Translator: _Min
Gu Wenzhu felt as if all sounds had been swept away.
Everything fell into a deep silence.
Only the face before him, dimming the brilliance of a thousand lights, remained.
âYouââ Gu Wenzhuâs eyes widened in disbelief, âYun Lan?!â
He staggered, nearly falling.
Si Fuqing extended her hand, steadying the elder.
She embraced him, sighing, âTeacher, itâs me.â
âHow can you⦠how can youâ¦â Ancient Wen Zhu, usually so meticulous, was now somewhat disoriented, stuttering, âHave you become young again?!â
The last time he saw Yun Lan, she was 22.
Five years had passed, yet she looked even younger?
Gu Wenzhuâs mind struggled to comprehend.
He gazed at Si Fuqing, his eyes gradually reddening.
He remembered a similar scene, much like the first time he met Glenn years ago.
The girl stood beneath the steps, her eyes curved in a smile, youthful arrogance and recklessness in her gaze.
She was born with the heart of a mighty one, destined to soar across the lands.
No shackles in this world could hold her.
Even if brambles lay ahead, sheâd stride through them with ease.
That was Yun Lanâs demeanor, her unique gaze.
But it wasnât her face.
âI know you believe in me, teacher.â Si Fuqing simply smiled, softly saying, âSo I donât need to explain anything.â
Gu Wenzhu fell silent.
After a while, he sighed, âIf I donât believe in you, who will? Youâre my student, after all.â
Si Fuqingâs eyelashes fluttered, about to speak.
âThis isnât the place to talk.â Gu Wenzhu patted her shoulder, his eyes softening, âLetâs find a private room.â
Following him, Si Fuqing glanced around, surprised, âQu Lingyun didnât come?â
âWhy should he?â Gu Wenzhu was irritable at the mention of Qu Lingyun, âHe couldnât even find you. So much for the âTop Director of the Great Xia Empire.â What use is he?â
Si Fuqing paused, reminding, âTeacher, in this appearance, anyone would struggle to find me.â Gu Wenzhu:
He grumbled, âEither way, heâs useless!â
âSure, sure.â Si Fuqing smiled, then turned serious, âI didnât want to see him anyway. Itâs enough to see you, teacher.â
This pleased Gu Wenzhu immensely, âYun Lan, you understand. Lingyun always irritates me. Traveling around the Great Xia Empire with him could drive anyone mad.â
They entered a private dining restaurant.
Si Fuqing helped Gu Wenzhu sit, âHowâs your health, teacher?â
âGreat. I even participated in a city marathon recently,â he brightened, âand finished tenth.â
Si Fuqing clapped, âTeacher, youâre indeed still sharp and spirited.â
âEnough praises. So, whatâs this about?â Gu Wenzhu frowned, âEven if you returned youth, you wouldnât change your face. Do you know I insured your face for a billion?!â
Si Fuqing coughed lightly, âActually, that face was also fake.â
In the outside world, how could she not know the art of disguise?
She didnât have the evolved beingsâ ability to change at will, relying on technology and makeup.
Gu Wenzhu fell silent again, âYun Lan, tell me honestly, are you part of some secret agency? Tell the truth. Iâve seen it all over the years. I can handle it.â
Si Fuqing pondered, âActually, I died once and then resurrected into another body. The agency you mentioned⦠sort of fits.â
At first, T18 had only her second senior brother.
Then he said he couldnât handle it alone, and tricked her and her third senior sister into joining.
She was forced into an extra job.
âResurrected into another body?â Gu Wenzhu choked, scrutinizing her, âWhen did you develop this symptom? Today?â
Si Fuqing blinked, âDidnât you say youâve seen it all kinds of storms?â
Gu Wenzhu:
He hadnât seen this kind of storm.
âNever mind that. I donât care.â Gu Wenzhuâs voice trembled slightly, âAs long as youâre back, as long as youâre back!â
At the end, he couldnât hold back tears, covering his face.
