72. Two Years of Freedom
Today was the day of departure.
Although the decision had been made, Gong Yiling felt a pang of sadness.
They hadn’t spent that much time together, and initially, she had only given the girl that strange pill to save her life.
The subsequent events were all the system’s doing, completely unexpected.
But now… she had invested so much in this disciple, and yet she was handing her over to the Heartflame Empire, a place she had no connection to. It felt strange.
Before leaving Shangguan Lingyue’s manor, Gong Yiling stood before Lu Xinyao’s room for a long time.
Recalling the three girls’ agreement on how to spend their nights, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“If I could…”
She shook her head with a wry smile. “Forget it. That girl has her own life to live. As her master, her Big Sister, I should be happy for her.”
Muttering to herself, Gong Yiling called for the two girls, who were saying their goodbyes to Shangguan Lingyue, and prepared to board the carriage.
But just as they were about to leave, Shangguan Lingyue called out, “Immortal Master.”
Gong Yiling turned around, puzzled. “What is it?”
Shangguan Lingyue seemed to have something to say, but in the end, she just waved her hand nonchalantly. “Well, I’ll take responsibility for my actions. I hope the Grand Elder won’t blame me.”
After this cryptic statement, she bowed to Gong Yiling. “The road is long, Immortal Master, and… well, please take care.”
“I feel like you have something to say, but you’re holding back.”
“Ah, do I?” Shangguan Lingyue chuckled nervously. “No, no, not at all, hahaha.”
“Is that so?”
“No!” She blurted out, then instinctively slapped the horse’s rump with a loud “thud!”
This wasn’t good.
The horse, startled, bolted, sending the three girls tumbling into the carriage.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
Gong Yiling landed face-first, her forehead hitting the wooden planks beneath the seat. She was sure she had a big lump.
“Are you alright?” A girl’s voice, tinged with amusement, asked, and a slender hand reached out to her.
Gong Yiling took the hand and stood up, her vision clearing…
Purplish-red hair, purplish-red fox ears, and a slightly shy smile.
“Lu Xinyao!?”
“Xinyao?”
“Little Heehee, no, purplish-red Little Heehee!?”
Amidst their surprised cries, Lu Xinyao stuck out her tongue. “Good morning, Big Sister, Sister Chunlian, Sister Qiushui.”
“I’m… coming with you.”
“…Eh, eh, eh?”
—
—
The day before, after Gong Yiling left, Lu Xinyao crouched down and began to sob.
Tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away and looked up, trying to stop them from falling.
But it was futile.
“I… I already made my decision.”
Becoming the Empress was her dream, a cause she was willing to fight for, for the sake of those she cared about.
But… the thought of not seeing Big Sister for months, or even years, filled her with sadness.
Perhaps it was the initial imprinting from her newly awakened fox bloodline, or perhaps it was because of… everything Big Sister had done for her.
“Big… Sister…”
“Click.”
The door opened again. Was it Big Sister, with her habit of not knocking?
Lu Xinyao, her back still to the door, quickly walked to her desk, pretending to be busy.
Then, a voice spoke from behind. “If you want to go, then go.”
It wasn’t Big Sister, but… Auntie?
“The Immortal Master didn’t close the door completely. I heard the last few words of your conversation.” Shangguan Lingyue said softly, “You’re still young. Even if you start now, you won’t officially take over for another two years.”
“After two years, you’ll be the Empress of the Heartflame Empire. But for these two years, you can still be yourself.”
“But… I…”
“Do you know why your auntie isn’t married yet?” Shangguan Lingyue walked up behind her and patted her shoulder.
“Eh?”
“Because the person I love is already dead. No living person can compare to the dead. It’s not fair to anyone.”
Lu Xinyao turned around, surprised, and wiped away her tears. “Auntie… you used to love—”
“I knew Brother Yan long before he knew Sister Luo.” Shangguan Lingyue’s eyes filled with nostalgia and a hint of regret.
“I was young and arrogant then, rejecting all marriage proposals, dedicating myself to the army, treating Brother Yan and the other men as my sworn brothers. We even bathed in the same swamp.”
“Huh? The swamp?” Lu Xinyao blinked. “Isn’t that just rolling around in mud?”
“Ahem, that’s not the point.” Shangguan Lingyue touched her nose awkwardly. “I just wanted to say, when I first met Brother Yan, it was… love at first sight.”
“But then, I volunteered for the front lines to gain merit. I thought he wouldn’t get married so soon. But… hahaha, the next time I saw him, his daughter was almost a month old.”
Saying this now, Shangguan Lingyue sounded like she was telling a funny joke.
But it was a sad joke.
“Do you regret it, Auntie?”
“I’ve always been carefree. And even if I had confessed, the outcome probably wouldn’t have changed. So, I don’t have many regrets.” Shangguan Lingyue looked at her. “But Little Five.”
“You have to seize the opportunity, so you won’t have any regrets.”
—
—
“Wait, Auntie, I’m not talking about romance.”
“It’s all the same. I understand.”
