Nothing is more important than life; it's good just to be alive.
Wang Qingyao's breath hitched, and for some reason, tears welled up in her eyes.
It's true that people are more emotional late at night!
Xiao Yun couldn't see her expression, only felt her breathing was unsteady. But he understood that his words had stirred her emotions.
He assumed Wang Qingyao, like other ancient maidens, valued chastity above all else, even above life itself. He added, "To be my consort, Princess of Ding'an, you don't need beauty, family background, nor mastery of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You just need to live well, and live well even after I'm gone. Remarrying is also acceptable; it's good just to be alive."
They had discussed curses and death before, but back then, it was in jest. The speaker was carefree and unburdened, and the listener didn't take it to heart. Never before had it felt so serious, like a vow.
"While I'm alive, I will protect you well, but when I die, you'll have to rely on yourself."
As he spoke these words, a look of sorrow crossed his face, as if he were making his final arrangements.
"Speaking of which, my life hasn't been in vain. I've enjoyed wealth and power that ordinary people can only dream of. I've never been troubled by anything; I've had my way in everything..."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Wang Qingyao felt a pang in her heart. Although she treated Xiao Yun as her employer, over time, a genuine bond had formed.
In her two lifetimes, besides Xiao Yun, she hadn't encountered any other "terminally ill" patients. What did it feel like to wait for death?
She couldn't truly empathize.
All along, she hadn't believed in curses.
The Xiao family's curse was either a coincidence or a hereditary disease.
They all died before the age of twenty-five; she leaned more towards a hereditary disease.
Since it was a disease, there must be a cure.
She thought: it didn't matter if her promotion came a little later.
She took Xiao Yun's hand and comforted him, "When we get out, we'll investigate what this so-called curse is all about together."
Her hand was cool, yet it conveyed a hint of warmth.
Xiao Yun was taken aback, seemingly not fully grasping the meaning of her words.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'My fate is mine to control, not heaven's'?"
Xiao Yun's body trembled.
"Whether we live or die is our own decision; our lives are in our own hands."
"But..."
His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father had all died before twenty-five. How could he fight it? Who could fight against heaven?
Wang Qingyao gently patted the back of his hand. "Let's not think about it for now. We'll investigate thoroughly once we're out."
Her tone was casual, as if a curse were as insignificant as eating or sleeping. Xiao Yun couldn't comprehend it.
Since he had known Wang Qingyao, it seemed nothing in her eyes was a major issue.
She always exuded an aura of fearlessness. Even when truly overwhelmed, she felt she still had him.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yun straightened his chest and smiled faintly.
"Alright, let's focus on finding a way out first."
The moon had risen to its zenith, casting a bright, clear light. The dark well bottom was barely illuminated.
In the dim light, Xiao Yun saw Wang Qingyao tilting her head back, staring intently at something. He asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
"To see if anyone outside can come to our rescue."
"How can you see anything in such a deep, dark place?"
"I have a sense."
Xiao Yun's heart stirred. "Let's play a game."
Wang Qingyao: "..."
She looked at Xiao Yun as if he were crazy. "You really have the leisure."
"This game is called 'Must Tell the Truth.' We ask each other questions. You can choose not to answer, but you cannot lie."
Wang Qingyao looked at him with disdain. "I won't play, it's childish."
Xiao Yun had few secrets, and Wang Qingyao wasn't curious about him. On the other hand, Xiao Yun was eager to uncover her secrets.
This game was clearly designed specifically for her, and she would be at a disadvantage.
Xiao Yun cajoled her. "One hundred taels per question. I'll pay you when we get out."
One hundred taels was equivalent to two hundred thousand yuan. What a spendthrift!
Wang Qingyao's heart fluttered. She coughed lightly. "Alright." Then, as if to cover up her true motive, she added, "It's not for the money; I'm purely doing it to make you happy."
Xiao Yun smiled. "I know, I know."
He asked, "Who taught you to read and write?"
Wang Qingyao fell silent.
Xiao Yun's eyelid twitched. It wasn't the wet nurse?!
"Why is your personality so different from before?"
Wang Qingyao fell silent again.
Xiao Yun grew anxious. "You have to say something, right?"
Wang Qingyao looked up at him, speaking mysteriously. "Actually, about my sense, I have another secret. I've never told anyone."
Xiao Yun looked at her expectantly, his heart pounding.
"When I was very young, my sense was stronger than ordinary people's. When I realized it, I started having dreams every day. In my dreams, I lived in another world, with another home, and in that home, I had another set of parents and grandparents. I went to school every day, played, and lived happily."
"No one in the Wang family cared about me, and I was very unhappy in the Wang family. So, whenever I had free time, I would sleep, wanting to be the me in that world."
"When the Tian family broke off our engagement and chose Wang Qinglin instead, I was so shocked that I forgot everything about this world, only remembering everything that happened in that other world."
A look of confusion crossed Wang Qingyao's face. She looked at Xiao Yun with worry. "I don't know why this happened. Your Highness, you won't dislike me, will you?"
Xiao Yun's mouth hung open, stunned by Wang Qingyao's bizarre story.
So that's how it was! So that's how it was!
It was too unbelievable!
He had thought this Wang Qingyao wasn't the original Wang Qingyao, that she was a soul possessing a new body!
Indeed, art comes from life, and life is even more dramatic.
With Wang Qingyao's explanation, all the inconsistencies in her behavior could be explained.
"How could I dislike you?" Xiao Yun was quite excited. "You said you write stories about other people's lives; why not write about your own? It's too convoluted, too bizarre, guaranteed to be loved by everyone."
Wang Qingyao applauded herself inwardly.
She was too, too... too amazing. She definitely had the potential to be a screenwriter.