Old Madam Qin’s death dealt Qin Shuying a heavy blow.

Even forty-nine days later, when spring flowers bloomed and mourning clothes were removed, Qin Shuying remained immersed in grief, unable to emerge.

Fortunately, the Liang family had Liang Zhen, who handled and managed all the inner household affairs, including Liang Qiong’s marriage and dealing with various troubles Luo Meixiang caused in the inner quarters.

However, Qin Shuying only vaguely knew about these matters and couldn’t muster much interest in understanding them deeply. Even when Liang Yunshan proactively requested that Liang Zhe be enfeoffed as Heir Apparent of the Earl of Pingxi, she remained unmoved.

Old Madam Qin’s death made her deeply despise herself for a period, finding life utterly tedious. She always felt particularly tired—so tired she didn’t want to say a single word.

On this day, Liang Zhe, who hadn’t returned for many days, came back. He hurriedly drank a mouthful of tea, his face bearing some gravity, and said: “Shuying, I think we’re close to the time when we can bring comfort to your uncle and aunt.”

Qin Shuying lifted her gaze from a scroll of scriptures Old Madam Qin had left her and looked at Liang Zhe inquiringly.

Liang Zhe was unshaven, but his eyes were bright and alert: “Shuying, wait just one more night—just one night.”

Qin Shuying looked at him silently.

Liang Zhe opened his arms and embraced her: “Shuying, all those who harmed your uncle and aunt cannot escape punishment.”

Qin Shuying’s body trembled slightly. She felt a safety she had never experienced before.

That night, Liang Zhe didn’t leave but stayed.

It had been almost two months since Qin Shuying’s coming-of-age ceremony. Each time Liang Zhe came and went hurriedly, and even when he stayed, he only slept on the couch.

But this evening, Liang Zhe held Qin Shuying as they slept on the bed.

They simply slept and talked quietly.

Liang Zhe spoke for most of the night, telling her how he had investigated everything, then designed to make the other party reveal clues and fall into chaos, even implicating Qingying.

It all sounded simple, but Qin Shuying knew how dangerous it had been for Liang Zhe, dancing between swords and shadows, risking life and death.

Her hand unconsciously embraced Liang Zhe’s waist, feeling the stiffness of his body and subtle avoidance. After a moment of confusion, Qin Shuying said: “Ziyu, let me see.”

Liang Zhe paused: “It’s pitch dark—what’s there to see? Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

“No.”

Qin Shuying got out of bed and lit a candle. Liang Zhe instinctively pulled the blanket up toward his neck.

Qin Shuying stared fixedly at Liang Zhe’s haggard yet extraordinarily handsome face, holding the candlestick as she walked step by step toward the bed.

Liang Zhe nervously retreated deeper into the bed: “Shuying, you, don’t come over.”

Qin Shuying persistently approached and yanked away his blanket, then tried to pull at his undergarment.

Liang Zhe grasped her wrist: “Shuying, what are you doing? Are you planning to force yourself on me?”

Qin Shuying didn’t laugh but cried: “Ziyu, let me see, just one look, just one look.”

Liang Zhe helplessly scratched his head: “I’ve had much worse injuries than this—this is nothing.”

Qin Shuying cried so hard she could barely straighten up: “I, I just want to see, want to see…”

For some reason, ever since that final meeting with Old Madam Qin, Qin Shuying had become especially prone to tears.

She would cry thinking about past events, cry remembering Old Madam Qin’s kindness, and now thinking about her coldness toward Liang Zhe these past months—though she had been the one trying to avoid him, at this moment she felt an inexplicable sense of grievance. She just wanted to cry, wanted to cry heartily, and her tears wouldn’t stop.

Liang Zhe was at a loss from her crying. He quickly set down the candlestick in her hands and lifted her to sit on the bed’s edge: “Alright, don’t cry, don’t cry. I’ll let you see, let you see.”

