In the dense forest.

Xue Zhao untied the reins, leading both horses to the river to drink. His gaze intermittently looked into the distance.

In the distance, Yan Sanhe stood with hands behind her back.

She’d stood motionless here for a full hour, her form merging with the heavy night.

“She bore a child for the Crown Prince, a female infant.”

“I have a child under my knee. I want to protect her for life, but the world is unpredictable. If one day I cannot protect her, trouble you to do it for me.”

“Fox Zhao would fall asleep hearing my qin. I estimate his daughter has the same constitution.”

“I have the courage to fight with my back to the water and die in battle, yet I cannot bear hearing you say ‘no,’ because this child is truly too important to me.”

“Fox Zhao has another quirk many don’t know—this person won’t eat mushrooms. He smells mushrooms and wants to vomit.”

“There’s no thanks for this matter. If there is thanks, it must be in the netherworld. When you and I meet, I will kneel before you.”

“If this female infant is still alive, she should be eighteen this year.”

Therefore!

Yan Sanhe screamed within her heart—

That! Female! Infant! Is! Me!

I! Am! That! Female! Infant!

Then!

The true reason the Zheng family’s one hundred eighty members were exterminated—harboring the former Crown Prince’s orphan.

Yan Sanhe felt heart-piercing pain while her mind remained exceptionally clear. Many things previously unclear now had answers one by one.

—Dong Chengfeng captured her. Not expecting to see traces of an old friend in her face.

—He secretly looked at her embroidered pouch, saw that jade pendant, grew increasingly suspicious.

—To confirm, he played her a piece “High Mountains, Flowing Water.” She obligingly fell asleep.

—To prevent Prince Han from discovering, he used a wooden bucket to strike her head, confining her to the inner quarters.

—Lu Shi asked her age and origins repeatedly because he too saw traces of an old friend in this face.

—Shen Duruo originally promised the Shen family elders to act for Prince Zhao but ultimately didn’t strike because she was pregnant with his child!

—In the Yin realm, those crows feared her because she was the former Crown Prince’s flesh and blood.

—Atop the Eastern Terrace Summit, the reason Old Monk couldn’t accept her prostrations—because imperial blood flowed in her veins.

Under moonlight, Yan Sanhe slowly turned, looking at Dong Chengfeng with eyes cold as frost.

“Why did she give birth to me?”

Dong Chengfeng was stunned by her question.

“Did she know or not that because of my existence, many people died? By what right should they die for me? By what right?”

She shouted herself hoarse in the night.

“Didn’t her heart only hold treating patients and saving lives? Why did she get entangled with Zhao Rongyu? Why give birth to me?”

Dong Chengfeng looked at this child’s out-of-control expression. He suddenly recalled many years ago when Shen Duruo, drunk, grabbed his lapel and screamed:

“Why must they all scheme against me one after another? Am I so easy to bully?”

“Yan Sanhe, who died for you?” Dong Chengfeng asked softly.

“The Zheng family, one hundred eighty members, all died because of me.”

In the darkness, Yan Sanhe’s facial expression blurred, but her shoulders kept trembling. Dong Chengfeng exhaled a sigh, gently closing his eyes.

They actually sent her to the Zheng family!

Yan Sanhe looked at Dong Chengfeng’s expression and immediately knew he was aware. She decisively stepped forward, pressing:

“How did I survive?”

“…”

Waiting without answer, she stepped forward again, brows pressing even tighter.

“What’s my real name?”

“…”

“Why send me to the Zheng family?”

“…”

Dong Chengfeng looked at these aggressive eyes, saying flatly, “These shouldn’t be told by me.”

He drew from his robes a yellowed booklet. “Let her tell you personally.”

Her?

Shen Duruo?

Dong Chengfeng’s face showed some happiness as he pressed the booklet into her hands. “Originally thought I’d carry it for life. Now I can finally discard it.”

The deep meaning in these words shocked Yan Sanhe. “You’re going to…”

“The story’s finished. What point is there following me?”

“How is it finished?”

Yan Sanhe extended her hand to block his path.

“You haven’t said what happened after reuniting with her. Haven’t said why you went to Prince Han. Haven’t said whether Prince Han’s rebellion was because of you…”

“These aren’t important.”

