive, then clumsily pieced together again—those seams so glaring and horrifying that even a shallow glance could conjure the image of flesh split open and drenched in blood.The first time Qinghuan saw those scars, her curiosity outweighed her pain—perhaps because back then, she and Nan Yang hadn’t yet gone so deep, and she still didn’t understand what it felt like to truly love someone. But now, every time she saw them, it was like sinking into an ice cellar, pain flooding her whole body until she could barely breathe.When something you love is broken into this state, how could you not ache?Her fingertips traced the wide, long scars across Nan Yang’s abdomen with trembling care. Her nose burned with sour pain, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.“…Who was it? Who was so cruel, to cut you up like this?”Nan Yang’s lips curved slightly. She lifted a hand and stroked Qinghuan’s hair. “It’s fine. She wasn’t cruel.”“From childhood until now, no matter how people bullied me, I never hated anyone.” Qinghuan clenched her teeth, forcing back her tears. “This is the first time I’ve hated someone this much. You’re so good—how could she bear to do this to you…”“Qinghuan.” Nan Yang cut her off gently. “I don’t hate her, so you shouldn’t hate her either.”Qinghuan looked up through blurred tears, staring into Nan Yang’s eyes.Nan Yang lowered her gaze. Her voice grew even softer. “Remember what I’m saying. Keep remembering it. I don’t hate her. I never have.”Something inside Qinghuan went suddenly hollow.A strange sensation rose in her chest—there and gone in an instant. Before she could catch it, taste it, the feeling slipped away. She frowned, blinking several times, a flicker of confusion passing through her eyes.It was as if a voice deep inside her had said, heavy and clear:I don’t hate you.Nan Yang tilted her head, watching Qinghuan drift into that sudden trance, and reminded her, “Aren’t you going to keep undressing me?”Qinghuan yanked her thoughts back, shook her head hard as if to fling off the dizziness, and continued helping Nan Yang remove the rest of her clothes. Under the bright bathroom light, she only stared at those terrifying scars, temporarily forgetting that this body also held a different kind of attraction for her.After filling the tub, Nan Yang sat down in it, her bandaged hands drooping outside the rim, her chin resting on her forearm. Qinghuan carefully washed her body. When she was nearly done, she used a small cup to scoop warm water and pour it over that ink-black hair, section by section, patiently massaging it through.“Qinghuan.”Nan Yang suddenly called her.“Hm?” Qinghuan turned her head to look at her face.Nan Yang’s eyes held something restrained and suppressed. After a long pause, she asked carefully, “If I suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood… would you think it’s strange?”Qinghuan froze, staring at her in bafflement. “C-cough up blood?”Nan Yang nodded once, her voice low. “Yes. I’m sorry. I tried to hold it in, but I…”Qinghuan was full of questions, but hearing her say it like that, she answered on instinct, “It wouldn’t be strange.”“Good.” Nan Yang pressed her lips together and lifted her eyes to Qinghuan. “Bring me that trash can.”Qinghuan immediately reached out, pulled the trash can over, and set it beside the tub.Nan Yang bent forward, brows tightly knit, and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Bloody foam ran down her chin, mixed with sticky saliva, hanging precariously at her lips. A long strand stretched down, heavy drops forming at the end, sinking rhythmically. When the weight became too much, the last thin connection snapped—pat—and the drop fell onto the plastic liner inside the bin.Qinghuan hurriedly grabbed tissues and carefully wiped Nan Yang’s lips, looking like she wanted to ask something but didn’t dare, lips parting and closing again.After coughing out the pooled blood, the pain that had been gnawing at Nan Yang for hours finally eased a little. She could see Qinghuan’s worry, and only said, “It’s nothing serious. Don’t be scared.”Qinghuan hesitated for a long time, then tested the question softly. “Stomach problem?”“No.” Nan Yang weighed it, then picked a convenient lie. “Just throat bleeding. Some anti-inflammatories will do.”Qinghuan exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness it’s not something major.”“That’s enough. Dry me off.”Nan Yang braced herself on the edge of the tub and stood, water splashing up. Warm water streamed down her skin in thin rivulets. Qinghuan took a towel and dried her carefully, then helped her into a robe.Qinghuan blow-dried her hair for a while in the bathroom, but Nan Yang’s hair was long and thick, still a bit damp even after drying. So she pulled Nan Yang to sit on the edge of the bed and let it air-dry.While waiting, Qinghuan dragged over the huge bag of toys she had bought earlier and handed them to Nan Yang one by one.“What are these?” Nan Yang asked.“Souvenirs I bought at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. I didn’t know which one you’d like, so I just bought everything.”“This one’s a rattle drum.” Qinghuan put a bright red rattle drum painted with a New Year baby into Nan Yang’s hands.Nan Yang took it, stared at it for a moment, then rubbed her fingers lightly. The rattle drum sounded—dong, dong, dong.Her lips lifted into a faint smile.“And this—this is the little bird water whistle.”Nan Yang shifted the rattle drum to her other hand, took the bird-shaped whistle, and examined it. Qinghuan gestured for her to blow at the tail end. Nan Yang wet her upper lip, put the long tail into her mouth, puffed her cheeks, and blew out a graceful birdsong.“This one might be hard to play,” Qinghuan said, pulling out a ceramic xun. “You probably need someone who knows music theory.”Nan Yang nodded. “True.”Qinghuan set the xun aside. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought it. Neither of us understands music theory.”“I don’t know how to play the xun.” Nan Yang paused. “But I can play the qin.”“You can play the qin?” Qinghuan stared at her in surprise. They’d known each other so long, and she had never once heard Nan Yang mention it. “The piano?”“No. The guqin.” Nan Yang lifted her chin slightly, as if searching her memory. “But I haven’t played in many years. I remember, a long time ago, I played a qin called Jiuxiao Huanpei.”“Jiuxiao Huanpei?” Qinghuan’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that a Tang dynasty guqin? It’s kept by the Palace Museum now. The Mei family is that powerful—you can even borrow things from the Palace Museum?”“So it’s kept at the Palace Museum now.” Nan Yang neither confirmed nor denied it—she only smiled.“But with your hands…” Qinghuan glanced at her right hand. “You still want to learn guqin?”Nan Yang didn’t answer.Perhaps in the modern world, learning guqin was a hobby. But in ancient times, qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting were required studies for women from birth. She never treated “I can play guqin” as some special talent, because to an ancient woman it was as ordinary as modern children learning English.Absentmindedly, her fingers turned again, and the rattle drum gave another crisp dong-dong.Qinghuan fell silent for a while, then said softly, “All of a sudden, I feel like… there are so many things about you that I don’t know.”She didn’t know who that girl in Nan Yang’s past was. She didn’t know where the scars came from. She didn’t know she could play guqin.“One day,” Nan Yang said, “you’ll know everything.”Qinghuan’s heart softened. She smiled gently. “Then it’s a promise. In the future, you have to tell me everything.”“Qinghuan, there are things I don’t tell you not because I don’t want to,” Nan Yang sighed lightly through her nose. “It’s because I can’t. But… I can try to tell you some other things.”“…?” Qinghuan blinked.“For example, I really like this.” Nan Yang lifted her hand and shook the rattle drum. “And I like the other toys too. The straw grasshopper, the shadow puppet—everything. Thank you for giving me these. Because of them… tonight feels a little less hard to get through.”Qinghuan pressed her lips together and looked at Nan Yang for a long time before asking softly, “Was tonight hard for you?”Nan Yang forced herself to endure the burning pain in her chest that had lasted for hours. She turned her head away, gripping the rattle drum so tightly her fingertips went white.“It wasn’t hard.”She answered, very softly.With you beside me, no matter how unbearable the pain is, it doesn’t count as “hard.”
Chapter 74
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The heavy rain outside the window kept falling—sometimes wild, sometimes sparse—with no sign of stopping. By midnight, distant thunder began to roll along the horizon, the dull rumbling crashing again and again against the hearts of those asleep, so oppressive that even in dreams it pressed down in waves.Qinghuan slept lightly for barely an hour before the thunder woke her. She slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, went to the table to pour herself a glass of water, squinting drowsily as she drank it down at a slow pace.Nan Yang was still sleeping deeply on the bed, lying on her side with her back to the window. Her right arm was bent beneath her neck, while her left hand held the rattle Qinghuan had given her. The little drumstick, tied on with a string, mischievously slipped into the open collar of her sleep robe, disappearing into that arc of snowy softness.Qinghuan set down the cup and quietly walked over to Nan Yang.She watched her for a moment, then suddenly bent down. Moving as gently as she could, she caught Nan Yang’s left hand and carefully untied the frayed gauze, unwrapping it layer by layer.Beneath the bandage was an unmistakable gash across the back of her hand, clearly cut by glass and very deep—nothing like a careless scrape. It had been soaked by rain on the way back, the ointment sticking to the gauze, and blood had seeped out again. The torn flesh was gruesome, muscle indistinct and raw.Qinghuan bit her lip, her eyes filling with a shimmering wetness.After a long moment, she only let out a quiet sigh. She fetched the medical kit she carried with her, took out some cephalosporin, peeled open a few capsules, wrapped them in paper, and crushed them. She then carefully sprinkled the powder over the horrifying wound. When she was done, she took out a fresh roll of gauze and gently rebandaged Nan Yang’s hand, securing it neatly before placing it back onto the rattle.Nan Yang’s lashes trembled in the dim night. Then, as her left hand was returned, she shifted it imperceptibly and closed her fingers around Qinghuan’s hand just as she was about to pull away.Qinghuan jumped in fright. “Y-you’re awake?”“I woke up a long time ago.” Nan Yang opened her eyes. In the dim night, her light brown gaze looked gentle, like a bowl of tea. “I knew you’d help me rebandage it in the middle of the night, so I never slept deeply.”Qinghuan’s face flushed. “Nonsense. How would you know?”Nan Yang curved her lips but said nothing. She only tugged Qinghuan closer and pulled her into her arms. The rattle was set aside casually, placed on the bedside table next to the little bird-shaped water whistle.“There’s still one hand that hasn’t been wrapped,” Qinghuan said, turning her head. Her lashes unexpectedly brushed against Nan Yang’s chin.The tickle made Nan Yang lower her head and rub her chin lightly against Qinghuan’s hair. “You can wrap it later. Let’s hold each other for a bit first.”Qinghuan’s heart trembled. She buried her head into the shoulder of Nan Yang’s sleep robe and wrapped her arms tightly around her slender waist.Because Nan Yang had carried her up in a hurry, the two of them were now pressed near the edge of the bed. Nan Yang held Qinghuan at the small of her back and lifted her up slightly. “Is it cramped?”“No.” Qinghuan shook her head, her nose brushing against Nan Yang’s chest as she did so, warm breaths flicking back and forth like a little brush.“As long as it’s not.” Nan Yang paused, her tone slowing. “I looked up that sleeper berth you mentioned. The pictures make it look very narrow, and the director said they only booked us one berth ticket. For three days, we’ll probably have to squeeze together on a small bed.”“It’s fine. You’re very thin,” Qinghuan meant that the two of them would definitely fit.Nan Yang froze for a second, then repeated uncertainly, “I’m very… shou?”“Yes. Thin.”At ninety-two jin, that was definitely thin.Nan Yang couldn’t help glancing at the rattle on the bedside table. Hesitantly, she asked, “Is it because I like childish things? Or… because I like candied hawthorns?”Qinghuan didn’t understand the question at all. “What?”“I don’t really understand this…” Nan Yang lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “But sometimes online, when people are called ‘shou,’ they seem to get very angry. When you say I’m ‘shou,’ are you saying there’s something wrong with me?”Qinghuan blinked in confusion. “Which shou do you mean?”“Isn’t it the ‘shou’ from ‘receiver’?”Qinghuan was even more puzzled. “No, I meant the ‘shou’ from thin.”Nan Yang froze. After a long moment, she let out an oh.Only then did Qinghuan realize what kind of nonsense Nan Yang had been thinking. She burst out laughing. “How did you even make that connection?”Nan Yang closed her mouth and said nothing.“Alright. Even if I did say you were shou, it wouldn’t mean anything bad,” Qinghuan explained patiently. “That word isn’t an insult. You’re the type who deserves to be taken care of. Calling you shou would actually be praising you—because only people who are noble are used to being served by others. So shou means noble.”“Is that so?” Nan Yang frowned. She inexplicably felt like Qinghuan was coaxing her like a fool.“That’s exactly how it is. Don’t listen to nonsense online. And absolutely don’t force yourself to stop eating candied hawthorns or playing with things you like because of that. Do whatever you want.”“…Mm.”Nan Yang nodded.Qinghuan fell silent for a while, then said, “I won’t ask about the things you don’t want to talk about. But I am a little worried—worried whether your current condition is really suitable for continuing with the variety show. The journey is long and the schedule is packed. I don’t want you to endure things silently just to keep me company.”“It’s fine. I can keep accompanying you.”Nan Yang hugged her tighter, a sentence from three thousand years ago flashing through her mind.—Master, with such beautiful mountains and rivers, will you walk them all with me?She had to make it all up to her.If she could no longer be sure how long she would live, then she absolutely could not let this regret that had wandered for three thousand years remain a regret.“Then… if there’s anything inconvenient for you, tell me right away. Don’t force yourself alone, okay?” Qinghuan patted her back gently.Nan Yang didn’t say yes or no. She only replied softly,“I understand.”Qinghuan took it as tacit agreement. She tightened her hold around Nan Yang’s waist and finally let out the words she had kept hidden for even longer.“I used to think that as long as I could be with you, I wouldn’t want anything else. But these past two days, I realized I’m actually quite greedy. I don’t just hope we can always be together—I also hope I can help Xiao Yi and A-Cheng. Maybe even help Ziyan and Teacher Bai too. I want everyone to be okay, to live happily. Would you think… that I’m annoying, always sticking my nose into other people’s business?”“I wouldn’t,” Nan Yang replied indulgently. “If you want to help, then we’ll help.”“Mm.” Qinghuan snuggled deeper into her arms. “To be honest… I do have a bit of selfishness.”Nan Yang followed her words. “What kind of selfishness?”“I hope that after helping them, they’ll truly open their hearts to us,” Qinghuan smiled. “That way, you might have a few more friends.”Nan Yang was quiet for a moment, somewhat hesitant. “You’re… doing this so I can make friends?”“Yes.” Qinghuan admitted it openly. “You have everything—money, status, a wife, and maybe children in the future. But you don’t really have friends around you. There’s only A-Cheng, and she even says your relationship is some kind of ‘ancestor and grandchild bond.’ I know you’re not the type who likes making friends, but… in this life, having a few friends you can grab a meal with or go shopping with is truly a wonderful thing. Think about it—if we ever argue in the future, you could go find your friends, go fishing, have a meal, and complain a bit about the willful bad wife at home. I’m not trying to decide things for you. I just want to pave all the paths for you. If one day you need to confide in someone other than me, there should be people around who are willing to listen. I… I just want to give you the best of everything.”Nan Yang clenched her teeth, forcing back the sourness in her eyes, carving every word Qinghuan said firmly into her mind, breaking it apart and savoring it again and again. She was grateful she had chosen to wait for three thousand years, and even more grateful that the one she waited for was the person before her.After turning those words over several times, she tasted something different in them.“You said… in the future…” Nan Yang spoke, her heartbeat subtly accelerating. “We’ll have children?”Qinghuan rubbed her long black hair and scolded softly, “Doesn’t the Mei family need heirs?”Nan Yang fell silent, her throat moving as she swallowed.“But probably not in the next two years,” Qinghuan’s face reddened. “I still have two more years of work to get through. The company has my schedules booked all the way into the year after next. Once I’m done with everything, then we can start preparing for pregnancy.”“Maybe… it doesn’t have to be you who gives birth.”“You’re already thirty-five. Are you supposed to give birth? Medically, that would be considered advanced maternal age.”“…My body isn’t that bad.”“That still won’t do. You’re old. Staying healthy is enough. I’m still young—let me handle this kind of thing.”“…”Nan Yang said nothing for a long time.After the silence lingered, she finally spoke softly. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves.”Qinghuan smiled helplessly. “We are.”They had been married for less than half a year, and nothing was stable yet. Talking about children now really was too early.They chatted on and off about many small things.Before they knew it, the sky seemed to have brightened slightly, though the rain was still falling. Outside, the cold rain was bleak, making the warmth and comfort indoors stand out even more. The two of them lay embraced on the soft bed, the blanket half covering them, a faint cool breeze slipping through the window crack. It was so comfortable it made one want to laze in bed forever.As they talked, they naturally drew closer and began to kiss, until the air itself felt damp with intimacy. Qinghuan was still the active one, pressing herself atop Nan Yang, teasing her with words between kisses.Nan Yang only held her indulgently, giving her whatever she wanted, never resisting.Neither of them slept well that night. They stirred around again in the morning, and only fell asleep once most people were already up. Qinghuan held Nan Yang in her arms, nibbling sleepily at a strand of her black hair as she drifted off.Nan Yang didn’t fall asleep. Resting against Qinghuan’s shoulder, she gazed calmly at the rain through the slit in the curtains.After a long while, she withdrew her gaze and looked at the round piece of red jade resting against Qinghuan’s collarbone.The mottled ancient jade she had given her back then.The ten engraved characters on the jade were stained with the frost of time, deep and shallow, shallow and deep. No one knew whether they carried a blessing settled over a thousand years, or a curse carved into the cycle of fate.May we be like the swallows under the eaves, meeting year after year.Year after year.Always meeting.
Chapter 75
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All the way there, the atmosphere inside the van was fairly harmonious—except for Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan in the front row, who hadn’t said a word the entire time. Cen Ziyan looked like she really wanted to chat with Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng, but every time her gaze flicked toward Bai Jinqiu, she shrank back, instantly losing the courage to do anything.After getting off the van, Qinghuan quietly slipped a handful of candy to Cen Ziyan, just in case she got hungry and had nothing to tide her over.They weren’t gathered again for an opening segment. Time was already running tight. The three pairs each took their own tickets, passed security, and were escorted by a group of bodyguards to the platform, with VJs carrying conspicuous cameras following closely behind. Celebrities rarely took trains, so running into such a spectacle at an airport wasn’t unusual—but for a plain, down-to-earth train platform to suddenly be flooded with stars, the surrounding crowd felt more startled than delighted.The six of them were on the same train, but in different cars. The first six cars were hard seats, followed by one dining car, one soft sleeper car, and five hard sleeper cars. Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were at the very front, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan in the middle, and Nan Yang and Qinghuan at the tail end. There had been no public announcement about their appearance here, and fans had no idea they would be boarding at this station today.The advance cut of Honeymoon Together had just gone live and was dominating the trending lists. Many young people at the station were waiting for their trains while smiling at their phones, watching the show. Then, all of a sudden, they realized that the guests from the variety show were standing right next to them—and would even be on the same train. Mouths dropped wide enough to swallow watermelons.Once the train pulled in, staff escorted them into their respective cars.The production team had given Nan Yang and Qinghuan two sleeper tickets, but they could only use one bunk. Qinghuan’s ticket was just to allow her on board; that bunk was meant to store production equipment.The two of them entered the narrow car one after the other. Xiao Ye and Sun Xuxue blended in with the staff accompanying them, while a VJ with a camera followed in front and another behind.Their bunks were in the middle section. As they walked down the aisle, passengers lifting suitcases onto the racks, young people sitting on the lower bunks playing on their phones, and middle-aged women leaning by the windows eating instant noodles all widened their eyes at these “mortal-world–descending” celebrities. A wave of commotion rippled through the car.“Is that the Honeymoon Together crew?”“Were those celebrities just now…?”“What the hell—didn’t the official account say there was a train segment today? You’re telling me it’s the same train I’m on???”“Was that Boss Nan and Zhuzhu? There are too many people, I can’t see clearly…”“Am I hallucinating? The people on my phone just turned real!”“Damn, is it too late to get off and sell my ticket to their fans?”“What are you spacing out for? Hurry and go boost the supertopic, like the interaction polls! My god, we’ll get to see them play the game we voted for in person later. This production team’s engagement is insane—awesome!”“Where do we vote? Where do we like? Miss, hurry, help me out!”Qinghuan led Nan Yang to their lower bunk and had her sit on the inner side by the window. From the moment she entered the car, Nan Yang had been curiously looking around. There was a scent unique to trains—neither pleasant nor particularly harsh. The windows didn’t open outward but slid up and down, the handles mottled with rust, clearly touched countless times.A small table was shared by the two lower bunks on either side. Along its edge sat a metal tray filled with freshly cracked sunflower seed shells.On the opposite lower bunk sat two young women. They had been laughing while cracking seeds and watching the Honeymoon Together advance cut that had topped every major forum that day—right at the scene where Nan Yang got frightened by a spider in the exhaust fan and nearly climbed the wall. They were laughing so hard they could barely breathe when one of them casually looked up and saw the very person sitting expressionlessly across from them. Their grins froze instantly.“Liu Liu!” the long-haired girl shoved the short-haired one beside her, her voice trembling. “Am I hallucinating?”“Amei, are you out of your—” Liu Liu nearly dropped her phone when shoved and was about to snap, when she suddenly saw Nan Yang and Qinghuan across from her. Her jaw almost hit the floor. “Oh. My. God.”Qinghuan smiled at them kindly. “Are you two also going to Bayu?”The girls were still trapped in shock, staring blankly at the two celebrities right in front of them.If Nan Yang even counted as a celebrity.“Are you also going to Bayu?” Qinghuan asked again patiently.Liu Liu shuddered hard, finally registering the question. “Y-yes, yes! We’re going to Bayu too!”“Then for the next three days and two nights, let’s look out for each other.”Qinghuan smiled warmly at the two young women.“Mm!” Liu Liu nodded vigorously.Amei leaned forward excitedly. “Wow, celebrities look this good in real life? No wonder they’re stars—their faces are even smaller than on screen! Oh my god, I still can’t believe it. Am I really not dreaming?”“They’re real! Amei, you’re not dreaming!”“I can’t believe I get to see celebrities in person in my lifetime. I’m so moved, Liu Liu…”“I’m moved too, Amei!”Their excited chatter drew more onlookers. Passengers crowded carefully into the aisle, craning their necks to peek inside. The conductor and attendants came over, gently ushering everyone back so the aisle wouldn’t be blocked. Even passersby who hadn’t watched the show and didn’t recognize them joined the spectacle. Listening to the buzz of discussion, a surprising number of new fans were unintentionally converted on the spot.Everyone in this car soon knew they could help vote on Weibo and directly decide which games the two stars would play. Many non-fans joined in as well. Whether they knew each other or not, people struck up conversations easily, and the car buzzed with lively excitement.Clearly, this environment was far too noisy for Nan Yang.She didn’t show her displeasure outright, but the unhappiness was evident in her eyes. In truth, the sleeper area was already much better. The structure of the hard sleeper blocked most people from getting too close. Aside from the two girls across from them and the passengers in the middle and upper bunks above, the space was relatively open and stable. If Nan Yang could see Ming Wancheng right now, she’d know just how overwhelmed Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were in the packed hard-seat car.The train began to move. Outside the window, rows of power poles flashed past along with the receding platform. At first, the train threaded through modern city high-rises, but before long, the scenery shifted to rivers and trees, occasionally plunging into tunnels. A salty, metallic scent of rails and sleepers kept rushing in through the window seams.Nan Yang gazed out the window, lost in thought.Whenever she traveled in the past, it was almost always by plane or private car. She had never seen scenery like this. Watching stations turn into high-rises, high-rises into fields, fields into mountains, mountains back into high-rises, and high-rises into stations again—it felt like watching eras advance, retreat, advance again, retreat again, cycling endlessly without ever truly moving forward. It was strangely fascinating.Suddenly, her sleeve was tugged.Nan Yang turned her head to see Qinghuan holding out a cup of water.She took it and instinctively raised it to her lips, but Qinghuan caught her wrist and shot her a reproachful look. “Why the rush? This water is for taking your medicine.”“What medicine?” Nan Yang didn’t remember taking anything recently.Qinghuan fished a small plastic bottle out of her pocket and shook two white pills into her palm. “Motion sickness pills.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together. “I don’t get motion sick.”“That’s not guaranteed. It’s your first time on a train. The air circulation here isn’t great, and we’ll be sitting for three days. Take two first, just in case.”Qinghuan pinched the pills and brought them to Nan Yang’s mouth. “Open up.”Nan Yang didn’t think she’d get train-sick. Back when she and Qinghuan traveled through the Central Plains, they’d spent days in a carriage without any issues. How could a train be bumpier than that old carriage?Even so, she obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the pills Qinghuan offered.After pushing the pills in, Qinghuan, at an angle the cameras couldn’t catch, quietly brushed Nan Yang’s damp, cool, soft lower lip. The sensation was like poking a freshly unwrapped jelly—dense, springy, tender—so tempting it made her want to linger and savor the warmth.Of course, she wouldn’t actually keep touching Nan Yang’s lips. This was a public place; that would be too strange.Across from them, Liu Liu and Amei stared with starry eyes, faces screaming “We’re shipping this, we’re shipping this.”On the opposite middle bunk was a roguishly handsome young man. He didn’t usually follow celebrities and wasn’t as easily excited as the two girls below, but watching the two beauties feed each other medicine so affectionately still made him lean over the edge of his bunk, grinning.“You two are really close. I’ve gotta go vote for you on your official account.”Qinghuan glanced at him and replied politely, her voice gentle. “Thank you.”“Thank me? I’m just a passerby—you don’t need to thank me.”“You took the time to vote for us. Of course we should thank you.”“Huh, a big star with no airs at all,” the young man raised his thick brows. “I’m officially converting to a fan. Just wait—I’m going to follow your Weibo right now and add one more brick to your ten million followers.”Qinghuan smiled at him, her brows curving like a lovely little fox. “Thank you for the support.”The young man’s ears instantly turned red. Even the straightest guy couldn’t withstand a stunning beauty smiling at him like that. He started stammering. “N-no, no problem. You’re too polite.”Qinghuan found it amusing and smiled even more deeply.The fingers she’d just used to feed Nan Yang the pills were still hovering near Nan Yang’s cheek as she smiled at the flushed, handsome young man. Then, without warning, a sharp, tingling pain shot through her fingertip, as if it had been bitten by sharp teeth.“—Hiss.”She immediately pulled her hand back, inhaling sharply, and looked down at the faint teeth marks on her finger before staring at Nan Yang in surprise.Nan Yang had her arms crossed and was turned toward the window, as if she hadn’t just done something utterly improper at all.
Chapter 76
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Two days later, the long-anticipated train journey finally arrived.The rain was still falling. The production team had originally planned to do a group assembly outside the hotel, but the rain was too heavy. Afraid the equipment would get damaged, the director decided to have the follow VJs start filming directly from the hotel instead. There were three CP pairs, each assigned two VJ camerapeople. They first filmed a “surprise” visit to the hotel rooms, then put all six of them together into a van and drove them to the train station.Though it was called a surprise, everything had been coordinated in advance. Everyone played along politely for the cameras, then went downstairs one after another and got into the production team’s van.When Nan Yang and Qinghuan boarded the van, Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were already there. The weather was cold, so everyone was bundled up. Nan Yang was wearing a white trench coat today. The crisp cut of the coat accentuated her tall, refined silhouette, elegant as bamboo and jade. Qinghuan wore the same style in a wine-red color. Though it was the exact same design in a different shade, she somehow made it look uniquely alluring.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi greeted them. “Morning. Sit.”The two of them took seats in the second-to-last row. Qinghuan turned her head and smiled at Qi Yi. “Xiao Yi, have you eaten breakfast?”“No,” Qi Yi replied. “The PD said we’re not allowed to eat. We only get food after we finish the task.”Ming Wancheng let out a long sigh. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought so many chips. Now all my chips, jelly, and instant noodles can only stay packed in my luggage. Next time I see them will probably be in Thailand.”Qinghuan smiled. “Do you know? The preview episode of the escape room has already gone online.”The production team had rushed nonstop to finish the preview within three days. It went live right at midnight last night on one of the five major video platforms, the Goose platform, and several trending topics were purchased overnight. Ever since the guest lineup was revealed, this variety show had been drawing huge attention. Bai Jinqiu’s first variety appearance since returning to the industry, two top-tier actresses taking completely different routes, and the Mei family’s young heir—regarded by countless young women as the ultimate ideal marriage partner—any one of them alone was enough to generate buzz.Before this, fans of Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan had already fought their way onto the trending list several times, giving the show an eye-catching opening. Even ordinary onlookers following the drama were quietly looking forward to the premiere, eager to see what would happen when these remarkable women were thrown together.So early that morning, when Qinghuan opened Weibo, she saw the following trending topics ranked near the top:[#Bai Jinqiu Cen Ziyan#]
[#Honeymoon Support Rankings#]
[#Nan Yang Spider#]
[#Jiangnan Lock King#]
[#Five-Three CP#]
[#The Scariest Ghost Story You’ve Heard#]
[#NanHuan Second Place#]…There were also various fan-pushed tags mixed in, and scrolling through them gave the impression that the trending list had been completely dominated by this show.Qinghuan clicked through them one by one and discovered that even some seemingly unrelated tags were actually about them. For example, #Jiangnan Lock King#—because Nan Yang had managed to open Room No. 1’s code lock by trial and error alone, and then deciphered the main door’s Morse code, viewers gave her the title “Jiangnan Lock King.” Then there was #The Scariest Ghost Story You’ve Heard#, where the top post was a clip of Qi Yi telling the red ribbon story. With excellent editing and post-production, layered with the eerie green visuals from the night-vision camera, it really did scare quite a few young girls.The reason the production team rushed to release the preview in such a short time was to create real-time interaction with their train journey.Along with the preview release, the official account opened support voting for the three CPs. Fans could vote for the CP they supported, and under the support topic, write the games they wanted to see the celebrities play. The game suggestion with the most likes would be issued directly as a task to the six of them on the train. The support points they received would then be converted at a fixed ratio into real money, becoming their starting funds upon arriving in Thailand. If fans wanted their idols to live more comfortably there, the only option was to keep voting.Qinghuan checked the voting page. Sure enough, after one night, “Bai-Cen CP” was in first place, “Nan-Huan CP” in second, and “Qi-Cheng CP” at the bottom.The group chatted and laughed over their phones, discussing the fiery support game on Weibo. Ming Wancheng teased Nan Yang about her “Lock King” title, Qinghuan joked about the “Five-Three CP” fandom, while Nan Yang sat quietly to the side reading her Kindle, head lowered, lips closed, completely ignoring the outside world.Before long, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan arrived as well.Both of them were very quiet when they came in. Cen Ziyan’s makeup was heavier than usual. With the camera filter it might not have been obvious, but up close, Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng could tell she had cried—there was a faint redness and swelling around her eyes beneath the foundation. Bai Jinqiu had a split at the corner of her mouth, a thin scab already formed. It looked like it had been bitten open by someone.Cen Ziyan forced herself to greet the four of them. “Zhuzhu, Boss Nan, A-Cheng, Teacher Qi. Morning.”Everyone could sense that something was off between them, but no one dared say much. Ming Wancheng casually picked a topic to lighten the mood. “Ziyan, did you see the Weibo vote? You and Teacher Bai are in first place.”“Is that so.” Cen Ziyan smiled weakly.After sitting down, Bai Jinqiu pulled Cen Ziyan to sit beside her and never let go of her hand.Qinghuan was seated directly behind Cen Ziyan. She looked at her with concern, leaned forward, and whispered into her ear, “Ziyan, are you okay?”Bai Jinqiu turned around, her gaze cold. “Yanyan is fine. She doesn’t need you to worry about her.”It was an extremely unfriendly remark, like a beast guarding its food, baring hostility at anyone who dared glance at the treasure in its arms.Nan Yang lifted her eyes calmly, closed her Kindle, and straightened up. Her long fingers rested on Qinghuan’s shoulder as she gently pulled her back, shielding her behind herself.“Bai Jinqiu.”She spoke Bai Jinqiu’s name expressionlessly.No extra tone, no extra words—just her name, thin and light, yet the warning was unmistakable.No matter how formidable Bai Jinqiu was in the film industry, how profound her acting skills, she was still just an actress. Her background and connections, though accumulated over time, could not compare to the Mei family’s vast capital. Since Nan Yang had spoken, Bai Jinqiu turned her head away and said nothing more.Cen Ziyan, however, turned back, her face full of apology. “I’m sorry, Boss Nan. I’m sorry, Zhuzhu. Auntie didn’t mean it like that. Please don’t be upset.”Qinghuan opened her mouth, her heart aching.Why was Ziyan apologizing? What had she done wrong? Why did she have to apologize on Bai Jinqiu’s behalf?Cen Ziyan seemed to understand what she wanted to say. She frowned slightly and shook her head at her, signaling that she was fine.The van started moving toward the train station. Fine streaks of rain streamed down the windows, and the sound of raindrops drumming against the roof densely enveloped the six of them. Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng sat in the back row, chatting quietly. Qi Yi suddenly flicked Ming Wancheng on the forehead, making her burst into giggles.Qinghuan’s thoughts were tangled with worry about Cen Ziyan, and with guilt over her own impulsiveness causing friction between Nan Yang and Bai Jinqiu. Her mind was in chaos as she stared blankly at the blurred rainy scene outside the window.Suddenly, something cool covered her hand.She came back to herself, lowered her head, and saw Nan Yang’s bandaged hand holding her fingers.Following that slender, pale hand upward, she looked at the woman beside her in the white trench coat.Nan Yang curved her lips at her faintly, then reached into her coat pocket with her other hand. A moment later, she pulled out a rattle—the vermilion one painted with a New Year baby that Qinghuan had given her yesterday.With a turn of her pale fingers, the rattle let out a crisp dong-dong-dong.“Don’t be unhappy,” Nan Yang said softly, shaking it as if coaxing a child.Qinghuan, who had been mired in awkwardness and anxiety just moments ago, instantly felt her mood brighten at Nan Yang’s adorable gesture. She broke into a smile, took the rattle from Nan Yang, and shook it even more cheerfully. “Who’s unhappy?”“Mm.”Nan Yang patted her curled hair, then lowered her head to read her Kindle again.Qinghuan fished out a handful of candy from her pocket and stuffed a few into Nan Yang’s hand, then gave some to Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng as well. Holding the remaining candy, she glanced toward the front row, hesitated for a long moment, and ultimately chose not to offer it.None of them had eaten breakfast. On an empty stomach, this bit of sugar was practically a lifeline. Nan Yang peeled three pieces at once and popped them all into her mouth, unconcerned about mixing flavors. Qinghuan asked her what it tasted like to eat orange, apple, and grape flavors together. Nan Yang thought for a moment and said it was similar to that tropical-fruit Alpenliebe.Qinghuan thought of the tropical-fruit Alpenliebe she had fed Nan Yang at the mall when Nan Yang got her ears pierced. Warmth spread through her chest. Nan Yang remembered so many details between them—even the flavor of the candy from back then.In the back, Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng seemed to be fooling around, laughing nonstop. Qi Yi let out an “ow,” as if her chin had been bumped. After a while, they started lightly tossing the candies at each other. At first, Ming Wancheng threw candy at Qi Yi’s shoulder. Qi Yi, usually a dignified teacher, had somehow been led astray by Ming Wancheng and boldly threw candy back at her.Throwing things at people was inherently unpredictable—no one could say where an object would fly once it left their hand. So as they kept tossing, a few pieces inevitably flew off course, landing on the floor, hitting the glass. One particularly audacious piece even flew to the front row and struck the back of the black-haired woman’s head.Pa——A small grape-flavored candy made a surprisingly loud sound as it hit her hair.Nan Yang’s body stiffened. After a moment, she raised her hand to touch her head, then slowly turned her face, her eyes cold as she looked toward Ming Wancheng in the back row.Qi Yi immediately pointed at Ming Wancheng. “It wasn’t me. She threw it at you.”Ming Wancheng immediately surrendered. “Sorry sorry sorry, Ancestor, I’m sorry, I was wrong.”Nan Yang curled her fingers around the candy Qinghuan had just given her, then leisurely raised her hand, pinching one piece of candy between her fingers. She bent her middle finger and aimed at Ming Wancheng.At that sight, Ming Wancheng’s scalp went tight. With Nan Yang’s inner strength, flicking a hard object like that could pierce straight through her head, splattering brains all over the van. She hurriedly ducked back and squeezed her eyes shut in terror. “Don’t don’t don’t don’t don’t—”The faint rasp of a fingernail brushing candy wrapper sounded, followed by the whoosh of candy cutting through the air. Ming Wancheng’s body reacted instinctively, tears shooting from the corners of her eyes.“Pa——”But the candy only tapped her forehead lightly.So light—light as a feather brushing past.After that brief contact, the purple candy dropped onto her knee with a soft plop, round and intact, as if mocking her overreaction.Qinghuan leaned against Nan Yang, smiling as she supplied the line for her:“A-Cheng, don’t be so ‘presumptuous’ next time, okay?”
