Le Yin's bedroom isn't bad; despite being a bit outdated, after some simple cleaning, it's fairly clean. The biggest issue is the lack of air conditioning—nowhere has it—thus Le Yin thought he'd lay in the pavilion outside and bask in the moonlight.
If he were still Zhengwei Jing, the bedroom should have had several large blocks of ice to cool down. Once the ice melted, it would already be daytime. Heat makes the best alarm clock; Qing Lan often mischievously instructed the servants not to add more ice, causing Le Yin to obediently get up before noon.
Of course, Qin Le Yin also has the privilege to enjoy such luxurious treatment, but their Qin Family is unfamiliar with the area and doesn't know where to buy ice.
The Jing Family's ice is all made in their underground little black rooms, as ice is inconvenient to transport and homemade storage is simple, thus no market exists—the poor can't afford it, and the rich don't need to buy.
Even though Le Yin, with his 'Ice Blood Physique,' utterly disregards the heat and has no problem being exposed to the sun, if he sleeps and becomes soaked in sweat, leaving him sticky, Le Yin would feel uncomfortable, as if tainted by the air.
Nonetheless, Le Yin never completely despises sleeping drenched in sweat, for during past days with Qing Lan, there were at least twenty-six days within a month when sweating was a necessity for sleep; he was already accustomed, finding it quite comfortable for two people to sleep slickly...
Sigh, what's on my mind, should I sleep or not.
Le Yin scratched his head and sat up, lighting the table lamp, spreading out the letter paper, twisting open the ink bottle, and lifting the pen to dip it in ink.
After just two days of carefree single nobility life, Le Yin began missing Qing Lan—missing her hesitations, her stammerings... missing waking every morning to the sight of her sleeping face.
Hmph, man, is what you feel really longing? It's craving! You can't sleep!
But to be fair, the sudden drastic changes in life indeed made Le Yin feel somewhat unaccustomed.
After all, he'd spent months of fulfilling nightlife, now suddenly vanished, feeling akin to being disconnected from the internet.
Nightlife doesn't just refer to the sweaty kind; it includes playing cards, chatting, strolling hand in hand, and having midnight snacks... thus after bathing, lying alone in bed, Le Yin suddenly didn't know what to do.
He struggled to get used to not being alone.
Of course, getting accustomed to certain things is the easiest to change; as long as Le Yin spends a few days in the solitary life of a single dog, he can soon regain the 'enjoy loneliness' innate skill he honed over his years as a solo.
'A person can live well alone, won't one die without romance?.jpg'
Indeed, won't one die without romance?
The pen tip suspended over letter paper, ink plump and about to drip, like a rain yearning to connect heaven and earth.
Even if I wanted to write a letter, what could I write?
'I, Zhengwei Jing, send money' — classic scam style message?
Or 'Zhengwei Jing in my hand, come to find me if you want information' — a kidnapper's exemplary essay?
How does he write to let Qing Lan know Zhengwei Jing isn't really dead without exposing the secret of substitute death?
Deceiving Qing Lan to come isn't hard; the difficulty lies in preparing her for 'Zhengwei Jing's not gone, but not dead' setup?
Damn, I should've secured a code word exchange; I say 'Odd changes, even doesn't', Qing Lan replies with 'See the quadrant sign', to break the mirror and reunite.
However, at the time, Le Yin had no intention of dying, even felt he had the upper hand considering the Silver Blood Association had entered a countdown to destruction; naturally, he did not consider follow-up—when you've pushed the enemy's three lanes to collapse onto the high ground, would you contemplate whether to mock the opposite team or your teammates post-surrender?
If he considered follow-up with caution, he wouldn't die; if he wouldn't die, there's no need to consider follow-up.
It's a perfect vicious cycle.
Moreover, would she really believe such a world as "substitute with death" exists?
If suddenly a great beauty appeared saying she's Qing Lan reincarnated, sharing key info, Le Yin would surely gaze through teary eyes and embrace to sleep—after all, he himself personally witnessed the bizarre ability "substitute with death", he believes such incomprehensible realities exist.
But set on Qing Lan, despite Le Yin's best efforts in expanding her horizons, showing her star seas, the era limit still remains her ceiling.
She's not from the information explosion era, her capacity for acceptance has limits.
Compared to "substitute with death," isn't it more probable that 'Qin Le Yin hypnotized Zhengwei Jing to gain all his memories'?
Moreover, if Le Yin explains "substitute with death", he must mention a truth: Qin Le Yin killed Zhengwei Jing.
Placing himself in Qing Lan's shoes—can you trust someone who killed the one you love, has actually been substituted by your loved one, hence not an enemy, but your new husband!
To be fair, Le Yin thinks Qing Lan, faced with this scenario, won't believe Qin Le Yin was truly substituted, but rather Qin Le Yin as an enemy with a perverse habit of killing and wife-stealing...
Thinking this way, any exchange of codewords seems useless—'wouldn't you torture Zhengwei Jing to acquire and use this code to deceive me', Qing Lan's reasoning is nearly flawless.
The biggest obstacle is the transformation of things.
Le Yin suddenly realized, a thick, sorrowful barrier stood between him and Qing Lan.
The saddest thing is,
not only Qing Lan couldn't be sure of Le Yin's sincere feelings,
Le Yin couldn't be sure of Qing Lan's sincere feelings either.
If they truly reunited, Le Yin could undoubtedly ensure Qing Lan would appear joyous, accompanying him as before, but as to if Qing Lan's heart whispers 'trust' or 'revenge,' Le Yin is completely clueless.
Beautiful women are best at deception, especially Qing Lan escaped from Xiangxue Sea's grand dye pot; Le Yin's amateur level in palace intrigue can't possibly win against a professional like Qing Lan.
Qing Lan was nurtured by him alone, how she'd react he could almost picture—subjugate with the enemy, liaise with White Night, plot against her family, collude from within, execute revenge...
Isn't it eerily familiar?
If Qing Lan's code name is also 'Yin Yin Hidden', then this story would be even more familiar—the tale Wen Hong Medical Officer of Xuanzhu White Night narrated was identical.
Drip.
The ink blob on the pen tip finally surrendered to gravity, descending upon the paper, spreading into a conspicuous stain.
Le Yin gazed at the empty letter paper, laying down the pen.
Previously, Le Yin didn't think that much; only settling down, in the deep quiet of night, did he realize that 'death' might not be as 'simple' as he imagined.
Decay of the flesh.
Destruction of interpersonal relations.
And complete obliteration of a name beneath history's wheels as mere symbols.
He wanted to inherit Zhengwei Jing's relationships, using Qin Le Yin's identity, which is famously difficult, akin to him inheriting Yin Yin Hidden's White Night status under Zhengwei Jing's identity, requiring total absence.
Trying to merge a new account's saves with an old account's? "Brilliance OL" doesn't offer such humane services.
Le Yin suddenly recollected the reward for slaying ten thousand people: a chance for perfect rebirth.
He pondered deeply and realized his thoughts remained firm—above raising the game's difficulty, he wished not to twist his moral beliefs.
Even if given another choice, he would still act the same way.