Chapter 1 Funeral
The sky was heavy with fog, as if covered by a gray filter, and a light rain fell obliquely, moistening the grass, trees and flowers.
This is perfect weather for a funeral.
The deceased was surrounded by layers of snow-white double-petaled chrysanthemums and lilies. He was handsome and looked very young. His slightly dark skin appeared exceptionally serene against the backdrop of the pure white flowers.
The deceased's brow was relaxed, and a faint smile played on his lips, as if he were immersed in a beautiful dream—but everyone present knew that he had left this world forever.
Soft, melodious music echoed in the auditorium. Deng Ning followed the silent flow of people and slowly entered, taking his seat in the row of dark wooden chairs. He had never met the deceased before, so he tactfully chose the last seat. His companions saw him from afar and discreetly crossed the aisle to sit down beside him.
"Aren't you going to the front?" He was the guide Deng Ning had hired for his border tour. Deng Ning was able to attend the funeral thanks to his connections. Although the guide's surname wasn't Shen, he had intricate ties with the Shen family, the uncrowned kings of the border. The protagonist of this funeral was none other than the Shen family patriarch, Chen Mo. "You spent a fortune to get a place in the funeral, but you're only sitting in the back row. I feel sorry for you."
Silence. A border general personally appointed by the emperor. The head of the Shen family, even though the shadow of war had long since dissipated, the citizens of the empire still spoke highly of his valiant performance on the battlefield.
It is truly regrettable that such a promising person died suddenly in his prime.
Deng Ning abandoned his usual playful demeanor, his face turning serious with a hint of imposing authority. However, as he turned his head, a smile that he couldn't hide in his eyes dispelled all the solemnity. "There are too many important people in the front row. I'll just look. If I really went up there, I wouldn't know what to say."
He shrugged, inadvertently revealing a hint of the laziness typical of spoiled brats.
The guide thought to himself, "This young master came to the border under the guise of collecting folk songs and paintings, but he didn't see many of the scenic spots. Instead, he lingered in various entertainment venues. Now he's gone to great lengths to squeeze into General Shen's funeral just to 'see' and 'broaden his horizons.' I wonder what his background is, that his elders spoil him like this."
But as he said, the first two rows of seats in the auditorium were filled with familiar faces from the news, military, and political sectors; even celebrities from the business, medical, and media industries had to take a backseat. From this angle, one could see that these bigwigs looked solemn and sorrowful.
Deng Ning casually observed, trying to guess the true thoughts behind those sorrowful masks.
In this border region, there were certainly many who were unwilling to leave in silence, but perhaps even more who wished for his untimely death. The silent enemies, the enemies of the Shen family, and even those who had once been on his side, all wore expressions of grief at this moment, and no one could discern whether they were secretly rejoicing.
General Shen's sudden passing left his vast empire without anyone to manage it. The border army, a piece of tender meat with both fat and lean meat, attracted the covetous eyes of all parties, each wanting a piece. He had no children, only a spouse he had been married to for just over a year... Deng Ning's gaze swept over the throng of people in the front row, finally settling on the solitary young man in the center of the hall.
The young man wore a well-tailored black suit, his head veiled in black, his light golden hair falling softly over his shoulders. He bowed his head, gazing at his beloved who lay eternally asleep in the coffin. Dunning could only see the white rose adorned with dew on his chest and a captivating profile of his face.
Like many others, people's eyes lingered on his tall and well-proportioned figure.
This is the handsome young man who was silently brought back a year ago, declared to be her fiancé, and quickly married to her.
“What will he do now?” Dunning said softly. “Without the protection of the Silence, he is nothing. I heard he was brought back from some small country by the Silence. What about his family and friends?”
“There is no news on that,” the guide shook his head. “General Shen cherishes him very much and never allows the media to disturb their lives.”
Speaking of this, the guide couldn't help but worry about Lu Xuejin's future: "The Shen family is currently leaderless. As General Shen's widow and the natural heir, those who covet the border army will inevitably target him. Moreover, Shen Yuncheng has returned. He is General Shen's rightful legitimate son. There are rumors that if Shen Yuncheng hadn't been uninterested in the family business and gone to City A to pursue academics, General Shen wouldn't have had a chance to rise to power..."
