Yan Sanhe was actually smothered to death by Zhao?

What the hell!

Li Buyan wiped away tears and couldn’t help roaring: “Yan Sanhe, Zhao isn’t your mother! Your birth mother is Shen Duruo, your legitimate mother is Crown Princess Liang. Zhao—she’s nothing at all!”

Young Master Pei scrambled up, rushed over, practically wanting to stick his head into the coffin.

“Yan Sanhe, these two people—for you, they truly have no words to describe it. I’d practically want to acknowledge them as mothers myself!”

Li Buyan rudely shoved Xie Zhifei aside.

“You damned girl, hurry up and wake up. Don’t think that just because you’re some young lady, some princess, I won’t dare hit you!”

“And that…”

Pei Xiao: “Xie Wushi already has white hair. Yan Sanhe, I’ll call you ancestor—quickly wake up and properly care for him.”

Li Buyan: “From now on, you follow me. I’ll take you to eat the best, drink the best. Whatever heart demons—they can all get lost.”

Pei Xiao: “From now on, you’re under Young Master Pei’s protection. Young Master Pei has no other skills, but in monk temples and nunneries, we can walk sideways!”

To the side, the old monk lifted his eyelids to glance at these two.

What kind of people were these?

Someone was properly resolving heart demons, and they had to come cause trouble. The world was declining, people’s hearts were no longer ancient. Sigh… but it’s strangely moving to this old monk.

At this moment, Xie Zhifei walked to the coffin carrying a large box.

Li Buyan gave Young Master Pei a look.

Young Master Pei immediately beamed: “Xie Wushi, what’s in this box?”

Xie Zhifei, eyes bloodshot: “These are the birthday presents I bought for her every year.”

Li Buyan raised an eyebrow: “Oh my, Third Master is thoughtful.”

Young Master Pei: “Let us take a look—what’s in there?”

Li Buyan glared at him: “Just looking isn’t enough. Behind each gift there must be a moving story.”

Young Master Pei: “Ah, this young master loves hearing stories most.”

Li Buyan: “Yan Sanhe, you know that from the first time I met Third Master, I never really took him seriously. He even gave me a nickname, ‘Troublemaker.’ But now…”

“What ‘now’? Say ‘from now on.'”

Young Master Pei glared back at her. “From now on, this person will be your ox and horse, Yan Sanhe.”

Li Buyan curled her lip: “Young Master Pei, add a time frame before ‘ox and horse.'”

“For a lifetime, of course!”

Young Master Pei nudged Xie Zhifei’s arm, tears swirling in his eyes. “Right, Xie Wushi?”

Right?

Right!

Huaiyou, you must believe that Heaven let me live as Xie Sanye precisely to be your ox and horse, to atone for Mother’s sins.

This is also cause and effect.

This is cause and effect.

Xie Zhifei smiled through his tears. He took the first gift from the box.

“When you were four years old, you told me you especially wanted…”

—

“…wanted a flute.”

The girl looked at the swing frame in the courtyard, murmuring to herself: “I was sitting on this when I told you, and I also said that after learning how, I’d play it for you.”

That was when she was four years and nine months old. She had seen this instrument in a book, really liked it, but didn’t dare ask Father for it. She could only secretly tell him.

So I wasn’t her biological child.

No wonder she wanted to kill me.

Actually, I died long ago.

The girl looked toward Zhao’s chambers, the confusion in her eyes gradually fading.

These past days, she had been trapped in this residence, repeating the last twelve hours of the day before her death, from opening her eyes in the morning until Zhao’s hand closed around her throat.

This was eight-year-old Huaiyou’s heart demon.

But I am now Yan Sanhe. I’m eighteen years old.

The young woman’s form suddenly grew larger. The Haitang Courtyard before her eyes began to fade, slowly disappearing from Yan Sanhe’s vision.

The surroundings darkened.

Yan Sanhe instinctively wanted to walk forward, but it was pitch black on all sides. Where should she go?

