coexistence

That was Fangxing, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Her eyes were as clear as ever, but now held a hint of urgency. "Madam, please get in the carriage." Fangxing bowed to her and then quickly pointed in a low voice to a carriage hidden in the darkness.

Before Lin Xu could even react, Fang Xing half-pushed, half-invited her into the carriage. Looking at Fang Xing in disbelief, she asked, "What are you doing here? You were following me?"

Fangxing shook her head earnestly. Instead of entering the private room, she sat down in front of the carriage outside and whispered to the coachman, "Let's go." After saying that, she turned to look at Lin Xu, lowered the curtain of the private room, and whispered, "The matter is urgent. Don't worry, I'm here to protect you."

Lin Xu was completely bewildered, but Fang Xing's appearance was a welcome relief. She looked around and saw that the carriage curtains were soft and exquisite, adorned with crimson cloud patterns, while a plain blue sachet with auspicious cloud patterns hung diagonally on the windowsill, faintly exuding the cool fragrance of orchids.

How could she not be familiar with everything she had spent day and night with in her previous life?

Fangxing was his subordinate again...

Zhou Weikan, no matter how she tried to avoid him, seemed to always be there. Whether in her past life or this one. Lin Xu closed her eyes. The warm, fragrant scent in the car quickly made her feel even heavier. Hungry and cold, she was utterly exhausted.

Where could things get any worse? Where else could she possibly escape to? Closing her eyes, Lin Xu quickly drifted off to sleep.

When she awoke again, everything was eerily quiet. Her body ached all over, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, but the first thing she smelled was that familiar fragrance—

It carries the chill of cedar and orchid buds blending together, just like the unparalleled clarity in the eyes of someone in my memory.

She moved slightly and saw the curtains hanging low above her head, the sky-blue gauze curtains fluttering gently in the breeze, and the lamplight beside the bed swaying softly, illuminating the room with an elegant atmosphere. The walls inside were painted with white wood grain, the table beside the bed was neatly arranged, and incense was burning softly in the incense burner. Even the bowls and cups were made of very plain Ding ware porcelain. Only the occasional clear cry from outside the window made the room eerily quiet.

Everything was so unfamiliar, a place she had never been before. She suddenly sat up from the soft bed, feeling weak and unsteady all over. When she looked down, she found that her clothes had been changed.

Now she was dressed in a pure white, soft gauze dress, while the clothes she had worn all day and were now filthy were nowhere to be found.

She couldn't help but gasp softly.

The next moment, the door opened softly, and someone slowly entered.

The newcomer wore a dark blue robe, a very somber color that only accentuated his refined and elegant appearance. When his gaze fell upon her on the bed, a gentle, watery light appeared in his eyes.

"You've finally woken up."

Lin Xu hesitated for a long while, then blankly raised her eyes, only to meet those all-too-familiar eyes. Her heart pounded, and she became restless. Before she could speak, those eyes gazed intently at her, then drew closer—

"Are you feeling better?"

A thousand stars seemed to flash in Zhou Weikan's eyes, but when he looked at her, his smile was gentle.

“...It’s bitterly cold today, and your clothes are so thin. One bowl of medicine to warm you up probably won’t be enough.” After saying this, seeing her staring blankly, Zhou Weikan seemed to remember something and smiled, “Don’t worry, the maids changed them for you. I’m not that bad.”

Lin Xu didn't know what to say. Even though she had guessed the moment she saw Fang Xing that Zhou Weikan had asked Fang Xing to bring her here, she still felt awkward when the two of them were alone in the room. Looking at that familiar face, she felt for some reason that it was quite different from the gentle and refined appearance of her previous life.

Thinking it over carefully, planting spies in the Mu family for years, maintaining close ties with the Crown Prince, and secretly transporting weapons to the Eastern Palace... all these methods were far from the benevolent acts in the eyes of the world, yet she had been foolishly kept in the dark by him for so many years. Each of these acts, if discovered, would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family, yet he remained calm and indifferent every day.

Lin Xu could no longer understand him.

Zhou Weikan saw that Lin Xu's eyelids were lowered, and her already small face was mostly hidden in shadow. He wondered what she was thinking, but he could clearly feel her nervousness. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart, but he quickly covered it up, pretending not to notice. He simply took a step forward and sat down on the edge of her bed.

“A long time ago, when Miss Lin and I were not yet familiar with each other, I said that the Zhou family’s door would always be open for you. But you never came, so I had to invite you here in person.”

Lin Xu hadn't expected him to act so outrageously, and a sense of unease washed over her. Wasn't Zhou Weikan always the most polite and considerate gentleman? She shrank back, her eyes filled with wariness.

“Young Master Zhou, I am already married. Please step back a little.”

Zhou Weikan remained unmoved, only glancing at her hands gripping the blanket. Her skin, which should have been snow-white and delicate, bore several abrasions on the back of her hands, the scabs still wet. How could she, a pampered young mistress of the Dou family, be in such a sorry state?

