Category: My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty

Chapter 49: Moving Out

At 9:30 the next morning, sitting on the smoothly flying international flight, Jiang Xue was still thinking about last night.

She had spent a long time talking with Xiao Luohan, listening and comforting her. When she woke up, it was almost 3:00 AM.

She was lying in her own bed, with Jiang Mei and Xie Xitong still in the room. When she opened her eyes, her sister was taking a nap with an eye mask on, and it was Xie Xitong who was watching over her.

“Your sister was worried, afraid something might happen to you, so she asked me to keep watch,” Xie Xitong explained softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “If anything happened, I would contact the elders in my family who understand metaphysics and call your soul back.”

The incident had been sudden, and everyone had been startled by Jiang Xue’s “fainting.” Fortunately, Dr. Qi was also present and had made up an excuse to reassure the students. The few who knew the truth quickly took Jiang Xue home.

“It was Elder Sister Red Fox who ‘pulled’ me over there,” Jiang Xue also lowered her voice, her tone filled with anger as she briefly recounted what the Crown Prince had done. “How dare he bully Xiao Luo, whom everyone cherishes so much! I’ll make him pay!”

Xie Xitong, however, wasn’t focused on this. She frowned. “I’m thinking… did the red fox’s power increase, allowing her to pull you, who was awake, into the dream and to that world, or did she, to save her younger sister, overexert herself to pull you over there?”

Jiang Xue was stunned by her question.

“Although according to your description, it will only take three days to completely resolve the Third Princess’s situation, but if the ‘connection’ between the two worlds is maintained because of the red fox’s intervention, and if it’s the latter case, can she really recover her overexerted power in just three days?”

Xie Xitong, as an outsider, continued to ask calmly, “If not, how will your channel for crossing over be opened? Assuming the assassination is successful, even with a silencer, if the Crown Prince doesn’t appear for a while, his servants will definitely come to check. Then the Third Princess will be in danger!”

“You have to ask the red fox clearly before the assassination!”

The issue Xie Xitong was worried about had actually been considered more than once by the Jiang sisters and Xiao Luohan.

After all, based on all the clues so far, they couldn’t be certain that “the channel for crossing over will open at a specific time.” The only thing they knew for sure was that Xiao Luohan’s will greatly influenced the “connection” between the two worlds.

Jiang Xue had also considered asking the red fox directly, but firstly, the red fox wasn’t always available, and secondly, even if she asked, the red fox wouldn’t speak.

Actually, she felt that the red fox should be able to speak. Otherwise, in the dream where they went to the Ministry of War, the red fox, transformed into a coachman, should have been mute. As for “naturally taciturn,” that was even less likely. It could only be that the questions were difficult to answer, or that, due to some factor, it simply couldn’t answer.

After trying a few times, she stopped bothering the red fox.

Compared to her, the red fox Elder Sister should want Xiao Luohan to go to the other world even more, right? Otherwise, why would she establish this transtemporal bond for them?

That being said, this was still a gamble, and they were all willing to trust that elder sister.

Jiang Xue sighed. Before she could explain to Xie Xitong, she saw the diary on her pillow bulge.

“…I have to pack things up!” She hurriedly got out of bed, opened the diary, took out the notebook and pen she had given Xiao Luohan, and placed them on the desk.

To prevent another book-burning incident, Xiao Luohan insisted on returning everything to her.

“She doesn’t want her cherished gifts to be treated like that,” Jiang Xue explained to Xie Xitong while writing a message to Xiao Luohan, telling her that she was ready to receive the items. “Since she can’t protect them, she’s temporarily leaving them with me. She’s only keeping the winter supplies and food.”

She paused, then said, as if trying to comfort herself, “It’s also… another reason for her to ‘have to come over.’”

Even if moving out was part of the original plan, taking the initiative to move and being forced to move felt completely different.

Jiang Mei, a light sleeper, was soon awakened by the commotion. After understanding the situation, she also helped them pack.

Xie Xitong found a storage bin for the burned books, waiting for Xiao Luohan to come over and decide whether to keep or discard them.

Jiang Xue placed the Shiba Inu plush toy, Xiao Luohan’s favorite, in the most prominent spot on the pillow, making sure it was the first thing she saw when she entered the room.

Small items quickly piled up in a corner of the bedroom, including the damaged Scream bottle.

As Jiang Xue sorted, packed, and stacked the items, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: They had sent so many things over there.

No wonder Xiao Luo was always thinking about how to “repay their kindness.” Their casual acts of kindness had unknowingly become a large part of her life.

Along with the things they had sent, there were also items Xiao Luohan had brought from Beiliao.

The brocade pouch that held important items was stored together with the plum blossom jade bookmark Xiao Luohan had initially sent.

But when Jiang Xue opened it to check the contents, she found the rainbow sticker and the MP3 player she had sent were inside, even the spare earphones were neatly folded and wrapped in a clean white handkerchief.

Most of the other small items were dowry jewelry and gold and silver treasures. Xiao Luohan had sent over everything that could fit on the diary.

Finally, there was a slightly wilted plum blossom branch.

Jiang Xue remembered it. Last night, when she was checking the room, it had been lying in a pool of water with the broken vase and the physical copy of the novel.

But plum blossoms were resilient. She immediately found an empty vase at home, filled it with water, placed the branch inside, and carefully put it on the windowsill where the sunlight was best, planning to ask Sister Cheng to bring back the plum blossom branch from her rented apartment and place it together with this one.

By the time the “moving out” was complete, it was past 4:00 AM.

Jiang Mei had booked a flight for 9:00 AM and had to leave at 7:00 AM. The three of them quickly washed up and went to bed.

Xie Xitong slept in the guest room. She was happy to participate in this meaningful “New Year’s holiday activity” and had even brought her suitcase over and placed it in the living room!

But Jiang Xue had slept from before 8:00 PM last night and woken up around 3:00 AM, a total of seven hours. After lying in bed for a while, unable to fall asleep, and since Xiao Luohan had also gone back to rest, she simply got up and rummaged through her drawers for pain relief and anti-inflammatory ointment, and collected and printed a large pile of diagrams and instructions on gun assembly and usage principles.

Around 6:00 AM, after confirming that Xiao Luohan had woken up, she sent the ointment and materials, along with a lighter, over.

Since Elder Sister Red Fox was watching over them, what if?

What if she still had the strength to send a dream to a trusted member of the Beiliao maternal family? Perhaps this information could help…

“Get some sleep. I’ll watch the diary for you,” Jiang Mei’s voice came from beside her, interrupting Jiang Xue’s thoughts. “Even if there are no delays, it will still be more than four hours before we land.”

The first-class cabin was very comfortable, and there was no noise to disturb her. Jiang Xue left a message for Xiao Luohan, placed the open diary on the small table in front of her sister, reclined her seat, drew the curtain, and closed her eyes to rest.

Perhaps because she slept too deeply, when she arrived in Xiao Luohan’s world through a dream, Xiao Luohan was already preparing lunch.

It was self-heating mixed rice, Cantonese sausage flavor. Perhaps because the Third Princess really loved instant food, Jiang Xue felt that her movements in unpacking and heating the rice were even more proficient than her own.

After Xiao Luohan added hot water and covered the container, Jiang Xue finally spoke: “I’m on my way!”

“A five-hour flight, you must be tired,” Xiao Luohan said, turning to look at her apologetically.

“It’s okay! I travel frequently. Five hours is nothing. I’ve even taken fifteen-hour flights!” Jiang Xue shook her head. “And for these long flights, my sister always books first class. It’s spacious and clean, so don’t worry.”

Xiao Luohan nodded slightly, then asked, “What’s it like to fly on a plane?”

She had seen “flying on a plane” in various works, but since it wasn’t usually part of the main plot, she couldn’t tell what the characters felt.

“It depends on the stage…” Jiang Xue tried to use the self-heating rice container as a height demonstration prop, but burned her hand and had to use a pen holder instead. “Usually, it’s a little uncomfortable during takeoff and landing, about twenty minutes. There’s a strong sense of weightlessness, and you’ll also experience tinnitus… uh, it’s like your ears are blocked for a while, and you can’t hear anything, but it’s normal…”

She slowly explained, recalling her own experiences, and Xiao Luohan listened attentively, her chin resting on her hand.

Jiang Xue, however, was thinking that Xiao Luohan hadn’t eaten lunch yet. After talking for a while, she glanced at the digital watch beside her—the watch she had given Xiao Luohan had also been returned during the “move.”

After eight minutes, she found a way to end the conversation and urged, “See if it’s ready to eat.”

“I like it softer,” Xiao Luohan’s attention was still on her. “Let it sit for another two or three minutes.”

She had already thought about how to repay Jiang Xue’s kindness, but things in this world hadn’t been settled yet. If something went wrong, making a vow prematurely would only become a source of regret for Jiang Xue.

…Yes, just “regret,” not a scar.

She didn’t think she was qualified to become a deep-seated scar. Just over a month of acquaintance meant nothing in Jiang Xue’s seventeen years of life.

Even if she failed, time would heal everything.

But last night, when she sorted and returned all the items from that world, one by one, she found that sadness overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

It was the same sadness as losing her elder sister and leaving her mother.

She even had a dark thought that even if she couldn’t kill the Crown Prince, she had to go to that world.

To be by Jiang Xue’s side, in the same world, not just connected through letters and dreams.

But she still didn’t know what this emotion was.

Was it youthful impulsiveness and naiveté? Or was it the unwillingness to lose another important person, so she wanted to stay by Jiang Xue’s side?

She vaguely understood a little, but it was just a vague awareness. The only thing she knew for sure was that she not only enjoyed being with Jiang Xue, but also wanted to live under the same roof.

“Jiang Xue…” At this thought, she called out subconsciously.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to pet the cat.”

—She also wanted to hold Jiang Xue in her cat form, or be held by Jiang Xue in her cat form, like last night.

Jiang Xue was now very used to transforming into a cat. To make herself seem more like a cat, she had even spent her day off observing Xie Xitong’s large white cat.

Soon, the fluffy white cat jumped onto Xiao Luohan’s lap, looked up at her, and its large, fluffy white tail gently swept across her palm.

Chapter 48: A Paper Tiger

In the past few days, Jiang Xue had repeatedly wondered if the Crown Prince was secretly plotting something. Although Xiao Luohan had learned that he was preoccupied with military affairs, she had also been more vigilant.

Seeing the Crown Prince arrive tonight, his body reeking of blood, as if he had just returned from the battlefield, she wasn’t flustered. She simply got out of bed, stood barefoot on the cold floor, and bowed. “I apologize for not being aware of Your Highness’s late-night visit. I have been remiss.”

Despite her anger, she was currently unarmed, and having glimpsed the disarray on the bookshelf, she wasn’t sure if the stun gun had been found. She had to appease the Crown Prince for now.

The room was as bright as day under the sea of lamps, and she could see the scattered books all over the floor with a single glance.

Even the English-Chinese Dictionary hidden inside Lessons for Women was lying open on the ground.

…Those were all books Jiang Xue had sent her.

Xiao Luohan’s heart pounded. When the Crown Prince called her name, she suppressed her anger, lest the killing intent in her eyes be noticed when she looked up at him.

“I’m out there fighting enemies, and you’re here enjoying the blessings of ghosts and spirits in your warm nest!” The Crown Prince snorted coldly, closing the novel in his hand and throwing it behind him.

The vase of plum blossoms, buds about to bloom, shattered on the floor, the crisp sound breaking the silence.

Xiao Luohan didn’t show any emotion, her hands clenching her clothes tightly inside her sleeves.

“I’ve been watching you since the moment you arrived in Daying.”

The Crown Prince slowly walked around the desk and towards her, his armor indeed stained with blood, his face also covered in bloodstains, looking even more menacing. “After all, you’re my future concubine. I can’t be completely ignorant about my bed partner.”

“But now, I’ve seen through you completely.”

“You’re nothing but a useless parasite!”

He kicked Xiao Luohan in the stomach, sending her sprawling to the floor!

“Sucking Beiliao’s blood in Beiliao! And now sucking Daying’s blood in Daying! Shameless!”

“You can communicate with ghosts and spirits, but you only know how to enjoy the blessings of another world! Even when I’m determined to kill you, you only dare to send ghosts and spirits to cause havoc in my father’s palace! Pathetic! Laughable! Typical woman’s tricks!”

Having prepared beforehand, Xiao Luohan had been wary of him hurting her, even wearing the protective gear Jiang Xue sent every day. Before being kicked, she had also used her skills to deflect some of the force.

But when she fell to the ground, she still groaned in pain, gasping for air.

Although his boots didn’t have metal studs, there must have been metal plates inside.

“Beiliao is about to fall, and you’re no longer of any use! You can neither contribute to the peace between our two countries, nor bear children for me—ha, having your first period at seventeen, truly an eye-opener!”

The Crown Prince’s voice grew louder with each sentence. However, precisely because he mentioned Beiliao and was so enraged, his words were incoherent, and Xiao Luohan sensed a hint of bluster.

—Beiliao probably wasn’t about to fall, but had experienced an unexpected turn of events.

Otherwise, why would the Crown Prince, who should be on the battlefield, come to find fault with her in the middle of the night?

