Chapter 124 Bad News If this were a dream, she wished she could receive the bad news immediately…

The weather in June is like a child's face, changing in an instant.

The sky, which had been clear on the mountain road, was completely swallowed up by dark clouds when Xiao Qiyu and Cui Ying arrived at the Marquis's residence. The thick clouds pressed down on the eaves, as if one could reach out and touch the heavy, damp coldness. The sky was so dark that it seemed to drip water, and even the wind carried the fishy smell of an impending mountain rain.

As soon as Xiao Qiyu stepped into the mansion, intending to ride his horse to the palace gate to inquire about the news, he saw a familiar-looking imperial physician being led by a stewardess, hurrying towards the inner courtyard.

His heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition surged up within him.

"Why is the imperial physician here?" Xiao Qiyu asked a servant who came to greet him, his voice unconsciously tense.

The servant looked terrified and whispered, "My lord, I don't know much either. I only heard that a secret letter was sent from the palace to the old lady. After she read it, she immediately... and then something bad happened."

Cui Ying's heart sank as well. She looked up and met Xiao Qiyu's gaze; both of them had extremely solemn expressions.

I just saw the Imperial Guard outside the city, and then I heard this news as soon as I entered the house. Even a fool could figure out the connection.

The two of them disregarded everything else and strode quickly toward the Bodhi Hall.

Upon arriving at the Bodhi Hall, before the two even stepped into the courtyard, they heard Qin's heart-wrenching cries.

"Xiao Yuanshuo! You heartless bastard! I married you when I was sixteen, bore you children, and managed the household... How could you do this to me! How could you treat me like this! You promised me you would come back, how could you go back on your word... how could you go back on your word!"

Inside the house, Wang lay motionless on the couch, her eyes closed, her face ashen, her silver hair appearing to have turned even whiter in a single day, as desolate and frail as snow.

Qin Shi collapsed onto the embroidered stool beside the couch, leaning against the maid, crying so hard she almost passed out, tears streaming down her face.

Zhang and Xue stood by the bed, one tending to the old lady and the other comforting her sister-in-law. Countless servants and maids were around, all bowing their heads in silence, not uttering a word.

The room was filled with people, but apart from the piercing cries, there was not a single other sound; the silence was frightening.

Xiao Qiyu suppressed the turmoil in his heart and rushed over. He looked anxiously at his grandmother, who was lying on the bed, barely alive. His voice was sharp with urgency: "What exactly happened in the Northern Desert! Why did Grandmother become like this!"

Everyone fell silent, not daring to answer.

Xiao Qiyu's chest heaved as she breathed heavily. She gave her grandmother a deep look, then turned to leave to find the answer herself.

"Shichiro!"

At this moment, Zhang spoke up, her eyes red and choked with sobs, using all her strength to utter the words haltingly: "The outside world doesn't know about this yet. Don't let anyone else know. I'll tell you what happened."

At this point, Zhang trembled violently, her nails digging into her palms: "You... when your eldest and second uncles led their troops on a raid, they were ambushed by the main force personally led by the Turkic Khan. Your second uncle fought valiantly but was no match for them and was captured by the Turks. Your eldest uncle..."

Zhang stopped speaking, tears streaming down her face.

Xiao Qiyu suddenly froze, his heart pounding.

Can't.

In that instant, a thousand times over in his mind: No…

No, no, no, no, no!

"Your uncle... was shot in the chest by an arrow, and at that moment... he was already... dead..."

A single sentence struck Xiao Qiyu like a thunderclap.

He stood frozen in place, the color draining from his face in an instant, turning him deathly pale.

He seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to understand. His usually calm and collected eyes were now staring blankly at the weeping Zhang Shi, the unconscious grandmother on the bed, and the distraught second aunt, without any focus.

Beside him, Cui Ying was struck dumb, her ears ringing, and she almost lost her balance.

She subconsciously pinched her palm, feeling a sharp pain, but it did nothing to dispel the intense sense of unreality.

She suspected she was having a terrible nightmare, otherwise how could she hear such absurd and terrifying news?

Xiao Qiyu's brave and dignified uncle, the uncle who gave her the jewel-encrusted Western Region dagger, is dead.

He just died like that?

Cui Ying's subconscious feeling was not sadness and grief, but confusion.

It was as if she was witnessing not the passing of a life, but the sudden collapse of a towering tree. The mud splattered on her face as the roots were pulled up, as if she were witnessing something unshakeable vanish in an instant.

