Extra Story 1: If There Is a Next Life

“No…” A cry broke the silence as Lu Ning jolted awake from his nightmare, drenched in sweat.

“Xiao Ning, what’s wrong? Did you have that dream again?” His father entered the room, concern etched in his eyes as he gently wiped the sweat from his son's brow.

Lu Ning panted, nodding, his eyes still haunted by the remnants of the dream. Then, gathering an unprecedented resolve, he looked up at his father. “Father, I want to study at Dexin Academy in Dezhou!”

His father was taken aback. “How could that be?” He stood, pacing the room with a troubled expression. “A year ago, the Federal State Comprehensive Card Academy sent us your admission notice. Young Master Bai from the Bloodline family is waiting for you there. How can you suddenly decide to attend Dexin Academy? How am I supposed to explain this to them?”

He rubbed his temples in frustration. “Our Lu family may have some standing in the Federation, but compared to the great clans, we are insignificant. Not to mention the Academy’s questions—Young Master Bai is not someone we can afford to offend!”

Lu Ning lowered his gaze, silent.

Seeing his son’s stoic face, his father paused, then came to him and gently stroked his dark, smooth hair. “Is it because of that dream?”

Lu Ning nodded. “Father, I’ve had this dream since I was born—for eighteen years, every single night. I have a strong feeling that I’ll find the answer at Dexin Academy. You’ve taken me everywhere, but the problem remains. This time, my premonition is stronger than ever: once I get there, everything will become clear. Please let me go. I need to discover who is the one who dies in my dream. I always wake up shrouded in sadness. Father, let me go!”

“But what about Young Master Bai?” His father wanted to agree, but the Bai family was not to be trifled with.

“Please, Father!” Lu Ning looked at him with pleading eyes. Sensing his father’s wavering, he pressed on, “As for the Federal Card Academy’s questions, there’s no need to worry. A year ago, I also received an invitation from the Dean of Dexin Card Academy. The Federal Comprehensive Card Academy is no longer the preeminent institution it was five hundred years ago. Now, Dexin and the Federal Academy are considered the twin stars, their status equal. If there are any issues, the Dean of Dexin will handle them.”

“And Young Master Bai?” His father was not so easily swayed by his evasions.

Lu Ning frowned, unable to understand why the illustrious young master of the Bloodline family would take an interest in someone as unremarkable as himself.

“Perhaps it was just a fleeting interest. He might not even remember me,” he said, though even to him, it sounded unconvincing.

His father sighed at his son’s troubled look. “It’s our family that holds you back. If you were born into one of the great clans, you’d be a favored son of heaven, not plagued by such troubles. It’s also…” That you are too outstanding. The thing he was proudest of was also the greatest source of worry—his son’s extraordinary talents brought extraordinary troubles.

Other families envied that Young Master Bai had taken an interest in Lu Ning, but he knew his own son best. Lu Ning didn’t like him, no matter how exceptional he was, no matter how much higher his status. What troubled him more was the persistent nightmare that haunted Lu Ning every night.

He shook his head. “Fine, go then. If Young Master Bai truly likes you, he won’t trouble you over this. If he’s only after your looks, you wouldn’t have been happy with him anyway.”

Lu Ning’s eyes lit up, and he hugged his father joyfully. “Thank you, Father!”

Despite his worries, his father couldn’t help but smile at Lu Ning’s happiness. “I’ll have the butler pack your things. Leave quietly at dawn. Don’t be upset that I won’t accompany you—Young Master Bai is supposed to fetch you tomorrow. If he arrives and you’re gone, I’ll simply say you left for Dexin out of willfulness.”

“Thank you, Father. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.”

“There’s no need for thanks. Once you resolve the nightmare that has plagued you for eighteen years, everything will have been worth it.”

Lu Ning nodded.

At dawn the next day, as the first light crept over the horizon, Lu Ning quietly boarded the airship. He glanced back at his father in the distance, eyes turning red.

Curiosity filled him as he arrived at Dexin Academy. The grandeur of Dexin was no less than that of the Federal Comprehensive Card Academy—perhaps, in terms of character, Dexin had more unique charm. The only difference was the Federal Academy exuded an unbreakable aura of political power.

Lu Ning noticed people arriving at the academy in scattered groups. Perhaps, with so many visitors, people like him who wandered the grounds were taken for tourists and garnered little attention. He touched the mask on his face and smiled; it was good he’d brought it. To his surprise, everyone at Dexin seemed to wear masks—it was a unique tradition here, and his own mask was seen as following the custom.

“What a peculiar academy,” he smiled softly. From the moment he arrived, he felt inexplicably at ease.

Lu Ning strolled leisurely, appreciating every corner of the academy. Passing beneath a tree, his heart suddenly raced. He looked up at the branches—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Sunlight pierced the leaves, making him lower his head. “Just my imagination,” he thought, shaking his head with a smile, and continued toward the Cardmaker Academy.

But at that very moment, the person napping on the branch snapped open his eyes. Silvery pupils flashed, following the source of the heartbeat. All he saw was the back of a dark head, walking away. Jian Shaolin frowned, watching the slender figure recede. He pressed a hand to his chest—no, that sensation was real. Why did that figure seem so familiar? As he rubbed his forehead, a pair of desperate, mournful eyes flashed through his mind. Was it him? Jian Shaolin’s eyes widened in shock—could it be the person from his dreams?

