In the height of summer, the sun shines brightly and the shadows of the trees sway gently.

Shang Changge and Xiao Ji first had dinner with Xiao Zhen at the General's Mansion, and then went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.

Laughter and conversation filled the Cining Palace.

The atmosphere, which had been harmonious until Rong Momo brought a bowl of bitter medicine to the Empress Dowager, gradually turned sour.

Rong Momo: "Master, this is the medicine that you specially instructed Imperial Physician Sun to prepare for you with an increased dosage. This old servant finds it very bitter, so I prepared a few extra candied fruits for you."

Upon hearing this, Shang Changze frowned and looked at the Empress Dowager with concern, saying, "Granny, has Mother's poisoning worsened in recent days?"

Rong Mama: "This..." Rong Mama subconsciously glanced at Shang Changge and Xiao Ji sitting together, then lowered her head in embarrassment.

Shang Changge, who was idly playing with her man's hand, narrowed her eyes, displeased. So what kind of trouble are you planning now?

Xiao Ji was more composed than Shang Changge. He gently stroked Shang Changge's heart with his fingertips, indicating that he should calm down.

"That's not true." The Empress Dowager stirred the bitter medicine with a spoon, shook her head and smiled at her son, then turned to look at her daughter and son-in-law.

"The Empress Dowager did not want General Ge'er to pass away so soon after his wedding, causing the two of them to be criticized by the world, so she ordered the imperial physician to increase the dosage of the medicine."

As a result, the Empress Dowager's complexion improved over the past few days, and outsiders could say that the marriage between Ge'er and the General had improved her condition.

Upon hearing this, Shang Changge understood, and so did Xiao Ji. The couple exchanged a glance and then began their coordinated performance.

"Mother!" Shang Changge's eyes reddened with emotion, and she nearly choked up. "Why must you do this? You've made your daughter..."

At this point, Shang Changge looked at the Empress Dowager as if she were so saddened that she could no longer speak.

Xiao Ji felt a pang of sympathy and put his arm around Shang Changge's shoulder. Although his next words weren't entirely direct, they revealed the Empress Dowager's true intentions:

"Your health is the most important thing, otherwise Changge and I will feel guilty for the rest of our lives."

Of course, this was only one of the Empress Dowager's thoughts; her main intention was to create a rift between Shang Changze and his sister and brother-in-law.

The dowry shows that the son still values ​​and respects his elder sister, which makes the Empress Dowager uneasy!

However, Xiao Ji was not comfortable saying this, so he didn't mention it.

Having her thoughts read and spoken aloud, the Empress Dowager's face turned awkward. She was caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure whether to drink the medicine or not.

Shang Changze sighed, understanding dawning on his mind. He rose, went to the Empress Dowager, took the medicine bowl from her hands, and turned to give the order:

"I'd like to trouble you, Granny, to make another trip and have Physician Sun brew another bowl of medicine with the correct dosage and send it over."

Rong Momo glanced at her master secretly, and seeing that her master nodded, she quickly agreed and went to do it.

Not long after, the group left the Cining Palace.

As they passed through the Imperial Garden, before leaving the palace, Shang Changze made it clear that he had something to say to Shang Changge alone.

Xiao Ji then left the palace first and waited for Shang Changge in the carriage.

Inside the imperial study, the invigorating fragrance wafted from the gilded incense burner.

Shang Changge took a sip of tea, puzzled: "What's wrong? What's so important that we've come all the way to the Imperial Study to discuss it?"

After much deliberation, Shang Changze finally voiced his suspicion: "Sister, I suspect that I, like you and Third Brother, am also a person who has been reborn."

...

The Imperial Study was eerily quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Shang Changge: ...? ? ? ? ? ? !

Shang Changge considered herself a person with a strong ability to accept things. After taking a sip of tea to calm her nerves, she calmly continued the conversation:

"Tell me more about it."

Shang Changze then began to explain, recounting the inexplicable emotional reaction he had always felt and the many unusual things that had happened.