She had read many novels and watched many TV series with ancient settings and knew very well—when a man’s career wasn’t going well, and he had a violent temper, he would take out his anger on his helpless wives, children, or even animals when he returned home.

A classic case of “domestic violence.”

“However, for the sake of the ghosts and spirits, I’ll give you one more chance. Someone!”

A eunuch immediately presented a tray with a wine cup, a length of white silk, a piece of silver silk charcoal, and a red candle.

“Choose,” the Crown Prince said, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Xiao Luohan wasn’t afraid at all, but found it amusing.

Having resolved to kill the Crown Prince, she now saw him as nothing more than a clown.

However, she needed to buy more time for herself and Jiang Xue, preferably using this opportunity to lull the Crown Prince into a false sense of security, to make him… more careless.

With a single glance, she understood what each item represented. Without hesitation, she picked up the red candle.

She knew that no matter what she chose, the road ahead was a dead end, so she simply played along, pretending to be terrified and choosing the red candle, the only option that could buy her time, the one the Crown Prince wanted to see most.

Transforming her boundless rage into fear, she put on a terrified and weak facade, her voice trembling as she held the candle. “Spare me, Your Highness! I-I just want to live one more day…”

The next moment, a bloody hand grabbed her chin.

“Ha! Where are the ghosts and spirits you’re so proud of?” The Crown Prince’s eyes were inches from hers. “They showed you all those rebellious books, but in the face of danger, you still have to rely on my mercy!”

Xiao Luohan didn’t struggle—this contempt was exactly what she wanted!

Let him see her as a weak and sickly person, completely defenseless, at his mercy!

She could even hear the almost manic glee in the Crown Prince’s voice.

A grown man, resorting to finding a sense of superiority from her, further convinced her that something good had happened in Beiliao.

The late Empress’s death couldn’t be hidden forever, and her powerful maternal family would never let it go.

“Since you’re so eager to marry me and beg for your life, then come to the Eastern Palace in three days and broaden your horizons!”

The Crown Prince finally let go of her. He stood up and stepped back, then said, “Someone, take all these books to the courtyard and burn them! They say Wangmei Pavilion is haunted by ghosts and spirits. Tonight, I will exorcise them!”

Having maintained her composure until now, hearing these words, Xiao Luohan finally couldn’t suppress her anger and blurted out, “There’s no need for Your Highness to be tainted by bad luck! Since these books were gifts from the ghosts and spirits, they should be returned to them!”

“I will deal with them myself tonight. Your Highness can come and check tomorrow morning. There won’t be a single book left in Wangmei Pavilion!”

The servants holding lamps had already started picking up the books, preparing to take them outside and burn them. The light in the room dimmed slightly, and the Crown Prince suddenly felt a sharp glare, immediately fixing his gaze on the young woman before him.

But after saying those words, she remained kneeling on the floor, her head lowered, looking as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

The Crown Prince laughed and waved to the servants. “Burn them.”

“If the ghosts and spirits are truly angered, my head is here in the Eastern Palace. Let them come and take it if they dare!”

Jiang Xue was changing clothes in the dance studio when everything suddenly went dark.

She fell into that familiar darkness, but fortunately, she soon saw the familiar bright red rushing towards her from afar.

“You’ve come to pick me up, Elder Sister Red Fox!” She quickly floated over. “During the performance, I was wondering if Xiao Luo woke up because she was excited, or…”

Or if something had happened, forcing her to wake up.

The red fox, as always, didn’t speak, but this time, instead of leading the way, it transformed into a large fox, as tall as a person, and crouched beside her.

Jiang Xue immediately climbed onto its back and let it carry her through the dark passage.

After an unknown amount of time, she saw a window open in the distance.

She looked closely. Wasn’t that a corner of the room in the mindscape?!

The red fox ran quickly, soon leaping through the window. After running a few more steps, Jiang Xue saw flickering flames.

There was a fire in the courtyard! Something was burning!

She watched in horror, and when she saw a familiar figure in plain clothes, she couldn’t sit still any longer and jumped off the fox’s back.

“Xiao Luohan!!”

She had thought Xiao Luohan was being burned along with the other things, but as she flew closer, she saw that Xiao Luohan was throwing snow onto the fire, trying to salvage the books from the flames.

“That dog of a Crown Prince!!”

Roaring hysterically, Jiang Xue grabbed Xiao Luohan’s arm and pulled her towards the house. “Go back inside!”

“Those are the books you gave me!” Xiao Luohan refused to leave.

Her hair was disheveled, her eyes dark, her lips bloodless. She looked nothing like the energetic girl from this morning!

“Your life is more important!” Jiang Xue raised her voice. “Listen to me! Go back inside! I’ll put out the fire! Shizhu isn’t here, and if you get sick again from the cold, it’ll be troublesome!”

Afraid that Xiao Luohan would refuse, she transformed into the large white cat again, carried her back inside, placed her on the bed, closed the door, and rushed back to the courtyard.

It was snowing heavily in the courtyard, and there were piles of snow. The place where the books were being burned had been specially cleared.

Jiang Xue cursed the Crown Prince, imitated the red fox, and transformed into a giant white cat as tall as a person, scooping up snow with her paws and throwing it onto the fire!

Believing it was a ghostly act, the servants didn’t dare approach. Even the eunuch who had been left behind to supervise the burning was terrified.

He was just about to relight the books when Jiang Xue swatted at the torch with her paw, setting half his hair and clothes on fire. He was so scared that he scrambled out of Wangmei Pavilion, probably to report to the Crown Prince.

The courtyard was in chaos. Jiang Xue put out the fire, then carried the books back to Wangmei Pavilion one by one, her heart filled with rage.

She was still too late. Judging by the ashes in the courtyard, many books had already been burned.

Although they weren’t important books, and could be replaced, she knew how much they meant to Xiao Luohan.

She repeatedly wanted to rush to the Eastern Palace and teach the Crown Prince a lesson, but every time, she was stopped at the courtyard gate by the suddenly appearing red fox.

Jiang Xue understood that the red fox Elder Sister was stopping her because what she could do now wouldn’t truly deter the Crown Prince and would only cause more trouble for Xiao Luohan.

Even if she smashed all the vases and lamps in the Eastern Palace, or even went to the dog emperor’s bedchamber and caused havoc again, what good would it do?

If the Crown Prince was truly afraid of ghosts and spirits, her previous actions should have been enough to make him stop, and tonight’s incident wouldn’t have happened!

To solve the problem, they had to get rid of the Crown Prince completely!

“I will… I will definitely not let him go!” She looked at the red fox, her eyes burning with determination. “Elder Sister Red Fox, Shizhu isn’t here. If anything happens again, please bring me here as soon as possible, please!”

She couldn’t imagine how the Crown Prince had mistreated Xiao Luohan while she wasn’t there!

After checking the fire, Jiang Xue nodded to the red fox, returned to her human form, and floated towards the house.

Perhaps because of her instructions, when she entered the room, Xiao Luohan had already changed into her fluffy pajamas and wrapped herself in the quilt, trying to stay warm.

Seeing Jiang Xue arrive, she held up the electric hot water bottle and pointed to the bowl and spoon on the bedside table. “I’ve taken my medicine as a precaution.”

But the room was a mess. The broken door bolt lay by the door, and the surviving books and drawings were either scattered on the floor or torn to shreds.

Even the plum blossom branch on the windowsill lay among the shards of the broken vase in a pool of cold water.

Only the plastic Scream bottle was relatively intact, but it was also dented in the middle, as if stepped on.

Jiang Xue took a deep breath, pushed the table and chairs against the door to block the wind, and then went to check on Xiao Luohan.

She dried Xiao Luohan’s hair, found a heat patch, and applied it to her undergarments.

She even wrapped Xiao Luohan’s cold feet in a small blanket and a fluffy scarf.

After doing all this, Jiang Xue was still worried, so she transformed into the giant white cat and jumped onto the bed.

“I’m warm, hug me.”

Her giant cat body almost occupied the entire bed, surrounding Xiao Luohan.

Seeing her lean against her soft fur and hug her tightly, Jiang Xue finally felt a little at ease.

“Tomorrow… tomorrow afternoon, around one or two o’clock, I should be at Uncle Seuss’s house,” she whispered into Xiao Luohan’s ear, making a promise.

Chapter 47: The Future

Ever since learning that a little princess from ancient times would be coming to live with them, Sister Cheng had taken on the responsibility of preparing her three meals a day and snacks.

A poor child who grew up in the cold palace and was sent away for a marriage alliance while still ill! —Every time she thought of the child’s background and experiences, Sister Cheng’s heart ached.

Third Miss was in poor health, thin and frail. The food had to be soft and easy to digest. She needed to be nourished before coming over, so she could gain some weight during the winter.

Whatever the two young misses ate, Sister Cheng prepared the same for Xiao Luohan. But during special holidays like the winter solstice and Christmas, she would prepare something extra special for Xiao Luohan.

On the winter solstice, she made assorted dumplings for lunch, adding a few shepherd’s purse and cabbage dumplings, and sprinkled a generous amount of cilantro, which Third Miss liked. In the evening, she timed it perfectly and made sweet fermented rice balls, just as Second Miss came home, and the two girls shared a bowl each.

On Christmas Eve, before picking up Second Miss from evening self-study, she baked a soft apple pie, adding finely chopped pieces of the Christmas apples Ms. Wei brought home from work. She also baked a large batch of gingerbread cookies in the shapes of five-pointed stars, six-pointed snowflakes, Christmas trees, Christmas stockings, and candy canes.

Seeing this, Ms. Wei would laugh and accuse her of “favoritism,” but even she couldn’t help but prepare things for Xiao Luohan.

They all wanted to care for this well-behaved and resilient child, to make her remaining days in the ancient world more comfortable and happy.

Jiang Xue was busy with her studies during the day and spent her nights decorating the mindscape with the Third Princess in her dreams. Days flew by, and soon it was the end of the month.

According to Si Ling’s “tradition,” performances that were highly rated during the preliminary auditions would usually be performed twice, once for the performers’ own grade, and another for a grade chosen randomly by the performer’s representative.

The program list for all three grades had to be finalized before the dress rehearsal. Dan Yuanyuan, who always had bad luck, “unfortunately” drew the freshman year, which started at 10:00 AM, but their turn wouldn’t be until around 11:30 AM.

Jiang Xue had experienced this in her freshman year and wasn’t surprised. Amidst the groans of complaint, she wrote to Xiao Luohan: 【I’ll send you breakfast and lunch together! What do you want to eat?】

【Anything is fine for breakfast, but I’d like self-heating rice for lunch, the carrot and beef stew flavor.】

Xiao Luohan’s health had improved a bit, and she was starting to be interested in richer-flavored instant foods. Jiang Xue had sent her instant noodles and self-heating rice before.

【Do you want fresh vegetable soup? Sister Cheng made it.】

【Yes!】

【And chicken feet? Do you want braised or pickled pepper flavor?】

【Braised, the pickled pepper is too spicy, I can’t handle it yet.】

Having decided on the food, Jiang Xue sent Xiao Luohan breakfast and lunch early in the morning, since there were no classes on the day of the New Year’s Eve gala. She went back to bed for a while before going to school with Jiang Mei.

But when she got in the car, she found someone already sitting in the passenger seat.

“Hi.” Dr. Qi took off her sunglasses, turned around, and held up her bag. “I’m your makeup artist.”

Jiang Xue: …

She had only said that her older sister should find a makeup artist. Her older sister had a wide network, so the makeup artist she found would definitely be reliable.

She hadn’t expected their family doctor to be so multi-talented. If she had known, she wouldn’t have hired a separate makeup artist in her freshman year. It was better to keep the money within the family!

Jiang Mei, on the other hand, had changed into her costume, done her own makeup, and left the house with her sword case. She was a bit of a germaphobe, especially with cosmetics, and preferred not to use other people’s.

Sister Cheng started the car and drove the three of them to school.

Changing clothes and applying makeup wasn’t a big deal. Dr. Qi was skilled and quickly finished everyone’s makeup.

Around 10:30 AM, she also brought takeout, emphasizing, “Your older sister bought it.”

Jiang Mei: …

She gave Dr. Qi an amused look. She had wanted to be an anonymous benefactor, but she had been exposed.

The takeout was boxed lunches from a well-established restaurant. Jiang Mei had ordered from them before for performances at her workplace, so they were regular customers, and the restaurant always gave them generous portions.

…It’s just that she had forgotten to ask them to leave out the celery today. Opening the lid, she saw a mountain of celery stir-fried with meat, and her head started to ache.

She was about to ask Jiang Xue to pick out the celery when a spoon reached over and scooped out half of it, then another scoop, and the “celery mountain” was gone.

Jiang Mei was stunned. Turning her head, she saw Xie Xitong sitting next to Jiang Xue with her takeout, picking out the celery from Jiang Xue’s food as well.

She had forgotten that this girl next door loved celery.

When Xiao Luohan entered the dream, Jiang Xue and the others were waiting backstage.

The performers for the next two acts were also waiting. The freshmen weren’t as composed as the seniors and were even taking deep breaths nervously.

