Chapter 4

“Huh? What was I supposed to rebel against? Refuse to obey your mother, the city lord?” Wen Zhuqing asked in confusion.

“Don’t you think that if I had disobeyed your mother, she would have immediately suspected that someone had possessed you and killed me on the spot? It wouldn’t matter if I died, but the important thing is this: if I had died early on, who knows whether you would’ve been able to return now?” Without waiting for Fu Sheng to answer, Wen Zhuqing launched into an explanation of her own.

Fu Sheng sighed softly. “Then you could at least have acted less aloof.”

“Huh? Weren’t you the one who established that aloof and unapproachable image?” Now Wen Zhuqing truly did not understand.

“If you hadn’t been so cold and arrogant before, why would I have imitated you? I even thought that someone like you would naturally become colder with age. Don’t tell me you weren’t cold and indifferent. I won’t believe you.”

Fu Sheng remained silent for a long while before saying, “I wasn’t. I simply had no other choice.”

“Wait. I don’t think I understand.” Hearing the aggrieved note in the young woman’s voice, Wen Zhuqing practically had a question mark appear above her head.

When Fu Sheng saw the question mark above her unauthorized copy head, she was suddenly tempted to touch it. It looked as though it would be rather cute.

“I…” She hesitated. “I simply didn’t know how to speak to them.”

Wen Zhuqing could not hold back her laughter. “Hahaha! Young City Lord, so you were just socially anxious?”

“What does that mean?” Fu Sheng asked in bewilderment.

“It means having social anxiety and being afraid to interact with other people.” Wen Zhuqing laughed so hard that tears nearly came to her eyes.

The lofty, cold, and distant young city lord of Beiliang City was merely socially anxious and afraid to communicate with others. The contrast was simply far too adorable.

“I wasn’t afraid. Don’t speak nonsense.” Fu Sheng anxiously refuted her. “I simply didn’t know how to interact with them.”

“Mother told me to maintain the proper distance and boundaries with the people around me. I couldn’t trust anyone too easily, nor could I become too close to any one person. So I didn’t know how to interact with them or what distance would be appropriate to maintain,” Fu Sheng explained softly, a trace of confusion still lingering in her voice.

“I couldn’t treat my playmates too well, but I couldn’t treat them poorly either. Gradually, everyone began to think I was difficult to approach.” Fu Sheng’s voice was bailiantales.comvery quiet, but as Wen Zhuqing listened, her heart ached for her. What a pitiful life for such a good child.

She remembered that Fu Sheng had been only fifteen when she arrived in this world. At fifteen, Fu Sheng had been expected to shoulder the hopes of both the city lord and the entire Northern Wastes. She could not have any close companions of her own, had to cultivate diligently, and was expected to become a qualified young city lord.

Because she did not want to harm the people around her, she could only disguise herself behind a cold and distant personality. The child had been so sensible that it made Wen Zhuqing’s heart ache.

Wen Zhuqing spread her arms and smiled into the empty air. “Then from now on, you can tell me anything. I won’t do anything to you, and you’re the only one who can keep me company anyway.”

After hearing this, Fu Sheng asked curiously, “Are you truly unable to leave my soul sea?”

“For now, I don’t have any way to leave.” Wen Zhuqing shrugged.

“Will you take over my body again?” Fu Sheng was equally curious about this, though her curiosity was also accompanied by a trace of concern.

Wen Zhuqing shrugged again. “I don’t know. After all, I have no idea why I came to this world, why I took over your body, or why I’m suddenly confined to your soul sea. If you have time, you can help me search through some books and see whether anything similar has ever been recorded.”

Fu Sheng suddenly relaxed upon hearing her answer. “All right. I’ll look into it.”

“Young City Lord!” While the two were talking, they suddenly heard someone calling for the young city lord. The guards from Beiliang City had probably found their way there.

“We’ll talk after we return.” Wen Zhuqing stretched and waved at Fu Sheng. “I’m going to sleep. I haven’t slept in once since coming to this world. Good luck, Young City Lord.”

Hearing Wen Zhuqing address her as Young City Lord also made Fu Sheng feel a sudden distance between them. She disliked that title, just as she disliked the young city lord’s uniform she was wearing.

“My name is Fu Sheng,” she told Wen Zhuqing earnestly.

Wen Zhuqing sprawled on the ground and chuckled. “I know. I borrowed that name for five years too. Once again, I’m sorry.”

Fu Sheng had wanted to tell her there was no need to apologize. Since neither of them had possessed any control over the situation, Wen Zhuqing had not truly wronged her.

“All right, good night.” But before Fu Sheng could say anything, Wen Zhuqing waved at her, closed her eyes, and stopped paying attention to her.

Fu Sheng emerged from meditation and opened her eyes. Even in the darkness, her glass-like eyes shone brilliantly.

What she had actually wanted to say was that Wen Zhuqing could call her Fu Sheng instead of Young City Lord.

The distant calls drew nearer and nearer. Fu Sheng forced her exhausted body to its feet. Hearing them call “Young City Lord” again and again left her feeling somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

She knew they were calling for her, but no matter how closely Wen Zhuqing had imitated her over the past five years, there would inevitably be differences between them. Moreover, Fu Sheng did not possess Wen Zhuqing’s memories. She would soon have to face a group of unfamiliar people. How was she supposed to respond to them?

All at once, Fu Sheng seemed to understand how frightened and overwhelmed Wen Zhuqing must have felt when she first arrived in this world.

