Leaving the palace and returning to the Eldest Princess’s residence, Dongyu locked herself in her room for a good cry. After applying a cold compress to her eyes, she finally emerged.

The Eldest Princess Changrong held a noble status and required forty-nine days of lying in state. Outside, activity continued bustling about with the sound of mourning music.

Dongyu went to where the baby girl was housed.

Upon seeing Dongyu arrive, the two wet nurses quickly stood up to greet her.

“I’ve come to see the young lady.”

“The young lady is sleeping in the inner room.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just take a look. You go about your business.”

In the Eldest Princess’s residence now, aside from the legitimate master Chi Can, Dongyu’s words carried the most weight. The two wet nurses curtsied to Dongyu and let her go inside.

The inner room was warmer than the outer room. The tiny baby lay on the bed sleeping soundly.

Dongyu quietly approached and sat down on a small stool nearby, carefully studying the baby girl.

The baby’s hair was still very sparse, but her cheeks were much plumper. Her long, thick eyelashes lay quietly closed, and her two little arms were raised beside her ears with tiny fists clenched.

As Dongyu watched, tears began to fall.

The young lady’s eyes resembled Her Highness.

The baby slept peacefully, then suddenly moved her lips and blew a little bubble.

Dongyu looked away, bit her lip, and reached out her hand.

Having served the Eldest Princess for some twenty years, she lived more comfortably than ordinary families’ daughters. Her hands were as white and tender as a young girl’s, silently falling upon the baby’s neck.

The neck of a baby not yet a month old was slender and fragile, as if it could break with the slightest touch.

Yet within this fragility was an incredible softness and warmth.

Dongyu jerked her hand back as if burned, sweat rolling down her forehead.

No, she couldn’t do it!

The baby seemed to sense something, pursed her lips, and whimpered twice. Dongyu quickly patted her tiny body gently.

Comforted, the baby fell asleep again.

Dongyu couldn’t help but glance toward the door.

The two wet nurses would surely come in soon. There wasn’t much time left for her.

Thinking of this, Dongyu bit her lip hard, picked up a soft pillow nearby, and placed it over the baby’s face, then turned her head away.

There was no movement in the room at all. After a moment, she couldn’t help but turn back to look, only to see that the baby had no strength even to struggle, with only her two little hands exposed outside, moving slightly.

Dongyu suddenly pulled away the soft pillow and threw it aside. Looking at the tiny baby with a flushed face, she bit her hand hard to control her emotions and prevent herself from breaking down.

After a long while, the baby finally recovered and let out weak cries like a kitten.

The two wet nurses heard the commotion and quickly entered one after the other.

“I don’t know why she started crying.” Dongyu forced a smile.

The wet nurse in front quickly picked up the baby girl, coaxing her while smiling: “The young lady probably wet herself.”

Watching the two wet nurses skillfully cooperate to change the baby’s diaper, Dongyu stood up: “You ladies, continue your work. I’ll come to see the young lady again later.”

“Take care.”

Dongyu walked to the door and couldn’t help but look back.

The baby was very well-behaved. When the two wet nurses changed her diaper, she didn’t cry at all and even opened her eyes, meeting Dongyu’s gaze directly.

Dongyu had heard that children this age couldn’t see that far, but at this moment, for some reason, she felt that the tiny baby was looking at her.

Guilt crashed over her like ocean waves.

“You must take very careful care of the young lady. Don’t disappoint Her Highness’s trust.”

“Don’t worry, aunt.” The two wet nurses quickly assured her.

Only then did Dongyu lift the door curtain and walk out quickly. Once outside, she walked faster and faster, as if vicious dogs were chasing her.

Running back to her room in one breath, Dongyu slammed the door shut and slowly crouched down with her back against it.

Chi Can noticed Dongyu’s prolonged absence and immediately ordered people to search everywhere.

Soon, a servant came to report: “Young Master, Aunt Dongyu’s door is locked from the inside, and she doesn’t respond to calls.”

Chi Can frowned upon hearing this: “Go take a look.”

Arriving at Dongyu’s door, it was indeed tightly shut.

“Taosheng, kick the door open.”

“Yes.” Following orders, Taosheng stepped forward and spat twice into his hands.

The others couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

How did the young master choose such a fool as his servant? Telling him to kick down a door, why was he spitting on his hands?

Taosheng didn’t care what others thought. He stepped back two paces, suddenly accelerated forward, and kicked the door open with force.

A figure swayed beneath the roof beam.

Those who saw the scene inside couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

“Get her down!”

Everyone worked together to lower the hanging person.

Chi Can walked over and looked at the person who had been taken down: “How is she?”

“She’s already gone.”

Chi Can stood there, momentarily speechless.

“Young Master, there’s a letter here that Aunt Dongyu left behind.” Taosheng picked up a letter from the desk and brought it to Chi Can.

Chi Can reached out to take it, opened it, and quickly scanned through it, then handed it to Taosheng.

Taosheng glanced at it and exclaimed: “So Aunt Dongyu couldn’t bear to part with Her Highness and died for her master!”

“Aunt Dongyu was truly loyal and righteous.”

Such talk quickly spread throughout the Eldest Princess’s residence and then outside.

Countless people praised Dongyu when mentioning her, but Chi Can listened silently, unable to believe that this was the real reason for Dongyu’s death.

If it were dying for her master, she should have done so when his mother died. Why wait until now?

“Go investigate where Dongyu went today.”

Shortly after Chi Can gave the order, he received a report: “The gatekeeper at the side gate said he vaguely saw Aunt Dongyu coming in from outside this morning.”

“What kind of talk is that? If he saw her, he saw her. What does ‘vaguely’ mean?”

“The gatekeeper said no one called him to open the gate at the time. He had just gone to the latrine, and when he returned, he only saw a figure from behind, so he wasn’t certain.”

Chi Can thought for a moment and asked again: “What about after that? Where else did she go?”

Although the gatekeeper wasn’t certain, he believed Dongyu had gone out, otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly sought death.

As for entering without going through the gatekeeper, Dongyu had managed affairs at the Eldest Princess’s residence for nearly twenty years. Getting a key to the side gate wouldn’t be difficult for her.

“Aunt Dongyu also went to see the young lady.”

“Summon the two wet nurses.” After giving the order, Chi Can shook his head. “Never mind, I’ll go ask them myself.”

After hearing what the two wet nurses had to say, Chi Can rubbed his temples and said coldly, “So you’re saying that as the young lady’s wet nurses, you left her alone with someone else?”

The two wet nurses were so frightened that they knelt and begged for mercy repeatedly.

Chi Can stared coldly at the two wet nurses: “Remember this – in the future, no matter who comes to see the young lady, you must stay nearby. This ‘anyone’ includes me as well! This time, considering it’s your first offense, I’ll spare you for now. If there’s a next time, I’ll have you both skinned alive and fed to the dogs!”

If not for thinking that with his mother’s death, changing wet nurses again might be difficult for such a small baby to adapt to, he would want to have these two thrown out to feed the dogs right now.

Chi Can glanced at the sleeping baby girl and sighed silently.

He could probably guess why Dongyu had chosen the path to death.