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Chapter 2: To Start Afresh

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Lin Xiao pursed his lips, feeling that this event was so very familiar to him.

He and Mo Qi had both somehow accidentally come to this world, and the moment they landed in this world, they had met Lan Wei, someone related to the prime minister.

Lan Wei fell in love with Mo Qi at first sight, and left her in his home as a guest while Ling Xiao continued to follow after Mo Qi.

Lan Wei was his and Mo Qi’s first friend after they landed in this world. Rather, it should be said he’s Mo Qi’s friend. As the prime minister’s son, he would always denounce him loudly. But for the sake of Mo Qi’s face, he had to put up with him in every possible way.

Mo Qi’s heart was big, and the scenery outside had been admired enough. So she immediately expressed interest in the imperial palace. As it turns out, at this time, the Emperor was choosing Palace Women. Ling Xiao doesn’t know what kind of move Mo Qi used to have Lan Wei’s father arrange a place and allowed her to enter the palace as a Palace Woman.[footnote]Also known as ‘Xiu Girl’, there is no good translation for this, but they are girls fourteen and beyond that can be chosen by the Emperor as concubines. It’s from the Qing Dynasty. It literally means Elegant/Beautiful Girls.[/footnote]

Ling Xiao and Lan Wei were naturally against it. No need to say any more about Lan Wei, he was enamored with Mo Qi from the start, how could he allow her to go be selected? But Ling Xiao did not understand what kind of waters of oblivion she used on that guy to agree to allow her to enter the palace.

As for him, although he was also very curious about the imperial palace, he also knew that Mo Qi entering was very dangerous. well-meant advice for Mo Qi didn’t bear fruit, but he also didn’t want to put himself forward instead. He wanted to separate from her, yet he still didn’t escape the fate of entering the palace.

At a goodbye feast, Lan Wei and Mo Qi gave him something that made him lose consciousness. In his muddle-headedness, he was delivered into the palace. If he hadn’t woken up at that moment, then he would have really become a eunuch, a slave for the rest of his life.

At that time, he was sincerely worried that Mo Qi would receive bullying and humiliation in the palace. Even after he almost got disgraced in the palace, he still didn’t blame Mo Qi’s actions. He didn’t even hold a grudge against Lan Wei. Like this, he willingly accompanied her into the palace and protected her the whole way! Who knew, that the final ending wasn’t her gratefulness or her feelings of being moved, but rather her poisoned wine.

Ling Xiao was finally clear about his current situation.

He really died, died after drinking the poisoned wine that Mo Qi had personally served him. He could still remember that stab of pain in his chest back then. That kind of feeling was unlikely to be faked.

However, he lived again, returning back to the past and living, back when Mo Qi was just entering the Emperor’s palace as a Palace Woman.

Everything was starting all over again…

“If you aren’t going, then don’t waste my time. This is the palace, even delaying for a second can possibly cause the deed to fall through and be exposed. Since you were unwilling to accept purification, you have caused me many inconveniences. I don’t want to follow after and get buried with you!”

Elder Lin, seeing the silent Ling Xiao, started to become impatient, her appearance becomes more and more agitated. Bringing a man to enter the harem was a crime that could lead to the execution of all of the perpetrator’s relatives as punishment. If it were to be investigated thoroughly, not only the two people in front of her, but even the prime minister ’s family and her own would find it difficult to escape from this crime. However, this whole thing was originally organized by Young Master Lan Wei. If it had been done according to Young Master Lan Wei’s words, then arranging it in the dark would really not be that much trouble, but this man didn’t undergo purification! He had escaped! And he even escaped with the assistance of the Palace Woman Mo Qi, who Lan Wei had warned her repeatedly to take good care of! Nowadays, she was already unable to separate relations from the prime minister’s family. So she, as the Elder who acted as the prime minister’s deliverer to help a man enter the palace, would also suffer punishment.

Thinking this and that, Elder Lin hatefully glared at Mo Qi.

With these kinds of circûmstances, she and the prime minister’s family had really gotten atop a tiger and would have great difficulty getting off.

Not caring about this man and letting him get caught was still a mortal crime. If they concealed it, then it would be fine, and they may still have a chance to live!

Therefore, even if Elder Lin was unwilling to build a relationship with Mo Qi and Ling Xiao, she had no choice but to do so.

