Chapter 7: Young Miss Arrives, Part 8
It was a very familiar feeling.
Calm and quiet, a feeling that could encompass everything, a feeling that could hold all things within it.
It was indeed her, no mistake. Lianbing was right, Youyou she just said—
“No, I’m not.”
My words were denied before I could even finish calling her name. She said she wasn’t her.
Youyou was still sitting in my arms, her small hand covering my mouth. She tilted her head, giving a slightly troubled smile, and said, “Please don’t mistake me for her. Don’t use that ‘nickname.’ It will only lead to disappointment, and it’s unfair to her too.”
As she spoke of her, ‘Youyou’ placed her hand on her chest.
Why would she say that?
You’re clearly her.
“Did you find out a while ago?”
“Hehehe, I already told you, I didn’t find out. I just vaguely felt it might be like this.”
“It was just intuition?”
She couldn’t help but chuckle, shrugging her shoulders. “Heh, forcing me out like this, what a troublesome woman you are. If I hadn’t shown up, this child would have woken up. You weren’t really planning to put on a health and physical education observation class in front of a child, were you?”
Unexpectedly cracking a joke, I was left speechless. Youyou poked my nose and said, “Jun Jun, you too. Don’t always let her lead you around. You trust women too much.”
“However, you’ve gotten much better compared to before, hehe.”
She said this, looking at me with a relieved gaze, as if watching her own child finally grow up. Cupping my cheek, she said, “That’s right, this is good. Treat women as your possessions, do whatever you want with them, but you don’t have to agree to all their demands.”
But what she said was quite harsh.
“They kept asking for more from Juncheng, who accepted them completely, but if they can’t follow your orders, there’s no need to indulge them. Whips and candy, discipline and pampering—you need to properly distribute the percentages of love and lust. Irrational female dogs need to be leashed, like this one here.”
Speaking the last sentence, she turned to look at Lianbing and smiled meaningfully. The atmosphere became tense.
Is this how these two talk?
Because whenever one of them appeared before, the other couldn’t. I never knew how they used to converse.
“Hehehe, even though you’ve become small now, your tone has gotten much bolder, hasn’t it?”
“Heh, do you think I’m wrong, Elder Sister?”
“Ugh, so scary.”
Two Lianbings, incredibly scary. Even Ruansui was Lianbing deep down. She wasn’t any weaker than anyone else when it came to exuding presence.
“You’ve become much sharper than the obedient girl you were before.”
“Heh, haven’t you too? The proud Young Miss has let go of her status. Your changes are much more significant than mine, wouldn’t you say?”
Lianbing fell silent but didn’t refute her.
“I just think this is fine too.”
“This is the best proof that you and I are no longer separate.”
“Then what is the ‘you’ that is currently talking to us?”
Indeed, if Ruansui had already merged with Lianbing, what kind of existence was Ruannuan, who appeared through Youyou’s body now?
I suddenly remembered Ziai.
Could it be similar?
“Well, who knows? I’m not sure what I am either. Perhaps a more vague existence, similar to past life memories.”
Past life memories.
“This child is currently dreaming, so I can appear before you and talk to you like this. I think I’m probably just a thought.”
Youyou looked at her hands and said, “Wanting to do this, wanting to do that, wanting to become this or that, unfinished business, things to pursue, unfulfilled dreams—a longing for reality, perhaps it’s something like that.”
Everyone has regrets, obsessions, things that can even be engraved in the soul and carried over through reincarnation. She raised her head again, a bitter smile on her lips. “Although I don’t know why it’s this child, to her, I’m just an impurity.”
“No! Definitely not impure!”
If such obsession and longing are wrong, then what am I? Moreover, I still have so much to give you, Ruannuan.
She shook her head slowly and said, “I am someone who has passed on, I no longer exist. Please don’t linger on me anymore. And she has been by your side for a long time, hasn’t she?”
We both turned our gaze to Lianbing. Perhaps Lianbing felt uncomfortable being stared at and turned to look out the window.
“You don’t need to feel like you owe anyone. She hasn’t disappeared, because we are the same person.”
“I haven’t felt your nagging at all recently.”
“That’s proof you’ve finally accepted me completely. The entity known as Ji Lianbing may have been split before, but now it has become one. As I said, in the end, we are the same person called ‘Ji Lianbing.’ Eventually, we will continuously merge until we are indistinguishable. You and I were originally one body and one mind.”
“So don’t be sad—I’ve never regretted it. Just as you gave everything for them, there were also people who gave their all for you, Juncheng, right?”
Ruannuan, Zihua, Ziai.
These words sounded like a farewell before death.
But actually, I wish you could stay by my side.
“I must go. This child is about to wake up. This is probably the last time I will appear.”
Suddenly, tears started to fall. Ruannuan, who appeared in Youyou’s body, was crying.
Damn it. I wanted to say goodbye properly and leave, but why do I still have lingering feelings?
“Ruan—”
“I really want to love, to exist as a true, true person by your side, loving you.”
Tears streamed down uncontrollably. My heart was in agony.
Light began to emanate from Youyou. “I will fulfill your wish. Come, come to me.”
Lianbing hugged Youyou. She stroked her back as if to comfort her. Slowly, Youyou fell asleep again, no longer crying, no longer sad.
“Juncheng, where do you think the souls I released have returned?”
“Reincarnated again.”
“Yes, they went directly into reincarnation. I think that’s a pity.”
Lianbing smiled. It was a gentle smile I had never seen on Lianbing before, a smile unique to Ruannuan.
“Juncheng, I’ve found what I want to do. In a place detached from the mortal world, on the boundary between this world and the next, I will create a pure land, and then build a hot spring inn or something there.”
“So, you’re going to be the proprietress?”
“Hehehe, yes. And then, all the souls of the dead will cleanse their obsessions before reincarnating, giving people one last chance to be willful ‘as themselves’.”
“That’s very kind. Why did you suddenly think of doing this?”
“Because I still feel regret, right? Because of death, and the helplessness of giving things up.”
Lianbing held my hand and said, “And this way,—you and I—can eternally be by your side. Not entering reincarnation, accompanying you forever.”
No, you’ve already become a kind innkeeper. It’s wonderful to have met you.
