Eileenburg (32)
Entrust (2)
It was only then that Ailian realized that everything the Queen Mother had told her was a test; she simply wanted to ensure that Ailian would protect Vivian. Ailian looked at the pale-faced Vivian, so small and adorable. She turned to look at the only mimosa tree in the courtyard. The New Year was in two weeks, and Ailian's fiftieth birthday was in two more months.
"If it's not you, then it can only be Vivian." Grand Duke Sway looked at the silent Eileen. A long-lived person could never ascend the throne. Eileen had wanted to adopt Vivian as her goddaughter, even with the generational difference, but the Queen Mother had still arranged it all. It turns out everything had a reason.
“You,” Ailian said, holding Vivian’s hand, “didn’t you ever consider that Mi might never come back?”
"Why have you been coming to Eileen Castle all these years?" Grand Duke Sway didn't understand why Eileen insisted that Mi would never return.
“I’m just here to remember and mourn. My life has already gone with Mi, so it doesn’t really matter to me where I live.” Ailian shook her head. “I’m just more used to Ailian Castle. If I could, I would only live out my days in Ailian Castle.”
“You are a long-lived species,” Grand Duke Sway said, disbelieving. Vivian, lying on the bed, suddenly coughed, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. Her body temperature soared, and she trembled uncontrollably.
"Medical officer, medical officer!" Ailian shouted loudly outside.
The medical officer rushed in and examined Vivian. She had stopped coughing, and her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible. The medical officer knelt down beside the bed: "Madam, please accept my condolences, Your Excellency."
“She’s still breathing, she’s still breathing,” Ailian pointed at Vivian, unwilling to give up. Little Vivian’s chest gradually calmed down, and the hissing sounds in her throat gradually stopped. Ailian stood to the side, her hands and feet cold, and after a long while, she said, “You both go out.” Ailian and Vivian stayed in the room without making a sound until dark.
Grand Duke Sway then said, "Light the lamps, and medical officer, go see the Queen Mother."
“Yes,” the medical officer bowed. “I’d better take Vivian with me; leaving her here isn’t a solution.”
"Alright."
Xiao Wei came in with a lit candle. Ai Lian was asleep on Vivian's chest. Little Vivian was no longer as pale as she had been in the afternoon. Her face was calm, she was breathing peacefully, and she was sleeping soundly.
"Miss?" Xiao Wei's voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost inaudible.
"This?" Grand Duke Swei and the royal physician exchanged a glance. "Keep the news under wraps." Grand Duke Swei walked out, while the physician stood guard at the door.
The next day, Vivian woke up, while Ailian was fast asleep as before. Xiaowei settled Ailian in Mi's room, and little Vivian, like a frightened rabbit, stayed close to Ailian's side.
“Miss Vivian,” Xiao Wei said, looking at Vivian sitting on the edge of the bed, and moved a chair over. “Miss Vivian doesn’t like anyone coming near this bed.” Two days later, Ai Lian finally woke up. It was a rare foggy day in Sun City. Ai Lian looked out the white expanse of the window and looked at Xiao Wei with a puzzled expression.
"It's getting foggy, Miss." Xiaowei drew back the curtains. "Would you like something to eat today?"
"Sweet soup, please. I want some sweet soup." Ailian was even weaker than before, her whole body was so pale that she was almost bloodless, and even her usually delicate lips were a terrifying white.
"good."
“Godmother.” Little Vivi stood uneasily at the foot of the bed.
“Vivian, you’re awake.” Eileen smiled at her. “You must grow up well.” Eileen tried to raise her hand to touch Vivian’s head, but found that she couldn’t lift her hand at all. Vivian came over and buried her head in Eileen’s hand, sobbing softly, “Godmother, don’t go. You must stay with Vivian forever.”
