"I returned to the royal city carrying the dead body of Mrs. Suo Lun. In the deserted mountains at the southeastern border of the kingdom, I saved a dying young man and was astonished to find that he greatly resembled Mrs. Suo Lun—in appearance, stature, and even voice. Therefore, I made a decision: I would have him impersonate Mrs. Suo Lun and return to the royal city to inherit the Earl's title," said Ye Jingyu. "He initially refused me, saying he would rather live in poverty than pretend to be someone else. Compelled by the debt of gratitude for saving his life, he agreed to impersonate Mrs. Suo Lun for three years."
Ye Jingyu truly, truly was audacious. Such a significant matter, and she had taken it upon herself to decide.
"How, how can this be done?" Suo Ningbing's voice trembled. "Even if he looks similar, he can't be exactly the same. Flaws will be noticed."
"Don't worry, I took him to the Sorcerer Manor of the Nine Spirits to have his face changed. He now looks exactly like Mrs. Suo Lun. As for Mrs. Suo Lun's body, I've already cremated it and brought back the ashes," Ye Jingyu explained.
"You... you..." Suo Ningbing was at a loss for words, especially upon learning that Ye Jingyu had taken it upon herself to cremate Suo Lun's body, depriving her of seeing her brother for one last time. It caused her immense grief, yet she found it hard to voice any blame as Ye Jingyu had acted for the sake of the family.
Kneeling on the ground, Ye Jingyu said, "I have done wrong, and I am willing to accept any punishment, Miss. But for the sake of the Suo Family's century-long foundation, please agree to my plan."
Having finished speaking, Ye Jingyu bowed her head deeply to the ground.
"Don't be like this..." Suo Ningbing hurriedly tried to help her up, but being unable to martial arts, she completely failed to move her.
"If Miss doesn't agree, I will never stand up again," declared Ye Jingyu resolutely.
Then, Suo Ningbing realized that Ye Jingfeng was missing. She was usually inseparable from Ye Jingyu, like conjoined twins, and couldn't help but ask, "Where is Jing Feng?"
After a moment of silence, Ye Jingyu spoke, "Changing faces costs a thousand Gold Coins, and I did not bring enough. The Sorcerer proposed that my sister Jing Feng stay with her for three years as payment for the face-changing procedure."
"How could you do this?" Suo Ningbing said with pain. "Little sister Jing Feng has never left our side since she was young. Leaving her in that Sorcerer's Manor for three years will be unbearable for her. Go immediately with the money to the Sorcerer's Manor and bring Little Feng back."
"It's too late to bring her back. You know how peculiar sorcerers can be, standing by their word. For the sake of reviving our family, we are willing to do anything. What's three years of lost freedom for Little Feng?" said Ye Jingyu.
Angry, Suo Ningbing asked, "Why didn't you consult with me before making these decisions?"
"There wasn't enough time, and there are too many prying eyes in the royal city," Ye Jingyu explained.
Of course, the key issue was that Ye Jingyu knew her Miss would not agree, so she went ahead and acted, turning raw rice into cooked rice.
Then, returning to the matter at hand, Ye Jingyu said, "Whether to have that young man impersonate Suo Lun, that is for you to make the final decision, Miss."
Suddenly, Suo Ningbing found herself faced with a difficult choice. After a long while, she sighed, "Where is the child you brought?"
"I have already brought him, he's just outside the Count's Mansion," Ye Jingyu replied.
"Bring him in, I want to meet him," said Suo Ningbing.
"Yes." Ye Jingyu stood up and walked out, letting out a long sigh of relief when her back was turned to Suo Ningbing.
...
Following Ye Jingyu, Lanling entered the Count's Mansion. As he moved deeper, his heart raced more and more.
The Count's Mansion was large but showed signs of age, and there seemed to be too few maids and servants—just over a dozen for such a large estate.
They turned past a small garden to a secluded backyard where a delicate pavilion stood, and the courtyard was ablaze with the snow-white blossoms of pear trees.
Ye Jingyu led Lanling to the door of the small attic, and then whispered, "Miss, the young master has arrived."
"Let him in," came a voice from inside, slightly husky yet incredibly captivating.
Lanling's body trembled, as if hearing an illusion, then he reached out and dug at his ears.
"You push the door and go in," Jingyu said, then she stood guard outside, preventing anyone from approaching.
Lanling stood dazed for a moment, his heartbeat quickening, feeling as if facing an exam, although he was not too keen on impersonating this Suo Lun.
Taking a deep breath, Lanling pushed the door and entered.
Instantly, he saw an incomparably graceful silhouette. The mere sight of the silhouette stirred an overwhelming sense of excitement.
The entire room was permeated with a faint yet enthralling fragrance, not from any perfume but from the woman before him.
Lanling had never seen such an enchanting figure, and even felt a very strange, special sensation deep down.
Moreover, for some reason, his heart gave a violent throb.
Suo Ningbing took a deep breath and then opened her eyes, turning to face a stranger who looked exactly like her own brother, which indeed required some mental preparation.
And the moment she turned around, Lanling's heart stopped for an instant, his eyes widened to their fullest, and he was struck still as if by lightning, completely motionless.
This woman was truly beautiful. Wherever she stood, she seemed bathed in a glow that made it almost impossible to breathe, like a fairy. Even though she was dressed as a married woman, she exuded a pure and flawless charm, with no dispersal of grace from the corners of her eyes.
However, Lanling's intense reaction was not because of her beauty.
It took a full minute for Lanling to regain mobility; then, he trembled uncontrollably, not just his hands but also his lips, cheeks, and entire body.
Finally, he dashed forward and hugged Suo Ningbing tightly, clinging to her desperately.
"Sister, sister, I've found you, I've found you! This isn't a dream, is it, this isn't a dream..."
"The heavens have mercy, the heavens have mercy... Your face is also healed!"
"I'll never leave you again, I'll never step away from you again..."
Lanling murmured tremblingly, tears surging forth, his heart bursting with boundless joy.
Because the woman in front of him, Suo Ningbing, looked almost exactly like his sister Lankou back on Earth, the sister with whom he had spent over a decade depending on one another, the sister he had secretly adored for years, the sister whose face had been destroyed with sulfuric acid.
After crossing into this parallel world, Lanling had nearly collapsed, even swearing to the moon above that he would return to his sister's side by any means necessary. He never expected that his sister would suddenly appear before him like this.
Could all this be the will of heaven? Or perhaps it was the favor of the gods?
But no matter what, Lanling felt an unprecedented happiness at this moment, his heart's joy and gratitude nearly exploding within him.