My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 88

Chapter 88: For Her New Life

Grandma Xie couldn’t comment on the “strong scent of jealousy” in front of Jiang Mei, so she simply smiled and patted Xie Xitong’s head.

“Your Mei-jiejie came here precisely to ask about this,” she explained. “Even if the consciousnesses of two people are very similar and can coexist due to special circumstances, they still have to make certain compromises for everyday life.”

“Yes, but I also sincerely hope that Princess Zhemei can see more of this world,” Jiang Mei said. “So, could you please add a ‘switch’ for our consciousnesses? If I need to deal with some… private matters, Princess Zhemei can use this switch to temporarily withdraw.”

Although for now, Xiao Linghan’s consciousness didn’t interfere with her normal life, Jiang Mei wasn’t sure if she would fall in love in the future, or even… get married and have children.

The relationships with a lover and a wife were undoubtedly more intimate. Even if it was another version of herself, it was still better to avoid certain situations.

The “compromises” Grandma Xie mentioned were probably measures like this, to temporarily shield the other soul’s perception during private matters.

Jiang Xue was shocked.

Could this really be done? A switch? For consciousness and soul? Could a metaphysics practitioner achieve this?

But the next second, she heard Grandma Xie click her tongue. “Do you think I’m some kind of ‘omnipotent mage’? Relying on these old bones of mine? You might as well rely on Princess Zhemei!”

Jiang Mei fell silent, then frowned slightly. “She seems… to actually be able to do it.”

Jiang Xue: …?

Under the gazes of several pairs of eyes, Jiang Mei simply explained about inheriting the memories.

However, considering that Xiao Linghan had been brought to this world by new causality, and also her own wishes, she only mentioned the compression and compartmentalization of memories, not the pain and despair that only the two of them knew.

“So amazing! She can compartmentalize memories like a hard drive? And even has a search and locate function?!” Xie Xitong’s eyes lit up, her jealousy towards Princess Zhemei instantly vanishing. “No wonder creating a ‘switch’ is no problem for her! How did she do it? Can she send me a dream and tell me? Mei-jiejie… Linghan-jiejie?”

Jiang Xue was dumbfounded by her reaction. Before she could even comment, she heard a chuckle from beside her.

“Sorry, I just thought of something funny,” Xiao Luohan said, covering her mouth, finding an excuse.

…No! Didn’t she know this was a classic case of “protesting too much”?!

Even Jiang Mei chuckled. The Xiao Linghan in her consciousness teased directly, “Your little neighbor is so interesting. She should be called ‘flexible’… what was the word for ‘bottom line’ again?”

“She’s always like this,” Jiang Mei coughed lightly. “So, can you send a dream?”

“Of course not,” Xiao Linghan replied with a smile. “It’s already difficult for me to send a dream to Xiao Luo, who shares my blood. I slept for so long after the last time. You might as well hope for me to ‘install the switch’ soon.”

So Jiang Mei asked Grandma Xie, “Then, could you please check if our condition is stable?”

“That’s hard to say,” Grandma Xie said, without taking off her glasses, and gave her conclusion directly. “Even if I predict that your souls can coexist peacefully now, the future is unpredictable.”

“However, if it truly is the ‘causality’ of creating a prosperous era ruled by women that brought her to our world, the only ‘accident’ that might happen to you two is either you or her leaving due to a life-or-death crisis.”

Finally having revealed the long-kept secret, Jiang Mei breathed a sigh of relief.

While Xie Xitong took Jiang Mei and Xiao Luohan to the living room downstairs to play video games, she told Grandma Xie about the headaches and dizziness caused by accessing the memories.

“I’m almost done with the Empress route in Non-Dream,” Xiao Luohan said to Xie Xitong, holding the white cat. “But I feel like something’s not right, it might be a bad ending.”

“Why do you think that? Tell me.” Xie Xitong was defending against Jiang Xue’s attacks—they were playing a two-player fighting game—while listening. “How many prerequisite routes have you cleared?”

“The ‘female officials’ route, which is required, has a happy ending, and I’ve cleared all the noble family routes, but for the commoner routes, I’ve only cleared the musician’s true ending,” Xiao Luohan recalled.

“No wonder, just clearing one commoner route, and a true ending at that, isn’t enough,” Xie Xitong shook her head. “Noble families can be replaced, but to truly secure the throne, you have to focus on the well-being of the people.”

“How to enact laws that benefit the people, how to proceed without making men feel that their interests are being harmed or their lives threatened, and how to educate women who have been influenced by the so-called ‘mainstream social ideology’ that ‘a woman’s only path in life is marriage and childbirth’… you need to understand these through the commoner routes.”

“After you’ve achieved more happy endings in the commoner routes, related options will appear in the Empress route, and then you can get the true ending. As for the happy ending… you can avoid the bad ending and get the true ending first, then learn about it later.”

Distracted by explaining to Xiao Luohan, Xie Xitong didn’t react in time, and her character’s health bar was depleted by Jiang Xue, defeated.

“Do you want to take a break?” Jiang Xue, who had won, felt a little guilty.

