Chapter 66: I Hope You’ll Be Happy Too
Just as Jiang Xue finished organizing Xiao Luohan’s textbooks and workbooks, the lunch break bell rang.
She drew the curtains, took a small, dust-covered pillow from her canvas bag, and placed it on her desk.
“Let’s sleep first. Looking at things in dim light is bad for your eyes,” she whispered, then lay down on the pillow and closed her eyes.
Xiao Luohan hadn’t planned to study during lunch break from the start. Due to her frail health, she had always followed the principle of “resting when needed.” Even during the marriage alliance, in a foreign land, she hadn’t changed her habit of taking naps and going to bed early.
She also opened her canvas bag and took out the small pillow Jiang Xue had put inside that morning.
In this world, people didn’t use soap beans or cleansing powders for laundry, but laundry detergent with various fragrances and bars of soap. Resting her head on the pillow, the fragrance was the same as the one in Jiang Xue’s bedroom.
The familiar scent was comforting. She looked at Jiang Xue, who was resting with her eyes closed, and soon drifted off to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in the “mindscape.”
Jiang Xue was already there, lying on her stomach by the window, her mouth slightly open as she looked at the scenery outside.
“Jiang Xue,” Xiao Luohan called out, walking over and lying down beside her, looking out the window as well.
“Y-You’re here too!” Jiang Xue replied absentmindedly, then pointed out the window. “Can you see? Is this… is this still the ancient world you used to live in?”
When she first crossed over, Xiao Luohan had come here alone in a dream.
Perhaps Elder Sister wanted her to be at ease, so the scene outside the window back then had been Shizhu, her mother, the late Empress’s maternal family, and the subsequent events in Beiliao.
“Your materials should have been delivered to the late Empress’s maternal family through a dream sent by Elder Sister,” Xiao Luohan replied. “Last time I looked out the window, Elder Sister’s aunt was already using a rifle.”
Jiang Xue: …
Good heavens!
“I thought I was seeing things just now—how could an ancient army use guns in battle?!” After hearing Xiao Luohan’s explanation, Jiang Xue breathed a sigh of relief. “It feels like the developments after you left are similar to the play we saw during the New Year’s Eve gala!”
The little princess, guided by the female general in her dreams, had eventually overcome a stronger enemy and won the war.
“Except that in reality, the person being guided in the dream is a member of the late Empress’s maternal family,” she said. “I just saw Daying in chaos. The Crown Prince was burned to death on his wedding day, and the dog emperor, who had only one son and many daughters, fainted from anger. When he woke up, everything had changed!”
As Jiang Xue spoke, the scene outside the window was still changing, but it stopped at a simply furnished room.
Xiao Luohan, who had been listening, suddenly froze when she saw the room’s layout.
Then, she saw her own portrait hanging on the wall, with burning incense below, fresh fruits and pastries offered on the table, and a dish of…
Seeing what was in the small dish, Xiao Luohan’s nose tingled.
Chili dipping sauce.
She looked again and saw Shizhu, but compared to before, Shizhu’s clothes were of better quality, and she looked more energetic.
Shizhu was kneeling on a cushion, her hands clasped together, muttering something.
Xiao Luohan thought she wouldn’t be able to hear, like last time, but this time, Shizhu’s voice clearly reached her ears:
“I hope to see Your Highness again in a dream, at least to know that you are safe and sound, but I also hope that you have completely gone to the other world, so please don’t enter my dreams, otherwise… otherwise, you might have to come back!”
“From Shizhu’s tone, even though the situation in Beiliao has improved, she doesn’t seem to want you to return to your original world?” Jiang Xue asked uncertainly.
This was… a little puzzling.
“She used the supplies you gave me and read the books you sent, so she knows what kind of ‘paradise’ this world is,” Xiao Luohan explained. “Her beloved only daughter passed away, so she has transferred her affections to me. If I’m fortunate enough to stay in this ‘paradise,’ she naturally doesn’t want me to go back.”
She tried to reach out towards the window.
As she expected, an invisible barrier separated her hand from Shizhu.
“…I’ve already left that world. Even being able to see this is probably an exception, thanks to Elder Sister’s power.” She sighed and lowered her hand.
Being unable to touch was also good. This way, Shizhu, who believed in ghosts and spirits, would think that she had gone to a good place and was living a good life.
At this moment, Jiang Xue, witnessing everything, felt like an outsider—which was indeed the case. Her emotional connection to the ancient world was limited to everything that happened around Xiao Luo.
Besides that, whether it was Shizhu, Xiao Luo’s mother, or even Elder Sister Red Fox, she couldn’t feel the same strong and genuine emotions as Xiao Luo.
She knew that the scene outside the window was a bond that only Xiao Luo could truly empathize with, so she remained silent, quietly accompanying Xiao Luo, listening to her occasional thoughts.
The world outside the window seemed to be on fast-forward. She watched as Beiliao’s army swept across the battlefield, winning a great victory, and then watched as Elder Sister Red Fox’s aunt led the troops into Daying’s capital, finally capturing the dog emperor’s “siblings” who had attempted to seize the throne during the chaos.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue thought she should cheer for Beiliao, but then she saw Xiao Luohan turn and walk towards the desk.
