In the days that followed, Ling Shuang and Ling Xue took meticulous care of Lin Xihe.

Under their meticulous care, Lin Xihe's body gradually regained its vitality, and her complexion became rosier day by day.

However, the spies that Ling Xue arranged seemed to have vanished without a trace, failing to bring news of her brother's return for a long time.

Even Gu Qinghuai seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no word coming from him.

As time slowly passed, Lin Xihe's heart became increasingly anxious. Moyu City was not far from the capital, so in theory, she should have been able to hear some news.

But now, all around was silent, and this silence filled her heart with unease.

Gu Qinghuai went to Nanzhao for her sake. As long as he did not return, Lin Xihe's concern for him would not diminish. This concern was like an invisible thread, tightly wrapped around her heart.

In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere of the New Year quietly permeated the streets and alleys of Moyu City.

The New Year in Moyu City was quite peaceful compared to the bustling and lively capital city, with very few people setting off fireworks.

This actually pleased Lin Xihe greatly, as she was afraid that the noise would disturb her precious daughter's sweet dreams.

In the dimly lit room, Lin Xihe was gently rocking the cradle, her gaze tenderly fixed on the sleeping baby.

The little one's lips were slightly upturned, and he occasionally smacked his lips, as if he were having a sweet dream.

Ling Shuang squatted down beside her, her eyes full of affection, and said, "Miss, Tang Bao has been able to roll over even while wearing thick clothes these past two days. It's so funny! When will she be able to talk?"

Lin Xihe gently stroked her daughter's little hand, her eyes filled with endless tenderness: "You have to learn to walk before you can talk."

After saying that, she looked up at Ling Xue and asked, "Ling Xue, is there still no news about Gu Qinghuai? Could you please have someone continue to inquire?"

Ling Xue quickly replied, "I have already sent a letter back, and we should receive a response in the next few days."

Lin Xihe nodded slightly, as if comforting herself or encouraging herself: "Even if something happened to delay him, it shouldn't take this long... He'll be alright."

However, the reply from the capital didn't arrive until after the first month of the lunar calendar.

On this day, snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, and the whole world was shrouded in white.

Ling Shuang braved the wind and snow, hurrying over with a letter clutched tightly in her hand.

Despite holding an umbrella, she was still enveloped in thick snow, and as soon as she entered the room, snowflakes began to fall softly.

Seeing this, Mo Wusheng couldn't help but say to Ling Shuang, who was covered in snow and wind, "I told you I could go, but you insisted on going by yourself."

Ling Shuang smiled nonchalantly, unbuttoning her cloak as she said, "It's just retrieving a message; it's not cold even in the snow."

Mo Wusheng strode forward, took the cloak, and gently hung it on the hanger beside him, saying, "You three talk. Call me if you need anything." With that, he turned and left the main house.

Seeing this, Ling Xue couldn't help but tease, "Brother Mo has never been so considerate to me or to the young lady."

"Don't talk nonsense." Although Ling Shuang denied it, a blush appeared on her face. The two of them had been together for a long time and a strange feeling had arisen between them.

Lin Xihe handed the child to Ling Xue and took the letter from Ling Shuang.

The moment she touched the letter, her heart inexplicably tightened.

She walked alone to the windowsill, slowly sat down, and unfolded the letter. The words on it struck her heart like a heavy hammer, leaving her stunned in place.

"General Gu died in Nanzhao after being poisoned."

In the past, the letters that came back were all replies without any news from General Gu, so Ling Xue did not immediately notice anything unusual about the contents of today's letter.

After returning, she first warmed herself by the fire, and then went to check on Tangbao.

At that moment, she turned around and saw her daughter standing motionless under the windowsill, as if she had been frozen in place.

Ling Xue was startled, realizing something was wrong, and quickly asked, "What's wrong, Miss?"

Ling Shuang and Ling Xue, who was holding the child, walked over quickly.

Lin Xihe seemed to be in another world, and did not respond to their calls.

Ling Shuang bent down to pick up the letter from the ground, glanced at it quickly, and said, "Miss..."

"Um?"

Lin Xihe slowly came to her senses, took the letter back from Ling Shuang's hand, and tore it into pieces.

"This letter is wrong, this letter is fake..."

As Lin Xihe spoke, her lips trembled slightly, and her body shook: "Go and gather information again. Ling Shuang, where are the people you know? Where is the messenger? Did he make a mistake?"

Although Lin Xihe had not yet seen the ending of the original story, she clearly remembered that Gu Qinghuai would go on several more expeditions later on, and he could not possibly die like that.

"Miss." Ling Shuang gently held Lin Xihe's hand with heartache, trying to offer her some comfort.

Lin Xihe became increasingly agitated: "Ling Shuang, this person is from the capital, right? Where is he? Why is he talking nonsense?"

Seeing Lin Xihe's excited expression, Ling Shuang quickly said, "Miss, he's staying at Yongfu Inn..."

"I'm going to see him," Lin Xihe said resolutely. After saying that, she glanced at Tang Bao in Ling Xue's arms and instructed, "Ling Xue, take good care of Tang Bao."

Lin Xihe has been in Moyu City for so long, but she has never left the house.

At that moment, she walked hurriedly, her mind solely focused on finding out the truth.

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