Chapter 77
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The compartment Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan drew was a soft-sleeper private room. The compartment originally had four berths, upper and lower bunks on each side, but only the two of them were using it—the production team had bought out the other two berths and left them empty. Since it was called a private compartment, it had to ensure that this enclosed space belonged to them alone.The VJ followed them in, intending to set up the equipment. Bai Jinqiu made a hand gesture and asked, “Could you let us have a moment alone first? You can come back in when the first task is issued, and we’ll make up a few shots then.”The VJ called the PD to ask. The PD thought that since this pair was in a compartment anyway, without other people around to add interest, making it up with later shots was perfectly workable, so she agreed.The VJ greeted Bai Jinqiu and quickly slipped out with the equipment.After closing the compartment door, Bai Jinqiu looked at Cen Ziyan, who was sitting silently in the corner. She pressed her lips together, walked over, and sat beside her, asking softly, “Are you still angry with me?”Cen Ziyan stared at the mountains and rivers flashing past outside the window, saying nothing.Bai Jinqiu grasped her shoulder and forced her to turn and face her. Her pale fingers lifted the young, taut chin as she stared intently at those colorless lips, a trace of barely perceptible struggle passing through her eyes. She leaned in and kissed her abruptly.Cen Ziyan did not resist. She did not close her eyes either, just sat there blankly, letting Bai Jinqiu do whatever she wanted.When Bai Jinqiu’s tongue reached out and her tongue tip just touched the seam of the other’s lips, Cen Ziyan turned her head away, facing the window. Her lips, reddened from the sucking, glistened faintly as they parted and closed.“I don’t want to bite a second wound into your mouth.”Bai Jinqiu froze. Subconsciously, she pressed her upper lip against the corner of her mouth where a thin scab had already formed. She lowered her gaze. After a long moment, she raised it again, looking at the girl before her—so familiar, yet utterly unfamiliar.She still remembered what those now-mature features looked like when they were a little more childish.She could not recall how old Cen Ziyan had been when she first started trailing after her all the time—maybe six, maybe even earlier. She only remembered a young Cen Ziyan in a floral dress, hair braided into two plaits, trotting behind her in quick little steps. Those two braids fluttered up and down like a sparrow’s fledgling wings in the bright sunlight. The two words she said most often were “Auntie.”“Auntie, can you help me peel the shrimp?”
“Auntie, can you help me tie my shoelaces?”
“Auntie, can you help me sign this?”
“Auntie, can you hold me while I sleep?”She did not like children, but Cen Ziyan was an exception. Back then, she was in her twenties, still a newcomer to the film industry, without many roles coming her way. On days when she was not filming, she stayed home alone, studying acting courses and books. Sometimes, when Cen Ziyan’s parents were away on business, they would ask her to take Cen Ziyan back to her place for a few nights.Cen Ziyan, not yet ten, would come up with all sorts of excuses to curl up in her arms to sleep. At first she refused; later she could no longer find a reason to. Holding a soft, sweet-smelling child while reading scripts under the bedside lamp was actually quite nice. Back then, Cen Ziyan asked her, “Auntie, what are you reading?”She said, “A story that will be made into a film.”In a milky little voice, Cen Ziyan said, “Then I want to make films like Auntie when I grow up.”“Yanyan, making films means entering the entertainment industry.”“Then I’ll enter the entertainment industry,” little Cen Ziyan said, clutching the collar of her pajama top. “I want to stay with Auntie forever.”“Nonsense. Yanyan will get married in the future. How could you stay with me forever?”Cen Ziyan’s soft little face flushed red as she murmured, “Then I’ll marry Auntie.”Bai Jinqiu had only smiled and not taken it seriously.The child in her arms grew from a single-digit age into double digits, from a clingy little kid into a slender, graceful girl. Bai Jinqiu grew used to holding Cen Ziyan to sleep, to the point that when an eighteen-year-old Cen Ziyan was still nestling in her arms, she still did not realize anything was amiss.Just past adulthood, Cen Ziyan was like a little sun—bright and warm—tearing through layers of dark clouds and unexpectedly shining into Bai Jinqiu’s cold, lonely rainy days.Young people were always full of passion, acting without regard for consequences. When they liked someone, they said it, regardless of who the other person was, regardless of whether it was appropriate. A young person’s love was pure love, unrelated to family background, status, age, or appearance—concerned only with the attraction between two souls.She could not quite remember when Cen Ziyan had confessed to her. She only remembered how panicked she had been, like hearing a lamb she had watched grow up say it had fallen in love with its shepherd. She was already thirty-five then, with a mature moral compass. That moral compass made her instinctively flee—she kept fleeing, until Cen Ziyan could not find her for three whole months.For three months, she shut herself alone in an old house deep in the mountains. Those three months of solitude made her understand many things. For example, that she actually liked Cen Ziyan a little too. On the nights when she could not hold Cen Ziyan, she never again had a single sweet dream. She even hoped that Cen Ziyan could stay by her side forever. So when Cen Ziyan found her after those three months, she used the haze of drunkenness to bring the young Cen Ziyan into an adult’s ambiguous bed, hoping to make a final confirmation of her own heart through that act.Inexperienced, Cen Ziyan cowered beneath her, fear impossible to hide in her eyes, yet she still accommodated her drunken state. Her snow-white shoulders trembled like unopened narcissus petals, and her mouth kept murmuring, over and over, “Auntie.”“Auntie, be gentle.”
“Auntie, I don’t hurt.”
“Auntie, don’t leave me.”But the next morning, once the alcohol wore off, Bai Jinqiu fled in disgrace.The guilt of destroying a flower that had grown up before her eyes turned out to be enough to overwhelm her attraction to herself.She did not even wait for Cen Ziyan to wake up. Carrying a heart full of guilt, she left in a panic.She left thoroughly—went abroad, changed her phone number, deleted contacts, told no one where she was. She gave up her domestic career, gave up the Best Actress title she had spent half her life earning, and gave up Cen Ziyan.While abroad, she deliberately severed all ties with home. So she did not know what kind of living hell Cen Ziyan endured during the five years she was gone.Everyone scolded Cen Ziyan. Even her own mother scolded her, saying she was shameless for seducing Bai Jinqiu, that she was too young to know self-respect and had turned herself into a dirty woman. She said Cen Ziyan was sick and sent her to a psychiatric department, forcing her to undergo treatment. Locked in the hospital, Cen Ziyan searched frantically for Bai Jinqiu by every means possible—for a long time—until she was hoarse with desperation, until all hope was exhausted. In the end, she truly developed a psychological illness.Everyone said she was sick. Everyone said it was her fault. How could a woman as successful as Bai Jinqiu possibly be at fault? If someone as perfect as Bai Jinqiu could not be wrong, then the one who was wrong could only be Cen Ziyan. And so, eventually, Cen Ziyan herself began to believe it was her fault. If only she had not liked Bai Jinqiu. If only she had not confessed. If only she had pushed Bai Jinqiu away when she carried her to bed. She began to believe everything she had done was sinful, to the point that she had to listen to the Great Compassion Mantra every night to fall asleep. Only by clinging to faith could the Buddha become her sole support for continuing to live.From then on, she became a different person—no longer bright, no longer warm. For a very long time, she could not even make the corners of her lips curve into a smile.Five years later, when Bai Jinqiu returned home, this was the Cen Ziyan she saw: lifeless eyes, worn down like crumbling plaster peeling from the walls of an old house.She said, “Yanyan, I’m sorry. I wronged you back then. I regret it. I’ve come to marry you now.”After a long silence, Cen Ziyan said, “Not everyone stays where they are waiting for you.”She said, “It took me five years to realize that, Yanyan—if it isn’t you, it can’t be anyone.”Cen Ziyan smiled at her, but the smile did not reach her eyes. “But… you aren’t who you were five years ago, and I’m not who I was five years ago either.”She clenched her fist. “I will marry you.”Cen Ziyan said, “Auntie, since you let go of me back then, let go of me completely.”She still called her Auntie, just as before, but when she spoke those two words, there was no longer any sparkle in her eyes.Just like now—those peach-blossom eyes dull and lifeless, as if nothing in this world could make her happy anymore. Or rather, even if there were someone or something that could make her happy, it would never be Bai Jinqiu.Cen Ziyan gently pushed Bai Jinqiu away, braced herself against the table, and stood up, wiping at the corner of her mouth still damp from the kiss.Bai Jinqiu grew anxious. “Where are you going?”Without looking at her, Cen Ziyan answered softly, “The bathroom.”“I’ll go with you.” Bai Jinqiu stood up immediately.Cen Ziyan said nothing, neither agreeing nor refusing, as if Bai Jinqiu did not exist at all.She opened the compartment door and was about to step out when she unexpectedly saw Qinghuan and Nan Yang standing there.They must have arrived only moments ago. Qinghuan was talking with the VJ from the neighboring compartment, holding a task card printed with the Honeymoon Together logo.“Ziyan,” Qinghuan lifted the task card toward her. “We were just about to come find you. We just received a task and need to play a game with you…”She quickly noticed that Cen Ziyan’s expression was off and paused, asking carefully, “Are you… okay?”Cen Ziyan hid the anomaly in her eyes and smiled gently at Qinghuan. “I’m fine.”“Should we wait a bit before filming?” Qinghuan thoughtfully put the task card away.“It’s okay. I’ll just go to the bathroom. We can continue filming when I get back.”Cen Ziyan politely sidestepped, passing by Qinghuan and the VJ. Bai Jinqiu took two steps forward after her. Cen Ziyan stopped, turned back, and looked at Bai Jinqiu. “I want to go to the bathroom alone. Is that okay, Auntie?”Bai Jinqiu glanced at the staff adjusting equipment nearby. Her face returned to its usual impassive look in front of others, but she still would not relent. “I’ll go with you.”The middle-aged VJ clicked his tongue twice. “Teacher Bai and Ziyan really are close. Even going to the bathroom together.”Cen Ziyan did not insist further. Hearing the VJ’s words, she even smiled.Watching that smile, Qinghuan could not detect even a trace of genuine happiness in Cen Ziyan’s eyes. It was more like repeatedly painting red lacquer over a rotten apple—using false brightness to cover up bitter decay.Bai Jinqiu followed Cen Ziyan toward the bathroom at the end of the car. The VJ went into the compartment first to set up the camera.Nan Yang leaned against the window in the corridor, arms crossed, and asked in a voice only Qinghuan could hear, “Who are you trying to help—Cen Ziyan, or Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan?”Qinghuan froze. “What do you mean?”“If the one you want to help is only Cen Ziyan,” Nan Yang said, glancing toward the blurry silhouette of Bai Jinqiu at the far end of the car, “then perhaps you shouldn’t keep trying to push them back together.”Qinghuan understood what Nan Yang was implying. There were things they had both seen clearly.When one person’s feelings toward another had been reduced to nothing but fear and aversion, forcing them together would only mean mutual torment.
Chapter 78
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After the VJ finished setting up the equipment, he signaled that Qinghuan and Nan Yang could go in and sit first while he searched for a better angle. So Qinghuan tugged Nan Yang over to sit on the bunk on one side and asked, “You brought what the production team gave you, right?”Nan Yang’s expression stayed cool. She pulled a deck of playing cards from her trench coat pocket and handed it to Qinghuan.Their first task was: find another pair of guests and play a round of Fight the Landlord. The losing side had to take a show poster and get twenty strangers to scan the QR code on it, entering the support channel to vote for them. They’d originally wanted to find Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng, but Nan Yang and Qinghuan were at the back of the train while Qi Yi and A-Cheng were up front—getting there would mean passing through ten cars. Besides, the hard-seat area was crowded and chaotic, and there might not even be room to lay out cards. So they chose Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan instead. And honestly, the compartment environment was better too.Qinghuan flicked the task card between her fingers. “Do you know how to play Fight the Landlord?”“No.” Nan Yang, as expected, shook her head.“Then I’ll be the landlord later. You just watch.”“Mhm.”The train pulled into another station. As it slowed, it seemed to roll over something, and the car suddenly jolted with a loud rumble. Qinghuan hadn’t been sitting steady and nearly toppled into the corner of the table. Nan Yang reacted instantly, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into her chest. The stack of cards on the table slid off with the momentum, scattering across the floor—white little squares spilling over the dark surface.Qinghuan crashed hard into Nan Yang’s chest. The fine fabric of Nan Yang’s white shirt wrapped around her nose and chin; a small button pressed against her eyelid. With her face buried there, she sank into an endless softness and warmth.Nan Yang steadied the back of her head and hurriedly lowered her eyes. “Are you okay?”Qinghuan lifted her head and blinked, a little dazed. After a moment, she murmured dreamily, “So soft.”Nan Yang immediately glanced at the VJ, who was still adjusting equipment and gripping the upper bunk railing to keep himself steady. He was focused entirely on protecting the camera during the jolt and hadn’t paid attention to what they were saying. When he noticed Nan Yang looking at him, he stared back blankly, and the two of them fell into a bizarre, pointless eye contact.Qinghuan was very close, so she watched Nan Yang’s ears turn red at a speed visible to the naked eye.Knowing Nan Yang wasn’t used to doing intimate things or saying suggestive words in front of others, Qinghuan didn’t linger in that soft place. She quickly climbed back up, and as she moved away she casually straightened Nan Yang’s askew collar.“—Ahem.”Nan Yang withdrew her gaze, fingers settling over her own collar, adjusting it again so the overlap sat centered on her chest.Qinghuan was seated on the inner side. She noticed the cards scattered all over the floor, but there wasn’t enough room for her to bend down, so she quietly nudged Nan Yang’s waist with her elbow. “Pick up the cards.”“Mhm.”Nan Yang shifted a little outward and bent down, picking the cards up one by one. Her black hair was too long; it poured down like a curtain, the ends nearly brushing the floor. With her waist bent, it was like stepping into a different world—separate from the bright compartment above. The table blocked most of the light, leaving everything below in a blurred half-dark. The blue bed cover with lace trim overlapped with white sheets, like Alice in a little dress wandering through an inverted wonderland.Qinghuan wore a black velvet dress under her wine-red trench coat. To avoid flashing anyone, she sat with her right leg pressed over her left. A smooth line of calf led to a pale ankle. On her feet were Stuart Weitzman NEARLYNUDE black thin-strap heeled sandals, swaying gently with her absentminded movement. The exposed arch of her foot showed clear tendons and bones; bluish veins lay beneath a narrow layer of soft skin, like leaf veins hidden under fresh snow—delicate, pitiable.Nan Yang’s gaze stuck there and refused to move. Halfway through picking up the cards, she paused. With her falling hair shielding her, she couldn’t help reaching out to touch that jade-like ankle bone.Qinghuan shivered. She felt Nan Yang touching her, and the cool temperature of those fingertips made her tremble. She immediately glanced at the VJ still adjusting equipment nearby, then lightly tapped Nan Yang’s forearm with the top of her foot—a warning.Nan Yang withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened and continued picking up the cards.A moment later, that right foot hanging in the air seemed to develop new ideas. It sneaked left a little and deliberately brushed the side of Nan Yang’s wrist with the arch of her foot—slow, teasing, like stirring up sparks.Nan Yang’s hand tightened. She quickly grabbed the last card and straightened up, ears red.Qinghuan pressed back a laugh as she watched her. Honestly—Nan Yang was the one who started it, the one with improper thoughts, and yet she was the one who couldn’t handle being teased.Nan Yang gathered the messy deck together and tapped it on the table to square it up, shuffling awkwardly with unfamiliar hands. She was still shuffling when Cen Ziyan and Bai Jinqiu returned. Cen Ziyan entered first, Bai Jinqiu right behind her, her gaze never leaving the woman in front—like a shepherd walking a little lamb.“Ziyan, this is our task.” Qinghuan handed the task card to Cen Ziyan and explained why they’d come.Cen Ziyan and Bai Jinqiu sat on the other side and read the task card once through. Cen Ziyan smiled. “Sure. Fight the Landlord, right? Let’s start now.” Then, thoughtfully, she asked the VJ beside them, “Brother, can we start filming?”The VJ gave an OK sign.When Bai Jinqiu heard Cen Ziyan call him “Brother,” her expression darkened instantly, though she quickly smoothed it over for the camera.“I’m the landlord. You and Teacher Bai team up against me,” Qinghuan said. She took the cards from Nan Yang and cut and shuffled them with practiced ease before placing them in the center of the table. “Remember to leave me the bottom cards, and no peeking at each other’s hands.”“We won’t. Don’t worry.”Nan Yang sat in silence off to the side, watching Qinghuan draw card after card. All she could tell was that Qinghuan was sorting them by value; everything else was incomprehensible.After a while, she got bored and turned her gaze out the window. At some point the train had started moving again, winding through the forested mountains. Beside the tracks was a slanted concrete retaining wall. A small dog licking rainwater pooled by the sleepers flashed by in an instant. Later, the trees thinned, and the train rolled onto a bridge. Below was a broad river, turned a muddy yellow by days of relentless rain. The water level had clearly risen; the cornfields the farmers had worked so hard to plant along the banks were mostly submerged, with only a few pitiful stalks struggling to poke their tassels above the surface.“Ah, we lost.” Qinghuan’s sigh sounded suddenly.Even though she sighed, there was no real disappointment in her tone—only calm, gentle ease.Cen Ziyan helped gather the cards. “Then you need to go ask strangers to vote for you?”“It’s fine. We were going to head toward the front and check on A-Cheng and Xiao Yi anyway. We can collect votes along the way.” Qinghuan stood and tugged Nan Yang up with her, politely bidding them farewell. “Teacher Bai, Ziyan—see you later.”“It’s two p.m.” Cen Ziyan glanced at her phone. “In three hours, everyone will probably go to the dining car to eat, right? We’ll see each other again soon.”“You can only eat after finishing the task,” Qinghuan said, waving the deck in her hand. “We’re done already. Good luck—see you in the dining car at five.”Quietly, she slipped two pork floss pastries from her coat pocket and pressed them into Cen Ziyan’s hand. “Here. Eat something if you get hungry.”Cen Ziyan held the wrapper and looked at Qinghuan with a small smile, gratitude filling her eyes.Qinghuan flicked a glance toward the VJ and smiled shyly. “Sir, could you please tell the PD to cut this little part? It kind of breaks the rules. I’m worried the haters will come for me later.”The VJ nodded, signaling he understood.But Bai Jinqiu suddenly spoke. “If you’re afraid of being cursed, then why give anything at all? We don’t need this kind of fake kindness. Yanyan, give it back to Little Zhu.”Qinghuan stared at Bai Jinqiu in stunned confusion.If Bai Jinqiu’s coldness in the van could be dismissed as coincidence, then this second flare of hostility made it clear—Bai Jinqiu had targeted animosity toward her.Why?Because she and Cen Ziyan were closer?But… they were just friends.Cen Ziyan wore an awkward smile as she raised her hand to return the pastries.Qinghuan looked equally embarrassed and was about to take them back when another long, pale hand reached out from her side and pressed her halfway-extended hand down.Nan Yang.Nan Yang held Qinghuan’s hand, face expressionless as she looked coolly at Bai Jinqiu.“She gave them to Cen Ziyan. Not to you.”Bai Jinqiu’s brows knitted. “What do you mean?”“If they’re exchanging things between themselves, what does it have to do with you?” Nan Yang’s voice stayed flat. “You’re being awfully self-important.”Nan Yang usually didn’t bother with other people’s mess and rarely spoke at all. Yet when she did speak, she left no room for courtesy, the mockery in her words practically spilling over.Bai Jinqiu’s face darkened further. She gave a cold laugh. “Boss Nan. Yanyan is my wife, just as Little Zhu is yours. You wouldn’t want to see your wife getting too close to other women either, would you? Candy one moment, pastries the next, caring about this, fussing over that. If someone didn’t know better, they might think Yanyan and Little Zhu were the real couple.”At Bai Jinqiu’s words, both Qinghuan and Cen Ziyan’s expressions changed sharply. The way she said it made it sound as if there truly was something shameful and ambiguous between them.Nan Yang, however, showed no reaction at all. Her expression remained the same as ever.“She’s allowed to have friends she wants to be close to. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If even making friends requires my interference, then maybe I didn’t marry a wife—I caged a dog.”The moment the words fell, Bai Jinqiu’s face turned black. Cen Ziyan went pale as well and stumbled back half a step, her body swaying.Qinghuan realized that sentence might have hurt Cen Ziyan. She hurriedly grabbed Nan Yang’s hand and lowered her voice. “Enough. Don’t say any more. Let’s go.”Seeing the tension spike, the VJ had already stopped filming. He tried to smooth things over in the gap. “Alright, alright. Teacher Bai, Boss Nan, calm down. It’s not that big a deal. Our production team knows what they’re doing—we won’t edit it randomly. Why fight over this?”The other VJ following the Nan–Huan pair chimed in as well. “Exactly. Harmony brings money—harmony brings money!”Nan Yang flicked a glance at the VJ, said nothing more, and pulled Qinghuan straight out.Inside the compartment, neither Bai Jinqiu nor Cen Ziyan spoke again, leaving behind a terrifying, dead silence.Out in the corridor, Qinghuan squeezed Nan Yang’s fingers and leaned close, whispering, “I know you said all that for me, but… next time you have to watch how you phrase things. If you say it like that, how is Ziyan supposed to feel?”“What she feels has nothing to do with me,” Nan Yang replied coolly.“What did you say?” Qinghuan froze.Nan Yang frowned and stopped walking.She turned to face Qinghuan, pressed her lips together, then angled her body to lean against the window. Qinghuan naturally stepped into the space in front of her. After a long moment, Nan Yang lowered her head, took Qinghuan’s hand, and let out a quiet sigh. Her thumb rubbed gently at the web between Qinghuan’s thumb and index finger, as if awkwardly trying to appease her.“Sorry. My words were inappropriate.”Qinghuan smiled, the gloom in her heart easing quite a bit. “It’s okay. Ziyan won’t blame you.”Nan Yang was silent for a long time before speaking softly. “Qinghuan, I don’t care about Cen Ziyan. I don’t care whether she blames me or not. I don’t even want to care about whatever is going on between her and Bai Jinqiu.”She lifted her head and looked steadily at Qinghuan.“The only person I care about—start to finish—is you.”
Chapter 79
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Qinghuan’s heart warmed. She lowered her head and asked softly, “Then… you wouldn’t think the same way as Teacher Bai, would you? My relationship with Ziyan… we are indeed rather close. When you see me bringing her food, would you also feel unhappy?”Nan Yang was silent for a long while. Qinghuan looked at her in confusion, about to speak again, when she heard Nan Yang ask,“Do you want to hear the truth?”Qinghuan nodded. “Of course.”Nan Yang’s fingers, resting on the train window ledge, tightened. Her fingertips hooked around the chipped, mottled latch, and she avoided Qinghuan’s gaze, looking out the window instead. When she spoke again, her voice was very soft, so soft that if one did not listen carefully, her fine, gentle tone would be missed altogether.“If you so much as look at someone else for a moment longer, I feel unhappy.”Nan Yang pressed her lips together, as if realizing that what she had said was improper, and added,“But whether I’m happy or not is my own business. If I’m unhappy, it only means I’m small-minded; it doesn’t mean you’re at fault. I won’t let these feelings of mine interfere with your normal social interactions, and you don’t need to be overly concerned about me.”Qinghuan fell silent.For a moment, she truly did not know how to respond.Her thoughts wandered hazily, circling over and over. Beyond the surge of emotion, another kind of worry quietly took root.If Nan Yang had not spoken today, Qinghuan might never have known for the rest of her life just how much Nan Yang cared about the kindness she showed to others. How much discomfort had this woman kept bottled up inside, things she refused to say, was unwilling to say, could not say? Today, by sheer luck, she had unearthed one deeply buried rotten root, but there must still be other things causing Nan Yang pain, hidden away with absolute care.Yet what could she blame? Nan Yang had always been like this: quiet, never taking the initiative to speak, never asking for what she favored. Sometimes, even when encountering food perfectly to her taste, she would restrain herself so much that she would not even take another bite. Only when Qinghuan fed her herself, seeing Nan Yang’s eyes curve slightly, would she realize that she actually liked it.“If I do something next time that makes you unhappy, you have to tell me,” Qinghuan tightened her grip on Nan Yang’s hand, her voice full of tenderness. “I don’t want you to feel bad either.”“I’m not unhappy.” Nan Yang frowned, a trace of regret in her eyes, as if she already regretted telling the truth.Qinghuan caught the shift in her mood. “What is it?”“I told you this not to interfere with you,” Nan Yang’s brow knitted even tighter. “How you were before, you should stay the same in the future. You don’t need to change anything because of me. If you stop doing what you want to do because of me, that’s when I’ll truly feel bad.”Qinghuan froze, then couldn’t help laughing. She pinched Nan Yang’s hand lightly.“Dummy.”Nan Yang turned her head away, closed her mouth, and stared out at the scenery rushing past the window.The VJ following them came out of the compartment, hoisting the camera onto her shoulder and glancing at them. “Huh? Are you two waiting for me?”Their conversation broke off. Remembering that they still had a game task to complete, they shifted their attention. They stuck with their original plan, heading toward the front of the train to look for Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng, doing the punishment along the way. Getting twenty votes did not seem like it would be difficult.Both ends of the soft sleeper carriage were clogged with curious onlookers. If not for the train attendants stopping them, they might have directly pulled open Bai Jin Qiu and Cen Ziyan’s compartment door to gawk. Bai Jin Qiu and Cen Ziyan were, after all, the most popular pair, and there was no shortage of people coming to see them. Qinghuan and Nan Yang had some trouble squeezing through.When celebrities are distant from ordinary people, there are distinctions in popularity, like handcrafted ornaments displayed behind a shop window. People observe them with studied airs, offering judgments and expressing likes or dislikes with lifted chins. But once celebrities walk close by, within arm’s reach, that excitement and thrill have nothing to do with popularity or preference anymore. Whether they like the celebrity or not, people feel a suffocating sense of dizziness. Perhaps it is this intense unreality that brings a warped yet romantic satisfaction, making them suddenly realize that these people who seem flat and distant are truly breathing the same air as they are.So even though the area around the soft sleeper was filled with Bai and Cen’s fans, when Nan Yang and Qinghuan passed by, the girls still contorted their faces in excitement, raising their phones and snapping photos like mad. After Nan Yang and Qinghuan moved on, the fans unconsciously followed them for a short distance, but quickly remembered who they had really come to see and hurried back to wait at the soft sleeper entrance.Along the way, most passengers actually stayed obediently in their seats, each busy with their own affairs. There were also many people traveling alone, and those traveling solo could not easily leave their seats or luggage.Qinghuan had high public recognition, so when she asked some young men and women to help vote for her, even if they were not her fans, most of them recognized her. They cheerfully voted, sometimes asking for an autograph or a photo. Nan Yang remained silent the whole time, following behind her without a word. Very quickly, they were nearly done with the twenty votes.When they found Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng, the two were playing Pictionary with some passengers, likely their first assigned task. Seeing Nan Yang and Qinghuan approach, Ming Wancheng, squeezed into a corner of the hard seat carriage, looked like she wanted to jump up. She waved enthusiastically. “Master, Ancestor, you finally came to see us!”The hard seat carriage was indeed much worse. The crowd was overly mixed and packed to a terrifying density. The entire carriage was filled with a chaotic blend of smells: feet, sweat, plastic, and even the most ordinary instant noodles, where a single sniff could instantly distinguish braised beef, pickled cabbage, mushroom chicken, and dozens of other varieties. The air-conditioning seemed insufficient to dilute these odors, especially with crowds packed together just to catch a glimpse of celebrities, like dumplings thrown into a pot, turning the broth into a cloudy mess.Although Ming Wancheng was a newcomer and Qi Yi an outsider to the industry, their outstanding performance in the preview episode had earned them a sizable wave of fans of the Wu San CP and Qi Yi’s ghost story fans. Everyone knew Ming Wancheng was preparing for the college entrance exam, and a few kind student fans even gave her their own study materials.Ming Wancheng sat by the window, with Qi Yi beside her. On the table lay a stack of tutoring books and practice papers donated by kindhearted people. The surrounding seats were full of passengers, heads crowded together so densely that just one glance made Nan Yang start to feel uncomfortable.Qi Yi smiled. “Come on, come on, sit down. Want to play a round of Pictionary with us? After that, we can all go eat at the dining car together.”The passengers opposite them took the initiative to give up two seats. Nan Yang looked at the seat covers, wrinkled into a lump, and frowned slightly. Qinghuan knew she disliked uneven things, so she went over first to smooth them out before pulling Nan Yang down to sit.“Do you want to play?” Qinghuan asked Nan Yang beside her, resting her chin on her hand.Nan Yang shook her head expressionlessly.“Then we won’t play,” Qinghuan went along with her. “Xiao Yi, you’re probably tired too. Let’s just chat for a bit.”“Sure, let’s chat.” Qi Yi smiled and put away the paper and pen. Seeing Ming Wancheng eagerly scoot closer, she raised an eyebrow. “A-Cheng, the task’s done. What should you be doing now?”Ming Wancheng froze. “A-again? Writing practice papers?”Qi Yi’s look said everything.Ming Wancheng let out a long sigh, dragged over a Chinese language test paper from the side, and bent her head to write, using the same pen they had played Pictionary with. It seemed she had gradually grown used to this kind of life. When Qi Yi told her to write, she no longer resisted.“You came over from the sleeper area just now?” Qi Yi asked Qinghuan.“Yes. We even played a round of Landlord with Ziyan halfway,” Qinghuan did not mention the small unpleasantness with Bai Jin Qiu. There were too many people around, and even if there weren’t, she would not gossip about such things with friends. “We came straight over here after leaving the compartment. The difference in environment really is like heaven and earth.”Ming Wancheng chimed in, “Let’s go play with Ziyan later.”Qinghuan paused, thought for a moment, and said obliquely, “A-Cheng, don’t go disturb them.”Ming Wancheng was sharp as a tack. Once Qinghuan said this, she immediately changed her tune. “Then later we’ll go check out your sleeper.”“If you don’t mind the walk, come on over,” Qinghuan smiled.They chatted casually about this and that. The surroundings were noisy, countless voices surging around their ears. Phones and flashes aimed their way formed an unbroken line. Nan Yang endured her body’s aversion to such an environment, silently staring out the window in a daze.At some point, evening clouds had appeared on the horizon. The setting sun looked like a round, freshly boiled egg yolk, with a few white clouds scattered across it like bits of eggshell left unpicked.When the time was about right, the VJ received instructions from the PD, telling them to head to the dining car for dinner.Half of the dining car had been temporarily cleared, both to set up fixed filming rigs and multiple camera angles, and to prevent fans from suddenly rushing over during the meal. When they arrived, Bai Jin Qiu and Cen Ziyan were already seated.The dining car had four-seat tables, so the production team added two more seats beside it so the six of them could sit together. It was a bit cramped, but more concentrated and convenient for filming.Cen Ziyan looked hesitant, as if she wanted to apologize to Qinghuan again, but was afraid that if she spoke to Qinghuan first, Bai Jin Qiu would make things difficult for her. Qinghuan saw through her thoughts and nodded at her, signaling that she understood.Nan Yang and Bai Jin Qiu had just clashed earlier, and the production team was somewhat worried that putting them together would spark another argument. But both were quiet by nature. As long as Bai Jin Qiu did not target Qinghuan, Nan Yang could not be bothered to speak. And as long as Qinghuan did not provoke Cen Ziyan, Bai Jin Qiu would not pick a fight either. She had no extra energy for such trivial matters; her mind held only Cen Ziyan.Before the meal, the production team guided them through another small game, but everyone had been hungry all day and had little interest. They quickly went through the motions and ended it. When the food was served, the table fell quiet, with no one chatting.The PD nearby felt a headache coming on, unsure how this segment could be edited into the final cut.Halfway through the meal, Nan Yang suddenly put down her chopsticks and stood up unhurriedly. She tapped the table in front of Ming Wancheng with her fingertips. “Come with me.”Ming Wancheng had a chicken leg in her mouth and looked up blankly. “Mmm? What for?”“…The restroom.”Qinghuan also set down her chopsticks and offered, “I’ll go with you.”“No need. You keep eating.” Nan Yang refused, then looked back at Ming Wancheng. “You come with me.”Ming Wancheng knew something was wrong. She quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth, grabbed a thick stack of tissues, stood up, and followed Nan Yang, waving reassuringly at her Master Qinghuan.Nan Yang reached the junction between carriages but did not enter the restroom. Instead, she turned into the small space used for boarding and alighting. It was a recessed, hidden spot that one would only notice upon approaching, realizing someone could stand there. Nan Yang went in, and in an instant, all the strength seemed to leave her body. She braced her elbow against the wall and raised a hand toward Ming Wancheng.Ming Wancheng understood immediately and handed over the thick stack of tissues.Nan Yang pressed them over her mouth and nose, eyes tightly shut, lashes trembling against her lids.Before long, the thick wad of tissues was completely soaked through, stained a deep, vivid red.
