Chapter 34 Can you take off your veil and let me see your face?

After the initial shock, I realized that it wasn't actually the Lan Gongzi I knew.

—They are somewhat similar in build, appearance, and even clothing.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this person is significantly younger than the young master Lan whom I am familiar with; he looks like a teenager, and his brows reveal a gloom and sickly appearance that I have never seen on the face of the young master Lan.

For some reason, the moment I recognized that this person was not Young Master Lan, I unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was because, in my subconscious, Young Master Lan shouldn't have appeared in such a place out of nowhere, much less appear in such a gloomy and somber manner.

However, more questions followed.

If this person is not Young Master Lan, then who is he, and why does he look so much like Young Master Lan?

Why is he rushing around like this? Where is he going? What is he going to do?

With these questions in mind, I unconsciously followed them.

As they walked through the winding walls, they didn't encounter any of the men and women bustling about in the palace.

As the boy in blue walked further and further into the remote area, he eventually plunged into a dense forest. Following a narrow path with swaying trees, a bamboo house vaguely appeared before his eyes.

The house occupies a small area, with clean thatch hanging from the low eaves, covered with a thick layer of pure white snow, as white as newly woven cotton wool.

Moreover, there were white snow marks on the bamboo fences and handrails.

The bright, warm sun outside, enough to melt the snow, seemed to be blocked out by this dense forest, turning the bamboo house in the forest into a tranquil place secluded from the world.

The boy in blue slowed his pace, carefully stepping up the steps to the bamboo platform, then stopped in front of a door and gently knocked on it with great caution.

Only three taps. After the three taps, he stood quietly in front of the door, nodding and waiting.

Strangely enough, although the young man was very young, he was clearly not a good-tempered person, but at this moment he was extremely respectful to the people in the room.

Even though there was still a door between them, they didn't slack off in the slightest.

Both the incongruous environment and the attitude of the boy in blue made me genuinely curious about the people living in the bamboo house.

Until an unexpected young voice rang out from inside.

"Since you're here, come in."

It was an ordinary sentence, but the tone of voice and the gentle, pleasant tone were all too familiar to me.

But this time, having learned from past mistakes, I didn't immediately make a judgment in my mind.

Instead, they followed the boy in blue into the house.

The room was dimly lit, with no lights on. Only faint daylight filtered through the open window sashes, illuminating the white smoke rising slowly from the corner.

In the dim light, a hazy figure appeared before the desk. The outline of a man could be vaguely discerned.

The person was tall and slender with a straight back, letting his long, ink-black hair fall freely to his sides, spreading out like silent, swimming black tentacles.

His face, shrouded in smoke and a veil, left much to the imagination.

Even if you can't see what this person really looks like, you'll still feel that the person in front of you must be a beauty.

After the young man in blue entered the room, he first bowed slightly with his palms together, and then addressed the other party as "Imperial Preceptor".

Hearing this, I was somewhat surprised. I had overheard a passing girl mention something about a national advisor, but I hadn't paid much attention at the time. I always thought that someone who could become a national advisor should at least be a middle-aged or elderly person with a sage-like demeanor.

Unexpectedly, it was such a mysterious young man.

Actually, compared to the solemn title of "Imperial Advisor," I always felt that the title "Witch" might be more suitable for the other party.

The man known as the Imperial Advisor remained completely still as the boy bowed. If one had not heard his voice and seen the soft strands of hair falling gently beside his face, one might have mistaken the figure standing in the dim light for a lifelike statue.

"With the wedding just one day away, why does Your Majesty not go to oversee the wedding preparations, but instead deign to visit my humble temple?"

The Imperial Advisor spoke slowly, repeatedly using terms like "condescend" and "this humble one," yet his tone lacked any subservience befitting a subordinate. Instead, it gave off an impression of insincerity. However, his voice was so calm and gentle, like a clear mountain spring, that it was impossible to feel any ill will towards him.

What surprised me most was his address to the boy in blue—Your Majesty, a figure I had only recently heard about from the conversation between those two little girls.

If, in my opinion, the man who serves as the Imperial Advisor seems somewhat young, then the fact that the boy before me can be addressed as His Majesty is simply too young.

This youthfulness isn't about the age itself, but rather the feeling this boy evokes.

Compared to a king sitting on his throne and commanding the world, the boy in blue seemed more like a melancholy young nobleman, and not even a favored one at that.

If one had to pick out one thing that could barely be associated with the word "monarch," it would be the faint hint of ferocity in his brows and the dark glint in his eyes that he couldn't completely hide even when he stood with his head bowed.

