Chapter 106 Reunion

The bell rang, and Qingqing declined her roommate's invitation, walking alone on the campus in late autumn.

Last night, those memories she had deliberately buried in the past inexplicably flooded her dreams. Yan Dibai either raised his eyebrows or sneered all night long; his face lingered in her mind, disturbing her and making her absent-minded all afternoon.

She exhaled a puff of white steam, shook her head vigorously, and shook off her chaotic thoughts.

The evening breeze was chilly. She jogged back to her rented room, where the warm yellow light barely dispelled the cold. She changed into her pajamas, heated up the leftovers, and casually opened her chat window with Yan Zheng—the messages were still from yesterday.

She sent a greeting, but there was no reply.

Taking advantage of a break, she dialed her grandmother's number. Relieved to hear the old woman's familiar laughter and TV dialogue on the other end, she pressed speakerphone. They chatted over dinner. As usual, the old lady asked when she was coming home. Qingqing hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Grandma, the last two months have been the peak season for after-school programs. I want to earn more money so I can go back to see you during the Chinese New Year."

The disappointment on the other end of the phone was obvious. Qingqing put down her chopsticks, trying to keep her tone light:

"I participated in a competition before, and the prize money was 200,000 yuan. Once the money arrives, I'll renovate my old house and replace all the furniture!"

The old lady smiled, gave a few instructions, and tactfully hung up the phone.

After submitting the half-finished group assignment, Qingqing boiled water for a bath.

The toilet in the bungalow was separated by floor-to-ceiling frosted glass. There was no bathroom heater or water heater. The lighting was also poor.

Qingqing thought for thirty seconds and decided to shower under the fluorescent light. She plugged in the small heater she bought from the school group chat and drew the curtains tightly. Her clothes were crumpled up, and the girl's body was completely naked, all her curves exposed. After showering, she comfortably warmed herself by the fire for a while before discovering that the dormitory group chat had exploded.

[Breaking News!] Shocking revelation! Yan Zheng is actually a scumbag who secretly married and had a child!

[My belly is so big] Qingqing, did you already know?

...

Qingqing frowned, seeing a string of 99+ images. She swiped her finger up, and sure enough, more than a dozen photos of men and women embracing in the street, taken from a third-person perspective, appeared before her eyes.

The male protagonist looked unwell, but his features were extremely clear.

It is solemn.

The female lead has long, beautiful hair and is as tall as Yan Zheng's shoulders, with only half of her face visible.

She seems to be a cute girl with big eyes.

"..."

Based on the messages forwarded in the group, we can roughly piece together this cliché story: a campus romance between a male and female idol, an unexpected pregnancy, the woman leaving without saying goodbye and giving birth to the child alone, unable to support him, she comes back to claim her ancestral home.

This is the urgent matter Yan Zheng mentioned.

Looking at the serious and clear face on the screen, Qingqing felt a mix of emotions for a moment, and then closed the group chat.

It's nothing.

She never had the confidence to start any intimate relationship. This incident, however, completely relieved her of the pressure from Yan Zheng.

As usual, she read for a while, and then took off her clothes and went to sleep at eleven o'clock sharp.

The room was dimmer than yesterday, only enough to vaguely outline the face.

Her slender waist, as delicate as its name suggests, was now being wasted, hidden under a large quilt.

Yan Dibai looked calmly into the bronze mirror, his tenacious and self-reliant spirit fading away with the lamplight.

He put down his wet underwear and, in the emptiness after the tide receded, calmly reviewed everything he had seen.

"Grandma" originally refers to an old woman. It should be another name for grandmother. Since Yan Dibai had never heard Yang Liuqing mention her parents, she could be fairly certain that the old woman was her only relative.

As he had long anticipated. She came from a very poor background. For the sake of a little money, she would even postpone visiting her closest relatives.

Yan Dibai closed her eyes slightly.

All of this was quite exhausting. This morning, after she went out, he tried repeatedly, only to find that the mirror could only see this one corner of the area.

If she leaves the cabin, he will have no way of knowing where she is.

This feeling of being controlled and powerless is far more unsettling than the open and covert attacks on the battlefield.

