When I saw Yan’er again, she was beside Cang Lian. I was heartbroken. Hadn’t she once said she would never love a man like Cang Lian, just as she would never love me in her past life? My jealousy blinded me, and I coldly didn’t even look at her. Even though I felt her continuously looking at me, I ignored her.
Until she was given to Wei Luo by Cang Lian, I never spoke a word. If I had spoken to stop it then, I think Yan’er would not have experienced what came after. But my eyes were clouded by jealousy.
At the moment Cang Lian gave her to Wei Luo, I saw Cang Lian’s moved expression and the deep affection in his eyes. I knew that despite Cang Lian’s cold treatment of Yan’er, their once deep love would not simply disappear.
Cang Lian was special to Yan’er, even though he tried hard to appear indifferent.
She was given to Wei Luo by Cang Lian, that man with an even greater ambition than Cang Lian. I knew Wei Luo’s scheming, his depth, his unwillingness, but I did not stop Yan’er from stepping into hell.
When they sent her off, I was behind them. At the moment of sending her away, I regretted my jealousy, regretted why my heart was so narrow.
Whether due to my guilt and heartache, or my private desire to prevent her from meeting Cang Lian, I sent her back to modern times. I didn’t want her to have any connection with Cang Lian.
But I had already disrupted the space-time continuum. Even if I wanted to send Yan’er back, it was now impossible. Within just a few days, Yan’er again arrived at the borders of Cang’s country because of that floating elegant jade.
The next day, just as Wei Luo said, he truly brought me to meet his mother. When I stepped into the imperial palace again, I had feelings in my heart that I couldn’t even explain to myself.
This luxurious and magnificent place, originally a place many people yearned for, was now my nightmare – a place that had imprisoned me for hundreds of years, more terrifying than a prison.
Actually, the moment I entered the palace, I hoped in my heart to meet Water Zi Yi, hoping to quickly clarify the relationship between us and then leave this place.
Wei Luo intimately embraced me, walking towards the place that had once confined me.
I never imagined that Wei Luo’s mother lived right next to my small house. That day was not a coincidence; Wei Luo was going to see his mother, which is why he encountered me.
I was surprised when I met Wei Luo’s mother. She was truly beautiful, almost frightening.
Wei Luo must be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but his mother showed no sign of aging and stood beside us like our sister.
When she first saw me, she was not as composed as I had imagined. She stared at my face in astonishment, murmuring, “So similar, so similar! It’s like that girl is standing right in front of me.” The smile on her face disappeared the moment she saw me, and she stared intently at my face, repeatedly saying the same sentence.
I gave her a faint smile: “Madam, Hui’er is my sister!” I glanced awkwardly at Wei Luo.
But when I turned to look at Weilo, he was looking at me with the same strange eyes as his mother. Their expressions were indescribably odd – a mix of joy, guilt, reluctance… filled with many emotions. Looking at their strange expressions, even with my years of studying psychology, I couldn’t completely guess their thoughts.
I forced a smile, looking embarrassed: “Why are you all looking at me like this!” My words finally brought them back to their senses. They quickly exchanged glances and recovered from their previous state.
Weilo’s mother beckoned to me kindly: “Your name is Yan’er, right? Come sit next to me!” She said with a full smile. If I hadn’t seen her previous expression, I would have thought her very warm. But her and Weilo’s previous expressions made me wary of them.
I carefully approached her, still wearing a forced smile. I sat down in a position slightly farther from her.
“You silly girl, why sit so far? Are you afraid of me? Do I have a face that looks like I’ll eat you?” She laughed lightly, seeing my cautious demeanor. Her slender hand affectionately stroked my fingers.
I could only sit closer to her, allowing her smooth hand to caress my fingers.
I did not pay attention to the reluctance on Weilo’s face, nor did I look at the smugness on Weilo’s mother’s face.
I just glanced out the window at the swaying branches and smiled lightly.
“Godmother, Yan’er is hungry!” I turned and smiled at the woman who looked not much older than myself.
“Of course! I’ll have food served immediately!” She doted on me, stroking my hand with a benevolent expression, her beautiful face showing no trace of malice.
During the meal, I quietly ate the vegetarian dishes she prepared for me. They were delicate and beautiful, but I found them increasingly unappetizing, and my previously hungry stomach lost all appetite the moment I saw the dishes.
“Godmother, I heard Cang Kingdom has a very famous national teacher!” I asked casually, innocently serving her food while wearing a curious expression.
Hearing my words, her smiling face momentarily wavered but quickly returned to normal. She answered in a calm tone: “Yes! Cang Kingdom has an extremely renowned national teacher, reportedly with extraordinary abilities.”
Her words clearly did not satisfy my curiosity. I wanted to ask more but felt that pursuing it would seem too deliberate.
Just as I was hesitating whether to continue asking, she interrupted me: “Yan’er, Mother is very lonely here. From today, come into the palace and keep me company.” Her words were like scalding oil poured on my heart.
This terrifying woman actually wanted to imprison me again in this horrible place and deprive me of my freedom.
I looked up at Weilo’s expressionless face. I had originally thought he was an angel who would rescue me from hell, but now I realized he was just a demon hiding black wings.
“If Godmother wishes Yan’er to accompany her, of course Yan’er is willing!” I forced a smile, though the expression was probably uglier than crying.
I desperately told myself that returning here was originally my plan, that I was meant to enter the palace and uncover my relationship with Shui Zizhou. Things were developing exactly as I had hoped. Yet the more I tried to convince myself, the more unwilling my heart became. Coming here, my life had always been manipulated, my thoughts always stripped away. I was truly unwilling.
“As long as you don’t find this old woman boring, I’m glad you’re willing,” she said, her smile becoming even more radiant. Her slender, apricot-red fingertips stroked the back of my hand, making my hair stand on end.
Weilo’s face had remained calm from the beginning, occasionally showing a hint of reluctance, but never contradicting his mother, only acquiescing.
I supposed this was what he meant when he said I shouldn’t regret returning.
“Yan’er, come! Mother will show you your bedroom!” She lovingly held my hand, as if the room prepared for me had long been ready.
I obediently let her lead me inside.
I began my monotonous palace life, as if everything had returned to the starting point, to the days before I met Weilo.
I couldn’t guess why Weilo’s mother, the Imperial Consort Yu, kept me by her side, but I knew that every move I made was now in her control. My current life was even more restrictive than when Cang Lian had confined me in a small house – at least then, I wasn’t being watched. Now, I could feel eyes watching me even while eating.
He did not pay attention to me, just quietly looking at my face, as if he could not look enough.
I also did not speak again, just letting him look at me. Although I had many doubts in my heart, many questions I wanted to ask, I knew that asking him would be futile, and some answers still needed to be found by myself.
