With this thought, Yan Huirou finally got up, began to eat and drink, and rekindled the desire to continue living.
What happened later could already be anticipated. She was now all alone and no longer feared life or death, so she applied for a position at the Inter-world Human Data Research Center and became an internal staff member. After much circling, she finally, from behind a cold screen, saw the creation she had poured her heart and soul into.
Only a screen separated them, yet Jiang Xidai’s joys and sorrows were so real. Yan Huirou watched for a long time, watching over and over again. In the playback footage, when the young Jiang Xidai was dragged down from the main hall by order of the Lingshan Sect Master, the little girl raised her eyes, her expression shattered, and looked out towards the screen. This was a rare moment of eye contact between them. She seemed to be looking at Yan Huirou, as if asking for help.
Yan Huirou stood outside the screen, quietly, not uttering a single word. Ordinary words were pale; even searching through a dictionary couldn’t describe her self-blame. I’m sorry… She hadn’t known that the existing technology had reached the point of characters awakening their own personalities. Nor did she know what the Transmigration Bureau was for. In her utter ignorance, she had shaped Jiang Xidai and pushed her into the abyss.
I’m sorry… that I allowed you to exist, and then caused you such immense suffering, suffering just like my own, tormenting you in a living hell. I’m sorry, Jiang Xidai.
Yan Huirou might slowly emerge from the gloom, but Jiang Xidai could not. Her entire life had been tragically outlined by a few sentences, and every tear she shed for her tumultuous fate seemed to proclaim Yan Huirou’s guilt.
In her overwhelming heartache, Yan Huirou clearly realized—this was the sin she had personally created; she had to find a way to save her.
Thus, Yan Huirou committed suicide at the age of twenty-three. Before her suicide, she specifically altered the system code to prevent external tracking; Chen Cha’an, who had always been familiar with her bond with Jiang Xidai, likely guessed her intentions and, when activating the backup plan, reluctantly sent her to this world. For this reunion in an alternate world, she had worked hard, understood the rules, and planned everything from the age of twenty until now.
Within the Qingxu Sect’s cave prison, after ninety-nine emergency restarts—Yan Huirou heard the booming thunder outside. Finally, a sword broke through the heavens, and a crimson-clad beauty arrived, holding an umbrella, her demeanor graceful. This was exactly as she had imagined when she wrote her.
The only pity was. At that time, Yan Huirou no longer remembered her.
“Yan Yan?”
When Jiang Xidai woke up that day, she couldn’t wake Yan Huirou no matter what. She checked Yan Huirou’s meridians and found no unusual conditions. But she just wouldn’t wake up.
The Shasheng Sect was in chaos; everyone above and below felt insecure. Jiang Xidai even ordered people to capture several renowned physicians, but they couldn’t find anything amiss either.
Just as she was at a loss, Yan Huirou’s eyelashes gently trembled. Jiang Xidai frowned, hugged her, and called out again, “Don’t sleep anymore, Yan Yan… what’s wrong with you?”
Yan Huirou trembled all over again, suddenly raising her eyes. Jiang Xidai finally breathed a sigh of relief, embracing her intimately. “You’re finally awake.”
“Jiao Jiao…” Yan Huirou whispered, “Let go, I can’t breathe.”
“You again—”
Taking advantage of Jiang Xidai’s shyness, Yan Huirou lifted her head from her embrace. “Hmm? Sect Master is blushing?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, then suddenly shot her a glance. “What’s been wrong with you these past few days? Always fainting, making me quite worried.”
“It might be my bloodline awakening, and I’m still a little unaccustomed,” Yan Huirou gently replied.
The proud expression on the woman’s face immediately dissipated. She stared at Yan Huirou intently, even pressing the back of her hand against Yan Huirou’s forehead, frowning. “Then… are you still uncomfortable now?”
“No, I’m fine now, don’t worry.” Yan Huirou actively pressed her hand against Jiang Xidai’s, then smiled and hugged Jiang Xidai. “It shouldn’t be like this anymore.”
At the sudden embrace, Jiang Xidai was already quite used to her closeness. She relaxed her body in the hug and gave a soft “mm.” Yan Huirou’s chin rested on her shoulder. Only at this moment could Jiang Xidai not see her expression.
In the obscure shadow, Yan Huirou’s smile faded, turning into a worried frown. She involuntarily crumpled the fabric at Jiang Xidai’s waist.
In this situation, what should she do? If she were merely here to compensate her, she could quietly do good deeds and then leave, or state her intentions from the beginning, allowing Jiang Xidai’s revenge to be a form of atonement.
But now… she… she and Jiang Xidai…
What should she do?
Jiang Xidai already trusted her wholeheartedly. The two of them had even rolled into the same bed, and had exchanged vows just a few days ago. How could everything easily turn back? And at this moment—to make Yan Huirou herself say: Your tragic first half of life was all because of me. No one in this world loves you, also because of me. Then I came, and I came to love you. Because of this tiny bit of compensation, you had to endure so much suffering.
After personally witnessing Jiang Xidai’s bloodied first half of life, what right did she have to say such a thing to Jiang Xidai? What justified her doing so? Yan Huirou finally understood now why her previous fear existed… but she wasn’t afraid that Sect Master Jiang would actually dig out her heart. She just didn’t want to see her cry ever again.
