"Come clean?"
After hearing Chen Changan's words, the City Lord of the City on the Water began to hesitate too, because she knew full well how great an uproar coming clean would cause.
If handled poorly, it might backfire. Rather than easing the relationship between the two cities, it would hasten its collapse.
"Would coming clean really help?"
"Would keeping it hidden help?"
"How long do you think you can hide it?"
"Although I don't know exactly how your positions as city lord are passed down."
"Judging by your situation and hers, the city lord's children inherit the position, right?"
"But do you have children?"
"You don't, do you? Having children would be very difficult too, wouldn't it?"
"So how long can you hide it? Until the very end, when everyone finds out that the two of you joined hands to deceive them their entire lives?"
"When that time comes, do you think their backlash will be fiercer than it would be now?"
"If you come clean now and lay everything out, perhaps things can still ease up, and they can understand."
"If you really drag this out, the consequences will truly be beyond your control."
"Think it through yourself."
Chen Changan had already put it this plainly. How could she not understand the gravity of the consequences? It was simply her guilty conscience that kept her from daring to admit the truth.
"I agree. Does she... does she agree?"
"She's more proactive than you. We haven't discussed coming clean directly, but I believe she'll agree."
"She's more open-minded than you."
"Well? Are you looking forward to your reconciliation of the century?"
"I'm a little nervous."
"Once you talk it out, everything will be fine. What are you nervous about? You're not a child."
"Since it's settled, sooner is better