Chapter 80
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“Ancestor…” Ming Wancheng grew flustered. What she endured was different from Nan Yang—she only suffered pain in her internal organs, while Nan Yang, aside from the agony in her heart, bled heavily every single time. She did not know what to do. “I’ll call Xuxue right away!”Nan Yang’s eyes were half-lidded. Her pupils slid to the corner as she glanced at Ming Wancheng’s anxious expression, and she said softly, “No need.”“Can you hold on?” Ming Wancheng was deeply worried. They were still in the middle of filming, and soon they would have to return to the dining table to face the cameras.“…It’s fine.”Nan Yang forcibly restrained her body on the brink of collapse with her inner energy. The blood, trapped inside and unable to be expelled, turned the pain back on her. Beyond the tearing sensation in her heart, every inch of her skin began to throb violently—so painful that she dared not open her eyes, afraid that if she did, her flesh would appear like drought-cracked earth, split apart alive.Her last episode had been just two days ago.Over the past three thousand years, the frequency of her attacks had been about once a month, perhaps differing by a few days, but never this frequent. The repeated fracturing of her body seemed to foretell something. She could feel that omen; she understood better than anyone that even if she managed to scrape through this time, the next time she fell, she might truly never wake again.She had reached the end of the road.Nan Yang thought that, as Ming Wancheng’s grandmaster, she ought to tell her this, so that when the Princess reached her ninety-ninth life, she would not be left helpless by such circumstances. Using the most concise words she could manage, she told Ming Wancheng that if memory could not be restored in the ninety-ninth life, it was very likely that they would suffer premature failure and die.After hearing this, Ming Wancheng’s first reaction was not concern for herself, but alarm for Nan Yang’s current state.“Ancestor, are you saying your body is already in severe decline?” Ming Wancheng stared in shock. “How could this be?! You—you’ve only been married to Master for such a short time. How—how did it become like this? How can it be like this?”Yes. After waiting three thousand years, all they were given was a few short months together. How could it treat them like this?“Even Mei Zhongli and the others can’t find a way to restore Master’s memories?” Ming Wancheng was on the verge of tears. “Is there really nothing we can do but wait helplessly for her to remember on her own? If she never remembers, are we just supposed to watch you die? There really isn’t any other way? That’s impossible, Ancestor. It can’t be impossible, right?”Nan Yang said nothing. She wiped the blood from her lips with a tissue, folded it carefully, and clenched it in her hand.No matter how Ming Wancheng questioned her, the truth remained unchanged.No one knew what the trigger was for Qinghuan to regain her memories. Or rather, in this world, no one knew what the trigger was under this forbidden technique for the ninety-ninth life to awaken. There were no predecessors to consult, because throughout all ages, only Nan Yang had ever been able to wait for her beloved through ninety-nine lives without giving up or changing her heart.“Let’s go back.”Nan Yang rolled the blood-soaked tissues together, bent slightly to the side, and threw them into the trash.Ming Wancheng hurried after her, wanting to say more, but there were passersby moving back and forth in the aisle, and fans watching curiously from afar. Fortunately, that spot had been sealed off by the production team; otherwise, if anyone had overheard, it would have caused trouble. Realizing it was inappropriate to continue here, Ming Wancheng swallowed everything she wanted to say and followed Nan Yang back, her expression complicated.When Nan Yang passed the sink, she carefully washed her face, lest any trace of blood remain.By the time they returned, everyone was nearly finished eating. Performers were accustomed to stopping at half-full, and Qi Yi was not one to overeat either. Nan Yang did not sit down; she simply asked Qinghuan if she wanted to return to the sleeper carriage.Qinghuan was worried. “You barely ate anything just now. Won’t you have a little more?”“I have no appetite.”Nan Yang lowered her eyes and took Qinghuan’s hand.Even though she said she had no appetite, when they left, Qinghuan still had the production team pack a meal to take along, in case she woke up hungry in the middle of the night. When speaking to the PD, she specifically asked for sweet dishes and no garlic.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi followed them over for a while, and the group sat on the lower berth chatting for a long time.Nan Yang said nothing. She looked at the meal Qinghuan had brought back, and after a moment, quietly opened it, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.Ming Wancheng watched secretly. Nan Yang frowned the entire time she ate. Ming Wancheng could tell that because of the pain wracking her body, Nan Yang could barely eat at all. Each bite took a long time to chew before she could force it down. Even so, she compelled herself to finish every last bit.Just so Master Qinghuan would not worry.Ming Wancheng’s heart clenched painfully.Qi Yi noticed that Ming Wancheng had been silent for quite a while and tapped her shoulder in confusion. “A-Cheng, what’s wrong?”“I—I want to go back and do my practice papers.”Ming Wancheng made up an excuse. She thought it best to leave time for Master and Ancestor to be alone. Perhaps for the Ancestor now, even one extra minute of solitude was precious.“You’re unusually sensible,” Qi Yi said with some satisfaction, then turned to Qinghuan. “We’ll head off first, then.”“See you tomorrow.” Qinghuan waved to Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng.It was already eight-thirty in the evening. They had been quite tired today, and the production team did not assign any new games, leaving one VJ to film while the rest of the staff went to rest.Liuliu in the opposite berth seemed to really like Nan Yang. She kept sneaking glances at her, even taking out some snacks and offering them over with trembling hands. Nan Yang glanced at them, did not reach out, and only said flatly, “No, thank you.”Qinghuan accepted them for her and smiled as she handed a handful of candy back to Liuliu, who beamed so widely she could not close her mouth for a long time. She had originally only liked Nan Yang, but because of Qinghuan’s politeness and kindness, she immediately upgraded to being a fan of their pairing.“Tired?” Qinghuan leaned over, moved closer to Nan Yang, and lifted a hand to tuck away the loose strands by her temple.Nan Yang nodded. “A little.”“Then why don’t you sleep for a bit? I’m sitting at the foot of the bed, I won’t crowd you.”Nan Yang shook her head, silently reached out, and pulled Qinghuan into her arms. She had been leaning against the headboard, and when Qinghuan leaned in, the two of them overlapped intimately, their shadows on the wall merging into one.Nan Yang never behaved like this in public. Qinghuan was a little surprised and instinctively tried to sit up, but Nan Yang’s fingers pressed firmly against her back, holding her in place.“What are you doing?” Qinghuan pinched Nan Yang’s waist lightly. Her face was pressed close to the white fabric at Nan Yang’s shoulder, and even through the cloth she could feel the coolness of her skin.Nan Yang lowered her head, closed her eyes, and buried her nose in the alluring curls, her voice muffled as it came from her hair. “Let me hold you.”Qinghuan couldn’t help smiling and wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s waist. “Aren’t you afraid of people seeing?”Nan Yang did not push her away with her usual restraint, nor did her ears redden. She simply tightened the arm around Qinghuan’s back and said softly, “Let them see. I don’t care anymore.”“What’s gotten into you today?” Qinghuan laughed and quietly tickled her side.“…I just want to hold you.”“Alright, hold me. Hold me.”Qinghuan indulgingly encircled her waist.They held each other and whispered for a while. After some time, Qinghuan shifted to lying on her side in Nan Yang’s arms, reading the script for her next project. Normally, Nan Yang would have taken out her Kindle or game console to pass the time, but she did nothing, simply holding Qinghuan, her gaze resting lightly on Qinghuan’s face, as if she could never look enough.Some passersby stole glances their way, covering their mouths as they smiled. But once the novelty wore off, they stopped paying attention. Everyone was an ordinary person, each with their own concerns.Before they knew it, it was already ten o’clock. The carriage lights had gone out at nine-thirty. The VJ filmed a few shots after lights-out and then left. Once it was dark, Qinghuan pulled back the blanket and lay down holding Nan Yang.The hard sleeper bed was extremely narrow—so narrow that if either of them were even slightly heavier, they could not have lain side by side. The cramped space forced them to press close together. A single pillow could not comfortably hold two heads; they were too close, their breaths intertwining, stirring the heart even more than a kiss.Liuliu in the opposite berth was already asleep. Through the space under the table, they could see her half-open mouth and slightly rolled eyes.Qinghuan did her best to control her breathing, offsetting it from Nan Yang’s so the air between them would not grow too heated. She tugged the blanket up to cover Nan Yang’s shoulders and asked in a lowered voice, “Does using this shared blanket make you uncomfortable?”“It doesn’t.”“Doesn’t it feel a bit dirty?” Qinghuan teased on purpose. “Someone else might have used it.”The corner of Nan Yang’s lips lifted slightly. “It’s fine.”She did not say “it isn’t dirty,” but “it’s fine,” meaning that she did think the blanket was a bit dirty—but at this moment, she did not care at all. Or rather, there was someone more important right in front of her.Qinghuan touched Nan Yang’s hair, glanced at the sleeping Liuliu across from them, then looked up at the slick-haired young man in the middle berth across the aisle who was playing on his phone. After making sure no one was paying attention, she leaned forward, her nose brushing Nan Yang’s, and placed an extremely light kiss on her.The train was passing through a tunnel. Amid the rumbling of the wheels, a few specks of orange-yellow light streaked past outside the window. The light swept over Nan Yang’s face, and when it fell into her light brown eyes, it outlined those cool, clear pupils like amber settled for a thousand years.On a train, all intimacy should be restrained, especially for a woman as old-fashioned as Nan Yang. Qinghuan knew this, so the kiss was exceedingly light and controlled—a fleeting touch, lighter than an autumn mosquito brushing the skin.Nan Yang, however, caught her face as she was halfway pulling away.A moment later, the blanket was pulled up in one swift motion, covering both their faces completely.In the darkness, Qinghuan felt the person beside her draw her closer, cool, soft lips pressing firmly against her own.
Chapter 81
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Qinghuan opened her eyes wide in the darkness. She could see nothing, but she knew those light-colored eyes were only inches away. The person opposite tilted her head slightly, shifting their touching noses apart so that their lips could press together more deeply, more closely.After the lights went out, the attendant turned the air-conditioning up a little. Sleeping under the blanket like usual would have been just right. But with her head buried beneath it, breaths collided within the cramped fabric, the air growing thicker and thicker, like porridge coming to a boil, steam rising, the pot filled with their tangled breathing and gradually quickening, shallow pants.A moment later, Qinghuan felt a soft, damp tongue touch her lower lip.Nan Yang never took the initiative to use her tongue. Everything about her was restrained. In the past, when they kissed, she would not even suck with any force. Clearly, she was the older one at thirty-five, yet all of their intimacy had always been guided by Qinghuan—she was the one who initiated, pried open, explored, tangled. Nan Yang had never been like this.Qinghuan had no time to dwell on the strangeness before fingers by her ear drew her forward a little. The woman beside her turned her head, her light breath pressing down over her, and something soft and slick slid between her lips and teeth.The oxygen under the blanket grew thinner, making her want to open her mouth and nose to breathe hard. But the moment she parted her lips even slightly, the woman above sealed them together even more precisely. She sucked in short breaths through her nose, only to inhale the other’s exhaled air. No fresh oxygen reached her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, blood rushing to her head from the lack of air, her cheeks burning as if they might melt.This was on a train.In this space of less than ten square meters, five other strangers were sleeping around them. She was a celebrity, a “goddess” far removed from ordinary people, yet now she lay among them. The girl in the lower bunk across from them was less than a meter away. Beneath this thin blanket, desire was stirring.Would someone be watching them in the dark?Would anyone discover the intimacy hidden under the blanket?When would the patrolling attendant come by with a flashlight…Qinghuan bit Nan Yang’s lip. Under the blanket, her legs shifted slightly as she could not help stacking her right leg over her left, toes tensing and curling.Nan Yang noticed the way her legs were pressed together. Her lips traced along Qinghuan’s cheek to the ear adorned with a diamond stud, and she asked softly, “You want it?”Qinghuan clutched Nan Yang’s back, her cheekbones burning hot. She buried her face in Nan Yang’s hair and, ashamed, hummed a soft yes.Nan Yang arched her back slightly and tugged the blanket down just a little, exposing Qinghuan’s face so she could breathe normally. Once in the fresh, cool air, Qinghuan greedily drew in a few breaths, while struggling to suppress the tremor in her voice so as not to wake Liuliu beside them.But she had barely taken a few breaths when the woman above her pulled a neatly folded handkerchief from her pocket and held it to her mouth. “Bite down.”Qinghuan asked, face red, “Why?”“Because you’re going to cry out.”Her face burned even hotter. She did cry out easily. The more restrained Nan Yang was in bed, the more unrestrained she herself became. If their sounds were recorded, it would be monotonous to the point of sounding like a solo performance. Nan Yang knew she was used to venting when she felt good, so she needed something to block the source.Qinghuan closed her eyes, trembling as she opened her mouth and bit down on the handkerchief Nan Yang offered.The blanket fell back into place, but the other person’s head did not remain outside it.She arched her neck and stared hard at the train window, starting from the rusted dark-silver frame at the top, her gaze slowly sliding down along a faint halo of light.The train entered a tunnel. With the heavy, rhythmic rumble, orange-yellow points of light pierced her vision one after another. When the next point arrived, the previous one stretched into a vertical beam as the train moved on. She saw those beams continuously stab into the rows of windows along the cars, starting from theirs—light and dark, like lollipops held in a little girl’s mouth, sucked and released, released and sucked, wanton and soft.The tunnel ended. The last beam of light slowly receded. Outside, the city was in the rain. Moist water washed that beam into a sticky, damp hue. The light drifted away, like a firefly that had circled once and flown off, lingering for a time at the place where her heart raced the most, then leisurely departing with her excitement and reluctance.Rain splattered densely against the window, trickling down from the top. Through a gap where the window was not fully sealed, a few icy strands of rain slipped in, landing on her brows and the corners of her eyes. Her teeth clenched tighter and tighter. When the handkerchief had been stuffed into her mouth, it was folded thick, yet she could still vaguely feel the contours of her teeth meeting.Rumble——The train jolted violently. At the same time, lightning split the sky outside.She forced her head back, eyes squeezed shut, biting down hard on the handkerchief, a muffled whimper trapped in her throat. The white cloth, already soaked through, was like a fresh lily held in her mouth. When she bit down, the edges lifted like petals just beginning to bloom.The saturated handkerchief was squeezed wetter still, saliva sliding from the corner of her mouth into her hairline, mixing with sweat and softening her hair into something like fine noodles soaked and sticky.The blanket rustled.Another sweat-dampened face emerged from beneath it, settling calmly beside her.Nan Yang lifted a hand and wiped the moisture from her lips, her voice low and husky. “Tired?”Qinghuan, still holding the handkerchief in her mouth, felt as though she had just been hauled out of a bathtub. She nodded weakly.Nan Yang pinched the cloth and drew it from her mouth. As it came free, it pulled out a long, silvery thread. Seeing it, Qinghuan flushed as if blood might drip from her face, hastily turning her head away to avoid Nan Yang’s gaze.Nan Yang set the handkerchief aside, pulled Qinghuan into her arms, kissed her ear, and said softly, “If you’re tired, sleep.”“…Mm.”Qinghuan hummed drowsily, curled into Nan Yang’s embrace, and closed her eyes.Nan Yang pressed her lips together, sore with a faint ache, and held Qinghuan while looking out at the storm beyond the window. Rain lashed the transparent glass, yet her gaze seemed to pass through the scene, fixed on somewhere unknown.Time slipped by. Before she knew it, it was already two in the morning.The person in her arms was fast asleep.Nan Yang carefully withdrew her arm and slipped out of bed without a sound. Her white shirt was badly wrinkled from sleep, but she paid it no mind. She only took her white trench coat, draped it casually over her shoulders, and walked in silence toward the other end of the carriage.It was the same secluded space between cars. Sun Xuxue stood there playing on her phone, as if she had been waiting a long time.“Xuxue.”Nan Yang called softly.Sun Xuxue looked up at once and bowed respectfully. “Ancestor, you’re here.”“Mm.” Nan Yang leaned against the wall, expressionless. “Did you get what I asked you to buy?”“Here!”Sun Xuxue hurriedly pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her coat pocket and offered them with both hands.Nan Yang lowered her gaze, tore open the pack, took out a slender women’s cigarette, and slipped it between her lips. She flicked the lighter with her thumb, and dancing firelight reflected in her light-brown eyes.Watching Nan Yang smoke made Sun Xuxue’s heart twist painfully.She did not think smoking was bad. She had seen plenty of smokers, heavy ones even. But this was the first time she had ever seen Nan Yang smoke. Somehow, she always felt that someone like Nan Yang should not smoke. So conservative, so ancient, someone who would not even pierce her ears—how could she smoke?For some reason, when she saw Nan Yang exhale a clouded plume, the word “fall” surfaced in her mind.It was as if she were watching the purest cloud drifting high in the sky suddenly stained a dirty, crow-dark color, condensing into dew, turning into rain, falling into the mortal world, splashing into a muddy mire. She could only watch, helpless.“Cough.”Nan Yang choked on the smoke. Clearly, she was not skilled yet, not knowing how to let nicotine roll smoothly through her lungs.“Ancestor, maybe… don’t smoke for now?” Sun Xuxue ventured.Nan Yang shook her head and raised the cigarette again. “It’s fine. This feels a bit better.”“Yes.” Sun Xuxue did not dare say anything more.Nan Yang took another deep drag, but halfway through she coughed hard again. Sun Xuxue saw her jolt sharply, as if losing her balance, one hand bracing against the wall. When the cigarette left her mouth, the filter was already smeared with blood.“Ancestor!” Sun Xuxue cried out in shock, hastily handing her tissues.Nan Yang closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and said nothing.Sun Xuxue stood there helplessly with the tissues, not knowing what to do.“Xuxue.”After a long while, Nan Yang called again.“Yes, Ancestor.”“Take out your phone. Turn on the recorder.”“Yes… what do you want to record?”Nan Yang put the blood-stained cigarette back to her lips and took a faint drag mixed with blood.“…My will.”Sun Xuxue froze, eyes wide. “A… a will?!”“Mm. A will.” Nan Yang, cigarette in her mouth, glanced at the rain pouring beyond the glass. “…Someone once told me that farewell words have to be said early enough, to be complete.”Covering her mouth, Sun Xuxue fought back tears. She took out her phone with trembling hands, turned on the recorder, and pressed record.Nan Yang took out her own phone and opened a document. She stared at it for a long time. More than ten seconds of blank silence passed on the recording. After the long stillness, she finally spoke, her voice as thin as a lone mountain in the rain outside.“To prevent any property disputes or other controversies after my death, while I am of clear mind and full legal capacity, and in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, I hereby make this will as follows.”“I voluntarily leave all assets under my name to my wife, including two properties in Jinghu City, certificate numbers Hu Property (2020) No. 33054 and No. 34086; three properties in Huzhong City, certificate numbers Hu Property (2005) No. 800967, No. 812398, and No. 928760. Including three Audi A4L vehicles, one Audi A6, one BMW 650i, one Lamborghini LP670, and one LP550. Including fixed deposits totaling 203,400,081.53 yuan and current deposits totaling 55,005,700.82 yuan in personal accounts, as well as a 30 percent shareholding in the Mei Group.”“Hereafter, if I acquire additional properties or increase my savings, they shall also be left to my wife. All my assets shall belong entirely to her.”By this point, Nan Yang’s voice was trembling slightly. The cigarette had gone untouched for a while, the ember burning down to the edge of her index and middle fingers.After a pause, she gave a soft laugh and finished the last line.“Including my remains, which shall also belong to her.”Sun Xuxue stopped the recording. She opened her mouth, as if to say something.Then her gaze shifted slightly. Her whole body jolted violently, her features stretching in shock.She stared past Nan Yang, staggering back a step.Nan Yang sensed something as well. She followed Sun Xuxue’s gaze and turned around. When she saw the person behind her, the cigarette slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor, sparks scattering.Qinghuan stood at the entrance of the carriage, one hand braced against the joint between cars. Her fingertips dug into the rough metal skin, each finger gouging out a bloody mark.Tears filled her eyes. She gave a bitter smile, her voice shaking.“Is there anything else you want to leave me?”
Chapter 82
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Rumble—The train let out another heavy, mournful roar. Accompanied by the flickering lightning outside the window, it was impossible to tell whether the sound was thunder or the wheels grinding against the sleepers.The air seemed to freeze solid. Even dust drifting here would have been locked into icy shards.Sun Xuxue, quick to read the situation, withdrew and stood guard at the carriage entrance. In the middle of the night there was hardly anyone moving about, but if someone did come out to use the restroom, she could redirect them to the other end and keep the Ancestor and her wife from being disturbed.Nan Yang stared at Qinghuan without blinking. A long time passed without a word. Too many things were jammed in her chest, explanations tangled into knots, stuck in her throat, and she could not find a single opening to break the silence.Qinghuan seemed to find herself a little ridiculous. The corner of her lips curved again, her voice choked. “Say it, then. What else did you want to leave me?”Nan Yang turned her gaze away, not daring to meet her eyes, and only whispered, “…I’m sorry.”“So this is what you’ve been hiding from me all this time?” Qinghuan laughed until her shoulders shook. “This is what you thought was ‘for my own good’?”Nan Yang clenched her teeth. The violent pain in her chest had never stopped, and now it surged even more fiercely.“You get sick and don’t say anything. You’re in pain and still force yourself to endure it alone, even when it threatens your life…” Tears slid from the corners of Qinghuan’s eyes, her voice trembling. “No, not threatening your life. You’ve already burned it all away, haven’t you? Otherwise why would you make a will?”Qinghuan stepped forward. Her fingertips scraped across the metal, a streak of blood winding beneath them. “You just wanted to keep enduring like this, until one day I suddenly couldn’t find you anymore. And when I saw you again, it would be your completely dead body, plus a cold recording of how you divided up your property?”“…” Nan Yang forced back the blood surging up her throat, clutching her heart as her brows knit tightly.“You think I’d be moved?” Qinghuan laughed with bitterness lacing it. “Moved to the point of sobbing? Or do you think I’d take the houses and money you left behind and happily start a new life with someone else?”“No wonder. No wonder you’ve been so strange these past two days. No restraint, no reserve—hugging me in public, doing this with me in a train sleeper, a public place. You thought you were giving me a final gift? You thought that when I look back on these days in the future, I’ll laugh happily, is that it?”Nan Yang bent over, clutching her chest. Pain and pooled blood that had built up for so long surged through her body, leaving her unable to speak.“Say something,” Qinghuan laughed and cried at the same time. “This is all you’re leaving me, isn’t it?”Nan Yang squinted at her. Double images were already appearing in her vision. She desperately wanted to say something. Qinghuan wanted her to speak. Even if she did not know what to say, she had to say something. But she did not dare open her mouth. She could not be sure whether the blood she spat out would splash onto Qinghuan’s clothes.“Nan Yang… why don’t you understand?” Qinghuan’s face was soaked with tears, drops gathering on her chin and falling onto her black collar. “Why don’t you understand how I feel about you? Do you believe me? If it were possible, I’d rather… I’d rather die in your place…”—If danger ever comes, I am willing to die for you.Nan Yang finally could not hold it back. She turned her head and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Bright red splattered across her white shirt, spreading into a glaring web of crimson.Her vision blurred, as if the scene that had appeared countless times in her dreams rose before her again.The same face. The same tears. Offering her own heart to the frost-covered sword tip in order to protect Nan Yang’s life.Past memories and the dreamlike present overlapped. The agony made her consciousness waver. She clutched her chest and dropped to one knee, the world twisting before her eyes, as if she could no longer hold on.Her body tipped forward. What met her was not the cold floor, but a warm, soft embrace.Qinghuan lunged forward, kneeling awkwardly beside her, pulling her tightly into her arms. Blood-stained fingers dug fiercely into her back, as if she wanted to knead her into her own flesh and bones.Holding her, she cried, “Why are you so awful… Why can’t I even be properly angry? Why, after being deceived like this, can’t I actually get angry…”Nan Yang used all her remaining strength to clutch the corner of Qinghuan’s clothes. Even at this moment, she still tried to keep her posture upright, afraid of putting all her weight onto Qinghuan.But no matter how she tried to brace herself, she could not hold on any longer. Her head fell weakly against Qinghuan’s shoulder, her chin slightly raised. Blood overflowed from her mouth and nose, sliding down her chin to her jaw and ear, then winding from her ear into the collar of her shirt. In no time, half her shoulder and body were stained red. Against the plain white fabric, it was like a bowl of grotesque, vivid paint splashed across endless snow.Qinghuan had never seen anyone bleed so much. Panic filled her eyes. She cried even harder, burying her tear-blurred face into Nan Yang’s shoulder, sobbing brokenly, “We won’t record it anymore. We’re getting off now. I’ll take you to the hospital. Don’t let anything happen to you… I’m begging you. I can’t live without you… Nan Yang, don’t leave me alone. Please don’t leave me alone in this world. I… I can’t live on. I really can’t… Please…”Can’t live on?Yes. When the person you love most dies, you really can’t live on.After Qinghuan died back then, how exactly had she endured those three thousand years?If she had known from the beginning that she would wither away in Qinghuan’s ninety-ninth life, she would never have stepped into her life. She knew full well what it felt like to watch the one you love die before your eyes, yet she still let Qinghuan bear such a risk. She thought that since they had only been married for these few short months, even if they parted, it would not hurt as unbearably as it had three thousand years ago. But it turned out that the depth of love had nothing to do with time at all.If you truly recognize each other as the one, a single glance can outweigh ten thousand years.She had thought about whether she should take the initiative and guide Qinghuan to recall the past. If Qinghuan could remember, all of these problems would cease to exist. But she was afraid. Before the two lives within Qinghuan fully merged on their own, if she rashly brought up her past life, Qinghuan might begin to doubt the meaning of her existence in this life, might begin to doubt whether what Nan Yang loved was that completely unfamiliar Qinghuan from three thousand years ago, or the Qinghuan who had grown up in modern society. So Nan Yang could only wait. Wait for Qinghuan to remember on her own. Wait for her to witness with her own eyes all the stories they had walked through together. Wait for her to be certain of her ninety-nine lives, certain that the first life was her, the rabbit was her, the spider was her, and the present her was also her. Only after she herself had walked through all ninety-nine lives could they walk the rest of this life together without any reservations.Waiting without knowing the end is the most desperate kind of waiting.A journey with no visible destination is like a train that never tells you when it will arrive. You can only jolt when it jolts, move when it moves, never knowing when it will stop, never knowing when the fuel will run out and force it to halt in some desolate valley, turning into a steel skeleton that will never sound its horn again.Would this forced stop be the last one?Nan Yang tightened her grip on Qinghuan’s wrist, eyes bloodshot, murmuring words her mind had not filtered:“I don’t want to die, really… I don’t want to die… Save me… save me…”Just days ago, she had still been lying in a hospital bed, calmly telling Mei Zhongli and the others that the fading of life was nothing more than the cycle of heaven, the law of all things. Everyone dies eventually. Even if not now, then decades later all the same. But when she truly faced the threat of death—especially when held in Qinghuan’s arms—she realized she was not that at ease after all.She was unwilling.How could she be willing?Three thousand years of waiting, only to arrive at this ending—how could she rest in peace? How could she leave Qinghuan alone in this world? If she died, would Mei Zhongli still take care of the Zhu family and of Qinghuan the way he used to? The entertainment industry was so dark. How would Qinghuan struggle and claw her way through it to carve out a path? Just today, Bai Jinqiu had made things difficult for her. She was so kind. Without Nan Yang, who would stand in front of her to protect her?She had not finished learning all the recipes yet.They had not yet had the chance to go hand in hand and see this vast world.They still had a wedding to hold.She still had to buy her a one-of-a-kind diamond ring.She still wanted to have a child with her, one that belonged to the two of them.She really did not want to die.In the warm embrace, Nan Yang closed her eyes. Half the words she was begging with were still held in her mouth when consciousness slipped away.In the instant she fell into darkness, she vaguely felt that person’s hand gripping her shoulder tightly, with such force, as if trying to crush her.As if crushing her would mean she could be held.For the past three thousand years, she had never dreamed. Perhaps it was because this body was in the state it had been in at death. She was someone who had already died three thousand years ago, and the dead do not dream. So she did not dream.But this time, she dreamed.She dreamed that she was wearing white ancient robes, just like her old appearance on Beifa Mountain. Pure white long sleeves fluttered in the breeze, the cuffs and hem embroidered with elegant white crane patterns. She walked along a long, straight road, so long that she could not see the end. Plum trees were planted on both sides. When the wind blew, petals filled the sky.She looked down at herself and saw blood flowing from her chest, staining her white robes in mottled patches. Her right hand was bleeding too, the wound still torn open. Scalding blood flowed along her wrist to her fingertips, then dripped to the ground. Behind her stretched a path pressed into the earth by a red line. The vivid blood mirrored the petals filling the sky, eerily harmonious.She walked on, not knowing why she was here, nor where she was going.She only knew she had to keep moving forward. To walk without stopping.Something was surely waiting for her at the end. The thing she had desired most all along.Enduring pain, enduring loneliness, alone, with only a jade gourd at her waist for company, polished smooth by her touch. Inside it were the ashes of her little disciple.As she went on, the plum trees on either side gradually withered, becoming clawing dead branches. After that, the dead trees turned into rows of gravestones, engraved with the names of every passerby in her three thousand years of life. Among them, one name had been carved ninety-eight times.The road beneath her feet began as dirt, then became stone slabs, then blue bricks, then asphalt. Dressed in ancient robes, she grew more and more out of place. Walking here, she was like a tropical fish swimming into the Arctic Ocean, like a calligraphy brush falling onto an oil canvas. She was an anomaly, existing outside the world before her.The loneliness of standing alone on the opposite side of the world is the most painful kind of loneliness. She could clearly see all kinds of people standing just inches away, yet she knew with absolute clarity that in this world, no one would ever understand her life.No one came with her. No one would leave with her.She did not know how long she walked before she finally reached the end of the road.At the end was a gently winding riverbank. As far as the eye could see, the pitch-black water shimmered with soft, fine ripples. The road naturally extended into the river, declaring her ending and guiding her to complete the final journey.She smiled in relief.So this is what death is—water disappearing into water.That was fine.It was a release.She closed her eyes, about to take the final step, when she suddenly heard someone call her from behind:“Nan Yang.”Her body stilled. Slowly, she turned around and saw a woman with shimmering eyes standing behind her. The woman stepped forward and reached out to grasp her bleeding right wrist, tears in her eyes.“Wait for me a little longer.”“I know you’ve suffered so much. I’m sorry I made you wait for so long.”“It’ll be soon. Really soon. Just wait for me a little longer.”“Please… wait for me.”
