Jin Chao saw Gu Dezhao walk out… and stood up to approach him.

His expression was very calm: “Last night you brought guards to catch Yu Ping at the Hanging Flower Gate?”

Jin Chao bowed and said: “Daughter only wanted to clarify matters. In case Concubine Song was causing trouble, the daughter needed to be prepared. Yu Ping is currently in the east side room doing fine. Does Father want to check on her?” Gu Dezhao waved his hand and admonished her: “Enough, you are after all a secluded maiden, you shouldn’t do such things anymore.”

Gu Jin Chao merely smiled in agreement. Father’s words had never meant much to her. How could Gu Dezhao understand why she did these things?

She bent her body to send her father off.

Madam Xu carried a bowl of ginseng, wolfberry, and black chicken soup from the corridor and said to Jin Chao: “Young Miss, Madam ate little at noon. I prepared some soup, perhaps you could bring it to her.” Jin Chao nodded, took the soup from Madam Xu’s hands, and entered the west side room.

Lady Ji was leaning against the couch fan, watching the lush vegetation outside. The golden crow was setting in the west, and orange sunlight fell on the window lattice. Her emaciated face rested on a large red gold-embroidered pillow, making her look even more jaundiced.

Jin Chao carried the porcelain bowl over, smiled while taking her mother’s hand, and asked: “Have you and Father spoken properly? It’s good to clarify things, after all, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Lady Ji smiled faintly. She looked directly at Jin Chao, with a strange brightness in the daylight.

She nodded, her mouth opened and closed, yet not a sound came out as if her throat was blocked.

Jin Chao didn’t notice this. She poured the soup into a bowl and scooped some to feed Lady Ji.

Lady Ji smilingly drank it mouthful by mouthful. The soup entered her mouth without any taste. But she didn’t stop, drinking a whole bowl. Only then did Jin Chao feel relieved. Mother could still drink soup, so she must have reconciled with Father. Looking at Mother’s appearance, she didn’t seem troubled anymore.

Lady Ji tightly grabbed Jin Chao’s hem. When Jin Chao was about to stand up, she discovered her mother pulling her skirt, and couldn’t help but smile: “Do you want me to keep you company?” Lady Ji shook her head, then Jin Chao heard her say: “You didn’t close your eyes all night, and you’ve accompanied me all day today. Go back and rest first.” Her voice was light as a feather.

Jin Chao was indeed tired. She had been busy for a day and night without closing her eyes. Her head ached like it was struck with iron and felt extremely dizzy. If not for thinking that Father and Mother hadn’t finished talking, she would have collapsed long ago. She looked at her mother again, saw she was still smiling faintly, and said: “Then I’ll go back first and come to greet you tomorrow morning.”

Lady Ji nodded, watching Jin Chao turn and walk to the door.

If she left, she would never see her again!

Lady Ji suddenly became anxious and called out: “Chao, my child.”

Jin Chao turned back with a smile: “Does Mother have something else?” Lady Ji didn’t know why she called her back, but examined her carefully from head to toe, before finally smiling at her: “Rest well, you’ll feel better after sleeping.”

Jin Chao nodded and stepped out of the room.

Lady Ji kept watching until Jin Chao disappeared, and kept looking until her eyes hurt.

Madam Xu came in from outside the door and tentatively asked: “Madam is also tired today, why not rest early? As for Yu Ping and those two maids, I can handle them.” After speaking, she called Mo Yu to attend to Lady Ji’s washing and helped her onto the couch.

Mo Yu tucked in Lady Ji’s blanket corners. Lady Ji hadn’t spoken. When Madam Xu came to blow out the lamp, she softly said to her: “When Rong returns, you must tell him to listen to his elder sister…”

Madam Xu smiled and held her hand saying: “Madam, why say this? Are you overthinking again? Young Master will return in a month, you can tell him yourself—it’s more effective than my words.” Lady Ji shook her head, her voice somewhat mumbling: “Chao is already so capable… yet I still need her to take care of things. She’s been so busy with this matter, yet I still can’t defend myself… it’s really…” Madam Xu heard this and felt puzzled: “Madam, what’s wrong? Did the Master say something?” But Lady Ji closed her eyes and said: “I’m tired, you all go out first.”

Seeing her close her eyes, Madam Xu couldn’t say more. She left one lamp in the inner room.

She took Mo Yu and withdrew.

Outside it wasn’t completely dark yet. Lady Ji opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling carved with auspicious patterns, slowly sighing. Her throat began to itch, and she couldn’t help coughing violently. Not wanting to disturb those outside, she tightly covered her mouth with the blanket, curling up in pain. When she caught her breath, she began to laugh—mocking herself.

Her mother had disapproved of her marrying Gu Dezhao, but she disobeyed, hardening her resolve for the only time in her life to marry him.

Slowly, she had aged and died in the depths of the inner courtyard, everything exhausted. And him? Where was he tonight?

With Concubine Song or Concubine Luo?

Lady Ji felt these things didn’t matter. Men having three wives and four concubines was normal; she could endure it. But when their relationship had faded to this point, Gu Dezhao had spent so many years suspecting she harmed Yun Xiang and spent so much time suspecting she harmed Concubine Song out of jealousy.

