Chapter 31 “You Two Are a Perfect Match”

Chapter 31: "You Two Are Truly a Perfect Match"

The hidden room designed specifically for Xie Yan, walls covered with portraits of Xie Yan, over a thousand unsent letters—Chou Yunqing's infatuation with Xie Yan far exceeded my shallow understanding. It felt more like the fervent, lurking gaze of a stalker, unnervingly sending chills down my spine and filling me with a bone-chilling cold.

As I skimmed through the letters, I noticed that initially, Chou Yunqing persistently questioned Xie Yan about me, repeatedly asking who I was and whether I was His Highness's lover.

Later on, he stopped asking, as if suddenly accepting a certain reality with devout humility. He often wrote, "You two are truly a perfect match."

How terrifying.

What would Xie Yan think if he knew someone was lurking in the shadows, observing and commenting on him so freely?

But why should I care about Xie Yan's thoughts now? Perhaps he would see this as a good thing—better than putting on an act with me and exchanging empty formalities.

Then again, Xie Yan had always been captivated by my looks, even to the point of being utterly enthralled. If he knew there was someone who looked so much like me, possessed talent, and was hopelessly in love with him for three years, he would surely be overjoyed.

Before, he insincerely encouraged me to study, write, and play chess. It seems the type he truly favored was someone like Chou Yunqing—refined, graceful, and as beautiful as a narcissus, gentle and refined with remarkable talent.

It's just a pity they met too late, or perhaps I selfishly cut off any possibility between them.

Later, Chou Yunqing's letters took a strange turn. It seemed he had become aware of Xie Yan's bizarre actions and began delving into sorcery.

In his letters to Xie Yan, he wrote, "Your Highness, I told my father I wanted to go to the capital to be your study companion. He refused, and I am heartbroken. It has been three years since our fleeting glimpse, and I long to see you again."

"Your Highness, why are you so intent on bringing him back to life? After all, I look exactly like him. Loving me is no different from loving him."

"Your Highness, I recently discovered something new in my studies. If it truly is as the books say, I hope it brings you joy." This was Chou Yunqing's final letter, ambiguous and puzzling, leaving one baffled.

I tidied the letters and returned them to their place, but a weight remained in my chest. A terrifying suspicion began to take root in my mind.

Did my inexplicable rebirth have something to do with Chou Yunqing?

Would Chou Yunqing eventually return to this body?

Had he died, or had he taken my place in the cycle of reincarnation?

With these questions weighing on me, I turned to the other cabinet. Taking a deep breath, I opened it.

Inside was a single book, entirely crimson in color. The cover was long gone, the pages tattered and worn, the text blurred—clearly very old.

As I flipped through it, I noticed a page with deep fold marks, as if it had been read over and over again.

On it, written in bold, blood-red characters, were the words: "Art of Reviving the Dead: The original must die the day after their birthday. The person performing the revival must share the same birth date and month as the original and bear an identical appearance. By committing suicide exactly three years after the original's death, the soul can be summoned."

"Do not attempt lightly."

I was so shocked I stopped breathing for a moment. So, my resurrection was because Chou Yunqing had sacrificed his own life to bring me back. Deceived by Xie Yan's façade of deep affection, he foolishly threw his life away.

Xie Yan, you truly deserve to die.

The one who should have died was never my father, nor me, nor Chou Yunqing—it should have been you.

Heartless, vain, scheming, and sinister, yet you always present yourself to the world as a cold, restrained, ethereal immortal. This façade deceived Chou Yunqing and cost him his life!

He was only eighteen, exceptionally learned, gentle and kind by nature, with a bright future ahead of him. Yet, innocently, he had his fate stolen by me, becoming a wandering ghost.

Thinking of this, my heart ached unbearably. Not only must I avenge my father, but I must also avenge Chou Yunqing.

"Chou Yunqing, Xie Yan is not the pure and brilliant person you believed him to be. He used me to cause my father's death. You were deceived by the image he crafted—it's not your fault."

"Your parents will be in my care from now on. I will do my best to fulfill your dreams. May you never be so foolish in your next life, and may you meet someone who treats you well."

I arranged the letters by date, neatly returned them to the cabinet, and lit the book on sorcery with a candle, watching as it gradually turned to ashes.

It's better burned. If it remained, someone else might foolishly attempt it or be exploited by those with ill intentions.

I initially thought to destroy the portraits on the walls, but then reconsidered. This secret chamber belonged to Chou Yunqing—it was his space, his connection to Xie Yan.

He must have poured boundless emotion into capturing Xie Yan's every expression. These paintings carried his sincere heart, just as I had once foolishly made straw rings for Xie Yan.

Forget it. I let go of the idea to destroy the paintings.

I took one last look around the room. I would not enter this secret chamber again. Let it remain silent forever, as Chou Yunqing's permanent secret.

I have taken Chou Yunqing's body, his knowledge, and I have no right to insist on remaining Feng Jiuyue.

Chou Yunqing, I will be filial to your parents, be kind to your attendants, and strive to achieve the greatness you desired. As for Xie Yan, he will pay for the evil he has committed.

I bit my lower lip hard, my fingertips digging deep into my palms until blood seeped out, yet I felt nothing.

"Young master, are you asleep? Why is it so quiet?" Huai Xin's voice came from outside the door, laced with worry.

My heart softened, and I replied, "I'm fine. Please ask your parents to come in."

"Yes."

