“Even if I have to take her by force, I’ll take her away.”
“And then have her hate you for the rest of her life?”
Meng Qing gritted his teeth: “What else can I do? Watch her get arrested and sentenced? What if they sentence her to death?”
“The bureau’s tribunal has never sentenced anyone to death. The most severe case was lifelong exile.”
“Yes, plus a frontal lobotomy.”
Lin Bai fell silent. Losing the memories about her meant his life was no longer complete. During these nights, he often suffered from insomnia, feeling extremely empty. When he saw her for the first time last night, he finally felt alive again.
No matter if this was love or something else, he only knew he couldn’t lose her again.
Lin Bai sighed. Over the years, he knew that although Meng Qing usually appeared lazy and indifferent, once he was stubborn about something or someone, no one could change his mind.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invested so much time and effort to gain this guy’s trust.
Fate is so strange. Eventually, he and Meng Qing became close friends. This time, whatever Meng Qing had truly decided to do, he would support him to the end. Thinking of this, Lin Bai’s mouth curved into a helpless smile: “Alright, I’ll take you there.”
“Good, take me to the second day after Zou Chengxiang’s grandson’s full moon celebration.”
—
Yu Yi sat in the octagonal pavilion, staring blankly at the jade dragonfly in her hand.
Last night, after washing up and returning to her bedroom with half-dried hair, she saw the jade dragonfly on the table. At first, she thought he was in her room. The first thing she did was not to scream or run away, but to turn and close the bedroom door, leaving Spring Swallow and Moon Peach outside.
When she turned back, she realized the room was actually empty, with only herself inside. She went to the window and looked outside, confirming he wasn’t nearby, and understood that he had quietly come to leave this jade dragonfly as a farewell.
He probably wasn’t from Longdu. Although she had participated in various social banquets and gatherings of noble women in the past two years, many high-profile marriages were discussed during these gatherings. These events were enough for a young lady like her to understand the social networks of the capital.
Indeed, when she pressed the second wing of the dragonfly, she didn’t hear his original recording. There were only two short words: “Goodbye.” She tried to turn the dragonfly’s tail and found that all the pictures were gone.
That night, her thoughts were turbulent, and she barely slept. In the morning, she didn’t want to do anything. When Spring Swallow suggested she go out for a walk, she found herself in this pavilion.
She sent Spring Swallow and Moon Peach away and repeatedly listened to the recording by pressing the dragonfly’s wings.
“Goodbye.” These two words were spoken in a low, sad tone. Yu Yi thought he must have realized she wasn’t his wife and therefore left. But why did he leave this jade dragonfly for her? From what he said that day, his wife seemed to be deceased. Perhaps he didn’t want to be reminded of her and gave the dragonfly to Yu Yi.
She looked at the dragonfly angrily. He could just leave, so why leave this behind? It prevented her from forgetting him and made her constantly think about what happened between him and his wife.
Just as she was conflicted about whether to throw away the dragonfly, she heard him softly call her name: “Yu Yi.”
She looked up and saw him standing next to the cherry tree outside the pavilion, only a dozen feet away. Had he seen her entire moment of playing with the dragonfly and repeatedly listening to his message?
Yu Yi felt embarrassed, and her heart suddenly beat faster.
She looked towards Spring Swallow and Moon Peach and saw they hadn’t noticed his appearance. Feeling slightly relieved, she whispered: “Master Meng, be careful not to be discovered by the guards. Trespassing in a marquis’s residence is a serious crime, especially for a commoner…”
He interrupted her: “Don’t speak. I’m here to warn you of danger.”
Yu Yi looked at him in surprise, waiting for him to continue.
Meng Qing continued: “The first time I met you, I told you that you changed your past, and therefore changed your future destiny. The you from before disappeared, leaving only the current you. You might not understand these words now, and I don’t have time to explain in detail. Basically, because you changed the past, the Spacetime Management Bureau will come to arrest you. They will send people today. I can help you avoid them.” He spoke while walking closer and extending his hand.
Yu Yi stepped back, avoiding his hand: “Master Meng, I cannot just go with you like this. My parents would worry and be heartbroken. If you truly… truly have intentions, you should first propose marriage…” She didn’t understand the first half of his words, but she knew he wanted her to leave with him, which would be elopement. She absolutely could not do such a thing.
Meng Qing was anxious but could only lower his voice to avoid being noticed by the maids: “I’m not here to propose.”
Don’t you understand? They will come to take you away.”
Yu Yi didn’t believe him and raised an eyebrow: “Who is coming to arrest me?” If he thought he could scare her into obediently following him, he was mistaken.
Meng Qing saw that she indeed didn’t believe him. As he spoke, he had already walked to the edge of the pavilion. He raised his right hand and sprayed a hypnotic mist towards Yu Yi.
Yu Yi did not smell anything, but she suddenly felt her consciousness becoming blurry, her eyes involuntarily closing, and her body softly sitting down. Meng Qing leaped into the pavilion and caught her before she fell.
The maids saw that something was wrong and cried out in alarm: “Miss!” “Someone, there are bad people!”
Chapter 159 The Changed Present (1)
After carrying Yu Yi and running dozens of meters, Meng Qing called Lin Bai. Lin Bai immediately transferred them, passing through several time and space, and finally arriving at an unfamiliar place.
Meng Qing discovered they were standing on a grassland, with grass leaves different from Earth, presenting a deep blue color. The sky overhead was light purple, with a small grove not far away, its branches and leaves also blue, but darker than the grass.
While looking around, Lin Bai had already transmitted the planet’s data to him. This place was uninhabited within a hundred miles, just a wilderness.
Meng Qing pulled the corner of his mouth: “Lin Bai, have you been playing too many planet invasion games recently? How did you send us to such a strange place?”
Lin Bai found it strange: “Didn’t you say you wanted to find a quiet place where special police wouldn’t easily find, and Yu Yi couldn’t run away?”
Meng Qing growled low: “But this place is too bizarre. Didn’t you consider her adaptability as an ancient person?”
“She could become an executor precisely because she can adapt to such sudden and subversive changes. Don’t worry too much,” Lin Bai said.
Meng Qing was helpless: “But I’m the one responsible for explaining!” Though complaining, he knew that Lin Bai finding a time-space realm not easily discovered by the bureau’s special police was not simple.
He looked at Yu Yi, who was unconscious in his arms. She was only fourteen, still showing early beauty, with a girlish softness on her face. Under the effect of the hypnotic spray, she slept sweetly.
He gently laid her on the deep blue grass. The grass was extremely fine, soft as silk, thick and dense. He looked at her for a while.
To say he felt absolutely nothing while facing a beautiful sleeping girl would be hypocritical, but now was not the right time to kiss her.
“Stop, she’s only fourteen years old, you beast!” Lin Bai suddenly shouted.
