Reincarnation and Rebirth

"Oh, sir, you have a good eye! This hairpin..."

"I'm in a hurry."

"Alright, alright, please wait a moment, sir." The waiter quickly picked up the hairpin and wrapped it up.

Su Wan'er lowered her head, not daring to look Xiao Yunting in the eye, afraid that he would see through her act.

Xiao Yunting sighed. She didn't trust him?

When the waiter handed the wrapped hairpin to Xiao Yunting, and Xiao Yunting then handed it to her, Su Wan'er was certain that her disguise had been exposed. She just found it strange that even her own mother might not recognize her in this outfit, so how could he be so sure that she was Su Wan'er?

Yes, they definitely didn't recognize him.

"Brother, what does this mean?"

Xiao Yunting was amused by Su Wan'er's deliberately feigned hoarse voice. "Since you like it, I'll give it to you."

The waiter's expression was beyond terrified; he looked like he'd seen a ghost, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.

Xiao Yunting looked a little embarrassed, and Su Wan'er's face also flushed slightly, although it was not noticeable because of her full beard.

"Uh, no need, no need, I'm just taking a look."

Xiao Yunting shoved the box into her hand and turned to walk outside. If Su Wan'er had looked closely, she would have noticed an unusual flush on the tip of Xiao Yunting's ear.

"Hey, wait a minute..." Su Wan'er chased after her, "Um, you gave me the hairpin, how about I treat you to dinner? Do you have time?"

Xiao Yunting glanced at her, then pointed to a small group of people waiting ahead, "I'm going to Qingzhou with the army."

"Qingzhou? Oh, well, here, take this back. It's too valuable, I can't accept it."

Xiao Yunting looked at the box in her hand, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "Since it's been given away, there's no reason to take it back. Be careful out there by yourself. It's good to carry something for self-defense, just in case."

Su Wan'er understood. This guy was probably trying to give her money because he was worried she was short of funds. This silly guy, why don't you just give her money?

"Consider it as me repaying your kindness; please don't refuse."

Su Wan'er squeezed the box in her hand, raised a smile, and said, "Okay, thank you. By the way, I'm going back to Qingzhou too. See you again sometime."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunting smiled brightly and said, "Okay." Then he took out a piece of paper that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket. "Keep this safe, you'll need it."

At this moment, a soldier ran over and said, "General, Vice General Lei asked if we should stay in the city?" As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at Su Wan'er.

Xiao Yunting frowned and blocked his view with his body. "I just happened to run into an acquaintance. Uh, he's getting married. I was delivering a gift, so we chatted for a bit. Let's go."

Su Wan'er was puzzled as to why Xiao Yunting was explaining so much to a mere soldier. Then, recalling the way he looked at her, she instantly realized that this must be one of Zi Xingchen's men. He had arranged for someone to be by Zi Xingchen's side because he knew that Xiao Yunting would come looking for him.

Sigh, I've dragged him down with me after all.

Upon hearing this, and seeing Su Wan'er's rugged attire, the soldier had no more doubts and followed Xiao Yunting back to the ranks.

The palace had been shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere for the past few days. Zi Xingchen's temper grew more and more volatile as he had not heard from Su Wan'er. Without Su Wan'er, he would not be able to obtain the spiritual medicine, nor would he be able to obtain the many good resources in her fairy realm. What troubled him most was the uncertainty of whether his empire would be shaken if Su Wan'er joined forces with Xiao Yunting. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence at Shou'an Palace."

Zi Xingchen frowned. "What is it?"

"It was said to be because of Consort Wan's matter."

Zi Xingchen pondered for a moment, then stood up. Eunuch Li, being perceptive, immediately announced, "His Majesty, prepare to travel to Shou'an Palace."

Inside Shou'an Palace, the Empress Dowager was tending to the flowers and plants. When she saw Zi Xingchen arrive, she put down what she was doing and said, "The Emperor has arrived."

"Mother, did you summon me here because of news about Consort Wan?"