At this point, the guide lowered his voice: "After all, he's an illegitimate child."
"Whether it's Shen Yuncheng or anyone else, if they really set their sights on him, this poor young widow will probably find it hard to resist," the guide sighed softly.
According to the guide, Lu Xuejin's situation was like being besieged by wolves and tigers. Deng Ning nodded in agreement and smiled, "Yes, what should he do..."
...
Lu Xuejin, at the center of the storm, seemed completely oblivious to the wolves and tigers surrounding him. He watched as the coffin lid slowly closed, completely covering his lover's face. As if unable to bear it, he abruptly left the hall and went to the restroom to tidy himself up.
Before entering the auditorium, he stood in the drizzle for about half an hour, and traces of rainwater still remain in his hair, but fortunately, his dark suit does not show any water stains.
The smooth mirror reflected Lu Xuejin's upper body. His expression was sorrowful, and his brows were shrouded in weariness. Even though he had a naturally smiling mouth, the melancholy aura around him could not be shaken off.
To witness the passing of a beloved person and to be able to hold back tears at the funeral without breaking down in tears is already extremely dignified. Shen Yuncheng recalled how Lu Xuejin used to always have a smile on her face, and his heart suddenly ached. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Lu Xuejin saw him in the mirror, turned off the tap, and forced a smile: "I'm fine, just a little tired. There are too many strangers, and I don't know how to deal with them."
Before this, Lu Xuejin lived a secluded life, rarely even seeing the Shen family, let alone the political and business elites who rushed over from all over the country upon hearing the bad news.
Aside from remaining silent, Lu Xuejin had the most contact with Shen Yuncheng in the Shen family. Shen Yuncheng was initially indifferent to the sudden appearance of his male sister-in-law, but after meeting him once, he actively helped him integrate into the Shen family—Lu Xuejin had a natural charm that made people like her at first sight; when he greeted you with a smile, no one could refuse him coldly.
"Everything happened so fast, I'm a little dazed, I haven't even had time to process it... His funeral is already coming to an end." Lu Xuejin blinked, lost in thought, her drooping fingertips still dripping water, which Shen Yuncheng gently wiped away with a dry towel.
Since being declared brain dead, Lu Xuejin has been in this dazed state. She doesn't know to put on more clothes when she's cold, and she lets the sweat flow when she's hot. Her body is already weak and tired, and she even washes her hands with cold water on rainy days. Shen Yuncheng tried his best to restrain himself, but seeing how little he cared for his health, he still couldn't help but step forward—just like the old Silence, caring for Lu Xuejin in every little detail.
Given his current status, he shouldn't be so intimate with Lu Xuejin. If outsiders saw them, rumors would surely spread.
But Shen Yuncheng couldn't control himself.
"It'll be over soon. The cemetery has been arranged, so you don't need to worry about it. After the guests leave, you can rest well. I'm here for you, so don't worry." Shen Yuncheng chose his words carefully, trying to make it sound like just mutual support between family members. However, at the end, he couldn't help but reveal a hint of something, "...Brother."
While the silence still lingered, Shen Yuncheng addressed Lu Xuejin as "Brother Lu," but now he uses a simpler, yet more ambiguous, form of address.
Lu Xuejin remained oblivious, maintaining that gentle yet weak smile. He raised his hand and patted Shen Yuncheng's shoulder, whispering, "It's good that you're here."
The next second, she gently pushed Shen Yuncheng out the door: "I want to be alone for a while. Yuncheng, could you please go to the lobby and keep an eye on things so that the guests are not neglected?"
The bathroom door slammed shut. Shen Yuncheng paused, raised his hand to his shoulder, as if he could still feel the faint warmth lingering there, and felt a sense of loss.
Compared to before, Lu Xuejin was much closer to him, and sometimes they would naturally have physical contact, far exceeding the scope of their relationship. On the night before the funeral, Lu Xuejin was in a daze and mistook him for Shen Mo. She gently hugged him from behind and leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately.
Shen Yuncheng froze, his heart pounding. He forced himself to take a half-step back and reminded Lu Xuejin, "Brother Lu, it's me."