“Beiliao won,” Jiang Xue followed and sat down on the soft cushion beside her. “Is that… a good thing?”
“Yes,” Xiao Luohan replied with a smile in her voice. “Although I can’t communicate with Shizhu and the others, Elder Sister should still be able to see my words.”
She started grinding ink.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue took some writing paper from the bookshelf, folded it neatly, and placed it within Xiao Luohan’s reach, then prepared to give her some space.
But before she could take a step, Xiao Luohan gently tugged on her sleeve.
“I’m feeling a little lonely now,” Xiao Luohan said tactfully.
Jiang Xue immediately sat back down, waiting to see what she would write.
Soon, Xiao Luohan spread out the paper and dipped her brush in ink:
【Elder Sister, I hope this letter finds you well.
Jiang Xue and I have witnessed Beiliao’s victory and Daying’s downfall. Jiang Xue is very happy that her information was helpful.】
Since this was a letter only her elder sister could see, she naturally used more colloquial language, as if she was talking to her elder sister face to face.
【If possible, please tell Mother and Shizhu in a dream that I didn’t die in the fire at the Eastern Palace, but personally shot the Crown Prince and was then taken to another world by a ‘ghost or spirit.’
Today was my first day of school in the new world, and everything is well. I’m catching up on my studies and trying to integrate as soon as possible.
I sincerely wish Elder Sister the best in fulfilling her wish.】
Xiao Luohan didn’t plan to change the final well wishes.
After arriving here, she finally understood that being able to fulfill one’s “ideal” or “dream” in one’s lifetime was the greatest happiness.
She hoped her elder sister would also be happy.
As soon as she put down her brush, she saw a flash of bright color in the corner of her eye.
Jiang Xue, sitting beside her, also saw it—it was the red fox she was so familiar with, now slowly walking in, its large tail swaying gently behind it.
She saw Xiao Luohan stand up and rush over, hugging the red fox tightly.
The red fox didn’t resist this time, even nuzzling against her, then looking at Jiang Xue.
“Elder Sister Red Fox,” Jiang Xue also walked over, knelt down, and bowed to her. “I will definitely not let Xiao Luo suffer any grievances, you can rest assured!”
“There’s no need to swear every time you see me,” the red fox said. “I only need to see Xiao Luo’s appearance to know how she’s doing.”
She wouldn’t have entrusted her most beloved younger sister to Jiang Xue if she didn’t trust her.
Hearing this, Xiao Luohan hugged the red fox even tighter.
“Xiao Luo, don’t be too anxious over there,” the red fox nuzzled her face against Xiao Luohan’s cheek. “It’s a free and easy place. Don’t trap yourself with obsessions.”
These were harsh words. Not only Xiao Luohan, but even Jiang Xue, the “outsider” listening in, was stunned.
But after recovering, she felt that Elder Sister Red Fox’s words made sense.
In her opinion, Xiao Luo was indeed carrying various burdens, some she should bear, some she shouldn’t, all weighing down on her.
Was she truly free in this new world? No, she had even been trying to quickly understand everything here, to bind herself to the new identity of a “seventeen-year-old high school student.”
Considering herself an outsider, her perspective limited by her experiences, Jiang Xue couldn’t make an objective and mature judgment, only feeling that “Xiao Luo shouldn’t be so tired.” But she could only observe for now and find a way to help if Xiao Luo’s condition worsened.
The red fox seemed to have something else to do, or perhaps it had only come to give this piece of advice. After speaking, it disappeared from Xiao Luohan’s arms.
Jiang Xue hurriedly reached out to support her and met Xiao Luohan’s gaze.
It was a look of confusion, but Jiang Xue could understand the reason for her bewilderment.
—Something she had believed in had been denied by the person she trusted and was closest to.
And precisely because this was a sincere “it’s for your own good,” without any malice, only because she had noticed the signs and wanted to extinguish the painful bud at its root, Elder Sister Red Fox’s advice made Xiao Luohan even more confused.
Jiang Xue thought for a moment, then expressed her affirmation and support. “I think having obsessions is a good thing.”
“With obsession, there are wishes you want to fulfill in your lifetime, and it gives you the motivation to move forward. Studies, work, life, there will always be difficult times, and obsession is like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey. Even just smelling it, seeing a glimpse of it, can make you take a few more steps forward and get through those tough times.”
She ruffled Xiao Luohan’s hair and, seeing her listening attentively, continued, “But no matter what you do, ‘too much is as bad as too little.’ Even for senior year students like us, whose ‘one exam determines our fate,’ even if my older sister works overtime to push a project forward, those periods of intense pressure don’t last too long. Otherwise, if a person is constantly tense, both mentally and physically, they’ll break down!”
“So, Elder Sister Red Fox actually hopes that you can quickly learn to ‘relax’.” She emphasized the word. “This is a brand new world, and there are no responsibilities or obligations that you must bear now. As long as you happily find something you’re good at or enjoy doing, everyone will be happy.”
As she spoke, she felt something fluffy brush against her hand.
…Was Elder Sister Red Fox agreeing with her words?
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