Su Miao sat on the bed and, upon hearing Tao'er's words, gripped the blankets slightly tighter.

After thinking about it more carefully, she realized it was somewhat impossible.

After all, the engagement with the Liu family had just been broken off not long ago, Liu Jiaojiao had just left, and Shen Changji's wounds had not yet healed. It was unlikely that the Duke's Mansion would arrange her marriage to Shen Changji at this time.

Moreover, given her identity...

Even if Old Madam Shen loved her dearly, she would never make an exception and let her become Shen Changji's legal wife.

If that were true, Old Mrs. Shen should have contacted her a couple of days ago.

Su Miao couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous. Why was she so bothered by this?

Her status was vastly different from Shen Changji's; even if the person standing next to him wasn't Liu Jiaojiao, it couldn't possibly be her.

But for some reason, I felt a tightness in my chest.

Seeing that Su Miao's complexion was off, Tao'er quickly asked, "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, bring me some water to wash up."

"good."

Su Miao rolled up her sleeves, revealing her jade-like wrists, and used her hands to scoop up water and splash it on her face.

"Miss!" Tao'er exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this.

Normally, Su Miao would use a prepared fine cotton cloth dipped in water to carefully wash herself, but this time she used her hands directly!

The cool water with a faint tea aroma slid across her cheeks, soothing the restlessness rising in her heart, and Su Miao instantly became much more awake.

My mind calmed down as well.

It was just an act... How could she have gotten so caught up in it?

Su Miao took the fine cotton cloth handed to her by Tao'er and wiped the water droplets off her face.

Her beautiful face was reflected in the bronze mirror; her skin was delicate and smooth, with a faint pink glow.

Su Miao couldn't help but touch her face, her eyebrows slightly raised.

This body is truly beautiful...

Especially her pair of eyes, which seemed to hold the water of autumn, had a delicate and pitiful quality in them.

She gently touched her brow, looked at herself in the mirror, and memories of the past flooded her mind, with that familiar male voice echoing in her ears.

"Don't you have a name? How about we call you Miao'er? The character 'Miao' is good; everything will go smoothly and everything will be wonderful!"

"He can also bring the dead back to life with his skillful hands, and his medical skills are superb, relieving people of their pain."

"Wonderful, wonderful! When a person is wonderful, everything is wonderful. How wonderful!"

"Then...how do you write the character '妙' (miào)?"

"It's okay, I can teach you."

As he spoke, his warm hand touched her palm, and he wrote stroke by stroke on it.

"I can teach you to read and write, and if you'd like, you can study medicine with me!"

"Don't worry, if I have food to eat, you will too!"

Pei Yu's voice was gentle as he lightly wiped the mud off Su Miao's face with the back of his hand.

Su Miao looked up and met his gentle gaze.

In that instant... it was like a ray of sunshine, piercing through the cold and reaching straight into her heart.

Those eyes, gentle and profound, offered endless comfort and strength, making her feel an unprecedented warmth of acceptance, and all her pain was enveloped by that gentleness.

She couldn't help but gently squeeze his hand back.

Pei Yu truly kept his word, teaching her to read and write, and occasionally coming up with new and interesting activities for her.

Although I live far from the hustle and bustle, I am happy.

Time flies, and they've grown up...

Her face was delicate and pretty, like a flower just beginning to bloom in spring, with eyes as clear as autumn water, youthful yet charming.

Although Pei Yu's clothing was not flamboyant, he had an upright posture, broad shoulders, a straight back, and a well-defined face, exuding an extraordinary air.

He wore a long robe that fluttered in the wind, exuding an air of gentle elegance in every gesture.

Every time Pei Yu returned from gathering herbs, he would bring back an extra bouquet of flowers.

He gently tucked a brightly blooming flower behind her ear, and the sunlight shone on Su Miao's gentle and jade-like face, adding a touch of softness and liveliness to her appearance.

Pei Yu looked at the strands of hair intertwined between his fingers and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "She is indeed more beautiful than the flowers."

Because of her, the flower tucked into her hair seemed to come alive.

Su Miao smiled but remained silent.

She knew what Pei Yu wanted and what he pursued. Since they depended on each other for survival, she hoped that he could be better off.

In her heart, she had long regarded Pei Yu as her only family in the world.

Finally... Pei Yu passed a series of exams and was about to reach that point.

Before parting, he held her hand.

"Wait for me to come back, and I promise I will not let you down."

"good."

Pei Yu looked at Su Miao, who was just up to his chest, and wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, but in the end he restrained himself.

He was afraid...

He was afraid that once he hugged her, he wouldn't want to leave.

Although the round trip was short, I felt a sense of longing for them.

Those intertwined emotions are the most tormenting.

Su Miao never imagined that this farewell would be her final goodbye to Pei Yu.

Shattered to pieces, a gruesome death...

Su Miao thought about it, and a sore feeling welled up in her nose, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.

When Tao'er saw Su Miao's expression, she knew that Su Miao was thinking about the past.

"Miss, I made your favorite pastries today. Please have breakfast first; your health is the most important thing," she gently advised.

"good……"

Su Miao only said one word, but her voice was hoarse, which made Tao'er feel even more distressed.

Just as Tao'er was about to bring in breakfast, she ran into Lone Eagle.

“Miss Tao’er, please tell Miss Biao that the young master is looking for her and wants to have breakfast with her.”

Upon hearing this, Tao'er thought for a moment and then turned around to tell Su Miao.

Su Miao was somewhat surprised when she heard this.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!