early morning.

He You suddenly opened his eyes.

"Great, it really was just a dream." A surge of hope welled up in his heart; the dream was all an illusion.

He hurriedly got up. He was going to find his Nan Nan. Nan Nan would definitely be in the house, sitting softly on the bed. When she saw him enter the house, she would gently call out, "Lord He, you've finally come..." and then she would smile and take his arm.

That was so warm and wonderful.

As soon as I got out of bed, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest, as if someone was tearing it apart with a knife.

He Ji pressed his hand tightly to his chest, but the pain did not lessen at all, and there was a faint fishy taste in his mouth, which made him extremely uncomfortable.

The slave soldier walked in carrying a bowl of medicine, and when he looked up, he saw He You's face contorted in pain.

Some of the medicine spilled out, and the slave rushed over to support him.

"Master...you...take care of your health." The war slave managed to speak, at a loss for words.

He You's eyes held a glimmer of hope. "War Slave, she's still here, isn't she? I'll go find her right now."

After saying this, He You, despite her physical discomfort, walked tremblingly towards the door.

The slave felt heartbroken looking at He You; his master shouldn't be like this.

The once ruthless and decisive lord had vanished completely. He could no longer hold back, "My lord... the Third Miss is dead!"

The slave's voice suddenly rang out in the room, like a thunderbolt striking He You's eardrums, stunning him instantly. Three seconds later, He You's hands finally fell limply to his sides, and he remained motionless.

He looked up at the gloomy sky outside the door, as if a torrential downpour was about to begin.

"Nannan, in the end, still left him."

"So it wasn't a dream after all, huh..."

Why does everything I love leave me?

"How ridiculous! How ridiculous..."

He You gradually regained his composure and walked step by step toward the room where Li Baobei was lying.

This time, even if it means death, he wants to be with his girl forever.

The slave warrior's eyes were filled with pain as he helplessly watched He You walk away. "My lord must have come to his senses by now!"

He hurriedly tried to follow, but when he went outside, he saw Zhong Lihe standing outside the door.

Zhong Lihe stared intently at He You as he left, then reached out to stop the war slave who wanted to chase after him, saying in a calm tone, "Let him be alone in peace. I believe he will wake up."

The slave remained silent, unsure of how to make his master happy.

Zhong Lihe continued, "Time is the best medicine for healing wounds." Then he turned and left.

He You's steps were unsteady and weak, as if he were struggling in the deep sea, each step so difficult, as if he might be swallowed up by the pain in his heart at any moment.

He saw a motionless person lying on the bed, and the overwhelming pain spread again.

"Nannan is just like her father and mother, lying there quietly without looking at him again."

"Why?……"

He held Li Baobei's cold hand tightly and slowly transferred his inner strength to her.

Her body slowly regained its temperature, but it vanished within minutes.

He You could no longer hold back the soreness that spread to her neck, and tears fell silently, like glistening water droplets, hot and falling onto Li Baobei's hand, where they were hidden.

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth and murmured, "Nannan, are you blaming me? Blaming me for not staying by your side all the time? I shouldn't have left you, I was wrong. Open your eyes and look at me, just one look is enough..."

"I...please..." He You's voice choked with sobs.

Time passed second by second, and the air was unbearably cold.

Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't the air that was cold, but my heart...

"Nannan, we'll get married in a couple of days, and then we'll be together forever..." He You's eyes were filled with despair mixed with a hint of excitement. He was finally going to marry the woman he loved most.

He and Nan Nan are finally going to be together forever...

Once people have tasted the warmth of the moment, they will never be able to endure the cold in the darkness again.

News of the drowning of the third young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, becoming a topic of conversation among everyone.

Many people, upon hearing that the body had not been found, shook their heads and sighed, saying, "Such a beautiful woman, yet she died young; what a pity!"

At this moment, white silk fluttered in the Prime Minister's residence and Chang Le Mansion, shivering in the cold wind.

The bronze bell in the hall tolled softly, echoing in the vast emptiness. The surrounding silence coalesced into a massive sorrow, as heavy as a thousand pounds, pressing down on everyone present.

Bizhu cried her heart out beside the empty coffin, unable to believe that her mistress had left like this.

Li Hong sat silently in the hall, his face aged, and the air grew cold and stern.

When Li Yangzhi heard the news from the capital while traveling, he was devastated and rushed home without stopping.

Finally, he saw the Prime Minister's residence, which was deathly silent. This was not the Prime Minister's residence he remembered; his home should not be like this.

He hurried inside, clinging to the last shred of hope that it was all a lie.

Finally, she saw Li Hong sitting trembling in the hall, and a wave of pain surged into her heart.

His father had now become an extremely old and hunched-over man, seemingly on his last legs. This was not the father he remembered. "No... it shouldn't be like this."

Li Yangzhi rushed over and said bitterly, "Is Third Sister still..." He couldn't finish his sentence. He knew it was all true, but he still refused to believe it.

Li Hong stared blankly at him, his body trembling slightly, as if using his last strength to say, "You're back, Zhi'er."

"Mmm." Li Yangzhi's voice was choked with emotion as he tried to suppress the bitterness in his eyes.

"Why haven't I seen my mother?" he asked anxiously.

Li Hong's eyes flickered, his voice hoarse and filled with heartache, "Your mother is sick, go and see her!"

Following his memory, Li Yangzhi ran to the courtyard where Wang Donghui lived. This Prime Minister's residence seemed different from the one he remembered; it had become lifeless and devoid of any vitality.

He looked up and saw Wang Donghui sitting in a chair with a blank look in her eyes. He quickly ran up to her and said, "Mother, Zhi'er is back."

Wang Dong raised her lifeless eyes and saw Li Yangzhi's pale face. Her voice was devoid of emotion as she whispered, "Have you seen my Nannan? She seems to be missing. Please help me..."

"Mother~" Li Yangzhi threw himself into her arms, and tears finally fell in large drops.

Wang Donghui did not struggle. She felt that the person in front of her was very familiar. Seeing him cry, she felt her heart ache as well.

She gently patted Li Yangzhi's back, repeating, "Nannan, be good, Nannan, don't cry, Mother is always here..."

Li Yangzhi felt utterly unable to accept it. How could his family have suddenly become like this? Why?