Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 322 All are Sister Lan’s aliases, Carefree King’s treasure [2 more updates]

Chapter 322: 322 All are Sister Lan’s aliases, Carefree King’s treasure [2 more updates]

Yan Shunhua preferred to dress as a woman when performing opera, and he often played female roles so convincingly that no one felt taken out of the story.

Because of this, rumors always went around that he was more beautiful than a woman.

She and Yan Shunhua were not very familiar, only having some interactions because of several encounters with King Qin Hua Yingyue.

Yan Shunhua succeeded his father’s title, becoming the second Carefree King.

He was the same age as the King of Qin, and four years younger than the King of Yan.

In the year of his coming of age, she had presented him with this set of opera clothes.

Yan Shunhua liked it very much; he immediately changed into it and personally performed a piece of the opera.

Ye Wanlan’s eyes were distant. She had thought that this costume had been destroyed in that great battle, but she had not expected to see the gift she had given again.

"This should be a man’s opera costume," Yan Tingyue picked up a corner of the clothes and slowly said, "He’s skilled at playing female roles, so the costume is for ladies, but that doesn’t matter. We can alter the seams a bit, and Ah Lan, you will be able to wear it."

Ye Wanlan also reached out her hand and gently touched the opera clothes.

"However, the pity lies in these two places," Yan Tingyue coughed, pointing at two damages on the costume, "This is a highly elaborate piece, and it must have taken many craftsmen a lot of work to create such a masterpiece. I’ve looked through books for half a day and still can’t figure out what kind of embroidery should be used to fill these gaps."

Ye Wanlan thought for a moment: "Teacher, may I have some paper and a pen?"

"If you want something else, I might not have it here," Yan Tingyue smiled, "but paper and pen I have plenty of."

A piece of rice paper was laid out on another table, and Ye Wanlan took up the brush.

She dipped the brush in ink and began to draw on the blank rice paper.

Yan Tingyue had been watching seriously, but when Ye Wanlan was halfway through her drawing, her expression suddenly changed dramatically: "Ah Lan, is this...?"

Without a word, Ye Wanlan continued to dip her brush in ink and write, and when the final stroke was done, the complete pattern was revealed, perfectly filling the missing parts of the costume.

"That’s it... it’s like this," Yan Tingyue was slightly incredulous, "Ah Lan, how did you think of this?"

After Ye Wanlan finished drawing the second damaged pattern, she put down the brush: "Although I don’t understand embroidery, I have some slight understanding of painting."

It’s just that she had personally drawn these two patterns, and although the memory was very distant, seeing them again, she could still find the old memories.

Upon hearing these words, Bing He and Tie Ma looked at each other bewilderedly.

A slight understanding?

But was Miss Ye’s "slight understanding" really the same as what they imagined the idiom to mean?

Probably not?

"Ah Lan, this is not a ’slight understanding’; this is reaching the pinnacle of the craft," Yan Tingyue disagreed, "I’ve also consulted several painting masters, but even they couldn’t complete these two parts of the pattern."

"Teacher, if you trust me with it, please give me this opera costume," Ye Wanlan nodded slightly, "My friend is a descendant of Su embroidery; he can repair this garment."

"Of course, after all, this was a gift for you," Yan Tingyue folded the costume, put it into a box, and then added, "If someone bullies you, you mustn’t keep it all to yourself; you must tell me."

Ye Wanlan smiled faintly: "I will definitely tell you, waiting for you to take action for me."

Yan Tingyue then revealed a smile and asked, "Is Xiao Yan coming today?"

"The teacher will be here in a moment," Bing He said seriously, "The teacher went to buy lotus seed pastries for Miss Ye."

Yan Tingyue pondered, "Xiao Yan is thoughtful. I’ll have someone catch two fish; today you all will have a good meal here."

**

November in South City was also a misty rainy season, and a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky again.

"Hechen..." After a long time, Sheng Yunyi spoke up, her voice strained, "About today’s matter..."

She had specifically inquired about Yan Tingyue’s various preferences from Xu Yu and had made all kinds of preparations and plans in advance.

It could be said that if it weren’t for Ye Wanlan, she would definitely have been able to win Yan Tingyue’s favor.

Zhou Hechen’s fingers tightened and then relaxed, his expression changing several times.

After a long while, his cold voice came through the rain, "Go back."

The path to impress Yan Tingyue was now thoroughly blocked.

