Floating life reflects two lotuses

"Li Heng, are you afraid of the curse?"

Xiao Jinlian's voice rang out softly in the study, tinged with an elusive emotion. Her fingertips traced the runes on the stone slab, the icy touch penetrating her skin as if reaching her very soul.

Li Heng stood not far behind her, his gaze fixed on her figure. He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "I'm afraid. Not afraid of the curse, but afraid it will hurt you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinlian stopped what she was doing, turned her head to look at him, and said, "You don't need to worry about me like this. I know what I'm doing."

Li Heng didn't say anything more, but walked up to her, moved the stone slab aside, and said in a low but firm tone, "You know it's unusual, yet you still insisted on unlocking it. This makes me..." He paused, "...uneasy."

Xiao Jinlian smiled slightly but did not refute him. His concern was so obvious that it warmed her heart but also caused her a slight pain—because she knew she was not the person he remembered.

On the very first night the stone slab was brought back to the princess's residence, strange phenomena occurred. The candles went out for no apparent reason, the air in the study turned icy cold, and some even heard whispers coming from the study at night.

Silan had tried to move the stone slab to a more secluded location, but Xiao Jinlian refused: "These phenomena could be a curse, but they could also be clues. We can't let them out of my sight."

Li Heng listened quietly the whole time, but his brows furrowed more and more. He knew Xiao Jinlian's stubbornness, but he also knew that her body and spirit were being dragged into the abyss little by little by these runes.

"Lian'er," Li Heng called softly. When he entered the study, she was still intently studying the stone slab.

Xiao Jinlian looked up at him, her eyes filled with weariness and wariness: "You've come?"

He draped the cloak over her shoulders, his eyes filled with undisguised concern. "These runes can be slowly removed, but your body can't withstand this kind of torment."

Xiao Jinlian lowered her head and chuckled softly, her tone slightly relaxed: "Are you worried about me, Li Heng?"

“Of course I’m worried.” Li Heng answered without hesitation, but his gaze carried a complex emotion. “However, there are some things I also want to figure out.”

Xiao Jinlian raised an eyebrow: "What?"

Li Heng looked at her, took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind: "Actually, I knew from the beginning that you weren't my Lian'er..."

A brief silence fell over the room. The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on their faces and highlighting the complexity of their expressions.

Xiao Jinlian lowered her eyes, her voice calm but tinged with a hint of probing: "When did you find out?"

"The dance will begin that day." Li Heng's lips curled up slightly, seemingly in a self-deprecating smile. "Lian'er is an expert in the Dance of the Startled Swan, she won't dance like that."

Xiao Jinlian did not respond, but simply looked at him quietly, as if waiting for him to continue.

Li Heng turned his gaze to the stone slab and said in a low voice, "I don't know who you are, nor do I know why you have become like this. I only know... that you are no longer the person you used to be."

"If this disappoints you..." Xiao Jinlian was interrupted before she could finish speaking.

“No.” Li Heng’s tone was calm but tinged with suppressed emotion. “She is her, and you are you. No matter who you are, I am willing to protect you. But… I can’t deny that sometimes, I am attracted to you as you are now.”

Xiao Jinlian looked up, startled. She hadn't expected Li Heng to be so frank. She smiled gently, trying to ease the tension: "Attraction? So, I'm better than she was before?"

Li Heng didn't smile; his gaze was serious and complex: "It's not that it's better, it's that it's different. You make me want to get closer, but you also make me afraid to get closer."

Xiao Jinlian lowered her head and remained silent for a moment: "Li Heng, I didn't mean to hide it. The current relationship between you and me... is only because of these runes, these tricks of fate."

Li Heng didn't respond, but simply stood up and placed his hand on the stone slab. The cold touch made him frown, but he didn't back down: "Whether it's a curse or a secret, we have to face it together."

The runes on the stone slab gleamed coldly in the moonlight, as if mocking the futility of the conversation. Xiao Jinlian watched Li Heng's retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her.

“Some secrets, once revealed, may cause even more pain,” she whispered.

Li Heng turned to look at her, his expression calm yet resolute: "Pain or curse, I am no longer afraid."

The faint glow of the stone slab seemed to answer everything; its secrets were only just beginning to reveal the dangerous tip of the iceberg.

“The arrangement of these runes is strange; they seem to lack some kind of connection.” Silan’s voice broke the silence in the study. She knelt in front of the stone slab, her gaze focused, her fingers gently sliding across the runes.

Xiao Jinlian was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Can you see anything from this? Is there anything we've overlooked?"