“Silly child, why didn’t you tell me about your trip to the palace?” Ailian moved her fingers. “This is the only way now. Xiaowei knows what to do, so don’t worry.” Ailian didn’t know how the Queen Mother and Grand Duke Swei had arranged for Vivian, and she had no energy left to think about it. Suddenly, there was a “thump, thump” knocking sound at the window. Ailian looked up at the windowsill and saw Mi, dressed in black, sitting on the windowsill.
"Mi?" Ailian said, puzzled. "I'm hallucinating. Vivian, go and call Xiaowei over." Ailian stared at the figure on the windowsill, blinked, and saw that Mi was still there. Vivian stood up, looked at Ailian's flushed face, and walked outside with concern.
"Is this little girl your daughter?" Mi walked to Ailian's bedside. "She's quite pretty."
“Mi, I thought I’d never see you again.” Ailian grabbed Mi’s sleeve. “Why are you back?”
“I’ve come to ask if you want to come with me to the snowy region?” Mi sat down. “To leave this cage.”
"Are you alone?" Ailian looked at Mi with almost greedy eyes.
Mi snapped his fingers, and another person climbed in through the window. This person had green eyes, red hair, and snow-white skin. Ailian stared blankly at the person before her, who looked almost exactly like her, and said, "Mi, is this my double?" The person who had just climbed in frowned as he looked at Ailian, whose face was pale on the bed. "You're Ailian?" The young man looked at Ailian again before saying to Mi, "She doesn't look like me at all."
“I didn’t say you looked alike,” Mi said helplessly.
"She, you?" Ailian was a little dizzy. "Mi, you're really back."
"Yeah, I'm back. Are you coming or not?" Mi looked at Ailian. "Why do you look like this? Are you sick? Do you want me to carry you?"
"I can't leave, Mi, I can't leave." Ailian didn't know how to explain what happened two days ago. If Mi had appeared even a little earlier, just a little earlier, Ailian wouldn't have cared about the Queen of the Flower Kingdom. She would have just abandoned everything and followed Mi to fly away.
Xiao Vivian pushed open the door and came in, followed by Xiao Wei.
"Miss Mi?" Xiao Wei was startled, took a step further and closed the door.
Mi then got a good look at Vivian; her black hair was braided and hung in front of her chest, and her brown eyes were quietly staring at her.
"Wait a minute, you gave birth to a baby here!" The red-haired, green-eyed girl standing to the side glanced at little Vivian and gave Mi a thumbs up.
Xiao Wei and Xiao Wei then noticed a girl standing nearby who bore a striking resemblance to Ai Lian. She was also dressed in black, and her expression was similar to Mi's—indifferent and unconcerned. Xiao Wei quickly walked over, looked Mi over again and again, and said with reddened eyes, "It's good that Miss Mi is back, it's good that she's back. Miss, look, Miss Mi is back. I told you she would definitely come back."
Mi realized something was wrong at that moment, and she looked at Ailian on the bed: "What's wrong with you?"
Xiaowei was about to speak when Ailian stopped her. Ailian pointed at Vivian and said, "Mi, I can't leave. Can you take her with you?"
“I’m not leaving.” Little Vivian looked stubbornly at Ailian, trying to ignore the two women in black who had just entered.
Mi looked at Ailian gently, then turned to the girl who had followed her in and said, "Go and see what's going on around you." As soon as Mi finished speaking, the girl in black climbed over the window frame and jumped out. Xiao Wei watched in surprise as the woman in black disappeared from sight.
"Xiao Wei, take Vivian to get something to eat, and get some for Mi too—" Ai Lian turned to Mi, forcing a smile: "What do you want to eat?" Mi shook her head, and Xiao Wei took Vivian out.
“Mi,” Ailian reached out her hand, “I thought you would never come back.”
Mi grasped Ailian's hand: "Actually, I came here to—"
Ailian shook her head, interrupting Mi: "Hug me, Mi, hug me."
Mi Ban sat on the edge of the bed, thought for a moment, climbed onto the bed, and hugged Ai Lian Ban in her arms: "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
“They said you would bring a queen to the Flower Kingdom, and I never believed it,” Ailian said, her head nestled in Mi’s arms. “Now I believe it.”
