Chapter 209

Tan Jie thought it was praise, didn't think much, and then said: "The Third Prince somehow found a beauty a month ago; that beauty looks extremely like the Duchess of An'guo, to the point of being almost identical sisters!

"I often come and go from the Prince's residence; once, when the Third Prince was drunk, I inadvertently overheard him shouting the Duchess of An'guo's name at that beauty!

"The Duke of An'guo values his wife so highly; how could he tolerate the Third Prince's such humiliation? In my view, the Duke killing the Third Prince is likely for this reason. Still, the Third Prince is a prince after all—such an act by the Duke would be a grave rebellion!

Pei Zhi rubbed the sachet in his palm, lowered his eyes, making his emotions unreadable.

Tan Jie had no idea that the Third Prince's secret of keeping a beauty in a golden house was actually leaked to Xiao Jingyuan by Pei Zhi.

Zhai Ji's death was also covered up with Pei Zhi's help.

Tan Jie thought he had found a backer, unaware that he was a fish that slipped through the net, willingly walking into the trap.

Initially, Pei Zhi sent someone to escort Miao Miao out of Jingcheng, warning her never to return; Miao Miao naturally agreed, even swearing she would never come back, or else come to a bad end.

Pei Zhi is no good person; he spared that woman's life back then only because of her face. He gave her a chance, and since she didn't know her place, she must pay the price.

Pei Zhi slipped the sachet into his bosom, gave Tan Jie a faint smile, looking like the very picture of benevolence: "Speak, what do you want?"

Tan Jie gave a furtive grin, rubbed his hands together: "I've been a bit short on cash lately..."

Pei Zhi nodded in understanding, without turning back, merely raising his hand to signal the servant behind him.

The expressionless servant stepped forward, making a "please" gesture at Tan Jie: "Young Master Tan, follow me to the storehouse to get it."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

Tan Jie repeatedly thanked him, grinning ear to ear, yet failed to notice the fleeting chill in the servant's eyes, nor did he realize that when Pei Zhi's fingertip landed again on the zither strings, the notes sounded a shade more austere.

Not long after, the servant returned to report, his boots still bearing a few fresh bloodstains.

"Sir, the person has been killed; how should we dispose of the corpse?"

Pei Zhi continued to pluck the zither strings beside the case; hearing this, he didn't even lift his eyelids, the pleasant zither music echoing in the empty courtyard, accompanied by his utterly cold voice.

"Chop it up and throw it into the mass grave to feed the dogs."

Buds sprouted on the branches of the magnolia tree in the courtyard.

Xiao Jingyuan had been in a deep swoon for a full half month; today he finally woke.

But no one expected that the awakened Xiao Jingyuan would seem like a completely different person.

He stared at Qing Yun and Qing Feng gathered by his bedside, his eyes full of unfamiliarity; even the name "Xiao Jingyuan" required others to repeat it repeatedly before he had a vague impression.

Mu Yu rushed over upon hearing the news, felt his pulse for a long time, then stroked his chin and concluded: "Nothing serious, just a minor aftereffect of the detox—his brain is temporarily 'glitched.' Normally, a good beating would clear his head."

Upon hearing that, Qing Yun and Qing Feng instinctively retreated half a step in unison.

"Beat Xiao Jingyuan? They're not tired of living!"

Qing Yun clenched his fist lightly, gave a soft cough: "Is there really no other way? Few people can get close to him these days."

Qing Feng nodded repeatedly like pounding garlic.

Xiao Jingyuan silently watched them whispering loudly.

Mu Yu glanced at him: "Then we can only wait for the medicine's effects to wear off completely, so he recovers on his own."

At that moment, Shen Shuangning was chatting with her cousin Shen Miaoyun in the front hall; upon learning that Xiao Jingyuan had awakened, the two immediately came over.

Just as they stepped outside the door, they heard Xiao Jingyuan's voice from inside.

"Why are you blocking me, not letting me go?"

"This is your home; where do you intend to go?" Qing Yun said, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Xiao Jingyuan pressed his lips, as if also pondering this question.

Qing Feng soothed: "You've just woken; your body is still weak. Sit down and rest a moment, don't be so rash. The lady will come shortly; seeing her might jog your memory."

"What lady?" Xiao Jingyuan frowned, uncertain: "You mean I'm married?"

Qing Yun: "Yes, you are married, and you have a wife as beautiful as a celestial maiden."

Qing Feng added: "And you have a child as well."

Just then, someone arrived; Xiao Jingyuan turned his head and saw a woman standing at the doorway.

The woman was holding the hand of a baby wearing open-crotch pants.

Xiao Jingyuan's gaze lingered on the two for a moment, as if trying to accept that he now had a wife and child.

Yet he still raised his hand, pointing at her, facing Qing Yun, and asked: "Is that my wife and child?"

Qing Yun and Qing Feng looked at their master as if he were an idiot.

Before Shen Miaoyun arrived, she had already heard from Mu Yu about Xiao Jingyuan's temporary amnesia; hearing this, she snorted with laughter: "I'm not! The Duke got it wrong."