Confused, helpless, and incredulous – these were Cui Ying's feelings.

If it's a dream, she hopes she can wake up immediately.

This nightmare was absolutely terrifying.

...

As night fell, the rain finally began to fall, and the courtyard was shrouded in a deep, inky darkness. Raindrops pattered against the windowpanes of the Bodhi Hall.

The lights inside flickered; it was clearly June, yet the cold was chilling.

Since waking up, Wang Shi has been like a lost soul. She is no longer the cheerful person who used to love to laugh and talk with her children and grandchildren. Instead, she stares blankly at the intricate embroidery on the ceiling of the tent. No matter who tries to persuade her, she keeps her lips tightly closed and refuses to drink a drop of water.

Xiao Qiyu knelt before the bed, holding a bowl of warm porridge, pleading repeatedly, "Grandmother, please eat just one bite, just one bite, I beg you."

Cui Ying, her eyes also red, gently comforted her from the side: "Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law knows you're upset, but your health is the most important thing. Please eat a little, okay?"

Wang's eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if she hadn't heard a thing.

Her eldest son was killed in battle, and her second son was captured, his fate unknown. These two pieces of bad news reached her ears at the same time, making it difficult for her to even breathe.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the courtyard, mixed with the panicked cries of maids and servants trying to stop them.

"Fifth Miss, you can't go in! The old lady has just woken up and needs to rest!"

"Let me go! Get out of my way! I don't believe what they're saying. I want to ask my grandmother myself, to have her tell me directly whether my father was captured and whether my uncle is dead!"

Xiao Shu's voice suddenly appeared outside, threatening to blow the roof off.

Cui Ying's expression stiffened for a moment, then she gave Xiao Qiyu a wink and quietly got up and left.

After she left, Xiao Shu's voice gradually quieted down, and the originally sharp clamor turned into intermittent, suppressed sobs.

The night rain was drizzling, and in the blink of an eye it was already past midnight.

After comforting Xiao Shu, Cui Ying finally managed to leave her residence, feeling dizzy and lightheaded as she returned to the Bodhi Hall.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they were met by Xiao Qiyu, who was coming out of the house.

The night was as dark as ink, and raindrops fell haphazardly in the dim glow of the lanterns.

Xiao Qiyu's face was pale and his eyes were tired, but a glimmer of light still flashed in his dark eyes the moment he saw her.

He walked a few steps to Cui Ying's umbrella and naturally took the umbrella from the maid holding it.

The space under the umbrella was quiet and cramped, keeping out the wind and rain from the outside world.

Xiao Qiyu tilted most of the umbrella toward Cui Ying's side, and his own shoulder was quickly soaked with a dark patch of rain.

"How is Grandmother?" Cui Ying looked up at him and asked.

Xiao Qiyu shook his head, his voice hoarse with fatigue: "I just took the calming soup and finally fell asleep, but I still haven't eaten or drunk anything."

Cui Ying sighed and said nothing.

The night rain was like a large net, enveloping every corner of the Marquis's mansion, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

Xiao Qiyu lowered his head and looked at Cui Ying.

Her once radiant face was now very pale, her long eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow under her eyes, her black hair was slightly disheveled by the night wind, and tiny raindrops clung to her hair. Her almond-shaped eyes, which were always full of lively smiles, were now dim.

As Xiao Qiyu watched, an even greater pain welled up in his heart, so much so that he could hardly breathe.

He reached out and gently put his arm around Cui Ying's waist, pulling her closer to him.

In the cold, rainy night, two young bodies pressed close together, silently sharing warmth with each other.

"Let's not think about those things anymore," Xiao Qiyu said. "Let's go back to sleep."

Cui Ying nodded, a forced smile appearing on her lips.

The couple shared an umbrella and walked slowly along the slippery cobblestone path, leaning on each other and supporting one another.

Feeling Cui Ying's hand unconsciously resting on her lower back, Xiao Qiyu didn't say anything. Instead, the hand that was originally on her waist quietly slid down, and the warm palm pressed against that sore spot, gently massaging it.

"I'm sorry for today. Your birthday, which should be a happy day, is a once-a-year event."

The night rain pattered against the umbrella as Xiao Qiyu massaged Cui Ying's lower back. A man who rarely showed his emotions, his voice trembled slightly.

"It was all ruined by our family's affairs."

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Author's note: To be honest, I thought I could write 5,000 words tonight (Yi Yangqianxi closes his eyes).