As I was reminiscing about the past, Cao Zhen didn’t stop talking and went on about her sister, Cao Cao, that quirky girl who, because she admired women like her mother and sister, declared at a very young age that her goal was to become the third-generation “Lady of the Lake.”
Talking about Cao Cao finally brought us to the main point.
I knew Cao Zhen insisted on escorting us because of her sister.
As expected, she spoke up.
“My sister’s dream, when she was five, grew beyond just being the ‘Lady of the Lake.’”
Though I already knew, I still asked, “What?”
“To change this… hopelessly broken world.”
“…”
A five-year-old child dreaming of changing the world?
It was absurd, laughable even, but she stood before me, undeniably real.
I wanted to laugh but couldn’t, so I followed my instincts and asked, “Why?”
“Because that day, she saw something no child her age should see, understood things no child her age should understand, and so, she dreamed a dream no child her age should dream.”
It was a bit convoluted, but the meaning was clear.
“What did she see?”
Cao Zhen shook her head with a bitter smile.
“I can’t say exactly what it was. If there’s a chance, let her tell you herself. All I can say is, I was with her and saw the same thing. The difference is, she lacked the rationality—or rather, the numbness—of an adult like me. So, she couldn’t accept it. It really wasn’t something a child her age should have seen.”
I didn’t know what Cao Cao saw that day, but I understood that her dream, so mismatched with her age, had a special reason.
Was this Cao Zhen’s purpose?
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you’re a lot like her. I think you could become one of her few friends.”
Me, like that quirky girl?
If Cao Zhen dared say we were alike in our eccentricity, I’d jump off, dig a hole in the ground, bury my head in it, and never come out.
“In what way?”
“You both have something people your age shouldn’t have,” Cao Zhen said calmly, facing forward.
“My sister holds dreams she shouldn’t have at her age, while you have thoughts beyond your years. You know, when you stopped me and A-Man from letting go of each other yesterday with those words, I felt like you were someone much older than me, even though you look like a child… If we had given up on each other yesterday, we’d probably regret it for life. From that moment, I had a feeling—maybe this kid could connect with A-Man in a way ordinary people can’t.”
I thought for a moment and realized, “So last night, you tricked me into coming out and brought me to that girl?”
“Yes. Both my aunt and I believe that you, being as unusual as my sister, could give her something we can’t. Your conversation with her last night proved our guess was right.”
I’m not that special—just an ordinary person.
The reason I seem odd to them is that I come from the future and know a bit about Cao Cao’s deeds.
But if I said I’ve lived nearly 30 years, a grown man in a boy’s body, I’d definitely be labeled as an eccentric teen, equated with Cao Cao in their minds.
By the way, since you know I have a maturity beyond my appearance, you should also realize how tempting your current position is to me, right!?
Because the three of us were riding one horse, space was tight, forcing me to press closely against Cao Zhen’s soft body.
Her softness was one thing, but the two even softer things behind my head, bouncing with the horse’s gallop and brushing against my ears, were impossible to ignore.
Blushing furiously, I clung to Leng Yu in front of me, silently reciting the Heart Sutra to calm myself down.
My silence made Cao Zhen think I had some hidden concern, unaware of the impure thoughts racing through this “child’s” mind.
Kindly, she changed the subject.
“Because of the similarities between you two, I believe you’ll definitely become friends. No, though it’s just my assumption, I think your relationship will go beyond mere friendship. You’re fated, just like how my sister, upon meeting you yesterday, decided you’d be her partner on her journey toward her dreams. I believe in you, the you who told us not to let go.”
No, that’s not it.
Cao Zhen’s words weren’t out of trust in me.
Quite the opposite—she said this precisely because she didn’t trust me.
“Even though you say that, you don’t actually believe in me, do you?”
“!?”
Cao Zhen was visibly shocked, her expression shifting as she panicked and pulled the reins, stopping the horse abruptly.
The sudden halt made the horse rear up, nearly throwing us off.
Tong Yuan, noticing the commotion behind, quickly stopped and looked back at us.
