Chapter 339: That Bai Yu Must Be My Wife!
Just that one simple sentence felt like someone had opened the floodgates.
Zhao Mingyue’s heart, filled with anxiety and years of pent-up feelings for her sister, erupted in that moment. Tears streamed down her face, and she felt a sudden pang in her nose. The emotions she thought she could hold back surged forth like a raging river breaching a dam.
“Sister!”
Her voice broke with sobs as she rushed forward to hug the Dragon Lady.
And it was her sister Zhao Yi, the one she had searched for all these years.
At this moment, not only was Zhao Mingyue in tears, but even the experienced Dragon Lady, who had weathered countless storms, felt her eyes welling up. Tears slipped down her cheeks as well.
So many years had passed, and because of the sc*m Game, it felt like a century had gone by. She had never imagined she would see the day when she could hold her sister again.
She considered herself an incompetent sister; after all these years, she hadn’t provided anything for Zhao Mingyue.
She could only imagine how hard it had been for Zhao Mingyue all these years. It must have been so painful.
When she first saw Zhao Mingyue, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. She longed to rush down and give her sister a hug, to ask how she had managed all this time, whether someone had bullied her.
But she couldn’t; she had too many unresolved matters. She didn’t even dare to say she was Zhao Mingyue’s sister—she couldn’t distinguish whether she was the Dragon Lady or Zhao Yi.
Just like she told Bai Yu, until she fused with her other half of the soul, there was no way she could recognize herself to Zhao Mingyue.
She had no idea what her position in Zhao Mingyue’s heart was supposed to be.
Was she a playful peer, a fellow friend of the same age?
Or was she the sister who lived together in the past and had always protected her?
If it was the latter, what if one day her other half returned?
What if that half resembled Zhao Yi more than she did?
What if that half loved Mingyue more than she did?
What if her existence and her other half made it hard for Zhao Mingyue to choose?
So many questions swirled in her mind, and she didn’t know how to confront them. So, she chose to escape, using the identity of the “Dragon Lady” to get close to Zhao Mingyue, deliberately disguising herself so she looked nothing like Zhao Yi.
During that time, she often suffered from insomnia, and whenever she closed her eyes, one question haunted her.
Why was she doing this?
What was she afraid of? Afraid of that other half of her soul?
Where had the Dragon Lady, who punched Evil Ghosts and fought Nightmares gone? Why were these little issues so tangled up, hiding herself behind a mask like a pathetic clown, not even daring to face her own sister?
Wasn’t this weak?
If there’s a problem, solve it; if there’s trouble, eliminate it!
Her own sister was right there!
Just admit it, and make up for all the debts owed over the years! k*ll everyone who bullied her, fulfill all her desires, help her do everything she wanted!
What? Her other half?
If she dared to come out, she would dare to k*ll her, and she wouldn’t even be afraid of that!
This should be the true essence of the Dragon Lady; why bother donning a mask?
What did Bai Yu matter? She was at most Zhao Mingyue’s little wife, not a sister—no conflict of identity there at all.
Every time she thought of this, she faced Zhao Mingyue the next day and reverted to that weak persona.
Not even daring to ask, “How have you been all these years? Have you been bullied by anyone?” but comforted herself that Bai Yu treated Zhao Mingyue well. With Bai Yu around, no one could possibly bully Zhao Mingyue.
All those thoughts were a facade; Bai Yu’s love for Zhao Mingyue had nothing to do with her, the Dragon Lady.
“I’m sorry, sister, for all these years, making you suffer.”
“Sister has been to a very, very far place, where I went through a lot of things. Many times, I thought I would never see you again. But I managed to survive and come back.”
“I didn’t think so many years would pass. Has it really been five years?”
With a choked voice, the Dragon Lady spoke, still holding Zhao Mingyue tightly.
“The moment I saw you, I recognized you. It was back in the Eternal Life Village’s shrine. I specifically returned to see if you had been caught by those people again.”
“For a long time after that, I wanted to tell you the truth, but I didn’t know how to start. I thought the timing wasn’t right.”
“Honestly, I still don’t know when the right moment is. I’ve been evading the issue.”
“My interactions with you and Bai Yu as the Dragon Lady were meant to see you more often and be close to you. When I teased you, it was to bridge the gap between us, but I was also that way during my time in that distant place.”
“So for a while, I deliberately called you ‘sister’—it was to satisfy my false heart; I knew it was all fake and self-deception. I just didn’t have the courage.”
“I’m so glad you seem happy now, and I’m thrilled you found a strong partner in Bai Yu who cares for you.”
“For a long time, I thought about leaving altogether, worried my presence would disrupt your happy life. You seem so content already—though it has nothing to do with me, I feel so happy every time I see you smile.”
The Dragon Lady said so much, words that hadn’t been premeditated but flowed out in this special moment.
They were heartfelt confessions.
Once she started speaking, she couldn’t stop, overwhelmed by the urge to say more.
Sitting on the bench by the small lake, beneath the moonlight, Zhao Mingyue had dried her tears. This was clearly a day to celebrate, one not meant for tears, especially since Bai Yu might catch her crying.
“Sister, these years, my life has actually been pretty good. Thanks to the money you left me, I can continue my studies. When this money runs out, I’ll be able to find a job to support myself.”
Zhao Mingyue spoke softly. “So, sister, you haven’t owed me anything. If anything, I’ve held you back.”
“No way!” the Dragon Lady rushed to reply.
“Hey, let me speak first!” Zhao Mingyue patted the Dragon Lady’s hand. “When I was younger, I didn’t understand anything. After meeting Bai Yu, I got to know just how dangerous the Eternal Life Village really is and what it means to become a saintess.”