“It’s okay, I can multitask,” Xie Xitong said, but seeing that Xiao Luohan wasn’t asking any more questions, she focused all her attention on fighting Jiang Xue.

The bright red “KO” soon appeared on the screen. This time, it was Jiang Xue’s character who was defeated.

After five more rounds of fighting, Xie Xitong, tired from the intense concentration, handed the controller to Xiao Luohan, took the white cat from her arms, and continued their previous conversation. “Actually, even in our society, the final happy ending of Non-Dream is very idealistic.”

“But… a thousand years ago, who would have imagined that society could develop into what it is today?”

Xiao Luohan, having experienced that era now buried in history, sighed with emotion. “Indeed. ‘A prosperous era is not a dream.’ Even if it’s just an idealistic mirage, it will eventually blossom and bear fruit, becoming reality.”

Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan spent the entire morning at Xie Xitong’s home, playing games and even having lunch there.

Xiao Luohan also unlocked a classic management simulation game on the S platform, which combined farming, NPC interactions, and monster hunting, and allowed for multiplayer online co-op. But she was still engrossed in Non-Dream and probably wouldn’t “jump into the new game” until she had cleared all the routes.

Starting from 1:00 PM, they could hear the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks from the plaza outside the community.

To reduce pollution and ensure the safety of residents, while also respecting traditional customs during the New Year, the community had designated a specific area for setting off fireworks.

Jiang Mei, wanting to go home and rest, so Xiao Linghan could set up the consciousness “switch” sooner, didn’t go to watch the fireworks, but called Cheng Shizhu to accompany the three girls.

Cats were easily startled by loud noises, so even though the white cat clung to everyone’s legs and howled in protest when they left, it was still carried by Xie Xitong to Grandma Xie.

The snow outside was getting heavier. Cheng Shizhu simply drove Sister Cheng’s silver car to pick them up.

But her driving wasn’t as smooth as Sister Cheng’s. There were many mountains near the university she attended, and over the years, she had developed unusual driving skills from navigating the steep mountain roads.

It even made Xiao Luohan think for the first time that “wearing seatbelts is a good rule.”

Jiang Xue, who was prone to carsickness, immediately regretted getting in the car. She hadn’t dressed warmly enough and had been afraid of catching a cold from walking in the snow for too long, so she had gotten into Cheng Shizhu’s car. Now she felt that catching a cold might have been better.

As soon as she got out of the car, she covered her mouth with a tissue and ran towards the public restroom near the plaza.

The lunch she had freeloaded was wasted!

Xiao Luohan immediately went to take care of her, Xie Xitong followed, and even Cheng Shizhu, after parking the car, hurried over.

Jiang Xue couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just carsickness… do you really have to make such a fuss?!”

But she was still touched. She rinsed her mouth with the light tea Sister Cheng had insisted Cheng Shizhu bring, and after recovering a bit, she had the energy to watch the fireworks with her friends.

They cleared the snow from the viewing platform, laid down the car’s cushions, and sat in a row.

“Actually, daytime fireworks aren’t as beautiful as nighttime fireworks, but it’s still lively,” Jiang Xue said to Xiao Luohan.

“Fireworks and firecrackers are also set off in the palace during the New Year,” Xiao Luohan nodded, recalling. “When I was little, there seemed to be an annual ‘fireworks display,’ but it stopped later.”

“Probably because the Emperor spent money recklessly and didn’t know how to manage finances, emptying the national treasury,” Cheng Shizhu said casually. “Even now, fireworks displays are very expensive.”

“We actually have an annual ‘fireworks display’ for the New Year, but the main venue is in the capital, too far from our city. It takes three hours even by plane, and the tickets are hard to get.” Jiang Xue sighed and looked at Xiao Luohan regretfully. “Maybe next year, after I start university, I’ll have more free time and less pressure, uh… I’ll find a way to get tickets, and then I’ll take you there!”

Xiao Luohan almost blurted out “No need to trouble yourself, watching the broadcast is fine,” but was interrupted by the sudden explosion of firecrackers in the distance.

Even though they were sitting quite far away, she saw Jiang Xue and the others cover their ears, and Xie Xitong even shouted loudly, either to vent her emotions or to join in the festive atmosphere.

She also covered her ears and shouted—for her new life.

This also gave her the courage to agree to Jiang Xue’s invitation. After the long string of firecrackers finished, she smiled and said to Jiang Xue, “Okay, it’s a promise!”

Whether as a family member or… a future girlfriend, she couldn’t be too polite about Jiang Xue’s kindness.

Being polite would create distance. She had to quickly learn to interact with Jiang Xue naturally, like A-Xi and Cheng Shizhu.

In the end, they didn’t stay until nightfall. After sitting on the viewing platform for a while and taking Xiao Luohan to the nearby theater, a little after 4:00 PM, Wei Mommy called and asked them to come home for New Year’s Eve dinner.

“It’s just the preparation stage,” Xie Xitong explained to Xiao Luohan this time. “You can think of it as Uncle Seuss’s afternoon tea.”