Cao Zhen steadied the horse and sighed in relief, her brows furrowing slightly.
Her blue eyes shimmered with unease as she looked at me in her arms, as if I were something incomprehensible.
I was startled by the sudden stop, quietly patting my racing heart.
I wondered why Cao Zhen reacted so strongly, but then it hit me.
With her proud nature, she probably couldn’t accept that she’d said those words.
If she weren’t so afraid I’d hurt Cao Cao, she likely wouldn’t have done this.
She saw our promise that day, so she feared I’d treat it as a childish game, hurting Cao Cao, who was already deeply disappointed in the world yet held boundless hope in changing it with me.
To Cao Zhen, Cao Cao was her strong sister’s only weakness.
So, she had to resort to this probing and moral pressure, which she despised, to influence me.
Though I was being doubted, I didn’t feel upset.
Having witnessed the deep bond between the sisters and seeing the sister’s actions for her sibling now, it was hard to be angry.
So, to ease her guilt and reassure her completely, I didn’t turn around and continued, “Don’t worry. I’m no saint, but I’d be ashamed to kick someone when they’re down. I can’t promise I’ll help her in the future, but I can at least promise I won’t hurt her. Changing the world, reshaping the future—sure, it’s laughable. But so what? Liu Bang was just a thug at first, Han Xin a joke. Those who thought their goals were absurd could never have predicted their later achievements.”
Cao Zhen looked at me quietly, her eyes unable to hide her surprise, though she said nothing.
“I’m just a kid, so I can only make promises in a kid’s way. But I won’t take it lightly. ‘Even a child’s promise is an oath to be kept with all one’s heart,’ my mother once said. So, rest assured. If you’re still worried, let’s make a deal. Pinky swear? Or some other way?”
Cao Zhen, who had been silently watching me, finally snapped out of it.
Her beautiful eyes glanced at my outstretched finger, her lips curving into a smile, revealing a glimpse of her white teeth.
“As expected, you’re nothing like a kid.”
“Even if I’m not, I’m still a kid. So, you can’t hit me.”
I was still a bit scared of this queen, so I shamelessly backed down, hoping she wouldn’t vent her anger on poor me for bluntly exposing her.
Even Leng Yu in front of me let out a disdainful “tch” at my behavior.
“Hehe, what are you talking about? I’m not that crude,” Cao Zhen said, her eyes narrowing into crescents as she laughed.
It was beautiful but also intimidating.
Yeah, right.
Tell that to Young Master Wei, who’s still lying in bed.
Cao Zhen kept smiling, then suddenly raised her slender hand toward me.
I flinched, closing my eyes.
“At least don’t hit my face!!”
But surprisingly, I didn’t feel pain.
Instead, Cao Zhen pressed down my outstretched hand.
Then, a soft, tender voice that made my body go weak came to my ear.
“Only kids use pinky swears. For someone like you, who’s not like a kid, we use an adult’s way.”
As I was intoxicated by her voice so close to my ear and the faint fragrance of a girl, my earlobe suddenly felt a warm, wet sensation.
In that instant, my soul nearly flew out of my body.
I froze, unable to process what had happened, only instinctively knowing something unbelievable had occurred.
I reached out with a trembling hand to touch my ear, feeling the usual texture but with a bit of wetness.
It seemed… faintly fragrant.
I stiffly turned my head, incredulously looking at the culprit.
Whether because she was excited her sister finally found a friend, moved, or just shy, her lovely face was flushed with a blush I’d never seen before.
Her cherry lips parted, her breath like orchids, revealing a flower-like smile.
“Thank you.”
Thank you?
No, more importantly…
“You just… to me…?”
“Hehe, this is your punishment. Don’t be so blunt and embarrass your big sister again, okay?”
Cao Zhen was probably referring to how I mercilessly called her out.
But… punishment?
This was punishment?
It was practically the most tempting gift in the world!
Before I could speak, Cao Zhen flicked the reins, making me swallow my words and nearly bite my tongue.
I touched my still-damp ear, screaming internally.
Mom, she’s teasing me!