Chapter 83
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The train journey for Honeymoon Together had only been underway for a single day when Nan Yang and Qinghuan got off midway.Something went wrong with Nan Yang’s body. The production team fell into chaos and got her off the train at the nearest stop, Xingyuan Station. An ambulance was already waiting at the station entrance, and with a clear route the whole way, it rushed her straight to Xingyuan City Hospital. When Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi heard the news, they panicked like ants on a hot pan and wanted to follow to check on her, but filming still had to continue. The show couldn’t suddenly lose four guests at once, so they could only stay on the train and keep recording.Nan Yang went into the ER. Just like every time before, modern medicine couldn’t find a cause. They could only throw every measure they had at the problem—transfusions, nonstop—just to keep her vital signs from disappearing. Even that wasn’t enough. The hospital ran out of plasma and had to urgently pull blood bags from every nearby hospital overnight, barely managing to hold the line.Not long after, the doctor came out with a critical condition notice. When Qinghuan took it, her hands shook so badly she nearly dropped it.However long the ER light stayed on, Qinghuan and Sun Xuxue stood outside for exactly that long. Neither of them sat down. Neither of them could even remember to sit. No one knew how much time passed before Qinghuan finally lifted her eyes, as if waking from a dream, and looked at Sun Xuxue.“Even now, you still won’t tell me the truth?”Sun Xuxue looked terrified. She was young, used to doing whatever her grandfather assigned, and had never been pressed like this.“You know what illness she really has, don’t you?” Qinghuan stepped closer, her gaze burning. “And you know how to treat it, don’t you?”“N-no… I… I don’t know…” Sun Xuxue shook her head frantically and couldn’t help backing up two steps. “I really don’t know…”“If you truly don’t know anything, then why would she feel safe reading her will to you?” Qinghuan kept advancing, relentless. “So it’s not that you don’t know—you can’t say, is that it?”Sun Xuxue shook her head hard. “No, I didn’t—”“Xuxue,” Qinghuan had already forced her into the corner, right beside the radiator. “Her problem… it has something to do with me, doesn’t it?”Sun Xuxue’s eyes flew wide open. Uncertain, she asked, “Y-you… you remembered something?”A thread of confusion slid through Qinghuan’s eyes. “Remembered? What do you mean… I forgot something?”“Stop forcing me…” Sun Xuxue was about to cry. She clutched her head and crouched down. “I can’t tell you. Ancestor said it. We’re not allowed to interfere in this. We can’t tell you anything. You can only rely on yourself to think it through. I can’t say anything… Please, stop asking. If I keep talking, Grandpa will hit me, wuwuwu…”“Rely on… myself to think?”Think what?What had she forgotten?Something in her mind suddenly jolted, and a few blurry dream-images flashed past—Nan Yang in a white robe, a long sword tinted pale violet, crisscrossing scars on a thin, pale body, nosebleed, her right hand, her heart… Everything was pressing against her chest, on the verge of breaking out, yet it stayed stuck at that shallow, almost-there point—still unable to burst through, still impossible to see clearly.As a modern person raised on materialism from childhood, she had never believed in gods and ghosts, things so intangible and illusory, much less talk of past lives and future lives. But she was certain: in the twenty-four years she had lived, she had never once met Nan Yang. If there truly were other memories between them, then they had to come from before those twenty-four years.Was it connected to the dreams she kept having?Was Nan Yang’s current, burnt-out, dying body… also connected to her?The ER doors suddenly opened. A nurse came out holding a phone and a Kindle. After scanning the area, she found Qinghuan and walked over, handing them to her. “These are the patient’s valuables. Please keep them for now. We’re starting a new round of resuscitation—defibrillation.” The nurse paused, as if she found it cruel, but forced herself to continue anyway. “You should understand what defibrillation means. The patient’s heart has already stopped. If we can’t bring it back with defibrillation, then these items… are the last things she’s leaving behind. You need to keep them safe.”Qinghuan’s hands trembled too violently. The moment she heard “heart has stopped,” her whole mind blanked. The Kindle she had just taken slipped from her grasp and hit the floor. “Pa——” The protective case flew apart from the device.A stack of rice-yellow sheets fell out. They had clearly been tucked between the case and the Kindle for years, pressed flat and neat. They looked like paper, but the surface had been carefully preserved, as if they were well-kept antiques.Qinghuan frowned. After hesitating, she still bent down and picked them up. As her fingers touched the smooth protective layer over the sheets, an unfamiliar emotion washed over her mind. With shaking hands, she carefully unfolded the stack, bit by bit.The paper was large. On it were ugly, twisted brushstrokes in traditional script. She didn’t know how much pain the writer had endured—yet even if the writing was ugly, it still filled the entire page.Qinghuan was trembling all over. Her emotions began to slip out of control, but she still forced her eyes down onto the paper—.“I don’t know when I will die. I only know I truly don’t have much time left. Most of the time, my mind is muddled—hazy, confused, never sure what I’ve done from dawn to dusk. I know that this time, parting from you may truly be forever. My life, too, has come to its end.”“There are words I don’t want to wait until my dying moment to say. Farewells have to be said early enough to be said fully. I’m afraid that when the time comes, I won’t have time to say them, and I’ll swallow my last breath before I can finish.”“Knowing death is drawing closer to me day by day makes me sad. I’m not afraid of death. Everyone dies. Life fading is only the cycle of the Dao, the shared rule of all things. What makes me sad is that I will never again see the one I love most.”“I can’t bear to part with you. I can’t make myself let you go—how could I possibly let you go?”“Sometimes I think I would rather have you die before me, so your last breath breaks in my arms. Then your whole life would be complete. And all the pain and despair of losing a wife would be left to me. You could sleep in peace—nothing could be better. I have always, always wanted to protect you, the way you once protected the young, bedraggled, wretched, lowly me.”“What people call an old kindness is like rosewater—dripped onto silk, fragrant until death. From the moment you saved me, I had already decided: I would repay your grace for my entire life.”“Master, you said it yourself—who lives a lifetime without suffering? It’s like rain must fall, like mud must stain your clothes. But I have this one life. I am willing to stake this one life of mine to block every hardship that belongs to you.”“And yet—alas—I have no time left.”“I once told you on Kunlun Mountain, beside my mother’s grave: if one day I die, then burn my body with a single fire, and keep my ashes by your side. I am selfish. I cannot bear for you to forget me. I want you to remember me for the rest of your life. Even if I turn to ash, I will still stay by your side. Even if I’m utterly dead, dead to the bone, I will still never betray the vow to follow you through life and death.”“I am truly sorry—to you, and to so many others. But fate had already written this farce long ago. From the day I was born, from the day I met you. The northern campaign, chaotic blossoms, burning the heavens—this whole road, I never once had the chance to say no. My life is a joke. I have only caused people resentment and grievance. It was all fate. It was all a tragedy carefully brewed by Heaven itself. I have no choice but to endure it.”“And the only thing I ever did that was truly defiant to Heaven’s will—and also the only thing that made this life not wasted—was falling in love with you. This love will not be settled even once until the moment my life ends. I cannot accompany you for a lifetime, but my entire lifetime has been spent accompanying you. Over the past ten-plus years, there has not been a single day I did not think of you, did not miss you. The cruel words I once said to hurt you were all lies. You must forgive me.”“After I die, I hope you will build me a cenotaph—one that contains only my garments and crown. On the tombstone, you must carve the prefix ‘beloved wife.’ I have lied to you all along. In truth, we already performed the wedding rites. I hid it from you before, and later I realized how unfair that was to you.”“You only need to understand: you are my rightful wife, and I am yours.”“In this life, I owe far too much. To myself—I could not live safely to old age. To my father—I could not fulfill my filial duty. To my wife—I could not stay with you until our hair turned white. Nothing is sadder than a person dying while the heart refuses to die. Everything in this world is regret.”“In life, I was bound by too many things and never got to travel these magnificent rivers and mountains. What a pity. If you can, take my ashes with you and walk across ten thousand miles of mountains and waters. See the different landscapes of different lands with your own eyes—on my behalf. If you believe in the cycle of life and death, then I will be somewhere in this world, waiting for you to come and find me.”“If you can’t find me, you don’t have to wait for me no matter what. In the end, in those long ages… how long can one person wait?”“Can you wait until the snow of the northern campaign no longer falls from spring to autumn?”“Can you wait until the islands of the Eastern Sea are swallowed by the sea line?”“Can you wait until this world goes from peace in all directions to fractured warlord rule, and then from chaos back to stability?”“Can you wait until… you can no longer remember me?”“My greatest regret is that in this life, there is nothing left I can promise you.”“If there is a next life—then I promise you a lifetime.”.A next life…Next life?What was a next life?Whose next life?There was no longer any northern campaign in this world. The Eastern Sea’s sea line had sunk and risen again. This realm had split and merged so many times no one could count. In those endless years—who had waited for whom for so long?Qinghuan jerked her head hard, trying to shake her muddled mind awake. But with that motion, a string of blood droplets flung straight onto the floor. She hadn’t even processed it yet when Sun Xuxue noticed first. After a brief blank stare, Sun Xuxue panicked and shoved a wad of tissues into her hands, her voice full of fear.“Y-you’re bleeding from your nose!”Qinghuan wiped her nose with the back of her hand, staring blankly at the bright red smear. A strangely familiar feeling surged up. As if all along, she was the one who should have been bleeding. All those past years—someone else had simply been taking the punishment for her.Sun Xuxue had seen Nan Yang nosebleed too many times. She immediately yelled for a doctor.She yelled so loudly that the corridor erupted into hurried footsteps. Nurses came running, even dragging a stretcher. The leading doctor rushed over and demanded to know what was going on. Sun Xuxue, trembling, pointed at Qinghuan’s nosebleed. The doctor did a quick check on the spot. Behind him, the nurses hovered in tense readiness. After a moment, the doctor pushed up his glasses and glared at Sun Xuxue. “It’s just a nosebleed. Why are you overreacting like this?”Sun Xuxue froze for a long time, then pointed toward the ER. “The one they’re rescuing was bleeding from her nose too.”“It’s not the same situation,” the doctor waved them off, signaling the nurses behind him to disperse. “Miss Zhu is just too tense emotionally. A bit of internal heat. Stuff some tissue in there and it’ll be fine.”Sun Xuxue asked again, “Really nothing?”“Nothing,” the doctor said, pulling a pack of napkins from his white coat pocket and stuffing it into Sun Xuxue’s hands. “It’ll stop in a few minutes.”Qinghuan covered her nose, flustered, and folded the letter back up, stuffing it between the Kindle and its case. She gave the doctor a polite nod. “Sorry to trouble you.” Then she shoved everything into Sun Xuxue’s arms, muttered, “I’m going to the restroom,” and hurried away.Inside the restroom, she bent over the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed water up to her chin to wash. Her nose was still bleeding, but not much. After two minutes, it returned to normal.She lifted her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was covered in water droplets, and the longer she stared, the more unfamiliar she felt. Her eyes were still her eyes, her nose was still her nose, but something was off—like something was missing.She closed her eyes and tried, with all her strength, to recall the letter she’d just read, and the dreams from before. She tried to remember every word and action in those dreams. The deeper she sank into it, the less she could tell who she really was. All she could feel was a swarm of voices buzzing in her head—some strange, some familiar. The most familiar of all was Nan Yang’s voice.Yet in that blur, the way Nan Yang spoke to her in those memories didn’t seem quite the same as now. It was entirely the tone of an elder speaking to a junior. And she—she always circled around Nan Yang, clinging close, her mouth repeating only two words, again and again.She had to have been calling Nan Yang.But she was certain she wasn’t calling Nan Yang by name.Because somewhere deep inside, she understood: calling Nan Yang by her name was improper. It wasn’t allowed.So what did she call her?What should she call her?Were those the two words the ancient letter kept repeating?Qinghuan was lost in thought when she suddenly heard running footsteps outside the restroom. A moment later, Sun Xuxue’s head poked in, eyes red as she said, “Zhuzhu, she’s out of the ER!”For a split second, Qinghuan blanked.Who was Zhuzhu?Ah… right. That was her.“Is she out of danger?” Qinghuan asked urgently.“Yes! She’s fine,” Sun Xuxue wiped at the tears at the corner of her eye. “The nurse said her heart stopped, right? But after you started bleeding from your nose, she suddenly stopped bleeding. Fresh blood finally stayed in her body. Once the bleeding stopped, her heartbeat slowly came back too. She’s been transferred to the ICU now, but she hasn’t woken up. Do you want to go see her?”Qinghuan went straight out of the restroom. Sun Xuxue hurried after her and led her to Nan Yang’s room.It was a private room: a single bed with a matching sofa, and the decor was noticeably more refined than standard wards. On the lonely bed, Nan Yang lay sunk into the snow-white covers. The forearm resting atop the blanket seemed even paler than the sheet. Through the thin, soft skin, the fine web of tiny blood vessels could be faintly seen. Her hands had been cut across the backs before, and needles couldn’t be placed there, so the doctor had inserted an IV at the inside of her wrist. Hanging from the drip stand was a bag of vivid red plasma.A pulse oximeter clip was fastened to Nan Yang’s index finger. The monitor beside her displayed normal numbers, everything indicating that, for the moment, she was stable.Qinghuan and Sun Xuxue both let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. Sun Xuxue glanced at her phone—it was already eight in the morning. No one had eaten anything. Nan Yang would probably be hungry when she woke up. So Sun Xuxue slipped out to buy breakfast.Before she left, she even thoughtfully closed the door.Qinghuan stood by the door, staring at Nan Yang for a long time. Her mind was a mess, nothing made sense anymore. She thought: there were things she needed Nan Yang to tell her in person. No matter how unbelievable Nan Yang’s explanation was, she would believe it now. She was one truth away from finding her real self—a truth that could only come from Nan Yang’s mouth, no mat
Chapter 84
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Calling out those two words didn’t feel strange to Qinghuan at all. If anything, she felt a sudden, exhilarating looseness spread through her whole body, like a knot untying at once. As if she had said it countless times before, and now she was simply returning to a long, long-ago stretch of time she had forgotten.Nan Yang stared at her in shock. Tears surged into her eyes instantly. When she spoke again, her voice was already choked, the violent rise and fall of emotion in her tone sounding nothing like the Nan Yang she knew.“What did you remember?”Qinghuan frowned and shook her head. “I… I don’t know. I can’t make sense of anything. I only know… it feels like there’s another past between us, but… how is that possible? There wouldn’t be… how could there…”Nan Yang forced down the wildly pounding heart that single “Master” had ignited. In a mind nearly drowned by joy, she clawed back a thread of reason.Qinghuan hadn’t remembered everything—this was only a sign, only the tip of an iceberg breaking the sea’s surface. That tip was a good thing. But if Nan Yang handled it poorly, it could also become a bad thing. Not everyone could endure having twenty-plus years of worldview collapse and rebuild from scratch. She longed for Qinghuan to remember it all, but she had to swallow that longing too. She had to wait—wait a little longer, be patient a little longer.“I’m sorry…” Qinghuan pressed a hand to her temple. “I don’t think I can call you by your name anymore. If I keep calling you ‘Master’ from now on… will you think it’s weird?”“It won’t be,” Nan Yang looked at her through a sheen of tears and reached out to touch her hair, both her fingers and her voice trembling. “You were always meant to call me that.”Qinghuan pursed her lips and watched her for a long time.“We really do have another past, don’t we?” she asked, shaking.Nan Yang fell silent for a while. Only after the tears in her eyes dried, and she had tucked away the tremor in her voice, did she speak softly.“Do you remember… I once asked you whether you believed in reincarnation?”Qinghuan’s eyes widened, her pupils quivering slightly.“If I told you that in every past you’ve ever had, I was there,” Nan Yang’s lips curved, her gaze gentle. “Would you believe me?”“You mean… we really have past lives?”“I have always been me. I’ve never changed,” Nan Yang shook her head. “It’s you—you’ve had many past lives. And I… I’m the only constant who watched you be reborn again and again.”“I know it sounds absurd. But believe me. I haven’t lost my mind, and I’m not lying to you.”“You said I act like an old fossil because I truly am someone from the past. And this face of mine isn’t the face of a thirty-five-year-old—that’s why my looks don’t match the age on my ID. And the reason I loved you so much the moment we got married wasn’t some shallow love at first sight. It’s because I have always loved you. From ancient times until now, I have always been keeping watch over you. In every lifetime you lived, I was never absent.”“I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid you couldn’t accept it. Afraid you’d discover your wife was a ‘monster’ who had lived for thousands of years, and even more afraid you’d start doubting the meaning of your own existence. So I had to wait—wait for you to find out on your own. Now you’ve found out. Even though your memories haven’t fully returned… from now on, as long as you ask, I’ll tell you the truth you want to hear.”Qinghuan pressed her lips together. After a short silence, she asked, “Then the letter tucked behind your Kindle… who wrote it to you?”Nan Yang’s finger—still wearing the sensor clip—jerked.“…You saw it?” Her voice carried a choke.“Yeah.” Even that single word came out thick with tears.Nan Yang looked at her deeply and said nothing for a long time. At last, she spoke, trembling.“Qinghuan, that was…”She paused, then forced the rest out as if it hurt to say.“It was… your will.”A will she had been willing to wait three thousand years for. The only relic Qinghuan had left her, cruelly, deliberately—her sole keepsake.After hearing it, Qinghuan didn’t react with shock. She didn’t collapse into anguish or spiral into torment. Instead, the light in her eyes steadied in an instant. Tears still shimmered there, yet a satisfied smile rose at her lips.“…So it really was like that.”“Doesn’t it feel scary?” Nan Yang fought the sting at the corners of her eyes, her tone soft as if she were reading a bedtime story to a child. “This world isn’t quite what you imagined. And I’m not quite what you imagined either.”“I’ve never thought you were any different.” Qinghuan’s smile was oddly relieved. “You’ve always been the you I’ve seen with my own eyes—someone who loves candied hawthorn, loves reading, and loves me. Now it just seems like maybe you’ve loved candied hawthorn for many years, loved books for many years, and loved me for a very, very long time.”It was true. Nan Yang had always been that pure. So pure that no amount of time, no wind or frost of the ages, could erode her original heart. When she loved something, when she loved someone, it was with an unflinching, decisive devotion—until death.“You… seem calmer than I expected.” Nan Yang held her hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “Do you really have no doubts?”“Mm…” Qinghuan tilted her head. “I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve already been having dreams that feel half-real, half-false. And I’ve always believed that in those dreams, you and I truly existed.”“Dreams? …What have you dreamed about?”“I dreamed you wore white robes embroidered with faint white cranes, sitting on a very, very high seat. Everyone knelt at your feet. I knelt beside you too. You were colder than you are now. Now you still smile at me sometimes, but in the dreams, you never smiled. And you always punished me—made me copy texts, made me stand in the corner, made me air out old books from the library…”Nan Yang’s brow twitched. “You… the things you’re recalling are all like that?”Qinghuan blinked, a little lost. “Now that you mention it, in the very first lifetime, you were kind of awful to me.”Nan Yang: “……”“Did you really like me back then?” Qinghuan lowered her head and spread her palm open. “I remember you even hit my hand with a ruler.” As she spoke, she looked at Nan Yang in confusion. “How could you bear to hit me?”Nan Yang was stumped. After a pause, she answered completely off-topic. “I won’t hit you now.”Qinghuan nodded. “If you hit me now, that’s domestic violence. The law won’t allow it.”Nan Yang: “……”“Qinghuan.” Nan Yang caught Qinghuan’s hands and held them together in her grasp. “Back then you were my disciple. You were young and unruly. As your master, I was teaching you.”“Oh…” Qinghuan’s lashes trembled. She turned Nan Yang’s right hand over and rubbed her thumb along the thin callus on the outside of Nan Yang’s index finger. “Then… Master isn’t going to teach me now?”Hearing her call her “Master” again softened something in Nan Yang’s chest. Her nose stung, and her eyes went wet again.Three thousand years.She had waited for three thousand years, suffering through them—just for this one word: “Master.”At last, that memory buried three thousand years ago was no longer a delusion she guarded alone.“Why are you crying?” Qinghuan hurriedly pulled out a napkin and covered the tear that was about to spill from Nan Yang’s eye. “You’re crying because I won’t let you hit me? Then… then how about I go find a little ruler, and you hit lightly?”Nan Yang leaned forward and wrapped her tightly into her arms. She didn’t even care that the needle in the inside of her wrist had come out of the vein and drawn blood. She only held her with all her strength, burying the sobs she couldn’t restrain in Qinghuan’s curled hair.Qinghuan held her back. She could feel Nan Yang’s grievance in her bones. Even though her own memories were still scattered fragments, and she had no idea how many years Nan Yang had waited for her, she seemed to understand Nan Yang’s feelings in that moment. Guilt flooded her. She murmured at Nan Yang’s ear, “I’m sorry. I… did I make you wait too long?”The person in her arms didn’t answer, only shook with silent sobs.“I’ll try hard to remember,” Qinghuan tightened her arms, lowered her eyes, and looked at the soft black hair tangled around her wrist. “Maybe I can’t remember everything with you yet, but one day, I will remember it all. We might have been separated before, but no matter what I recall, it won’t change my determination to walk with you through this life. I can feel it—whether it was me back then or me now, it’s the same: I love you. I love you, Nan Yang. I love you. I really, really love you.”Seas turned to dust, the world changed, everything became unfamiliar—yet those words, “I love you,” spanned the ages, unchanged.There were things she couldn’t bear to think through, but there was one thing she believed without doubt.From now on, from life to death, not even for an instant could they be separated again.A few knocks sounded at the door. From outside came Sun Xuxue’s respectful voice.“Ancestor, Zhuzhu—may I come in?”Qinghuan patted Nan Yang’s back and let her go. Nan Yang turned her face away, unwilling to let anyone see her reddened eyes. Qinghuan understood that pride of hers. She went to the door, didn’t let Sun Xuxue in, and only took the breakfast Sun Xuxue handed over.Soymilk and youtiao—simple. Steam fogged the thin plastic bag. Qinghuan carried it to the bedside, untied the knot, set it on the nightstand, and pushed it toward Nan Yang.“Eat something.”She snapped the disposable chopsticks apart, scraped them clean, and held them out to Nan Yang.Nan Yang didn’t take them. She lowered her gaze to her wrist—the one with the IV. The needle had already slipped out of the vein, leaving a bruised, swollen patch. Qinghuan saw it too. Angry at herself for noticing so late, she set the chopsticks down and reached for the call button. “I’ll get a nurse to handle it.”“It’s fine.” Nan Yang stopped her. She peeled off the tape and pulled the needle out cleanly herself.Qinghuan grasped her wrist and checked it carefully, her heart aching. Nan Yang flipped her hand over, not letting her keep staring, afraid Qinghuan would feel even more guilty. With a twist of her wrist, warmth shifted across Qinghuan’s palm—Qinghuan caught the difference instantly.“Your temperature…” Qinghuan tightened her fingers, uncertain. “It’s a little higher than before?”Nan Yang’s skin had always been cold—cold hands, cold feet, even cold lips. To put it bluntly, she felt like the dead. Only in bed, only when desire flared, would her body turn hot. But now, in a normal moment like this, her hand felt almost the same warmth as Qinghuan’s.“Your health… is it really connected to me?” Qinghuan pressed.Nan Yang didn’t hide it anymore. She nodded. “When you remember everything, my illness will heal completely.”Qinghuan didn’t understand.“Qinghuan, no one can live a thousand years,” Nan Yang explained slowly. “In ancient times, I was just an ordinary martial artist. Even though we also cultivated the Dao, cultivating the Dao wasn’t cultivating immortality. In our era, people treated gods and ghosts with reverence and distance. So if I wanted to go against the natural order and follow your reincarnations, I had to pay a price.”“But the price has an end. As long as you remember me, I’ll slowly become a normal person again.” She tightened her hold on Qinghuan’s fingers. “Like this—little by little, I’ll start having body heat, little by little, I’ll stop bleeding, stop hurting.”Qinghuan listened to the mystical, unreal words coming from Nan Yang, and it took her a moment to truly digest them. Her old worldview was being smashed again and again. It was difficult, but not impossible to accept. Especially when she realized Nan Yang’s past symptoms were tied to her memories—guilt rose so fiercely she could hardly breathe.How had Nan Yang endured it?Before this, she had hidden it so well that Qinghuan hadn’t known she suffered that badly each time. They had slept in the same bed for so long, and she had been this oblivious. She had always been afraid to involve herself too much in Nan Yang’s private matters, calling it respect—yet it turned out what Nan Yang needed most was her “disrespect.” If only she had torn off Nan Yang’s mask earlier, when Nan Yang tried to cover things up. Even if she couldn’t remember everything right away, at least she could have been there when Nan Yang hurt, holding her, hugging her.Nan Yang sensed Qinghuan’s self-blame. She didn’t know how to comfort her, so she only said, “Don’t rush. Think slowly. At least everything is moving in a good direction now. That’s already very good.”“You didn’t hide it from me this time?” Qinghuan’s mouth puckered. “From now on it’ll really keep getting better?”“It will,” Nan Yang nodded. “I can feel my body recovering. All these past years, my body has never been as sound as it is today.”Qinghuan lowered her head and gave a muffled “Mm.”“You can remember the past slowly. Don’t force yourself. If there’s anything you can’t sort out, you can ask me anytime. I’ll remember it with you.” Nan Yang’s voice sank lower and lower. “And if you don’t mind… I’m willing to walk with you again—through the story we lived back then.”
Chapter 85
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Would she truly be willing to walk that path again?Nan Yang asked herself the question in her heart, yet found no clear answer. Of course she hoped Qinghuan would remember all the warmth and tenderness they once shared—but at the same time, she was afraid Qinghuan would recall the unbearable past as well. She had slaughtered Qinghuan’s entire family, and had nearly killed Qinghuan herself when she was only three years old. When Qinghuan remembered that chapter of her life, how would she look at her? Back then, perhaps Qinghuan had forgiven her. But after thousands of years, when she faced those horrific scenes again, could she truly remain unburdened, without resentment?Qinghuan noticed Nan Yang’s mood sink for no apparent reason. She reached out, held Nan Yang’s hand, tilted her head, and looked at her through the curtain of lowered lashes.
“What’s wrong, Shifu?”The moment she called her that, Nan Yang’s drifting heart finally settled—like someone who had fallen from a great height, panicked and helpless, only to suddenly land with a soft poof on a thick cushion.The future could wait for the future. No matter what, right now, she was calling her Shifu again.Just that single form of address was enough to lift her spirits for days.“It’s nothing. Eat breakfast,” Nan Yang said, arranging her expression and reaching toward the bedside table for the chopsticks.Both her hands were wrapped in gauze, and her wrists were mottled with bruises from needle pricks. Qinghuan obviously couldn’t let her feed herself. Before Nan Yang’s fingers even reached the chopsticks, Qinghuan had already picked them up, grabbed a piece of cut fried dough, and brought it to Nan Yang’s lips.“Shifu, open your mouth.”Nan Yang still wasn’t used to being called Shifu. Even though she’d heard it countless times three thousand years ago, perhaps the time gap was simply too long. Even now, every time Qinghuan called her that, her heart seemed to lose all control, pounding wildly in her chest.She was actually… getting shy from being called that.Lowering her eyes, she avoided Qinghuan’s gaze and focused on the fried dough by her mouth.It had just been freshly fried—greasy and crisp. The moment she bit into it, it crackled loudly. A ring of oil stained her lips and philtrum. She puffed her cheeks and chewed slowly. The dough was too crisp, and countless tiny crumbs clung to her lower lip. Each time she chewed, they fluttered down onto the pure white bedsheet like falling rain.Qinghuan grabbed a tissue and brushed the crumbs off the blanket, then held another tissue under Nan Yang’s chin. She sighed.
“How do you manage to spill food even when you eat?”Nan Yang shook her head with a mouthful of fried dough, mumbling, “I didn’t…”“Alright, stop moving,” Qinghuan said, chasing after her as Nan Yang kept shaking her head. “The more you move, the more it falls.”So Nan Yang obediently froze in place, not moving at all, sitting straight and proper as she ate. Qinghuan caught the crumbs with one hand and fed her with the chopsticks in the other, caring for her like a child—only missing a bib.“In ancient times, was Shifu also this incapable of taking care of herself?” Qinghuan asked, stuffing another bite into her mouth.Nan Yang chewed carefully, swallowed, and replied, “I was not incapable of taking care of myself.”A dignified sect master—how could she be described as “unable to care for herself”?At most… she could be said to be “detached from worldly matters.”But honestly, for a sect master who lived with clothes offered by hand and food brought to her mouth, being “detached from worldly matters” was practically the same thing as being unable to take care of herself.“Do you want some soy milk?” Qinghuan asked. After finishing the entire fried dough, she picked up a disposable plastic cup filled with soy milk, poked a straw through the lid, and brought it to Nan Yang’s lips.“Mm.”Nan Yang closed her lips around the straw and took a sip without thinking.The moment Qinghuan saw white soy milk rush up the transparent straw, she heard a sharp intake of breath—“Hiss—”—and Nan Yang quickly turned her head away. Her brows knitted together as she stuck out her scalded tongue a little, teeth lightly biting her lip.“Burned?” Qinghuan hurriedly set the soy milk aside and leaned in, pinching Nan Yang’s chin to turn her face back and check.She really was burned. A very obvious blister had formed right at the tip of her tongue.“You—”Qinghuan was just about to scold her, but after a second thought, she couldn’t bear to. In the past, whenever she fed Nan Yang water or drinks, she would always blow on it and test the temperature with her lips and tongue before offering it. She had been the one to spoil Nan Yang into this habit of never checking the temperature herself. How could she blame her now?She called the nurse over. After taking a look, the nurse said the burn was a bit serious—blistering of the mucosa was no small matter. She brought some medicine and instructed them to spray it on regularly every few hours, avoid eating random foods, and stick to liquids for the next few days. Once the blister went down, it would get much better.After the nurse left, Nan Yang sat there blankly with her tongue stuck out. Qinghuan picked up a magazine and fanned Nan Yang’s tongue to help the medicine dry faster.With her mouth constantly open, a bit of saliva inevitably spilled from the corner of her lips. As Qinghuan reached for a tissue, she thought to herself that she really did need to make Nan Yang a bib.“Just how old are you, Shifu?” Qinghuan asked in a teasing tone as she dabbed at Nan Yang’s lips with the tissue.Nan Yang thought for a moment, then answered seriously, “If you calculate carefully, I should be a little over three thousand five hundred years old.”Qinghuan’s fingers froze.Three thousand five hundred years old???She was stunned. In her mind, Nan Yang’s age jumped straight from thirty-five to three thousand five hundred. The impact was enormous. She had known Nan Yang’s true age must be very old, but she hadn’t expected it to be this old.Doubling wasn’t enough—it was like adding two zeros to the end of an ID card age. Who could possibly handle that?Seeing Qinghuan’s eyes widen in shock, Nan Yang kept her tongue half out and asked, her words slurred, “Do you… think I’m old?”“No, no, it’s not that you’re old,” Qinghuan said, looking awestruck. “I’m just surprised that after living for over three thousand five hundred years, you can still get burned this badly by a mere cup of soy milk. Shifu, were all the sect masters three thousand years ago as silly as you?”Nan Yang frowned. “Nonsense.”Because her tongue was still stuck out, the moment she spoke, saliva stretched between her tongue and lips. Qinghuan wiped it away with the tissue and laughed helplessly.
“Shifu, stop talking. You’re drooling when you talk right now.”Nan Yang’s fingers curled tightly atop the blanket. She never would have imagined that her dignity would be utterly destroyed by a single cup of soy milk.Truly… improper.While they were eating breakfast, the production team called to ask about Nan Yang’s condition.When Nan Yang had been taken off the train, she’d looked horrifying—covered in blood. At the time, both Qinghuan and Sun Xuxue had truly believed she was dying, crying their hearts out. Everyone thought she was gravely, gravely ill. Back then, her condition really had been critical, and she had indeed hovered on the brink of death. Yet somehow, she now seemed almost fully recovered. Aside from the freshly burned blister on her tongue, she looked like a perfectly healthy person.Since she was fine, the production team felt relieved. The PD shamelessly asked when it would be convenient for them to return to the train and continue filming.Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were still on board, waiting for them. The journey was still ongoing.Qinghuan’s stance was to stop filming for now. She didn’t want Nan Yang taking risks by running around outside. But Nan Yang insisted that she was already improving, and that she still wanted to go abroad with Qinghuan.With the threat of death gone, her whole body felt light. Nothing sounded more appealing than traveling with her wife and friends.Qinghuan reluctantly agreed, but warned her, “Then you have to promise me—if you feel unwell at all, you must tell me. Don’t endure it alone, and definitely don’t secretly go off to smoke or anything.”Nan Yang, her burned tongue still sticking out a little, nodded obediently.Seeing her like this—pitiful yet amusing—Qinghuan’s voice softened.
“Smoking isn’t completely forbidden. If you really want to smoke, I’ll smoke with you. But until your tongue recovers, don’t smoke, okay?”“Okay,” Nan Yang replied indistinctly.Truthfully, not smoking was fine. The last time she’d tried it, she hadn’t tasted anything anyway—only bitterness and choking smoke.Considering that Nan Yang had just suffered a serious illness, the production team didn’t rush them back. They told them to rest for half a day, then take a high-speed train in the afternoon to Baoning Station. They would wait there and reunite with the production crew when the main train arrived.Both of them were exhausted, so they lay down together on the hospital bed and slept.Even in sleep, Nan Yang still had her tongue stuck out. In her drowsiness, Qinghuan looked at her and thought she resembled a snow-white rabbit.Closing her eyes, fatigue swept over her instantly. She nudged closer, found a comfortable position in Nan Yang’s arms, and fell into a deep sleep.Daytime sleep was the easiest time to dream.This time, Qinghuan dreamed again.But unlike before, there was no killing, no bloodshed, no separation by life and death. There was only a quiet plum garden, filled with drifting fragrance.In the dream, she seemed small—her limbs not yet fully grown. Her hands were tiny and soft as she held a small wooden sword, awkwardly swinging it back and forth. Not far away, a woman in white sat leisurely, leaning against the curved trunk of a plum tree with a book in hand. From time to time, she lifted her gaze to watch her practice, her eyes betraying no particular emotion.After thrusting her sword, she realized she’d made a mistake. Confused, she scratched her head. Nan Yang closed her book and beckoned to her.
“Come here.”So she walked over obediently, head lowered, not daring to look at Nan Yang.“Your hand.”Nan Yang picked up a ruler from the stone table, signaling for her to stretch out her hand.She knew she was about to be punished. She burst into tears, trembling as she held out her hand.
“Shifu, Shifu, please be gentle. It hurts.”Nan Yang paused, set the ruler aside, and carefully examined the swollen, reddened little palm. After a moment, her long fingers covered it, wrapping the small hand and drawing it closer. Then she lifted the child onto her lap.From behind, Nan Yang embraced her, resting her chin on the child’s tender shoulder. Her pale fingers caught the reddened little hand, her thumb gently massaging the angry marks in the palm. After a while, little Qinghuan glimpsed, out of the corner of her eye, the woman on her shoulder pursing her lips slightly. Cool air followed, blowing softly across her shoulder and over the burning lines of her palm.“Does it still hurt?” a gentle voice whispered by her ear.“It hurts!” she nodded vigorously. “If Shifu kisses it, it won’t hurt anymore.”That was how children were—when they hurt or got tired, they needed kisses and hugs from grown-ups to feel better.Nan Yang smiled faintly. She shifted the child, turning her around to sit facing her. Looking into those eyes filled with expectation, Nan Yang cradled the tiny hand as if holding a priceless treasure. Lowering her head, her lashes brushed over the child’s chubby wrist. Softly, she pressed a kiss to the center of her palm.