If the Dou family truly cared for her, how could they have left her alone on the streets? What if he hadn't taken her in today? Zhou Weikan's throat tightened, and she couldn't think any further. She just pursed her dry lips.

A thousand words welled up on his lips, but when he saw those wary eyes again, all he could manage was a bitter smile.

“Lin Xu. How can I just stand by and do nothing? You know perfectly well that Fang Xing has been following you all along for this very moment, but if you have nowhere else to go, you are welcome to come here.”

Zhou Weikan rarely called her by her name. Those two simple words almost tore at her heart. How could this not be a cruel twist of fate? Yet now she couldn't even tell who he really was; no matter what he said, she only wanted to escape.

"...Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Zhou. Fangxing did save my life before, but I sent her away long ago. It would be unreasonable for you to send someone to follow me again. Thank you for taking me in today...I will leave tomorrow."

...She didn't even know where she was, yet she was already thinking about leaving.

Zhou Weikan's eyes darkened slightly, but he still said gently, "You are pregnant and have caught a cold. If you are exposed to the cold wind for a while longer today, your life may be in danger. My grandmother has always been in poor health and has been collecting elixirs and medicines all year round. She has several wandering sorcerers in the manor. I will have them take good care of you, and it will not be too late for you to leave then."

Zhou Weikan's grandmother... Lin Xu couldn't help but think of her past life. Back then, her reputation was so bad that when Old Madam Zhou heard that her precious grandson wanted to marry her, she was so angry that she almost collapsed. If it weren't for those quack doctors taking turns to treat her, she probably wouldn't have survived.

In this life, she will have no further contact with him, or even with his entire family.

However, since it was a rare opportunity to have a quiet conversation with him, she still wanted to ask him clearly.

"Young Master Zhou and His Highness the Crown Prince, do you have any connection?"

Zhou Weikan seemed surprised by her question and said gently, "When the Crown Prince was still the Third Prince, he accompanied Prime Minister Zhao to handle political affairs. At that time, he was in charge of the imperial tribute, so he had more contact with him."

Since the Crown Prince was in charge of the inventory and distribution of imperial tribute, he couldn't possibly be unaware of what Zhou Weikan was secretly transporting; indeed, the two were allies. But the Crown Prince was already the Crown Prince, so why would he take such a great risk?

In fact, the entire Zhou family was already as wealthy and powerful as royalty, with unparalleled honor, so why would they risk their lives to do something rebellious? She glanced at him and suddenly remembered that misty rainy day not long ago, when he said he had been doing things he didn't want to do and had always been powerless to control his own destiny.

But what would the real Zhou Weikan truly want to do? She almost became his wife, yet she knew nothing about him. Thinking about it this way, she felt ashamed.

The light in her eyes flickered, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking; she just looked worried. Zhou Weikan suddenly wanted to laugh. What was she afraid of him for? Was he really that scary?

Thinking this, his hand was already out of control, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

In an instant, her touch warmed him. Soft as a cloud, it surpassed even the finest and softest silks and satins he possessed. Her face flushed instantly; her cheeks, which had been cool just moments before, turned crimson. Lin Xu flinched back, glaring at him.

"What...what are you doing!"

Like a kitten throwing a tantrum. Her features were beautiful, but he wasn't one to be attracted to beauty. No matter how beautiful a noblewoman lingered over him, he never stopped looking back. But for some reason, he always felt that Lin Xu's beauty was different from others.

That was clearly a strangely familiar feeling.

It was as if he knew her every smile and frown perfectly. It was as if he was supposed to know everything about her.

He felt unusually safe just having her by his side. How strange.

Lin Xu felt uncomfortable under his gaze, a strange mix of sadness and nervousness lingering on her face. Combined with the anger she felt from his earlier, unexpected advances, she didn't want to acknowledge him. No matter what, Zhou Weikan would never cross paths with her again in this life. She was now married; it was best to keep her distance.

Lin Xu was practically leaning against the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the corner of the blanket tightly, trying to pull herself in a little further. Seeing her so wary, the fleeting joy in his eyes quickly vanished. It was getting late, so he decided to let her rest.

Zhou Weikan stood up and clapped her hands lightly. Soon, four or five maids tiptoed up, carrying various food platters filled with exquisite snacks. "You must be starving. The food was prepared hastily. I don't know if it suits your taste."

The figure cowering on the bed didn't even glance at her, turning her face away to the other side. She seemed genuinely angry.

Zhou Weikan's heart skipped a beat for no reason. She looked increasingly familiar, as if she had suddenly collided with something deep in his memory. For no apparent reason, he even felt that in the next instant, she would mutter softly, complain about him, and call his name.

She would call him by his full name, Zhou Weikan, in a low, soft voice. She would also call him Master Zhou with a teasing and coquettish tone. He didn't know why, but he and Lin Xu didn't interact much, and they weren't exactly familiar with each other, yet right now, he was absolutely certain of it.

I am certain that I truly understand her.

But why...?