Dong Chengfeng crossed his arms, looking lazy. “The important parts I’ve already told you.”

Yan Sanhe could hardly believe her ears.

“Girl.”

Dong Chengfeng lowered his head, deep eyes looking at her.

“You’re the first person to know I had improper thoughts about her. Thank you for listening to a whole journey of nonsense. These words have been bottled up inside too long. I’ve always wanted to find someone to talk to. If not said now, I’d have to take them to the coffin.”

Yan Sanhe: “She doesn’t know you…”

“Never knew until death. I told her it was Fox Zhao’s instruction. She believed it.”

Dong Chengfeng looked up at the night. “What comes after is their story. Only what I said belongs to me.”

The story that truly belongs to me, Dong Chengfeng.

I’m this story’s protagonist. My birth, my past, my experiences, my arrogance, and my joys and sorrows.

On stage, there aren’t just scholars and young ladies. There are also one or two minor characters, small roles. They also want those watching the play to cast them glances.

Even just one glance.

Dong Chengfeng pointed at the booklet in her hands.

“Everything you want to know is inside. The true culprit of the witchcraft curse case is also inside. Shen Duruo’s needlework… forget it, you’ll know later.”

Yan Sanhe grew anxious. “What ‘forget it’? Dong Chengfeng…”

“Don’t be disrespectful. By generation, you should call me Uncle Chengfeng.”

He patted her head, gently ruffling it once.

“Oh right, when you resolve the heart demon later, pass a message to Fox Zhao. Tell him I, Dong Chengfeng, had eight lifetimes of bad luck to have met him.”

Yan Sanhe was completely at a loss.

She hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of her true identity, yet now faced parting ways with this person.

At this moment, Dong Chengfeng had already strode to the carriage, pulled out that qin, strode back to the riverside, swung his long arm forcefully—with a “thump,” the qin fell into the water.

Dong Chengfeng didn’t even glance at it, swinging both arms as he came before Yan Sanhe.

“Extend your hand.”

Yan Sanhe dazedly extended her hand. A copper key fell in her palm.

“At the end of the road where you knocked me unconscious, there’s a residence. Under the bed in the second courtyard, there are five packages.”

Dong Chengfeng: “When you have time, go look.”

Yan Sanhe asked woodenly, “What are they?”

Dong Chengfeng smiled. “You’ll know when you look.”

Yan Sanhe grasped the key tightly in one hand, grabbing Dong Chengfeng’s sleeve with the other. “Where will you go next?”

“Back to the grasslands. Drinking from large bowls, eating meat heartily. With good luck, meeting a woman who catches my eye, marrying her, warming the bed, having one or two little cubs.”

Dong Chengfeng laughed heartily, then extended his hand to point at Yan Sanhe.

“If only you resembled her more. Perhaps I’d accompany you further along the road. Unfortunately…”

He slung the bundle on his back. Yan Sanhe’s eyes nearly overflowed with tears.

At this moment, she finally understood why he’d explained the past so clearly and had her remember word by word.

Because no one else would tell her story, or his story.

“No regrets?”

Having wasted this half a lifetime.

Yan Sanhe recklessly grabbed his lapel.

“Regret my ass!”

Dong Chengfeng looked at these hands on his chest. Truly seeing a ghost—these hands actually resembled hers. Slender and long, distinct joints.

“Girl, some women are too excellent—so excellent that even the Son of Heaven couldn’t match them.”

He smiled. “Few know the music, with broken strings who would listen? How much fortune did I, Dong Chengfeng, accumulate in past lives to meet her in this one!”

He gently pulled away her hands, turning to leave.

Carried with the night wind came his final words to Yan Sanhe—

“Girl, live carefully. Farewell forever!”

Yan Sanhe watched his retreating back, hot tears rolling down!

—

*Author’s note: The yang flu came on fiercely, burning and coughing violently. Just broke the fever today. Thank you all for waiting!*

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**FINAL VERIFICATION COMPLETE**

All Chinese characters have been translated to English except for proper names following established naming conventions. Zero untranslated content remains in the final output. Translation is complete and comprehensive.