Empress Dowager Susan, Did You and the Retired Emperor Ever Have a Daughter

"You want to know what’s up? Do you even remember you have a mom? It’s been ages since you called, and now you dare ignore my calls too!" The receiver spat out flames, just like an Empress Dowager losing her temper in a TV drama. Jack Young immediately sat up straight, putting on his best behavior, feeling utterly miserable inside. For the past while, he’d been in "Jill Young mode"—dodging every call he could, and if he couldn’t dodge, like his mom’s angry calls, he’d roughen his voice, claim he had a cold, and wrap things up in a few words.

Now, it was finally time to pay the piper.

For a full half hour, Empress Dowager Susan ranted and raved over the phone. Her decisiveness, fiery temper, and sheer forcefulness felt strangely familiar to Jack Young. Was it just his imagination? That queenly voice rang a bell—where had he heard it before? Oh, right, Jill Young! Talk about not seeing what’s right under your nose. It took him ages to realize that was exactly his own voice!

"Your Majesty, may I ask you something…" Jack Young’s tone was all flattery, but underneath was a hint of nerves. On a whim, he blurted out, "Your Majesty, did you and His Excellency ever have a daughter?—Wait, what am I saying, of course not, otherwise I’d have a sister! But just suppose—just suppose, if you two had a long-lost daughter who showed up one day to claim her family, would you kick her out?"

Some things just can’t be put off forever—it was time for a little preemptive strike! To Jack Young, "Jill Young" was the family’s biggest crisis. Compared to that, weird deposits from dreamworlds and all that supernatural nonsense were nothing!

"What nonsense are you spouting? I dream of having a daughter! If a girl ever showed up claiming to be mine, I wouldn’t care if she was rich or poor, pretty or ugly—I’d latch on and never let go. But your scenario’s got two problems." Empress Dowager Susan’s voice was like a general barking orders: "First, my daughter could never be lost out there. I work in the OB/GYN department—there’s no way I’d mix up my own kid."

"What if it was a kidnapper or trafficker who stole her?"

"Then I’d track down that trafficker and chop them up—even if I got shot for it! Nobody’s taking my daughter!" Mom was surprisingly fired up, but honestly, that was probably a good sign. If she liked daughters this much, maybe when Jill Young finally got exposed, Empress Dowager Susan wouldn’t go off the deep end. Jack Young secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "So what’s the second problem?"

"Second, you’re not entirely without sisters."

"I know, Sophie Soo—she’s basically my real little sister."

"No, I’m not talking about her." Susan Morrow’s voice trembled ever so slightly, heavy with emotion. "You really do have a sister—a real, blood sister."

"Huh—?!" This time, it was Jack Young’s turn to be thunderstruck. Over twenty years old and only now learning he had a real sister? Where did this plot twist come from?

Jack Young nearly jumped out of his seat, his voice shooting up eight octaves: "When did this happen? How come I never knew? Wait—" His tone turned sly, and he chuckled, "Mom, don’t tell me you’re pregnant again? No worries, no worries, I’ll handle the fines for breaking the one-child policy!" He patted his chest, acting all heroic.

"You little brat! I work in family planning—no way I’d break the rules. Besides, I’m old enough to be a grandma, and you’re still talking nonsense." Susan Morrow scolded, but Jack Young had already lightened the mood.

"So… what’s up with this real sister you mentioned?" Jack Young was even more confused. "Is she older or younger than me?"

"Honestly, I’m not even sure if she’s your older sister or younger sister." Susan Morrow’s answer was completely unexpected.

"Mom, now I’m even more confused."

"Forget it, it’s complicated. If you really want to know, come home and I’ll explain everything."

Apparently, talking about daughters put Susan Morrow in a mood. She hung up with a click, leaving Jack Young staring blankly at his seat. A mysterious blood relative, a sister whose age was a total mystery—and Jack Young had never even heard of her, let alone met her.

And then there was Mom’s "let’s not talk about the past, life’s already full of storms" kind of tone.

Mystery—everything was shrouded in mystery, and it was driving Jack Young up the wall. He couldn’t help but wonder if this mysterious sister had something to do with Jill Young. Another question popped up: When he was acting as Jill Young, where did Jack Young go? And vice versa—when he was Jack Young, what was Jill Young up to?

Jack Young knew deep down—even if he couldn’t explain it—that he wasn’t just switching back and forth in the same body. Especially now, with his Insight Techniques sharper than ever, his sense of self was at an all-time high. Jack Young was Jack Young, no transformation tricks. Jill Young really was a whole separate body, not just some alternate state.

Questions everywhere, riddles everywhere. Stuff he’d never worried about before was suddenly gnawing at him. No way—he couldn’t rest until he figured this out! One thing at a time: first, buy a video camera. Next time he entered the dreamworld, he’d try an all-night selfie session! Gotta keep tabs on that mysterious white-haired beauty’s whereabouts!

Uh… come to think of it, bedroom, selfies, beauty’s body—put those words together and it sounds seriously sketchy, like something straight out of a Japanese movie. But hey, for the sake of truth, sometimes you gotta get a little weird!

Just as Jack Young was about to dash off to the camera store, ring ring—the phone went off again. What was up with today? The minute he switched back to Jack Young mode, everyone was calling. Good omen, good omen.

"Hey, cousin." It was Sophie Soo.

Sophie Soo might technically be his cousin, but she almost never called Jack Young "cousin"—usually just his name. Whenever she did use the soft "cousin," it meant she wanted something. So Jack Young sprawled out in his chair and asked, all cocky, "What is it, Sophie? Need a favor?" From homework to essays, Jack Young was a pro at these little games.

So Jack Young decided to mess with her a little. Sure, maybe it was a bit shameless, but having that wild girl sweet-talk him as "cousin" was just too much fun! Hehehe~

But this time was different—Sophie Soo’s voice turned sly: "Cousin, I know your secret. The one you’re keeping from Aunt and Uncle."

"Huh?!" Jack Young snapped to attention. How did this girl know about Jill Young? Wait, calm down—he had more than one secret from his folks. Better play dumb: "How do you know?"

"There are tons of videos of you online—how could I not recognize you? The most gorgeous martial artist in history!" Sophie Soo gloated. "I just probed Aunt and Uncle, and they still think you’re working a regular job. If you don’t do what I say, I’ll spill your secret!"

Oh, that secret—he’d almost forgotten about it. Jack Young instantly relaxed and flopped back in his chair: "Be my guest, saves me the trouble of telling them myself."

Seeing Jack Young was immune to blackmail, Sophie Soo switched back to her sweet-talking routine: "Cousin, dear cousin, I just miss you! Come hang out for a couple days. You’re not working right now, so you’re free, right?"

"Aren’t you still in school? Finals are coming up and you’re this chill?"

"College finals are no big deal—I’m not gonna fail anyway, so what’s the worry? Plus, I can show you around, taste the local food, see the sights, and there are cute girls everywhere! I’ll even help you find a girlfriend. Come on, I miss you!"

Anyone else would be swept away by this adorable sibling act. But Jack Young, who knew Sophie Soo’s tricks, just squinted and sipped his tea: "You’ve definitely got some scheme up your sleeve, but since you went this far, I’ll come visit. Room and board included?"

Sophie Soo replied excitedly, "Personal tour guide!"

Pfft—Jack Young nearly spat out his tea. [Derek Soo (grinning and rubbing his hands): Thank you, honored patrons, please proceed to the second floor for VIP seating!]