Fortune Across the World

Chapter 156: A Winter Meeting in Yinzhou (Part 1)

"Since you don't know, just let things unfold naturally. If he isn't your father, life goes on as before. If he is, then you have one more person to love and care for you. Either way, it won't be worse than before, right? So there's no need to worry so much," Ding Qiyu comforted, thinking that if her master managed to reunite with his wife, he would also have to win over his daughter.

"I don't know how to face him," Le Zhuyi sighed softly. Deep down, she believed the rumors among the palace disciples, acknowledging that the man was indeed her father.

"Hmm? He's your father, your closest kin. Just be yourself around him. There's no need to act differently," Ding Qiyu advised, the scent of the beauty beside her mingling with the sweet Yao wine, making her slightly flustered.

Le Zhuyi remained silent for a moment before saying, "That man is your master, isn't he?" Her tone was certain.

"Uh… I'm… I'm not sure…" Was she that obvious? How did Yi Girl figure it out so easily?

Le Zhuyi discerned her reluctance to admit it and did not press further. Instead, she changed the subject, asking, "Do you believe in fate?"

This time, Ding Qiyu answered without hesitation, "I don't." She never believed in fate or predestined outcomes. Her conversations with Xie Bian in this world had only solidified this belief. Everything was a result of one's own actions; nothing was fated without reason.

Le Zhuyi smiled, "I don't either." After a pause, she continued, "All the doctors said I wouldn't live past fifteen. Yet here I am, seventeen years old. After fifteen, the only change is that Moonwatcher nights hurt more than before, but nothing else has changed." Her tone was light, almost cheerful, as she spoke these words. The extent of that increased pain, she did not elaborate on; nor did she mention how each Moonwatcher night after fifteen brought escalating agony.

Hearing this, Ding Qiyu's heart trembled with empathy. What was wrong with Yi Girl's health? What incurable ailment plagued her? To be told one's "fate" so early in life must have been a colossal psychological burden. Many succumbed to despair upon learning of a terminal illness, yet how many could show the same resilience and cheerfulness as Yi Girl?

Ding Qiyu opened her mouth but chose not to offer consolation; the strong and free-spirited person beside her needed no pity. Instead, she shared, "The reason I am physically different is due to an encounter I had—a meeting with the soul-reaping Wuchang. He told me that there is no predestined fate. What we call destiny is merely the path we carve with our own steps."

Speaking earnestly, she continued, "So those doctors were just incompetent, speaking nonsense. What's seventeen? Yi Girl, you should live to seventy…" Realizing she was underestimating, she hastily corrected, "No, live to a hundred!"

Though her words sounded as fantastical as tales from strange books, they were more comforting than any platitudes. Warmth spread through Le Zhuyi's heart, her smile reaching her eyes at Ding Qiyu's hurried correction, "I don't need that long. I just want each day to be lived to the fullest!"

"Haha!" Ding Qiyu, buoyed by her optimism, suppressed her rising sadness, taking a hearty swig of Yao wine and agreeing, "Yes! As you say, every day of life should be lived to the fullest!"

Le Zhuyi nodded, lifting her head from Ding Qiyu's shoulder to gaze at her profile. The clouds of uncertainty in her heart finally cleared, revealing a realization as bright as the rising sun, illuminating her innermost thoughts.