Chapter 84 Grand Finale (Part 1)

The snapping of bones was particularly clear.

Yan Mu couldn’t distinguish whether it was her skull, spine, or every bone in her body.

She could no longer feel pain.

The world fell into darkness, but in a daze, she saw Yu Yuan running over like a madman.

She struggled to smile, but blood flowed from the corners of her mouth.

Her lungs were punctured by her broken ribs, and her neck felt like it was being mercilessly squeezed by a giant hand.

The sense of suffocation and dizziness from blood loss took over her brain.

Yan Mu’s vision grew dim.

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Jwv vbl blyav kd vbyv oyax nblpv oswze dlhla clyv ytykd.

Tl oyp ps nzspl.

So close to kissing Yan Mu to replenish her lifespan.

Yu Yuan’s head throbbed painfully.

He hugged Yan Mu’s body tightly, like a child clutching his beloved toy and refusing to let go.

He greedily sniffed the sweet scent on Yan Mu’s body, but even so, it couldn’t fill the growing void in his heart.

His mother didn’t love him, he accepted that.

It didn’t matter because he had Yan Mu.

Yu Yuan had always said this to himself.

But now, even Yan Mu had left him.

“Ah Mu……” Just like before, Yu Yuan buried his head in the crook of Yan Mu’s neck, “You said you would always be with me, you little liar.”

Time seemed to last an eternity.

Yet it felt like only a minute.

In the end, Yu Yuan lifted his face from the crook of Yan Mu’s neck.

His eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth. 

All human emotions seemed to have vanished with Yan Mu’s departure.

Yu Yuan’s gaze locked on the Eldest Prince, who was fleeing in a flurry.

An unprecedented desire for cruelty spread in his heart.

Yu Yuan’s heart was completely filled with hatred.

Why?

Why was a muddle-headed and incompetent emperor, who favored the concubine and did away with the wife, able to become the ruler of a nation?

Why was the licentious and unscrupulous Chu Hui born as the Eldest Prince?!

Why…… why did my Ah Mu, who is so kind, have to fall from the tower and die?!

He had had enough of these incapable maggots.

He would kill every single one of the perpetrators who had caused Yan Mu’s death.

Just when Yu Yuan made up his mind—

A dazzling bright light shone out.

The young girl’s body gradually became transparent, and a strong light enveloped every inch of the land.

Time seemed to freeze, and everyone turned into shades of black and white.

Only after her body had completely vanished did the world return to normal.

************************

Yan Mu’s soul seemed to be inside a void.

She could hear Yu Yuan’s sorrowful cries, and the faint clash of swords.

But gradually, the sounds faded away.

They were replaced by Yu Yuan’s murmurs.

She seemed to hear a dripping sound.

But when Yan Mu tried to listen more carefully, everything turned into nothingness.

The world fell into silence.

Time seemed to pass for a long time.

She heard someone shout, “Long live our Emperor.”

Then, Eunuch Qin read an imperial decree, stating that Yu Yuan had rendered great service in assisting the Emperor, and was appointed Prime Minister.

That’s great. My boy finally stood in the position he was meant to be.

Yan Mu’s lips curled up in relief.

A golden light pierced through the void, and a familiar spiky-haired figure appeared in front of Yan Mu.

The golden light dispelled the darkness, and Yan Mu’s vision was gradually restored.

“Congratulations, you’ve completed your mission.” The spiky-haired God of Web Novels was sitting cross-legged, eating his instant noodles.

“But…… but I’m dead, right?” Yan Mu lowered her head to look at her hands.

Her hands were fair and strong, and they didn’t look like they were broken at all.

Yan Mu couldn’t help but try jumping in place.

Sure enough, her body had also returned to normal.

Remembering the overwhelming pain before her death, Yan Mu couldn’t help but shudder.

The spiky-haired guy glanced at her and said, “Although you died, it was precisely because of your death that the protagonist’s fighting spirit was stimulated enough to allow the plot to unfold.”

Finishing the last strand of his instant noodles, the spiky-haired guy snapped his fingers, causing the instant noodle cup to disappear into thin air. 

“Your current body is not the body of the Yan family’s daughter, but your original body,” The spiky-haired guy said. “Alright, your mission is over. You can go home now.”

Having spoken, the spiky-haired guy was about to act.

“Wait,” Yan Mu hurriedly stopped him.

“What is it?” The man raised an eyebrow.

“Can you let me see my mum?” Yan Mu asked earnestly.

“In principle, you can’t……” the guy pretended to look troubled, but then he suddenly stopped acting, “But because you were also working hard to develop web novels in the other world, this deity is very pleased, so I can make an exception.”

After speaking, he waved his hand, and the scene immediately changed to a convenience store.

Mother Yan was wearing an apron, busily checking the goods on the shelves. A man chuckled and wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel.

The woman smiled.

