Shu He returned to the room to check on Xiao Yi'er once more. Seeing her sleeping peacefully and soundly, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After a simple meal and a quick wash, Shu He finally lay down in bed. She had hoped for a good night’s sleep, but the warmth of the bed left her unable to find any peace. Memories of two lifetimes played on a constant loop in her mind, leaving her marveling at the mysterious and wondrous nature of the world.
She had been born into a fourth-rank military official’s family in the Capital, with two older brothers who shared the same mother. Her mother had passed away from complications during childbirth. Not long after, her father promoted his concubine to the position of legal wife, and she went on to bear him a son and a daughter. Her stepmother was a woman well-versed in hypocritical tactics; she wore one face in public and another in private, spinning the entire Shu family around in circles! And yet, not a single member of the Shu family had ever noticed!
For the sake of her own children, she had raised the two legitimate sons of the Shu family to be useless, and ruined the reputation of the legitimate daughter, Shu He. In the end, Shu Kelin still believed that the woman was a saint and that all the children born to his late wife were good-for-nothings—pieces of mud that could not be molded.
When she was twelve, during the royal hunt, Shu Kelin—though only a fourth-rank military official—had earned the right to attend because of his past merit in saving Prince Cheng. That year, the young Shu He had seen the man who would haunt her dreams and occupy her thoughts for years to come.
Deep within the dense forest of the royal hunting grounds, Shu He had wandered off and lost her way. Just as she was looking around in a panicked state and crying, she saw a youth. He was mounted on a fine steed, full of heroic spirit; though he had not yet reached adulthood, he possessed an almost divine bearing. He held a massive bow with rock-steady composure. With a single flick of the string, accompanied by the whistle of air being pierced, a sharp arrow flew toward her.
She thought the arrow was aimed at her, but as the sound of flesh being torn rang out, she felt no pain at all. Looking back, she realized that a snow wolf had appeared behind her without her ever noticing! Now, the wolf’s pristine white fur was stained with blood, and a vibrating arrow was lodged deep in its flank.
The youth spurred his horse forward, stopping in front of her. He saw a chubby little girl, her face streaked with tears and dirt like a little tabby cat—looking pitiful, yet somewhat adorable.
"Which family’s young miss are you? How did you end up deep in this forest? Don't you know how dangerous it is here?"
Later, he had someone escort her out.She had only heard others call him the "Seventh Prince," and she had remembered it.
Later, she kept asking about the Seventh Prince, but unfortunately, the gap in status between her and that person was too vast, and she had no way to reach him.
Two years later, she heard her fourth sister say that she was on good terms with Fu Qingrong, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's estate, and that Fu Qingrong knew the Seventh Prince and could help her find out about his preferences. She believed it.
After that royal hunt, she was rarely allowed to leave the house, and her only source of news was chatting with Shu Yue.
Her fourth sister had said that the Seventh Prince liked plump women. So she just kept eating. Originally just chubby, she later ate herself into a massive, heavy figure—to the point where, whenever she felt dejected and sad later on, she loved to vent her emotions through eating.
Her fourth sister had said that the Seventh Prince most despised women who dabbled in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or acted overly delicate and pretentious, calling it utterly vulgar. She believed that too; she stopped reading poetry and books, stopped studying musical tones, and even sealed away the old guqin left behind by her mother.
Her fourth sister had said that the Seventh Prince would be drinking at Apricot Blossom Tower in the Capital. She believed that as well, changed into men's clothing, and went to the largest pleasure quarter in the Capital, solely to catch a glimpse of the Seventh Prince.Yet, when she left in disappointment, her identity was exposed on the spot, and from that moment on, her reputation was utterly ruined!
That year, her fourth sister said that the Seventh Prince was heading to the battlefield once again, and that she had begged for a packet of "blessed talisman powder" from a temple master. Her sister claimed that anyone who consumed this powder would be blessed by the heavens to remain forever unharmed!
That day, her fourth sister handed the "talisman powder" to her, saying that two days later the Seventh Prince would attend a floral banquet at the Chancellor's estate. The sister also told her that the young lady of the Chancellor's estate had extended an invitation as well, framing it as an opportunity for her to confess her feelings.
She believed it!
Yet what happened afterward plunged her entirely into the abyss. She had no idea why she ended up in that room, nor why the man she had yearned for and dreamed of for years was suddenly acting so "wild" with her.
Clearly, she had only intended to watch him from afar...