She still didn't mention him anywhere.

Yan Dibai half-embraced the bronze mirror and rested for a moment. The next day, as the sunlight streamed into the room, he opened his eyes precisely on time and silently recited her name.

The bronze mirror, still warm from the body, immediately reflected the scene on the other side.

Yang Liuqing also woke up.

She didn't stay in bed today and quickly changed her clothes. Two bouncy mounds came into view for the third time.

Yan Dibai squinted.

Having never seen this place with his own eyes, based on his previous judgment, it was about the size of a tender green peach.

But now Yangliuqing has clearly grown taller, with much longer legs, and the peaches are ripe, trembling and eagerly awaiting harvest.

very good.

Yan Dibai showed no remorse whatsoever as a lecher. He patiently observed for six days straight and even identified a pattern.

In winter, if Yang Liuqing doesn't sweat, he takes a bath every two to three days. Each bath lasts at least half an hour, and he cleans very carefully from his neck to his feet.

She didn't use a bathtub, only a low basin. Undoubtedly, it was because she was poor.

She loves to eat and always keeps some kind of snacks on hand. But she's also used to being frugal, so one bag of snacks can last her several days.

Yan Dibai observed her from a completely new perspective, scrutinizing every detail—the familiar Yangliuqing, the unfamiliar Yangliuqing, and the most authentic Yangliuqing. He missed her, but even more, he wanted to understand her completely.

At the same time, calmly gather information about that bizarre and wonderful world.

The glowing cube is called a cell phone, and the thing she holds to her chest is called underwear. The lamps there don't need oil; they just turn on with the push of a button. To heat food, simply put the food into the cube, and it buzzes a few times. Hot water can also be heated without firewood.

Aside from the initial discomfort, Yan Dibai adapted extremely quickly. He even considered observing Yang Liuqing's daily life the most interesting program in the world.

...Not only that, he even had a thought that he wanted to keep watching her. To see how many more amazing things he had never seen before she had in store for him.

This thought actually suppressed the anger that Yang Liuqing had forgotten.

The eternal lamp in the main hall has not been lit for seven days.

The novice monks looked at each other, but none of them dared to disturb the emperor, who was full of martial virtue.

Memorials continued to arrive like snowflakes, and Yi Fu was filled with sorrow. He couldn't entrust everything to that false emperor!

But His Majesty has fallen into the trap of being a tyrant. After careful consideration, Yi Fu said, "Let's leave it piled up and let His Majesty review it slowly."

The eunuch went back with a long face.

That day, just as Yan Dibai was watching Qingqing on her day off watching a play, a trembling announcement rang out from outside the hall.

A middle-aged Taoist priest was allowed to enter and kowtowed devoutly: "Your Majesty, after consulting ancient books, I suspect that if the bronze mirror is effective, it means that the Empress's physical body is probably still intact. Perhaps we can use her birth date and time to accurately locate her and find a way to... bring her back."

This person actually hit the nail on the head.

Yan Dibai pondered for a moment. He had already learned Yang Liuqing's birth chart from her sick mother and lame father, but he had never allowed anyone to calculate it for him.

Looking at the Taoist priest kneeling on the ground, not daring to move, Yan Dibai didn't beat around the bush.

"I want you to bring her back directly."

The Taoist priest choked, exclaiming that Heaven was going to kill him! How could he be so unlucky, having to draw the hexagram that led to his death! He had no choice but to take out the Bagua tortoise shell and, after Yan Dibai gave him the eight characters, cast a divination.

As he was calculating, the Taoist priest suddenly froze.

"What is it?" Yan Di rolled his eyes. The Taoist priest hissed, looking up in disbelief: "These eight characters... I calculated them five years ago in Liangzhou City!"

"oh?"

"By the Three Pure Ones above, I would never dare to make things up!" the Taoist said urgently. "The one who came to me for fortune-telling was a veiled woman! Although she only gave me four words, I have a very deep impression of her fate—'A misty fog shrouds the soul, and an inanimate object suppresses the body!'"

Yan Dibai's eyes narrowed.

Did Yang Liuqing secretly have her fortune told?

"What did she ask?"

