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Chapter 147
"What? You mean you actually time-traveled from when you were 5 years old?" Ye Jinchen was greatly shocked.
Ye Jinmeng recounted all her experiences and how she regained her memories to everyone. For Ye Jinchen and He Junting, who were already aware of Xu Wanwan's rebirth, the concept of time travel was still quite astonishing.
As for Shi Shuning, who knew nothing about it, he was utterly dumbfounded upon hearing this...
What's going on? Who am I? Where am I? What are they talking about?
"Yes, that's right. In fact, the world we're in is just a novel," Ye Jinmeng looked at Xu Wanwan. "The previous life you mentioned, Wanwan, was the plot of this novel. So I think you didn't reincarnate into a parallel world, but rather my time-traveling changed the original personality of Ye Jinmeng in the book, which is why your two lives are different."
Xu Wanwan's heart skipped a beat. "We're... living in a book? Meng, this joke isn't funny at all."
Everyone felt incredulous. After all, they had truly lived for over twenty years, and to be suddenly told that the world they lived in was a virtual world constructed by a novelist, and that they were mere fictional characters, who could accept that?
Ye Jinmeng shook her head and laughed, "Actually, we don't need to dwell too much on these things. The world is inherently complex. I can't even guarantee that the world I existed in as Zhao Di was real either – it could have been a novel written by someone more powerful or a game program set up by someone."
"Whether we're real or illusory, we have flesh and blood, and our own thoughts. So we're real."
"Moreover, at least we're not developing according to the plot of the novel anymore, right? This means we've broken free from the constraints of the novel. We're no longer paper characters controlled by others. Our world has become an independent, real existence."
Ye Jinchen, being a little older than the rest, was the first to digest everything and summarized, "Meng is right. Even if our world is illusory, so what? It still has a complete history, knowledge, social, political, economic, and legal system. We have our own thoughts, real joys and sorrows. That author is simply what we often call God."
With this explanation, everyone immediately understood.
Ye Jinmeng: As expected of my big brother, you explained it better than me, without any nonsense!
Xu Wanwan: The God we used to think of as myth now has a physical form. God truly exists!
He Junting: Although I'm shocked, when you put it that way, it's not too difficult to accept.
Shi Shuning: Ah ah ah, don't tell me I'm the only one still confused! How many secrets have they been keeping from me? What the heck is this about Xu Wanwan's rebirth? And how did Meng become this Zhao Di?
Meanwhile, the other Ye Jinchen in Ye Jinchen's mind was in turmoil, "This can't be possible! How can I be a paper character? How can this Ye Jinmeng not be the evil Ye Jinmeng from before!"
Ye Jinchen: "Shut up! I told you before, my sister is different from your sister, but you refused to believe me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Seeing Ye Jinmeng and the others looking at him with puzzled expressions, Ye Jinchen was covered in black lines. Damn it, he got too excited and said it out loud...
"Brother, who are you talking to?" Ye Jinmeng asked weakly.
Ye Jinchen thought that since both Wanwan and Meng had bravely revealed their secrets, he might as well not hide it any longer. Perhaps if he spoke out, the Ye Jinchen in his mind who had already crumbled could finally be at peace and leave his body.
With a sigh, he said, "Actually, the Ye Jinchen who was killed in the previous life has been inside my body all along. When I was unconscious before, he tried to take over my body and be reborn, but he wasn't as strong as me, so the rebirth failed. Plus, his resentment was too deep, so he got stuck in my body. Just now, I was talking to him..."
The other Ye Jinchen: "What did you say? I'm not as strong as you? You want to come in and fight again?"
Ye Jinchen ignored him and looked awkwardly at the people in the room.
Evidently, they were all stunned, except for Xu Wanwan, whose expression showed not only shock but also a hint of sadness.
Xu Wanwan walked up to Ye Jinchen's bedside. "So, Big Brother wants to come back for revenge?"
Ye Jinchen understood that Xu Wanwan was talking to the other him, so he nodded on his behalf. "Yes, he has always wanted to take revenge on Meng and protect the Ye Family."
Tears fell from Xu Wanwan's eyes. "Big Brother, when I was reborn, I initially wanted revenge too. But this Meng is very kind and adorable. I really like her. She's not our enemy. Our true enemy has long since disappeared. So, Big Brother, please don't hate an innocent soul. Let go of your grudge, okay?"
Ye Jinmeng stood up and deeply bowed to Xu Wanwan and Ye Jinchen.
"The Ye Jinmeng from the previous life did many bad things. I time-traveled into Ye Jinmeng's body, and although I can't make up for all the wrongs she did to you, I still want to say on her behalf: 'I'm sorry'."
She bowed deeply again.
"However, the Ye Jinmeng from the previous life became increasingly arrogant due to being spoiled by everyone in the Ye Family for no reason from a young age. She also lost her way because of Ye Junwen's instigation and turned against the Ye Family."
"After spoiling her, her family abandoned her, so her uncle Ye Junwen, who had been manipulating her all along, became the closest and most trusted person to her. Even the murders and arson in the end were all orchestrated by Ye Junwen to gain control over the Ye Family's assets. Ye Jinmeng was just a pawn."
"I'm not saying this to absolve Ye Jinmeng of her guilt. I just want to say, don't place all the blame on her. Indeed, she was wrong – bullying Wanwan was wrong, the murders and arson were wrong. But from the very beginning, no one ever taught Ye Jinmeng right from wrong, and no one properly guided her at the right time, which allowed the ill-intentioned to take advantage."
"In this life, the 5-year-old Ye Jinmeng died, and I took over her body instead. Her uncle Ye also became a vegetable, so they were punished in a way. So, Big Brother Ye, let it go."
The other Ye Jinchen slumped down in his mind, unable to hold back his tears.
Yes, if Ye Jinmeng's whole family had guided her properly when she was little, she wouldn't have been spoiled to the point of being unable to tell right from wrong.
If they had properly taught her after she made mistakes, instead of giving up on her, then she wouldn't have been taken advantage of by those with ill intentions.
If her uncle hadn't been treated unfairly, he wouldn't have harbored resentment and resorted to all means to fight for the family's assets.
The eventual tragic situation was the fault of all of them.
Ye Jinchen listened to the crying voice in his mind, feeling a headache, but also realizing that he must have come to terms with it.