533 The Secret About the Past 151 (1/2)

”Have we met somewhere before?” Lin Shishi asked, staring at An Xiaoning.

An Xiaoning shook her head in denial.

”That's strange, I have a feeling I've seen you somewhere before. But I can't remember where. I feel like your silhouette looks rather familiar,” said Lin Shishi, racking her brains in a bid to recall where she had seen An Xiaoning before.

”She has a very common face. It's no surprise that you find her familiar,” Tuoba Gucheng remarked.

An Xiaoning stood rooted to the ground and remained standing for the next two hours, during which they had a whale of a time.

After sending Jin Minxing and Lin Shishi out, Tuoba Danxue said, ”Brother, Lin Shishi seems like a nice and candid person. She's really pretty too. I think she'd be a good choice for your wife.”

”Indeed. I think she's a great girl too.”

However, he did not love her and all he could say was that he neither fancied nor disliked her.

”Brother…”

”Yes?”

”There'll be a presidential election this year and our country's politics follow a hereditary system. It'll either be you or Big Brother who succeeds Father's position. Brother, if you become the next president, I hope you won't compel your children to suffer the same fate as us and have their freedom restricted. Okay?” Tuoba Danxue asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

Tuoba Gucheng placed his hands on her shoulders and said, ”I won't allow that to happen, if I become the next president.”

While Tuoba Gucheng was facing his sister, he managed to look past her and laid his eyes upon An Xiaoning, who was standing behind Tuoba Danxue.

They made eye contact, and An Xiaoning continued to hold his gaze, looking straight into his eyes calmly without fear.

At last, he looked away and turned around to leave with Tuoba Danxue.

After dinner, An Xiaoning lay down in bed and did not feel like moving an inch at all. She was vexed at the fact that there was no progress in her investigation at all since she had been wasting each day following Tuoba Danxue around and accomplishing nothing.

She pondered the matter thoroughly and realized that she could not continue maintaining this status quo. She decided to try and sound Tuoba Danxue out. Perhaps then, she could really find out some clues.

In the dead of the night, An Xiaoning knocked on Tuoba Danxue's room and asked, ”Your Highness, are you asleep yet?”

”No, you may come in.”

An Xiaoning entered and closed the door after her. ”Do you feel like you're in a better mood today, Your Highness?” she asked, smiling.

”I feel so much better and relaxed. Mu Ning, you danced really well today. Did you especially learn how to dance before?”

”No, I used to learn casually from dance videos online, which I would watch during my free time when I was training in martial arts.” An Xiaoning sat down beside her and continued, ”Your Highness, I overheard you telling His Highness that there'd be a newly-elected president this year. How long has our current Mr. President been in power?”

”More than 30 years now. There'll be a presidential election every 30 years or so. If the citizens feel that Father can still continue being the President this year, then he will remain in his position. However, if they vote for Father to step down, then one of my two brothers will become the next president,” Tuoba Danxue explained.

An Xiaoning nodded and said, ”I dare not make any comments about Mr. and Mrs. President, but I'm really curious about why they're so strict with you and His Highness's marriages. Didn't they have anyone they fancied when they were younger?”

Shaking her head, Tuoba Danxue answered, ”I don't know, but I feel like they definitely did. I heard that my uncle was severely punished for insisting on marrying the woman he loved back in the day. Being a devoted and loyal person, he decided to remain single and became a monk after the woman he wanted to marry passed away.”

”Your Highness, does the President only have one brother?”

”Yes.”

”I've never seen any information about your uncle online before.”

”There should be some information about him on Wikipedia as well as some news from the past. But I don't think there is any recent news about him. Actually, commoners like you enjoy so much more freedom than we do,” said Tuoba Danxue.

”Your Highness, you have no idea how many girls out there envy you and the life you lead. Well, because, their dream is to marry into powerful families like the Commander-in-chief's or other wealthy ones. Those girls would rather live without freedom than to remain in poverty. Everyone has a different perspective of things since we're all in a different predicament.”