Lan Garden.

The moonlight filtered through the window lattice, and everything was silent and still.

Breaths entwined, Wei Zhao held the person and lay down to sleep.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Yu Tingwan sleepily gave Wei Zhao a push, asking for water.

The girl was evidently exhausted, leaning into Wei Zhao’s embrace, sipping the water he brought to her lips.

Feeling that Wei Zhao was feeding her too slowly, she raised her hand to hold the cup herself. But she drank too quickly, unable to swallow in time. Much of it spilled out.

Perhaps it was from calling out too much earlier, her voice was hoarse.

Or maybe she was too dehydrated~

Wei Zhao had to pour water three times before she was finally satisfied.

Perhaps still entangled in her dream, she clung to Wei Zhao’s neck, murmuring softly.

"I dreamed again... dream..."

Wei Zhao frowned, "A nightmare?"

"I dreamed of the young master."

Hearing this address, he narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked down at the frail, boneless girl in his arms.

Yu Tingwan was about to lie down again, but Wei Zhao didn’t allow it.

Wei Zhao: "Who?"

Wei Zhao raised his hand to lift her eyelids: "A man?"

He seized upon the word: "Again?"

Yu Tingwan found him noisy, raised her hand to swat his hand away, and lay back down.

Wei Zhao: "Very good."

He lifted his eyes lethargically to look at the bed canopy. He couldn’t think of anyone in existence like this.

The wind rustled inside the room, the peace charm hanging from the bed veil swayed gently, and with a puff, the light in the room extinguished.

He murmured, "Sharing the same bed, dreaming different dreams."

He sighed helplessly.

Imitating how Yu Tingwan usually poked him.

"This won’t do."

Yu Tingwan, seemingly annoyed by him, accurately grabbed Wei Zhao’s collar.

"It was you, it was you, it was you!"

Wei Zhao fell silent.

It was unclear how much time passed.

Yu Tingwan finally fell asleep again, her breathing becoming steady.

Wei Zhao found it hard to decipher his emotions, unable to sleep for a long time.

His throat rolled once.

"Tsk."

He murmured softly.

"That must have been a beautiful dream."

————

Early in the morning, the sky was bright, and outside came the strange cawing of a crow.

"Noisy!"

It sounded very brash.

"Why don’t you keep making noise!"

In the next moment, it flapped its wings greasily.

"I’m staying in her room, little darling, are you feeling unwell?"

"Even if uncomfortable, endure it. She is the main wife I married into my home with great ceremony. You are just a concubine; don’t think that just because I favor you a little, you can forget your place."

"The son you bear will also be just a concubine-born; how can he compare to hers?"

As Yu Tingwan awoke, her body was sore and weak, leaning on the couch, listening to the commotion outside for a long time. Her body ached.

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

Wei Zhao entered with porridge, as if guessing she would wake up around this time.

"You drank last night. Have some porridge; it will make your stomach feel better."

Yu Tingwan half-sat up, looking at him expressionlessly: "After what happened yesterday, husband, you still had the nerve to make a move?"

Wei Zhao sat down at the bedside.

"Aren’t you aware?"

Yu Tingwan: ?

Wei Zhao admitted, "I couldn’t resist temptation."

Yu Tingwan was indeed hungry, angrily biting the spoon he brought to her.

The porridge was thick, made with old chicken soup simmered overnight, finely chopped greens and mushrooms added, making it particularly fragrant.

Outside, the crow continued its heart-wrenching calls.

"I like those who obey; you, a concubine, can make a little fuss for amusement, but if it goes too far, it won’t end well, understand?"

"Don’t think that just because you’re pregnant, you can be wild in front of my wife. Even if her heart isn’t set on me, so what? Can she defy me every time until I abandon her? Having borne a direct heir, she has accomplished a great service, but what are you?"

"Something that doesn’t know its place!"

Yu Tingwan: ...

"Where did you learn to say such things?"

Wei Zhao: "It flew over to the Second Prince Mansion earlier this morning."