It was truly hopeless.

She was like a lamp out of oil, couldn’t endure more, and couldn’t scheme anymore.

She didn’t want to drag Jin Chao down to suffer with her. She also didn’t want Jin Rong to always believe Gu and Song Miaohua.

More importantly, she didn’t want to live enduring Gu Dezhao’s coldness and suspicion.

Lady Ji finally took a deep breath, slowly raised her hand to wipe the tear marks from her face, and then felt her way to the corner of the bed.

The wind was blowing that night, and heavy rain started around midnight, only gradually stopping near daybreak.

Jin Chao slept deeply, not at all disturbed by the rain. She was awakened by Qing Pu. When she opened her eyes, she was still confused, only hearing the occasional patter of rain outside. It was still dark beyond the couch screen; the sky hadn’t brightened.

It took Jin Chao a while to wake up, asking Qing Pu drowsily: “What time is it?” But Qing Pu was so anxious she was about to cry: “Young Miss, please get up quickly, this is truly urgent, get up and I’ll explain.” Outside, Cai Fu carried in a water-blue crane pattern gown, while Bai Yun carried a copper basin. Behind them was Mo Yu with a pale face.

Seeing Mo Yu had also come, Jin Chao was puzzled: “Why has Miss Mo Yu come? Does Mother want to see me?” Mo Yu shook her head, her expression grave: “Young Miss, please go to Xie Xiao Courtyard quickly—Madam has passed away!” The sky had just brightened, still somewhat unclear.

Jin Chao brought several maids to Xie Xiao Courtyard, her face expressionless.

Under the corridor of Xie Xiao Courtyard, Madam Xu was waiting for Gu Jin Chao to arrive.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her voice heavy with congestion: “Young Miss, you’ve come.” Jin Chao looked at her, hearing herself ask very calmly: “Madam Xu, where is Mother? Did she die of illness last night?” Madam Xu took a deep breath and said softly, “Come see first.” She turned and walked toward the inner room.

Jin Chao followed into the inner room. When she saw Lady Ji’s corpse, she was stunned, her eyes wide open.

At the bedhead was Lady Ji’s corpse, a waistband tightly around her neck, hanging from the carved red lacquered bedpost. Her head was tilted, her body twisted, completely pale.

Mother hadn’t died of illness, but by hanging herself! This was how she had hanged herself!

Jin Chao felt she couldn’t breathe, something suffocating her chest, making her uncontrollably shiver all over!

She opened her mouth to say something but became bewildered. She reached out and grabbed Madam Xu’s sleeve: “Madam Xu, Mother is dead… she’s dead…” she mumbled.

Madam Xu had never seen Gu Jin Chao like this. Her eyes reddened, and she grasped Jin Chao’s hand: “Young Miss, you… Madam, she…” Just now on the way here, she still had an unreal feeling in her heart. How could Mother possibly die like this? She even thought perhaps she had a nightmare where Mo Yu told her Mother had died.

She was truly dead. Mother had abandoned her and Jin Rong! She was truly exhausted with life and had died this way!

Jin Chao finally couldn’t help but sob loudly. Like a child, she tightly clutched Madam Xu’s sleeve, her body seeming unable to support itself as she sank, crying until she could hardly breathe.

Why did Mother have to die this way? She had wholeheartedly wanted Mother to live well. She had even invited Master Xiao for Mother, why didn’t Mother wait until Master Xiao came? Why, when she was so good to Mother, was she still heartbroken and desperate enough to hang herself?

With Mother dead this way, who would help her tie beautiful knots? Who would make her gold-threaded hairstyles and ornaments? Who would hold her and lovingly call her “my Chao child”? Who would never scold her no matter what she did?

Yesterday, she had pulled her skirt hem, kept watching her, and even after she had left, called her to turn back for one last look.

At that time, she must have already decided not to live! She wanted a final look at her!

How did she not realize it then? Why didn’t she hold Mother’s hand properly and accompany her for the night?

Madam Xu hurriedly pulled her up. Her body was limp as if something supporting her had disappeared.

Seeing Jin Chao so heartbroken, she couldn’t help crying: “How could Madam be so desperate… to leave like this? What about you, what about Young Master? Even if she truly lost hope with the Master… she shouldn’t, shouldn’t die like this!” Gu Jin Chao looked at Madam Xu in confusion, and only after a long while seemed to understand her words.

She grabbed Madam Xu’s hand and asked: “Madam Xu, did Mother say something to you last night?” Madam Xu cried incoherently: “Last night, Madam told me she couldn’t defend herself against the Master. I thought I misheard. Now thinking about it, the Master must have said something to Madam yesterday, causing her to…” “Young Miss, you don’t know. The Master has been distancing himself from Madam for years, deeply misunderstanding her. Last time with the Da Huang incident, it was Madam being harmed by Concubine Song, yet the Master thought Madam was causing trouble, saying she was always making a fuss and dragging you into it too. The Master had always suspected Madam of harming Yun Xiang, and now with Yu Ping’s statement, he must have confronted Madam about Yun Xiang… Suffering such insult, Madam must have felt she couldn’t go on living.”