When Nan Zhiyun woke up, Jiang Ji was still there; he had been standing guard for over an hour. Nan Zhiyun had just woken up when she saw a figure beside her, and she was momentarily stunned.

"Meow~" Lingdang meowed, and Nan Zhiyun was stunned for a moment before she saw Lingdang lying next to her pillow.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress," Jiang Ji spoke at the opportune moment, and only then did Nan Zhiyun recognize him.

“Lingdang has missed Your Highness for a long time and has been making a fuss every day these past few days, so this servant brought Lingdang here. Lingdang is clever and probably still remembers Your Highness's scent, so she ran to Your Highness's side and lay down as soon as she came in. This servant was afraid of disturbing Your Highness, so I didn't take her away. I hope Your Highness will forgive me.” Jiang Ji returned to his usual demeanor.

Nan Zhiyun sat up, and the bell chirped twice before snuggling into her arms. Nan Zhiyun didn't flinch; instead, she hugged the bell close, but remained silent.

Jiang Ji stood by without making a sound to disturb her. After a while, Jiang Ji heard sobbing coming from Nan Zhiyun's side.

She was trying hard to suppress her pain, and Jiang Ji felt a pang in his heart at her sobs. However... his status ultimately wouldn't allow it, so Jiang Ji quickly concealed the emotions in his eyes and said, "This servant stayed at the General's Mansion for two days, carrying Lingdang with me."

"General Nan really likes the bell, especially after hearing that it was Her Majesty's favorite pet. General Nan carries the bell every day. I think this must be because he loves the house and its pets."

“General Nan dotes on the Empress. She is his only daughter, and he must want her to be well. Now that she is like this, the General’s spirit in heaven must not be at peace.” Jiang Ji added a few more words.

Hearing Jiang Ji's words, Nan Zhiyun's tears fell even harder. She hugged the bell in her arms as if her father were still alive.

"Your Majesty may not know, but during these past few days at the General's residence, General Nan has been telling me stories about Your Majesty's childhood every day. Although General Nan is a military officer, he is very meticulous and can remember every little thing about Your Majesty clearly," Jiang Ji continued.

"Your Majesty may not know, but this servant is truly envious of Your Majesty, because... this servant was abandoned by my family from birth..." Jiang Ji mentioned himself, and Nan Zhiyun, perhaps having heard him, reacted slightly.

"Would Your Majesty be willing to listen to this servant tell me about my background? If Your Majesty is not interested now, why not listen to this as a story?" Jiang Ji looked at Nan Zhiyun.

Nan Zhiyun finally turned to look at Jiang Ji. Jiang Ji smiled, and this was the first time Nan Zhiyun had ever seen Jiang Ji smile.

"Then this servant will tell Your Highness about it." Jiang Ji looked into Nan Zhiyun's eyes without flinching for the first time.

"My mother was a woman from a brothel, but my so-called father was the young master of a wealthy family. He had a wife, who was also a well-known lady from a prominent family. In the eyes of the world, they were a loving couple. He had no concubines, only his wife, which made many people envious. In their eyes, he and his wife were like a perfect couple." Jiang Ji seemed to find this somewhat amusing and ironic.

Nan Zhiyun also seemed to be gradually drawn to Jiang Ji's story.

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