Ling Xiao naturally knew of the twisting and turnings of Elder Lin’s mind, but Mo Qi only thought that Elder Lin was very impatient and wanted to cast them away. She couldn’t help but worry and ran over to Ling Xiao, pulling on his arm, “We’re going, we’re going right? Ling Xiao?”

She was fearful that Ling Xiao would refuse. Ling Xiao turned around to look at Mo Qi, staring at the place where Mo Qi  held his arm. His gaze went cold, and Mo Qi started, promptly releasing him, but with a plea still in her eyes.

“Ling Xiao, you always loved me the most, just think of it as doing it for me, ok? Stay behind with me, alright?”

Saying this, Mo Qi wept a little for this wish, “Are you really willing to part with me and leave me by myself in this palace? What if I get really scared? What should I do if I’m bullied? We came from the same place, are you really going to abandon me?”

Ling Xiao sneered. Back then, it was precisely because of those few words that he had been softhearted. In order to stay with Mo Qi, from then on, he was unable to be himself. Right now when circûmstances were so heavy, would he still follow after Mo Qi?

What a joke!

Ling Xiao ignored Mo Qi and said to Elder Lin, “Elder, as you can see, my current circûmstances aren’t something I can help myself. Since I have no other alternatives but to stay at the palace, I will be relying on you to tell me what to do. Otherwise, if I were to be caught, it would only be a dead end.”

Elder Lin’s complexion slowly changed, “You are an understanding man.”

Ling Xiao smilingly said, “However, Elder, since I ran away from the purification room, not talking about people, just those eunuchs in there have already seen my appearance clear as day.

Elder Lin frowned and coldly snorted, “This you don’t need to worry about. Since I was able to find you, as long as you’re obedient, I can arrange for another identity for you at once and can guarantee that no one will recognize you.”

“However, once I finish arranging an identity for you, you must take good care of yourself, as well as that thing you did not get rid of.” Elder Lin said fiercely as she fixed her attention on his lower half.

Ling Xiao’s lower half tightened, and couldn’t help but retreat a step. A while later, he pursed his lips and answered, “I am clear about these things myself.”

For now, he didn’t have another road to walk. Even though entering the palace was easy, leaving it was hard. Moreover, he was still a man and in the harem. As long as he wanted to keep his life, he would need to get a reliable identity. One that could conceal his identity as a man.

Although Elder Mo was still one of Lan Wei’s people, they were both in the same boat. She would give him a reliable identity.

Elder Lin nodded her head, satisfied, and took the lead to one side, “Then come with me.”

Ling Xiao followed and saw that Mo Qi followed as well. However, she was displeased and her footsteps soon stopped.

“What’s going on?” Elder Lin turned her head and unhurriedly spoke.

Ling Xiao somewhat expected this and looked at Mo Qi, “Chu Xiu Palace’s Elder Lin and a Palace Woman going together like this… It’s also not good if others saw this, right?”

Elder Lin complexion darkened, her eyes on Mo Qi with even more dissatisfaction. Mo Qi was unable to make head or tail of why she was being glared at, and complained to Ling Xiao, “Ling Xiao, what is the meaning of this? I know you are angry at me and Lan Wei for dragging you into the palace, but are there really people like you who incite disharmony like this for no reason!?”

Ling Xiao shook her off in great dislike, and Elder Lin sneeringly said, “Don’t be so noisy, what he said is right!”

“You can’t return with us to Chu Xiu Palace, we have to pull the distance apart.”

Saying this, she walked in another direction, “I will take him back first.”

“Wh…at?” Mo Qi opened her eyes wide, “Then what about me!”

“You?” Elder Lin gave her a glance, “You can return yourself.”

“I…myself…” Mo Qi pointed a finger at herself in disbelief before clenching her teeth and looking toward Ling Xiao, speaking softly, “Ling Xiao, I know my wrongs. Lan Wei wanted to bring you into the purification room for you to become a eunuch. I fell down in front of the purification room on purpose to draw attention to let you escape. I didn’t want you to become a  eunuch, I only wanted you to accompany me. I know my wrongs. You didn’t really become a eunuch, so don’t be angry, alright? Take me back with you, the imperial palace is so big, I don’t know the way…”

Mo Qi spoke pitifully, but Ling Xiao would never be softhearted to her again. His heart was rather eager for her to lose her way; it would be best for her to never be able to make it back! And he also pondered on how he should kill her!

Therefore, Ling Xiao directly ignored her.

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