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~”
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