Throughout history, many kings, nobles, and generals have pursued immortality.

Countless people died tragically because of their excessive attachment to the elixir. Elixirs are not good things; consuming too many will only harm one's body.

Like her father, she indulged in elixirs concocted by sorcerers every day, and the more she ate, the worse her health became. Gradually, she declined and became a sickly person.

What Zhou Fuwei sought was not immortality.

Rebirth and rebirth.

Why would someone who is living a good life want to be reborn in the afterlife?

Jiang Yue's heart trembled slightly. She had a premonition. She thought of the bloodshed in the palace in the dead of night, and Zhou Fuwei who died peacefully at her grave three years later. The countless details seemed to connect into a complete line at this moment.

Jiang Yue had her doubts before.

Why her?

Why was it that she was the one reborn into this world?

There must be a reason why she was chosen.

Now, the things she didn't understand seemed to be clearing up like fog, and gradually a clear answer emerged.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

There is no such thing as someone dying and coming back to life without a reason.

Someone always has to make a sacrifice.

Someone always does something.

Qin Zhao saw her staring blankly at the TV screen, her gaze fixed on the screen, as if she were listening, yet also as if she wasn't.

Qin Zhao was a little worried, so he gently took the remote control from her palm, and his voice became softer, "Don't you want to watch? Then let's change the channel."

Jiang Yue suddenly snapped out of her daze and grabbed her brother's arm. "Look at this."

Qin Zhao had long noticed that his younger sister was very interested in history, and even preferred watching period dramas.

"good."

Jiang Yue sat on the sofa, her eyes glued to the news channel.

Quietly and obediently waiting for the next round of news broadcasts, Jiang Yue did not hear any more news about the nameless grave until the midday news ended.

The tomb's occupant was not a famous person in history.

Valuable cultural relics have already been excavated and protected, so there's nothing more to mention.

Jiang Yue's heart, which had just been in her throat, slowly calmed down again. She thought that even if Zhou Fuwei really regretted killing her, just as she suspected.

They tried their best to make amends, even resorting to believing the words of some charlatans.

So what?

What's done is done; no amount of repair can restore a broken cup to its original state.

Jiang Yue changed the channel, her eyes fixed on the television, but her mind wandered elsewhere.

Qin Zhao asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Yue shook her head: "It's nothing."

She decided to stop dwelling on those things.

More than a thousand years have passed; continuing to dwell on it will only lead to further trouble.

People must look forward when they are alive; looking back will only lead to falling into an abyss.

Qin Zhao: "You haven't looked well since you came back."

Jiang Zhi also silently raised his head, unusually agreeing with Qin Zhao's words. He pursed his lips and said seriously, "Your face is very pale."

Jiang Zhi then asked seriously, "Are you having trouble sleeping again?"

Before she could answer, Jiang Zhi stared at her, his dark eyes reflecting only her: "If you don't sleep well at Zhou Ji's place, you can go home to sleep. A person's sleep quality is greatly related to the environment. You might feel a lot of pressure around him, and your sleep quality will improve accordingly."

Jiang Yue: "..."

She shook her head: "I slept quite well."

She looked up again, her beautiful eyes clear and bright. She said, "I was thinking about something, and now I've figured it out."

Jiang Yue also knew that she couldn't get stuck in the past like a quagmire.

Even if Zhou Fuwei had saved her life, she wouldn't be grateful.

Jiang Yue's tone didn't seem feigned; it was as if she genuinely understood the ways of the world. Qin Zhao gradually felt relieved. "If there's anything you can't understand, you can ask me."

After a pause, Qin Zhao, who wasn't good at saying nice things, spoke somewhat awkwardly in front of her: "Brother will always be behind you."

Even without being told, Jiang Yue could sense that the Qin family's kindness towards her was genuine.

Mr. and Mrs. Qin probably knew that she hadn't yet adapted to this family or their roles, so they deliberately reduced the number of times they appeared in front of her.

I also won't spend time alone with her, for fear that she'll feel uncomfortable.

Qin Zhao and Jiang Zhi were often present.

She was no longer allowed to attend banquets she didn't want to go to, and Jiang Yue hadn't seen the relatives from the Qin family's collateral branches for a long time.

They protected her as if she were a delicate rose.

She was kept firmly isolated from the wind, frost, rain, and snow outside by a glass dome.

Her family members were very considerate and almost completely indulged her.

A well-behaved and sensible child who is affectionate and clingy.

And her current lover also has an impeccable sincerity towards her.

Everything seemed perfect.

It seems we've reached the happy ending of the story.

She should be content; she shouldn't be greedy anymore.

But the emptiness in my heart is hard to pinpoint exactly where or what kind of void needs to be filled.

"Okay." Jiang Yue said, then after a moment, she pursed her lips and whispered, "Brother." She then asked, "Which is more important, the past or the present?"

Qin Zhao looked down and saw that she was frowning slightly, as if she was really confused.

"For me, the present is always more important."

...

Once Jiang Yue decided to let go of her past, she truly did.

Even though it's late at night and all is quiet, thinking about her father, mother, and her useless younger brother still makes her very sad.

When she died.

They must be very sad too, and might even cry for her.

Jiang Yue's life became more and more peaceful, and she didn't encounter any troubles. Every time she recorded a program, Zhou Ji would personally drive to pick her up and drop her off.

He seemed to increasingly dislike the presence of another person when he was with her.

Zhou Ji also became increasingly quiet.

His quiet and reserved demeanor, quietly doing things for her, is increasingly resembling the boy she remembers.

Several times, Jiang Yue almost called him by the wrong name.

Actually, back in Yanzhou, Jiang Yue had given Zhou Fuwei a rather sloppy nickname because he was like a gourd with a sawed mouth; if she didn't ask his name, he wouldn't say anything.

She found him on the 15th.

So he called him Fifteen.

In the courtyard, the boy whom the princess ordered around and teased was named Fifteen, and the boy she had unknowingly fallen for in her youth was also named Fifteen.

Instead of Zhou Fuwei.

She gazed at Zhou Ji's figure; he stood tall and elegant by the window, queuing to buy her candied hawthorns, his quiet demeanor mirroring hers.

Jiang Yue felt that it was perfectly normal for her to admit her mistake.

She spoke softly, her voice almost inaudible: "Zhou Fuwei."

The man's back seemed to freeze for a moment. After buying the candied hawthorn, he turned around and looked back. Jiang Yue silently took the candied hawthorn from him, grabbed his hand with her other hand, and walked forward with her head down.

Zhou Ji's voice suddenly came from above: "Were you calling me just now?"