Upon hearing the Imperial Advisor mention the grand wedding the following day, a genuine smile appeared on the young man's usually gloomy face.

He maintained his bowing posture and said to the figure sitting upright in the dim light, "Actually, that's why I came. If it weren't for the help of the Imperial Preceptor, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to achieve my wish. Now that the wedding is imminent, I naturally have come to thank you, Imperial Preceptor."

It is unusual for a monarch to refer to himself as "I am already" in front of his subjects, let alone to express his gratitude in such a respectful manner.

The Imperial Advisor's response was equally intriguing.

"I have received Your Majesty's sincerity. If there is nothing else, I will not keep you any longer."

Is this a way of telling people to leave... are they planning to kick them out directly?

Just as I was becoming increasingly puzzled by the scene before me, the young man in blue finally lowered his hand from his forehead, looked up and stared directly at the Imperial Advisor not far away, and revealed the true reason for his trip.

"I'm curious—" the boy said slowly, "why do you want to help me?"

The young man, whose face was obscured, chuckled softly behind his veil. This laughter clearly puzzled, and even displeased, the boy.

However, the boy still managed to suppress his anger. When he spoke again, he was as respectful and restrained as before, but with just the right amount of hesitation.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

"I was just thinking—"

A gentle male voice drifted over, carrying a faint smile and a touch of aloofness. The more I listened, the more it sounded like the voice from my memory. Although the voice itself was different, the tone and rhythm of his speech were remarkably similar.

"Did Your Majesty only belatedly realize the existence of doubts at this point, or had you been holding back all along? I dare to guess that it was the latter."

The man paused slightly as he spoke, and for a moment his gaze seemed to pass through the boy and meet mine, which was floating not far behind the boy.

I was startled and instinctively shrank back, trying to curl myself up into a ball and carefully hide behind the boy. I clung to his arm, barely peeking out with my eyes peeking out from behind.

Fortunately, the man's gaze did not change as he followed my movements.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the eye contact I made earlier must have been a coincidence. Otherwise, with so many people coming and going along the way, including the boy who was right next to me, how could no one have noticed my presence?

To put it bluntly, my current state is neither human nor ghost. Even I can't say for sure what I am. If someone were to see me, I'd probably treat me like a demon or monster and get rid of me.

Just as I was lost in thought, the man's gentle voice rang out again, saying, "Your Majesty, do you know that curiosity can sometimes kill the cat?"

As soon as the words were spoken, an unprecedented silence filled the entire space. It was as if an invisible bow was being silently taut in the corner, and a sharp arrowhead, gleaming with cold light, was pointing directly at one of the people in the room.

Just waiting for the command, a pair of unseen hands will deliver the fatal blow in an instant.

But in the end, nothing happened.

Laughter broke the silence once more, this time from the young man in blue.

He laughed heartily, and even his gloomy face brightened up.

The boy in blue said, "The Imperial Advisor is quite the joker. It's just a pity that I am not a cat, and I'm afraid I won't die so easily. However, since the Imperial Advisor doesn't want to answer, there's no need to press him further."

As he spoke, the boy stepped forward and placed a red invitation on the table in front of him.

"Actually, the main reason I came here in person is to invite the Imperial Advisor to my wedding banquet. After all, without your matchmaking, my soon-to-be wife probably wouldn't want to stay here, and I'm sure she would be very happy to see you, her matchmaker, at the wedding. So, please don't disappoint her."

The boy emphasized the last sentence, emphasizing it almost word by word.

After saying this, he walked out of the bamboo house without waiting for a reply, leaving behind wisps of smoke stirred by the breeze in the empty room.

As I watched the blue-clad boy walk quickly away, I instinctively took a few steps forward, only to be stopped at the doorway by an invisible barrier.

I was stunned, staring at the empty space in front of me. The scenery outside the door fell into my eyes without any obstruction. I could see it clearly, but my body could not move forward even an inch.

I floated backward a few steps, then turned around in a bit of a panic, only to find myself face to face with the man who stood motionless in the room.

This time, there was no one else in front of me.

In the quiet, smoke-filled room, a corner of a bright red wedding invitation peeked out from the corner of my eye. A gentle breeze stirred, and I seemed to vaguely make out the character "黎" (Li) written in a bold, flowing script on the invitation.

Just as I was about to take a closer look, the man who had been staring at me suddenly spoke.

“It’s you,” he said.

That familiar tone immediately drew my attention away from the wedding invitation and back to the man not far away.

I looked at the latter with some uncertainty: "You... can actually see me?"

