Floating life reflects two lotuses

The air in the secret passage of the imperial mausoleum was damp and chilly. The candlelight embedded in the walls flickered, casting ghostly shadows. Li Heng walked ahead, a long sword in his hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Xiao Jinlian followed closely behind, a long rope tied around her wrist, the end of which was fastened to Li Heng's waist to prevent the two from getting separated.

“This place seems designed so that people can never get out,” Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice, her brows furrowed as she scanned the relief runes on the stone wall.

Li Heng glanced back at her and nodded slightly: "Watch your step, the ground is wet." His voice was deep and steady, with an undeniable concern.

Xiao Jinlian didn't refute, and silently followed. The two reached a fork in the road, and Silan whispered from behind, "Princess, the runes here are similar to some parts of the murals in the Taoist temple. Could this be the entrance to the place of offering spirits?"

Xiao Jinlian stopped and stared intently at the relief, her fingertips lightly tracing the ancient lines. Her eyes narrowed slightly: "The runes here mention 'soul attraction,' which matches the records of the Taoist temple. Li Heng, we need to split up."

Li Heng frowned, his eyes showing disapproval: "No, it's too dangerous to split up. You stay here, I'll go scout ahead."

“Li Heng, this is a secret place for offering spirits, not an ordinary secret passage! If we miss the key point, the entire clue may be lost!” Xiao Jinlian said firmly, looking directly at him.

Li Heng was silent for a moment, then finally sighed: "Alright, listen to my instructions and don't be reckless."

The two parted ways and headed down different paths. Xiao Jinlian carefully observed the rune clues along the way. The rope on her wrist was still connected to Li Heng, and she felt inexplicably at ease.

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from afar, followed by the trembling of the stone wall. Xiao Jinlian's heart tightened, and she immediately followed the direction of the rope. Ahead, Li Heng was blocked on the other side by a slowly descending stone wall.

"Li Heng!" Xiao Jinlian shouted, rushing forward and pulling hard on the rope.

"I'm fine!" Li Heng replied from the other side, his voice still calm. "There's a mechanism here, let me try to open it."

Xiao Jinlian looked around and noticed that the runes on the wall had begun to emit a faint blue light. She quickly took out paper and pen from her bosom to record them, while simultaneously testing the runes with her fingertips. Her movements were swift and decisive, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

On the other side, Li Heng was trying to pry open the mechanism with his sword, a few beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He whispered, "Lian'er, listen, no matter what happens, don't take any risks."

Xiao Jinlian looked up at the wall, her tone slightly mocking: "Don't worry, Li Heng, I won't abandon you. You are the key to solving my mystery."

As soon as she finished speaking, the runes suddenly shone brightly, and a surge of energy erupted from the stone wall, knocking Xiao Jinlian back several steps. She staggered and steadied herself, then looked up to see a complex rune array appearing in the center of the wall.

"What is this?" she murmured, but the answer was already vaguely in her mind.

"Lian'er, don't touch it!" Li Heng's voice came from the other side, filled with anxiety.

Xiao Jinlian did not back down. She took a deep breath, gently placed her hands on the center of the formation, closed her eyes, and felt the flow of energy. In an instant, a blurry image appeared in her mind: a familiar Taoist temple, a woman dressed in modern clothes, and a strange yet familiar voice echoing in her ears.

"This is... another time and space?" Xiao Jinlian was shocked.

The light from the array gradually dimmed, and the wall slowly opened. Li Heng strode in from the other side, his eyes filled with worry. He saw that Xiao Jinlian's face was pale and immediately reached out to support her shoulder: "How are you? Are you hurt?"

"It's alright." Xiao Jinlian raised her head, her eyes filled with complex emotions and determination. "Li Heng, we must find the Spirit Offering Secret Site as soon as possible. Time is running out."

Li Heng nodded, a barely perceptible tenderness flashing in his eyes: "Okay, let's do it together."

Xiao Jinlian forced a smile, turned around and continued forward, but a complex emotion she had never felt before welled up inside her. She silently gripped the notebook in her hand, the scene from that moment, and the strange woman who seemed to be calling to her, flashing through her mind.

At that moment, she vaguely understood that neither the mystery before her nor the doubts in her heart could be solved alone. The only thing she could rely on was the person in front of her and the growing trust between them.

At the end of the passage, a stone door carved with intricate runes slowly opened. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, the truth of the Spirit Offering Secret Ground seemed to be right before their eyes, and the distance between the two people also unknowingly shortened.

Li Chenyao stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the cold white wall of the laboratory, his gaze fixed intently on Chu Wanlian. His eyes held a hint of inquiry, but even more so, vigilance.