“The arrangement of the runes is like a lock, requiring certain conditions to be triggered for it to fully reveal itself,” Silan said confidently. “But its gaps are obvious; it’s an incomplete array. Only if there are other fragments can we unlock its true information.”

"Continue." Xiao Jinlian turned to look at Li Heng, her tone low but full of trust, "Li Heng, you guard the outside. If there's any disturbance, tell me immediately."

“Okay.” Li Heng agreed gently, his gaze falling on her stubborn expression, and said softly, “Don’t force yourself. If you need any help, tell me.”

Xiao Jinlian was slightly taken aback. She looked up at him as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded gently.

Li Heng left the study and closed the door. Although he didn't say anything directly, the worry in his eyes warmed Xiao Jinlian's heart.

“The arrangement of these runes is indeed very strange.” Silan refocused her attention on the stone slab. “This is a type of array that someone mentioned in the Spirit Valley, called ‘Spirit Lock Array.’ It’s not just a seal; it can also be used to unlock some kind of stronger power.”

"Can you untie it?" Xiao Jinlian asked.

“If we had more fragments, I might be able to try. But for now, we can only decipher what it reveals,” Silan said somewhat apologetically.

Xiao Jinlian sighed, but her tone remained firm: "Alright, let's start with what we already have. No matter how difficult it is, we must find the answer."

Just as the two were focused on the stone slab, Chu Wanlian's voice suddenly echoed in Xiao Jinlian's mind: "These runes... I've seen similar structures in the equipment in the laboratory."

"Laboratory?" Xiao Jinlian murmured softly.

“Their arrangement and the way the energy matrix works are the same. This is not an ordinary seal, but a device for soul resonance.” Chu Wanlian said urgently, “It may trigger some kind of trans-temporal power fluctuation.”

Xiao Jinlian frowned and said in a low voice, "If that's the case, what will its function be?"

"It's either locked or released. The key lies in the complete rune combination." Chu Wanlian's answer made her even more anxious.

“Silan, what does the phrase ‘soul shackles’ mean here?” Xiao Jinlian pointed to a faintly visible character in the runes.

Following her guidance, Silan examined it carefully for a while and whispered, "This is a term from the Luoyuan Contract, referring to the use of runes to confine the power of the soul to a specific area. In other words, it's a kind of imprisonment technique."

"Imprison what?" Xiao Jinlian pressed.

“It could be the source of the curse, or it could be some kind of extraordinary power.” Slan’s expression grew even more serious. “We need more complete fragments to confirm.”

Just then, the stone slab suddenly emitted a faint light, and a chill emanated from the runes. The candlelight flickered slightly, as if disturbed by an invisible wind.

Silan quickly stood up and stood in front of Xiao Jinlian, her voice tense: "Its power has been triggered, be careful!"

Xiao Jinlian did not back down, but stared intently at the light on the stone slab, and said softly, "It is responding to us. Silan, continue, I need to know the secrets of these runes."

Silan took a deep breath and raised her hand to continue sliding it across the stone slab: "The arrangement of the runes here forms a kind of directionality... Look, it's showing a mountain shadow."

Sure enough, a hazy mountain scene appeared on the stone slab. It was a high mountain shaped like a crescent moon, surrounded by strange light.

“This is…” Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice.

“This could be the location of the next fragment,” Silan said, her eyes filled with excitement and worry. “But we need more information to be completely certain.”

Li Heng pushed open the door and entered, seeing Xiao Jinlian and Si Lan both staring at the stone slab. He walked to Xiao Jinlian's side and asked gently, "Have you made any new discoveries?"

Xiao Jinlian nodded and told him about the clues regarding Shanying. Li Heng was silent for a moment, then said softly, "If this is indeed the guidance for the next step, then I will go with you."

“Li Heng, I can’t let you take risks every time.” Xiao Jinlian turned to look at him, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes.

“Lian’er.” Li Heng’s voice was firm and unwavering. “If you want to unravel these secrets, I won’t stop you. But if there is danger, I can’t leave you alone, no matter who you are, after all, this is Lian’er’s body.”

Xiao Jinlian pursed her lips, but ultimately did not refuse his suggestion.

The gleam of the stone slab gradually dimmed, and the study returned to its tranquility. But a chill still lingered in the air, as if foreshadowing the dangers ahead.

“Whatever the next step may be, we must act as soon as possible,” Xiao Jinlian said, her tone more resolute.

“Then get ready,” Li Heng said in a low voice. “We will not let these secrets control our destiny.”

Xiao Jinlian looked at him and nodded gently, but she knew in her heart that this journey would be more difficult than ever before.