Something has happened?

Could such words be spoken casually in the palace?

The Emperor’s expression darkened.

Li Tong was also startled.

By rights, Cai Zhong should have personally handed over such a thing, but looking at Cai Zhong’s state, he seemed unable to get up.

“Bring it here,” the Emperor said.

Li Tong acknowledged, quickly stepped forward to take the letter from the prostrate Cai Zhong’s hands, and respectfully presented it to the Emperor.

When something has happened, it has happened. Pretending not to see it or seeing it later would be pointless actions. The Emperor had no hesitation whatsoever and unfolded the letter.

This was the kind of urgent report letter commonly used by Cai Zhong’s subordinates. The Emperor was not unfamiliar with it, but it had been a while since he’d seen one.

Because it was an urgent report, it was usually written very concisely, basically summarizing the event in a single sentence.

This urgent report was no exception – simply and plainly just one sentence.

Miss Qi encountered flash flood in Bingzhou, boat sank, deceased.

Li Tong didn’t know whether he should withdraw or stand still. From the corner of his eye, he kept watching the Emperor, seeing that the Emperor who had calmly opened the letter suddenly became motionless.

In that instant, Li Tong himself involuntarily stopped breathing.

Was it very serious?

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this old slave will investigate again. Perhaps it’s a mistake. If she hasn’t been found yet, it doesn’t necessarily mean…” Cai Zhong raised himself up and said in a trembling voice.

The Emperor closed his eyes and crumpled the letter in his hand.

“Investigate!” he said.

What’s going on?

How is this possible?

What kind of joke is this!

“She’s dead? How could she die? Why didn’t you die? Why didn’t you all die? Why didn’t you all die?” Chang Yuncheng looked at the woman kneeling before him, his whole body trembling.

His gaze swept over those in front of him – so many people, chaotically so many people, familiar and unfamiliar. Lying, kneeling, standing, shouting, talking, running.

But why wasn’t that woman there…

Why wasn’t that woman there…

That woman who said she would come find him…

That woman who said she would arrive by the end of the month at the latest…

A’Ru raised her head, completely disheveled, with tears still flowing from her red, swollen eyes.

“Young Master, this servant should have died. This servant cannot die yet. The lady has words for this servant to tell Young Master…” she cried.

Chang Yuncheng felt his whole body trembling somewhat uncontrollably, yet felt stiff all over.

“If there are words, you don’t need to say them. She will come and tell me herself. She will say them herself, no need for you to say…” He kicked A’Ru away and wanted to run outside, but could only move step by step.

A’Ru cried and rushed forward to hug Chang Yuncheng’s legs.

“Young Master, Young Master. Please listen to me…” she cried out.

Through tear-blurred vision, rain and wind sounds filled her ears.

“Pull!”

Qi Yue shouted.

A’Ru grabbed A’Hao who was being pushed up and pulled hard. Her face was already indistinguishable between rainwater and tears. Whether from cold or fear, her teeth chattered continuously.

“There’s still hope, artificial respiration,” Qi Yue shouted.

A’Ru hurriedly did as instructed. The person pulled from the water was dead weight, and she used great effort to turn A’Hao over and lift her head. She began chest compressions and artificial respiration. After several attempts, A’Hao finally coughed twice and came back to life. A’Ru, as if drained of strength, turned her head but saw no sign of Qi Yue by the riverbank.

All around, rainwater and river water were pitch black.

“Miss, Miss,” A’Ru crawled toward the riverbank, shouting loudly. “Qi Yue, Qi Yue…”

With a splash, another person was pushed up in the darkness.

“There’s another one, pull…” Qi Yue called out hoarsely.

A’Ru frantically grabbed hold.

“Help, help,” weak cries came from the darkness.

Seeing Qi Yue about to turn and dive back into the water.

“Miss, no more, no more…” A’Ru cried out.

“It’s fine,” Qi Yue said.

Her voice seemed to squeeze out from between her teeth because she was holding a knife in her mouth.

“Quickly save them,” Qi Yue said. “I know what I’m doing…”

A’Ru’s hands felt empty as the woman before her disappeared into the water again.

She cried as she forcefully dragged this disciple up and turned him over for artificial respiration.

When the third person was pushed up, Qi Yue was already exhausted, having used great effort to push the person over.

“Quickly, quickly,” A’Ru shouted, reaching out her hand.

Qi Yue also reached out, but at that moment, her body sank, catching even the swimming-capable her off guard and causing her to swallow water.

A’Ru screamed.

“My foot is caught,” Qi Yue shouted, struggling to surface, taking the surgical knife she’d been using to cut clothing, water plants, and sunken boat ropes from her mouth. She took a deep breath and dove underwater, but quickly surfaced again, gasping heavily.

A’Ru reached out anxiously.

“Pull me up. It’s too thick and wet, I can’t cut it open quickly. Let me come up and cut it…” Qi Yue said, also reaching out.

A’Ru grabbed her hand. Though cold and frightened, and exhausted from multiple rounds of artificial respiration and cardiac resuscitation, she still used her greatest strength to pull upward.

But with a jolt, Qi Yue sank downward again. A’Ru was caught off guard and pulled down, half her body already in the water.

“Damn, it’s being washed downstream…” Qi Yue shouted as she fell back into the water.

A’Ru screamed and reached out again, gripping tightly.

But against the force of the water, her strength was too small.