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, "Your Majesty flatters me. Even Your Majesty cannot find Consort Wan, so what merit do I have?"

Zi Xingchen's face instantly fell. "Then what matter does the Empress Dowager wish to discuss with me?"

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, Consort Wan has always been devoted to you. This time, perhaps she has had a disagreement. I have an idea, but I don't know if Your Majesty would be willing."

Zi Xingchen looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Please speak, Mother."

"It is disrespectful of me to say this, so please do not blame me if Your Majesty is displeased after hearing it."

"Please speak freely, Mother."

"That's right. Everyone knows Consort Wan's feelings for the Emperor. If she finds out that you are unwell, do you think she will show herself?"

Zi Xingchen stared intently into the Empress Dowager's eyes. After a long while, he said in a cool voice, "Your Majesty's method is worth a try."

The Empress Dowager picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "Your Majesty, it's just a formality. The most important thing is to get the message out."

Zi Xingchen remained composed. "I know what to do. Thank you for your guidance, Mother."

After Zi Xingchen left, Su Qing'er slowly emerged from behind the screen. "Mother, will this method work? I don't want Su Wan'er to come back."

"Don't worry," the Empress Dowager glanced at Su Qing'er's belly, "there's good news."

Su Qing'er lowered her head, her face full of shyness, "Your Majesty, my period is five days late."

The Empress Dowager was overjoyed. "Has the imperial physician been summoned yet?"

Su Qing'er shook her head, "The imperial physicians still need to be dealt with by Mother."

The Empress Dowager thought about it and agreed, "Well, don't worry, wait two more days, and I'll have Physician Xue come over to examine you."

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

Within two days, Su Wan'er arrived in Qingzhou. The document Xiao Yunting handed her that day was a household registration document. It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved when she opened it. What a wonderful man! He thought of everything for her. Sigh, at this moment, Su Wan'er couldn't help but curse the original owner of this body again. What a tragedy!

Upon arriving in Qingzhou, Su Wan'er planned to find a restaurant to eat at and gather some information. During her travels, she hadn't paid attention to what was happening in the capital and was unaware of how Zi Xingchen had publicly announced her departure from the palace.

She had just finished ordering her food and sat down when she heard people around her whispering that the current emperor was heartbroken and had fallen ill because of Consort Wan's sudden disappearance.

Su Wan'er paused, her hand holding the chopsticks still, then sneered. Trying to pull this trick on me? Ha.

It would be best if she died. Su Wan'er didn't care about anything else. After eating and drinking her fill, she booked a room to rest. She would go out and look around tomorrow to see if there was a suitable courtyard. If she couldn't afford to buy, she would rent one first. She had to settle down first.

However, when she entered the space to cultivate as usual that night, the original owner's voice rang out, "Is he really sick?"

Su Wan'er was exasperated. "You actually believe that? Would I have been that stupid in my past life?"

"No, I... I just want to go back and see him, if it's him..."

"Impossible, I won't go back."

"Is that my body?"

Su Wan'er was on the verge of tears. "That's Su Wan'er's body from Su Family Village. Besides, didn't you say we're from a past life and this life? Why can't I control this body?"

"I don't care, you have to go back."

Su Wan'er was too lazy to deal with this love-struck fool, ignored her shouts, and continued cultivating. Unfortunately, this soul was too noisy, so Su Wan'er was so angry that she had to give up and go back to sleep. But who knew that this "Su Wan'er" was simply being unreasonable, attacking her body all night, trying to regain control.

"Stop messing around, I don't want to go back to my death."

Persuasion failed, and Su Wan'er felt herself gradually losing control of her body. First her hands, then her feet, became unresponsive. By dawn, "Su Wan'er" had taken control. Later, Su Wan'er's soul was squeezed into a corner of her body. If it weren't for her strong will, she might have been squeezed out. She dared not think about the consequences. No one wants to die, and everyone wants to live well, and she was no exception.