The young man's silence extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Lian Han's heart. She gave a self-deprecating smile and turned to leave.

She's a joke. She knew Lian Rui for three months, and then spent eight years, no, nine years, missing him and heartbroken... But what was she in his eyes? A plaything? Or a piece of food? In any case, she could never be a family member or partner.

Leaning back on the sofa, Lian Han closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very, very tired.

She kept telling herself that she shouldn't be sad for him, that he might never have cared about her, and that even if he found out she was alive, he might have approached her with other motives. But her heart still ached, and she felt waves of pain.

Lian Rui was the only light in her year spent in the white room, and he gave her the courage to escape—he probably just wanted to see her make a fool of herself.

Lian Han lay there, ignoring the AI's prompts, as if he wanted to "sleep" until the end of time.

Until a warm feeling reached his eyes, a deep, magnetic voice sounded, "Why are you crying?"

It is the Northern Court.

Lian Han remained motionless for a long time before saying, "We've discovered that a venerable master who died nine years ago is still alive."

"The person you like?" Bei Ting's fingers tightened slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Seeing that the girl didn't react, he gradually relaxed. "Someone important?"

"My younger brother."

Bei Ting didn't ask where the youngest sister in the Ling family got her younger brother, and said, "It's a good thing that your brother is still alive."

"Is it a good thing? What if you find out that the brother you thought you had was actually just having fun playing pranks on you? Or that what you thought was death was just a play?"

Bei Ting said, "It will make you feel better if you talk about it."

Lian Han pursed her lips. "He appeared during my most difficult time, like a ray of light, giving me the will to live. I was 7 years old, and he was 6. He called me 'sister,' and he said my name was bad. He said his name was Lian Rui, and his sister's name was Lian Han. He was the only person who cared about me."

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have escaped that hell; but if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been exiled from hell to purgatory, feeling guilty for dragging him down, and being tormented like a rat for a year. A year! It was even more terrifying than being in the White House before!"

Lian Han covered her cheeks with her hands; the icy liquid reminded her that she could still cry. She thought she had cried all her tears that year.

Bei Ting pulled the person into his arms and said, "It's all in the past."

She was still sobbing when Bei Ting realized for the first time that she was a girl and could also have a vulnerable side.

"So do you think it's better for him to be alive or dead?"

Lian Han choked on her sobs, wondering if it was better for Lian Rui to live or die.

If she were alive, she would discover the lie, feel remorse and regret, and even seek revenge; if she were dead, she would fully understand what happened back then, and he would become her eternal regret and guilt.

Therefore, I personally think it's better for this person to be alive. Life is long, and it's not worth wasting it on remembering an enemy who shouldn't be remembered.

Lian Han thought about the question seriously, sat up, and regained his composure. "It's good to be alive."

Indeed, she didn't want to waste any more of her feelings on someone like that. Lian Rui's original intention was to treat her like a toy, but after going through a hellish ordeal, she was the one who survived. She had to admit that Lian Rui was partly to blame.

From now on, let's go our separate ways, as if she never knew him. Let's bury that last bit of warmth from the past with our own hands.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Bei Ting didn't know what she was thinking, but he could sense that her gaze had changed, and something was breaking.

"what you up to?"

"I'm back on my way home. Sorry for the commotion today, uncle. Is there something you need?"

"Something's up." Remembering the purpose of his visit, Bei Ting looked at the girl whose tears were still wet on her face and said, "Tomorrow. I need your help on the Card Maker's account."

"Okay. But not during class."

Bei Ting patted her head. "It won't interfere with your class."

After she and Bei Ting arranged a time, Old Man Xing finally couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "How did you know he was in cahoots with the Blood Demon Flower?"

"I don't know." Lian Han's expression returned to calm.

[and you……]

[I witnessed firsthand the capture of one of my kind who had escaped; he was thrown into a bloodworm nest. In that instant, not even a trace remained.]

So when Lian Rui was arrested, she assumed he was dead, and felt guilty and distressed for a year. Until she lost her memory at age eight, she forgot those things, but she still knew she had a younger brother, Xiao Rui, and that he was dead. Old Man Xing, understanding her meaning, fell silent.

She really cares about Lian Rui. Who knows what the future holds...

Lian Han, unaware of Old Man Xing's thoughts, continued: [When I confirmed he was Lian Rui, I simply tricked him.]

The phrase "Jiang Chenrui—is that your name now?" and "Lian Rui, I feel like a joke," if he were innocent and knew nothing, his first reaction should have been confusion, not admitting fault.

Old Man Xing: ...

If Jiang Chenrui knew that Lian Han's claims were entirely based on guesswork and that he was just waiting for Lian Han to verify them, he would probably be furious.

Lian Han changed the subject, "[What does Uncle Bei Ting want with me?]" After her pathetic cry, it was time to move on.

[How would I know? This kid will probably try to take care of you. Don't worry about it. If you really run into big trouble, just ask him and he'll definitely solve it for you.]

[What exactly is your relationship?]

[Confidential.]

Lian Han: ...Both of them are surnamed Xing, so it's obvious they're related. She was just curious whether they were brothers or something, but it couldn't possibly be a son.

His Majesty the Emperor had no descendants.

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