Volume 3, Chapter 460 – Just Like One Very Long Dream

The Illusory Heart Formation was about to end?

Bu Lianshuang gave a light sniff, and she could tell that the fragrance in the air had grown noticeably more lively than before.

That was a very good sign. It meant the little fox lady had already woken from her slumber.

Xin’er was fine, she had woken up. What wonderful news.

Bu Lianshuang’s heart filled with joy, though she didn’t let it show on her face. She simply stopped walking, slowly turned her head, and looked back with curiosity.

She had been working hard all this time to keep anyone from noticing that the two of them knew each other.

But at a moment like this, if she deliberately hid her interest, it would only draw more suspicion, like trying to cover one’s ears while stealing a bell.

The officials on the scene were all bustling about now, many of them rushing over with Wei Ziqing to check on the condition of Chi Xiyan and Lu Zhuxin.

Bu Lianshuang didn’t press forward with the crowd, choosing instead to stand off to the side and wait quietly.

***

Chi Xiyan’s eyes snapped open.

She gasped for breath in great heaving pulls, as though waking abruptly from a long dream.

Cold air rushed into her lungs, bringing with it a faint, dull ache.

“I… I’m awake?” A look of astonishment still lingered on Chi Xiyan’s face. “Has the Illusory Heart Formation already ended?”

Thinking back on everything she had experienced in that dream, Chi Xiyan still felt a sharp pang in her chest.

“How long was I trapped in that illusion?”

“Did I fail… or did I succeed?”

“Muxue… where’s Muxue?!”

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

“Sister, you’re awake too?”

It was Muxue’s voice.

No matter how many years had passed in that dream, no matter how much hardship she had endured within it, Chi Xiyan could never forget that voice.

She spun around at once.

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A familiar figure filled her vision.

The girl she loved looked just as she remembered, only her complexion was a touch paler than usual.

A pair of dark, jet black eyes gazed at her with visible concern.

That familiar smile struck something in Chi Xiyan’s mind like a bolt of lightning.

Memory after memory of the past came flooding back to her in an instant.

Even though Chi Xiyan had told herself over and over that the dream was nothing but a dream.

Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, she had already come to treat that dream as reality.

Growing up together, supporting one another, sharing intimacy, growing close to her in that dream, all of it had already become the most treasured memory in Chi Xiyan’s heart.

And so, when she had watched that girl get run through by a sword right before her eyes, it had felt as though her own heart had been pierced as well.

She could no longer tell reality from illusion.

Now, as reality and dream converged before her eyes, her emotions broke free like a flood bursting through a dam.

“Muxue…”

Chi Xiyan’s body trembled faintly.

“Muxue…!”

She rose to her feet and strode quickly toward Lu Zhuxin, pulling the girl into her arms without a moment’s hesitation.

“Muxue… I’m so glad you’re all right!”

Huh?

Lu Zhuxin, caught in that tight embrace, blinked in surprise.

She could feel Chi Xiyan’s body still trembling faintly, and even her voice carried the faintest trace of tears.

Was the dream really that much of a shock to her?

This is nothing yet. I still have foreshadowing I haven’t even used!

Tch . Looks like the Illusory Heart Formation worked even better than expected.

If I use this kind of dream every time I go after the female lead from now on, wouldn’t that make things a whole lot easier?

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Lu Zhuxin thought to herself with quiet satisfaction, even as she reached up and wrapped her arms around Chi Xiyan in return, gently patting her back.

“Sister, I’m right here.”

She rubbed her cheek affectionately against Chi Xiyan.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“It’s all right now. It’s over.”

“I had a dream too. A very, very long dream.”

Lu Zhuxin comforted her gently, the way a mother might soothe a crying infant.

“But I don’t think it was a nightmare.”

“I tried my best. I fought for what I wanted.”

“And I managed to do many things I never imagined I would, things I never would have dared to do.”

“Even though the dream didn’t end the way I would have liked, I have no regrets.”

“Because, to me, having had those things was already enough.”

“A dream…?” Chi Xiyan listened to her whisper, and her emotions gradually settled.

The girl’s voice was like a lullaby, soft and slow, its tone as though it had been steeped in the gentle light of crushed starlight, carrying a honeyed sweetness like preserved cherries, leaving one feeling calm and at ease.

Chi Xiyan slowed her breathing and said softly, “You’re right. It was only a dream.”

