Qi Yue and her two servants returned home.

“This really is a life-saving thing,” A’Hao said, holding the medical kit with amazement written all over her face.

Qi Yue made a sound of acknowledgment.

“Well, you know, when I was a beggar there was no choice. I had no money. When I was beaten or bitten by wild dogs, I had to rely on myself. Long illness makes one a doctor,” she said, rubbing her hands. “So grandmother always carried this thing, treating my illnesses and other beggars’ too. Gradually I learned it all.”

“Yes, otherwise how could Young Madam have saved the Old Madam’s life back then,” A’Hao nodded earnestly, looking at Qi Yue with complete admiration.

Seeing her smile without any doubt, Qi Yue felt somewhat embarrassed, while also feeling fortunate. This Qi Yueniang had indeed understood medicine before and had saved the old lady’s life—this was known to everyone. It gave her a good buffer, making her fabricated story not seem too far-fetched…

Thinking this, Qi Yue couldn’t help glancing at A’Ru.

A’Ru was also looking at her. After hearing A’Hao’s words, she lowered her head.

“Everyone’s tired. A’Ru, go rest for a while,” Qi Yue said.

“Young Madam, serving Young Madam is what this servant should do. How can I neglect my duties for outsiders?” A’Ru said with her head down. “Let this servant help Madam wash.”

Her body was sticky. Qi Yue nodded.

“I’ll go boil water and cook,” A’Hao said. She carefully wiped the medical kit clean, wrapped it in cloth, placed it back on Qi Yue’s bed, and pressed it down with a quilt before going out satisfied.

During the meal, both Qi Yue and A’Ru were somewhat silent. Only A’Hao couldn’t help chattering excitedly about treating A’Ru’s brother.

“So much blood! Young Madam, weren’t you afraid at all? I was scared to death…”

“…Young Madam, when sewing clothes it doesn’t hurt, but when sewing people it really doesn’t hurt either? But when I get pricked by a needle on my hand, it still hurts…”

Qi Yue just smiled at her questions, giving vague responses.

“Young Madam…” A’Hao started speaking again but was interrupted by A’Ru.

“You’ve forgotten the rules again,” A’Ru glared at her. “Young Madam is eating. Where do you get so much to say?”

A’Hao stuck out her tongue and quietly served Qi Yue’s meal. After eating, they cleared the dishes and sat in the small kitchen to eat what remained.

“Sister, Young Madam is really amazing…” A’Hao said excitedly, holding her bowl. “With so much blood, she wasn’t afraid at all…”

Speaking of this, she held her chopsticks and forgot to eat.

“Hey, sister, is it because she walked the road to the underworld that she’s not afraid of anything?” she said in a lowered voice.

A’Ru, who had been silent, put down her bowl and chopsticks heavily, frightening A’Hao into lowering her head.

“I won’t say it anymore, I won’t say it,” she said hurriedly.

“Not only must you not say it today, you must never say it in the future,” A’Ru said with a stern face.

“Why?” A’Hao asked in confusion. “Young Madam is so amazing…”

“Young Madam is a precious person. We know Young Madam has a bodhisattva’s heart and lowered herself to treat this servant’s brother. But what about others? They already gossip about Young Madam behind her back. If you spread this around the whole courtyard, who knows what else they’ll say,” A’Ru said. “Madam already doesn’t like Young Madam’s background and privately calls her a lowly life. Why should we add fuel to the fire and let people say Young Madam only cares about us servants and slaves?”

A’Hao nodded.

“Yes, I’ve remembered. I definitely won’t tell anyone,” she said solemnly.

A’Ru looked at her and nodded, her expression softening.

“Eat quickly. You’re tired today too,” she said. “Thank you, A’Hao. You don’t know when I saw Young Madam and you appear, my heart…”

Her eyes reddened as she spoke, her voice choking with emotion.

A’Hao also started crying.

“Good sister, don’t say anymore. I was scared to death. Fortunately we had Young Madam this time. I never expected she would personally come to get tokens for us and make those women not dare say a word back… You don’t know how anxious I was, remembering that year when your parents weren’t there, you knelt outside Nanny Su’s door for a whole day and night… It was snowing heavily and you almost died. The illness you got then still affects you… I was really afraid, really afraid you’d have to kneel like that again, and then your legs would be ruined…” She cried even harder than A’Ru as she spoke.

“Stop crying, or Young Madam will hear and worry again,” A’Ru hurried to comfort her, pulling her up to wipe her tears. “So we must remember Young Madam’s kindness in our hearts, work well, and never bring trouble to her. Young Madam has no one else in this house…”

A’Hao nodded with pursed lips.

“Alright, let’s clean up quickly and sleep early, get up early. There’s lots of work to do tomorrow,” A’Ru said with tears and smiles.

When night fell deep, A’Ru still stood by the window in her room looking out.

“Is Young Madam still not asleep?” A’Hao asked, turning over in bed.

A’Ru made a sound of acknowledgment.

“Sister, Young Madam couldn’t be afraid of sleeping alone, so she’s keeping the light on?” A’Hao muttered in bed, but soon she negated herself. “Young Madam dares to sew needles on people’s bodies, what would she be afraid of…”

She mumbled to herself, but A’Ru wasn’t listening.