Chapter 86
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The train finally arrived at Baoning Station.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi had been worrying about Nan Yang and Qinghuan the whole time. They’d already spoken on the phone and knew the two of them would be meeting the production team at Baoning Station, so the moment the train pulled in, they got off personally to pick them up.The train would stop at Baoning Station for fifteen minutes. Both of them wore masks when they got off, and passing travelers didn’t pay them much attention. Before long, they saw Nan Yang and Qinghuan, also masked, walking over from the station entrance. They hadn’t even reached the sleeper cars at the rear before Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng—waiting outside the hard-seat carriage—intercepted them halfway.“Ancestor!”Seeing Nan Yang, Ming Wancheng felt the kind of exhilaration that came from surviving a catastrophe. She lunged forward, ready to throw herself at her.Nan Yang stepped back, frowning. “Stay away from me.”To Ming Wancheng, being able to see Nan Yang alive again felt like a miracle. She was so moved she wanted to cling to her and cry—but she also knew Nan Yang, that stubborn tsundere, would never allow it. So she swiveled on the spot and wrapped both arms around a pillar instead, hugging it as if it were Nan Yang, bawling her eyes out as she clung tight.“Ancestor, wuwuwu… I thought I’d never see you again, wuwuwu…”Passersby stared, baffled, at a young woman sobbing and clutching a pillar with all her might, looking around in confusion as if trying to figure out what was going on.Qi Yi grabbed Ming Wancheng by the collar and yanked her off the pillar, warning in a low voice, “Stop embarrassing yourself out here.”Qinghuan pulled out a napkin and handed it to Qi Yi to pass to Ming Wancheng. “A-Cheng, it’s fine. Why are you crying?”“Master, you can’t talk—when Ancestor got carried off the train last night, you cried even harder than I did…”“Cough!”Qinghuan cleared her throat, darting a quick glance at Nan Yang’s expression. Nan Yang still looked as placid as water, her eyes so calm they didn’t ripple at all.Qi Yi asked, “Is everything alright?”Qinghuan nodded. “It’s nothing serious now. Don’t worry.”“Mm.” Qi Yi paused, then added, “If anything happens, tell me. Or tell A-Cheng. The four of us… we don’t need to be distant with each other.”“I know,” Qinghuan said.She smiled, genuinely warmed. This feeling was wonderful—having one or two friends who truly cared. Even if there were secrets she couldn’t share, it didn’t tarnish the pure simplicity of friendship between them.Since there were no VJs filming on the platform, they talked a while longer. When the attendants and conductors began blowing whistles to signal departure, they separated and returned to their respective carriages.It was already seven in the evening, and the production team didn’t dare keep putting them through more. At this point, as long as they could appear together on camera, it was enough. The VJ uncle squatted on the little stool beside the sleeper berth to get a few shots, then left with a grin, even thoughtfully reminding them to rest well. They’d reach Bayu by noon tomorrow, so they should get up early and eat in the dining car in the morning.Across from them, Liu Liu saw them come back and beamed so widely she could barely close her mouth. These ordinary passengers had no idea what had happened last night—the news had been sealed tight. They only assumed Nan Yang and Qinghuan had gone to another carriage for something.It was still early. The roguishly handsome guy in the middle berth suggested playing Sanguosha, a tabletop card game. Liu Liu and A Mei agreed enthusiastically, looking at the big star across from them with bright anticipation, hoping to play a few rounds with a celebrity.Sanguosha was a classic. Back in college, Qinghuan had often pulled all-nighters with her club friends playing it. When she saw him pull out the cards, her hands itched too, and she tugged Nan Yang into the game.The rules were simple. It wasn’t complicated. Nan Yang saw Qinghuan wanted to play, so she didn’t say much—just quietly filled out the headcount.That made it a perfect five-player game.At the start, everyone drew three general cards and chose one role. The roguishly handsome guy picked Cao Cao. Liu Liu picked Zhou Yu. A Mei picked Zhao Yun. Nan Yang casually took Liu Bei. Qinghuan chose Diao Chan.When Qinghuan flipped Diao Chan’s general card face-up, Nan Yang glanced at it—and suddenly smiled.Nan Yang never smiled like that in front of outsiders. Qinghuan was puzzled and lowered her voice. “Why are you smiling, Shifu?”Nan Yang shook her head and asked instead, “Why did you pick Diao Chan?”“Her skills are useful,” Qinghuan said, shaking the general card in her hand. “And she’s pretty. Easy on the eyes.”“You really do have a type,” Nan Yang said, her meaning unclear.Naturally, Qinghuan pressed, “What do you mean?”Nan Yang fell silent for a moment, then lowered her voice until only the two of them could hear. “I told you I’m over three thousand five hundred years old. There are many periods of history I personally lived through. The Three Kingdoms era—of course I witnessed some people and events.”“For example, this lord,” she said, lifting her Liu Bei card. “I was fortunate enough to see him a few times. I can’t remember his face anymore—only that he was rather plain. Not nearly as handsome as he’s drawn on this card.”Qinghuan’s eyes widened. She’d known Nan Yang had lived a long time, but she hadn’t fully grasped what that meant—that Nan Yang had been present through dynasty after dynasty. Having this “bridge” suddenly made history feel startlingly real. Those famous names and legendary figures from the past felt close enough to touch.“Then—then what about them?” Qinghuan asked excitedly, pointing at the other general cards on the table.“Chancellor Cao, I only saw from a distance once—seemed like it was around the Battle of Red Cliffs. It was late at night, and I saw him get seasick, run out, and puke over the railing,” Nan Yang said evenly. “As for Zhou Gongjin and Zilong, I had a shallow acquaintance with them. Zhou Gongjin was good at the qin—we chatted a little about musical phrasing. Zilong…” Nan Yang thought carefully for a moment. “Zilong was quite fair-skinned.”“Fair-skinned?” Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing at the idea of a famed general being summed up with those two words.“Mm.” Nan Yang nodded, still calm, as if she were simply recounting the past without embellishment. “Back then, men thought beards were beautiful. Everyone wore one. Only Zilong didn’t. Not only did he never grow a beard, he never married either. Sometimes I wondered whether he was truly a man at all.”“Dear… god…” Qinghuan started questioning reality again, feeling as though her worldview from the last twenty-something years had been smashed to pieces.“But our acquaintance was shallow, and it’s been far too many years,” Nan Yang added. “Just take it as a story. You don’t need to treat it as fact.”“Then,” Qinghuan said, picking up her Diao Chan card, eyes shining, “what about her? One of the Four Great Beauties—have you seen her, Shifu? Was she really that beautiful?”Nan Yang looked at her. Her lips curved again, a faint, shallow smile.“Mm. I’ve seen her.”“So? How beautiful was she?”Nan Yang blinked, her gaze drifting languidly over the delicate brows and eyes of the charming woman opposite her, gliding down her refined nose bridge, settling on her full, rosy lips.“…Just average. I thought the little maid beside her was prettier.”She said it softly.“What kind of maid could be prettier than Diao Chan, one of the Four Great Beauties?” Qinghuan tilted her head, intrigued.Nan Yang looked at her, and her already soft voice grew softer still. “Look in a mirror and you’ll know.”Qinghuan didn’t catch it. “What did you say?”The roguishly handsome guy tapped the table. “Hey, hey, you two beautiful ladies—can you stop whispering and focus on the game?”Liu Liu rammed her elbow hard into his. Fierce as a little tiger, she said, “Be polite to the ladies!”“Ow!” He yelped, rubbing his elbow and baring his teeth. “Liu Liu, we’ve only known each other two days and you’re already this mean to me!”“Serves you right,” A Mei chimed in. “You were rude first.”They played and bickered, chatting and laughing as the game went on. Qinghuan joined in, and after a while, everyone grew more familiar.Nan Yang sat quietly at the side, not participating in the chatter. When it was her turn, she played her cards. When it wasn’t, she held her hand of cards and lowered her head, lost in thought. Time passed quickly like that. After nine, the game broke up and everyone went to wash up and get ready for bed.Before sleeping, Qinghuan sprayed medicine on Nan Yang’s burned tongue. The two of them squeezed onto the narrow berth, talked for a bit, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.In the hard-seat carriage at the other end of the train, travelers also drifted into sleep after a grueling day—leaning, slumping, faces pressed to arms.After sitting in hard seats for a full two days, both Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng were struggling. But they weren’t as famous as Qinghuan, Bai Jinqiu, or Cen Ziyan, and the production team didn’t have the bandwidth to care whether they were comfortable. Ming Wancheng had been holding her lower back since morning. Qi Yi noticed and managed to get her to lie down across the cramped seats. To avoid taking up other people’s space, Ming Wancheng’s legs still hung out into the aisle, and her head could only rest on Qi Yi’s lap.Ming Wancheng was so exhausted that she fell half-asleep not long after lying down, even in such an uncomfortable position. Before she sank into deeper sleep, she nuzzled Qi Yi’s thigh like a needy kitten and mumbled, “Sister… your legs are so soft.”Qi Yi glanced at the neatly stacked test papers on the table. Every page had been completed carefully by Ming Wancheng; every mistake Qi Yi marked had been corrected and revised with equal seriousness. Her gaze dropped to the sleeping girl in her lap, and the light in her eyes softened more and more.The schedule was packed. Filming was brutal. Even so, A-Cheng was obediently seizing every sliver of free time to do her worksheets. When she was tired, she would cry—and still force herself to finish. That once-unruly child had become so docile for her. It was truly rare.And besides…A-Cheng was so adorable.Not the affected kind of cute—just naturally, effortlessly adorable.Qi Yi smiled. She lifted her hand and quietly stroked Ming Wancheng’s hair. The ends were soft, like a puppy’s baby fur.Suddenly, the phone on the table lit up and began to vibrate. Qi Yi’s fingers, resting on Ming Wancheng’s hair, trembled slightly. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose bridge, and after seeing the caller ID, her heart sank.Carefully, she lifted Ming Wancheng’s head and propped a bag under it as a substitute pillow. Then she slowly slipped away, took her phone, and walked to the connection between carriages to answer.It was deep night. There wasn’t even anyone smoking here anymore.When she picked up, she called softly, “Dad.”“Xiao Yi. We just got back to the country. Why didn’t you tell your mother and me—why did you run off to participate in a TV variety show?”“…It’s just a small show. We’ll be back after a month in Thailand.”“Mm.” The middle-aged man on the other end paused. “That girl who’s been following you around on the show—what is she to you?”Qi Yi parted her lips, weighed her words for a long time, then answered, “Just a partner assigned by the production team.”“Good. Xiao Yi, don’t join these low-nutrition programs in the future, and don’t get too close to those actors in the entertainment industry. Zhu Zhu is an exception—she’s like you, a highly educated woman from a top university. Your mother and I have no objections to her. But the others aren’t the same—especially that ‘partner’ of yours. At a glance she looks like she’s never studied much. Don’t get too close to her. You become like the company you keep, understand?”Qi Yi didn’t answer. Her fingers pressed against the metal wall; her glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose.“When you return from Thailand this time, go meet Haoyang.”“…Can we push it back a little?” Qi Yi gripped the ice-cold phone, her voice heavy with restraint.“What’s there to push back? Are you planning to never meet your fiancé for the rest of your life?”
Chapter 87
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By noon the next day, the car arrived at Bayu Station. The production team did not release any new tasks that morning. They only had the VJs follow and film the guests as they woke up, washed up, and packed their things. After traveling together with the other passengers for three days, saying goodbye still carried a bit of sentiment. Especially Liu Liu and A-Mei—although they had not interacted much with the two celebrities in the opposite berths aside from playing a single board game, they still cried for a short while when getting off the train, for reasons no one could quite understand.The schedule was tight. At nine in the evening they would have to head to Bayu Airport to catch their flight to Thailand. During the afternoon, the production team took everyone to the most popular hotpot restaurant in Bayu, booked the place, and let both the guests and the staff enjoy a proper meal.Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan sat at a table with Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng. Their seats were tucked into a corner—fewer people, quieter—so they could chat while eating.“Master.”Ming Wancheng called out once.After she spoke, both Zhu Qinghuan and Nan Yang turned their heads reflexively, except Zhu Qinghuan looked at Ming Wancheng, while Nan Yang looked at Zhu Qinghuan.Zhu Qinghuan noticed Nan Yang looking at her and turned back, lowering her voice. “It wasn’t me who called you.”“Mm.” Nan Yang lowered her head and picked up her chopsticks, tapping them lightly against the empty bowl. Qinghuan’s voice and A-Cheng’s were indeed a little similar, especially when calling someone “Master.”Nan Yang had already found a chance to tell Qinghuan about Ming Wancheng’s true identity. After learning that Ming Wancheng was also a three-thousand-year-old ancient being, Qinghuan began questioning reality for the umpteenth time. Accepting such a shift in the identity of someone close to her was never easy. But once she truly accepted it, her feelings toward Ming Wancheng reached a new level. In the past, when Ming Wancheng called her Master, it had just gone in one ear and out the other. Now, when Ming Wancheng called her Master, she genuinely felt happy.“What is it, A-Cheng?” Qinghuan asked.“Help me pass the potatoes near you,” Ming Wancheng stretched out her arm. “My sister likes potatoes. I’ll put some in for her.”Qi Yi said flatly, “You don’t need to worry about me. Just eat your own.”“Then… do you want vermicelli? I can put some in for you.”“I said no.”Ming Wancheng’s hand froze in midair. After a moment, she gave an awkward smile and looked at Qi Yi. “What’s wrong, Sister? You’ve been kind of off since this morning. It feels like you suddenly started distancing yourself from me.”Both Nan Yang and Qinghuan set down their chopsticks and looked at Qi Yi at the same time.Qi Yi pushed her glasses up, her tone still even. “We shouldn’t have been getting that close to begin with.”Ming Wancheng fidgeted uneasily with her chopsticks and asked in a low, anxious voice, “Is it because I made too many mistakes on the practice papers these past two days and you’re angry? I… I’ll study properly. Next time I definitely won’t make so many—”“A-Cheng,” Qi Yi interrupted her. “There’s something I want to tell you.”As she spoke, she lifted her gaze and glanced at Nan Yang and Qinghuan across the table, the corner of her mouth forcing up a slight smile. “Actually, I want to tell you both as well. After we get back from Thailand, I’ll probably start preparing to get married. It’s been arranged by my parents. The other party is the youngest professor at Huaxing University.”The atmosphere at the table instantly froze.Qinghuan shot a quick glance at Ming Wancheng and lowered her voice. “How come I’ve never heard you mention that you had a fiancé?”“It was only finalized recently,” Qi Yi lowered her head and stirred the sesame sauce in her bowl with her chopsticks. “You know what my dad is like—once he decides something, that’s it. So…” She pressed her lips together and looked at Ming Wancheng beside her. “A-Cheng, between us… it’s not possible.”Nan Yang silently picked up a meatball and placed it in her bowl without saying anything.Ming Wancheng froze for a moment, then forced a smile that looked worse than crying. “I… I know. I never planned to date you anyway.”Qi Yi was stunned.Thinking back carefully, Ming Wancheng really had never said she wanted to date her from beginning to end. The most outrageous thing she had ever said was that line when they first met—“Take care of me”—but being kept was not the same as dating. Maybe because Ming Wancheng always liked following behind her, at some point she had developed the illusion that Ming Wancheng wanted a romantic relationship with her.She had never felt she harbored improper feelings toward Ming Wancheng. All along, she had treated her like a younger sister—teaching her, helping her. Yet hearing Ming Wancheng say this so calmly made her heart feel instantly hollow. She had barely slept the night before, imagining that once Ming Wancheng heard the news, she would cry and make a scene, beg her not to get married, maybe even smash a bowl or knock over a chair. But she never expected Ming Wancheng to say something like this so calmly, as if all the ambiguity that had once flowed between them was nothing more than her own illusion.The hotpot meal ended up feeling stifling. No one at the table seemed able to eat much, except for Nan Yang, who alone maintained a good appetite, bite after bite, even though the burn on her tongue had not yet fully healed.After the meal, the rest of the production team stayed in the restaurant to pass the time while waiting for the right moment to head to the airport. Nan Yang and Qinghuan went up to the small balcony on the second floor of the hotpot restaurant and looked out over the strangely layered, winding roads of Bayu.“I always thought Xiao Yi liked A-Cheng too,” Qinghuan let out a long sigh. “But how can she just get married the moment she says she will? Master, do you have any way to stop Xiao Yi from getting married?”Nan Yang leaned against the railing, arms crossed, her expression calm. “Why shouldn’t she get married?”“Because…” Qinghuan hesitated. “Because A-Cheng has been waiting for her all this time. Three thousand years. She must want so badly to be with Xiao Yi. If she sees Xiao Yi marry another man, how heartbroken would she be?”“Qi Yi has the right to choose her own life,” Nan Yang said softly. “A-Cheng’s obsession is her own. Qi Yi doesn’t have to respond to it. Besides, this is only the ninety-seventh lifetime. A-Cheng won’t grow old in this life. She can’t give Qi Yi any promises to begin with.”“But that’s the person she’s loved for three thousand years,” Qinghuan said, unable to bear it. “If she watches Xiao Yi walk into marriage with someone else, won’t she feel unwilling?”“After three thousand years, she’s already used to this kind of thing.”Nan Yang’s tone was so detached, as if she were more certain than anyone that this process would not bring Ming Wancheng deeper pain.Qinghuan looked at her, and her nose suddenly stung.“What about you?” Qinghuan bit her lip. “Have you ever watched me walk toward someone else like this?”Nan Yang curved her lips slightly, turned to meet Qinghuan’s gaze, and in her eyes was endless tenderness. “Qinghuan, you also have the right to choose your own life. I can’t demand that you, without memories, fall in love with me every single time.”“So you really have watched me marry someone else?” Qinghuan’s eyes filled with a thin layer of tears. “Weren’t you sad?”“…How could I not be sad?” Nan Yang looked away, gazing at the overlapping roads in the distance. “I told you before—if you so much as looked at someone else for a second, I would be unhappy.”“Master…”Qinghuan could not imagine what kind of torment Nan Yang’s heart had endured back then. She could not help thinking: what would it feel like if she herself had to watch Nan Yang marry someone else? She did not even dare to think it through. The moment the thought appeared, her chest already hurt so badly she could barely breathe.“But I also said that my unhappiness only means I’m small-minded. It doesn’t mean you were wrong.” Nan Yang smiled lightly, without a trace of resentment. “Emotions are not something we can control, but our sense of right and wrong is. I’ve always been very clear that one cannot force someone else to comply just because one cannot escape one’s own obsession. Respecting you is what I believe to be the correct choice. So as long as I’m doing what I think is right, no matter how much it hurts, I won’t lose myself over those long stretches of time.”Perhaps true strength was exactly this.Strength was not wealth towering over others, nor power ruling one side, nor even wisdom that subdued the many. True strength was knowing what was right and what was wrong; knowing full well what pain and hopelessness lay ahead in holding fast to one’s heart, yet still walking forward calmly; being able, after endless suffering along the way, to stand proudly and serenely at the end of the road and say: I have always done what I believed was right.A strong and steadfast person was the most captivating of all.At this moment, Nan Yang was more attractive than she had ever been. Qinghuan was certain that even if she had no memories, even if Nan Yang were not beautiful, not wealthy, she would still, in this lifetime, fall hopelessly in love with her.She leaned forward and hugged Nan Yang, rubbing her soft black hair over and over, burying her face in the hollow of her shoulder as tears streamed down.“Why are you crying? We’re already together now, aren’t we?” Nan Yang wrapped an arm around Qinghuan’s waist and soothed her softly.Qinghuan cried like a child. “I just feel so sorry for you… Master, you big idiot. Why do you have to be so good to me all the time? I’m so ordinary. I don’t deserve you treating me this well…”“Qinghuan, I’ve lived for over three thousand years and met countless kinds of people,” Nan Yang said gently, stroking her curls. “And in all that time, you are still the kindest and most gentle girl I’ve ever met. You deserve all the best things in the world.”With her face pressed into Nan Yang’s white shirt, Qinghuan’s muffled sobs came through. “M-Master is really good at comforting people now.”“I’m just saying what’s in my heart,” Nan Yang chuckled softly. “You know me. I’m not very good with words, and I don’t really know how to comfort women. If these words from my heart can comfort you, I’m even happier than you are.”“You just keep getting better with every sentence,” Qinghuan lifted her face, smiling through tears. “Why don’t we publish a book for Master?”Nan Yang lifted her sleeve and used the cuff to wipe the tears from Qinghuan’s cheeks. “I really am very happy. Three thousand years ago, because I spoke too little, there were so many things I wanted to say to you, and before I could say them, you left like that. So all these years, I’ve often thought that if I could be with you again, I would learn to say many, many things—to say everything in my heart out loud. Some things only need to become a regret once. I can’t let them become a second time, or a third.”Qinghuan’s heart softened and ached at the same time.Yes. Regret was such a painful word. What hurt people most in this world was not missing out, but realizing only after something had turned into regret that, back then, it might not have been necessary to miss out at all.And the happiest thing in the world was nothing more than suddenly realizing that those missed regrets could finally, one by one, be made up for.“Then… Master, what regrets did you still have back then, that I can make up for you now?”Qinghuan asked in the gentlest tone she could manage.Nan Yang’s movements paused, the light in her eyes dimming. After a long moment, she answered slowly, word by word, with solemn seriousness:“I want to marry you. Truly marry you.”“I want to bow to Heaven and Earth.”“Bow to our elders.”“And bow to you.”
Chapter 88
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If it came to a wedding, should they do a traditional Chinese ceremony, or a modern Western one?For the two hours before heading to Bayu Airport, Nan Yang and Qinghuan kept circling that question. They didn’t really disagree—both were simply torn. Both options sounded wonderful, and neither could bear to give the other up. By the time they boarded the plane, they still hadn’t settled on anything. They were so absorbed in imagining it all that they temporarily forgot the two friends beside them were still drowning in awkwardness.After leaving the hotpot restaurant, Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng did not speak again. Qi Yi walked in front; Ming Wancheng kept two steps behind her, silently trailing at the very end. Ming Wancheng didn’t look particularly sad. The corners of her lips even still held a faint smile—she just no longer walked so close to Qi Yi.At first, she had approached Qi Yi for only one reason: she hadn’t seen her for far too long. It had been centuries. She missed her, so instinctively she wanted to be nearer. After they met again, she blurted out that she wanted Qi Yi to keep her, and in her heart she was utterly straightforward about it. If Qi Yi was willing, they could have a few brief affairs, share the pleasures of the bed. If Qi Yi wasn’t willing, then they would be good friends, good sisters. If, in the course of their time together, Qi Yi fell in love with her, then she would be with her. If Qi Yi fell in love with someone else, then she would pull away—just as she had done over the past three thousand years—standing behind her and watching her walk this lifetime to its happy ending.And it wasn’t as if she had gained nothing. At the very least, she had a hooligan bunny plush she had won from a claw machine, and a whole stack of workbooks Qi Yi had personally marked up for her.She didn’t think she was pitiable. She just couldn’t keep loving her openly for the next few decades. This world still held countless beautiful things. She could still move through the sunlight with composure, love everything under heaven with abandon.To love someone, to wait for someone—of course that was an important kind of steadfastness. But in the years of waiting, she also had other things she wanted to do. Her life should not be trapped by a single object, a single view, a single person.In a sense, she and Nan Yang were complete opposites.Nan Yang’s three thousand years had always been trapped on that one person.Neither of them was right or wrong. Neither was better or worse. People simply wanted different things. Nan Yang was pure; Ming Wancheng was openhearted. Whether purity or openheartedness, being able to persist in oneself was already something rare.Ming Wancheng had stepped out of it.The one who couldn’t step out became Qi Yi.What Qi Yi could not make sense of was this: on the surface, it looked like she was the one who had abandoned Ming Wancheng, the one choosing to walk toward marriage. Yet she herself remained trapped in struggle and agitation, unable to understand what she was even tangled up over.The plane had been chartered by the production team. Counting all the staff, it was almost exactly full. The guests were placed in first class. The journey was three hours, crossing one time zone in the middle, a one-hour difference. It was already deep night. Everyone wrapped themselves in blankets and slept for a while, and they would arrive in Bangkok.Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan sat in the first row. Nan Yang and Qinghuan sat in the second. Behind them were Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng. The mood in both the front row and the back row was heavy, but it didn’t affect Nan Yang and Qinghuan at all. Qinghuan scrolled through photos of wedding dresses on her phone, carefully selecting elegant styles and flipping through them one by one for Nan Yang to see. Nan Yang watched quietly the entire way, then said only:“Don’t they all look the same?”“How are they the same? Short dresses and long dresses, fitted and layered, off-shoulder and not, backless and not, with a veil and without a veil—how can that be the same?” Qinghuan sighed under her breath. “Master, you really are…”Nan Yang pressed her lips together, studied Qinghuan’s phone again, and said, “I’m not picky. White is fine.”“Wedding dresses are basically only white.” Qinghuan pulled her phone back helplessly. “Fine. I’ll pick. Master just has to wear it obediently when the time comes. You wouldn’t choose when I asked you to—so when the dress arrives, you’re not allowed to complain that what I picked isn’t pretty.”“Mm.”Nan Yang took out her Kindle, opened a classic at random, and started reading. Out of the corner of her eye, Qinghuan looked at the Kindle and remembered the letter she had once seen tucked into the case. Her heart lurched.Ever since she had met Nan Yang in this lifetime, Nan Yang had carried that Kindle with her, as if it never left her side. She kept the most painful memories pressed against her body, as though she needed to tear open her own scars at all times.“Master… you’ve been carrying my suicide letter this whole time?” Qinghuan asked in the faintest voice.“This is what you left me. Of course I keep it with me.” Nan Yang closed the Kindle, lifted it, and gave it a small shake toward Qinghuan, speaking of the past on her own initiative. “In ancient times, I kept it with my banknotes in my pouch. During the Republican era, with war everywhere, I sewed it into the lining of my qipao. In this peaceful age, I tuck it here. Sometimes when I’m tired of reading, it’s convenient to take it out and miss you.”Qinghuan felt like crying again. She forced down the sting in her nose and masked it with a shallow smile. “Then when Master reads my letter, what do you think about?”Nan Yang considered for a moment, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly, her voice steady. “I think… it would have been better if I could have heard you say those words to me.”Qinghuan’s lashes trembled.Nan Yang paused, then continued, “After you left, I missed you all the time. When I missed you, I would take out that letter and read it. And while I read, I kept thinking—how wonderful it would be if I could hear you recite these words aloud. The words carry your warmth, but that warmth is still something I imagine. Imagined things get worn down. A real voice doesn’t.”Qinghuan bit her lip. After a long while, she asked very softly, “Is that why you chose to record a voice will instead of writing a paper will?”Nan Yang lowered her eyes, silent for a moment, then gave a simple hum of agreement.Unwilling to let it go, Qinghuan tugged at her index finger, staring at her, as if still wanting more explanation.Nan Yang’s lips curved gently. She looked at Qinghuan with softness and took her hand in return.“I thought… if I really died, maybe you would be like me, and want to hear my voice.”Something flickered in Qinghuan’s eyes.Nan Yang’s tenderness and care were not only meticulous to the point of listing every property deed, every car brand and model, every last fractional unit of her assets—it was meticulous even down to the form the will took. It was as if she wanted to turn all her love into honey, gather it into nectar, and, with painstaking devotion, smear it onto every gift she left behind.She even gave Qinghuan the right to decide what would be done with her body.Three thousand years ago, Qinghuan had told her: cremate me to ash, and carry my ashes with you.Three thousand years later, she told Qinghuan: my body belongs to you.Keeping ashes by one’s side was too tormenting. Burying a body underground was too full of longing. If she didn’t know what to choose, then she would hand over the right to choose.If you want my companionship, then I will accompany you forever. If you want me to rest, then I will rest forever.In Qinghuan’s incomplete, half-returned memories, Nan Yang had always seemed faint—her smile faint, her scolding faint. Qinghuan had always thought that three thousand years ago, Nan Yang hadn’t loved her that much. Maybe she was simply too quiet by nature, too unwilling to speak, too unwilling to take credit even when she did things. But now, thinking it through carefully, Nan Yang’s love had never been less than hers.If anything, no one in this world would ever love deeper than Nan Yang.That was how a cool, distant woman was: she did not easily allow anyone into her world, but once someone entered, that person would be branded into her heart for the rest of her life. How fortunate Qinghuan was—to have stepped into the world of the woman beside her, to have become her only one across three thousand years.If they weren’t on a plane right now, Qinghuan would have wanted to press Nan Yang down on a bed and kiss her properly.When you desperately want to kiss someone, your gaze doesn’t lie. Nan Yang noticed Qinghuan staring at her so directly, so burning it was almost frightening. She couldn’t help leaning back a little, and she even swept her eyes over the people in front and behind them.“What is Master afraid of?” Qinghuan smiled softly, her eyes red at the corners.Afraid you’ll pounce.Of course Nan Yang wouldn’t say that out loud.Qinghuan reined in the emotion in her eyes. Looping her arm around Nan Yang’s, she leaned in and nuzzled her white shirt. “Sleep for a bit. When you wake up, we’ll be in Bangkok.”“Mm.”Nan Yang lifted a hand to stroke Qinghuan’s curls and closed her eyes.They curled against each other and slept for a while.After the plane leveled off, Qinghuan woke hazily in the middle of the night and wanted to use the restroom. Carefully, she loosened her hold on Nan Yang, unfastened her seat belt, and walked toward the lavatory.Someone was inside. She waited outside for a bit. Five minutes later, the door opened. Ming Wancheng stepped out, one foot halfway past the threshold, her hand still gripping the handle, surprise in her eyes. “Huh? Master’s using the restroom too?”“Yes,” Qinghuan said with a gentle smile.“Then you go ahead. I’ll head back first.” Ming Wancheng nodded.She had only taken two steps when Qinghuan called after her, “A-Cheng, wait.”Ming Wancheng turned back. “What is it?”Qinghuan leaned against the side of the lavatory door, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, and said, “Can we talk for a moment?”“Aren’t you here to use the restroom? Not in a hurry?” Ming Wancheng teased her naturally, the same as always.“Not in a hurry.” Qinghuan shifted her stance, hesitated, then said, “I just wanted to ask… you and Xiao Yi, are you still…”“She already said it—she’s decided to get married.” Ming Wancheng leaned against the wall opposite Qinghuan, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. “She and I were never lovers. We’re partners, that’s all. When she was single, I could cling to her however I wanted. Now she has a fiancé, so I’ll definitely keep my distance from her in the future. Master doesn’t have to worry. I’m fine.”Qinghuan fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “All right. But if you really aren’t fine, you have to tell me and your Ancestor. We count as your elders. We’ll help you no matter what.”“I’m not as fragile as you think.” Ming Wancheng waved her hand with a smile. “Only someone as stubborn as Ancestor would watch you marry someone else and then silently wait alone for decades. I’m not stubborn like her. There are many things I love. Sister is only one of the many things I love. If I can’t have her in this life, then the next. In the meantime, there’s plenty I want to play with and plenty of scenery I want to see. Just being able to join a variety show with her this time is already enough to make me satisfied. Master, I’m really not greedy.”Ming Wancheng’s thinking surprised Qinghuan. She had assumed that a girl like A-Cheng, who always wore her emotions on her face, would cry and make a fuss when watching the person she liked get married. She hadn’t expected her to be so free and unbothered.What a free soul.“Have you ever thought that maybe Xiao Yi likes you too?” Qinghuan asked carefully.Ming Wancheng tilted her head as if thinking it over, then smiled again.“Master, she’s already made her choice. Why make these kinds of assumptions with me? You really don’t need to worry about my business. If you have the energy, you’d be better off trying to remember the past. There’s still a knot in Ancestor’s heart that hasn’t been untied.”Qinghuan froze.“…A knot?”“Yes.” Ming Wancheng nodded. “Not just her. If you truly recover all your memories, you’ll have your own knot too.”
Chapter 89
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Qinghuan pressed a few more times, but Ming Wancheng refused to say anything further. She only said that these were questions the two of them would have to think through and resolve on their own—she had no place interfering.Since Ming Wancheng had put it that way, Qinghuan did not continue asking. They chatted idly for a couple more lines, then each went off to handle their own things.Three hours passed quickly, especially in the middle of the night. Everyone had even managed to get some sleep. It felt as though their eyes had barely closed before the broadcast announcement jolted them awake. The voice over the intercom spoke Mandarin with an odd cadence—it clearly was not her native language—but when it switched to Thai, it became fluent and smooth. As they disembarked, two flight attendants with distinctly Southeast Asian features stood at the cabin door, pressing their palms together and greeting each person with a “Sawadikap.”At last, they had arrived on Bangkok soil.Thailand was hot—hot in a way different from back home. It felt like being soaked in warm water, a sticky, suffocating heat. When the night breeze swept over them, it brought not the slightest coolness, only an added layer of stifling heaviness.The production team’s arrangements were even more breath-stealing. After three consecutive days of trains and flights, logic said they should at least be given one day to rest. Yet the moment their feet touched the ground, the PD gathered them together and began handing out the day’s task.It was only five in the morning. Even the cameramen were yawning nonstop.Off-camera, the PD read from the cue card into a microphone. “As previously announced, after the pilot episode went online, the official account opened voting channels to support each of you. The support points accumulated over these days will be converted at a fixed ratio into Thai baht and distributed to you. Other than that, you are not allowed to carry any additional cash. Assistant director, please bring the envelopes.”The assistant director handed each group an envelope. Qinghuan took hers and opened it. Inside was one thousand baht—roughly two hundred-plus yuan. Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan probably had a bit more. She was not sure whether A-Cheng’s would be enough.“Today will still be VJ follow-cam filming. With this money, each group needs to visit at least two attractions. If you’re tired, you may first go rest at the designated hotel. As long as you complete the task and return to the hotel before ten tonight, it counts.”Everyone was exhausted. Without exception, they all chose to go to the hotel and rest first.On the way there, the sky gradually brightened. Thai scenery slipped past the windows—Southeast Asian faces on the streets, temples flashing by from time to time, skytrains gliding overhead, Thai billboards full of text they could not read at all. The car had been arranged locally. Thai vehicles always seemed to burn heavy incense, the scent making one feel dizzy and lightheaded.After arriving at the hotel, Nan Yang and Qinghuan went next door to a 7-Eleven to buy some things. Ming Wancheng, seemingly unwilling to be alone with Qi Yi, followed them along. She walked so fast—nothing like before, when she used to linger behind Qi Yi, glancing back every few steps, sticking close and constantly calling out, “Sister, wait for me.” This time, she left without even saying goodbye to Qi Yi.Qi Yi silently watched Ming Wancheng’s back as she followed behind Qinghuan, her fingers tightening around the handle of her suitcase, as if lost in thought. A moment later, the elevator chimed and arrived at the first floor, and she still did not notice.Ming Wancheng was someone who picked things up and put them down cleanly. From the moment Qi Yi said she was going to get married, Ming Wancheng had already prepared herself to part ways with her for the rest of this life. Qinghuan thought she was impressive—like she had a switch inside her. Some emotions could be turned on or off just like that. Calling her heartless would not be accurate; after all, she still loved that person. But if she was not heartless… Qinghuan could not help feeling that the Qi Yi left behind was a little pitiful.“I didn’t bring any money,” Ming Wancheng said, grabbing a small packet of biscuits from the shelf. “The envelope the director gave us only had five hundred baht, and I handed it all to Teacher Qi to keep. Master, can you buy me a pack of biscuits?”Qinghuan shot her a sideways glance. “You even changed how you address her? Weren’t you always calling her ‘Sister’?”“Yes. I always did. Three thousand years ago too,” Ming Wancheng shrugged indifferently. “But thinking about it now, it sounds kind of ambiguous. I’ll call her that again in her next life. For now, going back to ‘Teacher Qi’ is more appropriate.”Qinghuan opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, and could only tug lightly on Nan Yang’s sleeve. “Aren’t you going to talk her out of it?”Nan Yang lifted her eyes calmly, glanced at Ming Wancheng, and actually approved of her decision. “That is only proper.”Qinghuan: “……”It was her fault. Her memories had returned too slowly—she still could not understand how these two old antiques thought.The money given by the show was far too little. Qinghuan also had to keep the task in mind and reserve enough for entertainment activities and souvenirs. They could not buy too much at the convenience store. Nan Yang, however, was used to spending freely. She never treated money as money, choosing items based only on whether she wanted them, never on price.She had just picked up a box of chocolates when Qinghuan rapped the back of her hand with a roll of baht folded into a tube. “No buying.”Nan Yang withdrew her hand and looked at Qinghuan with three parts confusion and three parts displeasure at her lack of deference.Back when Qinghuan had no memories, it was fine if she kept smacking her hand like this. But now that she clearly knew she was her master, she still dared to do it—her nerve had grown bold indeed.Under Nan Yang’s gaze, Qinghuan shrank back a little and explained softly, “We don’t have money, Master.”Nan Yang withdrew her eyes, thought quietly for a moment, then took her wallet from her pocket, opened it, and held it out in front of Qinghuan.The wallet was stuffed full of Thai baht—every bill a yellow one-thousand-baht note—packed together so tightly they looked ready to burst it open.For someone like her, who had had thousands of years to roam the world, exchanging enough foreign currency before traveling abroad was long a habit. Besides, international convenience stores like 7-Eleven accepted Alipay and WeChat Pay on mobile phones. When the cameras were not following, there was no need to wrong herself.Ming Wancheng leaned over, eyes wide. “Wow.”Seeing her come closer, Nan Yang casually took out a thick stack and handed it to her. “Take it.”Ming Wancheng accepted it without hesitation. “You’re too considerate, Ancestor.”Nan Yang then took out more than half of what remained and offered it to Qinghuan. “Some for you too.”“Why are you handing out money like flyers?” Qinghuan pressed Nan Yang’s hand down, not taking it. “You don’t need to give me any. Isn’t your money my money anyway?”“Mhm.”Nan Yang did not insist. She put the wallet away, turned around, and picked up the box of chocolates she had just set down, tucking both hands behind her back as she continued browsing at an unhurried pace.Qinghuan looked at the hand behind her waist clutching the chocolate and shook her head with a smile.Such a stubborn person. Once she set her sights on something, she would get it no matter what.With such solid financial backing, the three of them bought everything they wanted. It was already seven o’clock. They did not dare linger, returning to their rooms immediately after shopping to rest.Aside from piles of snacks, Nan Yang had also bought some screws and a small wrench. Qinghuan had been puzzled about their purpose. After she finished showering and came out, she saw Nan Yang seated at the table, head lowered, repairing her BM47.Butterfly knives loosen with use. The professional term is “splitting”—the safe handle and the bite handle drift farther and farther apart, and the internal washers wear down. Regular maintenance is necessary.As Nan Yang tightened the screws with an L-shaped wrench, her lashes hung low, chin slightly tucked, back straight as bamboo. Her gaze was focused and gentle. Watching her, Qinghuan suddenly felt a blur in her mind, another scene hazily superimposing itself before her eyes.At a simple sandalwood desk long ago, a familiar woman in white sat to one side. The same posture, the same gaze—but in her hands was a piece of velvet cloth, carefully wiping a long sword the color of pale snow-violet.In that dream, she had died by that sword.The dream must have had a full beginning, middle, and end, yet she could never recall the details. She only remembered the final image—the sword buried in her chest.Did that sword belong to Nan Yang?Was it Nan Yang… who killed her?The moment the thought surfaced, her pupils jolted. She nearly lost her footing.Nan Yang looked up, set the repaired BM47 aside, and saw Qinghuan leaning against the wall, something off in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”Qinghuan stared at that face, desperately trying to piece together the fragments of memory she had recovered. She remembered only up to the point where, at seventeen, she secretly loved Nan Yang yet never received a response. She did not know whether Nan Yang ever returned her feelings, nor what happened afterward—what could have led to her dying forever at the age of seventeen. The sudden image of Nan Yang wiping down a sword had caught her completely unprepared, especially when she recognized it as the blade that ended her life.On the plane, Ming Wancheng’s words crowded back into her mind.——“The Ancestor still has a knot she hasn’t untied.”——“It’s not just her.”——“If you truly recover all your memories, you’ll have your own knot too.”Three thousand years ago, what exactly happened?Seeing that Qinghuan still was not speaking, Nan Yang assumed she was like before—waiting for her to carry her to bed. She pulled a tissue to wipe her hands and stood up to walk over.Qinghuan, however, took a step back instinctively.She seemed to be afraid. And when she realized that she was afraid, she wanted to scold herself. She should understand Nan Yang better than anyone. Nan Yang was so good—how could she be afraid of her? There had to be some misunderstanding, some unavoidable hardship. She should ask what was troubling her outright, not bottle it up alone.“What’s really going on with you?” Nan Yang noticed her unease, frowned, and did not dare take another step forward.Qinghuan tried to speak, stammering. “I—I think I just remembered something else…”“Mhm,” Nan Yang nodded gently, her tone soft and patient. “What did you remember?”Qinghuan swallowed hard, lifted her trembling lashes, and looked at Nan Yang with eyes full of confusion—and at the same time, faintly pleading, as though begging for a denial.“You… did you ever kill me?”Nan Yang froze.The temperature in the air seemed to drop. Everything solidified.After a long silence, Nan Yang pressed her lips together and looked deeply at Qinghuan.Then—She nodded, slowly and cruelly.
