Chapter Twenty: Becoming a Butterfly Maiden

  My body was like a light and aimless feather, floating in the darkness, drifting, drifting, until I opened my eyes to find myself in a completely different world.

  What a thick fog! A milky white mist floated before my eyes, and the dense white fog blocked my view like a flowing wall. I blinked hard, feeling a sense of panic in my heart. I rubbed my eyes again, and just then, a gust of wind blew over, and the wall of fog suddenly opened up a gap. A bridge appeared, roughly showing its curved shape as it floated and flowed with the mist, like a giant bow, entering my line of sight.

  I hesitated for a moment, and then cautiously took a few steps forward. Sure enough, the sound of running water came through, gurgling, and in this quiet world, it was surprisingly clear and loud.

  "The dew outside is chilly, Butterfly Girl, be careful not to catch a cold." A familiar male voice sounded in my ear.

  I looked around in amazement, but the surroundings were shrouded in thick fog. The wind blew over, and all I saw was a mass of fog rolling in continuously.

  Just as I was about to give up searching, lower my head and continue to grope my way forward onto the bridge, a tall figure flashed before my eyes and then appeared beside me.

  "Put on the windbreaker." As the man's voice fell, a soft garment fell onto my shoulders, and I suddenly felt warmth like spring sunshine.

  I lifted my hand and gently stroked the cloak, soft as the down on a swan's body.

  "It's so dangerous to go out without even wearing glasses." The gentle voice continued to echo in her ears.

  Who is he? Why does his voice give me a familiar feeling?

  I strained my eyes in astonishment to get a clear view of his face, but all I could see was the general outline, and from that outline, I could sense that he must be a handsome man.

  Wow, I must have good luck with men! Could this man be Qiu Zong who helped me up just now? Oh, his voice seems to sound similar. My heart can't help but beat rapidly.

  "Ah, your glasses." The man handed over something, interrupting my thoughts. I took a closer look and my hairs stood on end.

  It's better to say it's human eyes than to say it's glasses.

  Two black glass-like eyeballs, with pupils and retinas streaked with red blood vessels, stared at me. I trembled with fear, not daring to take them in my hands.

  "I know my appearance scared you... But I'm genuinely fond of you, these years have been too lonely for me, and when I saw you, I knew you were the one I was destined to wait for... Of course, this is just a one-sided feeling, maybe I don't have that kind of luck... Ah, even if you don't want to see me, you can't not wear your glasses, how would you be able to tell directions without them? Put them on, and after that, you can leave, I'm genuinely fond of you, I won't force anything on you." The man's voice echoed in her ears, filled with a hint of sorrow and reluctance.

  I was moved by his voice and the emotions contained in it, I seemed to see the handsome and elegant Qiu Zong's gentle and affectionate eyes, soft as water. Am I so lucky? Think of something and it comes true?

  So I didn't care whether it was reasonable or not, stretched out my hand to take it, suppressed the fear in my heart, and with deep curiosity, tentatively put the so-called glasses on my eyes.

  A miracle appeared. The fog in front of me suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, revealing a beautifully crafted bridge made of white jade, with crystal-clear water flowing beneath it. The riverbed was filled with colorful stones that shone with a kaleidoscope of lights. As I looked up at the sky, it was a pale pink color, like the delicate veil of a bride. Small birds with iridescent feathers flew across the sky, their plumage shimmering like moving lanterns. In the distance, trees stood like giant Christmas trees surrounded by colorful lanterns, radiating brilliant light.

  I seemed to have entered a dazzling palace, and I was like a stunned duck, turning my head left and right, attracted and amazed by the scenery in front of me.

  When I found people around me slowly walking away, I remembered to bid him farewell.

  "Hey, who are you? Why did you leave me here alone? Can you tell me what this place is? Is this the heavenly palace of legend?"

  At the sound of my cry, the man stopped in his tracks, his wide cloak fluttering in the wind at his side. A moment later, he slowly turned around, but covered his cheeks with both hands, revealing only a pair of sparkling eyes. The dark pupils were filled with a heartbreaking desolation, like a thousand-year-old well water.

  "Butterfly girl, I know I've hurt you. Don't worry, my aunt won't be back for a while. You can leave boldly, the servants won't dare to chase after you without my orders." The man's tone was gentle, yet firm and slightly tender.

  In this seemingly beautiful yet strange place, I really didn't have the mood to appreciate his gentleness. I anxiously shouted: "Not you, what did you just call me? Butterfly Girl? I...really don't understand, who is Butterfly Girl? Are you calling me that? Why are you calling me Butterfly Girl? Also, you need to tell me where this is? Why are you wearing such strange clothes? Is this a film crew or have I...crossed over?"

  I'm completely bewildered, especially when I think about the most popular time-travel dramas these days. I feel like I'm going crazy. Am I also going to be so cliché as to time-travel?

  "Butterfly girl, how can you not even know who you are? What's this about a film crew and crossing over? What does it all mean?" The man seemed to be shocked by my words, he put down the hand that had been covering his cheek, and walked straight towards me. It was only then that I saw the two large purple birthmarks on each of his cheeks, adding a few touches of ugliness and ferocity to his otherwise handsome appearance.