Chapter 490.1: This Emperor’s Condition

“My situation is a little different from Ah Yuan’s.” With his own rebirth as a foundation, her being a transmigrator wasn’t that unbelievable anymore, and Jing Wan also wasn’t worried that he won’t be able to accept. Jing Wan organized her words inside, “I came from another place, a place that can never be found here. Ah Yuan coming back, what you crossed was the river of time, just like reversing the flow of time, but what I crossed was probably space, space, how to explain, just like………….”

“Just like two incense balls, Qi Yuan, as well as everything that can extend from Qi Yuan, all exist in this ball. Even if my life started over again, it’s all still this ball. And the place Wan Wan came from exist in another incense ball. Between the two incense ball, under normal circumstances, it’s impossible to interconnect, unable to touch one another.” Li Hong Yuan followed up.

Jing Wan astonishingly looked to Li Hong Yuan. This ability to comprehend was impressive. After all, exactly what happened, Jing Wan didn’t know either. If one were to insist on explaining, she may not necessarily be able to explain clearer than this explanation. Jing Wan felt, if this man were to go to the world of her past life, then he probably won’t, because of being an ‘old relic’, make a fool of himself.

“More or less this meaning. In a certain sense, it can also be considered me reincarnating, yet carrying the memories of my previous life. That place is greatly different from this place, but its history nevertheless shared similarities with this place as well as the history before Qi Yuan. The geographical location also have very many similarities, but the era I lived in was completely different from the current Qi Yuan’s backdrop………” Jing Wan carried a bit of reminisce, slowly explaining.

(T/N: Although similar, Qi Yuan never existed in Jing Wan’s original world.)

Li Hong Yuan attentively listened. Although he had already predicted that the place Wan Wan once lived might be very different, but this difference nevertheless still far surpassed his imagination. Although it wasn’t that he wasn’t able to accept, many things were all worth looking forward to.

“What Wan Wan said was all about the world you once lived in, but what about you? Combining freedom, and the choice to come together or break apart, how many men have Wan Wan been with before?” Li Hong Yuan raised his head to look at Jing Wan, his eyes pitch black, clearly about to ‘change face’ at a moment’s notice.

“That’s just a way to get to know each other and further the relationship before marriage. Compared to Ah Yuan having many wives and concubines, it seemingly can’t be considered anything, right? What, just allowing the officials to set fire, but not allow the people to light lanterns[1]? Jin Qinwang, you can’t be like this.” Jing Wan softly laughed.

Li Hong Yuan complexion was very bad, but he was very clear that digging into this was purely just ruining their relationship. Moreover, in the environment Wan Wan was in at the time, it was just inherently like so, just like how at present, in Qi Yuan, men having multiple wives and concubines was the norm. There was nothing to criticize. That’s why, even if unhappy inside, he can only pinch his nose and accept.

“However, I had just one, at most also just holding hands, and because I wasn’t willing to go any further than that, he just broke up with me.” Jing Wan smilingly continued.

Li Hong Yuan’s expression immediately improved, “It’s good that you broke up, that kind of guy that just wants to be frivolous and rude to girls, what’s the point of keeping. Wan Wan should’ve long broken up with him.”

Jing Wan used her finger to lightly caress the side of Li Hong Yuan’s face, gently smiling, not saying anything. As long as he was happy.

“In other words, Wan Wan didn’t marry?”

“No, over there, the law had requirements for the age of marriage. In our country, for women, it’s twenty years old. When I left that world, I was already over twenty. However, I never thought of wanting to marry. Moreover, there isn’t any rule where one must marry when one comes of age. Choosing to be single for one’s whole life isn’t a problem either. Of course, the premise being that one’s family won’t nag.”

“Wan Wan’s family must have been quite well off?” Li Hong Yuan was deeply aware of how the environment influences a person, molding a person’s personality and shaping a person’s behavior and habits. Since Wan Wan at the time was already over twenty, then many things have already taken shape. Even if she’s spent ten plus years with the Luo family, the things that were already deep in her bones were very difficult to change, especially the unyielding and resolute nature Li Hong Yuan has witnessed on Jing Wan. The more it was like this, the harder it was to change some things.

“Can be considered the case, after all, similarly an official family. Although the government officials of that place greatly differ from the officials of Qi Yuan, but more or less all have commonalities. Moreover, that father of mine, the position he resided in wasn’t considered low either, so certainly different from ordinary people. His demands towards me were also very high, after all, at least on the surface, I was his only child, intending to have me raised into the most outstanding upper class young lady, so that he can use me to climb higher. Thus, I naturally had the best upbringing.”

Jing Wan expression dulled. It was obvious, towards that father, she didn’t have any good feelings.