"What queen?" Mi asked, puzzled.
“Mi, little Vivian is the daughter of Prince Ryan and Bethune.” Eileen gazed longingly at Mi’s face, her heart pounding again. At this moment, Eileen understood the beauty of life. If possible, she would also like to leave this place with Mi and wander around.
"How did she end up here? Is the Queen alright? Is Betrice alright?" Mi had no idea about the current situation in the Flower Kingdom.
"The Queen Mother is dying," Ailian gasped for breath, then whispered, "Mi, don't go to the palace, don't go."
"Okay, I won't go. Do you want to take a nap?" Mi wanted to go find Xiaowei to ask what was going on.
"Mi, take Vivian with you and leave soon, right now," Ailian said resolutely with her eyes closed.
“Okay, if little Vivian agrees.” Mi felt Ailian’s life slipping away and couldn’t help but hug her tightly.
“Mi, I’ve been doing very well all these years.” Ailian smiled. “You don’t need to worry. I’ve just returned to the embrace of Lotus Lake.”
Ailian asked Mi to ring a bell and call Xiaowei and Vivian in. Xiaowei's eyes were red and she didn't speak, while Vivian stubbornly glared at Mi, the outsider.
“Little Vivian,” Ailian reached out her hand, and little Vivian came over and squatted down beside Ailian’s bed. Ailian looked at little Vivian: “You go with Mi and follow her arrangements from now on. Don’t forget what the Queen Mother told you, and don’t let Mi and me down.”
"You?" Little Vivian looked at Ailian expectantly, squatting down beside her. "Shall we go together?"
"Xiao Wei, pack Vivian's things now," Ai Lian instructed. "Also, give all the special passes to Mi, don't keep a single one."
"Yes." Xiao Wei turned to leave, and Mi looked at the room, which was almost exactly the same as when she left, and said, "Prepare more food, and make sure the clothes are light and easy to wear, as well as winter clothes." Mi looked at Xiao Vivian, "Take her away and change her into riding clothes. Don't wear a skirt, and cut her hair short too." Xiao Vivian silently followed Xiao Wei out.
The woman in black climbed back in through the window: "Are you harboring some wanted criminal here? There are people everywhere outside, not just soldiers, but also assassins."
"Who are you?" Ailian looked at her and then at Mi.
The young woman glanced at Ailian and said, "You can call me Mo. Mi is my teammate."
"Mo, hello," Ailian replied hastily, "I'm entrusting my goddaughter Vivian to you." Xiao Wei brought in little Vivian, dressed in black riding attire, and looking at her now, little Vivian looked even more like Mi.
"You must leave now, and don't look back no matter what news you hear," Ailian said to Mi. Mi nodded to Mo, who then pulled Vivian over the window and into the thick white fog.
"Mi, do you know what's most annoying about you?" Ailian looked at Mi with almost lingering affection. "You never hold me tight and kiss me passionately, you always keep your distance, you never take the initiative to get close to me, like a person in a mirror. No matter how close I get, I can't touch you. When I reach out, all I get is cold air." Mi hugged Ailian's frail and thin body tightly and gently placed a kiss on her hair: "Okay, go to sleep."
A golden light, like twilight, shone from the corner of Lian's eyes. Finally, she closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile on her lips. Mi held Lian in her arms. This girl, once full of curiosity and vitality, was now like a withered lotus leaf, her bluish veins bulging, her face a horrifying bluish-gray. Mi held Lian; the vibrant green life force was gone, the two shimmering white lights had vanished, leaving only a faint red glow in her life. Mi gathered this red glow, finding within it the remnants of joy and happiness, and repeated admonitions: "Mi, you must live well." "Mi, don't be sad for me. I am the one in the world who loves you wholeheartedly." "As long as you love yourself, I will not die. We will meet again in the future." A tear slid from Mi's eye, enveloping Lian completely. The faint red glow clung to the teardrop, giving Lian's face a slight rosy glow.
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