"That day on the street, when I saw you, I had my doubts, but I never imagined it really was you." Yang Mengchen said, her voice filled with excitement as teardrops slid down her cheeks.
Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is special, let alone meeting Lan Ling across a thousand years and different dimensions. One can easily imagine her emotional state.
In her past life, Lan Ling had few friends due to the nature of her work and her personality. Yang Mengchen was her dearest and most intimate confidant. In this life, to be able to meet Yang Mengchen again, Lan Ling, now Chu Dieyi, gently embraced her, tears also welling up in her eyes.
After a long moment, Chu Dieyi let go of Yang Mengchen, took out a handkerchief, gently wiped the tear stains from her face, and dabbed at her own eyes: "We sisters are fortunate to be reunited. We should be happy, no more crying, alright?"
Lan Ling was six years older than Yang Mengchen and always took care of her like a big sister. Hearing her sister’s affectionate words now, Yang Mengchen felt a sense of warmth and peace fill her heart. She blinked, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill again, and nodded slightly. The two sisters held hands and returned to their seats.
"I was just thinking of asking the Prince to arrange a meeting with you and General Shao, and here you are. We’re still so telepathically connected," Yang Mengchen remarked with emotion.
Chu Dieyi smiled: "After seeing you at the banquet and learning your name, I wasn’t sure if you were the Ah Meng I knew. These past few days, you were occupied with guests from Taji Chang, so I restrained my urge to see you and took the opportunity to inquire about you. My suspicions grew, but I still wanted to see you in person before making any conclusions. It wasn’t until I tasted the pastries you made just now that I was certain you were the Ah Meng I knew."
"You’re still as cautious and composed as ever."
"It’s become a habit over the years."
Seeing the melancholy and self-mockery in Chu Dieyi’s expression, Yang Mengchen felt heartache, so she changed the subject: "Ah Lan, how did you come to be here? And how long have you been here?"
"I was on a secret mission when someone leaked information, and I found myself surrounded by enemies with no way out. I had to detonate the explosives, intending to take the enemies with me." Chu Dieyi spoke slowly: "When I woke up, I became Chu Dieyi. That very year, Chu Dieyi, just coming of age, was pressured by Mother Procuress from Cui Xiang Tower to accept... clients. But she was defiant and ended her life by crashing into a pillar. That’s how I survived by taking her place;
I used a few tricks, and Mother Procuress didn’t dare to force me any longer. Half a year later, I met Ah Yi and soon married him. It’s been ten years hence;
Not so long ago, when I saw antibiotics, I suspected someone else like me had come here, but due to the isolation of the border region and the fact that the original body was an official slave, I couldn’t leave to confirm who it was;
Had Ah Yi not insisted on bringing me to The Capital, I wouldn’t know when we would’ve met again, nor could we have continued our sisterly bond."
Yang Mengchen nodded with a smile: "Later on, I must properly thank my brother-in-law."
For her safety, Wende and Uncle Luo had gone to great lengths to suppress any news about her in the past years. Since the Emperor had granted her marriage to Wende, people only knew of her as Princess Chen and not her real name. It was normal that Ah Lan, being far at the border, wouldn’t have known.
"I’m now eight years older than you. You really should call Ah Yi ’brother-in-law,’ but you can only do so in private. After all, the statuses of you, Prince Chen, and Ah Yi are too sensitive," Chu Dieyi said indulgently as she tapped Yang Mengchen’s forehead and cautioned repeatedly.
"I understand." Yang Mengchen asked with concern: "Ah Lan, is your husband good to you?"
Chu Dieyi smiled and replied: "Ah Yi, coming from a humble background and being a military man, tends to be a bit rough around the edges. Fortunately, despite having the male chauvinistic mindset of the Feudal Era, he treats me with enough respect and as an equal, and he is not lacking in care and consideration. He only wishes to spend his life with me. I’m content and very happy."
"As long as you feel happy, that’s what matters." Seeing the subtle sweetness hidden in the depths of Chu Dieyi’s eyes and brows, Yang Mengchen was happy for her, but still... after hesitating for a moment, she finally asked, "Ah Lan, do you still remember He Yuhan?"
At those words, Chu Dieyi’s expression faltered, and after a brief pause, she lowered her eyelids, pressing her lips together in silence.
Yang Mengchen knew that Ah Lan and He Yuhan had affection for each other, yet fate had been cruel, separating them before they could be together, even until the sacrifice of Ah Lan.
"When I received the call from He Yuhan, learning of your sacrifice, I rushed back from Arab lands. In front of your graveyard, I saw He Yuhan, a man so changed I could scarcely recognize him. He was utterly defeated and despondent;
He told me, even knowing how dangerous that mission was, aware that the secret had been leaked, he still sent you. It was the only thing in his life he ever regretted. Afterwards, he left with a photo of you, and since then, I never saw him again;
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