fear

"Waaaaah—"

The harsh, unpleasant cawing of crows echoed in the air, and Jin Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a sense of impending doom, as if a bad thing was about to happen.

Jin Xiaoxiao stopped, her voice trembling slightly, "Brother, Grandmother's expression is strange."

Jin Xiaoxiao thought she was being very loud, but to Jin Minzhi, her voice was barely louder than a kitten's meow. Jin Minzhi turned to face her and gently comforted her, "Since you're worried about Grandmother, then let's go back and stay with her."

Jin Minzhi's firm words calmed Jin Xiaoxiao's pounding heart considerably. She grabbed Jin Minzhi's hand and ran back the way they came.

The room was furnished the same as when they left, with a plate of unfinished snacks still on the table, but the person who had been sitting quietly in the chair was gone.

"grandmother?"

Jin Xiaoxiao's voice echoed in the room, making it unusually quiet.

Kim Min-ji clearly sensed the unusual atmosphere in the room. Forgetting all etiquette, he forcefully barged into his grandmother's bedroom despite the maid's attempts to stop him. Only when he saw his grandmother sleeping peacefully in bed did Kim Min-ji breathe a sigh of relief.

Jin Xiaoxiao stood behind Jin Minzhi, staring at her grandmother's chest for a long time, her eyes unconsciously filling with tears.

Jin Minzhi noticed Jin Xiaoxiao's unusual behavior, so he squatted down and whispered, "Xiaoxiao, Grandmother is alright. Let's go outside and talk."

Jin Xiaoxiao bypassed Jin Minzhi, stumbled to the bedside, grasped her grandmother's cold hand, and tears rolled down her cheeks, "Grandmother."

In the dimly lit bedroom, illuminated by candlelight, two clasped hands swayed slightly, as if the deceased were silently comforting the grieving living.

Kim Min-ji turned his body stiffly, and after a long while, he knelt on the ground and burst into tears.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the gate of Prince Yi's mansion.

The gatekeeper on duty was already annoyed to be woken up to open the door late at night. When he opened the door, he was so startled by the row of servants dressed in mourning clothes that his hand trembled and the lantern slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

After regaining his senses, the doorman was filled with resentment, "Why are you knocking on the door so late at night? There's a dead person in the house."

The head servant shrewdly took out a bag of silver and stuffed it into his hand, then said with deep sorrow, "The disturbance at this late hour is due to the sudden passing of my old lady. Our master had no choice but to send us to your residence to fetch Third Master home to wear mourning clothes."

The gatekeeper weighed his purse in his hand, his expression softening considerably. "Explain yourself clearly. Who is your Third Master? Which courtyard in our Prince's Mansion is he currently residing in? I'll inform him."

The servant respectfully replied, "My master's name is Jin Yuantang. He was brought to your residence by the Second Young Master Yue when he returned to the capital today."

The gatekeeper received accurate information and went to Yue Xiao's courtyard.

No matter where you are, people always respect the dead. The news that the Jin family had come to the Prince's Mansion to welcome Jin Yuantang home to wear mourning clothes was reported through the ranks and eventually reached Yue Xiao's ears.

Yue Xiao was woken up from his bed by the steward. When he heard the news, he was so angry that he almost exploded. He cursed, "That old hag, she really knows how to pick her time to die!"

After he calmed down, the steward reminded him, "Master, quite a few people from the Jin family are waiting outside the Prince's residence. If we alert the Prince—"

Old Madam Jin threatened suicide to force him to return the person. How could Yue Xiao not know such an obvious thing? If he dared not hand over the person, the Jin family members waiting outside would cause a scene, and he would be branded as someone who drove Old Madam Jin to her death.

Thinking of this, Yue Xiao felt a surge of respect for his beloved's birth mother, Old Madam Jin. A mother's love for her children could never be more profound. He now not only had to safely return Jin Yuantang to the Jin family, but he also couldn't force Jin Yuanyuan to marry him.

After a moment of silence, Yue Xiao got up, dressed, and instructed the steward, "Go and wake Jin Yuantang. Also, prepare a generous gift of silk and gold; I will take it to the Jin family."

The steward accepted the order and left.

The Jin family's house was brightly lit, and all that could be seen was a white expanse.

Jin Yuantang was led into the house by Yue Xiao in a daze. The servants dressed him in mourning clothes, and it wasn't until he was pushed to kneel beside his eldest and second eldest brothers that he realized his mother had passed away. He crawled two steps and knelt down in front of the coffin of the old lady Jin, hugging the coffin and wailing like a helpless child abandoned by his parents.

Yue Xiao recognized Jin Yuanyuan standing in the noisy crowd at a glance. He strode forward, parted the passing servants, and came to Jin Yuanyuan's side.

Jin Yuanyuan seemed to sense something and turned to meet Yue Xiao's eyes.

Their eyes met, and Yue Xiao saw the intense hatred surging in Jin Yuanyuan's eyes. His words of comfort froze in his throat, and his heart ached as if it had been split in two.

Jin Yuanyuan's eyes were red and swollen, but she calmly said, "Yue Xiao, you are not welcome here. Get out."

Yue Xiao opened his mouth, "Yuanyuan, please accept my condolences."

Jin Yuanyuan stared at him coldly, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "If it weren't for wanting my mother to pass away peacefully, I wouldn't have only slapped you once. Yue Xiao, remember this, I will make you pay for this in blood."

The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the courtyard, and silence fell as everyone stared at them.

Yue Xiao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, savoring the slight numbness on his face. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Fine! I'll be waiting for you." After saying that, he gave Jin Yuanyuan a deep look before turning and leaving.

