Chapter Six: Past Events Like Smoke

  Thinking of past life's affairs in her mind, Qing Jin stood still in front of the dressing table mirror, raising her eyes to look at the face in the mirror.

  This is a face that, though still slightly immature and tender, has already begun to reveal its breathtaking beauty. It doesn't need any makeup to show off its unparalleled loveliness. Truly, without any powder or rouge, her complexion is like the morning sun shining on snow - how vibrant, how radiant with youth and beauty!

  She patted her cheek with her hand and let out a soft sigh, thinking to herself: Who would have thought that beneath this youthful face lies a weathered soul who has lived two lifetimes?

  She stared blankly at the girl in the mirror, slender and elegant, bright and charming, more vibrant than the morning sun outside the window.

  It's not the Gu Qingjin who stayed in the backyard of Sanwangfu for many years and needed expensive cosmetics to paint a few remaining looks, nor is it the Gu Qingjin who was trapped by love and betrayed by love, losing both love and life, pitiful and miserable. It's the new Gu Qingjin, the current young and beautiful Gu Qingjin!

  She still remembered that this was the most proud and delicate appearance of her previous life at this age, but now, looking at the beautiful face in front of her, her mood was no longer joyful or sorrowful.

  No, more accurately, it's with a hint of celebration, and the celebration isn't because of her current appearance, but because she is alive.

  She gazed at the face of the young girl in the mirror, tender and vivid, inch by inch, as if afraid that all of this was just her own illusion. Until the warmth on her hands told her that it was all real, she had indeed come back to life, reborn into the most beautiful age she had traversed to.

  She gazed intently at the youthful and beautiful face in the mirror, really not looking like her fourth cousin at all. But why did that man call out that name when he was entwined with her to the point of death?

  She thought of her fourth sister's appearance in her mind, comparing herself to the mirror for half a day. To be honest, she and her fourth sister really didn't look alike at all. She was a delicate beauty, unrestrained and free-spirited, like a peony in a flower, rich and intense; while Gu Qingyao was a kind of pure beauty, like a white lotus flower that evokes love and affection. What she remembered most about Gu Qingyao was her pair of eyes, crystal clear and dreamlike, with an unspeakable charm that made people adore her.

  She used to like her beautiful fourth sister because of those talking eyes, treating this beautiful fourth sister as if she were her own biological sister, being very open and unrestrained in front of her, never hiding her uniqueness and differences.

  She still remembered that at that time, her greatest pleasure was to say a phrase that seemed ordinary to modern people but was considered shocking and unconventional by ancient people, just to tease her. She looked at her fourth sister, who was shocked after hearing her strange and bold ideas, with big eyes, thinking of the warm and beautiful days with her fourth sister, Gu Qingyao, Qingjin's eyes were filled with warmth, but her eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.

  The swan maid standing beside her saw that since waking up in the morning, she had not spoken a word. Now, she was even more strangely frowning at herself in the mirror. At this time, she finally couldn't help but speak: "Miss, are you uncomfortable? You've just recovered from your illness, and the weather is so cold in the morning. I told you that you didn't need to get up so early. The old lady's side has already sent someone over, saying that after you're fully recovered, you can go over to pay your respects. Why don't I take care of you lying in bed for a while?"

  Upon hearing Yuanyang's words, Qingjin snapped back to reality and spoke to Yuanyang: "No need, lying down for a long time can make you feel unwell even if you're not sick. I just had a slight headache earlier, probably because I slept too much. Look, after sitting for a while, my complexion isn't much better than when I first got out of bed?"

  "Really? This Yuanyang really doesn't understand, but Miss, you always seem to know more, your words are always reasonable. You say this and Yuanyang really thinks that Miss's complexion is much better!" Yuanyang listened to Qingjin's words and carefully observed Qingjin's expression, echoing her words.

  Although she agreed with Qingjin's words, Yuanyang couldn't help but take a few more glances at her own daughter before shifting her gaze away. She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but since her daughter woke up from this illness, she felt that something was off about her. However, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was as if the feeling she got from her daughter now was vastly different from before, like the old and new daughters were two completely different people. If Yuanyang hadn't been by her daughter's side serving her for the past few days, she would have thought that someone had secretly replaced her own daughter.

  Qing Jin saw the suspicious gaze in Yuanyang's eyes, but she didn't have the desire to explain herself. She wasn't afraid of Yuanyang's suspicion; she was the real Gu Qingjin, yet she also didn't want to be Gu Qingjin - that person who only thought about making a name for herself and took great care to maintain her appearance, all in order to one day climb up to the position of imperial prince or king, monopolizing everything. She thought about how good it would be if she could rely on someone's power to send her soaring into the clouds - that unrealistic, ambitious Gu Qingjin.

  Thinking about her past life, she must have been misled by the numerous stories of women who traveled back in time and effortlessly shone with brilliance, winning the admiration and adoration of all the excellent men in that world. The princes and young masters from various countries were also infatuated with the time-traveling woman, readily offering her a high position and showering her with favoritism, making her feel like she was the center of attention, surrounded by three thousand doting gazes. This kind of fabricated, idealized feeling had tempted her to want to try it out for herself.

  So he finally discovered that he had also crossed over, and with a eager heart, he wanted to try out the feeling of being **exclusive, having three thousand doting loves all focused on him.

  If her identity was high enough when she crossed over, that would be fine. However, she happened to cross over into the Anji Marquis Manor, which isn't saying that the Anji Marquis Manor isn't a renowned and aristocratic family. On the contrary, the Anji Marquis Manor is a centuries-old aristocratic family since the opening of the dynasty, with its first generation being granted the title of Duke for military merit. Unfortunately, after that, it was all about passing down literary heritage. The Gu family never produced another talent like their first-generation master, and over several generations, they declined from duke to marquis. The Anji Marquis Manor had long lost its former prestige, although the remaining influence of a centuries-old aristocratic family still lingered. Nevertheless, after experiencing several generations and especially the turmoil in the imperial court decades ago, it had suffered a significant blow and was already on a downward trend.

  When Gu Qingjin first crossed over, she learned that she had crossed into the Hou Mansion and was the legitimate daughter of Master Hou, her heart was filled with indescribable joy.

  But as she gradually came to understand more, Gu Qingjin's disappointment grew greater. It turned out that the current Anji Houfu was just a superficially good-sounding name, but in reality, it could only be considered a lower-ranking aristocratic family in the capital, not even worthy of being called third-rate. Qingjin's despair can be imagined; in other words, although she was the daughter of a marquis, she still wasn't qualified to marry into the imperial family or royal princes. Then how could her dream of dominating the world come true, and where would her life of being pampered with three thousand favors come from?