I wondered what kind of people Chou Yunqing's parents were. But seeing how attentively Huai Xin cared for Chou Yunqing, he must have been an exceptionally gentle person, and his parents couldn't be far off. The thought put me somewhat at ease.

Almost immediately after Huai Xin left, hurried footsteps approached from outside, accompanied by repeated calls of "darling" and "Qingqing."

"Oh, my darling, you're finally awake! You scared me to death! How could you jump from such a high building? You nearly took your mother's life with you!"

"Yes, Qingqing, how are you feeling now?"

The couple's voices arrived even faster than their footsteps. Their chattering brought me an inexplicable sense of comfort. I quickly looked up and saw a man dressed like a country gentleman, adorned with gold and silver. He was tall but portly, with a kindly, jovial demeanor.

Following him was a strikingly beautiful woman, dressed boldly in a sheer gauze dress that hinted at her full curves. Though older, she still retained the charm of her youth.

"Darling, does your head still hurt?" The woman frowned delicately as she looked at me, her charming face full of concern.

Having lost my mother at a young age, her direct care warmed my heart. I shook my head and said, "My head doesn't hurt much, but my memory has greatly declined."

"What?!!"

The woman could not accept this at all. She immediately pinched the man's ear and said fiercely, "Our darling can do whatever he wants. Why did you have to argue with him? Now look, his memory is damaged! You owe me for this, you owe me!!"

"Ouch, dear, it hurts, it hurts!"

The man grimaced in pain, looking as if he would kneel and beg for mercy on the spot.

"Dear, I really didn't mean to! I only told Qingqing that the Crown Prince is not someone to be trifled with. I never said a harsh word to him. Who knew he would jump right in front of me? Ah, ah, ah! Dear, it really hurts—my ear is about to fall off."

Only I knew the real reason Chou Yunqing jumped. He had been secretly observing the Crown Prince's every move, learned that the Crown Prince was seeking sorcery to revive the dead, and got caught up in the same madness.

He must have once dreamed of becoming the Crown Prince's attendant, but before he could achieve this, he discovered that forbidden ritual and gave up his life.

His jumping was not his parents' fault, yet they took the blame upon themselves, never saying a wrong word about Chou Yunqing.

Parents can never outdo their children. Like my father, always giving in for me. Thinking of this, my voice softened as I slowly said, "Mother, it's not Father's fault. I was too reckless."

"How could our baby ever be wrong? It's all your father's fault. I'll straighten him out for you," the woman retorted, still clutching the man's ear and refusing to let go. She warned him sternly, "If you ever dare to bully my baby again, I'll make you regret it."

"We have only one precious son, and you drove him to jump off a building this time. Luckily he's okay. If anything had happened to him, how could I go on living?"

"I know, I know, my dear. I won't dare do it again," the man replied.

Despite his tall and sturdy appearance, the man was completely subdued by his delicate wife, not even daring to breathe wrong.

Witnessing their doting actions, I couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. If they knew the real Chou Yunqing had already passed on to the next life, how heartbroken they would be.

I must never let them find out. Since I no longer have parents of my own, I will protect them from now on.

I'll care for your parents as if they were my own, Chou Yunqing. You can rest easy.

"Baby, your father has thought it over. Since you've made up your mind to become the Crown Prince's study companion and have already registered, I will do everything in my power to support you."

"You can't lose face when you go to the capital. I've prepared a fancy carriage and hired many servants and helpers to accompany you. With them taking care of you along the way, I'll worry a little less."

"When I have time off, I'll bring your mother to the capital to visit you. You can show us around town properly then."

No sooner had the man finished speaking than the woman jumped in, pointing at his nose and scolding him fiercely.

"Don't you pretend to be the good guy here! You only said all those nice-sounding words after finding out from others that the registration couldn't be canceled. You don't truly love our baby."

"How could I not love him? He's my one and only precious baby. I didn't want him to suffer by the Crown Prince's side. Was I wrong?"

"That Crown Prince is a madman. He lost his mind over that Feng family troublemaker back then, and he hasn't fully recovered even now. I couldn't bear to see our Qingqing suffer. Was I wrong?"

Despite being a tall and robust man, his voice got choked up, as if he had been deeply wronged.

Realizing she had gone too far, the woman patted his head soothingly and said, "Alright, I understand how you feel now. But don't you ever bully my baby again."

"Mother," I said, feeling a bit awkward as the word left my lips, but the woman immediately leaned in, not noticing the stiffness in my tone. "What is it, my baby? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"Nothing's wrong," I shook my head gently. "Please don't blame Father anymore. It was my fault for being unreasonable. I won't do it again."

"Oh, my sweet darling, I really can't bear to let you go so far away. If you get selected, I'll be happy for you. If you don't, and can come back right away, I'll be just as pleased."

"The capital is so far. What if my baby can't get used to it there or starts missing home?"

Worry was etched deeply on the woman's face, her pretty eyebrows all scrunched up.

I couldn't fully grasp the implications of their words, but a sense of unease kept bubbling up inside me.

Could it be that Chou Yunqing had planned everything from the very beginning?

Did he intend to send me straight to Xie Yan? He brought me back to life and set things up for me even before my revival, forcing me to meet Xie Yan.

I pursed my lips, about to ask about the study companion matter, when Huai Xin suddenly rushed into the room in a panic. He was breathing heavily, his words stumbling out unevenly, "S-Sir! Someone from the Crown Prince's place is here!"