There were too many people around. Even if Jiang Xue saw her, she only waved discreetly under her sleeve. Xiao Luohan smiled and floated over, sitting down in the empty space behind Jiang Xue.

“Are you cold?”

Jiang Xue didn’t dare shake her head. She hooked her pinky finger and wiggled it slightly, indicating that she wasn’t cold.

But her hand was actually a little icy.

Xiao Luohan couldn’t help but cover Jiang Xue’s hand with her own—she didn’t know if she could warm her up in the dream.

She felt Jiang Xue tremble, thinking she was cold but too stubborn to admit it, and held her hand even tighter.

Jiang Xue felt that tingling sensation again!

She hadn’t thought about it that way at first, but every time Xiao Luohan touched her, she felt this tingling. Even a fool would have realized by now!

But this wasn’t something she could talk about, especially not with Xiao Luohan. She was afraid that if this girl knew about her feelings, she would actually add “repaying kindness with her body” to her list of repayment methods!

She wanted to pull her hand back, but was afraid of being misunderstood by Xiao Luohan. It wasn’t convenient to explain now, with everyone backstage watching.

But continuing to be held like this made her feel that tingling sensation, making her both embarrassed and nervous. Hearing the commotion outside, the play had just reached the part where the female general’s spirit appeared in a dream to teach her younger sister. She knew there was still some time left, so she simply stood up and said to Jiang Mei, “I’m nervous, I’m going out for some air.”

Then she was met with her older sister’s puzzled look, and when she turned around, her friend Xie Xitong’s face was red from suppressing laughter!

Afraid that Xie Xitong would say something to her sister, Jiang Xue pulled her out with her. As soon as they reached a secluded spot, Xie Xitong burst out laughing.

Xiao Luohan looked at them, puzzled.

But although Xie Xitong laughed, she wouldn’t betray her friend for now—she wanted to see when these two would finally realize their feelings. Her friend seemed to be on the right track, but the other girl from ancient times… it was hard to say, but it was probably just a matter of time.

“I’m done,” she said after she finished laughing, and returned backstage, winking at Jiang Xue before leaving, indicating that she knew what was going on.

Jiang Xue took this opportunity to pull her hand away from the Third Princess’s, rubbing her hands and moving her limbs, confirming that she had only come out for “some air.”

“Why was A-Xi laughing?” Xiao Luohan was genuinely curious.

Jiang Xue couldn’t tell her the truth, so she made up another story: “She thought of something happy.”

Xiao Luohan, unfamiliar with the “mermaid” meme, just looked at her, waiting for the rest of the story.

“She gets to perform on the same stage with the older girl next door she likes in their senior year, and twice, too.”

Jiang Xue had long since figured out that Xie Xitong had a crush on her older sister.

Her friend was an “older sister complex,” and since the Jiang and Xie families had always been close, and her older sister had always been excellent, dazzling, and beautiful, Xie Xitong had unilaterally included her in her future plans.

“You know now that in our society, women can not only marry each other, but also have children,” Jiang Xue said. “And young people in this era are more direct in their relationships. A-Xi is very outgoing and always seizes every opportunity.”

Xiao Luohan suddenly understood, then asked tentatively, “But, Mei-jiejie doesn’t seem to know?”

“Even if my sister knows, she won’t reciprocate for three to five years,” Jiang Xue shrugged. “Young people, you know, they might impulsively pursue someone, then suddenly give up when the passion fades.”

“Anyway, A-Xi is still young… uh, in my sister’s eyes, we’re all still children. After we graduate and go to university, she might start pursuing a senior there.”

She paused, a hint of embarrassment in her pride. “My sister is hard to chase! It’s said that since elementary school, both boys and girls have had crushes on her and pursued her. If she paid attention to every one of them, she would have so many worries!”

Xiao Luohan thought about it and agreed.

Her elder sister had never mentioned such troubles to her, but her elder sister was the Emperor’s first child, and her maternal family was a powerful military clan, guarding Beiliao’s borders. No man dared to pursue her without her consent.

Jiang Xue had successfully explained Xie Xitong’s laughter. Since it would soon be their turn to perform, Jiang Xue breathed a sigh of relief and told Xiao Luohan about the seating arrangements in the auditorium. “The auditorium is full today, and even the homeroom teachers have to share seats, so you won’t find any empty ones. But there’s a small platform on the second floor… you saw it last time, right?”

Xiao Luohan nodded knowingly. She had seen it in Jiang Xue’s first-year diary entries and knew that only important school leaders sat there. It had the best view, and Jiang Xue could see her from the stage.

After sending Jiang Xue backstage, she floated to the back of the auditorium, up the stairs to the second floor, found an empty seat, and looked at the stage expectantly.

Jiang Xue and the others were performing twice today, and she wanted to accompany her for both performances.

Such a meaningful performance, having another witness, when they talked about it in the future, there would be one more person to share it with.

At this thought, Xiao Luohan paused.

“The future”…

A-Xi had included Mei-jiejie in her future plans, and she herself had also quietly placed Jiang Xue in “the future.”

She followed this train of thought for a while, then felt that Jiang Xue seemed to have always done this.

They were from two different worlds, initially just pen pals, never imagining that one day they would truly be by each other’s side.

Was this… also a form of kindness?

She couldn’t help but wonder how she could possibly repay it.

Would she repay the Jiang family for the rest of her life? To what extent? Jiang Xue, Mei-jiejie, the two aunts, Sister Cheng… with her abilities, what could she do for them?

Xiao Luohan continued to ponder, but when Jiang Xue’s performance started, she immediately focused all her attention, applauding several times, although only Jiang Xue and Xie Xitong could hear it.

After waking up, she cleaned up the self-heating rice packaging, still thinking about it. When she ate the noodles Jiang Xue sent later that evening, she was still thinking about it.

In the end, she only thought of one way to repay Jiang Xue, but as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt presumptuous and ashamed, hugging the Shiba Inu plush toy and falling asleep filled with guilt.

When she “woke up” in the dream, she heard the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers from outside the auditorium… no, from outside the school.

The New Year’s Eve celebration had begun. Although it was the Gregorian New Year, it was also very important to the people in this world.

She went to her usual spot, sitting next to the school leaders, watching the performances and occasionally glancing at the school leaders who were busy replying to messages on their phones.

It was so nice that even the head of the school in this world was a woman.

When it was Jiang Xue’s turn to perform again, Xiao Luohan stood up and was the first to applaud.

The night was long, and she slept deeply. Later, she should be able to sit with Jiang Xue, watch the rest of the senior year performances, and then go home with her—day students could go home directly after school today, while boarding students would go home tomorrow morning.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt a biting coldness on her face!

Not just her face, she felt the coldness seep into her neck, her collar, and finally, into her bed.

Startled, she instantly woke up, then her eyes were stung by a bright light.

The bed curtains were drawn back, and the room was brightly lit.

Countless servants were holding lamps, standing ominously around the room.

Xiao Luohan’s eyes widened. She instinctively sat up and looked towards the end of the sea of lamps—

Behind her desk, sat the Crown Prince of Daying, reading a book!

Chapter 46: Childhood Memories

The winter days grew colder and colder, and even in Jiang Xue’s world, it began to snow.

Taking advantage of the weekend, she took pictures of the snowy scenery and the icicles hanging from the eaves. She broke off some icicles, cut them into sections, carefully melted a hole through the center of each, threaded them onto a red ribbon, put them in a plastic bag, and sent them to Xiao Luohan to play with.

That night, when she entered the dream, a separate little eave decorated with icicles appeared in the “mindscape.”

“I wonder if this space will still exist after you come over,” Jiang Xue muttered, touching the icicles and looking at the young woman not far away.

She had forgotten since which dream it started, but Xiao Luohan had changed her gray cloak to a bright red one.

She was no longer fixated on recreating furniture with the Scream bottle, but instead, holding a long sword carved with plum blossoms, she was dancing in a blank area further away.

Jiang Xue still remembered the layout of Wangmei Pavilion, knowing that it was in the courtyard, which became desolate in winter, with only the plum tree retaining its vitality.

As Xiao Luohan danced, she saw greenery and purple sprouting from the ground.

They were clusters of “vetch,” also known as “wild pea.” Among the vast expanse of small green leaves were small purple flowers, like butterfly wings.

Like shepherd’s purse, it wasn’t a precious plant, but it tasted good and grew vigorously. Most importantly, Xiao Luohan liked it.

Jiang Xue rubbed her chin, thinking, and also started dancing in another blank area.

Wherever she went, dandelions sprouted.

Time wasn’t fixed in this space. With a thought, she saw the dandelion buds bloom into yellow, then the petals closed, undergoing an unseen transformation. The closed petals and sepals withered, and when they opened again, they were fluffy white spheres.

It wasn’t convenient to dance on the fluffy dandelions, so Jiang Xue retreated from the dandelion field, picked one, and smiled at Xiao Luohan. “Xiao Luo, look at this!”

Ever since she heard Wei Mommy call the Third Princess “Xiao Luo,” she had also started calling her that—she always liked imitating Wei Mommy.

Xiao Luohan stopped dancing and walked towards her, sword in hand.

“I also like dandelions.” She smiled at the sight of the fluffy sphere, then looked at the dandelion field beside her. “Mother would occasionally pick dandelions for food, eating them in a salad. I would follow behind her and collect the fluffy seeds.”

She raised her hand, and the sword transformed into a handful of dandelion seeds.

Turning slightly, Xiao Luohan gently blew on the seeds, and the little “parachutes” scattered joyfully, carried by the wind towards the sky.

Jiang Xue instinctively looked up and saw that the dandelion seeds were flying towards dark, twisting branches, dotted with deep pink plum blossoms.

She took a deep breath and smelled the refreshing floral fragrance.

Wangmei Pavilion was named after the old plum tree in the courtyard. Even though she had fainted from kneeling under it that day, Xiao Luohan had still brought it into her mindscape.

“Looking at the buds on the plum tree branches, I always wonder if Elder Sister’s soul lingers on them, wanting to watch over me.”

After blowing away all the seeds, Xiao Luohan also looked up. “Do you think… what state is Elder Sister in now?”

“Is she just quietly watching, or is she maintaining this space and our dreams?”

Perhaps because she had been reading more fantasy works recently, her speculations became bolder.

Jiang Xue thought for a moment. “Maybe both?”

“If that’s the case… why doesn’t Elder Sister say anything to me?” Xiao Luohan lowered her gaze. “Like us, we’ve already progressed to planning the assassination of the Crown Prince of Daying, yet she doesn’t appear or say anything.”

Jiang Xue knew what she was thinking.

If the Crown Prince died, the Emperor would be furious and might use it as an excuse to start a war, which would bring suffering to the people of both countries.

“Maybe because… we’re just continuing what she originally wanted to do?” she guessed. “Think about it, in that battle, your elder sister cut off a strand of the Daying Crown Prince’s hair!”

“If your elder sister hadn’t been at her limit, venturing deep into enemy territory alone, and struck by so many arrows… that sword strike wouldn’t have just cut off hair, but the dog of a Crown Prince’s head!”

Although they couldn’t cut off the Crown Prince’s head now, they could give him a powerful “headshot” with Uncle Seuss’s gun!

“Even if the Emperor has many sons, it’s not easy to raise another ‘heir’ from scratch, not to mention the other uncles and elders who are eyeing the throne. If the Crown Prince really dies, Daying will be in chaos!”

“Shaking the foundation of Daying is also good for Beiliao. Anyway, whether the Crown Prince dies or not, Beiliao’s future is in danger.”

Jiang Xue was optimistic, but she also knew that she was only saying this because she wasn’t living in a time of war, and everything she said was based on her understanding of historical knowledge, from an outsider’s perspective.

So she stopped there and, seeing Xiao Luohan’s expression soften, didn’t mention it again.

They continued to stay in this space, sometimes chatting, sometimes playing with flowers.

The night passed unknowingly. The next day, Jiang Xue, still drowsy, put on her jacket, grabbed the diary, and went downstairs to send Xiao Luohan her breakfast.

After sending the food and confirming that Xiao Luohan, who always woke up early, had received it and started eating, she went to wash up, get dressed, and eat her own breakfast, yawning.

Recently, Jiang Xue would rather wake up early than stay at her rented apartment.

There were more things available at home, and it was more convenient for Sister Cheng to prepare meals.

Besides that, she could exchange updates with her older sister during breakfast, which was the most important.

“What did ‘Hermes’ say?” Jiang Xue asked eagerly this morning.

Last night, when she came back from evening self-study, she had heard her older sister talking on the phone with her uncle!

“Hermes” was the nickname the sisters had for Uncle Seuss—he liked living alone, had no spouse or children, but was especially fond of a stallion he had raised since it was a foal. Now that the horse had grown up, he declared to everyone that he had a “horse son.”

“He said, ‘We can take some additional measures to increase the chances of success, such as simulating self-rescue and follow-up actions after the weapon is seized by the Crown Prince. After we simulate feasible outcomes, Jiang Xue can relay them to the princess.’” Jiang Mei recounted his words. “If you don’t mind, ‘Hermes’ can even act as the Crown Prince.”

