Chapter 108p1
The blissful vacation ended quickly. On the flight home, Lou Mi noticed Chi Lin was glued to her phone.
Lou Mi was right beside her, a living, breathing person, and yet Chi Lin was completely absorbed in her phone.
Was a phone more interesting than her?
Lou Mi tried to talk to Chi Lin, who responded with short, perfunctory answers, unlike her usual enthusiasm.
Even when Lou Mi playfully touched her ear, Chi Lin just smiled and moved away. Lou Mi was puzzled.
Had she done something wrong?
Why was she suddenly being ignored?
Actually, Lou Mi hadn’t done anything wrong, and Chi Lin wasn’t intentionally ignoring her, but something else had captured her attention.
The Danzhou opera documentary had brought Dayuan into the public eye, making Chi Lin uneasy.
She hadn’t anticipated the power of the internet, how netizens, fueled by online entertainment, had unearthed clues she had painstakingly searched for, clues that even the Danzhou opera experts had only scratched the surface of, and brought them to the attention of historians.
Together, they had unveiled the truth about Dayuan.
A nation where women could marry and even rule as emperor, a concept that resonated with modern values, so different from the traditional image of ancient societies.
This contrast fueled public interest.
Since the rediscovery of Dayuan, it had become a national obsession, discussed everywhere, online and offline.
Initially, Chi Lin had only been slightly worried about the potential impact on her and Lou Mi.
But they had both changed their appearances; even as public figures, their connection to Dayuan wouldn’t be easily discovered.
Linking them to the Yuan Empire wouldn’t be that simple.
Even she, Chi Lin, had struggled to find Her Majesty in this vast sea of people.
While she tried not to worry too much, she still followed the developments closely, even during their vacation.
Lou Mi, however, was focused on relaxing and enjoying herself, so Chi Lin hadn’t told her, planning to discuss it when they returned.
But she hadn’t anticipated the extent of modern people’s obsession.
What was with all this “fanfiction”?
Chi Lin had been browsing Weibo and other social media platforms. Fanfiction about Empress Jin Yi was everywhere, but her own name, Chi Lin, was nowhere to be found.
If her name were discovered, it might cause some trouble, but seeing her name erased from Yuan’s history, everyone fantasizing about Her Majesty’s relationships with other people, made her uneasy.
Why was she forgotten?
The Empress’s childhood friend, the general-scholar, the Empress’s consort… why had no one noticed her?
Chi Lin wondered if her erasure was related to the Soul-Chasing Secret Art. The official historical accounts of Yuan were still unclear, but the popular fan pairings were already established.
Even Wei Zhuoning and Lin Xiaozhi were shipping Her Majesty with other people!
Chi Lin had never understood modern people’s obsession with other people’s relationships, but now, experiencing it firsthand, she understood.
She would never accept Her Majesty being with anyone else.
Not even in fiction.
Having experienced soul transmigration, she knew that anything was possible, who could say these fictional worlds weren’t real in some other dimension?
In any world, she wouldn’t allow Her Majesty to love another.
Lou Mi ordered lunch. When the flight attendant brought their food and drinks, Chi Lin was still glued to her phone.
She wasn’t just scrolling, she seemed to be typing something.
And she was turned slightly away from Lou Mi, her phone screen hidden, as if she didn’t want Lou Mi to see it.
Lou Mi set the table and glanced at Chi Lin:
“Time for lunch.”
“Mm…” Chi Lin’s eyes didn’t leave the screen.
“Hey…” Lou Mi leaned closer, not intending to pry, but Chi Lin immediately locked her phone.
Lou Mi: “What are you doing?”
“I’m, studying.”
Lou Mi, seeing her unnatural blush, said, “You know you’re a terrible liar.”
Chi Lin knew her expression had betrayed her, but she didn’t want Her Majesty to know what she was doing.
She was writing fanfiction about her and Her Majesty, and she was at a crucial scene…
Everyone knew Jin Yi’s name, but using “Chi Lin” directly felt too revealing, so she used her courtesy name, Han Lie.
Born in the depths of winter, both her name and courtesy name had a cold, sharp feel, fitting her personality.
Her family and close colleagues called her Han Lie, but since Her Majesty liked the name “Lin,” she had grown fond of it too.
But Jin Yi and Han Lie appearing together clearly signified their intimacy, without revealing too much, it was perfect.
Chi Lin had always considered herself aloof, not prone to jealousy. In her thirty years of life, she had only lost her composure once because of Her Majesty, who had always protected her.
Her Majesty’s deep affection for her was undeniable.
Who would have thought that in a different era, Her Majesty would be paired with other people?