…
After a sizzling static sound in her mind, the worried female voice said: How do you feel? Yan Huirou, now that you know the backstory, you… it’s best to stay away from Jiang Xidai. Chen Cha’an was very worried that the obsessive villain would be driven insane by this and would imprison and abuse Yan Huirou for revenge. Her mind unethically floated through tens of thousands of words of forced romance scenarios, and she subtly trembled. Although you gave her the possibility of existence, she might not be grateful to you, her ‘birth mother,’ truly.
“I know she won’t be grateful to me.”
I suggest you consider coming back soon.
Yan Huirou closed her eyes, then reopened them. “Cha’an, if I just leave like this, what about her? She’s just started to get better.”
Chen Cha’an: If you come back, we will stop running this project. She won’t feel pain, after all, she’ll be unaware of what happens next…
“You said I have fifty years.” Yan Huirou sighed inwardly.
Chen Cha’an said alertly, Don’t misunderstand; once fifty years are up, your physical body will die, the bureau will deem you to have lost rescue value, and they won’t continue running this project forever.
“No,” Yan Huirou said. “I’m just thinking that fifty years is most of a person’s life. Sect Master has suffered for so long. I came here for this, and no matter what, I’ve decided: I must make her happy at least once.”
Chen Cha’an wanted to say more, but couldn’t reach her. Yan Huirou was familiar with the system’s operations and unilaterally cut off the dialogue channel.
Hello?!
In the Shasheng Sect’s sleeping chambers.
Yan Huirou, as usual, curved her brows and eyes. “Sect Master, what shall we do today?”
“…You just woke up.” Jiang Xidai asked, “Want to rest a bit?”
Yan Huirou, however, got up and stepped off the bed. “I’m fine. I’ve been lying down for too long these past few days, even my bones ache. It’s better to walk around… Suddenly remembered, I haven’t made you sweet fermented rice balls in a long time. Do you want some?”
Strange. Jiang Xidai was a little confused. She had looked tired just now, but how did she suddenly become energetic again? However, hearing “sweet fermented rice balls,” Jiang Xidai did feel a pang of nostalgia. Just as Yan Huirou looked over, she nodded very lightly. “Not that much.”
Yan Huirou smiled. “Nodding but still refusing, is that a yes or a no?”
Jiang Xidai crossed her legs, took a small knife from the bedside drawer, and began filing her nails. Hearing Yan Huirou’s words, she said, “It means ‘whatever’.”
“‘Whatever’ means…” Yan Huirou, however, seemed to see right through her. She raised an eyebrow. “Next time, remember to say directly: ‘I want it’.”
Jiang Xidai’s knife, filing her nails, slipped, almost cutting her own hand. She sank into her pillow, ignoring Yan Huirou’s remark, and gave a faint, almost imperceptible “hmm.”
She seemed to have become inexplicably arrogant again—Yan Huirou, who had now regained all her vocabulary from the past twenty-three years, could accurately define this.
Jiang Xidai slowly and methodically finished filing her nails, listening to the sounds. When she heard Yan Huirou had gone far away, she also slowed her steps, got up, and walked out of the room, descending from the pavilion.
“Wen Xianyin.”
Senior Disciple Wen happened to be passing by. Seeing the Sect Master, she quickly retreated a few steps. “Do you have any orders?”
The woman raised her fingertips, vaguely pointing at her, but said nothing.
Wen Xianyin waited for a long time, hearing no command from the Sect Master. She looked at the Sect Master’s gesture confusedly, seeing nothing amiss.
How could there be nothing amiss? Her elder always has deeper meaning. The senior disciple, skilled at divining her superior’s intentions, carefully pondered and finally noticed something unusual: her nails seemed to be rounded, and the cinnabar polish on them had disappeared.
Wen Xianyin immediately flattered her, “Your hands look quite beautiful like this.” Inwardly, she was shocked—the Sect Master is finally trying to switch positions.
“What? This Seat was asking about that… small wooden box you gave Yan Huirou last time.” Jiang Xidai’s tone was normal, but when she referred to that item, it still felt a bit hot on her tongue. She subtly bit down on the words.
Wen Xianyin appropriately showed three parts of remorse. “I know. You disciplined this disciple last time.”
Jiang Xidai said coldly, “Shouldn’t you have been?”
“I should have,” Senior Disciple Wen replied. “This disciple has deeply reflected on my vulgarity and has completely changed for the better. I have already destroyed that box.”
Wen Xianyin looked up, observing the woman’s expression. She saw those peach blossom eyes move, shimmering, her expression seeming to change, more like displeasure.
Wen Xianyin said wearily, “…This disciple was wrong again. I should have asked for Sect Master’s opinion before destroying it, after all, it was from the Shasheng Sect.”
Jiang Xidai: “As long as you know.”
Wen Xianyin: “This disciple will go and procure a replacement at once.”
“You know, so why aren’t you going quickly?”
Just as Wen Xianyin turned around, another careful instruction came from behind her: “Don’t let Yan Huirou know; give it to me separately. Otherwise, you’ll see what happens.”
In her peripheral vision, she vaguely saw the woman make a hand-chop gesture. Wen Xianyin’s heart tightened, and she quickened her steps. “Yes, Sect Master.”