Chapter 90
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“I really did…”“…kill you, once.”Nan Yang’s voice was very soft. The fingers resting at her thigh curled slightly, and a bitter curve tugged at the corner of her mouth. She tested the distance, taking a step forward, as if wanting to be a little closer to Qinghuan.Qinghuan retreated another step. The hand braced against the wall trembled faintly, panic impossible to hide in her eyes. Facing someone who admitted to killing her—even if that person was the wife she lived with day and night—she could not help being afraid.“So my first life…” Qinghuan shook all over. “I died by your hand?”The moment the thought fully formed, her world flipped upside down. Her memories had not returned completely, so she had always believed Nan Yang had waited three thousand years purely out of love. Now it seemed there might have been far more guilt mixed into it. Why had she killed her back then? If Nan Yang had truly loved her that much, how could she choose to kill her?Three thousand years ago—did she really love her?And now, three thousand years later, did she still love her? Or was this… simply atonement?“You…” Pain churned behind Nan Yang’s eyes, tightly restrained. “Are you willing to hear the details?”Qinghuan felt as though she could not catch her breath. Pressed hard against the wall, she shook her heavy head. “Don’t… don’t say it. Not yet. I… I need a moment.”Nan Yang fell silent for a long time before speaking softly. “Your death back then… truly was my fault. It was the fault of Beifa—of us elders. You were an innocent person dragged in as a sacrifice.” She paused, lowered her eyes, and when she spoke again it sounded almost like she was talking to herself. “Sometimes I think… I’d rather I was never Beifa’s Lord. Even if that meant I would never meet you. As long as you could have lived that life well… I would have accepted it.”“So you waited for me all this time because you felt sorry for me?”At last, Qinghuan forced out the question, trembling with unease.Nan Yang frowned and shook her head seriously. “I do believe I wronged you, yes. But feeling sorry is one thing, and waiting for you is another. I waited because I wanted to be with you.”Qinghuan blinked, her pupils reflecting the chandelier’s light overhead.Nan Yang fell silent again, then said, “Qinghuan, you don’t remember everything right now. There are things I could say that you might not understand yet. I can wait for you to remember on your own, but… even if you never do, you don’t have to be afraid of me. Your death truly is connected to me, but I didn’t mean to kill you. I have never, not once, wanted to hurt you. I know what else you’re worried about—you don’t need to worry. What I feel for you isn’t guilt. Even if you had died by someone else’s hand, I still would have waited three thousand years for you.”The tight knot in Qinghuan’s chest softened and loosened.Just a few sentences, and the unease and fear circling her heart dissolved into nothing. Nan Yang understood her so well—she knew every snag created by missing memories, and she knew exactly how to steady her when they did not hold the same information.There were still questions unanswered, but at least for now, no dark emotions rose again. Perhaps something unpredictable and tumultuous had happened three thousand years ago, but she believed that no matter what, Nan Yang had never been someone who wanted to harm her.“If you want to hear it, I can tell you what happened,” Nan Yang continued. “But it would be best if you remember it yourself. Some things can’t be lived through as a bystander—and you shouldn’t just be someone listening to a story.”“I understand. I’ll wait patiently.”With the thorn in her heart removed, Qinghuan smiled at Nan Yang and held out both arms. “Hug me, Master.”Nan Yang knew she was no longer afraid. The tension in her own chest eased as well. She lifted Qinghuan in her arms and carried her to the bed. The two of them leaned together and talked for a while, then fell asleep.They could not sleep long. The day’s task would be difficult, and after about two hours of rest, they had to get up.As soon as they stepped out, the VJ also went on duty. The production team had offered several options—places that cost relatively little. Qinghuan considered them and chose Amphawa Floating Market first. Amphawa was quite remote, far from central Bangkok—so far that most tourists were unwilling to sit in a car that long just to visit. Because of that, there were more locals, and everything was cheaper.And they could also take a boat to see fireflies around the river.But if they waited until night to see fireflies, they might not make it to a second place. Still, they were not here for the game anyway. If they lost, they would lose gladly, as long as they could enjoy themselves.After confirming Amphawa, they contacted a van and split a ride with other tourists. The fare was only 100 baht.On the other side, Ming Wancheng also began getting ready to leave. She was not staying in the same room as Qi Yi, so she went downstairs first to wait in the lobby. While waiting, she ran into Nan Yang and Qinghuan. Hearing they were going to Amphawa, she casually agreed that if she had time in the afternoon, she would go there too and meet up with them.Not long after, Qi Yi came down as well. The VJ following them hoisted the camera and began filming.Ming Wancheng’s change in attitude was stark. When she saw Qi Yi, her expression was no longer lively. She simply said, flat and light, “Let’s go.”Qi Yi had the VJ pause filming for the moment, then stepped forward and took hold of Ming Wancheng. “A-Cheng.”Ming Wancheng stopped. “What is it, Teacher Qi?”The corner of Qi Yi’s eye twitched. “You… you’re calling me Teacher Qi?”“Can’t I call you Teacher Qi?” Ming Wancheng looked a little confused.“A-Cheng, are you blaming me?” Qi Yi did not even know what she was saying anymore, only that instinct was pushing her to ask. “Are you blaming me for getting married?”“I’m not blaming you. Really.” Ming Wancheng was the one who looked like an adult now, patting Qi Yi’s shoulder as if to soothe her. “I just changed what I call you because it didn’t feel appropriate before. You have a fiance now. The two of you will both care about the CP relationship between you and me on this show. I can’t keep clinging to you all day like I used to—if I do, you’ll attract a lot of gossip. And… your future in-laws and husband might have reservations too. That’s why I’m putting a little distance between us. I’m truly not blaming you for anything.”Qi Yi suddenly felt the Ming Wancheng in front of her was a stranger. Or maybe… she had never truly understood the real Ming Wancheng at all. That bright, lively young girl—how could she also have such a calm, gentle side? Or perhaps Ming Wancheng had never really liked her in the first place.This outcome seemed correct enough. Those who should keep walking would keep walking. Those who should let go had let go.But had the one who should let go… truly let go?And who was it, really, that could not?Even Qi Yi could no longer make sense of it.Following the production team’s arrangement, they first went to SIATER Shopping Center and wandered around, filmed a few shots of window-shopping and eating desserts, then headed to Amphawa Floating Market as well.Amphawa really was remote. By the time their car arrived, it was already five in the afternoon.It was a very down-to-earth floating market. Countless stalls crammed along both sides of the narrow paths, selling all kinds of fresh water produce and local specialties—steamed fish, grilled shrimp, coconut juice, corn juice, endless varieties of sweet chili sauce.Thailand did not really have things like soy sauce or chili powder. For seasoning they used sweet chili sauce, and everything carried a sugary note. They walked around for a while, and midway through, they spotted Nan Yang and Qinghuan in a roadside pavilion, eating mango sticky rice.The pavilion leaned beside a green, glossy river. Both banks were packed with vendors and old-fashioned little shops. Several boats floated on the water, and people at the dock were selling tickets for firefly-watching trips—boats that would not depart until it got dark.“A-Cheng, Xiao Yi!” Qinghuan waved and called them over.Ming Wancheng looked at the snacks spread over the small stone table, casually pinched up a grilled shrimp and popped it into her mouth. With her cheeks full, she said, “You two are rich. All the way here, we only dared look—we didn’t dare buy.”Qi Yi forced out a thin smile.Qinghuan could tell Qi Yi was not in a good mood. After a brief silence, she turned to Ming Wancheng. “A-Cheng, come with me to buy something?”“Sure.” Ming Wancheng agreed easily.Qinghuan stuffed all the money she had left into Nan Yang’s hands. “After you finish eating, go to the ticket seller and charter a boat. The VJ guys have equipment to set up.”Luckily, prices here were much cheaper than in central Bangkok. Chartering a boat was not expensive either. It exceeded the show’s budget, but later they could edit it so it looked like they had only bought two tickets. Anything extra, Nan Yang could cover herself.“Mhm.” Nan Yang nodded, continuing to eat her mango sticky rice.Qinghuan led Ming Wancheng down another street and did not let the VJ follow. She glanced at the sky. There was still time before the boat departure, so she walked slowly and talked with Ming Wancheng.“A-Cheng, why does Xiao Yi look more and more unhappy today?”Ming Wancheng smiled. “Why are you asking me? Like I’m the one bullying her.”Qinghuan paused, then sighed. “That’s not what I mean. I just… feel it’s a pity. Xiao Yi looks like she actually cares about you. The two of you don’t necessarily have to miss each other this time.”“Then Master should go persuade her, not me.” Ming Wancheng shrugged. “This isn’t something I get to decide. I can’t keep shamelessly clinging to a woman with a fiance the way I used to. I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just respecting her—and respecting myself.”Qinghuan fell silent for a while, then said, “A-Cheng, you don’t really understand Xiao Yi’s family situation. Sometimes she has no choice—no strength to argue back. Her parents are both very domineering. People with high learning tend to have more control issues, especially with their children. They decided her life long ago. She grew up in an environment where everything was controlled. Even her job as a teacher was arranged by her parents, not because she liked teaching. To be honest, I’ve never seen her say she likes anything on her own. She’s used to obeying.”“So what does Master mean?” Ming Wancheng raised a brow.“Three thousand years ago, my master—your Ancestor—wasn’t she the same?” Qinghuan smiled. “She clearly had someone she liked, but she was used to suppressing it and obeying, so she didn’t even realize what she was about to lose.”Ming Wancheng opened her mouth, then changed the subject, turning the conversation back onto Qinghuan. “Sounds like Master remembers a lot now?”“I do.” Qinghuan’s smile curved gently. “A lot. Especially after sleeping this morning—I remembered even more. Or maybe… it’s more like everything from my first life suddenly came back all at once.”“Really?” Ming Wancheng was happy for her.“Mhm.” Qinghuan nodded, looking down the distant street with soft eyes. “Maybe I finally got a sense of safety. Before, I was always scared—scared that what I remembered would affect our relationship, so I didn’t dare remember it all. But… today, I suddenly stopped being afraid, because I’m sure of one thing. No matter what happened, she has always loved me, just the same.”
Chapter 91
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Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng sat on the riverside steps, watching as the distant sky slowly darkened. Beneath their dangling feet flowed the river, reflecting countless points of light from both banks. The evening breeze was warm, lifting their loose hair, lingering as if it wanted to be swept into the water with them.“Actually, I’ve heard about your past from Senior Uncle Yuntang,” Ming Wancheng said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It really was a life full of ups and downs. Back then, I was genuinely happy. Even though I’d never met you, I knew my Master was such a strong and gentle woman, someone who was led around by fate her entire life yet never once lost herself, and who still insisted on making her own choice at the very end. To have a Master like you is the thing I’m most proud of since entering Beifa.”Qinghuan smiled. “Then I should thank Senior Sister Yuntang as well, for helping me raise such a disciple. A-Cheng, I’m proud of you too. There are plenty of people in this world who love themselves, and just as many who forget to love themselves because they’re busy loving others. But you managed to find a balance between loving others and loving yourself. I truly think you’re amazing.”Ming Wancheng laughed. “Master, are we just trading compliments now?”Qinghuan shot her a mock-glare. “So you were just flattering me? I was praising you from the heart.”Ming Wancheng’s smile faded. After a moment of silence, a rare depth appeared in her eyes. “Master, I’m really happy. In this life, being able to cross paths with you and the Ancestor is my honor. You’re both such, such good people. I’ve walked this world for three thousand years, and I’ve never met anyone better than the two of you. Truly.”“Then…” Qinghuan asked, “do you think I’m better, or is she better?”As soon as she said it, Qinghuan inexplicably felt like a terrible parent forcing a child to choose between loving their father or their mother.Terrible as it was, she still eagerly awaited Ming Wancheng’s answer.Ming Wancheng didn’t dodge the question or brush it aside. She thought seriously for a moment, then said, “I think the Ancestor is better.”Qinghuan raised her brows. “Why?”Ming Wancheng curved her lips slightly and replied slowly, “When you first fell in love, when your feelings were at their strongest, you were separated and forced into killing each other. You chose to protect her by sacrificing your own life. That’s actually quite understandable. And the Ancestor—when you had just died, her emotions reached a peak, and her desire to undo everything reached its extreme, so she chose to use a forbidden technique to search for your reincarnation. That, too, is understandable. What’s truly rare is that she could endure a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation and still persist in loving you.”She lifted her gaze and let out a long sigh. “Isn’t there an old saying—everything has a beginning, but few can see it through to the end. Time really can change so many things. You wouldn’t understand. I do, because I’m like her. I walked through all that time myself. I know that over a long span, it’s easy for someone to lose their original heart, to question the meaning of living, to question whether they still love that person, to question whether what they’re waiting for is a familiar soul or just a memory.”“And the most terrifying thing isn’t waiting.”“It’s meeting again and again, only to part again and again.”She turned to look at Qinghuan. “Master, you should understand what it feels like to watch the one you love die, right?”Qinghuan thought of holding Nan Yang, covered in blood, on the train. She thought of the dream where, three thousand years ago, she watched as Nan Yang held her corpse in despair. She nodded with difficulty.Ming Wancheng gave a bitter smile.“Then do you know that for these three thousand years, she didn’t just wait for you through ninety-eight lifetimes?”“…”“She watched you die in front of her ninety-eight times.”She watched you die in front of her ninety-eight times.Qinghuan braced herself against the step, almost unable to stay seated, her heart aching so badly she could barely breathe.“I still remember what it was like when she used the forbidden technique,” Ming Wancheng gazed into the distance. She was smiling, yet tears shimmered in her eyes. “The technique required her to first mutilate her own body until it matched the state you were in when you died. She had to suffer every injury you suffered, and then die once more in the same way you did. Only then could she fuse with a fragment of your soul, so she could sense the form of your reincarnation. Your right wrist had been severed in life, so she had to destroy her own right wrist as well.”Qinghuan thought of the Nan Yang from three thousand years ago, standing proudly at the pinnacle of the world, and tears streamed down her face.“Do you know what she was proudest of? In her entire life, her greatest achievements were nothing more than swordsmanship and calligraphy. Three thousand years ago, she could firmly sit as the head of Beifa Palace, the foremost martial sect, relying on nothing but her peerless martial arts. You should understand what a right hand means to a martial artist. She understood better than anyone that the moment she destroyed her right hand, all her life’s achievements would vanish completely. And the cruelest part was that she did it with her own hands.”“I remember that before that, she had people prepare three huge vats of water. She stayed alone in a room and wrote for three whole days. She didn’t eat, didn’t sleep—she just wrote without stopping. All the calligraphy she produced in her entire life didn’t amount to even one percent of what she wrote in those three days. Back then, all the Beifa disciples whispered among themselves that the Ancestor must have known she’d never be able to write again, so she wrote out a lifetime’s worth in those three days.”“After writing for three days, she went to the plum garden and practiced swordsmanship for another three days.”“She used to like carving characters onto flower petals with her sword. It was the highest fusion of her calligraphy and swordsmanship, and one of her most famous techniques. Those days, I secretly hid where she couldn’t see me and watched her in silence. I could see her reluctance in every second, every moment. But I also knew that from the moment she chose you, she had no other choice left. She could only bid a final farewell to the things she loved most in this way.”“You should remember that when you were three years old, the Three Venerables of Beifa used the Three-Sword Heavenly Punishment Formation to slaughter everyone in your sect, and you were implicated as well. That was why you later suffered nosebleeds and unstable inner breath. After that, the Ancestor had Senior Uncle Yuntang and the others set up the same formation. She stood alone at the center, enduring all the pain you had endured, until her own inner breath shattered and blood poured from her body. Then, forcing herself to cling to her last breath, she sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Using Luoshuang, the sword that had killed you, she personally severed the tendons of her right wrist, and then drove it into her own heart.”“Of course, she later came back to life, living again in a body that had already died. But everything she was most proud of was destroyed. She could no longer wield a sword, no longer write calligraphy. Her inner power remained, but with her right hand crippled, she couldn’t execute sword techniques and could never defeat other masters again. Senior Uncle Yuntang and the others went to great lengths to find successors for her not because they were bored, but because she truly needed someone to protect her. And after that, her original pride and self-respect were completely crushed.”“For these three thousand years, I could recklessly pursue the one I loved. She, on the other hand, suppressed herself and held back the entire time. Do you think it was all just because of respect? No one understands that, actually… she was insecure. For someone who once stood at the top of the world, nothing is harder to accept than a broken version of oneself. She personally turned herself into a cripple, and then felt that such a cripple wasn’t worthy of you, wasn’t qualified to ask for more in return. You know she’s not very good at taking care of herself—sometimes she’s like a child. Three thousand years ago, she had overwhelming martial power and a position above tens of thousands. When she showed a childish side back then, it was contrast, it was charm. But now, she has nothing left, and she still can’t take care of herself. So she thinks she’s a burden to you, that there’s nothing about her anymore that’s worth you liking. That’s why she’s always been afraid to stand beside you. She only dares to watch from afar, to wait for you. Only after you allow it does she dare to do what she wants.”“So, Master, you have to understand.”“Her gentleness is all born of her insecurity.”Qinghuan covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably, her fingers soaked with salty tears.She had always thought Nan Yang was gentler now than she had been three thousand years ago, that it was the result of time and experience smoothing her edges. She never imagined that when the truth was laid bare, it would be nothing but devastation.How dissonant the word “insecurity” sounded when placed on Nan Yang—and how unbearably tragic. Someone who had once been so arrogant and powerful, who had looked down upon the world, had twisted herself beyond recognition just to gain a chance to pursue her beloved. And in the end, because she was so unrecognizable, she no longer dared to stand by her lover’s side. Cause became effect, effect became cause. The cycle went on, and the one being tormented all along was her alone.Back then, Nan Yang had brushed it all away with a single sentence—“I paid a small price.” Her tone had been so casual that Qinghuan truly believed the price had been insignificant. But of course. Someone like Nan Yang, with her innate pride, how could she ever allow her most humble and fragile side to be exposed to the one she loved?For the sake of this reunion, Nan Yang had truly given up too much. Qinghuan suddenly felt that her doubts that morning—wondering whether Nan Yang really loved her—were laughable. In this world, there truly was no one who loved her more than Nan Yang did.Nan Yang was the fool who forgot to love herself for the sake of loving someone else.Fortunately, there was still a long future ahead. Maybe not as long as three thousand years, but long enough for her to make up for all the love that had been missed.If Nan Yang didn’t know how to love herself, then she would love her for her.Love her until old age.Love her until death.At some point, the sky had become completely dark. The orange lights on both banks reflected in the black river, like a sky full of scattered lanterns played in reverse.Suddenly, her phone vibrated.Qinghuan took it out, lit up the screen, and saw a WeChat message from Nan Yang:[The boat is about to depart.]With tears in her eyes, Qinghuan pressed her lips together in a soft smile and quickly typed three words in reply:[Wait for me.]Five seconds later, a new white message bubble popped up at the bottom of the screen. It was the exact same length as the previous green one, perfectly aligned, neatly matched:[I’ll wait for you.]
Chapter 92
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When Qinghuan and Ming Wancheng hurried back to the pier, the boatman was chattering away in Thai at Nan Yang. Nan Yang stood off to the side with a blank expression, occasionally responding with a few sentences in not-very-fluent English. When she saw them, she lifted a hand and beckoned. “Over here.”“Sorry—we took too long,” Qinghuan apologized as she hurried down the steps.The boat wasn’t large, enough for maybe ten people. There was a VJ at both the bow and the stern, and a tripod took up another spot. With the four of them, they fit perfectly in the middle. Nan Yang boarded first. The boat sat a little away from the shore, so everyone stepped carefully, afraid of slipping into the water—but she moved as lightly as if she only needed a single effortless stride to cross.“Come. Your hand.” Standing steadily in the gently rocking boat, Nan Yang reached out to Qinghuan.Qinghuan took her hand and carefully stepped aboard with her head lowered. She was so focused on the water beneath her feet that she didn’t look at the boat at all—and the moment she got on, her forehead slammed hard into Nan Yang’s chin.“Hss—”Both of them sucked in a breath, yet their hands instinctively rose to the same forehead.Qinghuan pressed her palm to the sore spot and felt fingers resting on the back of her hand. She froze, then looked up at Nan Yang, so close she could see every detail.“Are you okay?” Nan Yang’s fingers, separated from Qinghuan’s skin by her hand, moved gently as she checked the spot.Qinghuan shook her head, then lifted her other hand to Nan Yang’s reddened chin. “Does it hurt?”“…No.”“Good.”Ming Wancheng, still on the shore waiting to board, folded her arms and clicked her tongue impatiently. “Master, Ancestor—can you two sit down and be lovey-dovey somewhere else? You’re blocking the way.”Qinghuan’s face flushed. She tugged Nan Yang into the front row and sat down with her.Night had fully fallen. The boatman sat at the stern, steering with a small engine. With the rumbling roar, the boat started up. A broad, gleaming river stretched ahead, surrounded by fishing boats leaving at the same time, every one of them packed with tourists holding selfie sticks, filming excitedly. The wind rushed in, carrying the river’s dampness—far cooler than before.Nan Yang tugged Qinghuan gently and drew her into her lap.Qinghuan assumed she simply wanted to be closer. Even though it felt a little improper with cameras around, she didn’t refuse. A moment later, a hat was lowered onto her head from behind. Long fingers pressed the brim, carefully adjusting it until it sat straight.“What’s this for?” Qinghuan touched the hat and turned her head slightly to look back.Nan Yang wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tight, murmuring near her ear, “The wind’s strong. It’s cold. I don’t want you to get chilled.”Qinghuan startled.So Nan Yang was using her own body heat to shield her from the river wind.Qinghuan couldn’t help curling deeper into her embrace. She clasped the fingers resting over her lower abdomen, stroking the thin layer of callus along the outside of Nan Yang’s right index finger. She lowered her head with a small smile and suddenly asked, “Master’s right hand… will it slowly get better too?”“It should,” Nan Yang said, spreading her hand in her grasp and letting her pinch and knead as she pleased.“Then… when it does, will Master try writing calligraphy again?”Nan Yang paused, stunned into silence for a long while before she finally said, “Qinghuan, I haven’t touched a brush in three thousand years. I don’t know how to write anymore.”Qinghuan’s heart clenched. She thought of what Ming Wancheng had told her not long ago, her brows knitting tight.“It’s okay, Master. We still have decades ahead. I can陪 you—slowly, little by little.” Qinghuan cupped Nan Yang’s hand gently in both palms. “Try again, alright?”The things she had lost—Qinghuan wanted to help her pick them up, one by one.Nan Yang didn’t answer directly. She only let out a soft laugh at Qinghuan’s ear and asked, “Did you remember my handwriting from back then?”“I did. Master’s calligraphy was so beautiful—more beautiful than anyone’s in the world.”“So you think what I write now is ugly.”“No!” Qinghuan denied it at once. “I’m not嫌 you for anything. I just… I just wanted to suggest it. If Master doesn’t want to, I won’t force you.”Nan Yang rested her chin on Qinghuan’s shoulder, squinting against the wind. “If you want to see me write, then I’ll write.”Qinghuan turned, delighted. “Really?”“Mm. Really.”Nan Yang flexed her right hand. The nail of her thumb pressed into her palm; the bones of her wrist still ached faintly. But as always, she didn’t let it show. When her gaze shifted to meet Qinghuan’s, the fishing lights along both banks reflected in her eyes—soft as a sea of clouds.Qinghuan caught her right hand, lifted it to her lips, and stole a quiet kiss against the back of it.“Master, you’re the best person in the world.”She whispered it so lightly into Nan Yang’s ear.Nan Yang smiled. “I’m not that good.”“You are. You’re exactly that good.” Qinghuan was a little annoyed, squeezing her palm with a bit of strength. “From now on I’ll tell you once every day—until you believe it.”Nan Yang looked at her deeply, her voice growing softer and softer. “How long can you say it for?”Qinghuan tipped her chin up, her eyes sliding to the corner with a grin. “I can say it for a lifetime.”Nan Yang turned her gaze forward. Along the riverbank, a drifting cluster of fireflies began to appear among the trees. Their flickering lights dotted her pale eyes like stars, as if a corner of the Milky Way had been cut loose and poured into her gaze.“Alright,” she murmured. “Then I’ll listen for a lifetime.”Hearing that, Qinghuan’s nose stung. She turned and wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s waist. The boat had entered a desolate stretch now, no trace of people on either bank. In the dark, dense trees, fireflies gathered in clusters—some perched on branches, some floating through the air, their bright points blinking. Even the VJs were caught by the rare beauty; everyone on the boat craned to look around, exclaiming in awe. No one noticed what the pair in the front were doing.Surrounded by fireflies, Qinghuan leaned in and kissed Nan Yang on the lips.The brim of her hat bumped Nan Yang’s forehead. The hat flipped back—啪嗒—and fell into the river.In the instant Nan Yang closed her eyes, she reached out with perfect precision and snatched Qinghuan’s hat back, wet and dripping, her long pale fingers pinching the brim as she held it over the side of the boat. Water dripped steadily into the river, and as the boat moved forward, the droplets traced ripples behind them like a road of blooming flowers.After five deep seconds, Qinghuan pulled back, hugging Nan Yang tightly, and whispered against her ear,“Master, I love you so much.”Nan Yang wrapped an arm around her back and patted her lightly, her smile indulgent. “Mm. I know.”“You have to believe me. I’ve always, always loved you. Three thousand years ago, I loved you until the moment I died. And three thousand years later, now—I’ll love you too, until I die.”Nan Yang froze. After a long pause, she asked carefully,“Three thousand years ago… you’ve remembered it all?”Qinghuan knew what Nan Yang’s knot had been all these years. She smiled, relieved. “Master, you’ve read my will so many times. Did you ever find even a trace of resentment in it?”Nan Yang was silent for a long time, then shook her head slightly.“Three thousand years ago, I never hated you. And now, I still won’t hate you. I don’t hate you—just like I know you wouldn’t hate me for carving scars all over you. What I feel for you is only heartbreak and love. Nothing else. Don’t think you owe me anything, because I’ve never felt that you wronged me in any way. You never did anything wrong. From beginning to end, you were never wrong. Do you understand?”Nan Yang’s eyes reddened. The oldest, deepest thorn inside her was finally touched, and her voice trembled with the sob she couldn’t hide.“I wasn’t wrong?”“You weren’t wrong.”Qinghuan repeated it firmly at her ear.Nan Yang buried her face in the hollow of Qinghuan’s shoulder like a child who’d done something unforgivable, her voice turning thicker with tears.“But I feel like it was my fault. I nearly killed you when you were three. I couldn’t save you when you were seventeen either. If I hadn’t gone with my sect to wipe out your sect—if I’d done better then—you wouldn’t have ended up like that…”“How can you take every twist of fate and put it all on your own shoulders?” Qinghuan pinched the diamond stud at Nan Yang’s earlobe, her voice soft as water. “Master, only a fool would be foolish enough to carry every blame alone. There’s no need. You’re overestimating yourself. How could you, alone, create a disaster that huge? Back then, everyone was involved. Everyone was powerless. You and I were just ordinary people caught inside it. Precisely because we didn’t have the power to turn the tide, because we didn’t have the power to destroy the heavens, we were trapped in the middle and left with nothing but helplessness.”“So don’t think it was your fault. You weren’t wrong. You already did so well. Better than anyone else—truly.”“You’ve held on for so, so long. You’ve suffered so much.”“You’ve worked so hard, Master.”“…”Nan Yang didn’t speak. She only lifted her eyes in silence, wet lashes drooping beneath the fireflies’ glow.She said nothing, yet the heavy, long-frozen gloom in her gaze was gone. In its place was something deep, lingering, and soft.Three thousand years of waiting—finally, someone had told her:You weren’t wrong.You did so well.She wasn’t wrong. And all these years, she really had suffered.“Hurry, don’t cry,” Qinghuan coaxed, running her fingers through her hair. “People will notice you in a second.”Nan Yang’s voice was muffled. “I’m not crying.”“Mm—of course you’re not. You say you’re not, then you’re not.” Qinghuan nodded rapidly. “Come on, look at the fireflies. You’ve been talking to me so much you barely watched them.”Nan Yang glanced at her, her tone returning to its usual calm. “I’ve seen Amphawa’s fireflies fifteen times already.”Qinghuan clicked her tongue twice. “Not bad for a three-thousand-five-hundred-year-old monster.”“…You’re calling me old again.”“Oh, I wouldn’t dare. Besides, shouldn’t Master’s age be counting from twenty now? If we calculate that way, I’m actually four years older than you.” Qinghuan counted on her fingers, then suddenly realized what she’d just said. “Then about having kids—I can’t do it. I’d be the ‘older mom.’”Nan Yang didn’t argue. Instead, she went along naturally. “Then I’ll give birth.”Qinghuan laughed. “Why are you so eager to have kids? Fine, if you want to, then you do it. Before, I thought you were thirty-five, so I wouldn’t let you. But now… with a twenty-year-old body, you’re healthy. Go on, give me an entire soccer team.”“…”“Master, why aren’t you talking? Scared?”“…”Qinghuan held her, scratched lightly at her waist, and whispered, “Really scared? I’m joking. I wouldn’t舍 you to suffer like that. One is enough.”“No.” Nan Yang looked at a firefly resting on the edge of the boat. “I was just thinking… before having a child, shouldn’t we hold the wedding properly…”“Ah—wedding—” Qinghuan drew the word out, nodding thoughtfully, then she grinned mischievously. “I already said I’ll handle it. I’ll choose the dress. Did you think I was joking, Master?”“…What do you mean?”“I mean, three days from now, filming will pause for one day. And then, on Phuket, you’ll see the most one-of-a-kind wedding on the water in the entire world.”
