Chapter 61 The woman in the portrait is you.
Chu Yunjin noticed that his expression was off and felt a little uneasy: "Yan Cang, what's wrong?"
Yan Cang remained silent, his eyes fixed on the woman in the portrait, his gaze filled with a mixture of guilt and sorrow, his thin lips pressed together until they were almost white.
Chu Yunjin's heart sank to the bottom.
So, is this woman really the person Yan Cang truly loves?
Her hand gripping the scroll tightened unconsciously, a sharp pain suddenly piercing her heart. She thought she could face it calmly, but only now did she realize that she could not accept the fact that Yan Cang loved someone else.
Even though she knew she wasn't the original owner of this body.
Even though she knew in her heart that no matter who Yan Cang liked, it was not her, a ghost from the 21st century.
But she found that she still couldn't accept it.
The temperature in the air dropped sharply, and an uneasy atmosphere filled the air.
After an unknown amount of time, Yan Cang finally spoke slowly, his voice deep, cold, and tense: "Was this portrait sent by the Princess Consort of Jin?"
Chu Yunjin snapped out of her reverie and nodded gently, "Mm."
Yan Cang took the portrait from her hand and suddenly pulled her into his arms. The force of his arms tightened as if he wanted to meld her into his body. Chu Yunjin could feel his trembling and uncontrollable emotional fluctuations.
Chu Yunjin, disregarding her grief, softly asked, "Yan Cang, what's wrong with you?"
Yan Cang didn't speak, he just held her tightly, his slightly closed eyes hiding all the pain and regret, his voice was so empty it seemed to come from a very far place: "It's okay. Let me hold you for a while."
Chu Yunjin stopped talking and quietly let him hold her. She thought to herself with a sense of self-abandonment, "Let him be. No matter who he really likes, no matter if he sees me as a substitute, no matter what secrets he's hiding... let him be."
Who hasn't experienced the first stirrings of love in their life?
In ancient times, both men and women matured early. They could start talking about marriage at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and they could start having romantic feelings in their early teens.
If you encounter someone who is incredibly amazing during your youth, the chances of that person becoming your "white moonlight" (ideal figure in your life) are almost 100%.
Who is the white moonlight in the heart of such an outstanding person as Yan Cang?
What kind of woman could make him unable to forget her, even to the point of marrying a substitute with a bad personality, to fulfill the regrets he could not have fulfilled?
"Jin'er," Yan Cang said softly, his voice filled with deep affection and sorrow, "the woman in the portrait is yourself."
Chu Yunjin was stunned, and all her sadness and sorrow vanished in an instant.
She pushed Yan Cang away in shock, but couldn't budge him. She tried again, but still couldn't move him... There was nothing she could do; he was holding her too tightly and was very strong, so it was normal that she couldn't push him away.
Chu Yunjin rested her chin on his shoulder, her voice trembling, "It's me? How...how could it be? I don't seem to be that old..."
"It's you." Yan Cang took a deep breath, calming his surging emotions. "I'm not lying to you, please believe me."
Chu Yunjin remained silent for a moment, and although she felt strange, she nodded: "Mm."
Yan Cang closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her in his arms, feeling her alive and well. His long-silent chest seemed to be filled little by little, with no more emptiness or regret.
Chu Yunjin thought of the novels she had read and couldn't help but let her imagination run wild again. She wondered, if what Yan Cang said was true, and the woman in the portrait was really herself, then... what was the hidden story?
Could Yan Cang be a reincarnated person?
She thought of the common tropes in male-oriented novels: in his past life, the male protagonist, due to blindness or other unavoidable reasons, betrayed the female protagonist, causing her tragic death, and he himself also met a bad end. Then... then he was reborn and vowed to make amends to her, spending his whole life repaying the debt he owed her from his past life.
Could Yan Cang have had a similar experience? But... but the book doesn't mention that.
Chu Yunjin coughed lightly: "Yan Cang."
Yan Cang responded almost imperceptibly, "Mm."
"Don't be sad." Chu Yunjin patted his back and comforted him softly. "I believe you, but... can you answer my question? I'm really curious."
She felt like she was being scratched by a cat's claws, an itchy and uncomfortable feeling, and she couldn't wait to know the truth.
Yan Cang didn't speak, but slowly loosened his arms.
Chu Yunjin finally got a chance to catch her breath and couldn't help but move her shoulders, which were sore from being strangled. Just as she was about to look up and ask Yan Cang, she saw Yan Cang suddenly turn around and walk out. He walked very quickly and left the bedroom.
Chu Yunjin opened her mouth, wanting to call out to him, but saw him step out of the room without turning his head and take the portrait with him.
She frowned, raised her hand to rub her shoulder, sighed, and walked towards the brocade couch by the window.
As she sat down by the bed, she felt less sad. After all, Yan Cang had said that the woman in the portrait was her, and there was no one else. He probably wasn't lying.
But... but it doesn't make sense.
Unless he is truly a reincarnated person, and the portrait depicts her from her past life.
Chu Yunjin turned to look out the window, raised her hand to support her chin, and frowned as she thought, could it be because in her previous life Yan Cang became the Crown Prince and she became the Crown Princess?
Didn't Yan Jinyue say that was the Crown Princess's attire?
Why did Yan Cang sign a military pledge in this life, refusing to become the crown prince?
Chu Yunjin was racking her brains when she suddenly saw Granny Zhou rushing towards her through the window.
"Your Highness," Granny Zhou handed her an invitation. "The Ning'an Princess's residence has sent an invitation, inviting you to have tea tomorrow."
Chu Yunjin took the invitation, temporarily putting aside the wildly imaginative scenarios in her mind, and looked down at the invitation: "Did Princess Ning'an send this over?"
"yes."
"I see."
Granny Zhou took her leave.
Chu Yunjin turned to look at the door and called out, "Adele."
Adele turned and entered the room, bowing respectfully: "Your Highness."
Chu Yunjin asked her, "Are you very skilled in martial arts?"
Adele replied, "It's alright."
"Could you go to Princess Ning'an's residence for me?" Chu Yunjin asked. "Don't let anyone find out. Make sure you're safe, and find out about Princess Ning'an and Consort Wen's situation."
"Yes." Adele nodded. "I'll go right away."
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