Chapter 74 (2/2)

Perhaps the matter, isn't necessarily impossible to make a turning point.

I didn't think that my reunion with Ying Lu would be at a time like this, and she is clearly very surprised too.

”Ah-Lan,” She pounces into my arms, tightly hugging me, ”Long time no see!”

I reach up to give her a pat, ”En, it's been very long.”

”Ah-Lan, Ah-Lan, Ah-Lan, I missed you!”

”En, I missed you a lot too.”

”Ah-Lan,” She raises her head, eyes slightly reddening, ”You d.a.m.ned la.s.s!”

I lightly laugh, giving her forehead a little poke, ”Haven't seen for a few months, how is it that you instead seem more like a child?”

”How so?” She takes a few steps back, spinning around, ”Do you not find that I have grown taller?”

I nod with a smile, ”Body has grown, behaviour has regressed.”

She pouts, ”I shan't calculate all this with you, let us enter the room.”

Having said that, she pulls me into the room, and the two of us sit facing each other at the table.

Ying Lu is my very first, and also my only friend in this world, I like this wild and blunt la.s.s, also like this la.s.s who can be happy and sad like a young girl, I cherish her, but cannot possibly change the fact that she is Meng Shao Jue's younger sister. This fact cannot stop our friends.h.i.+p, yet it reminds me to a certain extent, on certain levels, our thoughts and opinions cannot possibly line up.

For example, I am not exactly certain, whether my current happiness is more because of seeing the long time no seen Ying Lu, or is it more because, the original dilemma has given rise to a turning point.

”Ah-Lan.” Ying Lu slightly purses her pink lips, the wilful happiness from before fading a little, ”Truthfully, I have long heard the servants say Brother has hidden a woman in here, not allowing anyone to disturb, and have spent all sorts of efforts and thoughts on pleasing her. I was also very curious, just that this place is being guarded all around, I can't enter even if I wanted to.”

Xiao Hei who had been neglected all along suddenly hums a few sounds, restlessly moving about in my arms, seemingly agreeing with Ying Lu's words. I lightly tug its ears, telling it to quiet down, ”Then right now, you……”

She says: ”It was Brother who let me come here.”

I lower my eyes, what is Meng Shao Jue's objective for telling Ying Lu to come here, to appease me, or to persuade me?

She sighs, ”Ah-Lan, to this point I am still unable to accept this reality.”

She raises her eyes, quietly saying: ”Everything has changed within a night, Brother is no longer a little food merchant in Yun Mi, but has become Yun Ze's spy, Little Uncle is no longer a merchant running all over the lands, but is a well-known general of Yun Ze……even Liu Ru Xu is no longer Liu Ru Xu.” She bitterly laughs, ”No wonder why Brother and Little Uncle treated her so well, turns out she is Yun Ze's future empress.”

She blankly looks at me, ”Ah-Lan, I tell myself that all of this isn't real……I am still the young lady of the Meng Estate - Meng Ying Lu, I am still las.h.i.+ng out at the servants, and scolding them, I am still hating on my older cousin - Liu Ru Xu, I am still unhappy with Brother and Little Uncle's biasedness……but Ah-Lan, the truth makes me fearful.”

My chest feels a little stuffy, this insolent and reckless child has already started maturing now, giving rise to confusion and fear for the sudden huge changes, floating between reality and memories. I soften my voice, ”Ying Lu, this is all real.”

”That's right ah, it's all real.” She laughs, a little helplessly, ”But I just wish it’s all fake.”

I pour her a cup of tea, lightly saying: ”Why does it matter? Whether it is real or fake, Meng Ying Lu will forever be Meng Ying Lu.” Environments is indeed the most crucial factor that changes people, but if one was to have a heart that is not easily affected, then one needs not be afraid of anything.

Ying Lu's fingers are a little shaky, ridiculing: ”I'm not able to be as wilful as I was in the past, I must think of my position as the prime minister's younger sister, I must learn etiquette to not embarra.s.s Brother……is such a me, still Meng Ying Lu?”

”Why not?” I lower my eyes, ”Ying Lu has just grown up.” Grown up, so you must start facing reality, so you must start greeting people with a smile, so you must no longer act wilfully and reckless - everyone would go through such a journey, and that does not mean that we lose ourselves.

”Ah-Lan.” Her hand holding the cup tightens, lowering her head to look at the tea as she says, ”I’d rather not grow up.”

”Who isn't able to grow up?” I slightly hook up my lips, lightly looking at her, ”With loss there definitely comes gain, after losing some things, you will definitely gain other things.”

Ying Lu pauses, then seems to have thought of something, a pink glow surfacing on her cheeks.

I understand, looking at her, that is clearly the look of a young lady in love, could it be that she has found happiness that truly belongs to her? If that is true, then that sure is a great matter.

”Ah-Lan.” She recovers her spirits, asking: ”Why would you be here?”

I find it a little laughable, leisurely saying: ”What do you think?”

She pauses, ”Did Brother……capture you here?”

I stroke Xiao Hei's smooth body, lightly saying: ”En.”

Ying Lu appears a little happy, ”Brother, he……and you……”

Meng Shao Jue and I? I say: ”There's nothing between me and him.”

She is clearly a little disappointed, but very quickly livens up again, ”I don't know what is going on between Brother and you, nor do I know why Brother had captured you here, but Ah-Lan, Brother really does like you.”

Why does every person say this? They all don't know the inside story, but are all certain Meng Shao Jue holds deep feelings for me?

I purse my lips, quietly saying: ”He captured Yuwen Rui.”

Ying Lu slightly pauses upon hearing this, then sadly says: ”Ah-Lan, I don't understand the matters between Yun Ze and Yun Mi, I don't understand why they must struggle and fight, nor do I understand why Brother would capture you and Gentleman Yuwen……” She extends her hand to me, asking with slight probing means: ”But no matter what it is between them, we are still friends, right?”

I smile as I reach my hand out to her, ”Of course.”

We are still friends, but Ying Lu, I have no choice but to casts my ideas onto you, because right now, the person that is able to help me, is only you.