“So you saved me initially. Without you, I would have turned into the embryo of an Evil God—a soulless body.”
“How could I escape from that hell-like place on my own?”
“Having the life I do now, going to school, getting to meet Bai Yu—all of it is thanks to you.”
“I’ve truly missed you these years.”
As she spoke about it, Zhao Mingyue nearly burst out crying again. “I worried if you’d been harmed by those monsters in the Eternal Life Village, whether I would never see you again.”
“All these years, I never gave up looking for you. I became friends with the police at the station, but it was all in vain.”
“After a while, I became hesitant to approach them again. I feared they might face danger in the Eternal Life Village. Thankfully, they didn’t.”
“Every time they went to the hills of Pingshan, they got lost—probably a warning from those Evil Gods.”
From unburdening her heart to discussing Zhao Mingyue’s life over the years and then the Dragon Lady’s own stories.
“Yesterday, I didn’t hide my other half of the soul intentionally. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was thinking. I knew you’d guess something when you saw her, but I went ahead anyway.”
“My other half of the soul was the agreement I made with the Clan Leader when you were little. I canceled your saintess status and took it for myself. I even lied to him saying I wanted to gain immortality, while you were still small and could wait a few years to become a saintess.”
“The Clan Leader really agreed, but the price was that Ghost Gate and my other half of the soul.”
“I didn’t think that other half would become like that. She thought I abandoned her, and for a time, tormented me like an Evil Ghost.”
“Then she cursed me, pushing me towards raptor-like qualities. Scales began growing on my body, which is why I had to wear heavy clothing even in summer after we escaped.”
“I was afraid of scaring you, afraid you’d have nightmares at night.”
“Remember the night when I was taking a shower? You barged in accidentally and saw the scales? I told you I was sick and just needed to apply some medicine for it to clear up. I even bought some ointment to really make it believable.”
“Yeah, I remember…” Zhao Mingyue sniffled again.
“Alright, let’s not dwell on these petty issues; they’re all in the past. You’re my sister, I’m your sister; it’s my duty to protect you.”
The Dragon Lady patted Zhao Mingyue’s head, even though Zhao Mingyue looked more like the older sister and she seemed more like the younger one.
“Let’s talk about the future.”
“Okay!”
“I hope the identity of the Dragon Lady can stay. From now on, I’m both the Dragon Lady and Zhao Yi. And just a heads up, I won’t be living with you and Bai Yu. I have my own place. I can drop by your place for meals since we live so close, and Bai Yu cooks so well.”
“Overall, I don’t want to disrupt your regular life, but we can be a bit closer—after all, we’re sisters!”
The Dragon Lady had already planned this out. Even when revealing her identity to Zhao Mingyue, she would ensure not to disrupt her current life.
For some reason, it felt like a mother who spotted her piglet snatching food from someone else’s cabbage.
Her daughter was already married, and here she was, as a parent, unable to keep living with her.
Moreover, as she mentioned, living so close, visiting was just a text away; it wasn’t like they were worlds apart.
She would definitely be dropping by often for meals, so time was plentiful.
Gazing at the serene lake shimmering under the moonlight, the Dragon Lady felt lighter and more relaxed than ever.
It was as if a massive mountain weighing down her heart for years had been lifted. It felt much better than revenge yesterday.
So this is what it feels like to take off the mask.
Perhaps she should have recognized herself to Zhao Mingyue much earlier.
She had finally settled her heart, feeling invigorated.
So, pouring herself into the sc*m Game had its advantages; if she hadn’t chosen that path, she would have long died in the Eternal Life Village. Where would she be today?
Suddenly, she felt like all her past efforts were worth it.
They chatted for over three hours, feeling as if they could go on forever, but it got late indeed.
After walking Zhao Mingyue to the entrance of her community, the Dragon Lady waved. “Get back inside and rest early. See you tomorrow~”
“Mn, see you tomorrow~”
Zhao Mingyue hummed a tune as she left, in high spirits.
Once home, she exclaimed, “Wuhu!” startling Bai Yu, who was binge-watching a show.
“Bai Yu, Bai Yu!”
At the sound, Bai Yu appeared by Zhao Mingyue’s side. “How did it go?”
She hugged Bai Yu tightly and rubbed her face against hers. “Felt fantastic!”
“I thought it would be awkward, but it went so smoothly.”
There were no unexpected events, no one to stir things up.
This was also thanks to the Dragon Lady’s preparations, allowing Zhao Mingyue to have a mental readiness beforehand, making it easier to accept when the moment came.
While snuggling, Zhao Mingyue suddenly remembered something and stood up, peering into Bai Yu’s eyes. “Bai Yu, did you know the Dragon Lady was my sister all along but just didn’t tell me?”
“Yep, I knew quite a while ago. The reason I didn’t tell you is that the timing wasn’t right.”
“This wasn’t something I should tell you. It’s better for the Dragon Lady to say it. If I’d told you earlier, then we wouldn’t have had tonight.”
Zhao Mingyue puffed her cheeks, looking pouty and upset.
“Fine, I get it, but there’s a punishment!”
“What?” Bai Yu furrowed her brow.
In the next moment, Zhao Mingyue swept her up in a princess carry and dashed toward the bedroom without a second thought.
“Fox, the usual! Prepare two glasses of red wine; I want to drink in an hour!”
With that, she slammed the bedroom door behind her.
The urgency was driven by one reason.
Since the Dragon Lady was her sister, Bai Yu was definitely her wife now.
She used to worry she couldn’t distinguish between the love for a sister and that for a wife, but now she was certain.
Bai Yu definitely outclassed sister vibes by a long shot!
Bai Yu didn’t argue, letting her have her way tonight.
