After the original soul's wishes were fulfilled, Mingyan's life was 30% dedicated to singing while the remaining 70% was dedicated to Shen Yan.
It couldn't be helped. This was the first time in the longest while that she loved someone to the point she couldn't be apart from him for more than a few days. Otherwise, she'd be drowned in her own fear and loneliness.
Shen Yan seemed to have been infected as well. He would be shaking with restlessness if he didn't see Mingyan within three days.
Just like this, the now husband and wife's stickiness with each other was even stronger than epoxy glue, and the people who were fed this golden dog food could only helplessly eat it.
During their honeymoon, they traveled the world for about three months and wanted to continue playing around, but they couldn't neglect their work too much for fun, so they finally came home.
Throughout those days, Mingyan gradually became assertive to the point that Shen Yan would be helplessly—and delightedly—under her as she sometimes took control of their sexual activities.
Mingyan's change wasn't too far from the original though as integrating with another soul also meant she would inevitably gain some of their traits as well.
It was a year later when Mingyan found out that she was pregnant that she eventually announced to the public that she was a married woman. Along with that earth-shattering news came the fact that she was pregnant.
The whole world was literally stunned for a full three seconds before screaming in shock. They hadn't even come to know who the "secret lover" was, and she had already married him?!
It seemed that Mingyan's tendency to cause "little" troubles here and there had still not been cured.
Mingyan's confession was done in a post on her Weibo with a picture of hers and Shen Yan's hands wearing their wedding rings, holding the ultrasound result.
Ming ❤ Yan: "I won't be appearing in any shows at the moment. My angel is coming ❤ // picture"
Then, what came together with her post were articles that explained the overview of Gu Mingyan's life from her birth until adulthood. Everyone immediately came to a consensus that she was the real-life Cinderella of the modern world.
Despite the fans' glass hearts breaking, they still supported Mingyan. But supporting was one thing and curiosity was another. Who was the lucky husband?!
After much contemplation and hesitation, Mingyan finally decided to share a picture of herself and Shen Yan seated together on a tropical island, lounging on the white sand beneath the shelter of palm trees. She had been reluctant at first because she did not want to share him. On the contrary, Shen Yan wanted the whole world to know that she was his, so he took great efforts to convince Mingyan to upload the post.
The post immediately took the first spot in the trending list and remained there for months. One reason was the fact that the "secret lover" rumors had become a normal topic in household conversations, especially during meal times. Another reason was Shen Yan's identity.
Isn't this person the one who holds the highest capital in China? There was a private saying that you could offend the president, just don't offend the Shens because they represent half of the economic value in China.
Holy shit! Our goddess got married to him??
For a while, Mingyan's fans were bewildered. They suddenly felt like their life was a lie.
Mingyan's firstborn child was Shen Wei, a boy, and she immediately attracted envious gazes from madams and newlywed wives. She actually gave birth to a male heir right away. Isn't she too lucky? Even Mingyan herself couldn't believe her luck.
Mingyan had children before. And though, it might sound cruel, they were not born out of love. Most of the time, in cases like this, it was because she had transmigrated into the body of a mother. Other times, she was already pregnant, or it was part of the original soul's wish.
In this lifetime, since she had Shen Yan, she wanted to know what it felt like to be the mother of his kids.
Mingyan didn't retire as a singer after Shen Wei was born, but she rarely ever had concerts and rarely ever appeared on variety shows.
Under Mingyan's thousands-worth of parenting experience—though it was unintentional—Shen Wei grew up splendidly and even surpassed his father by bringing their capital even higher than it already had. To the child, China wasn't enough so he conquered the east as well.
Another angel arrived four years later after Shen Wei. Mingyan gave birth to a beautiful girl and named her Shen Mian. To everyone's surprise, as they had thought Shen Mian would be like her mother, docile and naive, she indulged herself in a business career, where only the strong could survive.
Mingyan had thoroughly enjoyed herself in this lifetime, to the point that she had forgotten the fact that she was immortal.
