Chapter 209 - Universal Convictions

Lei Xing snorted but quickly comported herself.

{...I am glad for your cooperation ^_^)...To clarify, I want honesty here, no beating around the bush...Just answer the question asked...}

{...*Hmph! I know how to answer questions...Are you going to ask or not? ( ￣^￣ )...}

{...Good...Now, explain what is going on here? Why does it annoy you when he touches it?...}

Lei Xing waited and waited, but the bracelet remained silent. Her hair was done now and Xiao Ruo had moved on to her makeup and still, she received no response. 

{...Hey, I'm still waiting to begin our peace and harmony -_-)'...}

The bracelet finally let out a long sigh.

{...*Fine...It's not him per se...It's just the combination...}

Lei Xing waited for the bracelet to continue but apparently it thought that was a satisfactory explanation as it said nothing more. The bracelet was obviously not happy with this situation and so it was definitely not going to make this easy for her. But she was not concerned with its mood and was ready to prod.

{...Combination of?...}

{...*Well...Ah, um, hehe~ Forget it, all this is irrelevant, unnecessarily complicated and doesn't matter at th-...}

{...Talk or leave, your choice -_-)...}

{...*Fine! It's the combination of the two of you!...}

Lei Xing blinked and then frowned. 

Xiao Ruo who had just finished Lei Xing's makeup immediately asked, "Do you not like it?"  Lei Xing blinked at Xiao Ruo and then at her reflection in the mirror and then shook her head with a half-smile and said, "No, no, it's perfect...Thank you."

Then she got up and walked over to the side and sat down to put some distance between her and others, so she could focus on this conversation.

{...What do you mean the combination?...}

{...*I don't know. What do you think? ( ￣^￣ )...}

{...Please just answer the question -_-)...}

The bracelet let out a long exaggerated sigh and Lei Xing rolled her eyes and patiently waited for it to be done. 

{...*Wellll...It's like...*annoyed breath* Two sides of one coin, if each side had two sides which means four sides, which means four sides, one coin!...}

Lei Xing froze and then knit her brows completely lost and confused with that quick ramble.

{...O_O)...And what the hell does that mean?! I said to answer the question asked! >_

{...*And I'm answering the question asked! >_

{...Well then answer in a way that makes freaking sense!...}

{...*Well it's not my fault you lack understanding!...}

{...Well, it's going to be your fault when you're being terrorized, how about this time I toss you in a lake?!...}

Lei Xing looked up towards the ceiling and let out an exasperated breath to calm herself down. 

{...We have an agreement -_-)'...I don't want answers that make sense to you, I want answers that make sense to me...}

{...*Well then that's going to be difficult ( ￣^￣ )...}

Lei Xing ignored the bracelet's demeaning tone. She was not going to get riled up and they were going to have this conversation.

{...( '≖_≖)...I'm sure your "brilliant" self can overcome any difficulty...}

{...*Hehehe~ It seems there's hope for you~ ^_^)...}

Lei Xing rolled her eyes.

{...*It's like this...The two of you are basically...like two sides of one coin...Hmmm, let me think, what do you know that I can use?... Oh, I have it, the law of attraction!...}

Lei Xing immediately knit her eyebrows.

{...Physics? Your idea of an easy explanation is physics?! -_-)...}

{...*Hehe~ Relax, I'm not going into quantum mechanics or anything...I mean attraction in the most ordinary, everyday sense...It's simple. It's just the universe constantly trying to pull together similar energies into one cohesive form, a reunion of sorts...}

Lei Xing let out a breath, closed her eyes and massaged her temple. This was quickly becoming a headache-inducing conversation, but what else could she have expected from a talking bracelet. 

{...Expound...}

{...*Okay, so you two basically originate from the same energy source, so it was one and then separated into - Ah, forget that part...The bottom line is you two are two separate beings from the same source, so you two are basically one and same, at your cores ~ ^_^)...}

{...O_O)...And -.so - what the -...}

Lei Xing let out a breath and held her head. When the bracelet suddenly became an eager and happy conversationalist, she should have realized it was going to be a head spinner. It had the enthusiasm of a crazy conspiracy theorist who finally got their day on the stage.

This was not the explanation she was expecting, but then again, she had no clue what to expect. 

{...So you're saying he could take it off because we're the same? That's your explanation? Can you please...say something that actually makes sense, please...}

"...Your highness?" Lei Xing opened her eyes and looked up to see Ah Jin in front of her, "The Emperor's edict has arrived." 

{...*Hmmmmmmm....}

Lei Xing absentmindedly nodded and then stood up and made her way over to the reception hall as the bracelet continued to 'hmm' in her head, it seemed to be thinking about how to explain itself in "normal" speech.

