"I didn’t know Second Aunt was still alive. I didn’t know my brother struck a deal with Chu Nan to search for her, and I certainly didn’t know that over the past ten years since the Shang Family’s massacre, everyone had borne so much on their shoulders."
The blazing firelight flickered on the faces of the brother and sister.
ng Qianqian was no longer the sa as she had been in her past life, yet the expression in her eyes and her actions when sad were almost identical to her childhood self.
Chen Long added so wood to the brazier.
The chicken leg in ng Qianqian’s hand suddenly felt tasteless. She lowered her voice and asked, "And then what happened?"
Chen Long said, "Afterwards, Chu Nan learned of the Second Madam’s whereabouts. He found out that after leaving the General Mansion, she went willingly to the Thousand chanism Pavilion and beca a concubine to the Pavilion Master."
ng Qianqian’s fingers, gripping the chicken leg, turned faintly white. "Second Aunt wouldn’t have done so willingly."
Second Aunt’s body had disappeared. The Loulan people and the Thousand chanism Pavilion would eventually find her. Pregnant, hiding was nearly impossible. Going to the Thousand chanism Pavilion was the best choice available at that ti.
Chen Long made no judgnt on the Second Madam’s choice. He simply recounted the facts one by one: "After entering the Thousand chanism Pavilion, the Second Madam incited discord between the Pavilion and the Loulan people, causing a rift. Taking advantage of the Loulan people’s ploy to storm the Pavilion and seize the military manual, she poisoned the Pavilion Master’s son, blinded one of the Pavilion Master’s eyes, and then escaped with her child."
ng Qianqian felt an indescribable heartache.
Second Aunt had always been the gentlest among the family’s daughters-in-law, and, notably, the only one who didn’t know martial arts.
Second Uncle used to say, "Big Brother keeps getting beaten up by his wife, so I must find one who won’t beat !"
And that’s how he found a bashful and timid young lady of noble upbringing.
For such a soft-spoken and fragile woman to make such a decision, one could scarcely imagine the depth of despair and fury she must have endured.
Second Aunt was the purest and most innocent woman in the world.
She was the pride of the General Mansion.
ng Qianqian choked back tears and asked, "Is my Second Aunt... still alive?"
Chen Long replied, "To lure the Pavilion Master of the Thousand chanism Pavilion into drinking poison, she drank it herself too. But she underestimated the Pavilion Master’s profound power; he clung to life while she only managed to kill the Pavilion’s Young Master."
ng Qianqian closed her eyes, and tears as large as beans dropped to the ground.
Chen Long recalled, "Seven years ago, Chu Nan tracked down the child’s whereabouts and planned to find her. But unfortunately, the Chu Family encountered trouble, and Chu Nan died. The trail went cold as well. A year ago, Pri Minister Xun sohow uncovered my lineage and realized I was searching for the last bloodline of the Shang Family. That’s when he proposed a deal with ."
ng Qianqian wiped her tears and said, "You beca his adopted son, and he helped you find the person."
Chen Long spoke dazedly, "So long as I could recover the Shang Family bloodline, I didn’t care who I swore loyalty to. Even if it ant acknowledging a traitor as my father, I would do it. I’m already a man riddled with sins, bound for the Eighteenth Level of Purgatory when I die—one more sin makes no difference."
"Brother!"
ng Qianqian stared intently at him. "What happened to our family has nothing to do with you. It wasn’t you who led the Loulan people here. You must stop blaming yourself! Whether or not you existed, the Loulan King would never have spared the General Mansion. They sought to reclaim Loulan and to kill Father. As for the Thousand chanism Pavilion, it’s even less related to you."
The Thousand chanism Pavilion... A critical piece of mory was missing from her mind.
But tonight, she had already forced herself to recall so much—her head felt as if it was about to explode.
"What’s wrong?"
