"System, what's going on? Why did Song Zhe become like this?" Chen Xiaoru asked quietly in her heart.

The system's voice was childlike, yet it carried a mischievous air of wanting to see the fun unfold. "Isn't it all thanks to you? Disappearing for four years without a word, did you know that the hero almost turned evil?"

"Evilized? Not really..." Chen Xiaoru objected, but her voice became smaller and smaller, and she was obviously feeling guilty, "He looks...quite normal now." She secretly turned her head and looked at Song Zhe beside her. His handsome face was full of tranquility at the moment, without any trace of evil!

"After you left, Song Zhe's blood rushed to his heart and he fainted. You used the dream talisman to enter a dream like that again."

The system's crisp voice echoed in Chen Xiaoru's mind, with a hint of gloating. "The next day, Chen Xiaoyu also disappeared. He felt like the sky was falling. Not long after, Captain Li sent another message saying he couldn't find any trace of you. He was completely disheartened and decided to avenge you."

Chen Xiaoru asked simply, "What did he...what did he do?"

"He broke Song Qingqing's legs," the system said briskly, as if describing a trivial matter, "and then married her to a butcher in town who had lost several wives."

"Ah! This... Didn't Song's mother stop it?" Chen Xiaoru asked curiously.

"Mother Song, it was no use trying to stop her. She ended up getting married anyway. Song Qingqing tried to commit suicide, but Song Zhe knocked her unconscious and sent her away," the system explained. "I never thought Song Zhe would be so cruel! He hated her as much as he loved her before."

"Cruel?" The system snorted disapprovingly. "There are even more cruel ones! Song Zhe heard about you from Cheng Rongrong and found out that you were knocked unconscious by Li Zihao. He then threw her into a beggar's den, where she was raped by dozens of beggars. She then committed suicide."

Chen Xiaoru was very surprised. "I didn't expect Song Zhe to be more ruthless than I imagined. Could it be that the dream I entered caused him to act like this?"

"It's possible, because Li Zihao is well-known in the town for being lustful and liking young women." said the system.

"Then...what about Li Zihao?" Chen Xiaoru asked.

"Li Zihao," the system said in a long tone, a hint of amusement in its voice, "Didn't you cast the spell of Drunkenness and Dream Death on him? When Song Zhe was about to take revenge on him, he was already lying in bed, unable to get up. However, Song Zhe still got news about you from him. He was relieved to know that Li Zihao hadn't done anything to you. When he found out you were still alive, he started looking for you."

"It seems so. I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it." Chen Xiaoru opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. After a long while, she managed to utter, "He...how is he so powerful?"

"Song Zhe did everything perfectly, without a single clue." The system continued, a hint of pride in its voice, "He's the male protagonist. How can he not handle such a small matter?"

"What about Mr. Cheng and Mrs. Cheng?" Chen Xiaoru asked.

"Master Cheng aged a dozen years in a flash because of the loss of his daughter, and Mother Cheng regretted giving her daughter such an idea that led to her death. She cries every day." The system replied.

"Has he... has he been looking for me for a long time?" Chen Xiaoru asked cautiously with a hint of disbelief, fearing that the answer she would hear would not be what she expected.

"What do you think?" The system snorted unhappily, a hint of reproach in its voice. "Ever since learning you were safe, he's never stopped searching for you. In all these years, has he ever had a good night's sleep?"

"Okay! It's my fault, but... I don't regret it." Chen Xiaoru admitted in a low voice, but there was a firmness in her tone.

She turned over and hugged Song Zhe tightly, feeling the familiar scent coming from him, and an indescribable complex emotion surged in her heart. She never thought that the once gentle and modest man would do so many crazy things for her. This made her both moved and distressed.

Chen Xiaoru gently stroked Song Zhe's face, feeling the touch of his skin. She noticed that his face was no longer youthful, but instead had the sharp features of a mature man. Song Zhe suddenly opened his eyes, looked at her with a burning gaze, and grabbed her hand that was messing with his face. He put her fingers to his lips, kissed them gently, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, Xiaoru?"

Chen Xiaoru didn't answer, but pressed her lips against his. They kissed quietly, without any passionate heat, only gentle and lingering love. After a moment, Chen Xiaoru slowly left his lips and asked softly, "Song Zhe, have you been doing well these past few years?"

When Song Zhe heard this question, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes. He hugged Chen Xiaoru tightly, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and said with grievance and longing in his voice: "It's not good, not good at all. Without you by my side, my life is dark and gloomy."

"I'm sorry, I..." Chen Xiaoru just opened her mouth, but Song Zhe blocked the rest of her words with a deep kiss.

Song Zhe ended the kiss and held Chen Xiaoru's face in his hands, his eyes full of affection and self-blame: "Xiaoru, don't say sorry. It's because I didn't do well enough that you suffered such a thing. If I had..."

Chen Xiaoru raised her hand and gently placed a finger on Song Zhe's lips to stop him from continuing. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head gently.

Song Zhe hugged the woman in his arms a little tighter, resting his chin on her soft hair. His voice was low and gentle, with a barely perceptible tremor: "Xiao Ru, don't leave me in the future, otherwise, I will die."

Chen Xiaoru's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. She gently rested her head on Song Zhe's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat and feeling the warmth coming from him. She whispered, "Okay, I'll never leave you in this life."

"Xiao Ru, how have you been these past few years?" Song Zhe asked cautiously, with a hint of anticipation and uneasiness in his voice. He was afraid to hear any answer that would break his heart.

Chen Xiaoru was silent for a moment, as if recalling the past days, then she slowly spoke, with a hint of fatigue and relief in her voice: "I'm fine. I sent Xiaoyu to school. Later, I found out that I was pregnant, so I bought an old woman to take care of me. After that... I gave birth to Song Siming, our son. Every time I see him, I think of you. Many times I wanted to find you, but I was afraid... I was afraid that you had already married Cheng Rongrong, and I..." She choked and didn't say anything else.

Song Zhe's heart suddenly sank. He hugged Chen Xiaoru tighter, as if to rub her into his body. He interrupted her eagerly, his voice filled with a hint of panic and determination: "Xiaoru, Cheng Rongrong is dead. Let's not talk about the past. Let's... live a good life from now on, okay?"

Chen Xiaoru listened to the sound of his heartbeat in her chest, felt the warmth of his embrace, and finally said a soft "Okay." She buried her face in his chest, greedily breathing in his familiar scent.

The two of them hugged each other quietly, as if to fill the blank space of these four years. After an unknown amount of time, Chen Xiaoru's breathing gradually became steady, and she fell asleep in Song Zhe's arms.

Song Zhe knew that the person in his arms had fallen asleep by listening to her steady breathing. He kissed her forehead and fell asleep while holding her.