He was furious, acting like a madman, his terrifying eyes gazing at her as though he intended to slice her to pieces...
And the most terrifying part of all was that their affair was discovered. Outside the room, a crowd had gathered, filled with countless horrifying faces...They mocked her and cursed her, their faces—clearly exceptionally beautiful—becoming unimaginably hideous in that moment.
That memory was truly too agonizing to look back on. Shu He did not even want to recall it any longer. She could not understand how her past self could have been so foolish and naive.
Was there a single word spoken by her fourth sister, Shu Yue, that hadn't driven her to utter damnation? How could she have gone to look for her after discovering she was pregnant? How could she have hoped that she would help her contact the Seventh Prince?
If she hadn't found the wrong person, how could her soul have fallen into another realm for thirty years when she later gave birth to Xiao Yi'er?
During those thirty years, she had been abducted by an underground network organization, learning the arts of killing and survival from childhood, eventually becoming a top-tier assassin who commanded wind and rain in that world! In her spare time, she read countless books and constantly searched for a way back! But until her very last mission, when she was betrayed by her most trusted companion and died under the barrel of that person's gun, she was finally able to return...
In those thirty years, she had endured countless hardships, suffered countless injuries, and absorbed every bit of knowledge she could get her hands on, through grueling immersion, simply to make herself stronger! Simply so that when she returned, she could protect her child whom she had never yet seen...
Yet she had still returned too late! Although only three years had passed here, how much suffering had these three years brought to Xiao Yi'er?!
The past was already a fait accompli; no matter how much she regretted it now, it was useless.
Looking at Xiao Yi'er beside her—with a face so pale that she was frowning even in her sleep—guilt and self-blame surged within her. "Xiao Yi'er, don't worry, Mother will definitely avenge you!"
And as for those who had bullied her, one day, she would settle the accounts with them one by one!
The night was deep, but the falling snow all over the sky and the vast expanse of white made the night clearly visible.
Zhang Zhirou and Zhang Zhili had just returned to the estate when they saw Steward Uncle Zhao looking at them with a pale face.
"Uncle Zhao, what is wrong with you? Your complexion is so poor."
"Miss, the eldest young master has returned!" Uncle Zhao quietly said these words to the two of them.
"Big Brother is back?!" Zhang Zhirou, not yet realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately led Zhang Zhili and trotted toward the inner hall.
"Miss, young master, run slower, watch your step!" Uncle Zhao originally wanted to say more, but the two of them ran far too fast, giving him no opportunity at all!
Alas, he could only let them fend for themselves.
"Big Brother!" Zhang Zhirou's first sight was of Zhang Zhiyi, who sat in the main seat with a solemn and stern expression. Just as she was about to speak of encountering Shu He, she noticed another man sitting beside him: "Head Constable Qin?"
Why was Qin Yi'an here?
Upon seeing Zhang Zhirou return, Qin Yi'an immediately stood up and bowed to her, then straightaway questioned, "Miss Zhang, where is that woman you encountered today?"
Zhang Zhirou's delicate brows furrowed slightly. The smile on her face vanished, replaced by a trace of chill. "Head Constable Qin, are you interrogating me?"
An unnatural look crossed Qin Yi'an's face. He had been too anxious just now and had actually lost his composure!
"Miss Zhang has misunderstood. Qin does not mean that. Qin is merely concerned for the safety of the Miss and the young master. That woman you met this afternoon is very likely the perpetrator of the West Suburbs murder case..."
"Head Constable Qin!" Before Qin Yi'an could finish, Zhang Zhirou interrupted him. "What does it have to do with me whether she is the culprit or not? Since you say you are worried about the safety of my younger brother and me, well, you can see for yourself that we have returned home safe and sound without a single hair harmed. Can't you leave now?"
"Arou, do not be rude!" spoke the imposing man in the main seat, his silver armor not yet removed, the snowflakes on it melting into water and sparkling under the candlelight.
Zhang Zhirou glanced at her older brother, her eyes filled with a trace of dissatisfaction. Why was he helping an outsider?
"Miss Zhang, I heard that that woman followed your carriage. I must ask the Miss to tell me her whereabouts so I can investigate the truth of the matter. Rest assured, if that person has nothing to do with the murderer, I certainly will not make things difficult for her with malicious intent!"
Qin Yi'an wore an upright and righteous expression, which made Zhang Zhili roll his eyes in spite of himself. However, he kept his mouth shut, fearing he might say the wrong thing; keeping his mouth shut was definitely best.