Chapter 122: The Past

He wiped her clean with a warm towel. She was truly a beautiful person, even in those strange clothes she wore when he first found her.

She had been lying on the grass, and he had brought her back to safety. Yet, two days had passed, and she still had not awakened. He had fallen asleep beside her.

He did not know how much time had passed before he felt someone stroking his hair. He snapped awake, alert, and recoiled. The person on the bed had opened her eyes and was looking at Yuan Qianlü. She had used her hand because she was too weak to speak.

"You're awake!" He hurried over.

"Water... water," the woman said in a hoarse voice.

Yuan Qianlü helped her sit up and poured her a glass of water. She leaned against the headboard, looking frail.

"Thank you."

The woman smiled as she spoke, and Yuan Qianlü, having never seen such a beautiful smile, felt a tremor run through him.

"It's nothing."

"Did you save me? I remember many people fighting at the time."

"Yes. My name is Yuan Qianlü. May I ask what the young lady is called?"

"My name is Si Xueyi."

"Si Xueyi?"

"What? Have you heard of me?" Si Xueyi watched him intently. Did he know something? After all the trouble she had gone through to transmigrate here.

"Our Princess is named Si Nuosang."

"What? Where is she? Where is she? Tell me quickly!"

Si Xueyi had not expected her search to yield results so easily. She had been searching for over a month, following various leads back and forth, eventually being directed toward Liang City. But Liang City was engulfed in the flames of war. In her search, she had been caught in the crossfire. She never expected this—oh, heavens! Si Xueyi looked at him with joy.

"Who are you?"

"I am Si Nuosang's sister, Si Xueyi. Tell me, where is she? Tell me!"

Si Xueyi could not contain her excitement; she did not even realize she was grabbing Yuan Qianlü by the collar.

"She has left," Yuan Qianlü said.

"Left?" Si Xueyi looked like a deflated balloon. She was gone? She had thought she was so close to seeing her.

Ever since her sister went missing, she had been investigating, uncovering many things. She had forced them to send her here, only to bring her sister back. But now, she was one step behind again.

"She is our Princess; you could ask our Prince about her."

"Ah!" Si Xueyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. She could not fathom that Si Nuosang had ended up as a Princess.

"Then, can you take me to see your Prince?"

Si Xueyi looked at him, and Yuan Qianlü nodded. He went first to report to Xuan Yuan Juesi, who was also taken aback. He seemed aware that Si Nuosang had a sister, but he also remembered her saying that she could never go back.

"Bring her in."

Yuan Qianlü brought Si Xueyi inside. Though she was bundled up tightly, her blouse and suit trousers were a strange attire that certainly suited someone like Si Nuosang.

"Hello." Si Xueyi greeted him very politely.

"You are Si Nuosang's sister?"

"Yes. My name is Si Xueyi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The moment she laid eyes on Xuan Yuan Juesi, Si Xueyi understood why. He looked far too much like Wen Su'an, possessing an eerily similar presence.

"Why are you staring at this Prince like that?"

Xuan Yuan Juesi looked at Si Xueyi with the same gaze he had seen on Si Nuosang—as if she were looking at someone else entirely.

"I apologize, but I must know: where is Si Nuosang?"

"How can I be sure you are her sister?" Xuan Yuan Juesi was naturally guarded.

"How can I prove it? There is no DNA here, no tools for verification. But did Si Nuosang tell you where she came from?"

This question stumped Xuan Yuan Juesi, and he shook his head.

"Of course, you wouldn't know. If she had told you, you would have thought she was insane. Regardless, help me find her. She does not belong in this world, and I need to take her away."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Juesi was determined not to let her find her.

"You want to take her away?"

Xuan Yuan Juesi watched her, his demeanor shifting instantly.

"She doesn't belong here, and she doesn't belong to you. Leaving her here will only lead to tragedy, so I must take her away. I know there may be something between you two, but there is so much you do not know. You have no idea of the severity of this. In short: if she stays, many people will disappear because of her."

Si Xueyi spoke with grave sincerity, but Xuan Yuan Juesi was not listening.

"Yuan Qianlü, lock her up." There was absolutely no way he would let her take Si Nuosang.

Xuan Yuan Juesi understood that her "taking her away" meant much more than a trip to the capital. He was now certain of one thing: they were undoubtedly sisters.

"Prince."

"Lock her up immediately."

"Prince, what is the meaning of this?"

Si Xueyi had not expected this reaction from Xuan Yuan Juesi. She had only been stating a fact, but she had forgotten that this was ancient times. Power did not bow to legal arguments. As a lawyer, her professional skills were completely misaligned with the situation. So, she chose to question him.

"Take her away."

Xuan Yuan Juesi glared at Yuan Qianlü, who had no choice but to lead her out. Si Xueyi had no power to choose; she lacked Si Nuosang’s combat skills and could not resist. While she was not exactly a weakling, she was no warrior either.

Yuan Qianlü brought her back to the room. A dungeon was too harsh, so the room was a suitable place to confine her.

"Let go of me," she said sharply, noticing Yuan Qianlü was still gripping her arm.

Yuan Qianlü immediately let go, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Is my sister doing well?"

"Very well," Yuan Qianlü nodded.

"Then can you tell me about her life over this past year?"

"A year? I’ve known her for less than a year. Maybe half a year."

"Is that so?" In her own timeline, it had been over a year. Perhaps the dimensions differed, or the time she arrived in had lagged by a few months. But that did not matter.

"You are very calm. I thought you would be making a scene."

"Making a scene?" She lightly hooked her finger under his chin. Yuan Qianlü looked flustered.

"Do you think making a scene would be useful?"

"No, but could you let go of your hand?" Yuan Qianlü’s face turned bright red.

Si Xueyi pulled her hand back. It seemed this man had strong self-control. It would be difficult to manipulate him, but she could still extract information with her words.

"Very well. Tell me about my sister. How did she end up with your Prince?"

"End up?"

"Yes, how did they get together?"