His heart felt as if stung by something, a kind of astringent sourness surged up. It wasn’t intense, but it was very persistent.

Zhou Hechen had never felt this way before; he took a deep breath and suppressed the strange emotions welling within him.

"Hechen, if we return now, what about Zhou Corporation’s project?" Sheng Yunyi became anxious, "Actually, Miss Ye..."

For the first time, Zhou Hechen interrupted her rudely and impatiently, "Shut up!"

Sheng Yunyi fell silent instantly, her complexion turning even more ashen.

"Sorry..." Zhou Hechen pinched the bridge of his nose, "It’s just that the company’s affairs are giving me a headache."

"Hechen, if—if the way through Elder Yan doesn’t work out, we only have one choice left." Sheng Yunyi bit her lip, "But Pulling the Sky Company is at the height of its power; I don’t know if they will choose us."

Zhou Hechen slowly exhaled, "Whether they will or not, we still have to try."

Indeed, only Pulling the Sky Company could save Zhou Corporation from dire straits now.

The phone suddenly rang, and Zhou Hechen glanced at Sheng Yunyi.

"Hechen, I’ll go wait in the car first." Sheng Yunyi tactfully left after a small smile.

Only then did Zhou Hechen press the answer button, "Mom?"

"Are you in South City? Is the deal done?" Madam Zhou asked indifferently, "Come back this weekend, there’s something important."

Zhou Hechen frowned, "What is it?"

"The Kang Family of Harbor City is interested in marrying into our family, and you and Sheng Yunyi are only engaged, which can be called off at any time," Madam Zhou said, "Hechen, as you know the current situation of the corporation, you cannot afford a wife who offers you no assistance."

In the past, Zhou Hechen would have outright refused.

But this time, he almost involuntarily nodded, "I understand, Mom, I’ll come back."

"That’s my good son," Madam Zhou rarely smiled, "If the Kang Family of Harbor City and us join forces, we will be unmatched in the entire Southern Region."

**

The rain was getting heavier and the sky darker; far off, one could see layers of lights ignite, illuminating heaven and earth.

At this moment, at the gate of South City.

A middle-aged man hurried through the rain to a cave, bowing respectfully to a shadow inside, "Sir, why have you come in person?"

The figure was tall, holding a box in his hands.

The box had eight sides, bizarre in shape, resembling some sort of mechanism.

"If I hadn’t come personally, when would you have taken care of things?" the person said coldly, "Half a month has passed, and I have yet to lay eyes on Yan Tingyue!"

The middle-aged man’s expression was embarrassed, "Please, Sir, give me more time."

"I can’t wait any longer; even if Yan Tingyue isn’t directly descended from the Carefree King Yan Shunhua, she still bears the Yan surname," the figure stated indifferently, tossing the box lightly, "So, her blood will surely open the Carefree King’s treasure box."

"Those sent last time haven’t returned at all; they must have been dealt with," the middle-aged man said in a low voice, "Moreover, this is Shenzhou after all; we can’t make a big scene here."

Though South City is still a thousand kilometers from the Imperial Capital Yunjing, it’s one of the key strongholds of Bureau 723.

Rumors suggest that Bureau 723 might have unclear relations with the Extreme Path Organization, a group of madmen in the eyes of the Extreme Path, who don’t dare provoke lightly.

Whether by soft or hard means, Yan Tingyue is impervious; what can they do?

Inviting Yan Tingyue to the Global Center to perform Kunqu opera was indeed a ruse; they stumbled upon the Carefree King’s treasure box by chance and established that fresh blood was needed to unlock its first seal.

Therefore, they set their sights on Yan Tingyue.

Naturally, if they could also erase the art of Kunqu opera from Shenzhou, that would be an added bonus.

"Drawing blood doesn’t necessarily require sending someone out," said the figure with a slight smile, "These ignorant citizens of Shenzhou always believe they’re still the foremost in the world after three hundred years, not knowing the world holds many secrets they don’t even qualify to glimpse, let alone understand the countless things beyond their imagination."

The middle-aged man looked shaken, "You mean..."

Without a word, the person sat down and closed their eyes.

Meanwhile, in the cabin in the woods.

At the dinner table, Yan Tingyue was smiling as she took a soup bowl from Yan Tingfeng’s hand when she suddenly staggered and spewed a large mouthful of blood.

Drops of crimson blood splattered across the floor.