But she held back, not uttering a single word in defense of Cheng Muyun, nor even considering going to find him.

As she gazed at the fading sunset, she knew perfectly well that being able to live peacefully like this was already a blessing.

If possible, I would spend my whole life staying in this little world, living a simple life.

So many grand and wonderful things await her in the future. She will rely on the knowledge in her mind to earn a bright future for herself, step by step.

As for Cheng Muyun, he has his mission. If he can make it through next year, Cheng Muyun will be a bright and intelligent person. If he cannot stop the hand of fate, Xu Zhuohua will offer incense to him every Qingming Festival.

Xu Zhuohua's life seemed to have returned to the time before she married Cheng Muyun. Back then, Xu Zhuohua's wish was simple: to be a hands-off husband and live a peaceful life.

On that autumn day, a light chill was carried in the wind, which rustled the withered lotus leaves on the lake. The broken branches and leaves swirled on the water, exuding a desolate autumn atmosphere.

The sky was overcast and gloomy, the sun hiding behind the clouds and refusing to show its face. The air was so damp you could wring water out of it, and even wearing a single layer of clothing made your back feel cold.

Lunch was being served at the clinic. Doctor Liu was slowly sipping his porridge when Xinghua sat down next to Xu Zhuohua and occasionally added some pickled vegetables to her bowl.

On the table were congee and side dishes, and in the corner sat a lone plate of braised pork—which Xinghua had specially cooked this morning, but she hadn't controlled the heat well; the sauce was too thick, coating the meat in a dark, greasy way, and no one had touched it.

Just then, a soft creak came from the courtyard gate, and someone lifted the curtain and came in.

Everyone assumed they were villagers coming to see a doctor and casually replied, "Wait a moment." But when they turned around to look, they were all stunned.

The man who entered was a slightly plump old man, wearing a well-fitting dark-colored overcoat. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the jade thumb ring on his thumb. It was Xu Shinong.

This is truly an uninvited guest.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat—they wouldn't be surprised if it was Chen Hede who came.

Even if Cheng Muyun suddenly appears, there might be some reason for it.

But why would Xu Shi Nong, an elder who has lived in the Xu family mansion for a long time and rarely sets foot in such rural areas, suddenly find his way here?

Even the tabby cat in the corner of the yard perked up its ears, jumped off the table, and circled around Xu Shinong's trouser leg twice.

Meanwhile, the chopsticks in the hands of the people at the table fell to the table with a "clatter," Doctor Liu put down his porridge bowl, Xinghua opened her mouth but forgot to speak, and all eyes fell on him.

Xu Shi Nong didn't look at anyone else; his gaze went through the room and landed directly on Xu Zhuo Hua's face.

Those eyes, which were originally dull and cloudy, seemed to be struck by something the moment they saw her clearly. They instantly filled with tears, filled with disbelief and a complex mix of emotions that had been suppressed for a long time. They stared at her intently, as if the person in front of them would disappear into thin air if they blinked.

Xinghua was the first to come to her senses, hurriedly standing up, her voice trembling slightly: "Master...why have you come?"

Doctor Liu also stood up, his withered hands trembling slightly. He looked at his old friend whom he hadn't seen for many years, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

Xu Shi Nong's gaze slowly swept across the clinic. The earthen walls were somewhat mottled, and the tables and chairs had old wood grain. Finally, it landed on the plate of dark, braised pork.

He frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible heartache: "You escaped from that fire and even erased the Nanhu station. You went through all that trouble, just to live such a miserable life?"

Xu Zhuohua sat on a low stool, the small table in front of her barely reaching her knees.

Life here is certainly not as refined and comfortable as in Shinkai City, but it's much better than the austere and lonely time I spent in the temple.

She looked up at Xu Shi Nong, her eyes full of doubt, her voice hoarse from not speaking for so long: "You... don't seem surprised that I'm still alive?"

She felt a growing unease, fearing that others might already know her whereabouts.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shi Nong's face instantly darkened, her tone filled with barely suppressed anger: "What is it that you can't tell your family, that you have to come to this? Do you know that everyone thought you died in that fire!"

He paused, his voice growing even deeper: "Jixin used to be such a talkative and cheerful person, but now he's always sullen, and you'll hardly hear him say a word out of ten. As for his wife, she's even more paranoid, always saying that your death was too tragic and that she'll come back at night to seek revenge. She's practically gone mad!"

Finally, he looked at Xu Zhuohua, his tone filled with disappointment: "Do you think those stations are so easy to erase? I personally visited each and every one of the original stations on the entire eastbound-southbound line. I can figure out where there's a fork in the road and where there are hidden markers with my eyes closed! You might not notice if the eldest and second eldest brothers erased one of the stations, but if you think you can fool me, you're still too green!"

Xu Shih-nong noticed the anomaly during one of Xu Chih-hsin's routine reports.

Although the station at Nanhu was not large, it was personally surveyed by him in his early years. The willows on the shore were swaying gently, and the lotus flowers in the water were swaying in the breeze. The scenery was excellent, and it was a very important outpost on the southern route in the early years.

Now, its sudden and silent disappearance from the route map, as if a piece had been forcibly ripped out, gave him a sudden jolt of fear.

He didn't make a fuss at the time, but immediately sent people to investigate.

It would have been better if they hadn't investigated. Once they did, they discovered that over the past two months, Chen Hede had been using various excuses to go to Nanhu, always doing so very discreetly, as if he was afraid of being seen.

This is even more suspicious.

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