In the bathing room, steam rose thickly.

Wu Shunian’s entire body was immersed in hot water, his two skeletal arms resting weakly on the edge of the wooden tub.

Behind him, Zhou Ye inserted his fingers into Wu Shunian’s hair, gently and tenderly massaging bit by bit.

“Aye, am I old and ugly now?”

“I don’t mind.”

His voice grew quieter, and Zhou Ye paused before saying: “The only thing I mind about you is that when you’re in pain, you never cry out.”

Wu Shunian laughed. “You discovered even this?”

“Wu Shunian, I’ve been by your side since I was six years old. If you blink, I know what you’re thinking.”

“Yes, my father used to say that Aye had the best intuition.”

Speaking of this, Wu Shunian fell quiet for a long time.

“In my entire life, I can’t compare to my father in anything. Even in dying, I couldn’t do it as swiftly and decisively as he did. But there’s one thing I’m better at than him.”

Someone has kept me in his heart since he was six years old.

Zhou Ye didn’t ask what that one thing was. He wrung out the towel and came around to the side to wipe Wu Shunian’s face.

Wu Shunian obediently closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

“I don’t know why, but I quite like those three young people. They’re all good people. Third Master’s guard—I think he’s somewhat like you.”

“How so?”

“Doesn’t talk much.”

“Young Master Pei’s guard doesn’t talk much either.”

“It’s different.”

“How is it different?”

“Anyone who enters his eyes—he’d give his life for that person.”

Zhou Ye finally smiled. “You’re praising me in a roundabout way?”

Wu Shunian opened his eyes and hooked his finger, catching Zhou Ye’s lapel.

Zhou Ye crouched by the wooden tub, looking at him without speaking.

He didn’t speak either.

Finally waited for this—a full nine years.

Too long.

After a while, Zhou Ye said with a light laugh: “You’re done bathing. I’ll use your water to wash myself too.”

Wu Shunian looked at him, looked at him deeply.

For a long time, he returned a single word.

“Good!”

…

An altar table faced north and south;

Three plates of melons and fruits were arranged in order;

Two candlesticks with flickering flames.

Only the incense that should be in the burner was nowhere to be seen.

Where’s the incense?

Pei Xiao frowned.

Just then, Li Buyan took a stick of incense from his bundle and handed it to Yan Sanhe.

Pei Xiao was stunned and quickly nudged Xie Zhifei with his elbow: This incense has followed Li Buyan the whole way—how come it still hasn’t broken?

Xie Zhifei shifted to the side, not even glancing at him.

Zhou Ye pushed Wu Shunian into the courtyard in his wheelchair.

Whether from the steam or something else, Wu Shunian’s originally ashen face bore an unnatural flush.

His gaze fell on Yan Sanhe.

Yan Sanhe walked over and said with lowered head: “You’re lighting incense on your father’s behalf—don’t have stray thoughts. If the incense lights, it means the inner demon we found is correct.”

Wu Shunian supported himself on Zhou Ye’s hand and stood up from the wheelchair. “I have something to say.”

Don’t tell me he’s backing out!

Pei Xiao quickly grabbed Xie Zhifei and stepped forward.

Wu Shunian’s gaze gradually solidified. He gently pushed away Zhou Ye’s hand and slowly bowed forward, bowing with difficulty.

The three’s expressions changed drastically.

As Yan Sanhe extended her hand, Pei Xiao had already caught Wu Shunian.

Wu Shunian slowly straightened, gasping: “You three, I beg you.”

Pei Xiao: “Since we’ve agreed, we’ll definitely do our best. But if we’re unlucky and find nothing, don’t blame us.”

“That would be the Wu family’s fate—I wouldn’t blame you.”

Wu Shunian extended his hand toward Yan Sanhe.

As Yan Sanhe handed him the incense, she strode back to her original position.

Xie Zhifei immediately followed.

Why am I the only one left?

Pei Xiao was inexplicably startled and quickly ran over, standing between the two, unconsciously swallowing.

“Xie Fifty, Yan Sanhe, I’m damned nervous.”

Xie Fifty ignored him.

Yan Sanhe ignored him even more.