She tentatively called to Wen Zhuqing in her mind. “Big Sister, don’t go to sleep yet. Help me. I’m afraid I won’t recognize them.”1

Fu Sheng found it unbelievable that she had entrusted Wen Zhuqing with her faith so quickly and had even begun to rely on her slightly. Yet the truth was that she could not find anything suspicious about Wen Zhuqing.

Wen Zhuqing had not intended to respond. She was already drifting off, but the moment Fu Sheng called her Big Sister, she instantly woke up.

“You’re the real young city lord. What are you afraid of? Even if your mother personally came to examine you, you would still be you—the original body and the original soul, the genuine article. What is there to fear?” Wen Zhuqing asked with an amused laugh, unable to understand her concern.

“I…” Fu Sheng was about to answer, but the calls were already drawing closer, as were the spirit lamps.

“I’m here.” Fu Sheng forced herself to remain calm and answered the Beiliang City guards in as steady a voice as possible.

Hearing her response, Wen Zhuqing still could not help laughing softly. This young city lord was entirely different from what she had imagined. She was neither cold nor arrogant. Although her voice sounded icy when she spoke, she would call Wen Zhuqing “Big Sister” in such a soft voice inside her mind.

How could anyone be such an adorable child?

Fu Sheng had slept for five years, so there was nothing wrong with saying she was still only fifteen. Wen Zhuqing had been in her thirties when she died. Although she had accomplished nothing, had never become particularly famous as an artist, and had earned only enough to survive in a second-tier city, she had at least been able to afford food and shelter without facing any serious financial pressure.1

In any case, Wen Zhuqing was still older than Fu Sheng, so there was nothing wrong with Fu Sheng calling her Big Sister.

The guards soon found Fu Sheng. Upon seeing the young city lord in such a battered state, everyone who had come to search for her breathed a sigh of relief.

When they saw the towering flames in the distance, their hearts had leaped into their throats, each of them ​bailiantales.com​terrified that something might have happened to Fu Sheng.

Although she appeared injured, her life did not seem to be in danger.

“Please forgive us, Young City Lord. We arrived too late.” The woman leading them bowed her head before Fu Sheng, looking as though she were ready to accept any punishment.

Wen Zhuqing heard the young city lord grumbling inwardly: [I’m not blaming any of you. Why are you so nervous? It’s not as if I eat people.]

That did not seem to have been directed at her. Wen Zhuqing suddenly found the situation rather alarming. How could she hear Fu Sheng’s inner grumbling? This…did not seem appropriate.

“It’s fine. Let’s return first,” Fu Sheng said indifferently. Although she did not sound angry, her voice was still cold, and the guards could not help growing tense.

“Young City Lord, allow this subordinate to carry you back.” The female guard at the front crouched before Fu Sheng, signaling for her to climb onto her back.

Fu Sheng looked at her, then walked around her. “There’s no need. This young lord is not crippled yet.”

The guard immediately became terrified. “Please forgive me, Young City Lord. This subordinate did not mean that. Your injuries are simply severe, and the journey back [unauthorized copy]to Beiliang City is still long. I was only worried that your condition might worsen.”

After Fu Sheng took a few steps on her own, she realized that everything hurt. With each step, a piercing pain shot through her ankle.

She stopped and considered the situation. In her current state, she probably could not walk all the way back. Trying to act tough would only burden the others.

“Come here.” After struggling with herself for a moment, Fu Sheng finally summoned the guard captain and obediently climbed onto her back.

Wen Zhuqing chuckled softly. No wonder everyone said the young city lord was cold and unapproachable.

She truly did not know how to speak to people. She merely did not want to trouble anyone, yet every sentence that came out of her mouth strayed from what she actually meant.

Had no one taught this child how to communicate properly when she was young?

[Mother truly never taught me.]

Fu Sheng’s quiet voice suddenly entered Wen Zhuqing’s ears, startling her.

Wen Zhuqing then raised a hand to her forehead. Of course. If she could hear Fu Sheng’s inner thoughts, how could Fu Sheng possibly be unable to hear hers?

[Uh…what exactly is going on? Do either of us get to keep any secrets from each other?] Wen Zhuqing sighed helplessly.

[I don’t know.] The young city lord’s response remained as cold as ever, leaving Wen Zhuqing unsure how to continue the conversation.

Moreover, Fu Sheng was mentally exhausted, so Wen Zhuqing decided not to disturb her.

Fu Sheng had originally been lying on the guard’s back, but she was so exhausted that she accidentally fell asleep.

To her surprise, the moment she fell asleep, she entered her own soul sea.

Fu Sheng cautiously approached Wen Zhuqing from behind.

Wen Zhuqing was lying on the ground with her eyes tightly closed. Only when she sensed someone approaching did she abruptly open them—and the first thing she saw was the young city lord’s exquisite face, so flawless and beautiful from every angle.

But no matter how exquisite or beautiful that face was, all Wen Zhuqing felt at that moment was fright.

“How did you get in here?” She searched through everything she had read, but not a single book had ever said that a cultivator’s soul could enter their own soul sea.

The soul sea was where the origin of every cultivator’s soul resided. The more stable and expansive it was, the more powerful the soul would be. But no one could enter their own soul sea.

Fu Sheng innocently shook her head. “I don’t know. I was simply too tired and accidentally fell asleep. Then I came in here.”

Wen Zhuqing sighed once again. Why were there so many mysteries? What exactly had happened to her and Fu Sheng?