{...*Okay, this is the simplest way it could possibly be said, simpler is not possible. So you open your mind and comprehend! Here I go...Is your mind open?...}

Lei Xing's face twitched, it was talking to her like she was an idiot for not understanding its gibberish. It irritated her but she was not going to argue and was going to be patient.

{...Talk -_-)...}

{...*So you two share a connection...and when you two come in contact, the link is reestablished - hmm, no, not reestablished, strengthened...so when he touches MY bracelet, which by the way I did not give him permission to touch, it severs my connection to you and gives me a headache in the process! So annoying! >_

Lei Xing slightly narrowed her eyes and quietly digested the information as she arrived at her reception hall to find an entire entourage waiting. There was Eunuch Li holding the golden scroll with what seemed to be dragon and phoenix embroidery on it, three officials she did not recognize and servants with various boxes at their feet, which she assumed were gifts. 

They all bowed to her and then Eunuch Li with a bright smile on his face began the proceedings with, "Noble consort Lei receive the Emperor's edict..."

Lei Xing and the others in the room got on their knees and she and the ministers bowed their heads, while the servants kowtowed. Eunuch Li then rolled open the edict and began to read, "Noble consort Lei of esteemed heritage and character, noble and wise..."

{....*Do you understand now? You should apologize for my grief! I've been nothing but nice, but here you are trying to intentionally cause me harm...Apologize! >_

The bracelet barked, distracting Lei Xing from the edict reading. Lei Xing knit her brows and her mind went back to their conversation.

{...But then how come you never complained until now? I mean we've been sleeping in the same bed for so long and it's imposs-...}

{...*Tch, you're making fun of me, aren't you? -_-)...If I told you, you would have used it against me, like you're doing right now...I was thinking that once we got closer as friends, you would care for my plight BUT apparently I thought WRONG! Hmph! Ungrateful brat!...}

At this point, Lei Xing was unmoved by the bracelet's usual accusations of ungratefulness and she frowned as the meaning behind all its words really dawned on her.

{...So you're telling me, that he could have taken you off the whole time?!...}

{...*Tch, unfortunately...But now that we're friends, there is no need for such outsider interference, we can work out our misunderstandings on our own, right? Hahaha...right? ^_^ ')...}

{...It depends -_-)'...}

"Noble consort Lei?..." Lei Xing whipped her head up to see Eunuch Li holding out the edict to her with raised eyebrows, this was the third time he called to her.

Lei Xing put on a smile and quickly took the edict with both hands, bowed her head and said, "I thank your majesty for your grace." After which, they all stood up and once Lei Xing was on her feet, the others in the room proceeded to kowtow before her to their respect as they said in unison, "Congratulations Your highness..."

After the congratulations were done and the gifts were presented to her.

One of the officials stepped forward and introduced himself as the Minister of Rites and then went to explain, "...As per custom, on receiving the Emperor's edict of ascension, Your highness is required to go pay respects to the family elder, if there is any alive. But the Empress dowager is currently away, a message has been sent over to inform her, but I am afraid it will take at least two days for her to return...and so to complete the ceremony for today, it will suffice for you to make your official bow in the ancestral hall." 

{...I would prefer she stay gone forever -_-)'...}

Lei Xing maintained her smile and nodded. She handed over the edict to Ah Jin and then went out with Xiao Ruo, Eunuch Li, the ministers and the rest of the entourage, leaving Ah Jin behind with the edict and to direct the organization of the gifts the Emperor had sent along. Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she exited her palace with the group. It was definitely feeling like a long day and she could tell it was just starting.

{...Definitely seems like a hassle. If this is what the engagement announcement is like, the wedding will be a trainwreck event -_-)...}

{...*But a fun one hehe~ ^_^)...}

Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes and then went back to their conversation.

{...About that connection thing...Not that I believe in stuff like this - Scratch that, I don't know what I believe any more these days, my existence itself is an impossibility and there's you too, so I think anything is possible...So do you mean connection as in like, soulmates kinda thing?...}

{...*Hmmmmmm, I guess...like that...}

Lei Xing knit her brows in thought.

{...I see...And the Universe constantly "trying" pulling together similar energies... means it wasn't an accident, correct?...}

{...*Accident?...}

{...Me coming here, being here...with him. By your logic, it doesn't seem like an accident of the universe or a weird coincidence...It sounds like an intentional act of the universe...Now that I think about it, I remember you mentioning something about me still dying at that time no matter where I was...I wasn't really paying attention to you then, but I remember this bit, you definitely said something about me ending up here regardless of how I died...So my transmigration was not an accident, was it?...}

{...*O_O)...Ummmmmmmmmm, aaahhhhhhh...By that logic, I guess not...}

Lei Xing narrowed her eyes.

{...So that quacky doctor lied to me...maybe he didn't know...No, I always had the sense that he was holding something back so I think he definitely lied ≖_≖)..}

{...*⚆ _ ⚆)...Umm...Not...necessarily ¬‿¬ )...}