It was the first time Yan Mu had seen her mum smile so sweetly.

Throughout her memories, from the stress of being a single parent, her mum had always looked worn down.

In consideration of Yan Mu’s young age, her mum had never sought out a new father for her.

“You’ve been dead in this world for a long time,” the guy beside her said. “However, if you wish to come back, I can make time return to before your death.”

“No need,” Yan Mu shook her head.

Perhaps, in the real world, it would be better for everyone if she didn’t exist. 

Without her, her mum had found a new partner.

Her mum was happy now, no longer wearing the worried look she’d had when she was still around.

That’s enough.

Yan Mu smiled.

At this moment, she felt unprecedentedly relaxed.

“Is that so?” The guy raised an eyebrow, “So, your choice is……”

Yan Mu nodded.

The air gently rippled, and a wind gently brushed against Mother Yan, passing through where the two stood.

Mother Yan paused, and she turned around as if sensing something.

The place was empty, with only tall camphor trees swaying in the breeze.

“What’s wrong, wife?” the man asked with concern.

“……It’s nothing,” Mother Yan smiled and said, “Maybe I just miss Mumu too much.”

“Then…… let’s go to her grave to offer incense tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

************************

Yan Mu was casually thrown onto a mountain top by the God of Web Novels.

The spiky-haired guy explained that sending someone through the dimensional wall was against the rules, so he couldn’t set a precise location and just randomly found a spot to throw her down.

The mini yellow floral dress Yan Mu was currently wearing was covered in dirt.

In sandals, she climbed the mountain for a long time before she finally saw a small town.

Yan Mu inwardly rejoiced.

But on second thought, the public safety in this era wasn’t very good. What if she was sold to a brothel? 

So instead Yan Mu hesitated and paced back and forth outside the small town.

Until finally a small child grabbed onto the hem of her dress.

“Yi-ya……”

The child looked to be around two or three years old, and was round like a ball.

He grabbed onto Yan Mu’s dress and wouldn’t let go, babbling and waving his arms.

“Whose baby are you? You’re so cute.” Yan Mu gently caressed the child’s face.

The little child smiled sweetly as he hugged Yan Mu.

A two or three-year-old child couldn’t go too far alone, so this child had probably wandered off by himself. 

Yan Mu didn’t dare to walk around randomly, so she just stayed in place while holding the child.

Sure enough, not long after, a young and elegantly dressed couple came looking for the child.

Yan Mu handed the child back to them, but when she looked up and saw their faces, she froze in place.

They were actually Hua Ping and Qi Er.

Hua Ping was also carrying a girl of the same age in her arms, and the boy and the girl looked like twins.

If Hua Ping had been pregnant with twins, that would’ve explained why she’d gone into labor prematurely.

Seeing that Hua Ping’s family of four was living well, Yan Mu felt genuinely happy.

She was about to greet them, but Hua Ping’s question made her heart grow a slight chill.

“May I know the benefactor’s name?” Hua Ping’s face was filled with gratitude, and her attitude was sincere.

Yan Mu was stunned by her question.

Before she’d just borrowed the body of Yan family’s daughter, but her face was still her own.

So, both in the past and now, Yan Mu’s appearance hadn’t changed.

Only three years had passed, and it didn’t make sense for Hua Ping to have forgotten her so quickly.

Yan Mu turned her head to look at Qi Er, but his reaction was similar to Hua Ping’s.

Yan Mu’s heart instantly turned cold.

“My name is Yan Mu, and may I ask who you are?” Yan Mu asked tentatively.

“I’m Hua Ping, and this is my husband, Qi Er,” Hua Ping hurriedly said.

From their conversation, they seemed to have no memory of Yan Mu at all.

Yan Mu felt strange.

She looked at the twins and asked about the details of their birth, but Hua Ping only mentioned that the children were premature, and didn’t mention anything about Yan Mu. 

Even Qi Er was the same.

Yan Mu suddenly felt a little panicked.

The people in this world seemed to have completely forgotten about her!

T-then what about Yu Yuan? Has he also forgotten me?

Yan Mu was depressed.

Her clothes were out of place here, and they were dirty from climbing through the mountain. This seemed to trigger strange associations in Hua Ping’s mind, and her gaze towards Yan Mu became more sympathetic.

Hua Ping first took Yan Mu to buy clothes, and then found her a house to stay in.

“We are from the capital, but my husband is on leave, so we came here for sightseeing,” Hua Ping explained, “Miss Yan, you can stay here for now.”

Hearing the word ‘capital’, Yan Mu shuddered.

“I was originally going to the capital to find my relatives, but I encountered mountain bandits along the way. Although I managed to escape, I have nothing now,” Yan Mu sighed, “Can you please give me a ride when you return?”

“That’s no trouble,” Hua Ping readily agreed.

For some reason, she felt a strong sense of familiarity with Yan Mu, and liked her from the bottom of her heart.