Chen Long noticed sothing was off with ng Qianqian. Her face had turned deathly pale, and cold sweat was trickling down her forehead continuously.
ng Qianqian shook her head slightly. "It’s nothing. Just a little headache. I’ll rest for a bit—it’ll pass. Continue."
Chen Long gave her a long, scrutinizing look and stopped his account just in ti: "In short, Pri Minister told he had found the Second Madam’s child."
ng Qianqian understood that Chen Long had realized her discomfort during her recollection.
She forced herself to press on. "There’s certainly more to it than that. You wouldn’t trust soone else so easily unless the Pri Minister gave you irrefutable evidence that left you no choice but to gamble everything on it."
Chen Long sighed. He pulled out a jade pendant from his pocket.
ng Qianqian took it and examined it. "It’s the wedding gift Second Uncle gave Second Aunt. She never parted with it. I was so fond of it when I was little that every ti I visited her room, I insisted on touching it."
"He’s waking up."
Chen Long suddenly remarked.
ng Qianqian followed his gaze toward Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan’s brows tightened slightly, revealing a trace of pain.
After about five or six breaths, he slowly opened his eyes.
ng Qianqian handed the jade pendant back to Chen Long.
Chen Long hesitated, seed about to refuse, but eventually put it away in his pocket.
Lu Yuan pressed his fingers to his forehead and sat up.
The firelight was harsh, and it took his eyes a mont to adjust to the brightness inside the cottage.
"How do you feel?"
ng Qianqian quickly sat beside him, gently pressing on his right arm. "Brother fixed your arm. Does it still hurt?"
Chen Long looked at the empty stool beside him, his face turning sowhat unpleasant.
Lu Yuan moved his right arm slightly, glanced ng Qianqian up and down to make sure she was okay, then cast Chen Long an indifferent look. "Hmph."
ng Qianqian blinked. "Husband, before you passed out, did you hear anything?"
Lu Yuan asked with a strange expression, "Who is Shang Xiaojiu?"
ng Qianqian’s eyes darted furtively. "Shang... center’s Little Nine."
Her real na was Shang Jiu; only her family called her Shang Xiaojiu.
After King Chu adopted her, he changed her na to Chu Feiyan to sever any connection to her past and prevent enemies from tracking her down.
She only started using her old nickna again after losing her mory.
But she had truly died in her past life, so even if she called herself Xiaojiu again, her enemies wouldn’t think she had been reborn in another body.
Lu Yuan could be a problem, though.
ng Qianqian wore an expression of deep angst, racking her brain to find a plausible explanation for this title. But before she could, Lu Yuan decided to let it go.
He shifted his gaze to the partially roasted chicken in Chen Long’s hands. "You didn’t kill today. How do you plan to report back to the Pri Minister?"
Chen Long stayed silent.
Lu Yuan continued, "If you haven’t thought of anything, I have a suggestion."
He gestured to Chen Long, signaling for the chicken.
Thinking he was hungry, Chen Long handed over the chicken.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yuan turned around and gave it to ng Qianqian, taking the cold chicken leg from her hands instead.
ng Qianqian, feeling guilty, hurried to flatter him. "Thank you, Husband! You’re the best!"
Chen Long was stunned!
He had roasted the chicken!
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Offering flowers in a borrowed vase—is that new to you?"
Chen Long, unable to argue, chose silence.
ng Qianqian took a bite of the roasted chicken and asked, "Husband, what’s your plan? Let’s hear it."
Chen Long noticed the sorrow had disappeared from ng Qianqian’s eyes. Though her face was still streaked with tears, the sadness in her gaze had been replaced by a spark of cunning.
When soone held onto hope, they no longer wallowed in past pain.
Lu Yuan knew exactly how to dispel the darkness within her heart.
"Chen Long, since the Pri Minister wants my head, why not deliver it to him yourself?"
ng Qianqian froze mid-bite on her roasted chicken. "What do you an?"
Lu Yuan’s lips curved into a faint smile. "I an, find Luo San, and stage a grand drama for our ’adoptive father.’"
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