Chapter 71: The Twenty-Third Cycle!
Chapter 71
Ye Xiren's face was covered in tears.
In the dream she had before waking up, a woman with a face similar to Yan Danqing used her last strength to pull her into the river, saving her from humiliation. The hand that gently touched her head was so warm and familiar.
They should have been close, like sisters, but she had no memory of Yan Wan whatsoever. If this cycle failed, she too would be forgotten by everyone, just like Yan Wan…
Ye Xiren wiped away her tears and wrote down her entire cyclical experience and discoveries in a rapid pace.
If one is to die, one should leave a message for the living, or for the next generation, just like Yan Wan wrote in her handwritten notes!
After quickly finishing writing her notes about her twenty-three cycles, Ye Xiren rummaged through her belongings and found a tightly sealed box, which she slowly opened.
There is a painting inside.
More than a year ago, when she came of age, the Ye family did not hold a public coming-of-age ceremony for her because of the impending storm in the capital and the turmoil in the country, which was about to move south. However, the entire Ye family celebrated for her behind closed doors.
Later, Ye Pei wanted to create a "Family Reunion" painting to record his family's life at a critical juncture for the nation, but due to the many affairs of the court, he only completed half of it.
This painting was the last one completed by Ye Changming, and was then given by Ye Pei to Ye Xiren.
She loved it and treasured it in a box. It remained intact throughout the southward migration. Ye Changming secretly took it away to admire it many times, but she eventually snatched it back.
This prompted Ye Changming to exclaim loudly, "This is clearly my drawing!!"
Ye Xiren then chided, "Since you drew it, why don't you draw another one?"
Ye Changming fell silent for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Painting is all about the state of mind. My father painted half of this first. If I could paint another one, I wouldn't steal yours..." How annoying!
The memory is vivid; it seems like only yesterday that she and Ye Changming were bickering and playing around, her father helpless, her mother indulgent, and her grandmother looking over with a smile.
Things that I once thought were ordinary and commonplace now seem precious and rare. Each and every scene is imprinted in my mind and will never be forgotten.
Ye Xiren wrapped the sheepskin roll up and stuffed it into the scroll. Just as she was about to stand up, a scene flashed through her mind, a blurry figure. Was it really just the five of them at her coming-of-age ceremony that year?
She suddenly reached out, pulled off the red ribbon tied to it, and slowly unfolded the painting... Then, she trembled, her hands shaking as she touched it, her eyes red-rimmed.
In this scene, there was a person standing beside her, with heroic features and gentle eyes looking ahead. Ye Xiren's hands trembled even more violently, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Yan Wan, it must be Yan Wan!
How come she didn't notice Yan Wan's figure in the painting before?
Ye Xiren stroked the smiling woman in the painting. In her memory, Yan Wan was not in the painting. She had even looked at it with Ye Changming on New Year's Eve this year, and Yan Wan was definitely not in it.
Is it because she remembered Yan Wan that some traces of Yan Wan exist in her memory?
Once you have her in your heart, you'll see her everywhere.
"Sister Awan..." Ye Xiren murmured.
Then she rolled up the scroll, rushed out of Tingxue Courtyard, and it was already dawn. Everyone in the Ye family was busy. She walked out of her boudoir, passed Xuechan who was laughing and talking, crossed the corridor, walked out of Tingxue Courtyard, and walked on the corridor where people were constantly coming and going...
Nobody paid her any attention; nobody noticed her!
Ye Xiren barged into Changheng Courtyard. Ye Changming had just gotten up and was about to leave when he passed by her, also ignoring the cleanliness.
“Brother…” Ye Xiren’s voice trembled slightly.
Ye Changming turned around abruptly, his eyes momentarily blank before he exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Xixi, what are you doing here?"
The fat man and the thin man behind him were also stunned, looking completely bewildered.
Second daughter?
How come I didn't notice?
Ye Xiren's eyes were red.
She forced a smile, handed the scroll to Ye Changming, and said softly, "Brother, I'm giving you this painting. Promise me you'll keep it safe and never forget it, okay?"
Ye Changming stepped forward, touched her head, and muttered, "You don't have a fever? Why are you talking nonsense?"
Ye Xiren shook her head and stopped talking, only stuffing the painting into Ye Changming's arms. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would burst into tears, burying her parents who cherished her like a precious jewel, and her brother who, despite their playful bickering, always protected her...
They're all forgetting about her.
"Then you'd better not regret it!" Ye Changming had wanted this painting for a long time. He held up the scroll with a mocking expression. "Now that you've given it to me, it's mine."
Ye Xiren nodded. "It's yours."
Ye Changming immediately unrolled the scroll to admire it, then turned back to his room with a look of delight. "I'm going to put it away properly, no, I'm going to hang it up, right next to my bed..."
As Ye Xiren watched him walk away, a sudden wave of fear washed over her, and she shouted:
"elder brother!"
"What?" Ye Changming turned around blankly.
Ye Xiren, dressed in a moon-white long dress, stood in the courtyard under a peach tree that was already in full bloom. The morning dew shimmered faintly on the peach blossoms, and the petals that had fallen last night were scattered all over the ground.
The contrast between cyan and pink created a vibrant scene, yet Ye Changming's heart skipped a beat.
Ye Xiren smiled and shook her head: "It's nothing, brother, keep this painting safe."
After saying this, she turned and left. Her sleeves fluttered, the peach branches swayed, and the dew on the peach blossoms dripped down, rolled onto the ground, and disappeared into the soil, never to be seen again.
Ye Changming stood there, holding the painting, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
For some reason, he felt a pang of sadness and bitterness in his heart, as if something he cared about was quietly slipping away without his notice. His eyes welled up with tears, and he subconsciously reached out to grab his departing sister, but she had already disappeared into Changheng Courtyard...