However,

After exchanging only a few words, I noticed that my sister was in a bad mood.

"Sister, what's wrong?"

Shang Changge stared intently at Shang Changze, trying her best to calm her turbulent emotions. She parted her lips, her voice barely managing to remain calm:

"It's alright, you, continue."

Shang Changze was somewhat worried, but he continued speaking anyway. When he got to his brother's mindset, he was puzzled and speculated:

"Sister, since people can be reborn, does that mean there's such a thing as past and present lives?"

This suggests a possibility that in some past life, unknown to us, I was the elder brother and my elder sister was the younger sister.

In an instant, Shang Changge's eyes welled up with tears. Looking at Shang Changze's all-too-familiar face, her red lips parted, uttering that name:

"Big brother."

Shang Changze was shocked. A complex and indescribable emotion surged through him, and countless memories flashed through his mind, both familiar and strange.

A brother and sister who depend on each other for survival, growing from children to adults, in a relatively peaceful world that later becomes overrun by cannibalistic monsters...

Resolute, flames soaring into the sky, death, the sister he couldn't let go of before and after his death...

Then comes the new life.

The Empress Dowager, weak after childbirth, breathed a sigh of relief and looked overjoyed upon seeing him; the midwives, Rong Momo and others, offered their congratulations…

The last thing that lingered in my mind was the scene of him, still an infant, crying and wanting his older sister to hold him when he first met her.

"Long, song."

And all of this came together when he looked at his older sister and uncontrollably opened his mouth to slowly utter those two words.

...

Nearly half an hour later, at the palace gate.

From afar, Shang Changge saw the imposing man standing with his hands behind his back at the palace gate, looking at her. Her already wonderful mood became even more wonderful.

He quickened his pace and soon arrived at Xiao Ji's side.

Ignoring Shang Changze who was following behind and the others at the palace gate, she wrapped her arms around Xiao Ji's waist, her smile bright and captivating.

"I'm sorry to have kept my husband waiting."

Xiao Ji didn't know what had happened or what was going on, but he was happy because the little rascal was happy, and he smiled indulgently:

"It's alright. Why is the Emperor here too? Is he going back to the palace with us?"

Mentioning this, Shang Changge sighed with a hint of helplessness and clicked his tongue as he replied, "No, he said he has a few words to say to you in person."

The beautiful younger brother is the older brother, and the older brother is the beautiful younger brother. Their situations are completely different. She transmigrated into a book, while the older brother was reincarnated.

Goodness, the eldest brother is indeed the eldest brother. He was reincarnated into a novel as a crown prince or a prince. Amazing!

As for what her elder brother was going to say to General Xiao, she could roughly guess.

"General."

While the two were still clinging to each other, Shang Changze, who was a step later, had already arrived in front of them.

Instead of disturbing or interrupting the two, he waited until they separated before looking at Xiao Ji and speaking.

Xiao Ji always treated Shang Changze with the utmost respect befitting a subject: "Your subject is here."

Shang Changze received a look from Shang Changge telling him not to make things difficult for Xiao Ji, which he found both amusing and helpless.

Although he regained his memories from the apocalypse, he had not forgotten any of his memories from Qingyan. So why would he make things difficult for Xiao Ji, the brother-in-law whom his elder sister liked and whom he also approved of?

He reached out and helped Xiao Ji up.

This time, it was an elder brother's instruction: "Take good care of Changge."

Under the watchful eyes of Shang Changze and the others, the general's carriage drove away from the palace, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Only after they could no longer be seen did Shang Changze lead his entourage back to the palace.

His handsome, refined face bore deep smile lines, regardless of his connection to Changge and the present world.

But to be able to reunite and recognize each other again, and to be like this again, is still a great stroke of luck.

From then on, they continued to address each other as brother and sister.

Firstly, to avoid any outsiders overhearing and causing complications, and secondly, since Changge has played the role of elder sister very well, what's wrong with him continuing to play the role of younger brother?

It's just a superficial identity and title, nothing serious.