"I returned to the royal city with Mrs. Suo Lun's corpse, and in a desolate mountainous area on the southeastern border of the kingdom, I saved a dying young man. To my surprise, I discovered that he looked incredibly similar to Mrs. Suo Lun, whether it was his face, figure, or even his voice. So, I made a decision to let him impersonate Mrs. Suo Lun and return to the royal city to inherit the position of Earl." Ye Jingyu said, "He initially refused me, saying he would rather be poor than pretend to be someone else. I blackmailed him, using the fact that I saved his life, and he agreed to impersonate Mrs. Suo Lun for three years."
Ye Jingyu... she was really, really bold to make such a huge decision on her own.
"How could, how could you do such a thing?" Suo Ningbing said with a trembling voice: "Even if he looks very similar, it's impossible to be identical, people will spot the discrepancies."
"Don't worry, I took him to the Nine Spirits Sorcerer's Manor to have his face changed, now he looks exactly like Mrs. Suo Lun. As for Mrs. Suo Lun's body, I cremated it and brought back the ashes," said Ye Jingyu.
"You... you..." In an instant, Suo Ningbing was speechless, especially since Ye Jingyu had taken the liberty of cremating Suo Lun's body, she didn't even get to see her brother one last time, and that caused her indescribable pain, but Ye Jingyu had done it all for the family's sake, making it hard for Suo Ningbing to voice her blame.
Ye Jingyu knelt on the ground and said, "I have done wrong, Miss, and I am willing to accept any punishment. But for the century-old foundation of the Suo Family, please agree to my plan."
After speaking, Ye Jingyu bowed deeply to the ground.
"Don't do this..." Suo Ningbing hurriedly came over to help her up, but she had no martial skills and couldn't move her.
"If Miss doesn't agree, I will never get up," Ye Jingyu said resolutely.
Then, Suo Ningbing realized that Ye Jingfeng was gone; she usually never left Ye Jingyu's side, always together like conjoined twins. She couldn't help but ask, "Where is Jingfeng?"
Ye Jingyu remained silent for a moment, then said, "Changing faces costs a thousand Gold Coins, and I didn't bring enough money. The sorcerer suggested that my sister Jingfeng stay with her for three years as payment for changing the boy's face."
"How could you do such a thing?" Suo Ningbing said, distressed: "Jingfeng has never left our side since she was young, leaving her in that Sorcerer Manor for three years, she really won't be able to stand it. You must immediately take the money to the Sorcerer Manor and bring Little Feng back."
"It's too late to bring her back, you also know how eccentric sorcerers can be, completely inflexible. To revive the family, we are willing to do anything, what does losing three years of freedom for Little Feng really amount to?" said Ye Jingyu.
Suo Ningbing said angrily, "Why didn't you come home and consult with me before making these decisions?"
Ye Jingyu responded, "There wasn't enough time, and the royal city is full of prying eyes."
Of course, the most critical reason being that Miss would not agree, so Ye Jingyu went ahead and presented her with a fait accompli.
Then, Ye Jingyu returned to the main topic and said, "Whether to let that young man impersonate Earl Suo Lun, please make the final decision, Miss."
Suddenly, Suo Ningbing was caught in a difficult decision. After a while, she sighed and said, "Where's the boy you brought?"
"He's already here, just outside the Count's Mansion," answered Ye Jingyu.
"Go bring him in for me to meet," Suo Ningbing said.
"Yes," Ye Jingyu replied, rising to her feet. As she walked out, turning her back to Suo Ningbing, she let out a long sigh of relief.
...
Following behind Ye Jingyu, Lanling entered the Count's Mansion. With every step he took deeper into the mansion, his heartbeat quickened.
The Count's Mansion was large, but it looked somewhat old, and there were not many maids and servants around, with only a dozen or so in sight. For a mansion of that size, this was indeed too few.
Turning past a small garden into a secluded backyard, there stood a delicately constructed small pavilion, where brilliant white pear blossoms were blooming radiantly.
Ye Jingyu led Lanling to the door of the small attic, and then whispered softly, "Miss, the young mistress has arrived."
"Let him in," a voice came from inside, slightly husky yet incredibly melodious.
Lanling's body trembled as if he was hearing an illusion, and then he reached out to dig at his own ears.
"Just push the door and go in," Ye Jingyu said, then stood guard outside, not letting anyone approach.
Lanling stood in a daze for a moment, his heartbeat getting faster and faster, feeling like he was facing an exam, although deep down he was not too willing to impersonate Suo Lun.
Taking a deep breath, Lanling pushed the door and went in.
Immediately, he saw a figure of incomparable grace. Just that silhouette alone stirred an immense feeling in anyone who saw it.
The entire room was filled with a light yet captivating fragrance, not from spices, but emanating from the body of the woman before him.
Lanling had never seen such a captivating silhouette and even felt a very strange, special sensation.
Moreover, his heart suddenly clenched without reason.
Suo Ningbing took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes and turned around—facing someone who looked identical to her brother required mental preparation indeed.
And the moment she turned around, Lanling's heart seemed to stop; his eyes widened to their fullest, and he stood there as if struck by lightning, completely motionless.
The woman was truly beautiful, no matter where she stood, she seemed to be engulfed in a halo of light, stunning to the extent that it took one's breath away, like a fairy. Although she was dressed as a married woman, there was a pure and flawless charm about her, with no hint of dissipation in her brow.
But Lanling's intense reaction wasn't because of her beauty.
After about a minute, Lanling's body regained its ability to move, then he began to tremble uncontrollably—not just his hands, but also his lips, his cheeks, his whole body was shaking.
Finally, he rushed forward and hugged Suo Ningbing tightly, desperately clinging to her.
"Sister, sister I've found you, I've found you! This isn't a dream, right, this isn't a dream..."
"Merciful heavens, merciful heavens... your face is healed!"
"I will never leave you again, I will never take a step away from you..."
Lanling murmured tremblingly, tears surging out, his heart bursting with boundless ecstasy.
Because the woman before him, this Suo Ningbing, looked almost exactly like his sister Lancome from Earth—the sister he had depended on for more than a decade, the sister he had secretly adored for many years, the sister whose face had been ruined with sulfuric acid.
After arriving in this other world, Lanling had nearly broken down and even swore to the moon above that he would use any means to return to his sister's side. And now, unexpectedly, there she was, right before his eyes.
Could all this be destiny? Or perhaps the favor of the heavens?
Regardless, Lanling felt an unprecedented happiness at this moment, the joy and relief in his heart almost bursting forth.