The sight of him brought a flood of memories—pain, betrayal, and suffering. She felt her breath quicken and her vision blur as the trauma of her past life surged to the forefront of her mind. Struggling to maintain her composure, she forced herself to take deep, steady breaths.

Princess Huangshu noticed the change in Edina's demeanor and gently touched her arm. "Edina, are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Senior Edina nodded, trying to smile through her distress. "Yes, I’m fine. Just feeling a bit tired," she managed to say, her voice trembling slightly.

Gu Tianlong, oblivious to the effect he had on her, took his seat beside Zhang Tian. Senior Edina forced herself to focus on the present, reminding herself that this was a different time, a different life. She had to stay strong and not let the ghosts of her past overwhelm her.

Xu Lian began the introductions, her voice steady and formal. "Everyone, this is my son, Zhang Tian, and his close friend, Gu Tianlong, from the Tianlong merchant family. My son has worked hard to uphold the honor of the Shining Blade Sect, and they both will continue to do so in the future."

Zhang Tian nodded respectfully to the guests, while Gu Tianlong's gaze swept across the room, briefly meeting Edina’s eyes. She felt a shiver run down her spine but quickly averted her gaze.

"Maybe last night's reading was too much for you. You should take your leave now and rest," Princess Huangshu said, her tone gentle. "You need to take better care of your health, especially with your weak body, Edina."

Senior Edina nodded, ready to take her leave. Her head was spinning, and she felt terrified even though there was no immediate reason to.

"My, my, why leave so early, my dearest niece? I thought you would make acquaintances with the young master and especially his friend, Gu Tianlong. His family has been quite helpful to your aunt recently," Li Mei said, overhearing the conversation.

"I... I..." Senior Edina struggled to find her words.

Princess Huangshu interjected, "Oh, hello, Mistress Li Mei."

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With a bow, Li Mei replied, "This subject greets the little phoenix."

Princess Huangshu responded, "Rise. It’s my fault, Mistress Li Mei. I kept her up till midnight last night reading novels. I think she should take her leave now and rest."

Senior Edina felt a wave of relief wash over her as Princess Huangshu intervened. She bowed slightly to everyone present, excusing herself from the room. As she left, she could feel the weight of their gazes, particularly that of Gu Tianlong, who still had no idea the effect his presence had on her. She resolved to gather her thoughts and plan her next steps carefully, knowing that her past life’s trauma must not dictate her actions in this new chance she had been given.

Once in her room, Senior Edina dismissed the maid and took deep, heavy breaths, trying to calm herself. After about fifteen minutes, she finally felt more composed. She laid on the bed, reflecting on what had just happened.

Her mind knew this was a new life and that nothing from her past life had happened here, “the past is the past” Senior Edina told herself but her body seemed to react differently. This was odd since the body was of Junior Edina, so it was clearly a mental issue.

Several concerns were now weighing on Senior Edina's mind. Firstly, the shift in events: Li Mei would no longer have a conflict with Mount Hua, so the staged heist would happen sooner rather than later. Secondly, Jade Grass Commerce, which she wanted to invest in to gain influence and money, seemed to have changed its timeline for opening stores, moving it up. Thirdly, there was Gu Tianlong, her husband from the past life. She had never met him before their arranged marriage, which was orchestrated by Li Mei. It was now clear that she had attended this ceremony in the past to make that decision, and it was safe to assume she was here for the same reason this time, though a bit later due to the kidnapping.

In her previous life, Senior Edina was married into the Tianlong family as soon as she came of age, preventing her from being free of Li Mei’s influence. It seemed this life was also heading in the same direction. Senior Edina realized that, like her, Junior Edina wouldn’t have been able to live a peaceful life once she came of age.

Senior Edina felt foolish for assuming things would be different. She needed to tell Junior Edina about this, as her mind couldn't seem to let go of the past. She would have to make Junior Edina confront this issue directly.

Senior Edina got up and started writing a letter to Junior Edina. She knew Aunt Li Mei was trying to push her and Gu Tianlong together, hoping to make them acquainted. This time, Aunt Li Mei didn’t have full control over Edina like she did in the past, where she had no reason to care about appearances.

Marrying Edina into the Tianlong Family was crucial for Aunt Li Mei. First, it ensured that Edina wouldn’t slip out of her control once she came of age. Second, it was strategically important. Mount Hua supported the first prince faction and had a monopoly on iron craft forgeries in the central plains, which was a problem for both the second prince and the emperor. However, they had no way to address this issue directly.

The Tianlong Family was a small regional fish merchant family that bought a property with a large lake for fishing. They discovered a Red Black Steel Ore mine beneath it. As one of the biggest investors in their business, the Mu Family heard about it first and began supporting the Tianlong Family in creating a Red Steel Forgery, which required significant funds. In the past timeline, this investment came from Jinwei Mansion’s budget. The forgeries were revealed to the public on Edina’s wedding day, making the Tianlong Family and Li Mei’s Mu Family among the most influential in the central plains.

Since they were the only ones capable of making weapons and equipment other than Mount Hua, even the emperor supported Li Mei, making her the sect leader after Liang Feng retired. The second prince faction finally had equal standing with the first prince faction because of this development.

Senior Edina sealed the letter, feeling a sense of urgency. She needed Junior Edina to understand the gravity of their situation and be prepared to face it head-on.