Chapter 64
Zuo Bian hurriedly tried to wipe the water off the table but couldn’t find anything suitable. She was about to use her sleeve when Qin Ai grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t bother, it’s not a big deal. I’ll have someone clean it up later.”
Clear droplets of water dripped from the edge of the solid wood table, silently soaking into the carpet.
Zuo Bian hesitated for a moment, then unbuttoned her shirt, leaning forward with her hands on the armrests of Qin Ai’s chair. Her face flushed, she said, “I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
Faced with such a gesture from the person they loved, even a saint wouldn’t be able to remain calm.
Qin Ai reached out and hooked her finger around Zuo Bian’s collar, pulling her closer.
“That’s not enough sincerity for an apology.”
Zuo Bian kissed Qin Ai’s lips lightly. Their lips barely touched before they separated. “Is that enough?”
Qin Ai’s thumb brushed against Zuo Bian’s lips, sending a tingling sensation through her.
“Not yet, I’m still angry.” Qin Ai’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was smiling.
But judging by her demeanor, she didn’t seem angry at all. It was more like she was trying to take advantage of Zuo Bian.
And Zuo Bian was always so easily fooled by Qin Ai. She pulled her collar down a bit further and asked, “Ai Jiejie, is this enough now?”
Qin Ai leaned down and kissed the exposed skin, chuckling. “Mm, almost enough.”
555, still censored, was completely oblivious, left to rely on its imagination. Bored, it wanted to chat with Little Frog, but unfortunately, Little Frog had fallen into a deep sleep after transferring its power to Zuo Bian and hadn’t woken up yet.
555 had lost track of time. It felt like its data was growing mold, then it was finally released from censorship.
Judging by the flush on its host’s face, it imagined that a heated and intense game had just taken place.
Zuo Bian adjusted her collar. “Qin Ai, I should go home. I’ll pick you up for the movie tomorrow.”
Qin Ai brushed a strand of hair from Zuo Bian’s face. “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”
“Mm.” Zuo Bian smiled.
==========
Zuo Bian was driven home by Qin Ai that evening. She had dinner with her parents and brother.
Du Yundong knew that Qin Ai had driven her home again. “Xiao Bian, Mom has an idea, I want to hear your opinion.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Mom wants you and Xiao Qin to get engaged first. What do you think? You’re still young, it’s too early to get married. Engagement is just right.”
Zuo Yan also agreed. “I agree with Yundong’s idea.”
Zuo Bian was stunned for a moment, then said, “Okay.”
Zuo Yuan had already expected this to happen, but he still felt a tinge of sadness. His little sister was about to belong to someone else. He was reluctant to let her go.
“Alright, then I’ll talk to Qin Ai’s mother tomorrow.” Du Yundong said with a smile.
Things hadn’t even been finalized, and Du Yundong was already calling Tian Yumeng “mother-in-law.” She was certainly moving fast.
The engagement between Zuo Bian and Qin Ai was tentatively decided, but the actual ceremony would probably take place in a month or so.
Although an engagement wasn’t as grand as a wedding, it was still an important event in her precious daughter’s life. Du Yundong and Zuo Yan wouldn’t be careless about it.
After dinner, Zuo Bian watched TV with her mother. They were watching “Ascending to Immortality.”
Eight episodes had already aired, and tonight was the premiere of episodes nine and ten. The plot had officially entered the main storyline, becoming even more captivating.
Du Yundong had never watched a drama so attentively before. After all, the main lead was her daughter.
“Xiao Bian, have you considered continuing to act?” she asked.
In her mind, the entertainment industry was still a chaotic place. The higher you climbed, the more you saw. The power struggles, the shady deals, the intricate web of interests, it wasn’t a suitable environment for Zuo Bian.
Of course, if Zuo Bian still wanted to continue acting, Du Yundong, as her mother, would support her and try her best to shield her from the negativity.
Zuo Bian said, “I still want to act. I’m so happy that people like the character I played.”
“Okay, Mom will ask your agent to keep an eye out for good scripts.” Du Yundong gently stroked Zuo Bian’s hair.
Zuo Bian smiled and nodded. “Mom, you’re the best.”
“It’s only natural for Mom to be good to you.” Du Yundong looked at Zuo Bian with a complicated expression, a mix of guilt and pity.
When Zuo Bian was very young, she was a cute and intelligent child. But one day, while Du Yundong was taking care of her, she was too tired and accidentally fell asleep. Zuo Bian, who was running around, accidentally ingested something, and her intellectual development stopped.