The man nodded. This was the first time I'd seen him make such a large movement since I entered the room, and my astonishment immediately increased.

"But they... and that guy from just now... they all..."

Realizing that the other person could see me, while I knew nothing about my offline situation, I became nervous and started rambling incoherently.

“They are them, and I am me,” the man gently took over my sentence.

Even though there was a veil between us, I felt as if I could already see the face hidden behind it... It was the smiling face of Young Master Lan from my memory.

How long has it been since I last saw Young Master Lan?

—Five days or six days?

I don't remember it very clearly, but it gave me a particularly long feeling, as if it were separated by past and present lives.

I almost burst into tears.

...I just don't know if, in my current state, I were to accidentally cry, I would still be able to shed tears like usual.

But the man seemed to be able to read my mind, and before I could utter the words "Young Master Lan," he spoke first, saying, "Of course, I am not the person you think I am."

My excited words caught in my throat, and for a moment I forgot what I wanted to say, only able to blankly repeat what the other person had said.

"What do you mean by 'not the you I thought you were'?"

If I've mistaken someone for someone else, I'll just say it's not the person I know.

Since you've already identified yourself as "the one you think I am," doesn't that mean you've already admitted that the two of them are the same person?

Then why deny it yourself and say it wasn't him?

I was suddenly completely bewildered, and my body swayed and floated up, as if merging into that white smoke.

Speaking of smoke, it was only then that I realized I couldn't smell anything at all.

It's strange. I can see and hear clearly, but I can't smell anything, and it seems... I also have no sense of touch or temperature.

Is it because I don't have a nose and skin yet?

But I shouldn't have eyes and ears, yet I can still hear and see.

Ah, so what exactly am I like right now?

Is it a wisp of air, or a monster?

I wanted to see myself, but I couldn't see anything... I couldn't see anything at all... I paced around anxiously in the void until a voice interrupted me. It was the man who hadn't spoken until now.

He said softly, "Don't worry, it'll be fine when we get back."

"go back?"

As if suddenly grasping the key point, I blurted out, "Go back to where?"

The man laughed again: "Of course, it's the place you came from."

Under my surprised gaze, he paused briefly and added, "Or to put it another way, go back to your own world."

Oh right... I almost forgot, I should still be lying in bed fast asleep right now.

This is just a dream I had—a dream world, naturally different from the real world I live in.

The reason why I saw a boy who looked very much like Young Master Lan, and why the person in front of me spoke in a way that was almost identical to Young Master Lan, was because I had been thinking about him during the day and dreaming about him at night.

With this in mind, I grew bolder and couldn't help but make a request to the man in front of me.

"Excuse me, may I remove my veil so I can see your face?"

"My face?" The man seemed somewhat surprised.

"I'm just a little curious, if it's inconvenient—"

Before I could finish speaking, the man had already reached behind his ear and gently removed his veil.

Seeing this, I felt a surge of tension and even subconsciously held my breath.

However, behind the veil, I saw a completely unfamiliar face.

Her eyebrows and features were unremarkable; while not particularly beautiful, they weren't ugly either. If one had to describe her in one word, it would be "ordinary," utterly ordinary—the kind of person you'd never notice in a crowd.

You look disappointed?

The man spoke softly, having already put his veil back on as he spoke.

It has to be said that she looks better with a veil on than without.

Perhaps it's because of those eyes.

An overall mediocrity can diminish the brilliance in those eyes, but when only the eyes are visible on the face, one is immediately drawn to their deep and clear depth.

This leads to excessively high expectations for the rest of the face.

Therefore, it's more accurate to describe that feeling as a sense of disappointment rather than disappointment.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, apologizing for my rudeness.

That being said, since he could see my disappointment, he should be able to see how I am now, right?

The man smiled and turned his head slightly to the side, his smooth black hair swaying gently with his movement, like water plants swaying in a transparent pool, creating invisible ripples.

It's strange, just a moment ago I thought he was an ordinary-looking person.

But in just a couple of sentences, I had a strong feeling that she was a beautiful woman.

As for the other person's true appearance hidden beneath the veil, it has unknowingly become ambiguous... leaving only a vague outline in the mind.

Like the smoke rising between us right now, it can be blown away with just a gentle breath.

Just as I was feeling confused, a sound of pages turning suddenly rang out.

I instinctively looked up at the sound and saw that the wedding invitation left by the blue-clad boy on the lacquered wooden table had been turned over, revealing its bright red interior like an open clam shell.

Directly in my direction was a name that was both unfamiliar and familiar.

"Yu Qingzhou..."

—Is it him?