“Wan Wan seemingly also know some things that a well off person won’t really know, did something happen to your family later on?”

“Ah.” Jing Wan raised her head, sinking into her memories, also carrying faint sorrow, “He betrayed my mother. The woman he raised outside even arrogantly appeared before my mother with a big belly. However, my mother was originally planning on getting a divorce with him anyways. Over there, a couple not getting along and just divorcing is very normal. After divorcing, both sides can also remarry. However, that man, as a government official, his conduct having problems certainly won’t do. After all, monogamy was set by the law. It wasn’t easy for my mother to get a divorce, the two sides going back and forth for a very long time. Just when the results were about to come out, both of them got into an accident at the same time, both dying, just leaving behind me and my grandmother. Not long after, the matter of him, as an official, colluding with thugs, got exposed, but since he was already dead, that was also just left at that. After all, the family won’t be treated as guilty by association, just our family property all got seized. And those thugs seemingly because of him suffered losses, but because he had died, those thugs naturally just looked for me and my grandmother. For a period of time, I lived a life of wandering around without a home with my grandmother. Grandmother was a woman from a scholarly family, having extremely good upbringing. Because of her sincere teachings, I thus didn’t walk down a crooked path. However, grandmother’s originally healthy body had also worn down already, and a few years later, just passed away. That period of time was very terrible for me, living muddily. Afterwards one day, I seemingly just fainted suddenly. When I gained consciousness again, I just knew, the original me more or less already died, and I had reincarnated. However, I seemingly forgot to drink Granny Meng’s soup[2], the various things of my past life all still remembering.”

Jing Wan lowered her head to look at Li Hong Yuan, her eye sockets already somewhat red.

“Wan Wan right now has me, and the Luo family is also your family. The majority of them are all good.” Li Hong Yuan softly said.

It’s no wonder she has disliked concubines and such since childhood, and towards men being frivolous, she also exceptionally hated, and towards Luo Old Madam, exceptionally close.

“En, I know. Actually, my grandmother from my past life has already passed away, so I don’t have any attachments either. My past life’s grandmother, and my current grandmother, in certain areas, were actually quite similar. I don’t deny that at first, the reason why I got close to my grandmother was because I was shifting my feelings onto her. But as time passed, those feelings also became genuine.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If you miss Luo Old Madam, then just find some time to go back to visit her.”

“Oh, this while, suddenly this magnanimous? Who was it that just sulks because I stayed a bit too long at the Luo Manor?” Jing Wan teased, the dejected feeling inside scattering a little.

Li Hong Yuan coldly snorted, “How much longer can Luo Old Madam live for? In any case, the one that will be by your side in the future for your whole life will be me.”

Jing Wan paused, “Ah Yuan, thank you.” Lowering her head, she just kissed Li Hong Yuan on his lips.

“Just done with a line of thanks?”

“But aside from this, I don’t have anything else. After all, I’m already yours, and my entire life also all given to you.”

These words can be said to have greatly pleased the living Enma, “What do you mean you don’t have anything else. Am I not yours? Is the enormous Jin Qinwang Manor not yours?”

The Jin Qinwang with maxed out sweet talk skills sure enough also greatly pleased Jin Wangfei.

Certain emotions began lingering again. Jing Wan firmly changed the topic, “Since Ah Yuan’s skill in gongbi is this good, how about we work on a painting together, I draw you, and you draw me, how about it?” Painting a portrait for Li Hong Yuan can be said to be the peak of Jing Wan’s gongbi level, especially that first portrait, extremely realistic. In the future, afraid it will forever be difficult to exceed that level.

“Why not?” Li Hong Yuan got up, pulling Jing Wan’s hand, sitting behind the desk again, “You first or me first?”

“How about together, each draw one, and after we finish, have the other party fill in the other half. See who in the end can harmonize better?”

“The idea’s not bad, but Wan Wan, if you lose, you can’t cry later.” Li Hong Yuan’s long slender fingers scraped the tip of Jing Wan’s nose.

Jing Wan lightly swatted aside his hand, “It’s not like I’m someone that would get jealous at the talented, so how can I possibly cry. Besides, even if my painting skills are not as good as yours, this isn’t something one can win just relying on painting skills. After all, having not discussed the composition in advance, anything can happen. As such, who will win is still unknown.”

“Is that so, then this husband will wait and see.” Li Hong Yuan smiled lightly, compellingly handsome.

[1] See historical notes

[2] Granny Meng is a figure in ancient chinese mythology who resides by the bridge the dead cross, passing out her soup to all the souls heading to reincarnate so that they can erase their previous life’s memories.

T/N: This timeline drawing is still so useful after all this time.