Lu Xuejin finally came to his senses. However, he showed no surprise, regret, or shame at having mistakenly hugged his uncle. He remained calm as if nothing had happened, simply saying, "I'm sorry."
His tone carried a faint hint of disappointment and resentment.
Shen Yuncheng was both delighted and pained. Reason told him that he should not let their relationship go astray, but humans are easily driven and manipulated by desires and emotions. He was powerless to resist and did not want to resist, and he was unable to extricate himself from it.
But sometimes, Lu Xuejin was unusually cold to him, like a basin of ice water that arrived late but was just in time, dampening his restless desires.
Shen Yuncheng attributed it to the shock of Lu Xuejin's sudden and silent death, believing that Lu Xuejin had no relatives or friends and could only seek his help. He couldn't blame Lu Xuejin for this.
...
In the bathroom, Lu Xuejin looked at herself in the mirror, and a smile appeared on her lips again.
Shen Yuncheng's reaction was quite interesting. In the past, he would have been eager to see his uncle abandon all his pride and become hopelessly entangled in an immoral love affair, only to be abandoned in the end. That would have been the perfect pastime to kill time.
But now, Lu Xuejin has found an even more interesting new toy.
At the funeral, as he casually examined the silent remains, pondering the possibility of his beloved rising from the dead, a mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind.
Wow~ Baby, your hair is blonde, your eyes are blue, and your smile is so beautiful and gentle! Husband detected as being in a deadbeat state. Quickly join the Husband Rescue System and painlessly revive your darling husband!
Lu Xuejin was somewhat taken aback: "Save My Husband System... what is that?"
【Hello baby! I'm a system randomly deployed to various worlds, ID: Dongyao. We detected that your husband just died, so we immediately bound you to me QWQ. Don't worry, baby, this system is completely green, with no binding plugins or viruses, no pay-to-win mechanisms, and is entirely free!】
A round metal ball rolled out of thin air, excitedly throwing all sorts of cute emoticons at Lu Xuejin, QAQQWQ, trying its best to show its harmlessness.
“…System Cave One,” Lu Xuejin’s eyes flickered slightly as she said softly, “Can I call you Xiao Yao?”
"Okay." The mechanical voice sounded a little shy, and the ball projected a pink, bashful expression. "Baby, your voice is so beautiful."
[Can I record a lullaby/soothing sound here?]
“Of course.” Lu Xuejin didn’t care about these minor details and turned to the question she cared about most, “You mean, I can bring him back to life?”
[Yes!] Dong Yao said, [Baby's husband is physically dead, but his soul hasn't completely dissipated! As long as Baby travels through different small worlds and completes the tasks issued by the system, he can collect energy to replenish and activate the soul, bringing his deceased husband back to life! This is a Valentine's Day gift package specially launched by the main system for lovers everywhere, completely free and without any threshold!]
[The task isn't difficult. According to calculations, the baby only needs to selflessly dedicate themselves to the male protagonist of the small world and gain 100 dedication points. Furthermore, if the male protagonist can develop a deep and unforgettable impression of the baby, the healing effect will be even better!]
Dongyao spoke in a lively tone, constantly promoting itself, and Lu Xuejin indeed did not sense any threat within this abrupt energy body. According to it, as long as Lu Xuejin played various supporting roles who selflessly dedicated themselves to the protagonist of the small world, and accumulated a certain amount of dedication points, his recently buried partner could be resurrected.
It sounds like a fairy tale.
Lu Xuejin recalled the day he died silently, when he brought the steaming sweet soup to the other person and watched him drink it.
“So, he’s not quite dead yet.” Lu Xuejin paused, a strange light flashing in her eyes, her tone incredibly sincere, “That’s wonderful… I mean, I will definitely save him—my dearest husband.”
Lu Xuejin smiled, her eyes curving into a beautiful arc, her joy emanating from the bottom of her heart.
"Xiao Yao, thank you for coming. I'm so happy."
Author's Note:
I was busy with real-life matters in the first half of the year, so I'm only getting around to writing this now. Hope you all enjoy it! [sigh]
Thank you all for your support and encouragement before I started writing this story. I hope you enjoy it.
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