Although Uncle Seuss felt that there wasn’t much difference between men and women, after all, many women practiced boxing and fitness abroad, and their strength shouldn’t be underestimated, Jiang Mei still felt that they should practice with a man. When counterattacking, a man’s weaknesses might not be the same as a woman’s.

Jiang Xue chuckled. “Then ‘Hermes’ better wear his full set of protective gear!”

Busy with studying during the day, and with rehearsal in the afternoon, she didn’t find a chance to tell Xiao Luohan until that night, when she entered the dream and sat on the “cat tree” to explain the new plan.

Xiao Luohan had already filled the Wangmei Pavilion in the mindscape with many things. The “cat tree” was extra large, and even she wasn’t sure if it was for a real cat, or… for Jiang Xue, the human-sized cat.

However, Jiang Xue seemed to like the cat tree, so that was enough.

After hearing Jiang Xue’s explanation, Xiao Luohan thought for a moment and placed a mannequin near the plum tree. But she didn’t give it a face or clothes, it was just a wooden figure.

With her will, the mannequin started moving.

“Can it simulate strength?” Jiang Xue leaned in curiously.

She tried to imagine the strength and movements she wanted the mannequin to display, and as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the mannequin lifted her onto its shoulder!

“It works!!” Jiang Xue wasn’t flustered. Thinking “put me down,” the mannequin placed her back on the ground.

“I was just imagining what it was like when my sister carried me,” she shared with Xiao Luohan frankly. “This is great! After I meet Uncle Seuss, I can bring in his strength and movements for simulation!”

Although this space was Xiao Luohan’s “mindscape,” Xiao Luohan now allowed her to leave her own “mental images” here as well, which made many things easier.

Xiao Luohan nodded with a smile, then asked curiously, “Why did Mei-jiejie carry you like that?”

Jiang Xue also smiled, but didn’t answer, instead moving aside. “Do you want to try?”

Her curiosity piqued, Xiao Luohan walked towards the mannequin.

The next second, she was also lifted onto the mannequin’s shoulder, and then her vision spun—

Xiao Luohan had never been lifted and spun around like this before. She cried out in surprise, but after the initial shock, she started laughing heartily.

Her red cloak also swirled around her like a red cloud.

Jiang Xue let the mannequin, representing her older sister in her memory, spin Xiao Luohan around several times. When Xiao Luohan shouted “Stop,” she had the mannequin put her down.

“When I was very young, my older sister and I went to the park and saw a father playing with his daughter like this. I also grabbed my sister’s hand and said I wanted to play like that.”

Casually picking a wild pea and putting it in her mouth, Jiang Xue sat on the grass, reminiscing. “Actually, my sister wasn’t very old back then, but she still tried her best to lift and spin me around.”

“Later, when my sister grew up and became stronger, she remembered this and insisted on playing like that with me that day.” Jiang Xue chuckled. “But… I was going through a growth spurt at the time and was quite heavy. She couldn’t lift me, so she ended up carrying me on her back instead!”

Xiao Luohan imagined the scene and smiled. “That’s very interesting.”

“If you like listening, I can tell you more,” Jiang Xue said, turning to her.

She saw Xiao Luohan lower her gaze and remain silent for a few seconds. “Then I’ll also tell you a story about me and my elder sister.”

“I was frail, so even my elder sister didn’t dare engage in such playful activities with me. But she liked carrying me on her back…”

As she spoke, the surrounding furniture, decorations, flower fields, and plum trees disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar palace scene.

Two girls, one tall and one short, were running under the red walls.

The taller one steadily carried the shorter one on her back, running and occasionally jumping or bouncing. The shorter girl would let out small cries of surprise, then giggle uncontrollably.

“She would carry me wherever I wanted to go. If I wanted to walk, she would put me down. When I got tired, I would climb back onto her back.”

Xiao Luohan’s voice softened. “At the time, I really thought life could continue like this. But later, when I grew a little older, I stopped asking Elder Sister to carry me.”

Seeing Jiang Xue listening attentively, she paused. “Except for one winter night, when I had a high fever. Mother was afraid that the Imperial Hospital wouldn’t accept someone from the cold palace, and that I wouldn’t survive, so she went to kneel outside the Empress’s palace.”

“Later, it was Elder Sister who braved the snow, carried me all the way to the Imperial Hospital, kicked open the door, and demanded that the physician on duty treat me with acupuncture and moxibustion… That’s how I survived that night.”

She didn’t share any more details with Jiang Xue, lost in thought.

She remembered being delirious with fever that night, vaguely hearing her elder sister say with a sob—

“I won’t let Xiao Luo die! Even if the Black and White Impermanence come to take you, I’ll snatch you back from the King of Hell!”

---

T/N:

Black and White Impermanence: 

It refers to two ghostly figures from Chinese folklore and Daoist/Buddhist mythology who serve as underworld messengers or deities. They are responsible for escorting the souls of the dead to the afterlife.

Chapter 45: Spiritual Sustenance

The matter of assassinating the Crown Prince was too important. The next day, at breakfast, Jiang Xue told her older sister about it.

Her sister was still on vacation, and Jiang Xue had been keeping this to herself. Since they had also decided to provide Xiao Luohan with three meals a day after Shizhu left, she was staying at home as well.

After hearing the whole story, Jiang Mei took a sip of her hot Americano to calm her nerves.

These two little ones… one dared to say it, and the other dared to listen!

They had actually agreed on this, just waiting for the wedding day!

Although she knew she should try to persuade Xiao Luohan to let go of her desire for revenge as soon as possible, so that she could come to this world safely, Jiang Mei knew how stubborn such obsessions could be.

The unresolved resentment over the death of someone important would always linger in the heart, never forgotten.

Moreover, the power that connected the two worlds was still a mystery. They could only guess that it was related to Xiao Luohan’s will. Even if Xiao Luohan agreed to “let go,” as long as her subconscious still dwelled on it, the possibility of her crossing over was still uncertain.

“So, you’re putting all your hopes on the stun gun?” she asked.

If that was the case, then they could only formulate a more foolproof assassination plan.

Jiang Xue didn’t understand what she meant, her cheeks puffed out in a puzzled expression.

“The stun gun can indeed be fatal, but that dog of a Crown Prince is a battle-hardened general, resilient and experienced. Using only a stun gun is too risky.” Jiang Mei took a bite of her sandwich. “I’ll contact your Uncle Seuss. You take leave before the Third Princess’s wedding, and we’ll go abroad and borrow a gun from him.”

Jiang Xue: !!!

Wei Mommy was mixed-race, and their family had relatives abroad.

And Uncle Seuss had been a “sister complex” since he was young. It was said that when Jiang Mommy and Wei Mommy got married, he had glared at Jiang Mommy, afraid that she would mistreat his beloved younger sister!

However, even abroad, gun control was strict, and such weapons couldn’t be brought back to their gun-free country, so they had to go abroad to find someone.

“Th-Then let’s go during the New Year’s holiday!” she said excitedly, then quickly added, “I have to learn the skills first and teach them to Xiao Luo!”

Actually, she remembered the play that had been performed before them during the preliminary auditions.

The deceased female general appeared in her younger sister’s dreams every night, teaching her military strategy, which eventually led to the younger sister’s victory.

She felt that she could do the same, plotting the Crown Prince’s death with Xiao Luohan night after night, maximizing their chances of success and minimizing the risks.

“…” Jiang Mei glanced at her and slowly took out her phone. “You focus on your studies.”

“Okay!!”

With reliable help, Jiang Xue happily ate half a sandwich more than usual for breakfast.

“I-I’m delivering a letter home for Your Highness?!”

In Wangmei Pavilion, after hearing Xiao Luohan’s request, Shizhu was at a loss. “I do know the way to Beiliao, but… but I’m just a servant…”

She was completely stunned by being entrusted with such an important task, not even considering whether there was a hidden motive behind it.

“It’s alright. I didn’t bring any servants with me when I got married. When I meet someone kind to me in a foreign land, I trust them completely. Even a heartless emperor would understand my suffering and intentions.”

Xiao Luohan was writing the last sentence. She soon put down her brush and gathered the letters she had written earlier. “It doesn’t matter if you take your time on the road. Just be careful, and try to avoid His Highness the Crown Prince. I’m afraid he’ll find an excuse to make trouble again.”

Shizhu understood this too. Last time, the Crown Prince had come over and punished her for no reason, making her kneel in the snow, and even had the servants watch as the princess fainted from the cold. He was clearly a volatile and ruthless person!

But precisely because she understood, she couldn’t help but cry. “But I’ll be gone for half a month. There will be no one to attend to Your Highness’s daily needs, no one to taste your food. What should we do?”

“I grew up in the cold palace. My mother taught me many things. I just don’t have the strength to do them, but things are different now. Don’t worry.” Xiao Luohan reached out and wiped her tears. “As for meals and snacks and drinks, the ghost or spirit will prepare them for me. There’s no need to worry about the food from that world being poisoned.”

She knew better than anyone that Jiang Xue wouldn’t harm her.

Shizhu didn’t have much luggage, but since she was going to Beiliao with a letter from the princess, she still made thorough preparations.

During this time, Xiao Luohan found a way to meet the Emperor of Daying.

Perhaps because they were afraid of the ghost or spirit, everything related to her was easily approved. It seemed no one wanted to provoke the wrath of a ghost or spirit.

Even in the heavily regulated palace, she quickly met the Emperor and requested a pass for Shizhu to leave the city.

“The postal service can also deliver letters to Beiliao. Why send a servant specifically?” The Emperor of Daying couldn’t help but ask curiously as he handed over the pass.

Xiao Luohan embellished the excuse she had fabricated with Shizhu and told him.

She knew that the dog emperor was just curious. Shizhu was only delivering a letter, nothing else, and she had only written about her well-being in the letter. Even if someone intercepted and read it, they wouldn’t find anything suspicious.

As she was leaving, Xiao Luohan looked up and saw a smile in the dog emperor’s eyes.

…Disgusting.

She didn’t show it on her face, maintaining proper etiquette as she left under his slimy gaze. As soon as she returned to Wangmei Pavilion, she and Jiang Xue cursed the dog emperor.

A father who could raise a son like the Crown Prince couldn’t be a good person.

They weren’t satisfied with just cursing in the diary, so they continued cursing loudly in the dream that night.

They cursed both the dog emperor and the dog of a Crown Prince.

After their cursing subsided, Jiang Xue started worrying about Shizhu. “Is it really going so smoothly?”

“It seems so for now,” Xiao Luohan said, warming her hands on the teacup. “Shizhu doesn’t suspect anything, her mind is entirely on delivering the letter.”

“It’s good that she doesn’t suspect anything,” Jiang Xue breathed a sigh of relief. “No knowledge, no leverage.”

She also knew a little about tea ceremony and helped Xiao Luohan clean the remaining teacups, then accompanied her for tea before continuing, “I told my sister about our plan, and she’s thinking of ways to improve it.”

“Your sister… doesn’t object?” Xiao Luohan was surprised.

“She probably thinks that even if she objects, if your obsession doesn’t dissipate, the crossing over won’t happen anyway.” Jiang Xue played with the empty teacup, speculating. “So she went abroad to find a trustworthy helper… I’ll introduce him to you later.”

Due to her busy studies, she hadn’t seen Uncle Seuss for many years and her memories of him had faded. She had originally planned to visit him after the college entrance exam, but this had brought their reunion forward.

“Anyway, just take care of yourself!” she said with a smile, putting down the teacup. “Remember to leave the diary open on the nightstand before going to bed. Don’t hug it while you sleep, or the hot soup or hot milk will spill in your bed!”

After receiving the pass, Shizhu, still worried about Xiao Luohan’s period, took care of her for three more days before finally leaving with her luggage, carrying the letter.

Before leaving, she knelt before Xiao Luohan and cried, “Please be careful, Your Highness! I-I swear I’ll deliver the letter to Beiliao! Your Highness…”

She had wanted to say more, but was afraid of jinxing it. In the end, she let out a long sigh, planning to pray to the ghosts and spirits along the way, asking them to protect Princess Zhuìyù from harm while she was gone.

She didn’t know if she would be back in time to escort Princess Zhuìyù to the ghost or spirit’s world.

Xiao Luohan walked her to the door, waving goodbye with a mixture of solemnity and reluctance.

She didn’t want Shizhu’s last memory of her to be a tearful farewell, so she forced her brightest smile, reassuring her for her journey.

If all went well, this would be their last goodbye, wouldn’t it?

She had specifically emphasized Shizhu’s care for her in the letter. If her mother could receive this letter, she would probably protect Shizhu, who knew nothing about the assassination.

After the sound of the carriage wheels faded away, Xiao Luohan returned to her room, bolted the door, and then covered her face, silently weeping.

After Shizhu left, Wangmei Pavilion returned to its initial silence.

Xiao Luohan hadn’t been afraid of loneliness before, but perhaps because she had recently experienced so much kindness from strangers, she had unconsciously become reliant on it.

When it was almost time for dinner, she even subconsciously called out to Shizhu, asking her what she was going to make. After calling out a few times and receiving no response, she came back to her senses.

