Chapter 372

Chapter 372

Seeing Lu Mingzhu’s silly look, the original body let out a giggle.

"Years apart, and you haven’t changed a bit." Her eyes were still crystal-clear, untouched by the passage of time, yet radiantly beautiful and enchanting.

It showed her life had been smooth sailing.

Only a girl who had been spoiled rotten could carry such an air.

Lu Mingzhu quickly snapped out of it. "Didn’t you say we wouldn’t meet again?"

The original body smiled playfully. "With my abilities back then, three cross-dimensional meetings were already the limit. But who could’ve predicted that never say never? We can’t control fate. Perhaps it’s because we’ve both built up good karma in our respective worlds—anyway, I found I could visit you again, and this time, it’s not bound by any date. The only catch is, it’s just a one-time opportunity."

So she couldn’t wait to see Lu Mingzhu.

Though her mother never said it out loud, she knew her mother still worried about her daughter in another world.

"One chance is still better than none," Lu Mingzhu happily grabbed the original body’s hands. "After all these years, how are you and Mom? Everything’s been great on my end—Dad’s fit as a fiddle, my eldest brother’s a real go-getter, working his tail off, Pingan’s already settled down with a family, and only Ningning is still young, not dating anyone."

"What about you?" the original body asked.

Lu Mingzhu grinned. "I got married long ago and had a daughter. Her full name is Lu Chen, and her nickname is well."

The original body’s first reaction was, "No son?"

Lu Mingzhu widened her peach-blossom eyes. "You lived in the 21st century for over a decade—how are you still into son preference? That doesn’t sound like you, sis! You should’ve said daughters are wonderful, daughters are mom’s little angels—not ask why I didn’t have a son. Those who came before us fought for gender equality at great cost. We can’t let them down."

The original body couldn’t help but laugh.

"You’re laughing!" Lu Mingzhu pouted.

"I laugh because I’m relieved—relieved you haven’t gone with the flow. Born into a wealthy family, living through an era of clashing ideologies, I understand old-fashioned thinking better than you." The original body felt she could reassure her mother when she returned. "Don’t think just because I replaced you in the 21st century that son preference isn’t still common everywhere."

Lu Mingzhu sighed in relief. "I can’t control others—I just need to sleep at night. What about you? Married or rich and single?"

The original body sighed.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Mingzhu grew concerned. "Trouble?"

"Not at all." The original body tossed her curls, oozing charm. "I just feel... regretful."

Lu Mingzhu was baffled. "Regretful about what?"

"I once told Zhang Shuo in a dream that we might meet again. But I never thought it’d actually happen!" Marrying the same man in two lifetimes—she didn’t even get to spice things up.

If that wasn’t regret, what was?

Lu Mingzhu gaped. "Zhang Shuo sought you out? I never heard word of his death!"

The original body shook her head. "Our worlds aren’t synchronized. Right now, he’s alive and well, wholly devoted to serving the nation and people. But just like in his past life, he’ll die peacefully—only this time, instead of reincarnating, he crossed into my world. That man has a knack for rebirth—he landed in a filthy rich family as the sole heir."

Lu Mingzhu propped her chin and shut her mouth. "Really? You married into riches? But you’re already wealthy—no need to marry into it. What they value, you don’t even care about."

Unlike her—poor and far less capable than the original body.

The original body laughed heartily. "No wonder we swapped—we truly understand each other!"

"So what happened?" Lu Mingzhu was burning with curiosity.

"If I refused to marry him, he just married into my family instead!" her original self cackled with triumph. "He was reborn with memories of both lifetimes, so naturally he matured early and became financially independent very young. Even when his parents threatened to disinherit him, he still ran off with me without hesitation! We've been married for ten years now and have twins—a boy and a girl—both took the Lu surname, not Zhang."

"Damn, you’re good!" What Lu Mingzhu hadn't achieved, her original self had.

Seriously impressive.

Suddenly, Lu Mingzhu noticed something odd. "Rebirth? So he arrived even earlier than you?"

Before she even transmigrated, Zhang Shuo had already existed?

Her original self sighed. "Exactly! And he kept searching for me, but couldn’t find me. When I first arrived in that world, my reputation wasn’t prominent, but a few years later, my psychic abilities made me internationally famous, and he found me immediately. At the time, I had already taken a liking to a sweet, baby-faced guy, but this guy leaned on him with threats and incentives to push him away."

Lu Mingzhu asked eagerly, "What kind of threats and incentives?"

That must’ve been wild.

She’d kill for the power to hop between worlds, return to her own, see her mother, and witness her original self’s love life firsthand.

Her original self sat down on the ground, pulling Lu Mingzhu to join her. "The threats weren’t even necessary—just a single apartment in Shanghai did the trick. That seemingly pure and innocent young man immediately ran off to the high-end penthouse overlooking the Oriental Pearl, chasing younger tail."

