"Empress, you are a young girl, you must be modest and cannot let others take advantage of you. Perhaps you have really mistaken me for someone else; it's impossible that someone wouldn't recognize their own sister."
Shangguan Zifeng grabbed Shangguan Linlang's hands, stopping her from lifting her clothes. He thought to himself that, after all, she was their precious ancestor; how could he allow others to disrespect her? Moreover, Shangguan's boy knew full well that the Empress had been released from the ancient tomb and had slept for a thousand years. Even if her brother were alive, it would be impossible for him to live a thousand years and wait for the Empress to recognize him, wouldn't it? The whole idea was scientifically impossible. Yet, Shangguan Zifeng had overlooked one thing: the Empress herself was a being that defied science. So, what would be so strange about a few other unusual beings appearing around her?
"I'm sorry, Miss, my name is Nalan Fusui, not Shangguan Qingchen, the brother you speak of. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm really not your brother."
Shangguan Linlang's ability to describe a birthmark on her own lower back baffled Nalan Fusui. He was very clear in his mind that he had never seen this ethereal-looking young lady before. Yet, he could not find a better explanation for how a young girl he was meeting for the first time knew about a birthmark identical to his own. Could this really be a coincidence? Could there really be such coincidences in the world? What exactly did this coincidence imply? Nalan Fusui truly did not understand. Nonetheless, he firmly rejected Shangguan Linlang, although the sight of the young girl's heartbroken expression stirred a sense of compassion in his heart.
Xuanyuan Wuji was just as perplexed as he knew for a fact that what Shangguan Linlang had said was true—Nalan Fusui indeed had a crescent birthmark on his lower back, which all their friends were aware of. Observing Linlang's demeanor, she did not seem to be joking at all, rather she was absolutely certain that Fusui was her brother. But how could that be? The Nalan Family had always had only one son in each generation and had never heard of a daughter. Why was Shangguan Linlang so adamant that Nalan was her brother?
"Does brother really not want Lang Lang anymore? He's not even willing to recognize me?" Having finally seen a familiar relative in a strange world, the Empress was very excited. However, she never expected to encounter such a situation, and now her emotions started to fluctuate intensely. All of a sudden, Shangguan Linlang seemed somewhat distracted, and the light in her eyes began to fade. To outsiders, it seemed as if the life force of this young lady had been drained in an instant, a sight that made Shangguan Zifeng's heart skip a beat.
"Empress, Brother Zifeng is here, don't be agitated, don't be like this, I'm worried about you. If he doesn't recognize you, I will. Our Shangguan Family accepts you. Please don't be sad, okay?"
Having been with the Empress for quite some time, Shangguan Zifeng immediately noticed her unusual behavior and began to comfort her in a soft and gentle voice, full of concern.
"Brother Qingchen doesn't want me anymore. It seems that brother still blames me for not being able to protect the Shangguan Family, resulting in our parents' disaster. Linlang has ultimately disappointed you. In truth, I should have died long ago. What's the point of living like this? I am a sinner; I deserve to atone. It was I who let the wolf in, allowing Han Ziye to cloud my judgment and make a grave mistake. How can I live alone? I don't deserve it."
Shangguan Linlang seemed to be looking at Nalan Fusui, yet not at him. Perhaps she was reminiscing about her real brother, Shangguan Qingchen, through him. As she spoke those baffling words, the vitality seemed to drain from her body, and she collapsed to the ground quietly, motionless like a fragile doll. This sudden turn of events left everyone dumbfounded.
"Damn it, what are you standing around for? Save her, save her! Bastard, what does it matter if you pretend to be her brother? Why do you have to agitate her like this? If anything happens to the Empress, I will never let you off, Nalan Fusui."
Seeing his revered ancestor collapse and lose consciousness, Shangguan Zifeng felt as if his heart was tearing apart. Damn, this was the ancestor he had brought out from the tomb; he had already developed an inseparable fraternal bond with her. As soon as he saw the Empress hit the ground, he unleashed a tirade of curses at Nalan. Xuanyuan Wuji, seeing Linlang unconscious, felt extremely restless. And Nalan was experiencing a piercing heartache, not understanding why this stranger of a girl could tug at his emotions so significantly.