Chapter 93 (END)
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Three Days Later, Phuket.Everyone on the production team had been given the day off. Nan Yang and Zhu Qinghuan’s wedding announcement had come completely out of nowhere—no one had expected these two to actually hold a wedding in the middle of filming. It even seemed like they’d acted on a whim themselves, with no preparation in advance. The directing team had been ready to enthusiastically take over and help organize everything, but the moment they set foot on Karon Beach in Phuket, their jaws nearly hit the sand.Karon Beach had the longest shoreline on the island, and the most beautiful surf. Right now, the winding coast was lined with neat white rectangular tables of identical size, covered with an array of desserts, wines, and drinks. There were plenty of smaller round tables left empty nearby, clearly meant for guests to rest, eat, and chat. The invitations definitely couldn’t have gone out only three days ago, because many of Qinghuan’s celebrity friends from the industry had come. For big-name stars to free up a day to attend a wedding, you needed at least half a month’s scheduling notice. Whoever had prepared this wedding was absolutely “premeditated.”Thinking of that, the director couldn’t help turning to one of the brides with admiration. He’d thought they were here to shoot a variety show—turns out Qinghuan had joined the show to conveniently run off abroad and get married.At the moment, Nan Yang and Qinghuan were still in casual clothes. Nan Yang wore a white button-up shirt; Qinghuan wore a simple white slip dress. The two of them stood in the center of the venue, greeting friends as they arrived.The entire A.N.T team had come. The second Xiong Xue’er arrived, she hooked an arm around Qinghuan’s neck and pulled her aside to chat, leaving Nan Yang standing alone where she was. Qinghuan looked back at Nan Yang; Nan Yang gave a faint nod, telling her to go ahead.Ming Wancheng sidled up beside Nan Yang, grinning. “Ancestor, congratulations, congratulations. Looks like my Master prepared you a huge gift—this wedding’s enormous, and she kept it airtight. That’s impressive!”Nan Yang glanced at her and held out her hand. “Cash gift.”Ming Wancheng’s face changed instantly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Nan Yang’s lips curved. She withdrew her hand—she hadn’t actually intended to demand anything from Ming Wancheng in the first place.“Tsk, my Master covered the whole wedding, so have you prepared your diamond ring?” Ming Wancheng tested the waters. Qinghuan had asked her to come probe, because Qinghuan hadn’t prepared a ring herself; she needed to confirm whether Nan Yang had.“Mm.”Nan Yang reached into her pocket and pulled out something glittering. In the sunlight, it flashed hard enough to sting Ming Wancheng’s eyes.Ming Wancheng narrowed her eyes and leaned in. The moment she saw clearly, her eyes went round.The most outrageous diamond ring she’d ever seen was still just a pigeon-egg diamond perched on a band. But she had never—ever—seen a ring where the entire thing, band and all, had been carved from a single piece of diamond. A flawless, translucent circle of pure diamond was pinched between pale fingers, seeming almost unreal. It was breathtakingly beautiful.How much would a complete diamond ring like that even cost?“When we went shopping together, she mentioned diamond rings,” Nan Yang said, putting it away again. “That was when I started having someone make this.”“Holy—” Ming Wancheng’s face twisted. “You’re really too rich. I’m hugging your thigh for the rest of my life!”Nan Yang walked with Ming Wancheng toward the dessert-and-drinks table, chatting idly. “The ceremony isn’t until afternoon. The chef is still on the yacht preparing the dishes. Want to eat something first?”“Sure,” Ming Wancheng said, eyeing the little mountain of canned drinks by Nan Yang’s hand. “Grab me one.”Nan Yang handed her a can, then took one for herself. She popped the tab, glanced around, noticed the trash bin was far away, and casually slipped the tab into her pocket.They’d just greeted a lot of people, and Nan Yang was a bit thirsty. She tipped her head back and drank half the can.Ming Wancheng took out her phone and opened her chat with Qinghuan on WeChat.[Master, Master! Ancestor prepared this insanely lavish ring—super flashy, totally iconic! Just wait, you’re going to feel so smug at the wedding later!]A moment later, Qinghuan replied.[Really? Then I’ll have to look forward to it properly [cute]]Ming Wancheng smiled as she took a sip of her drink, smacking her lips once. Only one smack—and she realized something. Her brows knit, and her gaze snapped down to the can in her hand.This wasn’t a soft drink.It was Belgian Blackdamnation black beer with an alcohol content as high as 39%. Because the packaging looked upscale, it was often used at weddings—except it was so strong that hardly anyone actually drank it. It was probably something Qinghuan had bought just to fill out the spread. Who would’ve thought that the moment no one watched, she and Nan Yang would open it.Nan Yang…With Nan Yang’s alcohol tolerance…Ming Wancheng went pale like she’d just watched a horror movie. She fumbled to set the can down, then immediately whipped around to look at Nan Yang.Nan Yang was holding the black beer can with only a little left. One hand braced on the table. The corners of her eyes and her ears were flushed red—she was already drunk. She stared at the can for a long time, then, for no reason at all, smiled.That smile sent cold sweat breaking out all over Ming Wancheng.On a day this big—after Qinghuan had prepared for so long—they could not let one can of black beer ruin everything.“Ancestor, are you okay?” Ming Wancheng grabbed Nan Yang’s shoulders and shook her hard. “Don’t scare me! The ceremony hasn’t even happened yet, you haven’t even put the gown on—please, you cannot get drunk right now!”Nan Yang’s vision swam from the shaking. Her awareness was being swallowed by the alcohol. She blinked, looking at a triple-imaged Ming Wancheng, her words already slurring. “Qinghuan… where is she?”“Don’t panic, don’t panic—I’m taking you to her right now.”Ming Wancheng didn’t dare waste a second. She grabbed Nan Yang and bolted toward Qinghuan.Qinghuan was chatting with Jiang Yanran. Mid-conversation, she heard a miserable, drawn-out “Master—!” behind her. She turned, barely having time to make sense of anything, when a figure crashed into her arms and clung to her. It was so sudden she nearly lost her balance and fell.Qinghuan looked at the familiar white shirt in her embrace, about to ask in confusion, when a heavy wave of alcohol hit her.Ming Wancheng stood behind them, full of guilt. “Master, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t watch her, and she drank.”Qinghuan held the tall woman slumped against her and hurriedly asked Ming Wancheng, “What did she drink? How much?”“The Belgian black beer you stacked over there,” Ming Wancheng looked like she wanted to cry. “She drank more than half a can.”Xiong Xue’er clicked her tongue. “Boss Nan’s tolerance is that bad? Half a can of beer and she’s like this?”Qinghuan patted Nan Yang’s back, flustered, and carefully asked in her ear, “Master? Are you still conscious?”Nan Yang lifted her head a little, eyes half-lidded like she’d just woken from a nap, and asked hazily, “Is it… time for the wedding night?”Qinghuan’s face went scarlet. “What wedding night? We haven’t even gotten married yet.”“Oh…” Nan Yang wrapped her arms around Qinghuan’s waist. With other guests still right there, she shamelessly nuzzled Qinghuan’s cheek. “I want… candied hawthorn…”This repressed woman—she loved candied hawthorn so much, yet she’d only ask for it when she was drunk.But in the vast expanse of Thailand, where was Qinghuan supposed to find a skewer of candied hawthorn?“Be good, Master. Can we not today?” Qinghuan coaxed softly.“No. I want it. Today.” Nan Yang frowned, her tone turning a little sulky with anger.“Okay, okay—today. Just today.” With one arm around her, Qinghuan freed a hand and, without thinking, pulled Nan Yang’s wallet out of her pocket. She stuffed it into Ming Wancheng’s hands. “A-Cheng, help me. Go to the nearest supermarket and buy hawthorn and rock sugar.”Ming Wancheng took it. “Master, you can make candied hawthorn?”“She loves it this much—how could I not learn?” Qinghuan sighed helplessly. “Go buy it. Bring it straight to the yacht at the dock. I’m afraid we won’t make it in time.”“Guardian of intangible cultural heritage—legendary.”Ming Wancheng flattered her and sprinted off.Qinghuan apologized to her friends. Everyone expressed understanding and told Qinghuan to take good care of Nan Yang and not delay the wedding ceremony. Qinghuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Holding Nan Yang, she had Xiao Ye and Sun Xuxue help get her onto the double-decker yacht at the dock.Nan Yang was like she had no bones. Sitting or standing, she insisted Qinghuan hold her. Qinghuan fed her some sparkling water; Nan Yang drank two sips, then kept the last mouthful in her mouth. After a moment, her lips parted, and she blew a bubble with the sticky soda water.“Look, I can blow bubbles.” Nan Yang smiled, showing a hint of teeth.Qinghuan: “…”Qinghuan: “Yes, yes, Master is amazing. You can blow bubbles.”She sighed silently, starting to worry about their child’s IQ.To save time, they started changing into their wedding dresses while waiting for Ming Wancheng. In the guest cabin on the lower deck, Qinghuan dressed Nan Yang first. Nan Yang was drunk, but fortunately she was obedient—do whatever you told her, gentler than a clothes hanger. Once they were both dressed, Ming Wancheng returned just in time. When she handed over the hawthorn, her eyes were full of awe.“Wow—this gown is so beautiful. Ancestor and Master together… you’re perfect!”“Thanks.”Qinghuan replied perfunctorily, lifting the bubbly skirt of her dress with one hand and dragging Nan Yang toward the galley with the other. The kitchen staff saw two stunning brides in snow-white wedding gowns come in and thought they were here to give instructions. Instead, Qinghuan asked them to lend her a stove and a pot, then lit the fire and poured in the rock sugar with water to boil.As it cooked, she soaked the hawthorn in vinegar, washed them clean, and threaded them onto skewers while she waited for the syrup to color.The kitchen crew stared in confusion. At a moment when the glamorous couple should’ve been out front dazzling the guests, the brides had run into the galley in pristine white gowns, holding greasy spatulas. The scene was bizarre beyond belief.When the syrup was ready, Qinghuan rolled the skewered hawthorn through it, coating them evenly, lifted them out to cool, and handed one to Nan Yang, concise as always. “Eat.”Nan Yang took it, said nothing, and started popping the hawthorn into her mouth one by one.Qinghuan made them; Nan Yang ate them. One skewer made, one skewer eaten. One eaten, one made. The entire kitchen watched, stunned.After the sixth skewer, Nan Yang finally licked her lips and said, “Full.”“Finally,” Qinghuan threw the spatula down and dragged Nan Yang out. “Go, go, go—the ceremony’s about to start!”Nan Yang still held a skewer sticky with syrup. She put it in her mouth, eyes still blank, letting Qinghuan hurriedly pull her back toward the wedding venue at Karon Beach.The guests were already seated, the officiant was in place, and even the camera operators recording the wedding were yawning. Zhu Jun and Yu Fengli wore formal attire, sitting in the front row with Mei Zhongli. When they saw Nan Yang and Qinghuan arrive just in time, everyone finally relaxed.Mei Zhongli gestured to the officiant, signaling him to begin.Nan Yang stood beside the officiant. Qinghuan waited at the other end of the flower-lined aisle, her father Zhu Jun holding her hand. Under everyone’s gaze, he placed his daughter’s hand into Nan Yang’s.Qinghuan’s heart pounded—not because she was nervous about the wedding, but because she was terrified that Nan Yang, standing alone at the end of the aisle, might suddenly fall asleep.But Nan Yang stood straight. Her eyes were slightly hazy, yet they never left Qinghuan.She looked so beautiful in that white gown.The gown came with a flower crown. Qinghuan wore a crown woven of narcissus; Nan Yang wore a crown woven of lilies. The fresh flowers still held dewdrops, pressing against her waist-length, soft black hair, framing her cool, dignified face like an elegant classical painting.As Qinghuan drew near, her father offered his hand to Nan Yang. Nan Yang took it gently, holding it with care.When Qinghuan had helped Nan Yang dress, she’d felt a ring-shaped object in Nan Yang’s trouser pocket and guessed it was the ring. To make it easy for her to carry, Qinghuan hadn’t removed the trousers. Luckily the shorts were short enough to hide under the gown without showing. Now that she’d been given the hand, Nan Yang reached around the skirt to feel for her pocket. Qinghuan held her breath, watching in anticipation.A moment later, Nan Yang pulled out something ring-shaped and slid it onto the ring finger of the curly-haired woman opposite her.When Qinghuan saw it clearly, her smile froze.What ring?It was the pull tab from a soda can.Below, the guests exchanged baffled looks. Was this some new romantic custom?Qinghuan’s mouth twitched. This was the “super lavish ring” Ming Wancheng had promised would let her hold her head high.It really did make her hold her brows high—and exhale hard.Nan Yang squinted, staring at Qinghuan’s finger for a long time before murmuring dully, “Oh. Wrong one.” She felt in her pocket again. This time she took out a dazzling diamond band that flashed in the beach sunlight, blinding half the audience.She removed the pull tab, replaced it with the one-of-a-kind diamond ring, then lowered her head and softly kissed the faint indentation the tab had left.“You’re sober now?” Qinghuan asked in a voice only Nan Yang could hear.Nan Yang’s ear tips reddened. She nodded.They were getting married. Of course she knew.Qinghuan smiled helplessly, looking into Nan Yang’s eyes—her smile bright as spring, brighter than the narcissus at her forehead.“Alright. Vows. Stand properly.”She pulled Nan Yang in front of the officiant and nodded to him. The officiant smiled kindly, raised the microphone, and began in Chinese, voice ringing clear:“Ms. Qinghuan, do you agree to let Ms. Nan Yang become your wife? From this day forward, to belong to each other, support each other, in good times and bad, in wealth or poverty, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish one another, until death parts you?”“I do,” Qinghuan answered.The officiant turned to Nan Yang. “Ms. Nan Yang, do you agree to—”Before he could finish, Nan Yang suddenly lifted her hand and took the microphone from him.Qinghuan stared at her in shock. Wasn’t she sober? Why was she making a scene again?Nan Yang held the microphone, lowered her eyes slightly, then looked up at Qinghuan. The foggy drunkenness from earlier was gone from her gaze. Slowly, she spoke:“I am willing, from this day forward, to belong to you and support you, in good times and bad, in wealth or poverty, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish you.”She paused. There was a new steadfastness in her eyes.“Death cannot separate us, either.”For an instant, Qinghuan’s gaze went unfocused.Nan Yang took Qinghuan’s hand and spoke, devout and deliberate, word by word:“Even when this lifetime ends, I will not let go of your hand. In the countless lifetimes to come—no matter time, no matter identity, no matter distance, no matter where you are—I will find you, protect you, and fall in love with you.”“I promise you loyalty, forever and ever.”I promise you.Forever and ever.Loyalty.Qinghuan’s heart shuddered violently. Tears spilled without warning, sliding from the corners of her eyes to her jaw. She couldn’t even hold onto her bouquet—thud, it fell to the ground.She didn’t care about the officiant, the guests below, or the unfinished ceremony. She threw her arms around Nan Yang and sobbed, “You—do you mean it?”“Of course
EXTRA Chapter 94
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Seven Years LaterRoom 301, Teaching Building No. 3, Huaxing University.Zhou Yun and Li Hong grabbed a great seat by the window in the second-to-last row. At the start of the semester, they’d just barely crawled out of the course registration system alive, and now the two of them chattered nonstop.They finished complaining about the disastrous registration system, moved on to the campus network that lagged like crazy, and ended by trashing the boring leftover courses they’d been forced to pick. After all the pointless rambling, Zhou Yun asked, “Hey, they added a calligraphy class this semester. You know about it?”Li Hong rolled her eyes. “How could I not? I heard they invited the president of the provincial calligraphy association to teach. She’s ridiculously hard to get—apparently the principal begged and begged before she agreed to teach for one semester. Everyone went insane fighting for a spot. There was no way it’d ever reach us. And they say the teacher is insanely beautiful, total ice-queen type. A few years ago she even showed her face in the entertainment industry.”“A calligraphy association president isn’t that just a bunch of old men and old ladies?”“Not at all. She’s young and gorgeous. I’ll dig up the photos for you—years ago she was even on this super popular variety show. She came as a pair with this celebrity who was huge back then.”“Oh! When you put it like that, I remember. Her name was something like Qing… something Huan, right? Didn’t she quit the industry seven years ago? Never showed up again after that. Honestly, I forgot what she even looks like.”“Celebrities come and go in waves. Who remembers that many? The public’s memory—always scarier than a goldfish…”Zhou Yun’s eyes darted, and she noticed a quiet curly-haired woman sitting by the window behind them, silent the whole time. Curious, Zhou Yun turned around and greeted her. “Hi, classmate. Haven’t seen you before. First time taking this course?”Qinghuan pushed up the glasses on her nose with the knuckle of her index finger and gave them a faint smile. “Yeah.”Li Hong narrowed her eyes and studied Qinghuan. “Huh… why do you look kind of familiar?”“Just a common face.” Qinghuan lowered her head and kept reading her textbook.“You’re this pretty and you’re saying you’re a common face? More like a celebrity face—ha ha ha…”Just then, the back door opened and a short little girl walked in. She looked only six or seven. Her features were delicate and refined, her face full of childish softness, yet she wore a stiff, keep-your-distance ice-cold expression. With a blank face, she swept her gaze around the classroom. When she spotted Qinghuan, the frozen ice in her eyes finally melted. In a sweet, babyish voice, she called out, “Mom!”Zhou Yun and Li Hong exchanged a look, eyebrows lifting in sync. Honestly, it wasn’t that strange—this was the graduate division. Plenty of people had worked for years before taking the entrance exam. Having a kid wasn’t unusual.Qinghuan set down her pen, the tenderness in her eyes practically turning to water. “Mianmian, come here.”Nan Fengmian ran over on her short little legs, pumping her tiny arms, and called again, “Mom.”Qinghuan lifted her up, sat her on the chair beside her, and patted her fluffy head. “Why did you come over by yourself?”“I didn’t come by myself. A-Yang brought me.” Nan Fengmian swung her legs that couldn’t reach the floor.“That bad habit of yours—how can you still not fix it?” Qinghuan sighed helplessly. “You came out of her belly, but you refuse to call her Mom. That’s not right, Mianmian.”“It’s not that I refuse!” Nan Fengmian shook her head quickly. “It’s just… I just think I have to protect her, so I call her A-Yang. Mom, you don’t know—yesterday A-Yang and I were doing a big house cleaning. There was this tiny spider in the corner, smaller than my finger, and A-Yang got so scared she threw the rag right in my face.”Qinghuan couldn’t hold it in—her shoulders shook as she laughed. “Then what did Mianmian do?”“I stood in front of her and stomped the spider to death! And I told her: A-Yang, don’t be scared—Mianmian will protect you!”“So when Mianmian meets someone she wants to protect, she calls them by their name?”“Yep.”Nan Fengmian puffed her cheeks, then suddenly remembered why she’d come and hurried to say, “Oh right, Mom—A-Yang told me to ask you: why didn’t you choose her class?”Qinghuan smiled and shook her head, picking up her pen and returning to her book. “Her writing is hung all over the house. I’ve been looking at it for years—my eyes got nearsighted from it. Besides, if I really want to learn calligraphy, I can just have her teach me at home. Why make it so complicated?”“Oh. Mom’s sick of looking at it.”Nan Fengmian nodded thoughtfully.“Hey, you little brat.” Qinghuan pinched her soft cheek. “Don’t go whispering nonsense into my wife’s ear.”“I won’t.” Nan Fengmian hopped down from the chair and waved at Qinghuan. “I’m going now, Mom.”“Walk slower. Don’t fall on the way.” Qinghuan reminded her patiently.“Okay. Bye-bye, Mom.”After saying goodbye, Nan Fengmian put her sour face back on, clasped her hands behind her back, and strolled out of the classroom.There were ten minutes left before class started. Qinghuan flipped through the key points in the textbook, getting ready to listen. Unexpectedly, only three minutes passed when her phone suddenly buzzed. A WeChat notification popped up on the lock screen—[Wife: Come to my office.]Heh. That little brat really did go tattle on her.Qinghuan sighed, put down her pen, and obediently got up to head for the faculty office, silently hoping the instructor for this course wouldn’t take attendance. Skipping the very first class of the semester—who knew how badly she’d get targeted at finals.She arrived at the office address from the message and slowly pushed the door open.Nan Yang sat in a swivel chair behind the desk, wearing a loose white shirt. Her belly formed a visible curve—she was four or five months along, her pregnancy already showing. Several elderly professors sat nearby, chatting over tea about amusing student stories. When Qinghuan walked in, they all looked her over with curiosity.“You’re in class. What’s wrong?” Qinghuan asked softly, looking at Nan Yang.Nan Yang’s eyes showed little emotion. Her long fingers rested on her rounded belly by habit, supporting it as she asked in a flat voice, “Why didn’t you choose my class?”“I tried. The registration system crashed. By the time I got in, your class was already full.” Qinghuan explained.Nan Yang lifted a brow, unhurried and composed. “Not because you’re sick of looking at me?”“Mianmian told you?” Qinghuan stepped closer and bent to catch Nan Yang’s hand. “Don’t listen to that little girl’s nonsense. How could I ever get sick of you? I really didn’t get the spot.”Nan Yang didn’t speak. She only pulled her hand back and turned her head aside.“Don’t be mad,” Qinghuan coaxed gently, even patting Nan Yang’s belly. “Don’t upset our little sister.”“I’m pregnant and I still agreed to come teach because I promised the principal.” Nan Yang frowned, looking back at her. “Do you really not know who I’m doing this for? Who is it that talks in her sleep every night worrying she won’t have enough credits? I must be way too free, to think about delivering you some credits.”Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. “Come on, Master—why do you talk like a resentful wife now that you’re pregnant?”“Resentful wife?” Nan Yang’s frown deepened.“Okay, okay, my fault, my fault. Master, don’t be mad.” Qinghuan thought for a moment. “Then… is there any way to fix it? Let me be your student after all?”“Come here.”Nan Yang opened the backend system on the computer in front of her, logged in through the teacher portal, and set up a special access channel for Qinghuan.After it was done, Qinghuan tugged at Nan Yang’s sleeve and gave it a little shake. “I’m your student now. Don’t be mad anymore, okay?”Nan Yang looked at her. She didn’t speak, but she also didn’t look angry anymore.She could never truly stay angry at Qinghuan.Seven years ago, in an offhand conversation, Qinghuan had asked her what her biggest regret was. She’d said it was being trapped in Australia for so many years, never getting to date Qinghuan on campus—by the time she returned, Qinghuan had already been working for years. After hearing that, Qinghuan hadn’t hesitated at all. She cleanly announced her retirement from the entertainment industry and threw herself into preparing for grad school.No matter what kind of campus it was, she wanted to make it up to her.Unfortunately, age caught up. Her learning ability had declined badly. After all those years of exams, she’d only just finally gotten in. In that long stretch of time, Qi Yi had already become a university professor, A-Cheng had traveled to no fewer than twenty countries, Bai Jinqiu and Cen Ziyan had sparked at least three divorce rumors, and her first child with Nan Yang had grown to seven. Time really flew. Without noticing, so many things had happened.And now, at last, they could date on campus.Only no one had expected it would be in this bizarre “teacher and student” way.Inside the office, the other elderly professors craned their necks to spy on what was going on. They didn’t follow entertainment news, didn’t recognize either of them, and had no idea the two were already married. But after listening for a while, they realized there was something serious between this teacher and this student—and that the teacher was even pregnant with the student’s child. A bunch of old men’s gossip instincts went up like gasoline had been poured on them. They stared over, exchanging meaningful looks now and then.And why was this student calling her “Master,” not “Teacher”?Professor Zhang covered his mouth and quietly asked Nan Yang, “Teacher Nan, why doesn’t she call you ‘Teacher’?”Nan Yang thought for a moment, lifted her eyes to Qinghuan, and said, “Call me Teacher from now on.”“Yes, Teacher.” Qinghuan answered obediently.Professor Zhang nodded along. “These days, teachers dating students isn’t that rare. But on campus, you still need to rein it in a little. We won’t gossip, but if some busybody student hears and spreads something ugly, it could really affect your future. You’re teacher and student right now—improper and illegitimate. You have to restrain yourselves!”The other elderly professors all nodded. “That’s right, that’s right.”Nan Yang: “…”Qinghuan: “The professors are right.”Professor Zhang sighed again and looked at Qinghuan. “You’ve had it hard, too. So young, and you’re already raising someone else’s child as a mother. I saw Teacher Nan’s daughter just now. She really is cute, but in the end she isn’t yours. You’ve suffered.”Qinghuan: “…”Nan Yang: “…”Professor Zhang continued, earnestly. “But at least the one Teacher Nan is carrying now is yours, so you don’t have to be too sad. In life, you always have to forgive some youthful recklessness.”Nan Yang: “?”Qinghuan: “???”
EXTRA Chapter 95
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After delivering the message, Nan Fengmian slipped out of Nan Yang’s office. She knew her two moms definitely had a lot of private things to say, and a kid like her would just get in the way.Walking through the vast Huaxing University campus, Nan Fengmian kept looking around. Quietly, she thought that the only thing she needed to do right now was make herself “get lost.”If she walked farther away, then “getting lost” would look perfectly natural.She looked at the phone watch on her wrist and timed it carefully, walking for a full two hours. She left campus, reached the main street, and wandered until even she was dizzy and disoriented before she finally stopped.That was probably enough.Satisfied, Nan Fengmian found a short little concrete stool and sat down. She opened her phone watch and tapped the first contact on the list.The first contact wasn’t Nan Yang.It wasn’t Qinghuan either.It was Cen Ziyan.After dialing, Nan Fengmian silently counted the seconds.Two… three… four… five…Beep—the call connected.A gentle voice flowed softly from the watch. “Mianmian, what’s wrong?”“A-Yan!” Nan Fengmian’s childish features brightened instantly. She called out crisply, “You… you’re not working right now?”“No, I haven’t taken any work lately. Did Mianmian miss Auntie Yan? Calling Auntie Yan at this time?”“A-Yan, I’m lost.” Nan Fengmian’s mouth puckered, her voice turning teary. “Today I was following Mom and the others at the university, but… but I don’t know where I walked to. I can’t find the way back. A-Yan, what do I do?”Cen Ziyan seemed to freeze for a moment. A chair scraped on the other end. “You…” Her tone sounded a little urgent, but she forced the anxiety down, still trying to speak slowly and gently. “Mianmian, don’t panic. Your phone watch has a camera, right?”“Mm—y-yes.” Nan Fengmian cried.“Point the camera at your surroundings, take a picture, and send it to me. I’ll come find you right away.”“O-okay.”Nan Fengmian wiped her tears, eyes red. After she hung up, she took the phone watch off her wrist and, practiced and efficient, snapped a photo and sent it to Cen Ziyan. Cen Ziyan called her again and stayed on the line, using the photo to pinpoint her location, then hurried over.In less than an hour, Cen Ziyan arrived in front of her.During that whole time, neither Nan Yang nor Qinghuan called even once, as if they hadn’t noticed their child was missing at all.Cen Ziyan had come in a rush, sweat beading all over her forehead and neck, her temples damp. She walked up, dropped to one knee in front of Nan Fengmian, sighed, and ruffled the child’s fluffy hair. “Thank goodness I was nearby today. How did you get lost?”“I don’t know. I just kept walking, and then I realized I didn’t recognize the road anymore.” Nan Fengmian’s cheeks flushed as Cen Ziyan patted her head. “A-Yan… do you think I’m stupid?”“Mianmian is still little. Getting lost is totally normal. How could that be stupid?” Cen Ziyan smiled softly and stood, opening her arms. “Come. Auntie will carry you back to find your moms.”Nan Fengmian melted into Cen Ziyan’s embrace, letting her scoop her up and support her little hips. Resting her head on Cen Ziyan’s shoulder, she spoke in a voice as tiny as a mosquito: “A-Yan… can you not rush to send me back, okay? I want… I want to stay with you.”“But if you don’t go back, your moms will worry.” Cen Ziyan coaxed patiently.“They have a little sister now. If I don’t go back, they won’t worry at all.” Nan Fengmian started wiping tears with her short little hands again, crying so pitifully it made your heart ache. “A-Yan, carry me away. I’ll be your kid.”“Don’t talk nonsense.” Cen Ziyan pinched her soft, squishy cheek. “So Mianmian is unhappy because you’re going to have a little sister?”Actually, before trying for another baby, Nan Yang had asked her opinion first. Only after she nodded did Nan Yang start preparing for a second child. She’d been looking forward to having a little sister to tussle and play with. But… if she didn’t say it like that, she couldn’t find any excuse to act spoiled and clingy in Cen Ziyan’s arms.“A-Yan, A-Yan, A-Yan…” Nan Fengmian wrapped her arms around Cen Ziyan’s neck and started shamelessly whining.Cen Ziyan laughed helplessly. “Alright. Then I’ll take you to eat a kids’ meal. After that, we’ll go to the riverside amusement park and ride the carousel. After the carousel, I’ll send you home at night, okay?”Nan Fengmian puffed her cheeks and thought for a long time, then greedily said, “I don’t want to go home at night either. I want to sleep hugging A-Yan.”“…”Cen Ziyan couldn’t win against her, so she called Qinghuan first. Qinghuan seemed to be in class and didn’t pick up. Then she called Nan Yang. Nan Yang answered quickly—she sounded pretty free.“Cen Ziyan?” Even after all these years, Nan Yang still called her by her full name, keeping a perfect distance.“Boss Nan, Mianmian is with me.”“Oh…” Nan Yang didn’t sound surprised at all. “What is it?”“She says she doesn’t want to go back tonight. She wants to stay with me. Would that be convenient for you?”“Tonight?” Nan Yang hesitated, repeating uncertainly. “Just tonight?”Cen Ziyan froze. What… did that mean?“I’ve been going to the university these past two days. I might stay in the dorm with Qinghuan. I can’t exactly bring a kid with me. I was going to hire an auntie to look after Mianmian for these few months, but she seems to like you. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can just take care of her long-term. Let her stay with you. Qinghuan will feel very at ease.”Nan Fengmian’s eyes lit up instantly.As expected of her birth mother—no one understood her better.Cen Ziyan glanced at Nan Fengmian, frowning. She turned her head and covered the microphone, avoiding the child’s gaze as she whispered, “Boss Nan… I’m dealing with a divorce lawsuit lately. It’s not great for a child to see those things.”“Bai Jinqiu is still clinging to you?” Nan Yang seemed to be clicking a ballpoint pen, the continuous tick-tick-tick coming through.“I can’t help it. There’s a divorce cooling-off period in the law, and she can unilaterally withdraw the divorce request. Divorce is complicated now. I’ve already started litigation, but it’ll still take time.”“I’ll find you a top-tier lawyer in the industry. I’ll make sure you get divorced smoothly this time, as thanks for taking care of Mianmian. Does that work for you?”Cen Ziyan opened her mouth. After a long moment, she answered stiffly, “Y-yes… it works.”“Mm. Then I’m hanging up.”“Wait.” Cen Ziyan still couldn’t believe it. She asked again, “So… this child, I can really take her?”“Take her.”Three clean, decisive words—and Nan Yang hung up.Cen Ziyan held her phone, staring at the disconnected screen, then looked down at tiny Nan Fengmian. She lifted a hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead, exhaled slowly, and let her shoulders slump in helpless surrender.Smiling and shaking her head, she accepted her fate and held out her hand to Nan Fengmian.“Come on, kid. From now on—just follow me.”
EXTRA Chapter 96
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Nan Fengmian was brought back to the Nan family by the bodyguards and nanny sent by Mei Zhongli. They said she would pack her things and come over to Cen Ziyan’s place that evening. That afternoon, Cen Ziyan went to the supermarket to buy a bunch of items a child might need, along with plenty of fresh, healthy vegetables and meat. She planned to personally cook Fengmian’s first welcome-home meal.Fengmian was the pampered young miss of the Nan family, used to being waited on. From now on, living together with her, there would be no nanny around. Cen Ziyan knew she would have to take good care of this little one.Cen Ziyan’s home was fairly large—a private residence she had bought herself. She preferred being alone and usually did not hire any domestic help. Standing by the kitchen sink washing a pumpkin, she was thinking through the steps of making pumpkin cake when she suddenly heard a knock at the front door.She assumed Fengmian had arrived. After wiping her hands, she went over and opened the door without much caution.“A—”She barely got the first syllable out before freezing in place. A moment later, seeing Bai Jinqiu standing outside, the faint smile that had just risen at the corner of her lips slowly flattened. Suppressing the urge to slam the door shut, she forced herself to maintain basic courtesy.“What do you want?”Bai Jinqiu took off her sunglasses, exhaustion impossible to hide in her eyes. “Won’t you invite me in to sit for a bit?”“…If you have anything to say, talk to my lawyer. I have nothing left to say to you.”As soon as Cen Ziyan finished speaking, she moved to close the door. Bai Jinqiu thrust a hand against the doorframe, staring at her intently.“Ziyan, do we really have to get divorced?”Cen Ziyan’s hand at her side clenched into a fist. Her eyes reddened, and when she spoke again, her voice was already hoarse.“It’s not that I never gave you chances. You just never truly considered me. You always treated me as something you owned, not as an independent person.” She met Bai Jinqiu’s gaze. “I even thought about it—since we were already married, maybe I should let go of the past and try to love you. But then I realized… why should I? Why should I be forced to stay bound to you and then be required to try to love you?”“Ziyan…” Bai Jinqiu’s hand on the door handle trembled uncontrollably.“That’s enough. Let’s end this.”Cen Ziyan pulled the door toward her, slowly closing it. She believed Bai Jinqiu might truly love her, but it was obvious that Bai Jinqiu’s love for her would never outweigh her desire to satisfy her own needs. The person Bai Jinqiu loved most had always been herself, not Cen Ziyan.The door still did not close. Bai Jinqiu forced it open again, unwilling to give up, staring at Cen Ziyan.“I won’t divorce you!”“What exactly are you—”Bai Jinqiu squeezed inside, grabbed Cen Ziyan’s hand, and slammed her against the shoe cabinet in the entryway. Cen Ziyan was terrified and struggled desperately, but she was too weak. Her wrist was gripped so tightly it bruised purple, yet she still could not break free. Bai Jinqiu pinned her down roughly, biting at her lips and chin. Because Cen Ziyan struggled so violently, the pulling and tearing caused her lips and chin to split under Bai Jinqiu’s teeth, blood welling up. The pain made tears pour from her eyes. She dodged and screamed in despair.“Let me go!!”This kind of scene had played out countless times over the past few years. When she was compliant, coercion was just coercion. Once she resisted, coercion turned into violence.Just as things were about to spiral beyond repair, footsteps suddenly sounded from the stairway. Then came Nan Fengmian’s childish yet commanding voice.“Pull her off!”The bodyguard escorting her rushed forward, yanked the already out-of-control Bai Jinqiu off Cen Ziyan, and restrained her to the side. Nan Fengmian hurried into the house. Seeing Cen Ziyan sitting on the floor, her face smeared with blood and tears, Fengmian’s big eyes immediately reddened. She was both heartbroken and furious as she shouted to the nanny.“Call 110! Call the police!”Still dazed, Cen Ziyan heard Nan Fengmian say she was calling the police. Thinking of Bai Jinqiu’s status as a film queen, she spoke faintly through bloodied lips.“Don’t call the police… forget it…”“Why should we forget it?! We can’t just let it go!” Nan Fengmian yelled angrily. “You idiot! It’s because you’re always so stupid that you’ve been bullied for so long!”Cen Ziyan bit her lip, wiped the blood from her mouth, and lowered her head in silence.After a stretch of noise, waiting, and tense standoff, the incident ended with the police taking Bai Jinqiu away. She never said a word, looking as though she had aged years in an instant, her eyes a lifeless gray that would never reignite.Once the bodyguard and nanny confirmed Nan Fengmian had arrived safely, they left as well. After everyone was gone, Nan Fengmian took a cup from the coffee table to the kitchen to wash it. Struggling with all her might, she lifted a kettle of hot water taller than her own waist, mixed a cup of warm water, and carried it to the bedroom, where Cen Ziyan lay on the bed.Cen Ziyan accepted the water, clearly not yet recovered, her expression still blank.“Ziyan, do you want to go to the hospital?” Nan Fengmian asked carefully, tugging lightly at Cen Ziyan’s sleeve.Cen Ziyan shuddered, looked at Nan Fengmian’s young face, and after a long moment finally came back to herself.“Mi… Mianmian?”Nan Fengmian hopped up and sat on the bed, sitting properly. Her small, soft hand closed around Cen Ziyan’s thumb as she said gently, “Mianmian’s here.” Her hand was too small to hold Cen Ziyan’s whole hand—she could only hold her thumb.Cen Ziyan looked at her, tears flooding her eyes, her hands trembling.Nan Fengmian hurriedly said, “Do you want a hug?” She scooted her little bottom forward, lifted her short arms, and blinked her big eyes. “Mianmian will hug you.”After a brief pause, Cen Ziyan leaned forward and gently embraced Nan Fengmian. She buried her face against the child’s tiny shoulder and cried silently, her whole body shaking as she bit down hard to keep from making a sound.“Ziyan, it’s not embarrassing to cry. You can cry out loud. Mianmian definitely won’t tell anyone,” Nan Fengmian said, hugging her back. Only then did she realize that her short arms could actually close around Cen Ziyan’s back. Cen Ziyan was so thin—so thin that her spine felt sharp under her hands.Cen Ziyan’s tear-choked voice sounded by her ear. “I’m sorry… I… I’m sorry…”“You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?”The mature woman in her arms stayed silent for a long while. Finally, she spoke again.“It’s your first day here, and you had to see something like this…”“That’s not your fault either,” Nan Fengmian comforted her patiently. “You—you—you should be called that… that what was it… a victim? Is that right? Mommy said victims don’t need to apologize. If one day victims start apologizing, then it means the world is sick. So you don’t need to apologize. Our world is very healthy.”Cen Ziyan’s body stiffened.After a moment, she let go of Nan Fengmian, the corner of her lips lifting faintly.Nan Fengmian asked again, “Ziyan, where’s your medicine kit?”“…What is it? Are you hurt?” Cen Ziyan tensed immediately. “Did you get hurt just now by accident—”“No, it’s your mouth,” Nan Fengmian said, pointing to the same spot on her own lips. “It’s bleeding.”Cen Ziyan relaxed, smiled, and pointed her the way. Nan Fengmian scampered off to fetch it, set the kit on the bed, opened it, and pushed it toward Cen Ziyan.“You do it yourself.”“Okay, I’ll do it myself.” Without much thought, Cen Ziyan picked out iodine and cotton swabs, turned sideways, and began treating the wound in the mirror on the bedside table.“I—I don’t know how… how to do it,” Nan Fengmian stammered. “So the first time, Ziyan does it yourself. I’ll watch and learn. Once I learn, I’ll help you do it every time in the future.”“I can do it myself. Thank you, Mianmian.”“It’s okay. If Ziyan wants to do it yourself, then do it yourself. If you want Mianmian to help, Mianmian will help.”Cen Ziyan curved her lips slightly. Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly asked, “Mianmian, why don’t you ever call me Auntie?”Nan Fengmian blinked, a conversation with her mother suddenly flashing through her mind.“So if Mianmian meets someone she wants to protect, she should call them by their name?”“Yeah.”Her little face instantly flushed red. She lowered her head, staring at her short legs dangling off the edge of the bed, swinging gently back and forth.
