Chapter 29

Jiang Zhe’s embrace was warm and his heartbeat strong. Feeling his warmth, Jiang Yu gradually felt herself warming up.

Realizing that Jiang Zhe had been holding her the whole time, she felt embarrassed and quickly pulled away, smiling awkwardly, “I just had a bad dream. It was a bit scary.”

“Nightmares aren’t real, there’s no need to be afraid,” Jiang Zhe reassured her.

Jiang Yu wasn’t exactly afraid, just confused by the sudden appearance of her former self. Now that they had merged into one soul, she wondered if she was herself or the other her.

Feeling a bit bewildered, Jiang Yu thought about asking her former self for advice but decided it wouldn’t be very helpful since she couldn’t return to her original world.

“Of course not. Once you left, that world ceased to exist for you.”

Hearing her former self’s voice in her mind again, Jiang Yu tried to call out to her, but there was no response.

She realized there was no point in dwelling on it. This world’s parents felt the same as her original world’s parents, and she felt the same blood connection. Since she couldn’t return, she decided to embrace her current life.

Feeling embarrassed for making Jiang Zhe hold her for so long, she didn’t notice that Jiang Zhe felt a sense of loss when she pulled away.

He suppressed his disappointment and smiled, “Are you okay now?”

Jiang Yu nodded, her voice filled with gratitude, “Yes, thank you.”

After buying the rings earlier, Jiang Zhe was still feeling elated, but her polite response now made him feel like his emotions were on a rollercoaster.

“There’s no need to be so formal, we are husband and wife after all,” he emphasized, but Jiang Yu seemed distracted. Now that her soul had merged with the former Jiang Yu, who loved Lin Sicheng, she was confused about her feelings.

Feeling lost, she wanted to communicate more with her former self, but the opportunity had passed. She had to calm down and think things through.

Noticing Jiang Zhe hadn’t left, she suddenly remembered, “Why are you in my room?”

Jiang Zhe explained, “I came to check on you. You kicked off your blanket, and I was covering you up when you woke up.”

If he hadn’t been about to leave, he wouldn’t have been caught. Another reason he came was that he felt too happy to sleep and wanted to see her.

“Alright, thank you. Good night.”

At first, Jiang Zhe thought he was mistaken, but now he felt a real sense of distance from her.

He asked in confusion, “Are you really okay?”

Jiang Yu, feeling muddled, met his worried gaze and gently shook her head, “I’m fine, just… I need to think about some things.”

“Alright, then. Good night.”

“Good night.”

As Jiang Zhe reached the door, he turned back to look at her. The room was dimly lit by a small nightlight, placed there for Jiang Yu’s convenience. Through the soft, veil-like light, his brows were deeply furrowed.

After Jiang Zhe left, the room returned to silence. Jiang Yu’s heartbeat quickened as she thought about the other her in the dream, now merged with her. She felt a chill down her spine, unable to understand why she was so scared, even though she wasn’t usually this timid. She realized that being alone tonight, she wouldn’t be able to figure it out and might not even fall asleep.

Jiang Yu, who usually wasn’t so fearful, now felt a bit scared. If this continued, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all tonight. She quickly made up her mind, grabbed her pillow, and left her room.

Jiang Zhe had just laid down, still thinking about her distant behavior earlier. He wondered what caused this sudden change and why they seemed to drift apart after everything was fine earlier in the day. He sighed and was about to turn off the light when he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

He saw Jiang Yu enter, hugging her pillow, her clear eyes looking innocent. “Um, Jiang Zhe, I’m a bit scared. Can I stay with you tonight?”

Jiang Zhe’s previously gloomy mood instantly brightened. He didn’t expect her to be scared.

He made space for her on his bed, smiling lightly, “Sure.”

Jiang Yu happily lay down beside him, then turned to explain, “I had a nightmare, so I wanted to stay with you tonight.”

This was her way of explaining why she suddenly came to his room, not because she insisted on staying with him, but because she was scared.

Jiang Zhe replied, “It’s okay, even if you came for another reason.”

Jiang Yu was taken aback. Usually, he was too shy to even talk to her when they were outside, but now he was so bold and even saying sweet things.

She mumbled, “I came because I was scared.”

She wanted to clarify her reason.

Jiang Zhe reassured her, “Alright, let’s sleep.”

Jiang Yu closed her eyes and added, “I might need some time to recover, but I should be fine by tomorrow.”

From under the covers, Jiang Zhe took her hand and said, “It’s okay, you can come whenever you need to.”

Jiang Yu nodded and soon quieted down.

Just when Jiang Zhe thought she had fallen asleep, she suddenly spoke.

“Jiang Zhe, are you afraid of encountering supernatural events?”

Jiang Zhe, also still awake, replied, “No, I’m not.”

Hearing that he wasn’t afraid, Jiang Yu felt relieved.

After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m not that scared either, but maybe a little. If you’re not afraid, then I won’t be either.”

Jiang Zhe asked with concern, “Did something happen?”

Jiang Yu hesitated. She felt that such things shouldn’t be easily shared, but now she had an urge to confide.

She said, “I’m not sure if it’s real, but I dreamed that I became another person. She told me to be happy and then disappeared, saying we were originally one and now just merged.”

Jiang Yu tried to make it understandable but was still worried he might not get it. She turned to look at him in the dark and said, “Do you understand? I just feel it’s scary that she disappeared. If possible, I wish she didn’t.”

Jiang Zhe looked at Jiang Yu, his lips moving into a smile, “You are quite kind. It’s just a dream, yet you fear someone disappearing.”

Jiang Yu replied, “I thought you would call me silly for being scared of a dream.”

Jiang Zhe thought to himself, “Because I know it’s not just a dream.”

When she first arrived, Jiang Yu didn’t feel real, and her soul hadn’t fully adapted to this world. She didn’t think much about the other her, believing this world was just like the time-travel novels she often read.

But meeting the other Jiang Yu in her dream shocked her. Hearing her say she would disappear had a much stronger impact than just knowing she might disappear.

Only one of them could stay, which was a cruel reality.

Why did it have to be this way? Did she come to this world and take the other her’s place?

Jiang Zhe wanted to say he was lucky it wasn’t her who disappeared, but he didn’t know how to express it, fearing she might not want him to know so much.

Jiang Zhe said, “This is the best choice for now. Maybe the other her is okay with this outcome too.”

“Have you seen that animation where the protagonist’s shadow was replicated, and later they became one? When he faced difficulties, the shadow came out to help. Jiang Yu, maybe the other her hasn’t disappeared but is watching over you, ready to help when needed. I hope this comforts you.”

Jiang Yu laughed, “It seems to have comforted me a bit, but not entirely. Still, I feel somewhat better.”

He reached out and patted her head, “In that case, get some sleep. I’m here.”

Jiang Zhe’s room had a fresh, clean scent. Smelling his scent and lying next to him, Jiang Yu’s heart gradually settled down. Soon, she fell asleep.

Over the next few days, she slowly came to terms with the situation.

Time flew by, and the weather gradually warmed up. Jiang Yu’s due date approached quickly, and Jiang Zhe had already prepared by hiring a confinement nanny. However, Jiang Yu’s mother was worried and frequently visited. Even if she couldn’t come in person, she would call to check on her daughter’s condition. Despite everyone else being on high alert, Jiang Yu herself didn’t feel the impending reality of giving birth.