"Wan Qing pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress."
"Rise, we are family now, there's no need to be formal," Liu Liu reached out and helped Wan Qing up. She scanned the furnishings of the flower hall, and a poem on the wall suddenly caught her eye. It was Han Cong's "Evening View of Luogu" from the twelfth year of Da Zhong.
Qin Chuan like a painting, Wei like silk,
Leaving home and returning, gazing back once.
Princes and nobles, do not come here,
For the mountain flowers are mostly heart-rending branches.
Liu Liu remembered her mother reciting this poem repeatedly at her bedside when she was ill. This was definitely not a poem by an ancient person. Why did Wan Qing have such a poem?
Liu Liu's eyes flickered with disbelief, accompanied by a deep intake of breath, her gaze fixed intently on the poem.
Seeing that Her Majesty the Empress had been silent for a long time, Wan Qing curiously looked up at the poem on the wall and smiled sheepishly, "I just wrote it down casually. Your Majesty, please excuse my amateur work."
Liu Liu gasped and excitedly grabbed Wan Qing's hand, "You, you are also from the 21st century???"
Upon hearing this, Wan Qing's eyes showed excitement no less than Liu Liu's. At this moment, she no longer cared about her status, only the warmth of meeting a fellow countryman. Her heart pounded, and she clasped Liu Liu's hand, nodding vigorously, "Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress is too?"
Liu Liu also nodded. In an instant, the two women shot up and embraced each other, jumping around the room.
At this moment, there were no barriers of status, only the intimacy of shared homeland. Meeting in a place a thousand years apart was truly a stroke of fate. The two women felt an immense closeness, a deep sisterly affection blossoming in their hearts.
Liu Liu pulled Wan Qing by the hand and hurried to sit down.
"Tell me, when did you transmigrate?"
"I transmigrated three years ago. When did Your Majesty the Empress transmigrate?"
"I transmigrated over ten years ago," Liu Liu sighed. She was still a child when she transmigrated, and many things from modern times had faded. She wondered if her parents were well. She suddenly longed to know about the situation in the 21st century and immediately looked at Wan Qing, "Tell me about how things are there."
"Okay," the two women chattered excitedly in the flower hall, talking non-stop. The young maids of the Lu family waiting under the eaves and the people Liu Liu brought with her exchanged bewildered glances.
The two women in the room were talking so fervently, occasionally blurting out words like "television" – what was that? Moreover, they didn't understand much of what was being said, gazing blankly like simpletons.
Liu Liu and Wan Qing chatted for a long time in the flower hall. Liu Liu had already grown very fond of Wan Qing and felt pained by her experiences. She was an unfortunate woman, betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend. She had stopped believing in love, but seeing Nangong Yue's pure, innocent eyes, like those of an infant, she felt a deep sympathy and wanted to protect him with all her might, to make him happier.
Because he always seemed so ethereal, evoking a sense of heartache.
"Thank you, Wan Qing. I entrust my brother to you," Liu Liu sighed inwardly. Sometimes, the depth of love was not as important as compassion. What her brother needed was a woman who would protect him and care for him.
Wan Qing felt very embarrassed by Liu Liu's words. It was as if she had asked for this herself. However, as a woman who lived in modern society, there was nothing shameful about it. Liu Liu turned and called out towards the outside, "Ri Ying, go and call my brother."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The young master has been waiting outside."
The two women in the flower hall were stunned, especially Wan Qing, whose face turned as red as a shrimp. So he had heard everything she had said! She stood up awkwardly, unsure of where to place her hands and feet. Saying something was one thing, but hearing it was another. Women's modesty after all had its limits. Liu Liu pulled her back to sit.
"It's alright," she said, then instructed, "Let him come in."
"Yes, Master," Ri Ying replied and gestured for Nangong Yue to enter. Nangong Yue nodded, taking Mu Xing by the hand as he walked in. His tall figure slowly crossed into the hall, graceful and serene. On his handsome face, as if crafted by the gods, there was no hint of turmoil, only a gentle smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the two women in the hall.
Liu Liu immediately stood up and pulled her brother over, saying cheerfully, "Brother, I've agreed to marry Wan Qing."
"Liu'er," Nangong Yue reached out and embraced Liu Liu, his heart feeling exceptionally soft. He thought gently, he must love this sister very, very much. Just thinking of her warmed his heart, "Thank you."
Liu Liu blinked in surprise. She didn't seem to have told him her name. Had her brother's memory returned? She asked with concern, "Brother, you?"
Nangong Yue had already released her. His clear eyes were as translucent as rippling water, devoid of any impurity. A smile curved his lips, "You are called Liu'er, aren't you? I always felt this name suited you."
Wan Qing gazed at the man before her with infatuation. Every movement, every word, was so elegant, so serene, so composed, deeply captivating her. Staring at the warming smile on his face, her heart was suddenly shaken.
Nangong was indifferent to everyone; no one could get close to him. The reason she could approach him was because he saw her the moment he opened his eyes, and he relied on her to recover from his pain.
Even if he was willing to marry her, how much love was there in this decision? She was merely taking a gamble. Time was like grains of sand; it would accumulate. Eventually, he would like her. But his gaze fell on the Empress with such gentleness.
Could it be that the woman he loved in his heart was actually his sister? Wan Qing was startled by her own thought. This would explain why, though he was in the lake and had many scratches on his body, they didn't look like the marks of a fight.
Perhaps these had become secrets. Why should she try to reopen the scars in his heart? How painful would that be?
As Wan Qing was lost in thought, Nangong Yue gently pulled her into his embrace and asked softly, "Wan Qing, would you still want me, without any memories or wealth?"
Wan Qing looked up. His eyes were sincere. In his current clear state, his words were unburdened by ulterior motives. He was infinitely better than those other men. Did she really have to choose an ancient man and stay with him for life?
Wouldn't it be better to choose someone she liked? Wan Qing nodded forcefully.
"Mm," it seemed he still didn't know his sister was the Empress of the present dynasty, yet he claimed to have no wealth.
Wan Qing smiled with a calm detachment. Actually, they didn't need anything; wouldn't it be better to find a mountain and live in seclusion? As this thought arose, it took root in her heart.
A warm atmosphere filled the flower hall. Liu Liu looked at everything before her with satisfaction. This was the happiest moment for her. Her brother was not dead, and she had, in a way, honored her aunt's wishes.
Suddenly, voices were heard from outside: "Reporting to Miss, Master has prepared dinner and invites the guests to the main hall for the meal."
"Okay, let's go," Liu Liu nodded, not wanting to make things difficult for Wan Qing. She truly accepted her now and certainly couldn't put the Lu family in too much of a bind.
Wan Qing smiled gratefully. Regardless of anything, the Lu family elders had also raised her for three years, and she naturally didn't want to cause them trouble. "Mm, let's go."