Xiao Jingyuan staggered again, his brows slightly furrowed; just as he was about to ask again, he saw another woman slowly emerge from behind Shen Miaoyun.

Whether it was his illusion or not, the moment he saw that woman, Xiao Jingyuan felt the dormant flesh in his chest, which had lain still for half a month, suddenly throb violently.

He instinctively lifted his hand to his chest, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her, even his breath slowing by a beat.

Qing Yun timely called out "Madam."

Shen Shuangning walked straight up to Xiao Jingyuan; seeing him awake and unharmed, her heart finally settled.

Mu Yu had said that as long as the person woke up, there would be no problem.

As for his temporary amnesia, compared to his life, it's hardly an issue.

Shen Shuangning looked at the man before her, seeing little reaction, she waved her hand lightly in front of his eyes: "You don't recognize me?"

Xiao Jingyuan lowered his gaze to regard her, a soft "hum" escaping his throat; the next moment he suddenly reached out and pulled her forcefully into his embrace.

There were still others nearby; Shen Shuangning's cheeks flushed slightly, she pressed her hands against his chest and whispered: "People are still watching."

Shen Miaoyun glanced at Qing Yun and Qing Feng still lingering in the room; they promptly replied: "We'll be out right away!"

Soon, everyone inside had filed out, thoughtfully pulling the door shut behind them.

Qing Feng scratched his head, asking: "Should we keep watching? What if the master runs off again..."

Qing Yun gave him a sideways glance: "Didn't you see how the master was holding the lady? If we try to drive him away now, he probably wouldn't want to leave! We're just in the way here; better to wait outside the courtyard and come back if there's any movement."

Meanwhile, inside the room, Xiao Jingyuan still held Shen Shuangning, his chin resting on her crown, his voice low and mellow from just having slept: "I can't recall your name, I can't remember our past, but the moment I see you, all I want is to hold you tight and never let go."

I must really like you; the moment I saw you, I fell for you completely.

When I just realized you were my wife, I inexplicably felt relieved; though I can't even recall your name, I somehow felt… you were destined to be mine, and have been for a long time.

Listening to him speak slowly, Shen Shuangning felt both touched and joyful, yet a bitter tear rose unbidden.

Seeing her eyes reddened, Xiao Jingyuan panicked, hurriedly asking, "Did I do something wrong? Or did I treat you badly before?" His voice was tentative.

Shen Shuangning whispered, "There have been good times and bad, but most were misunderstandings that are now behind us; we should look ahead."

In her past life she remained confined to the inner quarters, her world limited to those four walls, so she was plotted against without realizing it, and stubbornly convinced that his true love was the eldest daughter of the Song family.

Though she cared deeply, her pride kept her from ever asking him. Later rumors spread through the capital, even the Yan princess declared she would welcome Song Xizhi into the manor, cementing her belief that this was Xiao Jingyuan's wish, and her heart broke completely.

On that New Year's Eve in Tongzhou City, Pei Zhi recounted her past life; after his explanation, she finally understood that the Wang Empress was the true puppeteer behind everything.

Xiao Jingyuan, Xie Yan, and she were all merely pieces in that game.

Her death alone could inflame the rift between Xiao Jingyuan and Xie Yan, allowing them, before the Rui Wang's ascension, to eliminate both potential threats to the throne in one stroke—truly killing two birds with one stone.

She could picture the former Wang Empress, upon hearing that Xie Yan and Xiao Jingyuan had fallen off a cliff together, likely bursting into laughter.

In this life, Shen Shuangning has seen things clearly and come to understand Xiao Jingyuan's past; the years of resentment have turned into pity.

The cold, aloof, and arrogant man before her is actually just a little bitter gourd.

Shen Shuangning lifted her hand, pressing her palm to his cheek, and softly said, "From now on, I'll walk beside you."

Through her clear eyes, Xiao Jingyuan saw his own reflection, pure as if washed by morning light.

He heard himself whisper a soft "yes".

The swelling love almost turned into something tangible, ready to spill from his chest.

Golden sunlight poured through the window lattice, bathing them in light, while dust motes drifted softly in the beams.

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly stood, retrieved a small pair of silver scissors from the vanity drawer, pinched the tip between his fingers, and sat back beside Shen Shuangning.

He said nothing, just lifted a lock of his black hair behind his ear; the silver scissors snipped lightly, and the lock fell into his palm.

He tied the lock with a fine thread and placed the tiny hair knot into Shen Shuangning's hand.

He looked into her eyes, his gaze solemn as if performing the most sacred rite: "Binding our hair as husband and wife, our love without doubt."

Shen Shuangning followed his lead, cutting a lock of her hair, then placed their two hair knots together, saying, "Binding our hair as husband and wife, our love without doubt."

Xiao Jingyuan took her hand, their palms pressed, fingertips entwined with each other's warmth, and they sat quietly in the morning light.

Outside the window, the magnolia buds had grown a little more; the wind swept through the courtyard, carrying a faint floral fragrance.

Having been granted a second life is already a heavenly blessing; past rights and wrongs no longer weigh on us.

What matters is that the morning light is perfect, and the person beside me is here.

——End of main text.