“Young Madam used to need both of us to accompany her before she dared sleep, but now she doesn’t need either of us… Really different from before…” A’Hao muttered, yawning.

A’Ru sighed and turned away from the window to get in bed.

The differences were far more than just this…

“…A’Hao, don’t you think what Young Madam says is a bit strange? She drank Meng Po’s soup, so why didn’t she forget everything? Those things we remember, she doesn’t remember anymore. Those things we never remembered or knew, she…” A’Ru bit her lower lip and said quietly, “She can cook and treat illnesses… Young Madam never mentioned these things before…”

A’Hao was already sleepy and confused.

“Before… Young Madam just didn’t tell us…” she mumbled.

“And don’t you think Young Madam has changed a lot? She loves to laugh and talk, and can speak well and dares to speak…” A’Ru asked again.

“Young Madam was probably like this before. She forgot the present and only remembers the past. We didn’t know what she was like in the past… Sister, I’m so sleepy, I’ll sleep first…” A’Hao mumbled and turned to face inward without speaking.

A’Ru looked at her helplessly. In just this short time, A’Hao was already snoring lightly, wearing only a belly band, her snow-white shoulder half exposed from seeking coolness.

“Well, not thinking about anything is actually quite good,” A’Ru sighed and smiled, getting up to cover her with a thin sheet before blowing out the light and lying down.

At this time, Qi Yue was still sitting at the desk staring blankly at the dim candlelight, her medical kit placed in front of her.

She sighed and switched to supporting her chin with the other hand.

“Why exactly did I come to this place?” she said to herself, frowning. “Really not used to it. Am I going to be trapped in this courtyard for the rest of my life? Really… what’s the point of living like this!”

She grabbed her head with both hands, messing up her black long hair, looking at herself in the mirror making a Sadako pose.

She had parents, relatives, and friends, a job and skills, a circle she had lived in for over twenty years, habits ingrained in her bones. She had countless times complained about heavy work, pressure to support the family, disputes between friends, colleagues, and lovers. She had countless times said she was annoyed and fed up. But when all of these—whether joys or troubles, those once ordinary to boring days—suddenly really disappeared, when her soul alone was thrown to such a strange place, inhabiting a stranger’s body, living a completely different life of someone else…

Qi Yue heavily knocked her head on the desk.

This was Qi Yue’s first insomnia since arriving here. When A’Ru came over the next day and saw Qi Yue lying on the mirror, she was startled.

“Madam, what’s wrong with you?” she called out in panic.

“I’m fine…” Qi Yue raised her head and said dryly.

This haggard, listless appearance was clearly not fine. A’Ru was both worried and sad.

“Young Madam, it’s all this servant’s fault for being a burden…” she said with a choked voice.

“Oh my, it’s really not about you,” Qi Yue stood up and stretched, smiling at her. “I just couldn’t sleep all night, feeling somewhat… maybe it’s because I lost my memory, I’m still not used to it.”

A’Ru looked at her and finally couldn’t help asking her doubts.

“Young Madam, why did you forget all the things we remember, while what you remember are things we don’t know?” she asked.

Yes, why? Qi Yue rubbed her face. One lie required a thousand lies to cover it up. She was really fed up!

“I don’t know,” she simply exhaled and looked at A’Ru. “Perhaps the days spent here were all bad memories. Bad memories were simply forgotten, and only good memories were kept.”

A’Ru’s face went pale.

“Young Madam, you can only say such words in our room,” she said hurriedly.

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“Young Madam, don’t think so much. When the Prince returns and your illness is better, then…” A’Ru said gently.

“Then what?” Qi Yue turned to look at her.

A’Ru was suddenly at a loss for words under her gaze. She thought of the past three years when she and Young Madam eagerly waited at the door during holidays, hoping someone would come, time after time expecting and being disappointed, day after day and night after night sewing clothes and shoes, year after year and season after season storing them in chests…

“Young Madam, the Prince hasn’t seen your goodness yet. You’re so good, the Prince will definitely…” she couldn’t help crying, choking up.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, stop crying,” Qi Yue hurried to comfort her.

It’s just a man—look how hurt this master and servant are. If it doesn’t work out, then don’t continue. Who can’t live without whom? Is it worth it?

Of course she would never say such words aloud. Instead, she said nice things to comfort her and repeatedly promised she would definitely let that Prince see her goodness and be devoted to living with her. Only then did A’Ru wipe her tears and smile.

“Young Madam thinking this way doesn’t waste the Old Madam’s love for you,” she said.

Qi Yue smiled and nodded, saying yes, yes, taking it one step at a time. But no matter what, life must be lived well. Thinking of this, she perked up again. Maybe before long she would wake up and be back in modern times, and the current days were just a dream.

“Good, let’s eat. What delicious food did Chef A’Hao make today?” Qi Yue said.

“Fried pastries and white fungus porridge,” A’Hao replied loudly, carrying in a tray.

“Good… but A’Hao, we can’t eat such good things every day, right?”

“Ah, Young Madam, have you thought of some other delicious food? Quickly teach me…”