Chapter 256: To My Future Self

I think I should thank you, but I find myself somewhat unable to do so.

I followed every step you taught in the letter, and I obeyed. The results were also very good; I believe when you return and see all of this, you will have a deep understanding.

But these past few years, I haven't been as happy as I appear on the surface. Do you still remember? When I first came to this world, I wanted to go home.

I wonder if you have gone back? Is Xixi doing well? What about Qiao Jiming?

Does Mom still speak with that sarcastic, yin-yang tone? I always feel that everything here is not real; even though I possess so much now, I don't feel that any of it belongs to me.

That feeling, I believe you understand it too, don't you? You and I both know this is nothing more than a game, that it is virtual, and we cannot live in the virtual forever.

I showed your letter to Zongfang, and just as you said, we cleared up many misunderstandings and talked calmly about many things, but I don't know why, I always feel like something is missing between us. He is still very good to me, taking care of me in every detail, putting me first in everything, but I still feel that something has quietly changed. He occasionally stares at me in a daze; I know he is waiting for that moment, the moment when the future you returns.

Whenever such moments occur, I feel a little bit heartbroken.

I am clearly right in front of them, yet Zongfang and Anubis are always waiting for that day. I think Luka has noticed too, only he has never said it.

However, these are just small regrets in the very good life I have lived these years. I know that perhaps compared to what you have experienced, this counts for nothing, but I still want to tell you.

You must be amazing, right?

I can feel your strength from your words; you seem to have become very resolute, brave, and decisive—exactly the person I want to become.

But I hope that you, who have become very strong, will not lose your former innocence and original intention.

Qiao Suisui, we should bloom in reality.

Do not forget the way home.

The wind stirred the gauze curtains, and the scattered drawing paper covering the floor surrounded the young girl sitting on the ground. Qiao Suisui looked at the letter in her hand and lowered her eyes, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Outside the Dian.

Laiboli went to the banquet hall to deal with the guests who were still being detained, ordering his deputy to prepare some expensive gifts as he walked, and requesting the Minister of Foreign Affairs to draft a statement to give everyone a decent reason and explanation for the incident at this banquet.

Anubis hurried toward the Medical Team's office; he now needed to cram a lot of common knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth, his mind filled with what she could and could not eat.

Ka'er stood outside the Dian, refusing to leave, leaning against a wall pillar to smoke. Looking at his posture, he clearly wanted to see Qiao Suisui the moment she finished resting.

Zongfang and Luka exchanged a glance, neither speaking, and then walked in the same direction.

The two arrived at an empty conference room. Zongfang closed the door, and his next sentence was: "What do you think?"

Luka pondered in silence for a long while, then sighed softly. "I don't know."

If it were any other man here, he might not have understood this conversation at all, but Zongfang and Luka clearly had a consensus with the other party.

Zongfang said: "I won't let her leave. You heard it just now; she has family in another world. Why didn't you let me keep asking? I still don't know what method she used to leave."

"What can you do even if you know?" Luka questioned him: "Destroy the way she goes back? Or just lock her up, like how she was treated before?"

Zongfang was speechless; they both knew he would not treat Qiao Suisui like that.

Luka pressed his temples, composed himself, and said: "We have no other choice but to respect her decision."

"Then can you just watch her leave?"

Zongfang's eyes were filled with fragmented, shimmering light; the emotions he had been suppressing in front of Qiao Suisui erupted without restraint at this moment. "You can live a life without her, but I can't."

Luka frowned, shoved him, and said in a low, rarely heard angry voice: "Then what can you do? Force her? Or pester her every day until she feels annoyed by you?"

Zongfang gritted his teeth, his chest heaving, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Luka walked past him and went out. When his hand gripped the doorknob, he paused for a moment and said something that was unclear whether it was to warn Zongfang or to beat and persuade himself: "No matter what her choice is, I will accept it, even if... it is that she wants to leave."

Having composed herself, Qiao Suisui planned to go see the children. Just as she stepped out of the Dian, she saw Ka'er squatting under the corridor with his back to her, not knowing what he was doing.

She walked up and called out "Ka'er," only to see the man stand up in a panic, waving his hands in a flurry to disperse the smoke, with cigarette butts all over the floor at his feet.

Qiao Suisui glanced at them, seeing at least seven or eight.

"Since when did you have such a big addiction?"

Ka'er smiled indifferently, "Bored from waiting." Then he changed the subject: "Are you rested?"

She nodded and said: "Aren't Hawisi and the others leaving tomorrow? I want to go see them."

Ka'er made sure there was no smell on him before walking over to take her hand and saying: "I'll go with you."

The Huangting is very large. Qiao Suisui's palace is in the very center on the central axis, while the children's sleeping quarters are on the east and west sides of the Huangting respectively. Luka and the four children live on the east side; Laiboli, because he is the sun, lives directly behind Qiao Suisui's palace, also on the central axis; the six Deer Cubs live on the west side; Ka'er and the five leopard cubs live in the southwest; Zongfang lives in the northeast; the children are all in the Federation; Anubis and Zongfang are neighbors.

Qiao Suisui was still thinking about whether to go to the east side to see Hawisi and the others first or to the west side to see Taier and the others, when Ka'er casually summoned a servant and told him to summon all the children to the nearest reception hall. The servant respectfully agreed and hurried off.

Ka'er toyed with her hand and said: "They should have come to see you the first moment, but I was afraid of disturbing your rest; it's not too late now. Let them run over; I'll accompany you for a slow walk there."

Qiao Suisui smiled and agreed. As the two were walking toward the reception hall, they bumped into someone they hadn't seen in a long time.

"Sui Sui."

A clear, pleasant voice rang out. Qiao Suisui followed the sound and saw Lan Ze standing a few steps away, waiting quietly.

"Lan Ze?" She walked forward a few steps in surprise, but was pulled back by Ka'er.

Ka'er lifted his eyes lazily, stared at the person in front of him, and said: "What are you here for?"

On this timeline, after Qiao Suisui cleared up the misunderstanding with Zongfang, she found Lan Ze according to what was said in the letter. Lan Ze admitted directly to everything he had done to her, but all these years, he alone could not let go of the fact that he didn't even have a place by her side.

After that, he used the whereabouts of Niao as a bargaining chip to get Laiboli to allow him to move back into the Huangting. Although he hadn't done anything out of line all these years, he would occasionally appear in front of Qiao Suisui to show his face, which made the other men secretly dissatisfied. However, they could never catch him in any wrongdoing, and if their attitude toward him was too intense, they would be given the cold shoulder by Qiao Suisui.

So Lan Ze had been cleverly maintaining a balance.

Now, he knew it was time for him to break the balance.

Lan Ze smiled faintly, his Mental Silk bypassing Ka'er and gently wrapping around Qiao Suisui's ankle, saying to her: "I heard you suddenly fainted, are you okay?"

Qiao Suisui noticed Ka'er's expression wasn't good and shook his arm, "You go first, I'll come in a moment."

Ka'er raised an eyebrow and sneered: "Let me make room for him? No way. If you have something to say, say it here; I'll watch you two say it."

(End of this chapter)