She tried to appear unaffected, but it bothered her.
These fanfiction writers were meticulous researchers, even capturing some of Her Majesty’s personality traits and physical characteristics.
Seeing “Jin Yi” in love with someone else was painful for Chi Lin.
Her Majesty had only ever loved her, in both lifetimes, why pair her with some spoiled princess, or a middle-aged Empress Dowager, or, worst of all, that maid, Liu?
That Liu woman had tried to seduce Her Majesty, even making Chi Lin cry, which had distressed Her Majesty greatly.
And now, they were writing love stories about her and Her Majesty?
Even with her scholarly background and battlefield experience, Chi Lin couldn’t tolerate this.
When it came to writing, she wouldn’t lose.
Lin Xiaozhi and Wei Zhuoning sat in the back of the plane.
Wei Zhuoning, kept awake by Lin Xiaozhi’s antics, had only managed a few hours of sleep and was now dozing on Lin Xiaozhi’s shoulder.
After forty minutes, she was jolted awake by turbulence, her eyes red and puffy, her hair messy.
“Are we there yet?”
Lin Xiaozhi stroked her hair: “Not yet, about an hour and a half left, I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
“Is your shoulder sore?” Wei Zhuoning, her entire weight on Lin Xiaozhi’s slender shoulder, was worried.
“It’s fine, you can lean on me forever.” Lin Xiaozhi kissed her.
A flight attendant happened to be passing by, and Wei Zhuoning, startled, buried her face in Lin Xiaozhi’s shoulder.
“Aw, so shy, what are you afraid of?” Lin Xiaozhi said. “We’re adults, old enough to get married, it’s just a kiss.”
Wei Zhuoning poked her: “I’m not as shameless as you.”
“You think I’m shameless? Hmm? Seems like I wasn’t thorough enough last night.”
Lin Xiaozhi started tickling her waist, and Wei Zhuoning, blushing and giggling, quickly apologized.
“I shouldn’t have told you my waist is sensitive, you’re always taking advantage of my weaknesses, shameless!”
“As if I wouldn’t have found out eventually. Besides your waist, your ears, your neck, and your butt are also sensitive, aren’t they?”
The flight attendant, returning, witnessed the scene again.
“You…” Wei Zhuoning, mortified by Lin Xiaozhi’s bluntness, whispered, “Don’t do this in public!”
Lin Xiaozhi, seeing her embarrassment, stopped teasing her:
“Okay, Little Rabbit, don’t be angry, I’ll show you something interesting.”
“I don’t want to see it.”
“Really? It’s your favorite.”
“…And what is my favorite?”
“You’ll see.”
Wei Zhuoning, unable to resist, leaned closer.
Lin Xiaozhi seized the opportunity and kissed her ear.
“You…”
Lin Xiaozhi, pleased with herself, opened a Weibo account: “Look, a new CP for the Yuan Empire.”
“What is this?” Wei Zhuoning’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, it’s in classical Chinese?”
“Yes, beautifully written.”
Wei Zhuoning, whose Chinese was her best subject, still struggled to understand the text.
It was just fanfiction! Did it need to be this sophisticated?
Not only was it filled with literary allusions, but the wording and sentence structure were also elegant and refined, almost lyrical.
With Lin Xiaozhi’s help, she finally finished reading it.
Her head was spinning.
This Han Lie, a scholar-general-empress?
Princesses, Empress Dowagers, and palace maids were nothing compared to her.
And her love for Jin Yi was so deep and heartfelt, it could easily be written in first person.
Wei Zhuoning sighed: “This author is amazing, even though she’s writing for the other side.”
“It’s a new account, just posted fifteen minutes ago, and it’s already trending in the Yuan Empire fanfiction super topic.” Lin Xiaozhi said. “Everyone is impressed by the writing, even though this character hasn’t been verified historically. There’s probably going to be a dedicated fan group soon.”
Wei Zhuoning continued reading, while Lin Xiaozhi was intrigued by the name “Han Lie.”
Han Lie?
Chi Lin?
She looked across the aisle and saw Chi Lin engrossed in her phone, typing furiously.
Could it be…?
Lin Xiaozhi thought of Chi Lin’s background, her flawless recitation of “Xiaoyaoyou,” the connection between Danzhou opera and the Yuan Empire, her subtle jealousy during the barbecue…
Lin Xiaozhi chuckled inwardly.
What a coincidence.
Lin, seemingly calm and collected, was also a jealous lover.
Wei Zhuoning saw that the author had posted a short extra scene, sweet and fluffy, the writing still elegant and refined.
She couldn’t resist and kissed Lin Xiaozhi.
Lin Xiaozhi: “?!”
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