When loneliness became unbearable, she would listen to music, read the books Jiang Xue sent, memorizing the knowledge, fighting against the loneliness.

She had only mentioned Shizhu’s departure to Jiang Xue in the diary, not showing any signs of it when they met in the dream.

She didn’t know how Jiang Xue had figured it out. They had only met once in a dream, and the next day, when she opened the booklet, a phone had appeared.

【This is my spare phone, but I’ve never used it. It’s brand new. You can click on any app. If you have any problems, just ask me.】

【I’ve downloaded dozens of highly-rated TV series, movies, and anime, and also bought all sorts of novels—classic literature from China and abroad, ancient and modern, and popular web novels from recent years, all in those reading apps.】

As if afraid that she would be crushed by loneliness, everything Jiang Xue sent this time was “spiritual sustenance.”

So during her breaks from reading, Xiao Luohan would randomly open a “treasure trove” to relax her mind.

After entering the dream at night, Jiang Xue found that the scenery outside the window of the “mindscape” was a spring scene again, and her worried heart finally settled down.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” she asked proactively.

Xiao Luohan shook her head, picked up the Scream bottle from the windowsill, and sprayed the plum blossoms with water. “I want to ‘decorate’ this place.”

She had seen some appealing decorations in the anime and TV series and had thought about trying to place them in the blank areas after entering the dream.

Since this was her mindscape, it couldn’t always be blank. Jiang Xue would worry.

Under Jiang Xue’s curious and expectant gaze, she walked towards a blank area, holding the Scream bottle, and squeezed it hard.

…A small European-style indoor fountain appeared, with water lilies planted in the pool.

Jiang Xue was intrigued and jumped off the table. “Can I also add some furniture? If you like anything, you can use it.”

She could recreate the beautiful furniture she had seen in games here!

“Feel free, I don’t have any specific ideas for now,” Xiao Luohan said, continuing to place decorations in the blank areas based on her memory.

Seeing her having so much fun with the Scream bottle, Jiang Xue also took out her favorite blue Scream bottle.

Partition walls, wall hangings, colorful lights, potted plants, sofas, coffee tables, fruit platters, and snacks for guests…

When Xiao Luohan turned around, she had already decorated the other side of the blank space into a cozy modern living room!

Chapter 44: You Want to Kill the Crown Prince?!

While watching the preliminary auditions, Xiao Luohan had already decided to continue trusting Jiang Xue.

But this matter wasn’t a good thing and might worry Jiang Xue, so she deliberately waited until they were in a dream to tell her.

Even so, she still lowered her voice and said tactfully, “I’m afraid… I won’t be able to come over until the wedding day.”

Jiang Xue was stunned. “What are you going to do then?”

“If there really are clues about Elder Sister in the Eastern Palace, that’s the only time I can ‘bury’ her.” Xiao Luohan stood up and looked at the blank window. “Elder Sister didn’t want to be buried. She preferred cremation, so I want to give her a proper send-off.”

A distant landscape gradually materialized in the blank space, with flowering trees and pavilions, a spring scene despite being in winter.

If dreams represented emotional changes, Jiang Xue felt that this must be something Xiao Luohan desperately wanted to do, her obsession and her wish.

“…How much have you guessed?” But she still felt a chill run down her spine.

They might have guessed the same thing!

“Elder Sister’s missing body might be hidden in the Eastern Palace by that dog of a Crown Prince,” Xiao Luohan said, feigning calmness. “He was interested in my elder sister…”

“No! I’ve never heard you mention this!” The more Jiang Xue listened, the more she felt they were on the same page. She quickly interrupted, “Do you have any concrete clues? When and where did you learn about this?!”

She had arrived at this guess because she had seen the Crown Prince of Daying transformed into a hyena in her dream—the most well-known characteristic of hyenas was their scavenging nature, which was why she connected the Broken Plum Blossom Princess’s body to the Crown Prince.

Moreover, if the imagery in that dream was based on her own impression of the Crown Prince, it would have been some other animal. She wouldn’t have thought of a hyena!

Xiao Luohan turned and repeated the Crown Prince’s words to her verbatim.

Jiang Xue rubbed her chin, frowning, thinking hard, and finally told Xiao Luohan about seeing the hyena.

“Hmm… the clues are quite suggestive, but sacrificing yourself for a burial isn’t what your elder sister would want, I think.”

Jiang Xue paused for a few seconds, then emphasized seriously, “That’s the Eastern Palace! There will definitely be guards! And how are you going to set the fire? And how can you guarantee your own safety after setting the fire?”

The thought of setting a fire made her uneasy. If Xiao Luohan couldn’t escape, she would really die there! Her voice unconsciously rose, and her tone became urgent:

“Do you know what kind of accidents can happen in a fire? Do you know how long it takes to die from smoke inhalation without taking any precautions?!”

Xiao Luohan wasn’t completely ignorant about this. Because her only daughter had died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a charcoal brazier, Shizhu had specifically explained to her under what circumstances charcoal could emit deadly fumes.

Her knowledge in this area had been lacking, but now Shizhu had filled in the gaps.

But now Jiang Xue was agitated, and she herself wasn’t entirely confident that she could escape a fire unscathed, so she shook her head. “I don’t know, so… I was just thinking about it, discussing it with you.”

“If you think it’s not a good idea, I’ll give up on it.”

Actually, what she had originally planned to tell Jiang Xue wasn’t about burying her elder sister’s body, but she felt that this might be easier than killing the Crown Prince, so she brought it up first.

“Thank goodness!” she saw Jiang Xue breathe a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you told me!”

Xiao Luohan quietly observed her relieved expression and suddenly didn’t dare mention the other thing she wanted to do.

She currently had her back to the window and didn’t notice the spring scenery outside changing.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, light as willow catkins at first, then quickly becoming as large as goose feathers, weighing down the flowering trees until all the flowers and leaves fell.

Jiang Xue had sharp ears and eyes, and she noticed the change before the scenery outside returned to a blank white.

This meant that the Third Princess’s mood had worsened, but why?

Was it the sadness of not being able to personally bury her elder sister and give her a proper send-off?

Or… besides setting fire to the Eastern Palace on the wedding night, did the Third Princess have something else she was hiding from her?

It would be great if it was the former, but Jiang Xue couldn’t be sure!

If Xiao Luohan insisted on hiding it, even if she asked, she would probably only get lies.

Jiang Xue was anxious, her mind racing. She simply took a deep breath and grabbed Xiao Luohan’s hand.

“What else do I have to do to make Your Highness tell me everything?”

Being rude or presumptuous didn’t matter anymore!

She only knew that if she hesitated now and missed the opportunity to uncover the truth, she would definitely regret it if something happened in the future!

Jiang Xue was sitting on the table, slightly taller than Xiao Luohan, who was standing. Leaning forward slightly, her shadow enveloped the young woman.

Despite her fierce facade, she was actually terrified.

She was afraid that her actions would backfire, and Xiao Luohan wouldn’t dare to be friends with her anymore, which would make it even more difficult to learn the truth!

They stared at each other, the seconds ticking by.

In the end, it was Jiang Xue who averted her gaze first.

No matter how anxious she was, she couldn’t… couldn’t be too aggressive…

Just as she thought this, she smelled a faint plum blossom fragrance approaching, and then she was pulled into a tight embrace, her rapidly beating heart pressed against another.

Xiao Luohan had actually hugged her!

“I’m going to do something… illegal.”

But her words made Jiang Xue tremble.

She struggled to reboot her mind, which had almost short-circuited.

The word “illegal” must have been something Xiao Luohan learned from the politics textbook, and the related incident could be big or small.

But judging by Xiao Luohan’s reaction, and her previous idea of setting fire to the Eastern Palace, Jiang Xue felt that the thing she was still hiding might be related to the first half of the idiom “arson”!

The only person in the Eastern Palace who had a grudge against the Third Princess and her elder sister was the dog of a Crown Prince.

She took a deep breath. “You’re going to… kill the Crown Prince?!”

Xiao Luohan froze, then nodded vigorously.

Amidst the chaos, Jiang Xue was still thinking—she truly was “another her in the world.” With just one sentence, she had guessed the Third Princess’s hidden thoughts.

“Are you going to use the stun gun my sister and I gave you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Xiao Luohan’s muffled voice came from her embrace. “The wedding night is when he’ll be most unguarded. Not to mention my frail health, as long as I’m a woman, and dressed in elaborate wedding attire and heavy jewelry that day, he’ll be confident that he can subdue me.”

“So, that’s also my only opportunity.”

Jiang Xue’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

“This is indeed illegal,” she murmured. “But you… you’re doing this to avenge your elder sister who died in battle, and the target is the Crown Prince of the enemy nation…”

Assassinating the Crown Prince of the enemy nation, if successful, would make Xiao Luohan a national hero in Beiliao!

Moreover, the ancient world she lived in was a world of war, a world of life and death. Her wonderful elder sister had also died in battle. This matter couldn’t be viewed or judged from the perspective of a society ruled by law.

But what if the assassination failed?

“As you said, you only have one chance,” Jiang Xue lowered her head, making sure her voice reached Xiao Luohan clearly. “Although the stun gun can be fatal if aimed at a vital point, you can’t use it carelessly. Once the Crown Prince notices, he’ll be on guard. With your strength and speed, if you miss once, you’ll never get close to him again, and he might even take the stun gun from you!”

Xiao Luohan had thought she would try to persuade her to give up, but hearing this, she looked up in disbelief.

Was Jiang Xue… trying to teach her how to kill with one blow?

Under her curious gaze, Jiang Xue coughed awkwardly. “Don’t underestimate me. My family is actually quite wealthy! Mom and Mom have been telling me these things as cautionary tales since I was young… so that if I ever encounter a kidnapper, I can buy myself some time.”

But she didn’t continue, instead asking, “But if you really kill the Crown Prince, what about Shizhu?”

If a servant was so loyal that she was willing to die to pave the way for her master, anyone would want to save her too, right?

“I plan to find a way to send her away soon,” Xiao Luohan said, averting her gaze. “But I know that she either won’t leave, or… will tell me with her death that she won’t be a burden.”

Not leaving was the most likely scenario she had considered, but since she was discussing this with Jiang Xue, she couldn’t help but imagine a worse outcome.

“And, for this matter of killing the Crown Prince, the fewer people who know, the better the chances of success, right?” Jiang Xue said. “Since you can’t tell her the truth and can’t send her away…”

At this point, she suddenly had an idea: “Daying doesn’t forbid you from sending letters back home, right? Tell Shizhu that the letter can only be delivered by someone trustworthy, and emphasize that this is something only she can do.”

“If the assassination is successful, and the Crown Prince dies, there will definitely be a struggle for the throne, and Daying will be in chaos. They won’t have time to deal with Beiliao.” She couldn’t help but imagine a better future. “This way, Shizhu, who will be on her way to Beiliao, and your mother, who is still in Beiliao, should both be safe, right?”

Xiao Luohan’s eyes lit up.

“But you have to do this soon,” Jiang Xue said. “The dog of a Crown Prince has been too quiet recently. I’m a little worried that he might be plotting something…”

“I did make some inquiries,” Xiao Luohan said. “He’s been busy with military affairs recently.”

“Oh, after having a strand of hair cut off by your sister, he’s personally leading the troops now?” Jiang Xue said sarcastically. “There’s a saying that ‘a crown prince doesn’t command troops.’ It seems Daying doesn’t have that tradition!”

But the Crown Prince not being in the palace was also good for them. At least there would be less resistance when they carried out their plan—the dog emperor wouldn’t care if a tribute from a defeated nation sent a letter home!

After finalizing the preliminary plan, they immediately started drafting the letter and listing more detailed steps.

“Although this place is a bit bare, whatever we say or write here won’t be leaked,” Jiang Xue said as she ground ink.

Actually, she already had a guess about the origin of this space.

It had appeared after Xiao Luohan opened her heart to her. It was more stable than a normal dream and resembled the “mindscape” often seen in fantasy works.

However, if this was Xiao Luohan’s mindscape, why did it appear as Wangmei Pavilion?

Unable to find an answer, Jiang Xue simply asked, “You don’t seem to dislike Wangmei Pavilion?”

If she disliked it, why would a comforting inner world contain elements of Wangmei Pavilion?

Xiao Luohan, who was writing the assassination plan, paused, thought for a moment, and simply replied with a soft “Mm,” a little embarrassed to explain further.

To her, this place held extraordinary significance.

Chapter 43: She Trusted Jiang Xue

The preliminary auditions, as Jiang Xue had predicted, went by very quickly, especially for the senior year performances.

The six judges, three young and three older, scored quickly. For those performances deemed stage-worthy, Teacher Ai, in charge of recording, would offer a few suggestions for improvement.

After hearing Jiang Mei’s advice, Xiao Luohan listened to the changing background music and watched the students go on stage, perform, and leave, one after another.

Lost in thought about Jiang Mei’s words, she didn’t pay close attention to the performances. Fortunately, Jiang Xue had promised to get a copy of the entire audition recording from Teacher Ai, so she could watch it later.

To be honest, she was indeed lost and confused.

Assassinating the Crown Prince of an enemy nation was a task that could only succeed once.