For the first time, Jian Shaolin, who could nap anywhere at any time, felt a surge of interest. For the first time, he was wide awake. With a leap, he jumped down from the branch, his silver ponytail catching the sunlight in a shining arc.

Everyone knew Dexin had a Crown Prince, but few knew that at one point, Dexin was jointly governed by the Crown Prince and His Highness. One ruled openly, the other from the shadows—and in fact, His Highness wielded even more power because he was the heir of Dezhou itself.

The Sasa family, the Jian family, the Daoqi family, and the Gongliang family were the great houses of Dezhou, also prominent in the Federation. The title of His Highness always passed to an heir from these families, and this time, it went to Jian Shaolin of the Jian clan.

From birth, the cold and aloof Jian Shaolin showed no interest in anything or anyone, preferring solitude and sleep. Rumor had it, he too was plagued by a strange nightmare every night.

Jian Shaolin followed Lu Ning’s figure all the way to the Cardmaker Academy.

But when he rounded a corridor, Lu Ning had vanished. Jian Shaolin frowned, stepped out, and surveyed the empty corridor. Then a smile played on his lips—a hint of amusement glimmering in his eyes. “Interesting. I, Jian Shaolin, have actually lost track of someone.”

Lu Ning, sensing his heartbeat accelerate again at the sound of the other’s voice, frowned. “What’s happening to me?”

“Come out,” Jian Shaolin called to the person hiding behind the door.

Lu Ning was taken aback—had he been discovered?

“You behind the door, come out!” This time, it was clear the other was not just guessing. Frowning, Lu Ning stepped out. “You…” Why are you following me? The words caught in his throat as their eyes met. Both froze, staring at each other.

Their hearts beat faster than ever.

Suddenly, Lu Ning realized tears were streaming down his face. He stared blankly at the droplets on his chin. “I’m crying?”

“Ning…” Without realizing it, the name that had echoed through his dreams slipped from Jian Shaolin’s lips. His body trembled, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground, snapping them both out of their trance.

Lu Ning felt an inexplicable panic. The man before him kept overlapping with the figure from his dreams, and a wave of sorrow welled in his heart. He turned and fled.

Seeing this, Jian Shaolin’s pupils contracted and his heart ached fiercely. Without thinking, he gave chase. Lu Ning, flustered, could not outrun someone as skilled as Jian Shaolin.

Catching his shoulder, Jian Shaolin pinned Lu Ning against the wall, gripping his hands, legs blocking Lu Ning’s escape. Pressed firmly to the wall, Lu Ning was rendered immobile.

“You…” A flash of panic crossed Lu Ning’s eyes, yet strangely, a hint of elation surfaced, as if he had finally found something he’d long awaited.

Holding the other tightly, Jian Shaolin felt a natural surge of joy, as though he’d found the one he’d been searching for all his life.

“Ning!” Again, the name escaped his lips.

Lu Ning blinked in astonishment. “How do you know my name?”

Now it was Jian Shaolin’s turn to be stunned, disbelief flashing in his silver eyes as his breathing quickened. “Is your name really Ning?”

“Lu Ning! That’s my name.” Lu Ning twisted his wrist, frowning. “What do you want? Why are you following me?”

“Lu Ning… No, that’s not right…” Jian Shaolin shook his head. “You should be Dongfang Ning! Your surname is Dongfang, isn’t it? I’m Jian Shaolin… You…”

“You’re the one who’s crazy…” Lu Ning snapped. He’d never been ashamed of being a Lu, and was proud to have a father like his. The other’s words infuriated him, and in his anger, another name burst out: “You’re not Jian Shaolin! Your surname should be Yuan, you lunatic!”

Dongfang Ning… Yuan Shaolin…

They both stared at each other, eyes wide and mouths agape, a strange suspicion flashing through their minds.

“Do you often have a recurring dream?” Jian Shaolin asked.

“Did you have the same dream as a child?” Lu Ning replied.

They spoke in unison—so similar that both drew a sharp breath.

The vague impressions that had haunted them for eighteen years grew clear. Jian Shaolin, hands trembling, slowly removed Lu Ning’s mask. With a clatter, it fell to the floor…

Apart from the ornamental mark on the brow, it was the same face.

Lu Ning brushed aside Jian Shaolin’s bangs—no scar there, but otherwise, the faces were identical. How could this be?

“You…”

“You…”

They hesitated again, but the pounding of their hearts began to synchronize.

Images grew clearer in their minds.

…

“If, if there is a next life, will you only be Dongfang Ning?”

“Yes…”

…

At last, the mystery that had haunted them for eighteen years was unraveled.

“Even our names haven’t changed, Your Highness!” Lu Ning tilted his head with a small smile, tears streaming down his cheeks. There really is a next life—how wonderful it is to meet you again.

Jian Shaolin leaned over and kissed away the tears at the corners of Lu Ning’s eyes. “I think I once said I didn’t like seeing you cry. Don’t cry, it pains my heart.”

Lu Ning threw his arms around Jian Shaolin’s neck, smiling through shimmering tears. “Your Highness, I’m so glad you’re alive…”

“How fortunate this life has no Bai Ze!” Jian Shaolin sighed from his heart.

Lu Ning’s body stiffened. He slowly pulled away, rubbing his aching head as Jian Shaolin looked on in confusion. “Young Master Bai has already found me…” And become entangled with me.

Jian Shaolin: “… The ghost never rests…”

Author’s note: Ahem, here’s a little side story for Yuan Yuan. Anyone else? Quickly sign up~