"When I asked the young man about his troubles, the woman only said that her husband seemed to be avoiding her, which puzzled her." The Taoist priest glanced at the young man and lowered his voice, "However, when I calculated her fate, it showed that she was never going to get married."

"..."

A deathly silence fell over the hall. Whether the Taoist priest fabricated the story or not, the logic was sound—at that time, he and Yang Liuqing had not yet attained enlightenment and were indeed nameless and without substance.

"What is the interpretation of these eight characters?" The young man's voice was devoid of emotion.

The Taoist priest cupped his hands, his voice tinged with surprise: "According to the divination... Your Majesty's destiny is smooth, and the Red Phoenix Star is in motion. However, the inanimate object within it is extremely thin, almost vanished, as if... it was forcibly cleansed by some force!"

"...I ask you how to find the person."

The Taoist priest was speechless for a long time before saying, "I'm afraid we can only sever that inanimate object."

Yan Dibai said coldly, "How to execute him, and when to execute him!"

The Taoist priest, unable to find a solution, stammered, "This...this...perhaps Your Majesty needs to join forces..."

"roll!"

The person scrambled away.

Yan Dibai rubbed his brow.

According to the charlatan, there was something standing between him and Yang Liuqing. Only if they were of one mind could this obstacle be overcome.

He suppressed his anger and grabbed the bronze mirror.

This indicates that Yang Liuqing never thought about him.

If she ever missed him, he wouldn't need to spy on her in the mirror every day.

The bronze mirror shone brightly. Yan Dibai was about to see what she was doing when he saw the scene in the mirror, and his phoenix eyes turned venomous.

On the screen, a strange short-haired man is seen pulling and tugging at Yang Liuqing!

"Qingqing!"

Yan Zheng arrived, looking travel-worn and visibly exhausted. Ignoring Qingqing's attempts to stop him, he braced himself against the doorframe.

"Let me explain! What the school is saying is a misunderstanding; someone is plotting against me behind my back!"

“Yan Zheng,” Qingqing interrupted him wearily, “we’re just classmates. You don’t need to explain your family matters to me. Please leave.”

"But you're the only one in my heart!" Yan Zheng said emotionally, trying to take her hand. "I'm serious about you! It's been almost half a year, don't you know how I feel!"

Yan Dibai stared at the mirror, veins bulging on his forehead.

Every move the man made exuded a sense of aggression and covetousness.

Yan Dibai's hands trembled violently, "Yang Liuqing—!"

On the other end, Qingqing was completely unaware of the person's overwhelming rage on the other side of time and space. Filled with helplessness, she said, "You already have a child, don't let him down."

I went out to work happily early in the morning, only to be confronted by Yan Zheng at the door. How unlucky!

Shouldn't Yan Zheng handle this kind of situation? Why bother with an outsider like her?

She shrank back forcefully, "And I really don't have those feelings for you. I don't like you!"

Yan Zheng was furious; his usual gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a rare, harsh expression:

"Are you kidding me! Yang Liuqing, I already told you I was set up!"

"What a nuisance!" In a fit of anger, Qingqing kicked him and yelled, "I have someone I like! If you keep bothering me, I'll call the police!"

Yan Zheng scoffed: "You've never even had a boyfriend, who do you like? You actually dared to spout this nonsense just to brush me off?"

He pressed closer, cornering Qingqing against the door, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. Suddenly, she turned and grabbed a kitchen knife from the table, then quickly pulled a towel and wrapped it around her wrist.

"I'm warning you, don't come any closer! I told you I have someone I like!"

"Tell me, who is that person? Maybe I know them!"

Yan Zheng has been feeling very troubled these past few days.

His ex-girlfriend ran away pregnant and returned to her family home, causing chaos at home. He only found out when he got to school that his story had been posted on the school wall, causing a huge uproar.

Yang Liuqing deliberately avoided him, leaving Yan Zheng with no choice but to block the entrance of the rented house and demand an explanation.

Unexpectedly, she showed no sign of lingering affection and immediately said, "Let's just be classmates."

This is the first time Yan Zheng has poured so much effort into someone and received absolutely nothing in return. How could he possibly tolerate this?