Yu Tingwan understood.

That crippled prince.

The Second Prince Consort had just given birth when he forced her out to hold a funeral for the Crown Prince. She held on until the end, losing a lot of blood.

He could say such things because he cared about the Second Prince Consort.

The Second Prince Consort was initially the fiancée of the Princely Heir of King Yan. Raised by Princess Consort Yan herself.

When trouble befell King Yan, many tried to win her over at the time.

Did not even the Fifth Prince have such thoughts?

But only he had the skill to strike first, then gained the Holy Emperor’s imperial marriage decree, and married her into his home.

Now with a legitimate heir, it seems to compensate for his shortcomings, perpetually eager to try for the throne again.

Naturally, it was to give face to the Second Prince Consort.

Wei Zhao lowered his eyes, lukewarmly: "Isn’t it too noisy?"

Yu Tingwan: "It’s alright."

Wei Zhao: "I feel it’s noisy too, have instructed Fu Meng to drive it away shortly."

Yu Tingwan curiously asked: "Where to drive it?"

"Ying Fuyan just acquired a house, without hosting a housewarming party yet always wanting me to prepare a gift for him. Sending the crow over to keep him company would be good."

A killing blow to the heart, indeed.

With that crow’s endless chatter, in just a few days, whatever happens in the Second Prince Mansion could all be exposed in front of Ying Fuyan.

However...

Ying Fuyan’s house is right next to the Second Prince Mansion.

For what, isn’t it still on his mind.

After eating over half a bowl, Yu Tingwan was full.

Just as she was about to get up, Wei Zhao pressed her back down.

The man placed the bowl on the tea table, not planning to go out today, hence wearing casual clothes.

His demeanor was composed, naturally not one to muddle through, his gaze capturing hers.

"We need to talk."

Yu Tingwan saw him like this, and couldn’t help but sit upright in seriousness.

He smiled, tucking her disheveled hair behind her ear: "Don’t be nervous."

Yu Tingwan: ...

On the couch in this location.

First time for having a serious talk.

Quite novel.

The following conversation was straightforward.

His voice was low and deep.

"A tomb, to learn swimming, the peace charm ineffective for you."

"Knowing what’s about to happen, but from my observation, such situations are rare."

"Waking from nightmares, repeatedly frightened, insisting you’ll come to harm."

Yu Tingwan was slightly stunned upon hearing this and listened as he continued speaking.

"Initially, I thought, why don’t you tell me? Perhaps because of insufficient trust."

Yu Tingwan heard and asked warmly: "Then what does husband think?"

"I soon discarded that notion."

Wei Zhao remained confident: "As a person beside your pillow, I may lack much experience and perhaps not be outstanding, but not to the extent of being that poor."

"I thought, perhaps the ending is too tragic, so you don’t want to mention it, and talking about it seems absurd, fearing I won’t believe you."

Yu Tingwan pressed her lips.

In the beginning... it was indeed like this.

Wei Zhao: "But then I found it implausible."

"Once you are certain of an impending incident, you should tell me so we can plan prevention in advance. But you clearly know too little."

"Recently, the frequency of nightmares has lessened, not trapped within, no visible worry."

"So you believe those are not events yet to come."

Wei Zhao wanted to confirm face-to-face early on.

Although he doesn’t have much faith in superstition.

"Your past life."

Wei Zhao asked: "Is it the past life, right?"

Yu Tingwan pressed her lips.

Then, hesitantly, nodded towards him.

She first looked down at the bed, finally summoning her courage.

"I truly don’t know much."

"Even now, I don’t understand why some scenes often appear before my eyes."

"From..."

She sincerely revealed everything.

No more secrets between husband and wife.

"Pushed into the water by Mrs. Wang in Xilin Village, upon awakening, it was like this."

"At first, I didn’t believe, but time and again, it was validated."

"I saw a snow-blocked mountain, the three men of Hu Family stranded in town unable to return home."

"Saw Mrs. Xiao giving birth to a daughter, I would be sold to a lustful country squire."

"..."