Qi Er found it a little inappropriate, but seeing that Hua Ping was happy, he didn’t say anything.

“Where are your relatives working? We can take you directly there,” Qi Er said.

“My relative and I have known each other since childhood¹青梅竹马 (qīngméi-zhúmǎ) – lit. green plums and bamboo horse (idiom); fig. innocent children’s games; childhood sweethearts, and we were engaged since then,” Yan Mu pretended to sigh, “I only know that he’s now an official, but I’m not sure about his specific position.“

“What’s his name?” Hua Ping started to gossip.

“Oh him?” Yan Mu’s eyes twinkled, and she smiled, “His name is Yu Yuan.”

With a loud “bang”, the teacup in Qi Er’s hand shattered.

“Can you say that again?” Qi Er’s voice trembled slightly.

At first he’d reflexively thought that Yan Mu might be a spy or an assassin.

But on second thought, that was impossible.

Which spy or assassin would have the audacity to target Yu Yuan?

At the thought of Yu Yuan’s violent methods, even Qi Er, who was his colleague, felt a little terrified.

“His name is indeed Yu Yuan, there’s no mistake,” Yan Mu confirmed.

“Miss Yan……” Hua Ping looked at her somewhat worriedly, “We do know someone named Yu Yuan, but we don’t know if it’s the same Yu Yuan you’re talking about.”

“The Yu Yuan I’m talking about is very handsome,” Yan Mu said slyly. “Is the Yu Yuan you know good-looking?”

“He is good-looking, but……” Hua Ping didn’t know how to continue.

Unlike Qi Er, she didn’t think Yan Mu was an assassin or spy. Instead she believed that Yan Mu had been deceived by bad people.

“Yu Yuan and I were engaged in Qingshui Village,” Yan Mu said with a straight face.

As soon as she mentioned Qingshui Village, both Qi Er and Hua Ping’s expressions froze.

Yu Yuan came from Qingshui Village, and very few people knew about this.

The only people who knew this were Qi Er, Ah Bu, and the Emperor.

Could this Miss Yan…… really be Yu Yuan’s fiancée?

Qi Er and Hua Ping were dumbfounded.

After much hesitation, they decided to bring Yan Mu to meet Yu Yuan.

*************************

Although Qi Er was a high-ranking official, he didn’t have many vacation days.

After just a few days of rest, they set back off to the capital.

Hua Ping said that Qi Er had already sent a letter to Yu Yuan, but there had been no response. So, she didn’t know how to let Yu Yuan and Yan Mu meet.

Upon hearing this, Yan Mu remained silent for a while, then asked Hua Ping what kind of person Yu Yuan was now.

Hua Ping forced a smile and simply shook her head.

Yan Mu’s mood instantly hit rock bottom.

If Yu Yuan had truly forgotten her, she was afraid that even once he met her, he might intend to kill her.

She had the spiky-haired deity’s protection, so she wouldn’t die, but if so, Yan Mu would lose her reason for staying in this world. If Yu Yuan had really forgotten her, what would she do?

Yan Mu became increasingly sad.

She requested a writing brush and paper, then wrote a letter to Yu Yuan in the swaying carriage.

Because she wasn’t certain if Yu Yuan had forgotten her or not, Yan Mu wrote it in a very obscure manner.

After Qi Er checked the letter, it was sent to the capital.

By the time the letter reached Yu Yuan, her carriage would have also arrived in the capital.

Yan Mu was full of both anxiety and longing for Yu Yuan, and she couldn’t sleep well these past few days.

Time passed slowly.

Finally, the carriage entered the city gate of the capital.

As soon as Qi Er entered the city gate, he felt like something was off.

There were many soldiers at the city gate, and specifically after confirming that the carriage belonged to Qi Er, they directly ordered the gate to be closed, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. 

Qi Er and Hua Ping looked at each other, and Yan Mu also looked puzzled.

Yan Mu quietly poked her head out to take a look, and saw a familiar figure questioning a soldier not far away.

Yan Mu was too far away to hear what they were saying.

But she saw the soldier in fear of Yu Yuan, and kneeling and begging for mercy before being dragged away.

The screams echoed beneath the city wall, and everyone remained silent out of fear.

Qi Er casually caught a soldier to ask for information. Seeing who it was, the soldier explained everything in detail.

“Lord Yu told us that there was a spy, and he’s been guarding here since this morning. Just now, that brother yawned, but Lord Yu saw and said he was neglecting his duty, so he was pulled out and given a severe beating of thirty strokes,” the soldier said with a mournful expression.

The more Yan Mu listened, the more disheartened she felt.

The spy that Yu Yuan mentioned wouldn’t be me, right?

As Yan Mu was hesitating over whether to run away or not, she saw Yu Yuan discover Qi Er’s carriage and walk straight towards them.

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Edited by: Gaze