"Xixi..."
Ye Changming took two steps forward and hugged the scroll tightly in his hands.
-
Ye Xiren walked out of the Ye family home and bumped into Yan Danqing, who had come looking for her. It was already bright outside, and pedestrians were coming and going. She weaved through them without being noticed by anyone.
Ahead, Yan Danqing was walking towards her, his eyes fixed on her.
Ye Xiren smiled brightly.
Compared to Yan Wan, she was much luckier. There was more than one person in her cycle, and even if she was forgotten by others, there was still someone else who remembered her.
Yan Danqing strode over and explained softly, "We haven't found any clues about the supplies or the Northern Yan people, so I didn't discuss it with you in the last cycle. I took a risk."
Ye Xiren shook her head, "It's alright, you're right, the last loop was very useful, it swindled out a lot of clues..."
She pulled Yan Danqing to a corner and recounted all the discoveries from the previous cycle: the issue of provisions, the Northern Yan Grand Preceptor, and the unusual movements in Northern Yan—everything was explained in detail without reservation.
Yan Danqing was slightly taken aback.
He thought Xixi would condemn his recklessness, but to his surprise, she was very calm, so calm that he felt something was unusual. The unease that had been building up since today grew stronger.
Something must have happened!
After Ye Xiren finished speaking, she exhaled and said, "Northern Yan has another secret. If we can figure out what this secret is, perhaps we can truly defeat Northern Yan and reclaim our lost territory."
Upon hearing this, Yan Danqing snapped out of his reverie and nodded.
"Alright, let's go find Prime Minister Jiang."
He stopped abruptly as he finished speaking, his pupils contracting as he stared intently at the person before him. "Wait, in the last cycle, Xixi, how did you know that Northern Yan was plotting something, and that Chizhan Lance wanted to perish with me?"
Jiang You managed to get Zhang Yuanmou to talk, but what about Xixi?
And what caused the awkwardness between Yan Shuang and Xi Xi today?
"This is the second thing I want to tell you." Ye Xiren looked at him with a complicated expression. The two of them were in the same cycle, and this was the last chance. She hadn't intended to hide it, but she was surprised that Yan Danqing was so perceptive.
"Do you know who 'A-Wan' is?" she asked, tilting her head back.
Yan Danqing was taken aback. The name Awan sounded strangely familiar. He had heard it twice from Liang Yue, and each time he had a different reaction, as if he should know this person, "Awan".
"Who is it?" Yan Danqing's voice was very soft, as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, so soft that it was blown away by the wind.
"She is your older sister, Yan Wan," Ye Xiren revealed.
There was even one person who cycled through it!
The cycle failed, and he was erased from the world's memory. They had no recollection of him, but she was his older sister! How could he not remember her at all?!
Yan Danqing was stunned. Even though he was as tough as he was, he staggered a few steps in a daze. He was not the only one left in the Yan family. He had blood relatives and his sister.
But my sister disappeared in the loop.
The moment Ye Xiren finished speaking, Yan Danqing hugged her tightly, his voice trembling uncontrollably:
"And you? And what about you?"
His sister failed fifteen times and was forgotten by the world. What about Ye Xiren? What is she going through right now?
No wonder things have been off these past two days, no wonder Yan Shuang acted so strangely this morning; it was clearly a sign that Xixi was being forgotten.
Yan Danqing understood everything!
He was trembling all over, but Ye Xiren, having passed the most frightened stage, had regained her composure and gently patted his back to comfort him.
"This is the last cycle, but we are very close to victory. As long as we break the cycle, I will be fine."
Once the cycle ends, it naturally no longer follows the established pattern.
But... they've already forgotten her. When the cycle ends, will they remember her?
Ye Xiren dared not think about it.
Yan Danqing's arms were as strong as iron as he held her tightly, feeling each other's warmth. The rapid beating of their hearts echoed in their ears. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Why did they forget you, and not me?"
How could this be, since they're both inside the same loop?!
Yan Danqing was in a state of utter confusion, her mind was buzzing, she was panicked and had long lost her reason.
Ye Xiren had also thought about this question. She got out of his arms, looked up at him, and analyzed: "It should be because of the main body of the cycle. The cycle rules of you and me are inherently different."
Yan Wan's cycle consists of only her, while Ye Xiren's cycle involves two people. Both are the main subjects of the cycle and can influence its patterns.
However, when Ye Xiren died, Yan Danqing died along with her, and the cycle restarted. Yet, while Yan Danqing died, Ye Xiren was able to live for another day. It seems that the cycle has its primary and secondary aspects.
Ye Xiren is the main character, and Yan Danqing is secondary.
"It's fortunate it was me." Ye Xiren smirked, cracking a joke. "If they'd all forgotten about you, how could they fight a war? How could they drive Northern Yan out?"
Yan Danqing pursed her lips into a thin line.
He'd rather it were him!
Meeting Ye Xiren's dark eyes, Yan Danqing took a deep breath and forced his head, which had been relentlessly bombarded, to calm down little by little. His eyes gradually cleared, and he wiped away the moisture, his gaze becoming sharp as a knife.
Immersing himself in grief is useless. He has already forgotten his sister Yan Wan. Does he really want the person he loves so deeply to disappear from his world?
"Xixi, don't be afraid, we will succeed." Yan Danqing pulled Ye Xiren's hand and ran in another direction, "Come with me!"
Ye Xiren was pulled by him through the crowd. People could see Yan Danqing, and they could also see the person being led. They all made way for her, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes.
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Author's note: This is just a transitional chapter for today. See you tomorrow!
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