The next day, as dawn broke.

Lin Xihe slowly opened her eyes, and what came into view was the clothes she had brought with her, neatly arranged beside the bed.

She quickly got up under the cover of the bed curtains, dressed herself neatly, and skillfully combed her hair with her fingers, tidying it up.

Once everything was in order, she gently peeked out.

Upon looking around, she was shocked to find the house completely empty.

Her gaze swept to the ground, where the letter that Gu Qinghuai had torn up and thrown to the ground in his rage yesterday had now disappeared.

Seeing this, Lin Xihe had a sudden thought: since Gu Qinghuai wasn't here, she might as well go home.

Upon returning home, he feigned illness and remained in bed, never to return to this place. Your Majesty cannot force one patient to care for another.

She put on her cloak and reached out to push open the door.

In an instant, a biting wind carrying large snowflakes rushed in, instantly blurring her vision. The snow outside was falling heavily, and the world was a vast expanse of white, as if wrapped in a thick layer of white brocade.

The area outside the gate was empty, except for a guard standing far away in the courtyard.

The guards at the gate saw that the gate was open and immediately rushed over.

He moved swiftly and arrived in front of Lin Xihe in an instant. He then clasped his hands in a salute and spoke in a loud yet respectful voice: "Miss Lin, His Highness has ordered you to wait for him inside. It is freezing outside, so please go back inside."

Lin Xihe frowned slightly, her tone tinged with displeasure, and asked, "What? Is he still going to restrict my freedom?"

The guard looked troubled, lowered his head slightly, and said with a hint of helplessness, "The general has given orders, and I hope the young lady will understand."

Lin Xihe felt even more annoyed and pressed on, "Where is he?"

"In the manor." The guard had limited knowledge and could only respond truthfully according to Gu Qinghuai's instructions.

Seeing this, Lin Xihe had no choice but to turn around and go back inside. Before long, a steaming hot breakfast was brought in.

Lin Xihe glanced at the food indifferently. The food that should have been tempting could not arouse her appetite at all. Her worries had completely overwhelmed her appetite.

Not long after, the door creaked open and Gu Qinghuai strode in, bringing with him a chilling aura. He closed the door behind him, and instantly, a strong, pungent smell of Chinese medicine filled the room.

Lin Xihe glanced up and saw that Gu Qinghuai had returned. Her eyes instantly turned cold, and she sat there as if she hadn't seen him at all, ignoring him completely.

Gu Qinghuai took off his cloak and casually hung it aside. Then he went straight to the table, picked up a bowl of steaming purple rice and bird's nest porridge, and sat down opposite Lin Xihe.

"Why aren't you having breakfast?" he asked, his voice low and devoid of emotion.

Perhaps because it was broad daylight and the surroundings were bright and open, and there were no letters or other objects that could anger Gu Qinghuai and make him lose his temper, Lin Xihe's fear had dissipated considerably. So she didn't raise her head, as if she hadn't heard anything, and didn't reply with a single word.

Gu Qinghuai wasn't angry at all. He sat calmly opposite Lin Xihe, picked up a spoon, gently scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and held it to Lin Xihe's lips, saying gently, "Take a bite. This purple rice porridge has a very fragrant taste."

Lin Xihe turned slightly to the side, gently turning her face away, her tone indifferent: "I want to go home."

"no."

Without even thinking, Gu Qinghuai refused decisively.

"I'm not a prisoner. Even if I'm taking care of someone who's sick, I should at least be able to catch my breath. I just want to go home for two days." Lin Xihe felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke. She felt that being with Gu Qinghuai at this moment was so oppressive that she couldn't breathe, and her mind was in complete turmoil.

Gu Qinghuai was well aware that what happened yesterday must have created a rift between Lin Xihe and him.

However, if we put ourselves in their shoes, no one could tolerate being bullied or treated like that forever.

In fact, he was so angry yesterday that although he tried to suppress his anger at first, in the middle of the night, he felt as if his internal organs were being burned by fire, and the pain was unbearable.

Before dawn, he hurriedly got up and went to find Doctor Qin, a highly skilled physician in the manor. He soaked in the medicinal bath for two full hours before his pain was slightly relieved, and then he rushed back.

However, even though he was covered in the strong smell of medicine and looked like a walking medicine cabinet, Lin Xihe didn't ask him a single question, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Fine," he sighed inwardly, thinking, "I'll let Lin Xihe go back for two days. I should take these two days to recuperate."

“Go back for two days, and come back the day after tomorrow. Is that alright?” Gu Qinghuai softened his tone, speaking with a hint of negotiation.

"Um."

Seeing that Gu Qinghuai had finally relented, Lin Xihe nodded hurriedly, afraid that he would change his mind.

"After you've had breakfast, I'll send someone to take you back."

Gu Qinghuai felt a tightness in his chest, as if a lump of blood was blocking his breathing.

He hurriedly placed the bowl of porridge in front of Lin Xihe, then quickly walked away and rushed out of the room.

In order to get home as soon as possible, Lin Xihe reluctantly picked up a spoon and began to eat breakfast.

When Gu Qinghuai returned, an incense stick's time had passed. At this time, his face looked as pale as paper, and his hair was still wet, obviously he had gone through another ordeal.

Upon returning to the manor, Ling Shuang greeted him as usual, unaware that the letter she had delivered had sparked such a fierce argument.

Lin Xihe couldn't bear to let Ling Shuang bear this guilt, so she simply said, "Next time, if there are any urgent letters, don't send them over."

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