“Let go!” Qi Yue shouted. “Let go!”

A’Ru cried and shook her head.

Qi Yue kicked her feet to test, then bit her lower lip.

“A’Ru, listen to me,” she raised her head to look at A’Ru and shouted loudly. “A’Ru, you know I’m not Qi Yueniang. I’m Qi Yue, I’m Qi Yue from a thousand years later. I’m a doctor. I have parents, siblings, and a boyfriend – a husband I was going to marry. A’Ru, I came to your place by accident. You know why I wanted to hang myself then, right? Because if I died, I could go back. A’Ru, listen carefully and remember well – if I die, I’m not really dead. It’s Qi Yueniang who died. I’m Qi Yue, and Qi Yue isn’t dead. Qi Yue is going back, back to my home, my world, to marry and have children and live happily. Everything here is like a dream. A’Ru, remember, don’t be sad. Tell Chang Yuncheng that I’ve gone back to my home. I have a man who loves me most and whom I love most. I’ll marry and have children and live happily. You remember, you must make him remember – I didn’t die, I went home. I have another man. I went to marry another man. Don’t let him be sad. Don’t be sad. I didn’t die…”

A’Ru cried and shook her head, screaming and struggling to try to pull her up.

But she herself was already half in the water, and the churning water immediately swept her in too.

“Let go, let go!” Qi Yue shouted hoarsely.

“No, no,” A’Ru cried and shook her head, reaching out with both hands to grab her arms.

“Remember what I said. If I can’t come up, tell him, you must all live well, we’re all living well…” Qi Yue shouted, then slashed down hard with the surgical knife in her right hand across A’Ru’s hands.

The severe pain made A’Ru instinctively let go. She screamed as she watched the woman instantly disappear before her eyes.

No!

No!

No!!

Get away! Get away!

Chang Yuncheng kicked hard at the woman clinging to his legs and crying.

What words! What nonsense!

Did that woman think she could deceive him with such nonsense? Give him a surprise?

He wouldn’t be fooled!

This stupid, foolish woman still wanted to surprise him? Still wanted to deceive him? In her dreams!

“Young Master, Young Master, this servant didn’t deceive you. Qi Yue went back, Qi Yue went back. You must be well, she wants you to be well… don’t be sad…” A’Ru rushed forward again, grabbing Chang Yuncheng’s clothing.

This time Chang Yuncheng didn’t bother with her but walked straight outside. His movements were fierce and forceful. A’Ru lost her grip and watched the man rush out, finally crying herself unconscious.

Whatever people around him said or shouted, Chang Yuncheng couldn’t see or hear. He just ran straight toward the river.

The flooded river had returned to normal, with only the muddy riverbank hinting at how fierce the torrents had once been.

What a joke – how could this river water trap that woman!

Chang Yuncheng ran along the river.

She could swim, she could swim. Anyone could drown, but she absolutely wouldn’t! She wouldn’t!

She must be hiding somewhere! She must be!

On both sides of the river, countless people dragged nets, shouting work songs as they moved, pulling up nets again and again, only to find them empty again and again.

“Get away, get away!” Chang Yuncheng shouted, pushing away the crowds blocking his path. “She wouldn’t be here! She wouldn’t wait for you to fish her out! She’s not here!”

She’s not here. She must be hiding somewhere. Wait, just wait – I’ll come find you!

On the spread map, a eunuch gestured with his hand.

“…because the river burst here, it caused the Hutou River to flood violently, from here to here…” he said.

The Emperor stood nearby with his hands behind his back, looking at the simple diagram with an expressionless face.

“…and it happened at night with no one noticing. Miss Qi’s boat was washed out of the river channel and crashed into a large tree, capsizing…” the eunuch continued.

“I don’t want to know about that,” the Emperor said slowly. This was the first sentence he’d spoken in half a day.

The eunuch quickly nodded in acknowledgment.

“…Miss Qi chartered the boat. Including the boatmen, there were twenty-three people total. In the end, ten survived…” he said with his head lowered.

The Emperor remained silent with his hands behind his back.

Though it was autumn, the weather was still hot, but the eunuch felt chilled.

“Among the ten survivors, Miss Qi was not…” he stammered.

The Emperor’s gaze turned to him.

The eunuch immediately couldn’t speak.

“No, no… still searching, still searching, not certain…” Cai Zhong hurriedly said.

Only then did the Emperor’s gaze move away from them, looking again at the map, at that section marked with a bright red line…

The great hall seemed frozen in ice.

Hurried footsteps came from outside.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty,” a eunuch ran in. “Found…”

The Emperor suddenly turned around, his eyes instantly brightening.

“Found,” the eunuch knelt and said breathlessly, “Miss Qi’s body…”

The Emperor closed his eyes.

Indeed, in this world, there was still no… luck…

“Your Majesty is a good person.”

“Your Majesty, facing reality is respect…”

That woman smiled brilliantly, her figure disappearing at the doorway.

No more.

No more of this person.

No more of that person who dared to use “I” with him…

No more of that person who dared to look directly at him…

No more of that person who could understand him and answer readily…

No more of that person who would show him the simplest, most direct, most brilliant smile…

It wasn’t being far away.

It wasn’t not being able to see…

It wasn’t not being able to think of her.

But rather, she was gone…

In this world, this person no longer existed.

Gone meant gone.