Madam Ning chatted with Ning Wanwan until nightfall before heading back. Ning Wanwan had been terrified that she had come to persuade her to vie for favor, so she was surprised to find that Madam Ning had simply come to keep her company.
Come to think of it, Ning Wanwan had never expected to have such a good relationship with Ning Luoshi. At the last banquet, seeing Ning Luoshi look down her nose at her, she had assumed the girl looked down on her.
Then there was the girl named Xiao Shixue—calling them a trio of ancient best friends would hardly be an exaggeration. Most importantly, according to Madam Ning, Xiao Shixue was a beauty of legendary proportions who also seemed to have a crush on her brother, Ning Yuanzhou. How could one not ship that?
Since Xiao Shixue hadn't appeared at the last banquet, Ning Wanwan suddenly felt a wave of melancholy. Why was it that other people who transmigrated either kept their memories or had a script, while she had absolutely nothing?
Furthermore, she couldn't shake a strange feeling that everything was going a bit too well to be normal. Could it be that she hadn't transmigrated at all, and this was merely a hallucination after death?
The mere thought made her blood run cold. She constantly felt that the affection Pei Jinxiu showed her must be a performance, yet whenever he appeared, she couldn't help but draw close to him, only to return to her senses once he was gone. *Oh, original owner, stop being so infatuated,* she thought to herself.
That night, Ning Wanwan had a dream. In it, her elder brother was following Pei Jinxiu—who was a prince—to the border to quell a rebellion. Desperate to join him, she dressed in men’s clothing, disguised herself as a boy, and slipped out of the Chancellor's Estate.
After galloping on horseback for two days and two nights, she was nearing the Northwest border when she encountered a group of mountain bandits. The leader, a hulking man, had a petite young girl slung over his shoulder. Judging by the girl’s expensive golden-silk dress in goose-yellow, she was clearly from a wealthy family.
Assuming they were bandits looking for loot, Ning Wanwan, filled with a courage she didn't know she possessed, charged at them with a spear.
Having such a heroic dream felt exhilarating to Ning Wanwan, and even better, she actually won the fight and rescued the girl in the dream.
The girl had bright, intelligent eyes and a delicate, porcelain-like appearance. Her eyes were red-rimmed from fear, making her look like a bruised flower or shattered jade.
Ning Wanwan pulled her onto the horse and asked who she was and where her home was.
"The Xiao Family of Huaiyang City, Xiao Shixue."
"What a coincidence, we’re heading the same way. Won't you call me a 'good brother,' and let this brother take you home?" Ning Wanwan teased with a smile. Fortunately, she was quite handsome, with delicate features, and her smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
The girl’s cheeks flushed pink, but she bit her lip and refused to speak.
"If you won't call me that, then how do you intend to repay this life-saving favor?" Ning Wanwan gripped the reins, the petite girl held securely in her arms, as the horse carried them slowly away.
"How about you marry me?" Ning Wanwan laughed heartily.
The girl glared at her indignantly, looking so delicate and endearing that it made one’s heart ache. She asked, "Which family’s young master are you? To be so rude—you are nothing but a hooligan."
"My surname is Ning, given name Yuanzhou, from the Ning Family in the Capital City. You’d best remember that."
At this point in the dream, Ning Wanwan jerked awake.
Finally, she understood the situation. It turned out that years ago, the original Ning Wanwan had been wild and had cross-dressed to tease a girl, even using her own brother's name to do it. She heard that the Xiao Family had later sent people to test the waters with the Ning Family. Although her brother refused to acknowledge the incident, the elders took it as mere bashfulness and essentially considered the marriage engaged in secret.
The Xiao Family of Huaiyang City had generations of loyal patriots, and Xiao Shicheng was the Grand General overseeing the military and political affairs of the entire Northwest. For his only daughter, Xiao Shixue, to be matched with the eldest son of the Chancellor's Estate, the young Northwest general Ning Yuanzhou, was more than suitable—especially since Xiao Shixue was the apple of Xiao Shicheng's eye.
Consequently, Xiao Shixue had come to the Capital City to live on her own. Later, she first became acquainted with Ning Luoshi, and only then met the Ning Wanwan who had been dragged back and forced into women's clothing.
The three of them became best friends and frequently spent time together. They were quite famous in the Capital, both for their prominent status and their exceptional beauty.
Being of the same age, they talked about everything—except for that one incident, which Ning Wanwan didn't dare bring up. Xiao Shixue was physically frail, thinner than the others despite being the same age, a true "sickly beauty." Ning Wanwan figured it was fine if the friendship ended, but she certainly didn't want to anger the girl to death.