A cold wind blew past. She felt cold.

She hadn’t experienced cold for a very long time—it was a bone-chilling feeling.

At this moment, a point of light appeared at the end of her vision.

Without hesitation, Yan Sanhe decided to walk toward that light!

She believed that at the end of the light, someone must be waiting for her.

Waiting for her to come home.

—

She walked quickly, almost running.

But as she ran, the light suddenly extended toward her, becoming a long, long bridge.

According to legend, after death, people first arrive at the Ghost Gate. After passing the Ghost Gate, they walk the Yellow Springs Road. After walking the Yellow Springs Road, they reach the River of Forgetfulness.

Over the river is a bridge called the Bridge of Helplessness.

On the Bridge of Helplessness, you take one last look at your loves and hatreds, your soul’s yearnings, the person you loved most in this life, the person you still wish to wait for in the next life.

Then you drink a bowl of Granny Meng’s soup, and you can be reborn, reincarnate as a new person.

There were people on the bridge, bustling and crowded, all walking toward Yan Sanhe.

She paused, then extended her leg and carefully stepped onto the bridge.

“Girl Yan!”

Yan Sanhe looked toward the voice and was shocked.

How could she be here?

Pearl Sister sat in a bamboo chair, stuffing a soybean into her mouth, chewing loudly. “Give Brother Xie a message from me.”

Yan Sanhe frowned: “What message?”

Pearl Sister tossed the stubborn tuft of hair at the back of her head. “Tell him thanks for me!”

Yan Sanhe was amused by her gesture. “Thanks for what?”

“I can’t tell you that—it’s a secret between us two.”

Pearl Sister stood up from the bamboo chair and walked before Yan Sanhe, her face full of disdain.

“Not even as pretty as I was when I was young. Brother Xie’s taste is terrible, just terrible.”

Yes, yes.

You’re the prettiest in heaven and earth!

Pearl Sister walked forward a few steps, turned her head, and grinned at Yan Sanhe, revealing two yellowed front teeth.

“Girl Yan, farewell!”

Farewell, farewell!

Yan Sanhe nodded and continued walking onto the bridge.

Walking along, she suddenly felt something surging into her body. Her body seemed to become somewhat fuller.

At this moment, she heard a low voice calling to her: “Miss Yan, please wait.”

It was Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye, dressed in blue robes, stood with hands behind his back, his expression very calm.

Beside him stood the tall, thin Wu Shunian.

The corners of Wu Shunian’s mouth and eyes were full of smiles.

Yan Sanhe discovered that when this person smiled, he was truly better looking than Third Master.

Wu Shunian bent down and bowed to Yan Sanhe. “Miss Yan, I thank you on behalf of my father.”

Yan Sanhe gently shook her head, indicating it wasn’t necessary. “How is your body?”

Wu Shunian glanced at the person beside him, tenderness in his eyes: “He’s taken very good care of me.”

“If you could be a bit more obedient, I could take even better care of you!”

Zhou Ye’s thin lips pressed into a line. He clasped his fist toward Yan Sanhe. “Miss Yan, mountains and waters meet again, but future days are uncertain. Farewell!”

This fellow—last time he also used this same phrase to bid her farewell. No creativity at all.

So rigid!

The two brushed past Yan Sanhe.

In that instant of brushing past, Wu Shunian leaned close to Yan Sanhe’s ear, saying softly: “Sanhe, farewell.”

Mm, farewell.

Yan Sanhe smiled and smiled, then tears flowed down.

Her body became somewhat fuller again.

Ahead was a stretch of silk-cotton trees.

At the end of the silk-cotton trees stood a handsome young man.

The young man held the hand of a young woman. That young woman had dark skin, thick and long braids, and a pair of bright eyes that were black and shining.

Beside them, a black dog lay lazily.

Where can sorrow not be found? But especially at Guan Mountain beneath the autumn moon.

Yan Sanhe smiled through her tears: “So this is what you looked like when you were young, Wu Guanyue!”