In Pinewood Estates, their most exclusive villa sat on a mountaintop overlooking the city. At this moment, Shen Yan was lying in bed while Mingyan was at his side, holding his weak arms. Shen Yan had especially asked to be together with Mingyan, and Mingyan didn't want Shen Yan to stay in a gloomy place like the hospital. So their treatments were done in their villa instead.
They had reached the age where illnesses were inevitable. Despite their wrinkly faces and white hair, their prominent features were still retained.
The room was silent except for Mingyan's sobs. Shen Yan was at his last breath. He stared longingly at the crying girl—yes, in his eyes she was still his girl—his gaze burning with love. "I don't want to leave you," his voice no longer as clear as it had been.
Mingyan's tears poured even more. She took his hands with her two wrinkled ones and brought them to her wet cheek. "Neither do I."
They gazed at each other for a long time, until Shen Yan eventually spoke what he had been wanting to say for many years.
"I know— I know you are not Yanyan." The hand that Mingyan held trembled. "I know you are not Yanyan!" His eyes glowed with obsession, and Mingyan thought there was even a bit of madness mixed in. "Tell me. Tell me, who are you?"
Mingyan's heart was shaken. She had never made any major mistakes in this lifetime, so how could he have found out about her identity?
No, she couldn't tell him, nor must she do anything to fight against the world.
There was always only one result when she and the world fought. It was either her physical form would be destroyed by the world, or the world would be destroyed by her hands. Not once was there an in-between.
She cherished this world very much because of Shen Yan. She didn't want to go against it. And she hated the idea of destroying the only place she had ever found happiness.
Mingyan knitted her brows in confusion as she gave a questioning look at Shen Yan. She was stubborn.
Shen Yan wouldn't believe it. "Can you hear me sing?" music video had already given him the answer. He just wanted to try and see her reaction. He had no idea why she couldn't be honest with him, but that didn't matter much.
He was just afraid—afraid that while she goes on with her life "transmigrating," who knows where he will be? Stuck in this world? Or would he have to enter reincarnation and forget the memories he treasured?
Shen Yan would not have it. He had not forgotten their vows even once. On the contrary, he etched it deep into his heart and soul. He selfishly wanted to spend every lifetime with her.
"Yanyan, I love you," he used all the strength he had left to bring Mingyan's hand to his lips for a kiss. "I am not giving you to anyone." Then, he gave Mingyan the brightest smile he could muster.
"Even death can't keep us apart."
Mingyan's confused expression shattered, and a pained face emerged that she momentarily forgot to hold back. She no longer tried to act.
"Yan ge, promise me? Promise me that you'll come find me?" Mingyan begged through her sobs. She was not willing to let it end just like this either. "I'll come find you, too!"
Mingyan watched in slow motion as Shen Yan nodded his head, his eyes holding a burning determination to fulfill his vow. Then, his hands slid down and dropped on the bed along with his eyes as they gradually closed.
Mingyan stared in horror, and her tears would not stop. He really left.
Then, she decisively climbed onto the bed and laid down beside Shen Yan. And, with one last hopeful gaze, she closed her eyes. She forcibly left the world. She no longer had any reason to stay.
All the goodbyes had been said.
...
When she woke up, she found herself floating in the galaxy, gently being nudged into another dimension. A white light emerged from her side, and Lily's silhouette briefly appeared before transforming into a small girl with long white hair and bright red eyes. She wore a simple white long-sleeved dress.
"Aria, are you okay?" Lily asked, concerned about her master's unstable emotions. They seemed worse than the last time they were disturbed.
Aria turned her head to face Lily with a blank gaze. "Aria?" Her heart was startled. That's right, her name was Aria.
She was no longer Gu Mingyan. No longer Madam Shen. There was no Yan gege. No sign of Shen Wei and Shen Mian.
She was alone again.
"ARIA, PLEASE COME DOWN!"
Lily shrieked as she tried to suppress the dark force emanating from her master. But it only grew stronger and stronger.
"Shen Yan's world is still behind you! Do you mean to destroy it?!"
