Pharaoh’s Concubine - Chapter 14

Editor: Anonymous Stickman

Ivy cautiously held the Ramses II history book she’d borrowed from the library, and wrapped it in a coat so it wouldn’t get drenched by the rain outside.

A few months ago, she’d walked out of the library with a collection of ancient Egypt books, and wrote a paper entitled “Thoughts about the Economic Structure and Slavery of Ancient Egypt”, which had opened the door of Cambridge University to her.

Then a few days ago, while striving for early admission, she once again defended her thesis. Her original progress with it was as smooth as before, but her speech was interrupted by a professor of economic history halfway through, telling her that the history she spoke of was completely different from what had actually happened. However, the paradox he in turn explained, as she found out, was unanimously recognized. In the end, her proudly structured essay was topped as “the empty talk of a student unfamiliar with history”, which caused them to reconsider her early admission.

Indignant, she’d entered the library as soon as she returned to London. However, her infinite confidence disappeared after being exposed to the history the books spoke of, replaced by endless confusion.

She didn’t remember things being like that, but history wouldn’t deceive her. Although she didn’t want to admit it, the only possibility was that her absurd experience of time travel had changed history!

Ivy took a deep breath, held the book tighter, lowered her head, and walked slowly along the roadside. The pressure of having changed history made her every step extremely heavy and difficult. The rain fell upon her head and dripped into her clothes alongside her beautiful face. Her pale blond hair clung tightly to her scalp and looked disheveled, but she didn’t notice it. She just wanted to go home quickly, lock herself up, and sort out her confused thoughts.

A brown car stopped quietly beside Ivy, but she didn’t notice it.

The man in the car knocked lightly on the window of the car, yet still not attracting her attention.

She continued to walk with her head down, but suddenly, her cold world heated up. A warm coat wrapped around her, and she was gently embraced by a pair of arms. But in a moment of hesitation, she was released again.

Ivy raised her head and looked into a pair of eyes that were as silent as the lake, yet showed obvious concern.

“Ivy, what are you doing here? Don’t catch a cold.” Ai Xian looked at her gently.

Ivy looked at Ai Xian, and suddenly a strange feeling filled her heart. At that moment, her helplessness and fragility reached the edge of collapse. Her body trembled slightly due to the cold rain, and she found it difficult to suppress her feelings, choking. “Brother Xian, what am I supposed to do? I made a big mistake. I changed …”

Her words were cut off while Ai Xian tightly pulled her in his arms. For a long time, Ivy had thought that perhaps her brother also liked her, because the hugs he gave radiated much more than mere sibling care and affection. But now, she only cared about crying. While being held by Ai Xian, she sobbed uncontrollably with guilt from having changed the fate of Bifitu.

“No matter what you did, I will stick with you and help you bear it. Nobody will blame or bully you.” Ai Xian spoke softly in her ear, his steady voice making her feel relieved.

Ivy nodded.

“Ivy, I … I promised you a long, long time ago, that I’d protect you well,” Ai Xian murmured while looking at the way Ivy depended on him at this moment.

Ivy raised her head and looked at Ai Xian in confusion.

Ai Xian also looked back at Ivy confusedly.

After a few seconds, the both of them laughed. Ai Xian gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Ivy’s eyes. “Silly sister, is it worth it for you to cry like this? It’s not like you at all.”

“… I’m afraid that if I tell you what happened, you won’t believe me.” She grasped the book in her arms tighter.

“What you say, I’ll believe.” Ai Xian stroked Ivy’s face, which was cold due to the rain. “Let’s go to the car and have a chat. After all, it’s winter, and I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Ai Xian turned and walked towards his car, parked on the side of the road. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his clothes from behind. Looking back, he saw Ivy’s head tilted downwards while she clutched his clothes tightly using her left hand.

“What’s wrong?”

Ivy still lowered her head, not speaking.

Ai Xian turned around again and faced her, bent down. ”What’s wrong?”

Ivy’s eyes were red, and she slowly spoke. “If, I mean, ah …”

“Well, just say it.” Ai Xian looked at Ivy tenderly and helped her wipe away the drops of rain from her hair.

“I went back in time, around thousands of years ago, and then …” Ivy felt too embarrassed to continue on with the conversation, because she felt ridiculous even when thinking of it. She bit her lip and went on, “Brother said just now, that no matter what happens, you will protect me?”

Ai Xian nodded.

“What about when I went back in time? I accidentally fell into another era, arrived in a strange country, met countless strangers, and all with no power, money, or background … Would you be with me then, Brother? How would you protect me? If I was being bullied by someone and called your name, would you appear? If I am lonely and want to go home, would you come over and just hug me like this?”

Ivy said it all in one breath. She had always been proud of her careful and precise thinking, but she had to admit that the string of words she’d just spouted were illogical and out of order. It was as if she’d ridiculously mixed a batch of random thoughts, throwing it all to Ai Xian. She felt very embarrassed, so she lowered her head and dared not to look up at Ai Xian.

But Ai Xian didn’t speak, laugh, or mock her. She couldn’t see his expression as he remained silent.

After a while, the silence enveloped the two like thick fog, and the sound of the rushing rain seemed to swallow all the sounds of the world. Finally, Ivy couldn’t help but say, “Forget it, I’m just not normal, Brother Xian.”

Ivy looked up and saw Ai Xian’s eyes, as clear as the sky. His ice-blue eyes were a pair of which Ivy both loved and hated — she loved their thorough beauty, and hated that they are overly similar to her own eyes. Ivy had pondered thousands of times over how great it would be if Ai Xian were not her brother …

“Ivy,” Ai Xian spoke carefully, one word at a time. “I believe that I will be wherever you are, that there will always be a version of me in any era. Not just the present me, but also the Ai Xian in the time you speak of. I will be with you forever, protecting and accompanying you like a brother!”

Like a brother …

Ivy’s heart was shattered by his last sentence.

Like a brother …

She felt completely desperate.

He had implied that for her, no matter in what time and place, he would never be hers. Even if he wasn’t her brother, Ai Xian would always care for Ivy just like how a brother would.

Rain fell down upon them harder, and Ivy felt her blood become colder than the rain.