EXTRA Chapter 97
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As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Li Haoyang swiftly packed up his lesson plans and water bottle on the podium, then walked briskly to the classroom door and pulled it open. The moment the door opened, he saw a black-haired woman in a white shirt leaning casually against the wall. Her brows and eyes were cool and jade-like, her gaze calm as it swept over.“Teacher Nan,” Li Haoyang greeted her politely.“Professor Li,” Nan Yang returned the greeting in the same three words.“Waiting for your wife again?” Li Haoyang chuckled, glancing at Qinghuan, who was sitting in the last row and packing up her books. When he looked back at Nan Yang, he noticed she was also watching Qinghuan. The way Nan Yang looked at Qinghuan was completely different from how she looked at him. Looking at him, she was like a block of ice; looking at Qinghuan, she was like a soft, gentle cloud.Students poured out of the classroom one after another after class. As they passed Nan Yang, they covered their mouths and whispered excitedly. Everyone had recently learned that their department had gained a beautiful calligraphy instructor, though unfortunately she was already pregnant. Otherwise, plenty of teacher-obsessed girls would surely have been lining up to deliver love letters. Several female students blushed and greeted Nan Yang. She simply nodded to them politely.While waiting for Qinghuan, Li Haoyang did not leave. Lowering his voice, he asked Nan Yang, “Um… Teacher Nan, I heard you’re quite close with my fiancée. Would it be convenient for you to help me ask Xiaoyi about the wedding date?”Li Haoyang was the fiancé arranged by Qi Yi’s family, and the youngest professor at Huaxing University. The Li and Qi families had been trying to push the two of them into marriage for years, but Qi Yi had dragged it out again and again—seven full years. Qi Yi had long since told Li Haoyang that she did not like him and that he could cancel the engagement at any time, yet Li Haoyang insisted on waiting, and so he waited all those years.Why Qi Yi refused to get married, and who she was waiting for, Nan Yang and Qinghuan knew better than anyone.But Ming Wancheng had been out of contact for a long time now. Neither phone calls nor messages could reach her. No one knew whether she had fallen into the East African Rift Valley or gotten stuck on the tip of the Eiffel Tower.“Xiaoyi’s dad said he’s set it for next month,” Li Haoyang scratched his head. “I asked Xiaoyi, but she neither agreed nor refused. I don’t understand what she’s thinking. Teacher Nan, do you know?”“She has someone else she likes,” Nan Yang said bluntly.Li Haoyang froze for a moment. “I… actually, I know too. I can feel that she… but…”“You’re waiting for her, and she’s waiting for someone else. Those are both your own choices.”Your own choices. They have nothing to do with me.Li Haoyang could hear the distance in Nan Yang’s tone. Knowing she did not want to continue the conversation, he tactfully said goodbye, hugged his lesson plans and tea cup, and walked away at an unhurried pace.Only after he had gone did Qinghuan come over. She glanced at his retreating figure and asked softly, “Did Professor Li ask about Xiaoyi…?”Nan Yang looked at her, the corner of her lips lifting slightly as she cut her off. “Happy anniversary.”Today was their seventh wedding anniversary, a day that belonged to the two of them alone. Qinghuan smiled and, sure enough, did not ask any more about Li Haoyang. She took Nan Yang’s hand.“If you hadn’t said it, I would’ve forgotten. Right, today is our wedding anniversary.”“You forgot?” Nan Yang frowned.Qinghuan smiled sheepishly. “Yeah… I’ve been too busy lately.”Nan Yang lowered her gaze, her brow knitting even tighter. Still, she took a beautifully wrapped box out of her handbag and handed it to Qinghuan, her eyes drifting elsewhere.“This is your gift.”Qinghuan opened it. Inside was a handwoven cord for a pendant. The knots were tight and intricate, the pattern complex and exquisite, like a piece of art. At a glance, it was clear Nan Yang had made it herself. The length suggested it was meant to be worn around the neck, and Qinghuan immediately understood.“You made this for my Liu Jade?” Qinghuan asked in delight.“Mm.” Nan Yang’s expression remained calm.Qinghuan immediately took the Liu Jade off her neck and replaced the cord with the new one. After putting it on, she subconsciously looked several more times at the ten small characters engraved on it.May we be like the swallows beneath the eaves, meeting year after year.She could not help but smile. At long last, her wish had come true—they would indeed meet year after year.“I bought movie tickets,” Nan Yang said, turning and starting to walk away. Her tone was flat, very unlike her usual self.Qinghuan hurried after her. “Walk slower. Be careful of the little sister in your belly. If you jostle her and make her upset, she’ll kick you tonight.”Nan Yang said nothing.Qinghuan caught her hand and swung it lightly, smiling. “What’s wrong? Why have you been frowning the whole time? Are you mad?”Nan Yang held it in for a long while before finally sighing.“In previous years, you never forgot.”“Yes, in previous years I never forgot,” Qinghuan replied, knowing she meant the anniversary. She laughed so hard her shoulders shook. “So how could I really forget this year?”Nan Yang looked at her with helpless indulgence. “You’re teasing me again.”“Because you’d believe it, so I tease you. Mianmian wouldn’t fall for that. Last time I tricked her by saying I forgot her birthday, she rolled her eyes at me and told me she’d already dug out the gift I prepared three days earlier.”“Then where’s my gift?” Nan Yang held out her hand.Qinghuan placed her own hand on it, her index finger tracing circles in Nan Yang’s palm. Her eyes curved into crescents. “Teacher, openly asking a student for a gift isn’t very appropriate, is it?”Nan Yang closed her fingers, gripping Qinghuan’s hand tightly, and looked at her without speaking.“Alright, alright. It’s in the dorm. Tonight you come back with me to get it,” Qinghuan said, no longer teasing her. She tugged Nan Yang along as they continued walking. “For now, let’s go watch the movie. After the movie, I’ll treat you to dinner.”They drove to the cinema together. Because Nan Yang was pregnant, she sat in the passenger seat while Qinghuan drove. Along the way, Nan Yang kept pulling fruit candies out of the storage compartment, eating one every five minutes. By the time she reached the fourth candy, Qinghuan finally could not take it anymore.“Eat less.”Nan Yang was unmoved, still unwrapping the candy. “I want to eat it.”“You can’t keep eating sweets like this,” Qinghuan said, glancing at Nan Yang through the rearview mirror. She hesitated, but still said the rest. “You’ve gained weight.”The unwrapping motion froze.After a long silence, Nan Yang spoke softly. “I only gained weight because I’m pregnant…”“Nope,” Qinghuan punctured that without mercy. “Your face is a whole ring softer now. You’ve gained weight.”With the way Nan Yang was eating, any normal person would gain weight. It was just that for the past three thousand years, her body had been特殊, so she could eat however she wanted without consequences. Now it was different. She was no longer practicing swordsmanship daily as she had in ancient times. If she did not gain weight eating like this, that would truly defy reason.The candy was wrapped back up, the ends twisted neatly and carefully, then obediently returned to the storage compartment. Nan Yang did not speak for the rest of the drive. From time to time, her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, stealing a quick look at her own face before pretending nothing had happened. After a while, she would steal another glance.After some time, Nan Yang frowned and carefully placed her hand over the back of Qinghuan’s hand on the steering wheel.Qinghuan kept her eyes on the road and asked distractedly, “What’s wrong?”“After this child is born, I’ll lose weight,” Nan Yang said, pressing her lips together, her voice even softer. “You… don’t dislike me for not looking good.”Qinghuan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Oh my, you really… hey, don’t take it to heart. I don’t dislike you for not looking good. I just don’t want you eating so much sugar. Too many carbs aren’t good for your body. As for looks… you’re just a bit fuller than before, and that’s actually quite nice. You were too thin before. You look better now, really.”“You’re always good at coaxing me. I can’t even tell what’s true anymore.”Nan Yang shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her long fingers rested on her belly, gently stroking it.“By the way, how is it that someone who’s eaten the sweetest tanghulu in the world can still stomach these random candies now?” Qinghuan teased her again, deliberately letting a trace of mock grievance into her tone. “I remember that lifetime when I was a hawthorn tree. There was a fool who leaned against me every day to read, and watered me with a cup of tea daily. To repay you, every autumn I bore the best hawthorn fruit and let them fall at your feet. I remember you picked them up every year to make tanghulu, and every year you ate so, so many, telling me they were the sweetest tanghulu you’d ever had. The fruit I bore—was it really that delicious?”Nan Yang smiled too, her tone warm and gentle. “The fruit you bore was, of course, the best.”Qinghuan’s smile deepened.After a while, Nan Yang considered for a moment, then asked tentatively, “The memories of the first ninety-eight lifetimes… how far have you remembered now?”In truth, Qinghuan had recalled all ninety-eight lifetimes long ago, but she had not told Nan Yang. Nan Yang had always thought she was still slowly recovering her memories. Every night, Qinghuan would pester Nan Yang to tell her stories about those ninety-eight lifetimes, deliberately claiming she could not remember and needed Nan Yang’s help. In reality, she just wanted to hear how those past lives looked from Nan Yang’s perspective. Sometimes, to preserve her own image and dignity, Nan Yang would edit out certain less-than-proper details. Qinghuan would not expose her, only laugh quietly to herself.But of those ninety-eight lifetimes, Nan Yang had only ever been willing to talk about the first ninety-seven. She never mentioned the ninety-eighth.Qinghuan knew exactly what had happened in the ninety-eighth life, and she understood why Nan Yang refused to bring it up. She knew Nan Yang carried guilt in her heart.But after all these years, there was no need to pretend ignorance anymore. So when Nan Yang asked this time, Qinghuan answered calmly.“I’ve remembered all of them.”
EXTRA Chapter 98
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Qi Yi was getting married—this month.Nan Yang had originally thought what Li Haoyang said about both families preparing a wedding was just rumor, but this time it was truly set. After dragging it out for so many years, the Qi family and the Li family had finally run out of patience.Qinghuan asked Qi Yi whether she was willing. Qi Yi stayed silent for a long time, and in the end only said, “Let it be this way.”No one knew whether she had truly let go of the person buried in her heart, but everyone understood that she had finally chosen compromise.Qinghuan opened her chat with Ming Wancheng and stared at the screen—the one that had gone unanswered for far too long. After thinking for a long time, she still sent a message.“A-Cheng, Xiaoyi is getting married at the end of this month. She asked me to ask you: do you want us to save you a seat at the wedding?”She sent it at six in the evening. The next morning, she unexpectedly received a reply from Ming Wancheng.“Save one.”Qinghuan immediately started a voice call, nerves tight as she waited. Finally, for the first time in years, Ming Wancheng picked up.The moment it connected, Qinghuan unleashed a furious scolding. “You little brat—you still remember how to answer your master?”Ming Wancheng’s laughter came through the speaker. “Sorry. I went too wild these past few years. How have you and Ancestor been? How’s Mianmian?”“Everyone’s doing fine,” Qinghuan said. Sitting cross-legged on her dorm bed, she lifted the curtain and rolled it up to let the light in. “When are you coming back? Ancestor and I will come pick you up.”“On the day she gets married,” Ming Wancheng said. “I’ll come back to see her. Once I see her get married properly, I’ll leave.”“A-Cheng…” Qinghuan hesitated, swallowing back what she wanted to say.“Mm?” Ming Wancheng prompted.“…Nothing.” Qinghuan smiled and, in the end, said nothing at all. “Remember to bring me some local specialties.”“Of course!”“Okay. Bye-bye.”“Bye-bye.”After hanging up, Qinghuan lowered her hand and looked out the window. In the lazy sunlight, she still felt a stubborn trace of loneliness.On the morning of Qi Yi’s wedding, Nan Yang and Qinghuan drove to the city airport first to pick up Ming Wancheng, who had just returned to the country.After drifting through dozens of countries for so long, Ming Wancheng somehow came back astonishingly light—no suitcase, nothing. Just a pair of denim overalls, a backpack, and a baseball cap. Her face had not changed at all; she still looked like a teenage girl. Even her stride carried that enviable, vibrant energy.Seeing two familiar faces again, Ming Wancheng stared for a long while at the white shirt Nan Yang was wearing. She took off her sunglasses, leaned in, narrowed her eyes, and inspected the familiar embroidered pattern of white cranes pressed into the fabric, asking with curiosity, “Huh? Isn’t this the same crane pattern from the white robe Ancestor used to wear in ancient times?”“All those crane patterns were embroidered by me,” Qinghuan said with a gentle smile. “It was my anniversary gift to her.”“Interesting—moving ancient embroidery patterns onto a modern dress shirt,” Ming Wancheng laughed. “It really makes me think of you two from more than three thousand years ago. I’m so jealous of you both. Just like that shirt—both ancient and modern.”Nan Yang, as always, disliked how noisy Ming Wancheng was. She frowned and turned away, walking ahead.Ming Wancheng glanced at Nan Yang’s rounded belly and asked Qinghuan in a low voice, “Have you named the second one yet?”“Not yet,” Qinghuan said.“You should hurry,” Ming Wancheng immediately launched into it. “Names are a big deal, especially with an old antique like Ancestor. She’ll definitely care about birth charts and the Five Elements and all that. She might even cast a divination, pick an auspicious day, calculate this, predict that—if you wait until the kid is born, won’t it be too late? Master, you have to push her. And also, the second child can’t keep her surname again, right? No matter what, one child should take your surname. Marriage is about equality now—you can’t just—just because you married into the family back then—”“A-Cheng,” Qinghuan said with a perfectly polite smile, “I’m old.”Ming Wancheng’s eyes widened, looking utterly innocent. “So what if you’re old?”“I’m old,” Qinghuan repeated. “I can’t handle too much noise. Have some consideration.”Ming Wancheng: “…”Qinghuan looked at her for a moment, then said, “Today is Xiaoyi’s wedding. But you don’t look like you’re sad.”For a brief instant, Ming Wancheng’s gaze went blank.She blinked several times, then tugged up her usual irreverent grin. “W-what would I have to be sad about?”Qinghuan did not press. She understood—being carefree was something you said for other people. The tears you shed alone at night were known only to yourself.The three of them arrived at the wedding venue, and an usher led them into the inner hall. The ceremony was being held in a beautiful garden. Roman-style columns stood all around; in the center of the fountain pool, a unicorn statue sprayed clear water. Fresh pink petals carpeted the ground.A piano sat beside a swing set. The pianist had not arrived yet. Cen Ziyan was seated at the piano bench with little Nan Fengmian in her arms. She was holding Fengmian’s hand, guiding it slowly over the keys, her brows and eyes curving into a smile.As Nan Yang, Qinghuan, and Ming Wancheng approached, they heard what they were playing—“Marriage d’Amour.”Ming Wancheng remembered that when she left, Fengmian had been only three and already especially clingy with Cen Ziyan. She had not expected that after growing up, she would still be just as clingy. Ming Wancheng clicked her tongue and whispered to Nan Yang and Qinghuan, “So whose genes did this kid inherit—liking older women like this?”Nan Yang flicked a cool glance at Qinghuan.Qinghuan smiled awkwardly. “Looks like my DNA is… a little picky.”Ming Wancheng nodded in agreement. “Not just a little.”Cen Ziyan saw them and stood up with Fengmian in her arms to greet them. “Boss Nan, Qinghuan. A-Cheng, long time no—”“Long time no see,” Ming Wancheng said with a smile.Cen Ziyan smiled with relief. “You came to Xiaoyi’s wedding. Looks like you’ve really let go.”Ming Wancheng replied, “Who said I let go?”Cen Ziyan’s smile froze.Ming Wancheng waved her hand with a laugh, playing it off. “Hey, I’m joking. Don’t take it seriously.”Cen Ziyan: “…”A while later, the host came over to tell them the ceremony was about to begin. They were special friends of the bride, so they were invited to sit in the first row. No one objected, and the group took their seats together.Once everyone was seated, the priest took his place up front. The band began to play, and the groom and bride entered together, following flower girls scattering petals.Ming Wancheng, like Nan Yang and Qinghuan, leaned forward against the back of her chair and looked toward the aisle, waiting for the couple’s arrival.Qi Yi held Li Haoyang’s arm. A white wedding dress wrapped her from head to toe. In the crook of her arm was a bouquet of yellow roses still beaded with water, fresh as if just picked. She looked straight ahead, poised and elegant, as if she were the gentlest bride in the world.Ming Wancheng watched her, a thin sheen of tears rising slowly in her eyes. Through that watery light, she offered one final smile of blessing.This was already good enough.In this lifetime, her little princess had, in the end, found completion.Warmth touched her shoulder. Ming Wancheng turned her head and saw Nan Yang patting her shoulder in quiet comfort. The tears fell at once, dropping heavily.The bride and groom reached the front and stood side by side before the priest. The priest began the vows, reciting them first to the groom. He spoke one line, and the groom repeated one line, devout beyond measure.When it was done, applause rose from the crowd.The priest turned slightly to face the bride and began again.He read the first line, then looked at the bride expectantly, waiting for her to repeat it.Qi Yi did not speak for a long time.Whispers spread through the audience. The Qi parents and the Li parents exchanged puzzled looks. After a while, Qi Yi finally moved—but instead of answering, she turned her head and looked toward the first row.Her gaze locked onto Ming Wancheng.Then she lifted her skirt and stepped down from the platform, one step at a time, composed, resolute, unhurried, until she stopped in front of Ming Wancheng.“Why aren’t you stealing the bride?”Her voice was so gentle, as if she were coaxing a child.For a beat, the audience froze—then the entire venue erupted. Questions and disbelief boiled up into a deafening roar. Ming Wancheng’s eyes widened. She stared at Qi Yi’s face as if she could not believe it, her jaw trembling.“A-Cheng,” Qi Yi said, ignoring everything around them. She bent slightly at the waist, lashes trembling as they lowered. Her fingers carefully brushed Ming Wancheng’s hair, her tone so soft it sounded like a lover’s whisper. “Take me.”Take me.The bride before her blurred through tears. In the shifting, trembling light, Ming Wancheng seemed to see, in a haze, the princess from three thousand years ago—dressed in red wedding robes, about to be sent away in a political marriage.And suddenly she understood: the bond between them had begun from the very start, from that impulsive act of stealing a bride.From ancient times to now, Qi Yi had always wished to be stolen away by her.She had taken her at the beginning—how could she abandon her at the end?Ming Wancheng sprang to her feet and seized Qi Yi’s hand. Before anyone could even react, she dragged her and ran.She did not care about anything. She did not think about anything. She ran with everything she had, crying as she ran.Outside the chapel, sunlight spilled shamelessly across their faces, and the wind carried the rush of freedom and madness.To hell with “completion.”Her princess’s completion could only be with Ming Wancheng.
EXTRA Chapter 99
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It was New Year’s Eve again.Last winter, Nan Yang gave birth to her and Zhu Qinghuan’s second daughter. They named her Nan Shanyao. Nan feng mian mian, Nan shan yao yao—the names echoed each other, perfectly matched and beautifully complementary.On New Year’s Eve, Nan Yang and Qinghuan invited their friends to celebrate at their home. Everyone was kind enough to accept, and guests began arriving one after another from noon onward.The first to arrive was Cen Ziyan. Nan Fengmian had been calling her nonstop, acting spoiled and insisting on seeing her. Unable to resist a child’s pleas, Cen Ziyan hurried over around midday to help Qinghuan in the kitchen. Nan Fengmian burrowed into the kitchen as well, trailing behind Cen Ziyan and chattering nonstop. Qinghuan found it too noisy and told Nan Yang to take the child away.Nan Yang sat there with a few-month-old Nan Shanyao on her right knee and a listless Nan Fengmian on her left. The table in front of her was strewn with freshly written Spring Festival couplets and red “fortune” characters. Writing couplets while minding children was clearly a grueling task. Yaoyao grew hungry and cried for milk, while Mianmian drooped her face and kept nagging about going to find Cen Ziyan. Nan Yang coaxed one, then the other, utterly drained in both body and mind.By four in the afternoon, the arrival of Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng finally rescued Nan Yang.Qi Yi took Yaoyao from her arms, placed her in the cradle, and soothed her to sleep. Ming Wancheng grabbed Mianmian by the collar and plucked her to the side, smiling at Nan Yang. “Ancestor, how did two kids alone manage to wear you out like this?”“Shut up.” Nan Yang went out to the balcony for some air.Ming Wancheng followed, her mouth running nonstop. “Happy New Year, happy New Year, happy New Year, happy New Year—”Nan Yang knew exactly what she was hinting at and replied flatly, “Go ask Teacher Qi to wrap one for you.”“She?” Ming Wancheng sighed. “How would she have any money left? You know she fell out pretty badly with her family because of me. Her parents basically kicked her out. With just her salary, even paying the mortgage is hard. We’ve been eating pickled vegetables with plain rice for a whole month. Won’t you take pity on me? Life is really too hard…”Qi Yi’s voice suddenly sounded from behind them. “You think I can’t afford to support you?”Ming Wancheng stiffened and immediately turned around with a placating smile. “No, no, no, sister, don’t misunderstand. Really, no.”“Don’t listen to her nonsense,” Qi Yi said helplessly, smiling at Nan Yang. “We just ate Haidilao for an entire week straight. She just wants to scam some money from you.”Qinghuan ran out from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist, sleeve protectors on her arms, and a floral headscarf tied on her forehead—clearly swamped. She looked at Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng as if seeing saviors and dragged them both toward the kitchen. “Hurry and help me. We still have to fry fish, roll meatballs, steam pork. If we’re any later, we won’t make it in time to eat dinner before the Spring Festival Gala starts!”Nan Yang stopped her and nudged Qi Yi and Ming Wancheng back toward herself. “They still need to help me watch the kids.”Qinghuan shot her a reproachful look and pulled the two back again. “What’s more important, New Year’s dinner or watching the kids? Cooking comes first.”Nan Yang tugged them back. “Watch the kids first. I’ll help you cook later.”Qinghuan tugged them again. “Cook first. I’ll watch the kids later.”Qi Yi: “…”Ming Wancheng: “…”Squeezed in the middle like human tools and yanked back and forth, the two of them were finally spared when Qi Yi stepped in to mediate. She went to help Qinghuan cook, while Ming Wancheng stayed to help Nan Yang with the children. Only then did the matter come to an end.Looking at the three busy figures behind the kitchen’s glass sliding door, Ming Wancheng sighed. “Why don’t you just hire a few helpers?”“…,” Nan Yang fell silent for a moment, then frowned. “That’s a good point.”Ming Wancheng: “…”Ming Wancheng said, “Don’t tell me you only just thought of that.”Nan Yang replied, “We’re not used to hiring helpers in our daily life.”Ming Wancheng said, “That’s not a reason for not thinking of it.”Nan Yang: “…That’s a good point.”Ming Wancheng looked at Nan Yang with pity. “They say pregnancy makes you stupid for three years. Looks like it’s true. Ancestor, you’re not the same Ancestor you used to be.”Nan Yang frowned again. “Insolence.”Hearing those words, Ming Wancheng’s expression instantly relaxed, breaking into a grin. “Ah, there you are. Still the same old you.”Mianmian ran off to the kitchen again to find Cen Ziyan, and the two sat chatting beside Yaoyao’s cradle.Ming Wancheng fished out a rattle from the cradle and, sharp-eyed, recognized it as the one Qinghuan had bought years ago at the Dayan Pagoda Square. Smiling, she shook it in front of Yaoyao. “Have these past years been so peaceful that they’re a little boring?”Life really had been peaceful—so peaceful that there was hardly a ripple.For someone like Nan Yang, who had endured three thousand years of turmoil and witnessed endless grudges, passions, and upheavals, it might even qualify as “boring.”“How could it be boring?” Nan Yang disagreed. She picked up the nearby milk bottle, testing its temperature, her brows and eyes gentle. “A wife, children, a career I love—if I still complained of boredom living like this, I’d truly be unworthy of Heaven’s kindness.”Ming Wancheng couldn’t help laughing. “You think Heaven’s been kind to you?”Nan Yang didn’t answer. She unscrewed the bottle and placed the nipple into Yaoyao’s mouth, guiding the baby’s little hands to grip the handles.After a long while, she finally said softly, “As long as it’s kind right now.”For her long life to end like this—there was nothing better.She had roamed a world of swift vengeance and deep grudges, stood once above tens of thousands, wielded a sword, cut down evil, loved someone, lost her, and found her again. Gained and lost, lost and gained, through cycles upon cycles, until in the end, the story still wrote the two of them together.Family seated at ease, lights warm and close.That was enough.Nan Yang lowered her face, supporting the bottom of the bottle for Yaoyao. A smile filled with a mother’s tenderness curved her lips. Yaoyao sucked contentedly, her round eyes fixed straight on Nan Yang. After a while, her soft little hand opened and grasped Nan Yang’s thumb.Such a tiny hand—four fingers pressed together could only hold one of her mother’s thumbs.Later still, more people arrived. Mei Zhongli, Sun Xuxue, Sun Guohui, and also Zhu Jun and Yu Fengli. The elders all crowded into the nursery, lifting Yaoyao and Mianmian up and down, stacking red envelopes until the children’s pillows were raised by nearly five centimeters.In the evening, everyone gathered in the dining room and turned on the TV, letting the Spring Festival Gala play in the background.Noise, New Year greetings, toasts, small talk, blessings.Just like the most ordinary household among countless others—plain and warm.After dinner, the elders set up a mahjong table, playing while watching the gala. Those who were free took the children, carrying lanterns up to the rooftop to watch the fireworks.Ming Wancheng and Qi Yi sat together, Mianmian on Cen Ziyan’s lap. Nan Yang and Qinghuan stood very close to each other—Qinghuan holding a lantern pole, Nan Yang cradling the sleeping Yaoyao—as fireworks burst and bloomed across the sky above them.Nan Yang said softly, “You cooked all day today. You worked hard.”Qinghuan replied, “I dumped both kids on you all day. You worked hard too.”They smiled at each other, and the day’s exhaustion vanished like smoke.Qinghuan gently bumped Nan Yang with her shoulder. “It’s time again—time to make wishes under the fireworks every year.”Nan Yang just laughed softly. “You have to make wishes in all sorts of ways every year. Birthdays, shooting stars, the New Year. Where do you even get so many wishes?”Leaning against her shoulder, Qinghuan’s eyes were full of laughter. “That’s people’s hopes for the future. You really don’t want anything else anymore?”Nan Yang looked at the daughter in her arms, then at Qinghuan beside her. “In this life, there’s nothing more.”“If there’s nothing in this life,” Qinghuan pressed, “then—what about the next?”Nan Yang thought for a moment. “Then I’ll make a wish. A wish for a next life.”Qinghuan asked, “A next life with what?”Nan Yang answered, “I wish that in the next life, you’ll still fall in love with me.”“Just wishing that I love you?” Qinghuan said. “What if you don’t love me?”Nan Yang replied, “I said it at our wedding. In all ages to come, I’ll find you, protect you, and fall in love with you. The only thing I fear is that in the next life, you won’t love me.”Qinghuan wrapped her arms around Nan Yang’s waist and whispered with a smile by her ear, “Silly. I said it long ago too.”Nan Yang asked, “Said what?”Qinghuan looked up at the sky, fireworks reflected brilliantly in her pupils.She answered:“Even if there were a thousand versions of me in this world, every single one of them would still be holding you.”
EXTRA Chapter 100
Table of Contents | Previous Chapter
Two hundred years later.Time turned over, lives parted by death and rebirth. Clouds light, wind calm—the world went on as usual.Puchang University’s School of Management welcomed a new professor. It was said she had just returned from earning her doctorate abroad. Highly accomplished, still young—though people also said she always looked a bit careless, not very reliable.The university had already prepared a desk for her in the School of Management’s office. The professors seated nearby worked on their own tasks while chatting casually, inevitably turning the conversation to the new arrival.Professor Zhang said, “I heard this new Professor Ming originally took the adult college entrance exam. To make it all the way to a doctorate and then teach at a university—truly inspiring.”Professor Zhao said, “Learning never ends. People like that should be properly publicized. Students nowadays get into university and stop studying seriously—who knows where they pick up these bad habits.”Professor Zhou said, “But I also heard Professor Ming is too young and rather impetuous. Once she arrives, we’ll need to give her more guidance. After all, we’re all older than she is, right, Professor Qi?”Professor Qi, whose desk neighbored the new one, didn’t look up, only giving a polite hum in response.In the afternoon, the much-discussed Professor Ming arrived.Ming Wancheng came into the office cheerfully, carrying her office supplies. As she set things down, she greeted her colleagues one by one. Only at the end did she greet Professor Qi, who was working on a PPT beside her. “Hello, Professor Qi.”Professor Qi adjusted the glasses on her nose bridge, looked up, and inclined her head with good manners. “Hello.”Ming Wancheng sat down, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at her for a moment before suddenly asking, “Hey, don’t you think I look familiar?”Professor Qi glanced at her and replied coolly, “No.”Ming Wancheng didn’t seem disappointed. She just said, “You will.”After a while, she added, “Professor Qi doesn’t look much older than me. Would it be inappropriate if I called you ‘sister’?”Professor Qi thought this person was far too familiar—using such an intimate form of address so casually. She meant to refuse, but for some reason her mind glitched, and she instinctively suppressed the urge.After hesitating for a long moment, she tacitly accepted it.Newly arrived, Ming Wancheng treated everyone in the office to a cup of coffee. When the delivery arrived, she personally brought each cup to her colleagues’ desks. Everyone was quite pleased.The last cup went to Professor Qi.Professor Qi didn’t drink it right away. When she was busy with work, she often forgot about food and drink. There were many performance targets this semester, and she was also supervising two research groups. She had been too busy lately.Several hours later, she finally noticed the coffee by her hand.The coffee had gone cold, but she still picked it up. As she did, a sticky note pressed beneath the cup lifted with it. She casually peeled it off. On it were eight simple characters—“Sister, nice to meet you.”The corner of her mouth curved unconsciously. Her fingertips gently rubbed the paper. After that motion, her index finger—resting on the back—picked up a faint trace of ink.She flipped the sticky note over.There were words on the back as well—“Really, really happy!”Professor Qi couldn’t help smiling. She pushed up her glasses and looked toward Ming Wancheng, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. A sudden sense of familiarity rose within her.Had they…Met somewhere before?Ming Wancheng leaned against the window frame. Warm sunlight poured in, gentle and mild.She watched the students outside hurrying back and forth for their studies, the masked cleaners by the flowerbeds, the teachers clutching folders and heading toward lecture halls. She felt the world was truly good. Everyone was following their own life’s trajectory, doing meaningful things—and she herself was doing the last, most meaningful thing of her life.Her gaze slid, then abruptly halted. She straightened, eyes widening as she looked out.At the fountain plaza not far away, two all-too-familiar figures came into view. One with long, straight black hair; the other with wavy curls. Their faces were much younger than in her memories, like they were back in ancient times, at the very beginning of the story.The black-haired woman rode a simple bicycle. The curly-haired woman sat on the back, arms wrapped tightly around the waist of the one in front. They seemed to be chatting about something happy—both were smiling, one gently, the other flamboyantly.Ming Wancheng froze for a moment, her hand gripping the window frame tightening.After a while, her clenched fingers slowly relaxed. Then she smiled along with them.How wonderful.No matter the time, no matter the identity.She truly was always holding her.—-END—-