Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“It’s a dream but it’s also reality.” Smiling, she gazed at him and continued, “We didn’t end up together in this lifetime, but that doesn’t affect my determination to stay together with you. Whatever I say now is not going to affect the outcome or trajectory of events in this lifetime. When I discovered your corpse in Mount Yihua, the spirits of your bodyguards and servants were all guarding your coffin. They told me that you were waiting for me to visit you but I never did in this lifetime. However, I did in our next. I’m really glad that I can now communicate with you through means such as this.”
He then said, “I believe everything that you said. Everyone thinks I’m blessed to be able to be born into the royal family. However, I’ve always felt like I was born at the wrong time. Besides, I’m not on good terms with my brother and he’s attracted to you. He’s bent on making you his. I’ve already expected that things would turn out the way you mentioned. However, I’m not willing to resign to fate. I want to protect you, my mother, and all of my servants.”
“Will you feel better if I told you that we ended up together in our next lifetime? We have a son too.”
He pulled her toward him and kissed her deeply before saying, “You should keep all of this to yourself. It doesn’t matter which realm we’re in now, because you’re the very person standing before me now.”
“When I first woke up in this dream, I wanted to try and fall asleep again, to no avail. However, I’m starting to get a little sleepy now and I want to sleep. I also have another question for you.”
“Go ahead and ask.”
“Amongst all the people we know, which ones have the surname ‘Xiao’?”
Her vision soon began to turn blurry and she fell straight into his embrace. Although she could see that his lips were moving, she could no longer hear his answer.
An Xiaoning was beyond frustrated at the brief moment before she lost her consciousness. I was so close to finding out!
When she woke up again, what greeted her was the glaring rays of the sun, which made it hard for her to open her eyes.
She scanned her surroundings to find that they were still on the ship. Noticing that she was awake, Fan Shixin said, “Young Madam, you were so deep in slumber. I couldn’t wake you up even though I tried calling your name a few times.”
She sat up straight and removed the lid from a bottle of mineral water before chugging most of the water in one shot.
“Have you eaten anything?”
“Not yet.”
She immediately grabbed the food, after which they started eating while the yacht sailed slowly.
“Shixin, can you tell where we are now?”
“I can’t, but according to the route, we should be able to arrive in S Nation by evening.”
She nodded. After having her fill, she plaited her hair into a single braid that made it easier for her to move about.
—
Although the final verdict from the gynecologist was that Mo Li could no longer conceive, Mrs. Mo nonetheless refused to give up. After all, Mo Li was her daughter. Despite being extremely busy with handling the breakfast bistro and taking care of her pregnant daughter-in-law, Mrs. Mo still made the effort to ask around for traditional recipes that would aid Mo Li in nursing her body back to health.
Mo Li did not believe in the potency of those recipes and advised her mother to stop worrying about her.
Mrs. Mo could not help but say, “Lili, once you and Yun Chen are married, why don’t you go to the orphanage and adopt an orphan?”
Mo Li had once discussed the adoption matters with No. 8 before. However, she was not too eager about it yet. “There’s no need for that yet. It won’t be too late to adopt one when we’re ready for children.”
“I’m just worried about you. How could you do without a child? Who’s going to take care of you when you’re old in your years if you don’t have one?” Mrs. Mo lamented with a sigh.
“Mother, stop giving yourself unnecessary worry. I think I’m doing rather well now, life is so much better now than before,” Mo Li said calmly with a smile.
Mo Xun barged into the room and exclaimed agitatedly, “Sis! Look at this!” He was holding a parcel that seemed to have already been opened.
Noticing the grave expression on his face, Mo Li immediately stood up and asked in puzzlement, “Mo Xun, what’s wrong?”
“Sis, take a look at this.” Mo Xun took out the item in the parcel and handed it to her.
Mo Li grabbed it from his hands while Mrs. Mo took the chance to take a peek. The latter immediately turned beet-red and hollered angrily, “Who sent this!?!”
“No idea. We were told that it was for us so Chun Ling accepted it. Sis, look, this must be the hidden side of him. Are you sure you want to marry such a person and put your happiness at risk?” said Mo Xun.
Mo Li ripped the photos into shreds and dumped them into the dustbin. She then said solemnly, “The woman in those photos is his ex-girlfriend whom he has stopped contacting long ago. She stopped finding trouble with him too after Xiaoning taught her a lesson. She came to look me up previously, so I reckon she must have mailed these photos to us on purpose. It’s no big deal.”
Noticing that his sister seemed to be perfectly fine, Mo Xun said indignantly, “He’s got such a unique taste in women. I can tell with just one look that that woman is much older than him.”
Displeased with her brother’s snide remark, Mo Li said, “That’s just his past. Didn’t I also marry Byron who’s more than ten years older than me? I’m in no place to comment about his past, and what matters to me most is his present and our future together. I think my life is very enjoyable now and I look forward to each day. I’m contented enough as it is. Mo Xun, don’t you think I’ve lived a much worse life in the past?”
Mo Xun soon got rid of his disdain toward No. 8. “Sis…”
Mrs. Mo chimed in, “Who doesn’t have a past? Since it’s all history, let’s not bring it up again. If he treats you well from now on, that means you didn’t choose the wrong person.”
“Has Chun Ling seen them?” Mo Li asked.
“Yes, she was the one who signed and accepted the parcel.” Mo Xun frantically said, “I’ll explain it to her, don’t worry. Your brother is not that silly.”
Mo Li nodded and said, “I’m going back now.”
Just what are that Sister Zhang’s intentions? Was she purposely trying to sow discord between Yun Chen and my family? Mo Li thought to herself while strolling along the sidewalk.
Could it be that she still harbored feelings for Yun Chen?
Those were the only possible reasons Mo Li could think of.
When she passed by a florist, she stopped in her tracks and for a long while gazed at the vibrant flowers through the display glass before leaving.
The rays of the scorching sun were shining down onto the ground, and Mo Li was drenched in sweat. Unfortunately, she lived on the 32nd floor where the heat was immense. Her apartment would definitely feel like a hot oven, and it would take the air conditioner a long while to cool the indoor temperature down.
To her surprise, she was greeted with a cool breeze the moment she opened the door.
Her body was instantly rid of heat and warmth.
No. 8 was home at the time.
Mo Li’s lips curled into a smile, and she closed the door gently.
