Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
If one could go out with a bang and bring glory to their name, who would not do that?
Jiang Pengji felt as though she did not belong to that world, as her life now was forced upon her by the System.
Even so, she would not purposely seek death.
The federal soldiers could die anytime, but they could not take their own lives or seek death. That was cowardly behavior.
That was why she chose to live. She had planned to retire from war and take relaxing vacations. Who would not want to be happy during their vacations?
Whatever pissed her off should be obliterated or changed into something she liked. Why should she force herself to get used to it?
“This world should change because of me––not me changing for it. Don’t you agree, System?” Jiang Pengji laughed.
The system was quiet for a while before it rebutted, “You’re not done playing God and you’re now trying to be God?”
“If the shoe fits.” Jiang Pengji loved to watch the System try and rebut her. It was obvious that it could not stand her methods, but yet it could do nothing about it. It was so adorable.
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’ll get a heart attack and have to return to the main system to be reconstructed.”
Jiang Pengji had a vague smile on her lips when she looked at the waterside pavilion in the courtyard. One wondered what she was thinking.
Night fell and the day’s boisterous sounds slowly faded to a peaceful quiet.
The second lady had a few days to recuperate and her complexion was much better.
She had been sick for many years and had been taking medication nonstop. No one knew when she would recover fully.
When she had to see her “son” in the day, she was in an emotional turmoil, and the effects reflected under her eyes. When she returned to her room, her illness took a turn for the worse and the maids had to quickly summon a physician over.
“You still don’t like to take your medicine. Have some preserved fruits.”
Liu She entered the room and saw the lady covering her mouth and looking ready to puke. He quickly ordered the maids to bring some cuts of fruits preserved in sugar and honey for her.
“Only you know me so well to know that I dislike those bitter medicines.” The second lady quietly accepted the box of preserves.
“No matter how well I know you is useless. You’ll still need to take your medication or else how are you going to recover?” Liu She smiled. “Don’t eat too much or your teeth will rot.”
“You rarely visit me unless you have something you need to tell me.” She ignored his advice and ate another few more preserves. “Just tell me.”
Liu She sighed.
The two of them were husband and wife in name, but they lacked any sort of relationship. They were more like siblings than a married couple. Whenever he saw her, he would think of those years when she was still a naive and sweet girl.
When he thought of the chief culprit who caused her to lose her innocence, the usually calm and collected Liu She felt an itch to kill him.
“The Mengs are in trouble. Meng Zhan’s office has been torched and Meng County is filled with rebels. The Meng army is afraid that the news will spread and, instead of pacifying the crowd, they chose to use violence to suppress them. This is just making things worse... If you’re willing to help, this is the time.”
When the lady heard the news, she froze before she laughed so hard that she cried. “Huh, I thought that child couldn’t bear to see me living the life and came over to cause a scene. I can’t believe that this happened.” The lady laughed again. “Didn’t you say that you’d rather dismantle a temple than ruin a marriage?”
Liu She shook his head. “You bear grudges. When did I say that? When Ah Min was on her deathbed, the one who felt the most sorry was you. You’re my wife’s sister, and now my wife. If I don’t protect you, do you expect me to shield Meng Zhan?”
When he married her, he did not behave like a husband and had allowed her to live a life like a widow. That was his fault and he would remember it.
The lady smiled and bowed her head. “To hear you say that embarrasses me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be enjoying my life as a Liu mistress. If we have to talk about owing, then I owe my life to you and my sister. My position belonged to my sister.”
When Liu She married her, he had a whole lot of other issues. His wife had died and he had married his wife’s sister. That said sister was cast off by her own husband and her name was tarnished. Anyone who was not in the know would be wondering.
The Mengs slandered her and Liu She by saying that they had been having an affair from the beginning.
Liu She gave a grim smile. Was he really not responsible for anything?
Meng Zhan was his schoolmate and a descendant of the upstanding and fearless wargod of the Daxia Dynasty, Meng Jing. Liu She had thought Meng Zhan was a good man and had thought that they knew each other well.
In the end, he was greatly disappointed.
The lady seemed to have seen through Liu She’s thoughts and sighed. “If not for my sister’s pity, I would have died by those people’s hands. Even though I have a father, my mother’s position was low. In the Gu family, only sister cared for me.”
Gu Min was not that much older than her, but she practically raised the second lady.
“If it weren’t for my sister saving me from that well, would there be the Gu Zhen you see today?”
The first Gu mistress did not care about Gu Zhen’s marriage; it was Gu Min, who was already married, who helped her find a good husband. Out of all the good men, Gu Zhen was blind when she chose the worst one out of all of them.
If she had not been impulsive and rebellious and had married the man her sister had chosen, she would be living her life peacefully now. But her current days were still good.
She was satisfied with what she had now. She would look after her sister’s only child and on behalf of her, enjoy the happiness that would bring.
She had to recuperate and enjoy her better days.
As for Meng Zhan? As what her sister had said, karma happened to those who deserved it. Times would change, and, one day, Meng Zhan would kneel before her feet like the worm he was.
Gu Zhen gave a cold hmph when she thought of those years she had suffered.