Her words seemed to have an effect as Aria's blank face regained a little bit of life, and the dark force receded. Aria turned around and found a huge gathering of colorful bright particles forming a circle. There was no indication as to what it was, but since Aria had just come from there, she knew it was the world she had lived in for one lifetime.
Her gaze, as she stared at it, was full of longing. She tried to reach her hand to probe it, and as expected, she was repelled. She would have to find another suitable soul who had deep regrets in life to be able to come back. But even that was risking the destruction of the world.
And she would have to comply to the original's wishes.
When she tried that in the past, the moment she made one little gesture that did not conform to the original soul, she was kicked out. She didn't even get the usual second chance.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard styled in ancient China, a boy wearing a purple robe with golden hair and black eyes was playing with numerous floating red strings. He was sorting them into pairs when his eyes caught a golden thread—'an odd thread,' he thought.
He curiously held it. Then, he tried to tie it with the deepest shade of red thread, but the golden thread actually repelled it! He tried another one, but then again it was repelled.
He tried numerous pairs until finally the golden thread itself wrapped around the average-looking red thread that he was hesitating to try. He marveled at the sight.
With a wave of his hand, an oval fluid appeared, and the image it showed was of a man with green eyes and black hair. "Terra! Check this out!" He presented the golden and red thread pair.
"I was just sorting out the souls on the mortal world and found this unusual thread! It actually repelled all of the high-quality souls and picked this average one instead. Strange, isn't it?!"
Terra's dull eyes suddenly came to life. "What did you say?"
The boy once again explained.
"It's really strange! I've been a red string of fate for a long time and had never once touched a golden thread, much less know it actually exists!"
Terra's face was shrouded in gloom. "That is not a mortal soul."
The boy was startled. "Eh? Then what?"
Terra placed his hand on his chest. It glowed white for a moment before bursting, and then he pulled out a golden thread, lighter than the one the boy was holding.
"Woah! How'd you do that?!"
Terra shook his head. "Remma, let go of that golden thread. It's a remnant of a god. Proof that someone visited our world."
Remma was stunned silly by Terra's words. Which meant the golden thread he was holding was his own remnant, and this golden thread...
Remma was scared for his life. "B-But it's tied to someone from the mortal world!"
Terra's face was troubled before he let out a deep sigh. "Let it go. It's just an average thread, right? We can lose one or two of them." Then, the fluid image disappeared.
Remma didn't dare to hold onto the golden thread for another minute. He immediately opened up a portal to the galaxy and gently placed the threads inside.
Outside the galaxy, Aria tried a couple more times to enter the world but still found that she was continuously repelled. Then, her eyes caught sight of two threads, one gold and the other red. She instinctively reached for them.
She had just brushed against the golden thread when it shot through her chest, while the red thread wrapped itself around her wrist.
"Ey? What is this?"
Aria's heart was beating rapidly. She could feel a sense of familiarity with the red thread, as if it were... Shen Yan?
She slapped her forehead. Had she gone crazy? There was no way that was possible!
She stared at the red thread that stubbornly clung around her wrist. She reached for it, hoping to take it off, but the moment her fingers touched it, memories that were not hers abruptly flew past. One image was clearly from a different point of view of the day when she was married. The image showed that the person was looking down at her in her wedding dress.
Aria's lips were shaking as she stared in disbelief at the red thread. In the depths of her eyes, there was hope gradually coming to light. She reached for it a second time and didn't let go even when she felt excruciating pain to her soul.
After a while, she was gasping, looking worn out.
Aria was sure of it, the memories were Shen Yan's. After all, some memories were vividly of her being pushed down on the bed. Who else would it have been but Shen Yan?
She was feeling both embarrassed and overjoyed at the moment. Now she just had to find a way to see her Yan ge again. But how?
Aria and Lily both looked through their memories, but after what seemed like an eternity of watching the longest movie, they still hadn't found a clue, much less a way.
"Aria, why not bring him into another world?"
Lily's suggestion instantly rooted in Aria's heart. She nodded her head up and down rapidly.
Then she no longer resisted the force that kept nudging her and let it lead her soul to the next world.