She closed her eyes gently, clearing every last image of what had come before from her mind.

That’s right. All of that had simply been a dream.

Whatever she had experienced and witnessed in that dream, none of it had been real.

There had never been any three year pact.

Muxue had never been taken by the Lingxiao Sword Sect, and she certainly hadn’t died beneath Jiang Hongliang’s blade.

Little Xue’er was perfectly fine. She was right here in her arms this very moment.

Chi Xiyan leaned in and pressed her nose against Lu Zhuxin’s neck, greedily breathing in that familiar fragrance.

“Little Xue’er, my little Xue’er…”

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Eek!

This girl, is she really trying to cop a feel right now?!

Lu Zhuxin’s expression stiffened.

The girl’s actions reminded her of the things Chi Xiyan had done to her in the dream.

Once this girl got going, she turned incredibly forceful, and she always knew how to wear a person out.

Not right now, though!

“Sister…” Lu Zhuxin patted her gently on the back. “Someone’s coming in!”

Chi Xiyan’s movements froze instantly.

“…” Wei Ziqing felt he might have walked in at an inconvenient moment.

The instant he entered the room, he saw the two sisters locked in each other’s arms.

Still, he could understand it.

The Illusory Heart Realm wasn’t easy to survive, and from the looks of them, this illusion had put them through no small amount of suffering.

No matter how talented these two girls were, they were still just sixteen or seventeen year old girls.

This was exactly the moment when they were at their most vulnerable.

That was why the two sisters were clinging to one another, comforting each other.

Except…

Wei Ziqing’s gaze drifted toward Lu Zhuxin.

Both of them had trained in the Illusory Heart Realm for the same nine days. So why did this second young lady of the Chi family seem so unaffected by comparison?

“Noble Consort.” Prompted by Lu Zhuxin, Chi Xiyan finally noticed Wei Ziqing’s presence.

She released Lu Zhuxin and bowed respectfully to Wei Ziqing.

Lu Zhuxin followed her lead and gave a somewhat clumsy, wobbling bow as well.

“There’s no need for that. Please, rise.” Wei Ziqing raised a hand slightly.

Though this eldest Chi lady had done her best to hide it, Wei Ziqing could still make out the faint redness rimming her eyes.

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What a pity. The Empress had already taken particular note of these two Chi sisters, otherwise this would have made for quite the opportunity…

Wei Ziqing felt a twinge of regret in his heart, though his face still carried that same warm, gentle smile.

“I must congratulate the two of you on successfully passing the Illusory Heart Realm’s trial.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Chi Xiyan’s face. “Does this count as passing the trial?”

She still remembered that she hadn’t accomplished a single thing within that illusion.

She had neither killed Song Shixuan, nor had she managed to save Chi Muxue.

Watching the girl she loved die a brutal death right before her eyes, that feeling of helplessness and terror still lingered in her mind, like a poison eating away at her bones.

Lu Zhuxin, on the other hand, was not surprised at all.

The entire formation had been under her control. Whether Chi Xiyan passed the formation’s trial had rested entirely on a single thought of hers.

“The two of you.” Wei Ziqing’s gaze swept over them both, his tone full of concern. “This nine day trial in the Illusory Heart Realm must have put you through quite a lot of suffering.”

He shrugged his shoulders and gave a self deprecating laugh. “I’ve been through the Illusory Heart trial myself, so I know all too well just how tormenting that thing can be.”

“That’s certainly true.” Chi Xiyan nodded in agreement.

Lu Zhuxin didn’t feel like nodding along.

She was the one who’d been worked the hardest out of everyone here.

“But hardship is also opportunity.” Wei Ziqing continued. “I’m sure the two of you gained no small amount from this trial as well.”

“This isn’t a place to rest, though. I’ve already had rooms prepared for you both. Please, head over there and take your time processing everything you’ve gained from this trial.”

Chi Xiyan looked at him, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating.

Wei Ziqing caught her worry and explained with a smile.

“I’ve already submitted the list of maiden candidates to Her Majesty.”

“It’s just that Her Majesty is currently on a tour of the south, and it will still take a few more days for the procession to reach Shuyuan Commandery.”

“So I ask that the two of you please be patient a while longer.”

“Once Her Majesty arrives at Shuyuan Commandery, she will personally receive each of the maiden candidates who passed the selection.”