She pressed her lips together, watching Wu Shunian shuffle forward step by step, her pupils slightly dilated.

“Miss Yan, should I light the incense now?”

“Wait!”

Yan Sanhe spoke steadily.

“Before Old Madam Ji died, what she thought of in her mind was a black dog. The black dog was given by Wu Guanyue.

Wu Guanyue was Old Madam Ji’s childhood sweetheart. He carried the bloodlines of two royal clans, was a generation’s ambitious hero, and also a great hero in countless people’s hearts.

The two became acquainted through a dog and developed mutual affection.

Hu Sanmei was the only woman Wu Guanyue ever loved, yet precisely the one he had to let go.

Hu Sanmei left North Cang River with unwillingness and reluctance, becoming a minor concubine in the Ji family. The Ji family took her in because the legitimate wife’s health was ruined and she couldn’t bear children, so they needed Hu Sanmei to continue the family line.

Hu Sanmei’s belly was very cooperative—with the first pregnancy, she bore a son. The son was registered under the legitimate wife’s name, considered a legitimate son, and raised by the legitimate wife.

The second child was also a son. Hu Sanmei voluntarily handed the son over to the legitimate wife and, dragging her barely-recovered postpartum body, went to serve her mother-in-law.

Gradually, Hu Sanmei established a firm foothold in the Ji family’s inner quarters.

She was schemed against and schemed against others; she bowed low and swallowed her pride for many years. After the legitimate wife died, she was elevated to principal wife, becoming the true mistress of the Ji family.

As years passed, Hu Sanmei lost her husband’s favor. She wasn’t close to her two older sons, and their marriages weren’t even decided by her, their birth mother.

In the eyes of her two older sons, their true legitimate mother was the deceased Lady Zhang.

Having endured a thousand years as a daughter-in-law to become a mother-in-law, Hu Sanmei began manipulating and kneading others. The third daughter-in-law she personally selected, Lady Ning, turned against her, making her the laughingstock of the Ji family.

Hu Sanmei was originally a poor fisherman’s daughter. After stepping into the capital, she never left it again, confined to the Ji family’s rear courtyard until death.

Her life had no light entering it, no visible direction—before and behind were all dark and empty vastness.

Though she wore fine silks and ate delicacies, though she had children and grandchildren filling the halls, she still lived unhappily.

Her most beautiful memories in life were in Dongxing County, at the North Cang River’s edge, of that impossibly handsome nobleman Young Master Wu, of that black dog who starved itself to death out of loyalty and righteousness.

She lived most of her life relying on these memories to carry on. Unable to forget, over time her obsession became a demon, so much so that after death her coffin couldn’t be closed.”

As the last word fell, Yan Sanhe looked at Wu Shunian.

“Wu Shunian, do you understand?”

“I understand. Hu Sanmei was actually a pitiful person too.”

Fine sweat emerged from Wu Shunian’s nose due to his ailment.

He shuffled to the altar table, placed the incense between his palms, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes.

“Hu Sanmei.”

His voice was extremely gentle due to weakness, like lovers’ whispers.

“I am Wu Guanyue’s son, named Shunian. My father passed away nine years ago. He fell very suddenly—tripped and never got up again.

The last time my father returned to the North Street and stood by North Cang River, he spoke of you to me. He said: you were the only woman he ever loved.

He didn’t marry you because he had to accomplish something that would shake heaven and earth, and the few tiled rooms, small courtyard, and prosperous household you wanted—he couldn’t provide them.

My father’s life was also pitiful. His talents, aspirations, ambitions, and grand plans were never realized. In the end, he became a fugitive monarch, hiding everywhere.

‘Where is the heart most broken? Seeing the autumn moon over mountain passes’—this is the origin of my father’s name. Listen—even his name was given with such tragedy. You should be glad you didn’t follow him.

Everything that needed to be said has been said. Don’t resent him. Let go of what should be released.

Don’t be a lonely wandering ghost anymore—go reincarnate. If…”

Wu Shunian’s eye sockets reddened, his voice gradually choking.

“If you meet him there, tell him for me that we’ll be father and son again in the next life. I’ll be the father, he’ll be the son, and I’ll shield him from life’s storms!”