And before carrying it out, she had to send Shizhu far away from Daying. Otherwise, once the Crown Prince died, Shizhu, who was closest to her, would definitely be implicated.

But precisely because Shizhu was close to her, and they had a close relationship, knowing each other’s past, personalities, and habits, even if she coldly and cruelly dismissed Shizhu without any explanation, Shizhu would immediately see through her true intentions.

…Her “courage” had come too late.

Xiao Luohan was lost in thought. After an unknown amount of time, a flash of bright red caught her eye—Jiang Mei, carrying her sword, was walking backstage with the other girls, ready to wait for their turn.

It was almost time for their performance.

She sat up straight, one hand resting lightly on the empty sword case beside her, and waited attentively.

At this moment, a short play was being performed on stage, just beginning.

A group of girls in armor followed a female general on a prop horse, waving flags and shouting. The background music was a rousing suona(traditional double-reeded Chinese musical instrument) melody, and their weapons clashed with the “enemy soldiers” played by boys, the clanging sound effects echoing.

Because of her elder sister, Xiao Luohan had a favorable impression of female generals and watched curiously.

The curtain closed, and when it opened again, the female general was disheveled, her armor gone, her right hand clutching an arrow piercing her heart, stumbling forward step by step.

White paper scraps fell from the ceiling, simulating a heavy snowfall.

“I’ve been dead for half a month, and the underworld hasn’t taken me yet?” The female general looked around, then reached out to catch a “snowflake.” “Since that’s the case… I’ll return to my homeland and take a look.”

She slowly walked backstage. The scene changed, and she was in the palace.

Many people were weeping around her coffin, including the Empress and other concubines, and the girls who had gone to war with her.

As they wept, they were even more concerned about another matter: “The Great General is gone, who will fight against the 100,000 enemy troops?”

A minister even interjected, “Why not… send some princes or princesses as hostages?”

The minister was the only man among the women. His words were met with glares.

“If sending hostages could bring peace, what use are generals?! What use are you officials?!”

A young, clear female voice rang out. A petite girl, holding a sword, strode forward and shouted, “I’m willing to join the army in my elder sister’s place!”

“No! Little Sister! It shouldn’t be you!” The female general’s spirit emerged from behind the curtain, stopping at a distance, shaking her head and sighing. “But… if you’re determined, then go ahead and do it. Elder Sister will always guide your path!”

“From that day on, the little princess dreamed of her deceased elder sister every day,” the narrator’s voice echoed.

“Her elder sister taught her military strategy and simulated battles.”

“They played chess and trained soldiers, seizing every minute in every dream, just to be able to defend against the 100,000 enemy troops.”

The play was short, and the ending was what everyone wanted to see.

The little princess, carefully taught by her elder sister, became the new Great General, shouldering the heavy responsibility. And using the knowledge her elder sister imparted, she outnumbered and outmaneuvered the enemy, forcing the 100,000 troops back to their own capital!

A great victory!

The final scene was the female general bidding farewell to the little princess in a dream.

“My obsession has dissipated, I should move on now.” The female general rubbed the little princess’s head, smiling gently. “You’ve done well. From now on… live for yourself.”

The little princess raised her sleeve to cover her eyes, her voice choked with sobs. “Little Sister has no other wish, only that in the next life, we can be sisters again!”

When the cast took their final bow, Xiao Luohan was still immersed in the story, unable to come back to her senses.

She vaguely heard Teacher Ai, who was in charge of the evaluations, say, “The plot is clichéd, but the emotions are delicate,” and her mind lingered on the word “clichéd.”

So… the things she had hoped for, but could only remain as hopes, were commonplace in this world.

In her world, after losing her elder sister, not only could she not join the army and fight in her place, but she was actually being sent to the enemy country for a marriage alliance.

Besides that, she remembered clearly that in Beiliao, only women were sent for marriage alliances. Even the “prince as hostage” scenario in the play didn’t exist.

It was then that she truly realized that she and Jiang Xue were “from two different worlds.”

Their true differences weren’t in material possessions, but in their spiritual worlds.

Due to the different environments, the worlds they lived in were like two opposite poles of a magnet. One world was extremely harsh towards women, while the other gave women the greatest freedom.

They were bound to have disagreements on many things, and she herself, because of what she had experienced and heard since childhood, had been subtly assimilated by her environment, unconsciously acquiring many habits that would be considered outdated here.

This suddenly made her feel apprehensive, as if her confidante, who was so close, had suddenly become incredibly distant.

She wanted to catch up, but could she really catch up and walk side by side with Jiang Xue?

Would she really not become a burden to Jiang Xue?

When it was finally Jiang Xue’s turn to perform, Xiao Luohan felt uneasy.

Warm beams of light shone down from above, illuminating them.

They… every one of them was so dazzling, so out of reach.

But when the music started, and the group dancers drew their swords, Xiao Luohan’s gaze followed Jiang Xue.

She seemed especially energetic today. The movements that she usually held back were now performed with greater fluidity and agility, as if she had broken free from her shackles.

Although this group dance was a celebratory one, the story’s background was before the agreement of an important event, so their movements needed to convey “joy,” but their expressions had to remain controlled.

Jiang Xue had a serious expression, but it wasn’t stiff. She naturally portrayed solemnity, and also… numbness.

—While the rulers were engaged in their power struggles, all they, the subordinates, had to do was maintain the status quo to live a stable life.

But even if they were thinking about “maintaining the status quo,” they still had their own preferences, which couldn’t be revealed, so they either forced a smile or remained numb.

Maintaining normalcy while also being expressive.

She portrayed this sense of conflicting emotions very well, so well that Xiao Luohan couldn’t help but stand up and applaud.

She wasn’t sure if Jiang Xue heard her, but she felt Jiang Xue glance towards her. But it wasn’t until the group dance ended and they retreated behind the curtain that Jiang Xue smiled at her, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.

Because of this small interlude, Xiao Luohan felt that she wasn’t so far away from Jiang Xue after all.

When she used to watch plays with her mother, she had heard her mother say, “Someone who can portray a character must have carefully studied that character’s personality and life story, with great patience.”

Now, she couldn’t help but think that even if they had disagreements, Jiang Xue… probably wouldn’t mind.

Jiang Xue knew what kind of world she came from, but still extended a hand without hesitation, offering her the greatest assistance.

As for patience, she thought, Jiang Xue definitely had that.

She had to trust Jiang Xue.

Perhaps because she was preoccupied, Xiao Luohan woke up from the dream before seeing Jiang Mei’s solo dance.

But she wasn’t worried. She flipped through the politics textbook and waited for Jiang Xue to send her phone with the recording during dinner, so she could watch the solo dance later, and then meet Jiang Xue in a dream after nightfall.

This time, they were once again in that white space.

Xiao Luohan had already seen the results of the preliminary audition while watching the video.

Teacher Ai had praised the performance, but expressed regret that it wasn’t entirely performed by students, especially the highlight, the solo dance, which was performed by someone from outside the school.

However, considering that Jiang Mei was also an outstanding graduate of Si Ling, Teacher Ai felt that the performance was even more meaningful, perfectly complementing the theme of the previous play.

“‘Some guides just perform silently, instead of giving direct instructions. Although you can’t interact with them, you can still learn from their actions and plan your future with more caution and aspiration.’”

Jiang Xue sat on the desk again, repeating Teacher Ai’s words. “So, our performance was selected.”

“Congratulations,” Xiao Luohan offered her sincere congratulations. “Now everyone can prepare for the New Year’s Eve gala with peace of mind.”

The end of the month was the grandest event for senior year students, and also the last school-wide event of their high school careers.

“Yes, we can also rest for a few days.” Jiang Xue gently swung her legs. “Yuanyuan said that I coordinated well with everyone, so we can use the extra time to study, and the rehearsal frequency is back to every other day.”

“After all, we just need to maintain our ‘muscle memory’ now. My sister only needs to practice twice more, during the weekend and before the actual performance. She doesn’t need to rehearse with us every time.”

Seeing that Xiao Luohan didn’t have any questions, Jiang Xue took the initiative. “I have sharp ears. I actually heard everything my sister said to you today.”

Observing the subtle changes in Xiao Luohan’s eyes, she continued, “She probably sensed something, worried that you would do something foolish if you kept it bottled up, so she wanted you to talk to me about ‘our future’—this way, you’ll cherish your life more if you have something to look forward to.”

Xiao Luohan stared at her blankly. She hadn’t expected Jiang Xue, who seemed carefree and clueless, to actually be so thoughtful and considerate.

“Although I always feel that the right to choose is always in our own hands, and we should just do what we believe is right, regardless of what others say,” she said, seeing the worry and sadness in Jiang Xue’s lively eyes, “I also know that not everything ‘right’ leads to the desired outcome, and it might even implicate others, resulting in unforeseen tragedies.”

Jiang Xue paused.

“But, I’m not afraid of being implicated by you, Your Highness! So… could you tell me about it?”

Chapter 42: Blushing

The next day, during the preliminary auditions, Xiao Luohan went to the other world through a dream again.

The auditions were held during lunch break. There were about twenty minutes left before they started. When she arrived, the girls were changing clothes in the rehearsal room.

As always, Xiao Luohan appeared beside Jiang Xue. However, this time, she saw Jiang Xue wearing only a bra.

Such undergarments didn’t exist in ancient times. Xiao Luohan hadn’t expected to see this as soon as she arrived, and before she knew it, she had already taken in the young woman’s smooth and toned back.

She felt her face heat up and quickly averted her gaze to the floor before Jiang Xue could turn around.

She didn’t know why she was panicking—other girls in the classroom were also changing like this. There were no screens, and no one seemed bothered, only she felt uncomfortable.

It was truly… improper.

“Huh? You’re here so early?” Jiang Xue quickly noticed her, hurriedly put on her costume, and started pulling on her school pants. “As you can see, we’re still changing into our costumes!”

Xiao Luohan hummed in response and continued staring at the floor.

“You can watch our audition from anywhere you like.” Although the preliminary audition was just a formality and not as important as the actual performance, Jiang Xue still patiently explained. “Choose a seat far away from others in the audience, so you don’t have to keep moving when people come and sit down. You can also watch from backstage, but it’s easy to get bumped into by the other performers…”

She muttered as she changed into her skirt.

Xie Xitong, who was nearby, heard the very soft murmurs and couldn’t help but turn around.

Then she saw the two girls, one talking to herself and the other staring at the floor, not making eye contact.

She almost burst out laughing, finding the situation amusing. She walked over with her costume and deliberately asked, “Is there something dirty on the floor?”

Jiang Xue, who had been chattering, stopped abruptly, glanced at Xiao Luohan, then followed her gaze to the floor. “…There’s nothing there?”

“Look closer,” Xie Xitong said slowly. “She’s been staring at the floor for a long time. Either there’s something dirty, or she has something on her mind.”

This time, Jiang Xue looked directly at Xiao Luohan. She wasn’t so dense as to not understand the implications of her friend’s words.

Then she noticed that Xiao Luohan’s face, usually pale due to her chronic illness and being indoors, was now unnaturally flushed.

Jiang Xue: …

She glared at her friend, quickly tied her sash, and pretending to be oblivious, asked Xiao Luohan, “What’s wrong? Do you have a cold?”

To make her misunderstanding seem more genuine, she deliberately touched Xiao Luohan’s forehead with the back of her hand. “You don’t have a fever… Oh, are you nervous for us?”

Xiao Luohan also felt embarrassed. Since Jiang Xue had provided an excuse, she nodded quickly. “Yes, I’m very nervous. Performing on stage is a very important matter. Even though it’s just a preliminary audition, as long as we pass, we can perform in the actual show.”

She had seen in the diary how lively the New Year’s Eve galas were in Jiang Xue’s first and second years of high school. At the time, Jiang Xue had been a member of the literature club and had organized their performance.

But club performances were a major part of the gala. Usually, every club’s performance had a chance to be performed on stage for all three grades, without needing to worry about being rejected.

Class performances were different. The judging criteria were stricter, and the possibility of being “rejected” was quite high.

However, Xiao Luohan actually had full confidence in them.

The group dance was well-synchronized, and the details had been adjusted according to each individual’s strengths. The most difficult part, the solo dance, because of the powerful reinforcement, had retained the essence of the original video while adding the dancer’s own interpretation.

The meaning of wielding the sword, the support for women walking alone in the world with a sword… that older sister’s adaptation was so meaningful that she felt that if the judges rejected this performance, their judgment would be as poor as her father’s.

As she pondered with a smile, Jiang Xue secretly pinched Xie Xitong and glared at her.

The two had been used to communicating silently with glances and lip reading since they were young, and now was no exception—

“Stop hinting at things in front of the Third Princess!”

“I just think it’s a possibility!”

“Nonsense!”

“Then why is she blushing and not daring to look at you?”

“It’s normal! Ancient women are reserved!”

“A-Xue,” Jiang Mei’s voice suddenly interrupted their silent argument. “It’s almost time. Go backstage and get ready.”

Before Jiang Xue could reply, Xie Xitong raised her hand and replied with a drawn-out “Okay”—this girl never missed an opportunity to talk to her older sister!