Although it wasn’t entirely Du Yundong’s fault, she had felt guilty and heartbroken for Zuo Bian for many years.
Fortunately, Zuo Bian had recovered and could now live a normal life.
Zuo Bian sensed her mother’s emotions. She wanted to ask why, but she was afraid of triggering her mother’s painful memories. In the end, she remained silent.
After the drama ended, Zuo Bian glanced at the time. It was already 9:30 p.m.
“Mom, I’m going to bed.”
Du Yundong nodded. “Go get some rest. Mom will be there soon.”
After the drama, a talk show started playing. Du Yundong was about to change the channel when she suddenly stopped.
“Such a young philanthropist,” she said with a sigh.
Zuo Bian, who had only taken a few steps, heard her mother’s words and instinctively turned to look at the TV screen. She froze.
The person being interviewed was someone she knew very well. She had often seen her at Mount Feimeng in her previous life. It was this person who had introduced her to the world of cultivation.
—Meng Zhen.
Her master.
The person on TV had the exact same face as her master, Meng Zhen. Her features were delicate, her eyes gentle, her gaze seemingly filled with the wisdom of countless years.
Although she looked only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, her demeanor and her eyes gave the impression that she had experienced countless hardships and lived for many lifetimes.
Zuo Bian stopped to watch, hearing the host address the woman as “Miss Meng Zhen.”
How could someone from this world look exactly the same as someone from another world, even sharing the same name?
If she could come to this world, then what about her master?
Zuo Bian had missed her master dearly. She had been kind to her and taught her so much.
‘555, do you think my master could have come to this world?’
【I’m not sure, but I can ask the higher-ups. Just wait a moment, Host.】
‘Mm-hmm.’
Zuo Bian continued talking to 555 in her mind as she walked towards her room.
‘555, did you find out anything?’
【Yes, this is a nascent world, still expanding and developing, making it vulnerable to invasion from other worlds. As long as the invader is powerful enough, they can break through the barriers between worlds and enter this world. But this world is constantly expanding because of your relationship with Qin Ai, and the barriers are often weakened during the expansion.】
‘So?’
【So it’s possible that there are outsiders in this world, but we can’t be sure. This answer is as good as saying nothing.】
‘No, thank you, 555. I understand.’
By this time, Zuo Bian had reached her room. She pushed open the door and went to check on Little Frog.
Little Frog was sleeping soundly in Zuo Bian’s soft pillow, half of its body covered by a cute handkerchief.
It looked a bit thinner than before, as if it had lost weight, but its cheeks were still rosy, and its tiny chest rose and fell with each breath.
Zuo Bian sat by the bed and watched Little Frog for a while, gently stroking its head.
“Little Frog, why aren’t you waking up?”
【I should have reminded Little Frog not to sleep. No matter how I try to wake it up, it doesn’t respond.】
Zuo Bian asked 555, “555, is Little Frog really okay?”
555 said, 【Based on my detection of its vital signs, Little Frog isn’t in any immediate danger, but I don’t know why it’s still in a coma, and I don’t know when it will wake up.】
“Little Frog, please wake up soon.” Zuo Bian tucked Little Frog in.
After checking on Little Frog, Zuo Bian went to shower and change. Before going to bed, she had a video call with Qin Ai. After hanging up, she was finally ready to sleep.
The lights in the room were off. Zuo Bian lay in bed, glancing at Little Frog on her pillow.
Little Frog was still sleeping peacefully, as if it was just having a long dream and would wake up naturally when the time was right.
After watching it for a while, Zuo Bian closed her eyes. Surprisingly, she didn’t fall asleep immediately.
She didn’t know how long it took before she finally drifted off to sleep. In her daze, she seemed to hear Little Frog counting, but she thought she was just dreaming.
“96, 97, 98, 99…” Little Frog’s voice echoed in her mind.
Zuo Bian frowned in her sleep, her body getting out of bed involuntarily, but her eyes remained tightly shut.
Even 555 didn’t notice Zuo Bian’s strange behavior. She wasn’t even aware that she was sleepwalking.
Little Frog’s voice grew closer and then farther away. Zuo Bian instinctively walked towards the sound.
Although her eyes were closed, she moved as if she could see, her steps unhindered.
“99, 99… Xiao Bianbian, open your eyes, ribbit! 99, 99.” Little Frog’s voice repeated like a broken record.
Suddenly, Zuo Bian’s eyes flew open. The night wind blew through the open window, ruffling the curtains and her hair.
Little Frog was perched on the windowsill, its round eyes filled with tears.
“Xiao Bianbian, I’m scared, ribbit!”
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