CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 427: DECEPTION

After Mrs. Lu left her seat, a group of girls followed her closely. Xia Mian, seeing this, was concerned for Mrs. Lu’s safety.

As soon as class was over, Xia Mian immediately went to follow Mrs. Lu.

However, when Xia Mian reached the restroom door, she was utterly surprised.

Mrs. Lu had already dealt with those girls, even patting her hands dismissively, "With such little skill, you dare to act up in front of me! Who gave you the courage?"

Looking at Mrs. Lu dressed in the Republic school uniform yet exuding an impressive aura, Xia Mian thought that if possible, Mrs. Lu would live happily here.

It seemed Mrs. Lu sensed Xia Mian’s gaze and slowly turned her head, her eyes wary as she looked at Xia Mian. "Are you with them?"

Xia Mian shook her head, "I came to find you."

Mrs. Lu was taken aback, "Find me?"

Although Mrs. Lu felt the other person looked familiar, she couldn’t recall knowing someone like this!

"Could you come with me for a moment?" Xia Mian raised an eyebrow. There were some things she couldn’t say to Mrs. Lu in public.

Mrs. Lu squinted her eyes, "Where are you trying to trick me into going?"

Xia Mian chuckled; this old lady was quite vigilant.

"Where could I possibly trick you into going?" Xia Mian was a bit speechless. "There must be quite a few people secretly protecting you, right?"

As the daughter of a warlord family, it’s perfectly normal to have bodyguards protecting her comings and goings.

It’s normal not to interfere with the young lady’s life unless there’s genuine danger.

Mrs. Lu’s gaze toward Xia Mian immediately turned more cautious.

The other person knew her identity and seemed utterly fearless.

"Alright, I’ll go with you." Mrs. Lu became intrigued.

Xia Mian led Mrs. Lu to a teahouse, found a private room, poured her a cup of tea, and then smiled and said, "You don’t belong to this world. You should have realized that long ago, right?"

Mrs. Lu was originally holding the teacup, about to take a sip, but when she heard this, she paused.

Recently, she indeed often felt out of sync with the surrounding environment.

However, because there were people she cared about here, she had always forced herself not to think too much about it.

"The you in this world is not real." Xia Mian stared into Mrs. Lu’s eyes.

At this moment, the young-looking Mrs. Lu had bright, pure eyes, entirely different from the previously muddled old eyes of Mrs. Lu.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Lu tilted her head, looking at Xia Mian, that familiar feeling growing stronger.

Xia Mian smiled, "I’m your granddaughter-in-law!"

Mrs. Lu squinted her eyes, remaining silent.

In this world, she’s a naive girl, but in another world, she’s an elderly woman nearing her end.

Choosing this world, she could relive her life; returning to the other world, she might not have many years left.

"I don’t want to leave here." Mrs. Lu said softly, "I like it here."

The smile on Xia Mian’s face gradually vanished, her expression turning serious.

Before coming to this world, she had anticipated that Mrs. Lu might not want to leave.

After all, Mrs. Lu was different from everyone else she’d rescued before.

She’s old, a person whose physical condition is deteriorating, ready to depart at any moment.

Isn’t it better to live vibrantly in this world than to face death in another?

Xia Mian pressed her lips tightly, "This isn’t your home; everything here is fake."

Mrs. Lu smiled faintly, "What does it matter if it’s fake or real?"

Mrs. Lu looked into the distance, "I see the people I’ve longed for day and night here!"

Xia Mian’s heart stirred. Someone she longed for?

Is it Old Master Lu?

But this is only a virtual world; in this world, time doesn’t flow the same way as outside.

Perhaps Mrs. Lu could live for a few more years outside, but in this world where time flows differently, perhaps not even a year, and Mrs. Lu’s life would be over.

"This is a chaotic era." Xia Mian said softly, "No one knows if they’ll live or die the next moment."

During the Republic, warlords each held their forces; now, Mrs. Lu has the identity of a young lady.

But who can guarantee that she’ll have such luck her whole life?

Once the warlords collapse, nothing good awaits her.

Mrs. Lu lowered her eyes, saying nothing.

The girl before her spoke the truth, and lately, she had overheard some military secrets from her father and brother.

With war looming, the whole family would be displaced; her fate was indeed uncertain.

"I won’t go with you." Mrs. Lu said again, "He’s here, and I’ll stay with him."

What does it matter if it’s a chaotic world? The one she cares about is here, and he, too, will experience trials.

She wants to stay with him.

Xia Mian couldn’t help but wrinkle her brow lightly, not expecting Mrs. Lu to be so obsessed with romance.

"He’s also fake." Xia Mian decided to strike at Mrs. Lu’s heart, "If you stay here, on the real day of mourning and offerings, there won’t even be anyone to burn paper for him."

"And your family, in the other world, they would lose you too." Xia Mian said this heavily.

Since Mrs. Lu was so romantic, she’d have to use harsher reality to wake her up.

Mrs. Lu frowned.

The person she cared for now was also fake?

"When turmoil comes, he’ll enlist, and while fighting invaders, he’ll meet many other beauties, not just you." Xia Mian’s face returned to a fitting smile.

"You’re lying!" Mrs. Lu yelled angrily.

"Whether I’m lying or not, you can see for yourself." As Xia Mian spoke, she waved her hand, showing Mrs. Lu the general trajectory of how this world would unfold, as if playing a movie.

The man she wholeheartedly loved turned out to be a womanizer?!

She suffered greatly for that man, and later got sold by rival warlords into a brothel?!!

What a bizarre storyline!

She’s already half-buried in the other world, and in this illusory world, to lose her dignity?!!

"Why should I believe you!" Mrs. Lu still kept up appearances.

Though the girl before her seemed familiar, the whole operation was too unbelievable.

What decent family’s girl waves a hand and a movie starts playing in the sky?

The Heavenly Dao yawned slyly from the shadows; this woman’s tactics were growing more crafty!

To achieve her goal, she even resorted to fabricating plots...