DEG - Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Birthday Gift
Jiang Xun's eyes lit up.
Is this her believing that I've come back from the dead?
Although the whole coming back from the dead thing was outrageous.
If she hadn't experienced it herself, Jiang Xun wouldn't believe it either.
But Jiang Xun always hoped Luo Nanqiu would believe her unconditionally.
It's not like she'd lose anything by doing so!
"What's the question?" Jiang Xun looked at her eagerly, feeling she could definitely answer it.
Luo Nanqiu moved closer to her, crouched down, and stared into Jiang Xun's eyes.
Her violet eyes were somewhat deep.
She asked, "What was the 25th birthday gift you prepared for me?"
Jiang Xun froze for a moment. She thought back and broke into a cold sweat.
She had died on the eve of Luo Nanqiu's 25th birthday. Logically, she hadn't prepared a birthday gift for Luo Nanqiu.
So she said vaguely, "Actually, I was planning to prepare a wood carving for you."
"The planet where I was on a mission had excellent carving techniques. Many of the carved patterns had special meanings, and I found them very interesting, so I..."
"Was it a wood carving?" But Luo Nanqiu didn't let Jiang Xun finish.
She just interrupted, her voice somewhat dejected.
Jiang Xun fell silent.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get to give it to you."
"So that wasn't what you left for me?"
Jiang Xun fell silent again.
"I'm sorry, Nanqiu."
Luo Nanqiu suddenly grabbed the front of her shirt. Her agitated voice, mixed with a sob, carried a hint of madness.
"Is a simple 'sorry' enough for this?!"
Jiang Xun shook her head, trying to stroke Luo Nanqiu's back to soothe her emotions. "I didn't do it on purpose."
"But I knew you would get it."
"You did get it, right?"
Jiang Xun was a little unsure and asked nervously.
The thing she gave to Luo Nanqiu was from when she finally annihilated the God Rank Insect Mother. After absorbing the Insect Mother's energy essence-its Divine Core-she leaped to God Rank.
Then, a new Divine Core, one that belonged solely to her, condensed within her own body.
That's right. Even though she killed the Insect Mother and became God Rank, more than half of her body had been devoured by it. Due to the insectoid venom, her body couldn't heal itself, and she had lost the ability to move.
She had no rescue, nor could she crawl into a Healing Pod on her own.
So she died.
Before she died, she dug out her own Divine Core and clutched it tightly in her palm.
Before she died, she was thinking a little about Nanqiu.
She wondered if Nanqiu would be very sad after finding out.
How long would she be sad?
She thought about giving this Divine Core to Nanqiu. Then Nanqiu could ascend to God Rank, and no one would ever mock Nanqiu for having a useless Ability again.
And wouldn't that count as them becoming one?
She believed Nanqiu would definitely fight to get her body back.
She also believed that when Nanqiu was attending to her remains, she would find the Divine Core she had hidden.
And she would know...
This was the last gift she gave her.
And the most precious one.
The corners of Luo Nanqiu's eyes were crimson. She trembled all over with anger.
"Do you remember that we have no legal relationship?!"
"I had no way to claim your body!!"
"Your mother wouldn't give you back to me."
"She wanted to send you to a research institute, to contribute one last bit of strength to the Empire."
Jiang Xun's lips trembled.
She took Luo Nanqiu's hand that was gripping her shirt and lowered her eyes in frustration.
"Nanqiu, I'm sorry."
All she could do now was apologize.
She could feel that Luo Nanqiu was crying again.
Jiang Xun knew that at the time, Luo Nanqiu was not yet the head of the Luo Family. Although she was the most powerful heir, she had several half-siblings eyeing her position covetously.
To get her body back, Nanqiu must have faced many attacks from her siblings.
She wiped away Luo Nanqiu's tears with some embarrassment. She knew she had become a knot in Luo Nanqiu's heart that was difficult to untie.
"Then... should we establish a legal relationship again?"
Jiang Xun asked cautiously.
A tear slid down Luo Nanqiu's cheek. Her eyes, washed by tears, looked exceptionally moving as she raised them to look at Jiang Xun, serious and focused.
In that instant, the exquisite and beautiful Eldest Miss looked both utterly broken and full of anticipation.
Jiang Xun's heart trembled. She shyly stated her plan.
"For example, we could become sisters again, putting our names on the same household register, just like when we were little."
Luo Nanqiu's face fell.
"Your- mother suffered terribly at my hands. Do you want her to marry my dad again?"
When Jiang Xun thought about her mother, who hadn't treated her well and whom Luo Nanqiu already disliked, and who also wanted to donate her body for Imperial research, she knew Luo Nanqiu must hate her to death.
So she mumbled, not daring to speak.
"No, no."
She could feel Luo Nanqiu's tears falling even faster.
Jiang Xun just wanted to end this topic of death now.
What's all this about dying.
Hasn't she returned now?
So she forced a change of topic and asked.
"I heard you got married."
"Who did you marry?"
"A man or a woman?"
"Was it a political marriage or..."
Jiang Xun paused. It left a bad taste in her mouth, but she tried to sound normal as she forced out the word.
"...or love?"
"Are you very curious?" Luo Nanqiu asked.
"Of course, a little."
Jiang Xun tried to find an excuse.
"No matter what, I'm still your ex-girlfriend, right?"
She heard Luo Nanqiu let out a cold laugh.
Jiang Xun immediately corrected herself.
"Though we were young and ignorant back then." She still remembered the 18-year-old Nanqiu saying that Luo Nanqiu and her spouse had a very good relationship.