There was no need for makeup for the preliminary audition. For the actual performance, they would have to come early in the morning for makeup, and if they were being meticulous, they would even hire a professional makeup artist. Jiang Xue had experienced this in the previous two years and was quite experienced in this aspect.

After the girls left, Jiang Xue put on her winter coat and followed, along with Xiao Luohan.

Jiang Mei also followed, dressed in a striking red outfit, carrying a sword case containing her beloved sword.

“Xiao Luo is here too?” she asked softly.

Compared to Jiang Xue in her bra, Xiao Luohan was even more hesitant to look at her.

She was afraid that if she looked too much, she would choose to “let go,” focusing all her attention on being here, instead of… instead of using this last opportunity to avenge her elder sister.

On her wedding day, she would definitely go to the Eastern Palace. This was Daying’s custom. Whether the Crown Prince was marrying a wife or taking a concubine, the first night had to be spent in the Eastern Palace for good luck.

As for after the wedding night, whether the concubine would reside in the Eastern Palace or remain in her own assigned quarters was a different set of rules.

According to Xiao Luohan’s initial plan, she would only stay in the Eastern Palace until the wedding night, then leave that world completely.

Once she went to the Eastern Palace and did what she needed to do, she would have no other obsessions and would live peacefully by Jiang Xue’s side, doing her best to repay her kindness.

“Yes, she came while I was changing,” she heard Jiang Xue say with a smile. “Even if it’s just a preliminary audition, with such an important audience member, I have to work harder… Achoo!!”

There was no heating in the hallway, and although their costumes were lined with fleece, the wind was still cold.

“Oh, it’s sunny today, and the temperature is high, but the wind is still so cold!” she heard Jiang Xue complain. “We definitely need to use heat packs on the day of the performance. I remember the temperature dropped in the past two years, it was freezing!”

Xiao Luohan recalled the day she was punished by kneeling in the snow.

Because she was sensitive to the cold, she had used the heat patch Jiang Xue sent as soon as she felt cold. Although she had been exposed to the cold, her body hadn’t suffered much damage, thanks in part to the heat patch.

So she said, “Thank you for the heat patch. It was very useful.”

“Don’t mention it!” Jiang Xue laughed. “By the way, how many do you have left? If you’re running low, I’ll buy you more.”

Xiao Luohan thought for a moment. “I probably have enough for three to five days? You gave me a large bag last time.”

The two girls chatted softly.

Jiang Mei watched from the side. Although she couldn’t see or hear Xiao Luohan, she could sense something unusual.

Firstly, their intimacy. Although her younger sister had many friends and a “childhood sweetheart” she had grown up with, she had never treated anyone like this before.

And the two had gone through a lot together, matters concerning Xiao Luohan’s life and death. In her eyes, their relationship was already subtly crossing the line of friendship.

As for when that line would truly be crossed, it depended on how both sides defined their relationship.

Secondly, she noticed that the Third Princess was avoiding her.

This was a more subtle observation, difficult to confirm without careful attention.

Whether the young woman avoided her was secondary; the key was why she was avoiding her.

She had heard Ms. Wei’s concerns that day. Knowing that Xiao Luohan had lost a very important elder sister, Ms. Wei was afraid that she would become fixated on it and not be able to come over.

But there were too few clues now, and it was difficult for Jiang Mei to deduce the reason. And based on her understanding of Xiao Luohan, her younger sister was probably also unaware of the reason for Xiao Luohan “avoiding her.” Otherwise, she would have immediately discussed it with her.

“I need to get A-Xue to pry more information out of her,” Jiang Mei thought.

Many senior year students were already waiting backstage in the auditorium. Dan Yuanyuan, as the arts committee member, received their performance number, submitted the required audio, arranged their seats, and then all they had to do was wait for the judges to arrive and announce the start of the evaluations.

Jiang Xue deliberately chose a seat on the outermost edge, with Xie Xitong beside her. Turning her head, she could see Xiao Luohan and her older sister.

Jiang Mei, as someone from outside the school, dressed in red and carrying a sword case, exuded an aura that kept people at a distance. And since the students participating in the preliminary auditions weren’t enough to fill the entire auditorium, no one would bother sitting in the “empty seat” next to her.

In Jiang Xue’s opinion, this was the best arrangement. No one would disturb Xiao Luohan while she watched the auditions.

But Xiao Luohan was very nervous.

Jiang Xue and the others were huddled together at the front, making final arrangements, such as making sure their positions on stage were correct, discussing the reference points…

She had been listening to their conversation when the person beside her suddenly spoke:

“Although they’re still students, they’ve actually been gradually discovering their strengths and ‘presentable’ academic subjects since their first year of high school. Even special talents and hobbies are taken seriously during this period.”

“After all, the subjects they choose in their second year are related to the universities they’ll likely attend—the highest level of educational institutions here—and their career paths after graduation.”

“But precisely because they’re students, young and inexperienced, the major activities they can participate in during their school years are limited to campus events. Even if they participate in social practice during summer and winter breaks, they can’t truly experience society.”

Xiao Luohan didn’t know much about this, and Jiang Mei’s perspective as a “member of society” was different from Jiang Xue’s as a student, so her attention was immediately captured.

Jiang Mei continued, “So, they come to us for advice. We’re both outsiders and experienced, and although the advice we give might not be suitable for them, it can still serve as a reference, helping them avoid some detours.”

“If one ‘experienced person’ isn’t enough, or if they don’t feel confident, they can ask more people, ask more questions. In short, try to balance their talents, aspirations, preferences, and societal needs.”

She paused, finally getting to the point she truly wanted to make. “Since you’ve already decided to come over, it’s time to make some preliminary plans for your future.”

“A-Xue is very interested in this topic, but unfortunately, she can’t stop talking once she starts, and rarely finds an audience. If you have the opportunity, you can talk to her more about it.”

She used seemingly unrelated topics to indirectly extend a hand to this girl from another world, sincerely hoping, even praying, that she would grasp it soon.

Chapter 41: The Amusement Park

Although she asked, Jiang Xue didn’t really want to go to the Eastern Palace.

She had never met the Crown Prince in person, only heard his voice in the dream where she saved the Third Princess.

His vicious words and tone had disgusted her, almost making her vomit after she woke up.

The most terrifying and disturbing thing was that when she turned towards the voice, she hadn’t seen a human, but a giant hyena drooling!

Even wolves, tigers, and leopards hadn’t frightened her so much, but hyenas fed on carrion and corpses!

She hadn’t known much back then and hadn’t understood why the Crown Prince of Daying appeared as a hyena. Now, hearing that Xiao Luohan’s elder sister’s body was missing, and considering that the red fox appeared to guide her whenever something major happened in the dream, it was hard not to connect the two.

Xiao Luohan didn’t seem to know the truth. So, could it be that the red fox Elder Sister was using the dream to give her a hint?

The more Jiang Xue thought about it, the more her scalp tingled. And since this “trip to the Ministry of War in the dream” had yielded nothing, the only other likely place to investigate was the Eastern Palace. If it weren’t for wanting to respect the Third Princess’s wishes, she would have dragged her into her own dream on the spot!

Moreover, she couldn’t tell the Third Princess about her speculation. Firstly, she had no solid evidence, and secondly, Xiao Luohan cared so much about her elder sister that even a mere speculation would make her overthink.

Before investigating thoroughly, Jiang Xue didn’t want her speculation to upset or harm the Third Princess. She had finally managed to improve her health!

It was better for her to secretly visit the Eastern Palace alone in her next dream, without letting the Third Princess know.

“Let’s not go,” Xiao Luohan’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t want to hear that dog of a Crown Prince’s comments about my elder sister.”

Jiang Xue was relieved, then felt guilty, and quickly took Xiao Luohan’s hand. “Then let’s find another place to stay. We’ll investigate next time!”

As she left the Ministry of War with Jiang Xue, Xiao Luohan thought about the words the Crown Prince had seemingly casually uttered when she first arrived in Daying:

—”If Beiliao’s eldest princess, Xiao Linghan, hadn’t died in battle, I might have been interested in taking her as a concubine.”

Her most cherished elder sister, who had made outstanding contributions to Beiliao, so free-spirited and valiant, had become a mere object for men to choose from in that vile mouth!

She had never heard anyone insult her elder sister like that. Rage instantly consumed her, but precisely because she had never experienced such an insult, by the time she could finally speak, the Crown Prince had already left.

But after calming down, she realized there was another meaning to the Crown Prince’s casual words.

…That’s why she wasn’t going to the Eastern Palace for now.

Even if she uncovered the truth through “ghostly powers,” even if she found her elder sister’s body in the Eastern Palace, she had no way to retrieve it, give it a proper burial, and cremate it—her elder sister had half-jokingly, half-seriously said that if she died in battle one day, she absolutely didn’t want to be “buried in peace.”

Her elder sister had also said that being buried would only allow her flesh and bones to be consumed day by day, a terrifying thought. It was better to be cremated.

Xiao Luohan suddenly felt that the rage that had consumed her that day hadn’t actually been extinguished.

It was just deeply hidden. Due to her illness and her status as a woman, there was so little she could do alone, so she had to suppress her hatred and bury it deep in her heart.

But under Jiang Xue’s care, she had gotten her period, started exercising diligently, her health was improving day by day, and she even had a powerful stun gun hidden on the bookshelf. The buried resentment began to surface.

The thought of avenging her elder sister made Xiao Luohan’s breath hitch.

She understood once again why Ms. Wei had advised her to “let go of what you should let go of,” not to be bound by obsession.

Once certain thoughts took root, they would entangle her, and letting go wouldn’t be so easy.

But, whether directly or indirectly, her elder sister had indeed died at the hands of the Crown Prince of Daying.

She and that dog of a Crown Prince were sworn enemies.

As she left her dream, Xiao Luohan silently nurtured the sprout that had emerged in her heart.

But… should she tell Jiang Xue about this?

She instinctively looked ahead.

The young woman was still wearing the summer school uniform from the first few dreams, her high ponytail swaying gently in the wind, revealing her fair and slender neck.

Like an energetic deer, a playful cat, bravely venturing into even the darkest places, pulling her out into the open.

Xiao Luohan hoped she would never know the hatred in her heart.

That hatred was stained with blood, dirty and ominous. It was enough for her to bear it alone.

Jiang Xue eventually pulled Xiao Luohan into her own dream.

They arrived at an amusement park. As soon as they entered, they saw a performer in a pink squirrel costume handing out balloons to children.

“…Where is this?” Xiao Luohan looked around, dazed.

It was so lively, but not the bustling atmosphere of a market.

Whether they were children, students their age, or adults with children, everyone here had a smile on their face.

“An amusement park.” Jiang Xue didn’t know why she wanted to bring her here, but she felt it was the most suitable place to relax. “I used to come here often before high school. After starting high school, my studies became more intense, and I got older, so I felt embarrassed to ask Mom and Mom and my sister to bring me here.”

She paused. “But A-Xi really likes this place. When we’re on winter break, the three of us will come here together. A-Xi can see you anyway.”

So, she had included her in her near-future plans.

Even though she felt this was probably a spur-of-the-moment decision, Xiao Luohan still followed this train of thought, her gaze towards Jiang Xue filled with complex emotions.

“Then I want to see Xixi,” she said.

“Sure,” Jiang Xue smiled. “It’s not afraid of crowds, but if it comes, we won’t be able to all go on the same rides—someone has to watch Xixi. Since others can’t see you, either A-Xi or I will have to stay behind.”

She pulled Xiao Luohan and quickly floated to the Ferris wheel. “Look, this is the Ferris wheel. It has four seats per car and allows pets, so we can all go together.”

Since this was a dream, with a thought, the scene changed, and they were in front of a carousel.

“The carousel is single-seat, so we can’t bring pets, but A-Xi loves riding it, she’s loved it since she was little, and she always rides it whenever we come here…”

Jiang Xue suddenly stopped, then laughed. “I know!”

“What did you think of?” Xiao Luohan asked curiously.

“My sister doesn’t like these childish rides, but if A-Xi and I both want her to come, as long as she’s free, she definitely won’t refuse.” Jiang Xue smiled triumphantly. “But afterwards, we’ll have to take her to the racetrack… but that’s not important. What’s important is that someone can watch Xixi!”

Xiao Luohan hadn’t expected her to say this. Even though she admired that older sister, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “I-Is that okay?”

“Of course, it’s just sisters and neighbors relaxing together!” Jiang Xue shook her head. “Then it’s settled! Don’t worry, my sister will still have time off during winter break. It’s a legal holiday~”

Xiao Luohan was tempted, but she couldn’t bear to let that older sister and the large white cat wait outside the rides alone, watching them have fun. She opened her mouth and couldn’t help but ask, “Then… just the two of us?”

Jiang Xue was still imagining the scene and thought she had misheard, staring at her blankly.

Xiao Luohan felt like she had misspoken. Jiang Xue and Xie Xitong were childhood friends and neighbors. No matter what, their friendship came first.

What was she to Jiang Xue? A benefactor and someone repaying kindness?

Or… although they hadn’t known each other for long, they had unknowingly formed a mysterious bond. Pen pals?