Si Fuqingâs expression shifted, âTeacher, youâ¦â
âHow embarrassing.â Gu Wenzhu wiped his tears, turned away, his shoulders shaking, âAt my age, I canât control my emotions. Donât look at me. Itâs embarrassing.â
Si Fuqing silently passed him a tissue, âIâm sorry, teacher.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Sometimes she wondered why she was able to awaken again.
Maybe because many were waiting for her.
âWhat apologies between us?â Ancient Wen Zhu finally calmed down, his eyes still red, but quickly changed the subject, âSo, about those two outfits?â
âIâm mentoring in a talent show,â Si Fuqing nodded, âIâve prepared performance costumes for my talented trainees. The final performance is soon. â
âYou really areâ¦â Gu Wenzhu didnât know what to say, disapproving, âYou never treat yourself well.â
Si Fuqing, relaxed, âIâm happy with fried chicken and coke. Simple needs.â
âFine, youâre easy to care for.â Gu Wenzhu resigned, âThe clothes are ready, sent by international courier. Theyâll arrive tomorrow.â
âOf course.â Si Fuqing touched her chin, âI timed my email to you perfectly.â âOnly you are so clever.â Gu Wenzhu finally smiled, âCome on, letâs eat.â The dishes arrived quickly.
Si Fuqing picked up her chopsticks, her sleeve tugged by a pixiu.
âHm?â Si Fuqing leaned down slightly, âYou mean, since Iâve reunited with teacher, we should go find second senior brother and the others?â
Little Bai nodded.
âNot now.â Si Fuqingâs gaze darkened, âI need to gather information about the explosion in the Free State. Plus, you havenât regained your strength, nor have I. We know the chaos there.â
âSo, I canât contact them proactively. Teacher is different. No one in the sect knows Yun Lan is me. Even if the film industry is chaotic, they donât throw bombs at each other.â
Little Bai seemed disheartened.
Even it didnât understand how its powers had vanished.
But to reunite with its dog owner was a fortunate stroke in an otherwise unlucky situation.
Gu Wenzhu turned back, âWhat are you barking about there?â Si Fuqing:
She stuffed Little Bai into her bag, speaking slowly, âNothing.â
Gu Wenzhu was skeptical.
His studentâs recent behavior was peculiar, conversing with a dog. It seemed he needed to find her a neurologist.
Meanwhile, in the Zuo family villa.
Zuo Tianfeng expressed his concern, âXianyu, your uncle mentioned youâve been off your game at work recently. You should take a leave. Itâd be bad if you make more mistakes.â
Zuo Xianyu, massaging her head, sighed, and could only agree, âYes.â This was indeed strange.
She was getting enough sleep and wasnât overtired, so why were these mistakes happening at work lately?
Although they were minor and quickly rectified, preventing worse outcomes.
But if this continued, a severe mistake could occur at any time.
In the business world, even a small error could lead to a loss of billions for a company.
The shareholders, who once praised her, now looked at her differently.
Zuo Xianyu was in an extremely bad mood.
But she had no outlet for her frustration.
âAlright, Iâll arrange for your leave. You and your mom can take a trip to the neighboring cities, or even go abroad, to relax,â Zuo Tianfeng said.
âHowâs my mom?â She asked.
âSheâs at the beauty salon recently. Her skinâs been acting up,â Zuo Tianfeng replied nonchalantly, âShe suddenly had an allergic breakout yesterday. Just detoxifying.â
Zuo Xianyuâs heart skipped a beat.
Mrs. Zuo always took meticulous care of her skin, using custom skincare products. How could she suddenly have a breakout?
Such occurrences were common.
Yet, when all these events collided, she felt something was off.
Zuo Xianyu pursed her lips slightly, thinking she needed to visit a temple herself.
Just a few days ago, she had gone to Liushan Temple, but Master Miaoguang refused to meet anyone from the Zuio family, shutting his doors.
Grandma Zuo had been continuously in the prayer hall these days, often muttering incomprehensible words.
Zuo Qingya had been transferred to a prison in Sijiu City, and was unreachable.
These last two months had indeed been bizarre.
At that moment, the landline rang.