The funeral of Madam Kim drew to a close amid the grief of the Kim family.

Jin Xiaoxiao and Jin Minzhi knelt together before the grave of Old Madam Jin and kowtowed.

As Jin Xiaoxiao stood up, she felt a chill on her nose. Looking up, she saw snowflakes fluttering down from the vast sky. "It's snowing."

Jin Minzhi caught a snowflake and said, "The first snow this year is really early." He glanced at the clansmen who were already preparing to return home, and turned to remind Jin Yuanyuan and Jin Yuantang, who were still kneeling at the grave burning paper money, "Aunt, Uncle, it's getting late. Let's visit Grandmother again next time."

Jin Yuanyuan burned paper money silently, her face filled with sorrow. Jin Yuantang forced a smile, his voice hoarse, and said, "It's snowing. Take Xiaoxiao home first." He was the one who killed his mother. If he hadn't wasted time sightseeing on the way back, he wouldn't have run into Yue Xiao and been kidnapped. But alas, there are no "what ifs" in this world. Endless regret consumed his heart.

Seeing the two stubbornly guarding the grave, Jin Minzhi earnestly advised, "We are all very saddened by Grandmother's passing. The only way we can repay her kindness is to live well."

The two kneeling figures were stiff, their gazes fixed on the flames from the burning paper money, remaining silent.

Snowflakes danced around Jin Xiaoxiao. She lowered her head and silently looked at the two kneeling figures. Although they were both taller than her, they looked small and fragile, even shorter than the tombstones. The wounds in their hearts had already taken shape and could not be erased, but there was a big difference between regret and hatred. Rather than letting them fight amongst themselves, it was better to give them an outlet for their anger.

Having made up her mind, Jin Xiaoxiao raised her voice and said, "Aunt, Uncle, you don't need to feel guilty. The main reason for Grandmother's death was not you. There's something you may not know: Yue Xiao led a group to assassinate Grandmother half a year ago."

The two looked up simultaneously, their similarly shaped, blood-red eyes fixed intently on Jin Xiaoxiao. Jin Yuanyuan parted her pale lips, hearing her own soft voice overlap with her brother's hoarse voice, "He assassinated Mother half a year ago?"

Jin Xiaoxiao gave Jin Minzhi and Ji Jun a wink, and Ji Jun easily lifted Jin Yuantang up. Jin Minzhi lifted Jin Yuanyuan's arm and said gently, "Aunt, Uncle, I also know about this matter. Let's go home and talk about it in detail, so as not to disturb Grandmother's rest."

Jin Yuanyuan and her brother were finally persuaded to get up and follow the group back, but because they were too weak and needed to be supported, they gradually fell to the back of the group.

Halfway there, Ji Jun suddenly stopped, placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, and slowly drew it out.

They were walking along the main road, with withered grass and bare trees on both sides. Jin Xiaoxiao, walking beside Ji Yun, noticed him warily scanning his left side. She immediately tensed up, looked up, but saw nothing but pure white snowflakes. However, she didn't doubt Ji Yun's abilities and softly asked, "Ji Yun, what did you find?"

Ji Jun's gaze remained fixed ahead. "I didn't find anything, but I felt that someone was watching us."

"Surveillance?" Jin Xiaoxiao's expression changed slightly as she recalled Yue Xiao's distorted smile over the past two days. It must be Yue Xiao. Just as she was about to warn him, Ji Jun suddenly picked her up.

Amidst the howling wind, Jin Xiaoxiao heard the sound of metal clashing and anxious shouts.

To avoid distracting Ji Jun during the fight, Jin Xiaoxiao remained completely still despite her burning anxiety.

The fight ended quickly. When she was put down, she saw only scattered arrows and her brother and uncle lying on the ground, their lives uncertain. Her aunt was nowhere to be seen.

Jin Xiaoxiao didn't have time to think. She quickly ran to Jin Minzhi's side, knelt down, and called out to him in a trembling voice, "Brother, wake up, wake up."

Perhaps Jin Xiaoxiao's voice was too loud, for Jin Minzhi slowly opened his eyes. As his memories returned, his first thought was to ask where Jin Yuanyuan was, but when he met Jin Xiaoxiao's wet eyes, he swallowed the question on his lips, painfully raised his hand to wipe away her tears, and gently comforted her, "Xiaoxiao, don't cry, I'm fine."

With Jin Xiaoxiao's help, Jin Minzhi sat up, and as expected, he didn't see Jin Yuanyuan. He glanced at Jin Yuantang lying beside him, and Jin Minzhi's heart softened amidst his worry; he hadn't spoiled her in vain.

"Xiaoxiao, go and see your uncle—" Jin Minzhi's words were interrupted by the feathered arrow that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

"Brother, be careful!" Jin Xiaoxiao gripped Jin Minzhi's arm tightly, trying to pull him away.

Ji Yun leaped down in front of Jin Minzhi, swung his sword to cut the arrow in half, and left with the words, "Protect Xiaoxiao." He then stepped forward to stop the black-clad men who suddenly jumped out and engaged them in combat.

Having narrowly escaped death, Kim Min-ji's face grew even paler, a chill seeping into his heart and lungs. The next moment, he suddenly realized—they truly wanted to kill him! Kill them all!

Jin Minzhi shielded Jin Xiaoxiao behind her and solemnly surveyed their surroundings.

The man in black was filled with murderous intent. Jin Xiaoxiao also thought of this. She was filled with shock and anger. Was Yue Xiao going to start destroying the Jin family according to the predetermined path in the book?