Song Chuyi always felt that Han Zhi had improper intentions. Along this journey, Han Zhi’s attitude toward her had been somewhat too attentive—although out of consideration for Old Madam Song he couldn’t be too obvious, she could still clearly see his deliberate attempts to get close and curry favor with her.

Even Xiang Mingzi sensed something, often staying close to Song Chuyi when they were alone—not that she thought Han Zhi had romantic feelings for Song Chuyi. Setting aside the fact that the two had never had any contact before, throughout this journey, Song Chuyi’s response to Han Zhi’s deliberate flattery was more repulsion than gratitude.

Moreover, Song Chuyi was still so young.

What worried her was that the purpose behind Han Zhi’s inexplicable flattery might be the Cui family or the Earl’s manor.

Fortunately, by the time they reached Dingfu Manor in Tongzhou on the third day of the first lunar month, Han Zhi still hadn’t done anything untoward.

Since they had private property at Dingfu Manor and had already traveled continuously for four or five days, Old Madam Song decided to rest and recuperate at the manor’s villa for one night.

Thankfully, Uncle Zhang and Nanny Xu had maintained the villa clean and tidy. At the moment, they only needed to change the bedding and pillows.

This was Song Chuyi’s first year not spending the New Year in the capital, and also Nanny Xu’s second year unable to keep vigil with her on New Year’s Eve. Nanny Xu had been so worried she could barely eat. When she finally saw Song Chuyi, it was as if a gift had fallen from heaven. She was so overjoyed that her eyes grew moist. After accompanying Song Chuyi back to her room, she brought out clothes she had made: “In the blink of an eye, three or four months have passed without seeing you, and young miss has grown taller again. Fortunately, I made them larger, so they should fit.”

Nanny Xu had specifically sought out four-colored cloud brocade bestowed by Madam Cui to make new clothes. The top was a light jade-colored jacket with a frost-white outer robe, and below was a plain pleated skirt. Every single pleat was pressed to perfection. When sunlight shone on it from outside, the patterns on the cloud brocade shimmered with flowing, radiant colors that captivated the eye.

Song Chuyi was forced by Nanny Xu to try on the clothes, then wanted to go see Lianyi and An’an. But just as she turned past the moon gate, she ran straight into Yushu.

Seeing Yushu hurrying along with an urgent expression, Song Chuyi stopped in surprise: “What’s happened? Is there some urgent matter with Old Madam?”

“It’s not that something happened with Old Madam.” Seeing it was her, Yushu smiled and stopped to tell her: “It’s that Young Master Ye has arrived, clamoring to stay here for the night. I’m going to report it to Old Madam.”

Ye Jingchuan?

Nanny Xu beside Song Chuyi smiled: “So it’s Second Young Master Ye who’s come. This time his timing is quite fortunate—he’s run right into our Old Madam.”

Yushu found this statement curious and asked as she walked: “What, is this Second Young Master Ye actually a regular guest?”

“Indeed he is. Second Young Master Ye has come several times with our eldest young master, and the eldest young master even instructed us to feel free to let him stay. So he’s already a regular guest.” Nanny Xu covered her mouth and laughed, but in her heart couldn’t help feeling somewhat wistful as she glanced at her own young miss—although Song Chuyi was only eleven years old, there were quite a few girls in the capital who were being evaluated for marriage prospects at eleven. Second Young Master Ye’s status matched Song Chuyi’s perfectly, and what was rare was that he also had a good heart. During this period, he had come to see An’an and Lianyi quite often.

Yushu’s heart was as clear as a mirror. She pulled at the corners of her mouth as she looked at Song Chuyi.

But Song Chuyi suddenly froze completely in place, her face showing panic and fear that neither Yushu nor even Nanny Xu had ever seen before. Her eyes, which were always as bright as stars, were decorated with tears that made them even more brilliant, like luminous pearls washed in water, dazzlingly bright.

“Young miss…” Nanny Xu noticed something was wrong with her. Following her line of sight across the way, she only managed to catch a glimpse of the back of a six or seven-year-old child’s head.

Song Chuyi had already lifted her skirts and was running swiftly toward that child.

Both Yushu and Nanny Xu were startled and instinctively called out, but Song Chuyi seemed not to hear. She ran faster and faster, soon turning through a doorway and running toward the granary.

The cold wind kept striking her face, but Song Chuyi felt as if she had no sensation at all. All her hearing and vision suddenly disappeared completely. She felt neither cold nor heat, and all the blood in her body seemed to have frozen.

Just now, she thought she had actually seen Ran’geer—the child she hadn’t been able to protect in her previous life, whose body had gradually stiffened bit by bit and died in her arms—her own biological son.

She ran swiftly, her heartbeat pounding like drums until even breathing became laborious. Yet she couldn’t cry out or call out, running numbly toward that child’s direction.

Until she saw Han Zhi holding that child.

Han Zhi held the child and slowly gave her a slight smile. In such cold weather, it froze her hard in place.

“What’s going on?!” Ye Jingchuan stopped in front of her, looking at her bewilderedly, then at Han Zhi ahead, feeling utterly confused: “What were you chasing after in such a hurry?”

Song Chuyi didn’t speak, didn’t even blink, staring motionlessly at that child in Han Zhi’s arms who only showed the back of his head.

She felt as if her throat had been choked. She wanted to say something, wanted to call out “Ran’geer,” but she couldn’t utter a single word. Her throat felt so bitter it seemed not to belong to her.

Han Zhi raised his eyebrows at her, seeming somewhat surprised, though his eyes clearly held only a knowing smile: “What’s the matter? Does Sixth Miss Song know this little cousin of mine?”

Song Chuyi stood rigidly watching as the child turned his face around, tears streaming down from her eyes.

How could there be two people who looked so alike?! This was clearly her son Ran’geer who had died young in her previous life!

Song Chuyi felt as if she had returned to the coldest winter of her life. She had held Ran’geer, discovering with despair and terror that his body was gradually stiffening and growing cold.

The scene before her eyes merged with the scene from her previous life. She almost couldn’t distinguish dream from reality.

Han Zhi held the child and walked a few steps toward them, explaining with his customary bashful smile: “My maternal uncle’s family’s estate is nearby. Remembering that my maternal aunt mentioned in a previous letter that my little cousin was recuperating at the hot springs villa, I went along the way to pick him up.”

The small child in his arms waved the candy in his hand at Song Chuyi, smiling to reveal squirrel-like front teeth.

Song Chuyi clenched her fists without moving, nearly scratching her own palms raw. She forced out a smile that looked worse than crying, stiffly turned around, and walked back the way she came.

There were never coincidences without reason in this world. How could it be such a coincidence that there would appear in this world a child who looked exactly like her son from her previous life?

And how could it be such a coincidence that she happened to encounter him at this very estate?

She endured the enormous terror and unease in her heart, only feeling that Han Zhi’s sinister smile just now was like a demon or yaksha from hell—horrifying and ghastly.