What if I really didn't notice?
"It's my fault for not being there for you." Hearing Qin Su say this, Yu Shuo felt somewhat guilty. He dared not imagine what Qin Su would do if she hadn't noticed the palace maid's strange behavior and something had really happened to Yuan Yuan.
"This has nothing to do with you." Qin Su shook her head, curling herself up even more in Yu Shuo's arms. "I've been thinking about it, how could I not notice that person's strange behavior? Impossible. It's too obvious. Usually, when Mother wants to see Yuanyuan, she sends Granny Qin."
Even if Granny Qin disliked her, she would still treat her with respect for Yuanyuan's sake.
Therefore, the fact that the person who came was not Granny Qin is a huge oversight.
"You can't be with us every moment. It's good that Yuanyuan is alright."
Qin Su was somewhat tired.
After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Qin Su went to see Yuan Yuan again. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, she gently stroked her soft face with her fingertips, then lifted the small blanket before returning to her own courtyard.
It seems to have snowed in Kyoto; it's a bit cold.
Qin Su looked at the falling snow outside the window and fell asleep without realizing it.
...
There's a banquet at the Prime Minister's residence today, and Xue Huai'an asked her to go and take a look. Qin Su didn't like such occasions, but remembering Xue Huai'an's request, she decided to go anyway.
Nannan had a fever yesterday, so Qin Su didn't take her to the Prime Minister's residence.
As Qin Su alighted from the carriage, she stared at the plaque of the Duke of Cheng's mansion. She suddenly froze, then quickly realized she was dreaming. She dreamt of the day her daughter, Nannan, had her accident in her previous life.
Thinking of this, Qin Su immediately lifted her skirt and ran quickly towards the Duke of Cheng's mansion.
Perhaps because it was a dream, Qin Su couldn't quite grasp what was happening. When she and Lian Tao rushed back, they saw Chen Yirou's ferocious face threatening the little girl.
The little girl was quite young, and she walked with a slight stumble.
Normally, if Qin Su comes back, she will run over with a smile and hug her legs.
Qin Su would then take the opportunity to hold the child in her arms.
But today, the girl, who had a fever, stared blankly at Qin Su, her eyes devoid of any light.
Qin Su rushed over and squatted down, nervously holding the child's arms in her hands. "Little girl, do you still recognize your mother?"
She knew this was the beginning of Nannan's self-isolation. At this moment, she couldn't care less about Chen Yirou. She just tried her best to tell the child, "Nannan, what she said is not true. No matter what happens, Mom will protect you."
However, the child's eyes remained empty, without the slightest focus.
Qin Su hugged the child, overwhelmed by pain and regret, and tears streamed down her face.
In the next dream, she saw Yuanyuan, still an infant, being taken away by a palace maid whose face she couldn't see. The maid took her to the edge of a pond, where a hand mercilessly grabbed the baby's neck. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop her and could only watch helplessly as the maid strangled the child to death and threw her into the lotus pond.
Qin Su suddenly sat up in bed, covered in cold sweat and panting heavily.
The pain in her chest was unbearable; she clutched her chest tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"What's wrong? Having a nightmare?" Yu Shuo was startled awake by her. He got up and pulled up the blanket. Seeing her frightened state, he felt both heartache and helplessness.
He pulled Qin Su into his arms and said, "Still thinking about tonight?"
Qin Su obediently leaned against him, her tears wetting his collar.
She considered herself a strong person, but when faced with her child and those who hurt him, she simply couldn't bear it.
"I had a dream."
Yu Shuo gently patted her back, "It's all just a dream. Dreams are always the opposite of reality, and I'm here."
As long as he is alive, as long as he has a breath left, he will do everything in his power to protect the mother and daughter.
Qin Su grabbed Yu Shuo's collar. She knew better than anyone that it wasn't a dream; it was something that had actually happened.
The only thing that didn't happen was what happened tonight.
"I dreamt of Chen Yirou. Chen Yirou threatened Yuanyuan, scaring her so much that she became silent and like a puppet after the fright." She cried as she spoke, extremely vulnerable.
Chen Yirou?
Yu Shuo thought carefully, but he didn't remember this name.
Who is Chen Yirou?
Qin Su said, "She is the illegitimate daughter of Vice Minister Chen, and is now Xue Huai'an's wife."
"Her and Yuanyuan?"
In a panic, Qin Su hugged Yu Shuo tightly and impulsively said, "Actually, I am someone who can start over."
Yu Shuo didn't know, but the abbot of Yuntai Temple said that her rebirth was caused by Yu Shuo, so... he would definitely be able to accept the fact that he was reborn.
Yu Shuo remained silent, simply listening quietly as she continued.
“It’s just that I died once.” She explained calmly, “In my past life, I didn’t break off my engagement with Xue Huai’an. After we got married, His Highness went to the frontier. At that time, I thought Yuanyuan was his child.”
Suddenly, fragments flashed through Yu Shuo's mind—fragments of Qin Su's repeated questions to him: "If she hadn't broken off her engagement with Xue Huai'an, would he have gone to the border?"
The answer is yes.
He didn't want to stay in Kyoto and watch them be affectionate, so he chose to escape.
Qin Su nestled against Yu Shuo, seemingly trying to draw warmth from him.
“In my past life, Ziyu rarely returned to the capital and never saw Yuanyuan. No, that’s not right. Yuanyuan wasn’t called Yuanyuan in my past life.” She wiped away her tears, buried her face in Yu Shuo’s chest, and said in a muffled voice, “Not long after I married Xue Huai’an, Chen Yirou entered the mansion, and not long after, she harmed Nannan.”
"Then...who killed Susu?" Compared to the child, Yu Shuo was more concerned about Qin Su.
Who killed her?
"Xue Huai'an".
Yu Shuo finally understood why Qin Su had repeatedly harbored murderous intent towards Xue Huai'an; this was the reason.
No wonder she called off the engagement, even on their wedding night.
That's the reason.
A murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
"I will avenge you, my husband."
Qin Su continued, "Xue Huai'an not only harmed Yuanyuan and me, but also my family. My father was framed by Xue Huai'an and disappeared, and my mother also disappeared while searching for my father. Xiaozhi had both legs broken by Xue Huai'an while trying to protect me and Nannan."
The more she spoke, the more tears she shed.
"Later, when she held all the power, I was no longer of any use to her. So she poisoned me and strangled Nannan to death. It was only then that I found out that Nannan was not her daughter."
"It's my fault." Yu Shuo felt extremely upset.
"If I had known you would encounter these things later, I would have asked my brother, the Emperor, to grant you marriage against your will, and I would have told you that Yuanyuan is my child."
She might not be happy to be forced to marry him, but at least she won't have to go through those things.
"Fate is cruel." That was all Qin Su could say.
"So I want to kill Xue Huai'an! I want him dead! I want the entire Duke Cheng's mansion dead!" Every word she uttered was filled with bone-chilling hatred.
She didn't want to continue this entanglement with Xue Huai'an; she wanted to close the net!
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