Thinking about the events of the past few days, Xu Chang was filled with mixed emotions. Ever since he reported to his superior that the young mistress had thrown away all the things that had been sent to him, his superior had fallen into a deep depression, locking himself in his study and forbidding anyone from entering. He risked being punished to break in and deliver food, only to find that his superior's once handsome face had become haggard and covered in stubble, making him look like a rough and unruly man who had run out of the wilderness. Where was the dashing and dashing demeanor of the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Then he fell seriously ill and remained bedridden for several days, unable to wake up. He finally woke up last night and felt slightly better after taking medicine, so he came to see the young mistress without delay.

He, a man who used to be ruthless and decisive, stood helplessly outside the house with the candles extinguished for most of the night, not daring to go in and take a look. This made him and his guards anxious, wondering when Lord Huo had become so indecisive and hesitant.

Later, the adults noticed that the water in the water vat was almost empty. Ignoring their objections, they went back and forth to the stream several times to fill the vat. After walking around the yard a few times, they jumped onto the roof and sat there in the cold wind all night.

Xu Chang now only hopes that his lord can let go of his obsession as soon as possible. In the end, it seems that this relationship is no longer something that the two of them can control.

*** ***

Shu Yao began to wonder if she was hallucinating, or if some powerful person was secretly helping her.

For example, the water in the water tank is inexhaustible... there's always water without having to fetch it. Also, the weeds in the yard were inexplicably cleared away, and one morning when I woke up, I found that the broken tiles on the roof had been replaced with new ones, and even the hard bed had a soft mattress and quilt.

Even more outrageous, she stared at the cupboard full of eggs, stunned and at a loss for what to do, since there weren't this many yesterday.

She racked her brains, trying to figure out who it could be. Huo Jingsha? That seemed unlikely. He hadn't shown up since she threw away all the things he had sent him before. Knowing him as she did, he wouldn't stoop so low as to send things again. Could it be one of the former brothers from the branch? That was impossible too. After that siege, they would be too afraid of being exposed to reappear!

"Is someone playing a trick on me?" she muttered to herself in confusion, unable to resist opening the cabinet below where the vegetables were kept.

Sure enough, it was packed full of fresh vegetables, there wasn't enough room to fit it all in. Looking back, there was also a whole pig leg and several large pieces of cured meat drying on the beam.

She rushed outside, looking around in shock and trepidation. Who was it? And why did they do this?

If it were a member of her original organization, that would be fine, but if Huo Jingsha sent it, she absolutely couldn't accept it. He's so hateful. Just when she's trying so hard to forget him, he keeps popping up to make his presence known. Does he think she can't survive without his care? She's determined to live a good life and show him.

She angrily went back to her room, packed everything into bags, and thought of carrying them out and throwing them away like she had done the past few days. But she still felt that it wasn't enough to vent her anger. Should she leave this place completely to stop him from harassing her all the time?

Just as she was about to move her things to the door, a person suddenly leaped down from the roof, startling Shu Yao so much that she fell to the ground with a thud.

"Damn it! I scared you." Huo Jingsha, with a stubble-covered face and his black hair simply tied up, couldn't help but feel annoyed when he saw Shu Yao sitting on the ground in a disheveled state.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been guarding this place for four days, but he still dared not show his face. However, he could not bear to watch his thin and frail wife do rough work such as carrying water, turning the soil, and weeding, and eat simple meals. She slept on a wooden bed with only a thin quilt at night. Yao'er had been carefully cared for by him for many years and had always been served in a life of luxury. When had she ever suffered like this?

Every night after she fell asleep, he would quietly light a calming incense stick by the window so that she could sleep more soundly. Then he would take the opportunity to help her with everything until dawn the next morning, at which point he would hide back on the roof.

He would never have shown up today if he hadn't seen her about to throw those things away again.

"Don't be afraid, it's me. I just want to... help you as much as I can." He ran his hand through his hair, his handsome face revealing undisguised frustration and helplessness. "It's mostly my fault that you're living in such terrible conditions. After all, we've been husband and wife. I... you don't really need to worry about it."

He had never before realized how inarticulate he was, to the point that he was practically incoherent.

In fact, he had been careful enough these past few days, afraid of leaving any trace. Even though he missed her and longed for her, wanting to kiss and hug her, he restrained himself and didn't dare to go into the house.

He tried his best to keep the water tank half full, but the light was too dim at night, and twice he accidentally filled it up. There was also food to replenish, and he forced himself not to replenish too much at once. Each time, he would secretly put in two eggs, and the same with vegetables. But she had a small appetite and could never eat as much as he put in, so the tank would fill up without him noticing.

In early summer, the rains are frequent, and the weeds in the garden always sprout up overnight. If he doesn't help pull them out in time, she has to spend the whole morning working under the scorching sun to remove them.

Unexpectedly, she saw through his scheme in just four days.

"Huo Jingsha!" Shu Yao called out to him coldly.

The tone of his voice gave him a sudden, inexplicable jolt. "Hmm?" His response was clearly lacking in confidence.

“I don’t want you to appear here again, nor do I want you to disturb my life anymore. Don’t forget, your wife is Yuefang now. You should go back to the Huo family and focus all your attention on her. I will not accept these things. Do you understand what I mean?”