Saying this, Liang Zhe lifted the left side of his undergarment, smiling sheepishly as he showed Qin Shuying.

With just one glance, Qin Shuying immediately began crying again.

Around his waist were bandages wrapped completely around his torso, with faint bloodstains still visible.

“Shuying, don’t cry, don’t cry… It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten injured. I was too careless, making you worry. Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’ll never be so reckless again…”

But Qin Shuying cried even louder.

During this period, Liang Zhe had actually been very concerned about her. Each time he returned, he would silently accompany her. Though they didn’t talk much, it was clear he was very anxious about her every word and action.

Liang Zhe must think that having lost her parents five years ago and now losing her grandmother, she would be lonely and desolate. So he risked life and death to deal with Qingying, trying every means to investigate the case from years past.

Even if this would invite Emperor Delong’s suspicion, bring danger to himself, and fill his future path with thorns, he just wanted to quickly bring those people to justice, thinking that would make her happy.

Qin Shuying did indeed want to avenge Third Uncle and his wife, but in fact, she didn’t retain complete emotions and memories of the original Qin Shuying, so her feelings for Qin Yongzhou and his wife weren’t that deep.

She had simply been tired lately—so tired she had no desires or demands. Whether the pain from her previous life or the humiliation suffered in this life, none of it mattered anymore.

But Liang Zhe had been trying every way to make her happy, to help her emerge early from the grief of losing her grandmother.

She remembered her grandmother’s dying words and felt even sadder.

Grandmother knew she was Qin Yaoyao, knew those subtle changes in her mood. She feared her future life wouldn’t be happy, that she would carry the heavy burden of the past and never emerge from it. So she had to wait for her to come home and tell her to “be happy.”

Besides Grandmother, there were also Nanny Fu, Ziteng, Lu Ye, Hong Juan, and others who had silently accompanied her during this time, as well as Liang Zhe…

So she should live well and strive for happiness.

This was Grandmother’s dying wish, the future she wanted with her last remaining strength.

After coaxing her for a long time, Qin Shuying finally stopped crying. Liang Zhe’s face brightened with joy: “Shuying, you look beautiful even when crying, really.”

He wasn’t skilled at comforting people, appearing clumsy. Where had that cold-faced King of Hell gone? How had he become this man who feared her tears and sadness?

Qin Shuying laughed with a “puchi”: “Ziyu really knows how to tease—how can crying be beautiful?”

Liang Zhe was overjoyed and tucked her under the blanket: “Hurry and sleep. If your eyes are swollen tomorrow, they’ll think I bullied you, and I’ll have quite the explaining to do.”

Perhaps from crying herself tired, or perhaps because her long-tensed nerves had finally relaxed, Qin Shuying quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Qin Shuying woke to find Liang Zhe already gone from the bed.

She called for Ziteng, who entered with a smile on her face—a complete change from the worried expression of recent days, clearly in good spirits.

“Madam, it’s almost lunchtime. This is the first good sleep you’ve had in over a month.”

Since Liang Zhe was enfeoffed as Heir Apparent of the Earl of Pingxi, the household staff had changed their address for Qin Shuying to Heir Apparent’s Wife, with those close to her calling her Madam.

Luo Meixiang had been promoted a level, becoming Old Madam.

Qin Shuying raised her eyebrows in surprise: “Did I sleep that long?”

Ziteng chattered on: “Indeed you did. I don’t know what good story the master told last night to make Madam sleep so soundly. This servant should ask the master to teach me, so when Zhihua starts having wild thoughts at night, I can comfort her too. Also, Miss Linglong came by this morning, but seeing Madam still asleep, she left saying she’d return this afternoon. Madam, the master brought back some game last night. Nanny Fu had the small kitchen prepare it and made soup. Let me ladle some for you to taste—it smells wonderfully fragrant…”

Qin Shuying smiled.

Life, after all, must go on. Though Grandmother had passed away, there were still so many people accompanying and depending on her.