But for some reason, Jiang Xun felt Luo Nanqiu's laugh grew even colder.
"You don't need to know about this."
Jiang Xun got anxious right away.
"Am I still your best friend?"
"Am I still the most important person to you?"
"You're married, but you won't tell me anything about your spouse!"
Jiang Xun was extremely sad, trying to get Luo Nanqiu to change her mind by throwing a tantrum.
Then she heard her say.
"Because she's dead."
"Just like you."
"Do you want to go see her memorial tablet?"
Jiang Xun: ...
She lowered her head, mumbling, not daring to speak.
She waved her hands slightly, showing her stance.
No, no.
She felt like her resurrected self was becoming the king of Minesweeper.
Jiang Xun and Luo Nanqiu sat at the doorway for some time.
In the end, it was Zuo Si who ran over to remind Luo Nanqiu that it was time to handle official business, breaking the strange atmosphere.
But perhaps because she had lost and then regained her, Luo Nanqiu didn't want to let Jiang Xun out of her sight for a second.
She held Jiang Xun's hand, had her sit by her side, and worked on her own.
Jiang Xun was a little bored.
Standing behind Luo Nanqiu, she braided her hair.
A glance down was all it took to see the documents in Luo Nanqiu's hands.
Luo Nanqiu didn't hide them from her at all.
But because the world had changed so much, Jiang Xun couldn't understand the political significance behind the documents at all.
She only knew that Luo Nanqiu's hair was of excellent quality, soft and smooth like a satin ribbon.
Jiang Xun couldn't put it down, and touching it made her heart itch.
She could, however, see that many of the documents in Luo Nanqiu's hands were related to the dispatch of Descenders.
Hmm...
It seemed she had specially hired a planning team that was currently planning the next game event.
So the Descenders really were brought here by Nanqiu's Ability!
Nanqiu must be God Rank by now!
Jiang Xun thought with some pride.
It wasn't Jiang Xun's fault for being proud. Although it was the interstellar era with a huge population, the number of existing God Rank ability users could be counted on one hand.
And most of them were old people in their seventies or eighties.
Not at all like Nanqiu!
Nanqiu was the youngest God Rank.
Her future was limitless!
Her Ability had even evolved into summoning the Fourth Calamity!
Who would dare laugh at the Eldest Miss's useless Ability now!
Zuo Si was a very perceptive person.
When she saw Jiang Xun hovering around Luo Nanqiu and playing with her hair, she knew this Jiang Xun was probably the real one.
So, when the time was right, she stepped forward to ask Luo Nanqiu to rest, even looking to Jiang Xun for help with a troubled expression.
"Family Head, staying up all night like this is very bad for your health."
A string in Jiang Xun's heart snapped taut.
"Does she often stay up late?" she asked Zuo Si.
Before Zuo Si could say anything,
She was scolded by Luo Nanqiu.
"Shut up!" But with Jiang Xun behind her, Luo Nanqiu's eyes were full of appreciation as she looked at Zuo Si.
This was well done.
Seeing Luo Nanqiu's reaction, what was there for Jiang Xun not to understand?
She crouched beside Luo Nanqiu, shook her thigh, and deliberately acted pitiful.
"Are these documents really that important?"
Luo Nanqiu lowered her eyes to look at her.
"I'm a little tired."
"I came all this way to find you, I've been too excited to sleep for days."
Regardless of whether this statement was true or not,
Luo Nanqiu's mood was truly excellent.
She took Jiang Xun's hand.
"Come on, let's go rest."
But Jiang Xun had her own room in this manor.
Jiang Xun was a little afraid that Luo Nanqiu would send her back to her own room and then continue working in her own room until dawn.
She used to be like that.
Although she was delicate, she was a total workaholic.
No way!
She had to watch Luo Nanqiu go to sleep.
So she dragged Luo Nanqiu to Nanqiu's room.
"You've already plundered all the decorations from my room," Jiang Xun said deliberately.
"So now your room is my room!"
She was being completely unreasonable.
Luo Nanqiu's heart softened immensely, but her words remained tough.
"Then I'll just go to your room, alright?"
"No-!" Jiang Xun drew out the word, pulling Luo Nanqiu to her room.
"I have to supervise you and make sure you sleep early!"
Luo Nanqiu couldn't help but laugh.
Then they lay down on the same bed.
Luo Nanqiu was probably feeling insecure from having lost and then regained her.
While sleeping, she held her by the waist, afraid she would run away.
She held on very tightly, afraid this was just a dream and that Jiang Xun would dissolve like foam upon waking.
Jiang Xun heard Luo Nanqiu's breathing gradually even out.
Her own heart also settled down, and she slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
But she didn't notice that as she slept, Luo Nanqiu opened her eyes, her gaze completely clear.
The first thing she did after becoming fully awake,
Was to watch all the plot points about Jiang Xun that Zuo Si had previously reported to her.
To see if Jiang Xun, resurrected in the body of a low-level ability user, had been given a hard time by anyone.
And just as Luo Nanqiu was scrolling through the videos, feeling angry about that bastard and distressed about the poison still in Jiang Xun's body,
A card suddenly appeared at Jiang Xun's side.
The space behind Luo Nanqiu dipped.
There was another person on the bed.
Her long hair fell beside her neck as she grabbed her throat.
"You betrayed her." Her voice was somewhat venomous, as if she wanted her to pay with her life.
But Luo Nanqiu wasn't nervous or afraid.
Because she knew who had come.
It was Jiang Xun's card.
It was the eighteen-year-old version of herself.
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