"If you really dare, try cutting me. I'd like to know what your grandma will do then, all alone."

"You!" Qingqing glared angrily. "You're shameless!"

Seeing that she was being restrained, Yan Zheng became even more arrogant and took another step closer, reaching out to take her knife.

Qingqing retreated step by step, her gaze constantly shifting behind him.

what to do?

She couldn't hurt anyone, nor could she let Yan Zheng, this hypocrite, continue on his ways.

...If Yan Dibai were here, that would be great.

Her nose stung with tears, and she thought in despair, "Why is he everywhere?!"

Qingqing suddenly threw the knife away, saying, "Let's talk outside. You're a father now. Please have some self-respect!"

Yan Zheng's face stiffened, but seeing that she had softened her stance, he didn't want to make too much of a scene and softened his attitude slightly.

He reached out his hand to Qingqing, "To put my mind at ease."

Qingqing pursed her lips. Her legs could touch the stool, and she wondered if she could quickly grab it and smash it against him.

She slowly raised her hand, and Yan Zheng's face showed a satisfied expression. Qingqing seized the opportunity to bend down, and Yan Zheng angrily raised his hand to slap her.

That bastard!

Qingqing hurriedly dodged, but lost her footing and fell to the ground. With nowhere to retreat, she grabbed a broom from the side and started hitting it, the rough, dry branches digging into her skin and drawing blood.

Yan Zheng, with his delicate skin, couldn't withstand it and never expected that his skinny daughter would be so strong.

Qingqing hit and cursed, "Go to hell! You rotten person! You're really stuck with shit! The person I like is a thousand times better than you. He's an absolute beauty, you're taller than him, and his IQ is way above yours! Even his name sounds better than yours!"

"He's not like you, pretending to be nice, and he would never lay a finger on me!"

Yan Zheng was stinging from the blows of the broom, and completely enraged by her words, losing all reason. He suddenly grabbed the broom handle that was swinging at him and yanked it hard!

Qingqing cried out in surprise, dropping the broom. Yan Zheng, his face contorted with rage, lunged forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Say that again, you fucking idiot?! Who is he?! Huh?!"

"Yan Dibai!" Qingqing shouted, almost screaming, "The person I like is named Yan—Di—Bai!"

If only Yan Dibai were here, if only Yan Dibai were here!

Yes, she had always been thinking about him, and she had always remembered him.

Qingqing could no longer deceive herself.

Actually, she really missed Yan Dibai! She had always missed him!

"Yan Dibai!!"

"boom--!!!"

Yan Zheng was about to say something when the refrigerator in the corner seemed to be forcibly cleaved in two, splitting into two symmetrical halves with a loud crash.

A long knife suddenly appeared, and Yan Zheng froze, as if he had seen a ghost. He abruptly let go, glared hatefully at the bewildered Qingqing, and ran away.

But then, an antique-looking candlestick flew out of nowhere and struck him squarely on the back of the head. A trail of blood trickled down from the back of his head.

Qingqing was dumbfounded and before she could react, it felt as if a nerve in her brain had suddenly snapped.

She floated in mid-air, her body suddenly becoming as light as a leaf. An irresistible pull seized her, and the world spun around her.

Yongning Temple.

Yan Di stood expressionless, holding his knife. The force of the recoil had torn his tiger's mouth, and blood dripped down the blade.

With a furious and fierce strike, the bronze mirror was completely reduced to dust.

Yan Dibai stared straight ahead. Something was clearly pulsating, as if it were about to burst forth.

Bang!

"Abbot, something has happened!"

"A living person fell from the sky!"

The novices watched in astonishment as a strangely dressed woman suddenly fell from the sky. Then, they saw the woman land squarely on the central mortuary, and they all cried out in surprise and ran to tell each other.

Still shaken, Qingqing looked down and saw nothing but stark white bones! Forgetting the pain, she jumped up in terror.

Is anyone there? Is anyone there?

"Where am I!" she coughed violently, supporting her limp body as she frantically searched for a way out.

Squeak—

The heavy palace doors slowly opened. Qingqing looked up, bewildered and frightened—

Instantly, a pair of scarlet phoenix eyes met my gaze.