Or perhaps they could be considered classmates? The knowledge she was currently learning came from the textbooks Jiang Xue had carefully chosen and sent, and Jiang Xue was also learning the same things…

“Sure, as long as you don’t think it’s strange,” Jiang Xue replied, deliberately emphasizing the word “strange.”

To be honest, she had been startled by the Third Princess’s words. If it weren’t for the fact that the Third Princess was from ancient times, she would have even thought it was a test to see if she was interested in dating.

After all, this was an era where same-sex marriage was legal. Although they were both still young, they would soon be adults, and she herself was in a confused “mental adolescence,” so it was hard not to overthink.

She saw the puzzled look on the Third Princess’s face. “Shouldn’t it be you who doesn’t think it’s strange? Others can’t see me. If A-Xi doesn’t come, only you can see me. But when we talk and interact, in other people’s eyes, it’s just you talking to the air.”

Right, it was indeed her mind that was filled with inappropriate thoughts. The Third Princess’s mind was pure and innocent, she hadn’t thought of it that way at all! She probably just felt more comfortable being alone with her.

Jiang Xue was relieved again, then felt a pang of disappointment.

But she didn’t understand where the disappointment came from, only focusing on answering the Third Princess seriously: “I’m fine! People who come to amusement parks are usually childlike at heart, and even if they’re not, they’re respectful of others.”

“I’m just talking to the air, holding hands with the air. If anyone asks, I’ll just say ‘I’m interacting with my imaginary friend.’ It’s not bothering anyone, so why would they think I’m strange?” she said confidently. “There was a popular saying online a few years ago, ‘If I’m not embarrassed, then it’s everyone else who’s embarrassed’!”

Since she didn’t mind, Xiao Luohan had nothing to worry about and nodded with a smile. “Then it’s settled.”

“A verbal promise isn’t enough!” Jiang Xue extended her pinky finger. “Pinky swear?”

Their pinky fingers intertwined. The tingling sensation, like an electric current, spread through Jiang Xue’s heart again.

But this time, she didn’t pay attention to it. She was thinking about whether this small promise could further strengthen the Third Princess’s resolve to come over.

This way, perhaps she could cross over before winter break.

—”That kind of place… every extra day is another day of danger!”

Jiang Mommy’s words that day, spoken with a serious expression, were like a thorn in Jiang Xue’s heart.

But she knew even better that for the Third Princess, the reality she was facing was like a sword of Damocles, hanging over her head, threatening to fall and destroy everything at any moment.

“Is the preliminary audition for the performance tomorrow?”

Just then, she heard Xiao Luohan ask.

“Yes, but since we’re seniors, our turn is first, so it should be over quickly.” Thinking of this, Jiang Xue sighed. “It feels like just a formality, just a run-through and then the evaluation, like a rehearsal. There’s nothing much to see. It’s better to wait for the actual performance…”

“But Teacher Ai, who’s in charge of the arts activities, will be filming the whole thing. If you can’t come tomorrow at noon, I’ll just show you the video~”

Chapter 40: Holding Hands

After hearing Jiang Xue’s words, Xiao Luohan couldn’t help but recall Ms. Wei’s advice from that day.

—”Not every obsession has a resolution. Let go of what you should let go of. Staying alive is more important than anything else.”

“Elder Sister wants me to let it go,” she said, drawing a fox in the diary. “When Mother sent me away from Beiliao, she also repeatedly told me to forget her completely.”

“But how can I forget?”

One was her birth mother, who had raised her through hardships, and the other was her most important playmate, confidante, and older sister, who had watched her grow up.

“The more they want me to forget, the more they want me not to care, the more I can’t let go.”

“I understand,” Jiang Xue nodded empathetically. “Don’t blame yourself for this. They have their wishes, and you have your persistence. As long as you’re sure you can bear the weight of the truth, I think it’s better to find out.”

She turned her head and looked at the empty space. “But to investigate safely, we need to get out of here.”

Actually, Jiang Xue had another guess.

Dreams stemmed from the heart. This “connection” between them was probably based on an invisible “affection level” and their mutual desires.

Just like with the previous one-sided interactions, she still believed the problem was on Xiao Luohan’s side—perhaps the red fox Elder Sister didn’t want to keep them from the truth, but Xiao Luohan’s subconscious was avoiding facing it.

This wasn’t surprising. If she were in Xiao Luohan’s shoes, and found out that her elder sister’s body had been desecrated after death, even if she was mentally prepared, she would still break down.

She jumped off the table and took Xiao Luohan’s wrist. “Come on, let’s look around.”

Xiao Luohan obediently let her lead, carefully tucking the diary into her arms before leaving.

Although they said “walk,” they both tacitly floated, avoiding the heavy, leaden feeling in their feet.

“If this place is a replica of Wangmei Pavilion, I remember the door should be…”

Jiang Xue chose a direction and was about to float over when she saw Xiao Luohan move forward first. “Here.”

The place she chose was a blank space, a blinding white that almost blended with the floor, somewhat frightening.

But Jiang Xue had watched many puzzle-solving, infinite-flow anime and wasn’t afraid of this kind of environment. Trusting Xiao Luohan, she followed wherever she floated.

Without the red fox to guide them, the two floated hand in hand into the pure white area, moving forward.

She didn’t know if they had passed through a “door,” but since they hadn’t hit any walls, it meant this path was clear.

“Straight ahead?”

After floating for a while, Xiao Luohan suddenly asked.

“If you still remember the way outside Wangmei Pavilion, we can change direction,” Jiang Xue replied.

Xiao Luohan nodded, then hesitated.

“…East is the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace, west is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and southeast is the Imperial Hospital,” she said. “That’s all I know.”

“Where do you want to go?” Jiang Xue asked. “To investigate your elder sister’s matter, we need to go to the Eastern Palace and the Ministry of War, right? But the Ministry of War is probably outside the city… Based on the history I’ve learned, the Ministry of War is located here.”

This was a dream. With a thought, a pen appeared in her hand, and she drew a map in the air.

With her knowledge, drawing the main areas inside and outside the imperial city and marking their purposes wasn’t difficult.

“Elder Sister told me about the location of Beiliao’s Ministry of War, and it’s exactly as you’ve drawn,” Xiao Luohan said. “I’m not sure about Daying’s situation, but Elder Sister also said that this layout has been passed down for thousands of years. In your world’s terms, it’s a ‘fixed format’ that’s unlikely to change.”

She bypassed the map in the air and floated towards the location of the Ministry of War.

But even if the “fixed format” was roughly the same, the palace paths were winding, and with nothing but white all around, they quickly lost their way.

Jiang Xue stopped first. “This won’t work. Even if there are no roads, with everything being white, there’s no point of reference!”

Xiao Luohan thought for a moment and tentatively reached out. A brush, dipped in thick ink, appeared in her hand.

She flicked the brush towards the ground, and the splattered ink trailed across the floor, but the end stopped abruptly, presumably hitting a wall or obstacle.

Jiang Xue was amused and also reached out, but she produced a large bucket of colorful paint.

She still remembered that the Third Princess was interested in rainbows.

“Yours isn’t enough, watch mine!” she said, then shouted and threw the paint with all her might.

The colorful paint spread across the floor, forming a rainbow path that stretched forward.

Unexpectedly, a miracle happened.

Like in those real estate advertisement animations, tall buildings rose from the ground… well, not that exaggerated, but the city walls and buildings were indeed so tall that they had to crane their necks to see the tops.

Jiang Xue looked up and saw guards stationed on the city walls. Then she looked down, scanning her surroundings. A stone paved road stretched out clearly from beneath her feet.

She immediately understood that her guess was correct. Everything here would change according to Xiao Luohan’s will, but this “will” might be something more abstract, and most likely related to Xiao Luohan’s emotions.

And what she had to do was offer encouragement. Just like now, she had brought a bright and brilliant rainbow to the Third Princess, and the Third Princess, following the rainbow, had woven the path she remembered from entering the Daying Imperial Palace.

It was like a fairytale, but fortunately, it was just as simple.

“When I entered Daying, the carriage took this road,” Xiao Luohan explained softly. “It was a wide road at first, then it narrowed, and the scenery became more and more desolate.”

Before Jiang Xue could reply, she continued, “But I was already used to it, so I didn’t think there was anything wrong… Besides, Beiliao was defeated, and I was offered as a tribute to Daying. Even if I was offered to the Crown Prince, I wasn’t worthy of the position of primary consort, so naturally, I couldn’t take the path meant for the primary consort.”

Jiang Xue opened her mouth, and even though she knew she couldn’t continue the topic, she still emphasized, “You’re not a tribute!”

She saw Xiao Luohan smile faintly.

“Of course I’m not a tribute. I’m an independent person.” The Third Princess raised her voice slightly. “I don’t want to take the path of the primary consort. I’ll just walk my own path.”

She was a dying person anyway. Even if she hadn’t met Jiang Xue, when she felt her time was near, she would calmly walk towards her end.

As for what would happen if the Crown Prince of Daying lost his newly acquired concubine, whether Beiliao would be “justifiably” attacked by Daying because of this, it didn’t really matter to her.

As soon as she finished speaking, a carriage suddenly appeared beside them.

The driver was dressed in red, her face obscured, but Jiang Xue felt she resembled the woman in ancient costume depicted on the MP3 player, dressed in red with a golden hairpin, sitting there casually and freely.

“Get in.”

But her voice was Sister Cheng’s, without the usual respect, calm, composed, and straightforward.

Xiao Luohan pulled Jiang Xue onto the carriage.

After entering the carriage, Jiang Xue sat down and couldn’t help but look around.

The patterns on the curtains and the carvings on the walls were too clear, so clear that she felt a pang of sympathy for the Third Princess.

On the long journey from Beiliao to Daying, the Third Princess must have suffered. Inside the carriage, she must have been so bored that she could only pass the time by observing these patterns and carvings.

But Xiao Luohan didn’t want to talk about this, and Jiang Xue wouldn’t ask, only piecing together a rough picture from these small details.

The red-clad “Sister Cheng” drove the carriage. It was slow at first, but after reaching the main road, the clip-clop of hooves echoed.

“We can leave the palace through this road,” Xiao Luohan said, a helpless expression on her face. “If only Shizhu could leave the palace so easily outside the dream…”

“Hidden among the outgoing goods?” Jiang Xue blurted out, but quickly dismissed the idea. “No, ordinary goods are inspected at the gate, and valuable goods wouldn’t allow her to hide inside! And Shizhu isn’t young. If she’s a little slow and gets discovered, the punishment could be fatal!”

She thought carefully again. “First, we have to avoid the dog of a Crown Prince’s surveillance, and then the guards…”

At this point, Jiang Xue couldn’t continue.

The two started brainstorming on the way out of the city, but both were young and inexperienced. Even if they had ideas, after voicing them, they realized they were unrealistic and had to start over.

At some point, the carriage slowed down and came to a stop.

“We’re here. The Ministry of War is on the left,” the red-clad Sister Cheng’s voice came from outside.

Jiang Xue, closer to the door where the cold air was leaking in, jumped out first. After steadying herself, she extended a hand to Xiao Luohan, who was peeking out.

As she firmly grasped the slender hand, Jiang Xue felt a jolt, like an electric current, making her tingle all over.

To distract herself and get down to business, she quickly looked at the red-clad Sister Cheng. “Can we really go in?”

The red-clad Sister Cheng transformed into a red plum blossom with golden stamens and flew away.

Seeing the shape of the red flower, Jiang Xue thought, “It’s settled.”

The red fox Elder Sister was also guiding them in the dream today, just in a different form that wouldn’t make the Third Princess distraught.

She looked at Xiao Luohan again.

The Third Princess was standing quietly beside her, her gaze fixed on the plaque of the Ministry of War, her hand trembling slightly in Jiang Xue’s grasp, cold to the touch.

Jiang Xue couldn’t help but take her other hand and warm both in her own.

“I’m here with you!” she said, warming Xiao Luohan’s hands and making a promise. “No matter what’s inside, I’m here.”

Xiao Luohan paused, then nodded firmly.

“Shall we inquire about the situation first, or look around the rooms?” Jiang Xue asked. “Like the room where war records are kept, the mortuary…”

However, Xiao Luohan couldn’t decide either. After some thought, she replied, “Let’s explore the rooms and listen to what the officials and servants are saying.”

Unlike what Jiang Xue had imagined, the Ministry of War, like other buildings, was well-lit during the day, and the officials of various ranks were hurrying about, with almost no idle chatter.

So the first plan failed, and they started searching for clues in each room.

They couldn’t find the room where war records were kept, but they did find the mortuary.

But after venturing inside, they found that there were only male corpses, no bodies resembling the Broken Plum Blossom Princess.

The two floated out again and found a crowded place to stay.

“Nothing at all! But the carriage brought us to the Ministry of War…” Jiang Xue muttered, still thinking about the red fox Elder Sister who had transformed into a flower and flown away.

Xiao Luohan was also lost in thought.

“But when solving problems, we can also find the correct answer by eliminating the wrong ones,” Jiang Xue continued. “Since it’s not the Ministry of War, then the only place left is the Eastern Palace, where the dog of a Crown Prince resides, right?”

“What do you think? Should we go and take a look now?”