Lu Mingzhu understood.

She had wanted a younger lover, but once the guy got his hands on a Shanghai mansion, he lost interest in her.

"Hold up, that’s fishy. We look exactly alike—more identical than twins. What kind of young beauty could surpass you in looks and charm?" Her own body hadn’t aged to the point where age would be a concern.

Her original self sighed. "What if she was a rich heiress?"

Lu Mingzhu fell silent.

Men love calling women gold-diggers, but they’re worse.

By comparison, women? Way more sentimental.

Her original self rested her chin on her hand. "I figured I’d never meet anyone as stubbornly devoted as Zhang Shuo. He had no demands of me, never tied me down. If I said jump, he’d ask how high. So I thought, why not give it a try? If I wasn’t happy, I could always divorce—it’s not like divorce would break me. Oh, and he took care of the kids after they were born. I didn’t have to worry about them at all."

Even her mom hardly got a turn with the grandkids.

"That’s wonderful," Lu Mingzhu said sincerely. "Here we are, swapped into each other’s lives and bodies, ending up with happy, fulfilling families."

"Indeed!" her original self sighed.

At this point, she suddenly handed something to Lu Mingzhu.

It weighed a ton—Lu Mingzhu almost fumbled it.

"What’s this?" Lu Mingzhu stared at the object in her hands. It looked like a metal-bound book, about a foot square, with text too small to read without a magnifier.

Her original self shrugged. "Since he knew I’d meet you, he spent years crafting this—it’s called a book, but it’s really a collection of scientific and technological data, micro-engraved. The sheer volume of data is mind-blowing, far more advanced than anything in your era. But in my world, plenty of it’s public knowledge now."

Lu Mingzhu felt like she was holding a mountain. "You hauled this over for me—wait, for the *country*?"

Her original self nodded, her expression a mix of helplessness and fondness. "I originally wanted to bring a family photo for you, but he and Mom begged me until I agreed to bring this instead. It’s said to cover every field imaginable."

"He never forgot where he came from!" Lu Mingzhu didn’t get it, but damn if she didn’t respect Zhang Shuo.

Now in his forties, Zhang Shuo remained unmarried and childless, living alone.

Elderly comrade Zhang Zhenxing had once complained to Lu Mingzhu over the phone, fuming that his son was beyond his reach, filled with helplessness.

Perhaps being reborn into her own world was the universe’s way of compensating him, unable to bear seeing him remain lonely for another lifetime.

Her original self shrugged, "I've delivered the item. As for how to hand it over, you’ll have to figure that out yourself. But I suggest you go to Zhang Shuo—after all, he has a lifetime’s worth of experience and will handle it more thoroughly. He also knows your origins. Once you pass it to him, you can stay completely out of it."

Lu Mingzhu thought it made sense. "We’re on the same page."

At this, she suddenly laughed. "My space that’s been gathering dust is finally useful again! If it weren’t for you bringing these materials, I would’ve completely forgotten I even had a personal storage space."

Though no one dared to search her during border crossings, but you never know.

Keeping it in her space was a sure thing.

Lu Mingzhu had originally planned to travel across Southeast Asia, then visit the UK and US, hitting up flea markets along the way. Now, those plans are out the window—she had to return to her country first.

The sooner she delivered it, the sooner research could begin, and the sooner their country would grow stronger.

The stronger their country, the less its people would suffer.

Her original self was surprised. "You have a personal storage space? I don’t—though I’ve read plenty of novels about them and was crazy jealous."

"I only used it at the very beginning. Later, when I lacked nothing, it collected dust." Lu Mingzhu was also afraid of being discovered.

Her original self was fascinated. "Can you put it in your space now?"

"Let me try." With a thought, the heavy metal book that was nearly slipping from her hands vanished. Through her consciousness, she saw it settle securely inside the space.

Her original self was amazed. "That’s amazing!"

She wanted one too.

Having a pocket dimension would be a game-changer for travel.

"I always thought it was not worth much but too good to toss—but who knew it’d come in handy again?" Lu Mingzhu realized she was just a tool, and she joked about it with her original self.

Her original self patted her shoulder. "You’re doing something huge, my dear sister."

Who wouldn’t want their country to grow stronger?

Lu Mingzhu slid off the two jade bracelets from her wrist. "If I’d known we’d meet, I would’ve put together a whole set of high-end jewelry for you. But you came too suddenly. Your abilities must’ve improved—can you take them all back? My space has survival supplies, but nothing as extravagant as fine jewelry or antiques."

Her original self took one. "Still can only bring back one item. From now on, we’ll each have one—matching bracelets. Who knows if we’ll meet again? Let these remind us of each other."