"Xiao Jinlian," he spoke softly, his voice like the plucking of a deep harp string, carrying an undeniable power. "Your reaction today...shouldn't you explain it?"

Chu Wanlian took a deep breath, forcibly pulling herself out of the interrogation before her. She slowly raised her eyes, a calm smile on her face, as if none of the previous turmoil had ever occurred.

"President Li, the only thing I can explain is the operation of the laboratory. The rest is probably not within my scope of responsibility." Her tone was relaxed, but with a hint of probing distance.

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow slightly, his thin lips pressed into a cold line, as if he didn't buy into those words. He slowly approached, each step as steady as a rock, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

"You know what? The more evasive you are, the more suspicious it seems." He stopped in front of her, staring directly at Chu Wanlian, as if trying to see through her disguise.

Chu Wanlian's heart tightened slightly, but she maintained her composure on the surface. She took a step back, subtly widening the distance between the two.

"Mr. Li, if I said this was just an accident, would you believe me?" Her tone was somewhat frank, as if she were questioning his trust in her.

Li Chenyao did not answer immediately, but stared at her for a few seconds, a slight smile appearing on his lips, his tone full of unfathomable meaning.

"An accident? An accident that could precisely trigger the experimental device and even cause fluctuations to the core energy source? Chu Wanlian, I wouldn't lie to myself that perfectly."

Chu Wanlian's heart skipped a beat, but the next second, Xiao Jinlian's voice echoed in her mind:

"My princess, is this man suspicious of you? He has such sharp eyes! Quickly come up with a plausible excuse, or he'll be found out!"

"Let's wait and see," Chu Wanlian silently retorted in her heart, raising her hand to casually smooth a strand of hair behind her ear.

"President Li, there are indeed problems with the experimental data. I just happened to touch the switch and triggered the anomaly." She said it casually, but with an undeniable firmness.

Li Chenyao remained unfazed, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, fixed on her as if trying to catch any flaw in her.

The atmosphere was tense for a while.

Finally, Li Chenyao smiled slightly, his tone softening somewhat, but still revealing a hint of probing.

“Xiao Jinlian, since you say it was an accident, we will believe you for now. But you know this project is of great importance and cannot afford any mistakes. If there are any problems, I hope you will notify me immediately.”

"Of course." Chu Wanlian nodded, her voice calm, but she felt a sense of relief.

He turned and left, while Chu Wanlian stood there, her palms already damp with sweat.

"Phew, he's finally gone." She muttered to herself, the feeling of being seen through was truly suffocating.

Xiao Jinlian immediately chimed in, adding insult to injury: "I told you long ago, he's not someone to be trifled with. People in this world are more complicated than you imagine."

Chu Wanlian sighed and rubbed her forehead: "You reminded me just in time. You can deal with him next time."

"Me? Forget it, I'll just treat him like an envoy from an enemy country and give him a good scolding." Xiao Jinlian refused without hesitation.

Chu Wanlian sighed, looking down at the lab table, her thoughts drifting back to their earlier conversation. Every glance and every word from Li Chenyao carried a deeper meaning, as if reminding her that he had already noticed something amiss.

In the evening, I returned to my apartment.

Xu Nianni was lying on the sofa scrolling through her phone when she saw Chu Wanlian return and immediately beckoned her over.

"Lianlian, did you know you're trending on social media?" She handed her phone to Chu Wanlian, her voice full of excitement.

Chu Wanlian took the phone and saw the trending headline: "A thrilling scene in the lab of a genius female researcher!"

She couldn't help but frown: "What's going on?"

Xu Nianni rolled her eyes: "These days, anything can become a trending topic. The fluctuation you triggered that day was recorded by someone, who said it was a supernatural phenomenon, and now the whole internet is talking about it."

Chu Wanlian's head throbbed with pain: "My God, isn't this just asking for trouble?"

"Don't worry, I'll clear things up for you," Xu Nianni comforted her.

In her mind, Xiao Jinlian sneered: "Your Highness, this trending topic is similar to your imperial edict, only it spreads much faster."

"What kind of situation is this..." Chu Wanlian replied helplessly.

A few minutes later, she sat down at her desk, opened her laptop, and began to analyze the data from the day. Everything seemed calm, but her heart was still in turmoil.

Li Chenyao's probing, the anomalies in the laboratory, and that brief soul resonance... everything was like an impenetrable net, gradually pulling her in. In this game, she had no way out but to proceed cautiously step by step.

"I will find the answer," she murmured to herself, a determined look in her eyes.