Rebirth is not a dream.

Qin Yi walked briskly back to the mansion and headed straight for Zhichun Courtyard. He walked through the corridors, around the rockery, and finally arrived at the courtyard where his mother lived.

As soon as he entered the front hall, Qin Yi saw Madam Hou sitting on a chair, smiling as she watched Miss Seven fiddle with the flowers. Miss Seven was skilled in inserting the delicate and beautiful flowers into the vase, like a beautiful painting.

Qin Yi walked forward and respectfully saluted his mother. When the Marquis's wife saw her son return, she was delighted and said quickly, "Third son is back, come and sit down." Qin Yi sat down as he was told, and the Marquis's wife asked with concern, "Did you have a smooth journey? Did you encounter any troubles?"

Qin Yi smiled slightly and replied, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I am safe and sound on the journey, and everything is fine." After hearing this, the Marquis nodded, expressing her relief.

Then, the Marquis's wife turned to the Seventh Miss and said, "Come, let your third brother see how our Jiaojiao is arranging flowers. Is she getting better and better?" Upon hearing this, the Seventh Miss raised her head with a confident light in her eyes, and handed the finished flower basket to Qin Yi.

Qin Yi looked at the Seventh Girl's work carefully and couldn't help but admire: "Sister, your craftsmanship is getting more and more exquisite. These flowers have become so lifelike under your skillful hands that I can almost smell the fragrance they emit." Upon hearing this, the Seventh Girl's cheeks flushed and she smiled shyly.

Seeing her children getting along harmoniously, Madam Hou was filled with relief. She took Qin Yi's hand and whispered, "You should take care of yourself when you are outside, and don't let me worry." Qin Yi nodded repeatedly and said, "Son knows, please rest assured, mother."

Qin Jiaojiao knelt slightly and saluted Qin Yi, saying in a tender voice: "Third brother, you have been tired all the way! Third brother is so good to third sister-in-law. He is still worried about bringing so many guards and insisted on escorting her personally. It's not us who asked her to go to such a faraway temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. There are obviously many temples nearby. Why does she have to go so far?"

Madam Hou waved her hand, signaling Qin Jiaojiao not to continue, then turned to look at Qin Yi and asked with concern: "Okay, your third brother must be exhausted after traveling for such a long time, let him go back and rest. By the way, Sanlang, when are you going to go back to the academy to study?"

Qin Yi rubbed his brows and replied, "Don't worry, mother. I will return to the academy early tomorrow morning. I have already informed the teacher in advance."

Madam Hou looked at the high-spirited young man in front of her, her eyes full of love and relief, and said softly, "That's good. There are only a few months left before the Autumn Examination. You must not slack off during this time! You must devote all your energy to your studies and must not be distracted by other things."

Qin Yi nodded slightly, indicating that he understood his mother's good intentions, so he did not dare to be negligent. He replied respectfully: "Don't worry, mother, I will remember your teachings. During this period, I will concentrate on my studies and will never let you down. When the autumn exam comes, I will definitely hand in a satisfactory answer sheet."

After saying these words, Qin Yi bowed to Madam Hou and turned to leave.

Watching Qin Yi's receding figure, Madam Hou secretly prayed in her heart that her son would be able to pass the autumn examination smoothly...

Qin Yi walked out of Zhichun Courtyard slowly and returned to Yunxiao Courtyard with a heavy heart. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he felt a strange tranquility, as if the whole world had frozen.

Aunt Tao walked forward quickly and saluted Qin Yi, but Qin Yi just waved his hand to indicate that she didn't need to be polite, and then walked straight into the inner room. The room was very tidy and spotless, but it lacked a lot of familiar atmosphere - almost all of Su Yue's commonly used items were gone. Qin Yi couldn't help but wonder: Is she really not going to come back?

At this moment, Qin Yi felt as if he had been in a trance since early morning. Various images of Su Yue kept appearing in his mind: her firm and brave appearance when she argued in Zhichunyuan; her gentle and demure, otherworldly demeanor in the temple; and many other unforgettable moments... These images flashed repeatedly in front of his eyes and could not be shaken off.

Qin Yi sat silently beside the bed, staring at the empty room, with an indescribable sense of loss in his heart. He tried to pull his thoughts back to reality, but found that he had already been deeply trapped in it and couldn't extricate himself.

They have been married for three years. During these three years, she has always stayed here quietly, like a pool of still water. And he always thought that he gave her all the treatment she deserved as a wife, but now looking back, he was shocked to find that he was so indifferent and inadvertently ignored so many important details...

Qin Yi stayed in Yunxiao Courtyard for a while, then walked to the front yard. On the way, he called Jiang Yuan and Chuan Bai, and told them to pack the things they needed to bring back to the academy tomorrow.

The night quietly enveloped the earth, and a bright moon hung in the sky. Qin Yi stood quietly in front of the window, staring at the high moon, with all kinds of thoughts in his mind.

The floodgates of memory slowly opened, and he couldn't help but think of Su Yue praying devoutly in the temple. At that moment, he seemed to be able to truly touch the tranquility deep in her heart and her ardent anticipation for a better life.

"Maybe, I really know very little about her..." Qin Yi murmured to himself in a low voice, revealing a hint of regret and self-blame in his words.

Cheng Yingzhi heard that Qin Yi had returned home, and wondered how she could see him. However, although Han Qi and Xiao Cui did not expose her and the Second Madam, the Marquis still confined her to her house, and would only let her out when the Third Madam came back. Cheng Yingzhi could only ask Yu Ma to go out secretly to get the news. Yu Ma heard in the stable that the Third Master was going back to the academy and needed a carriage early in the morning, so she hurried back to tell Aunt Cheng.

The next morning, Qin Yi packed his luggage and prepared to leave. As soon as he walked out of the courtyard, he saw Cheng Yingzhi rushing over. Cheng Yingzhi ran to Qin Yi and panted and said, "Third Young Master, I have something to say to you."

Qin Yi looked at her, a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes, but he still stopped and asked coldly: "What's the matter?" Cheng Yingzhi lowered her head and said softly: "I know I was wrong and shouldn't have plotted against the Third Young Madam. I hope the Third Young Master can forgive me."

Qin Yi sneered, "Do you think I will still believe you?" After that, he walked around Cheng Yingzhi and continued to move forward.

Cheng Yingzhi gritted her teeth and decided to use her last trick. She suddenly knelt down and shouted, "Third Master, please give me another chance because I have served you for so many years!" The servants and maids around looked at her sideways, and Qin Yi's face became even uglier.

He turned his head and glared at Cheng Yingzhi fiercely, "What are you doing? Aren't you ashamed?" Cheng Yingzhi burst into tears, "I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong..."

Qin Yi felt annoyed. He didn't want to get entangled any more, so he said, "Take care of yourself!" and left the Marquis' Mansion without looking back.

When Madam Hou heard that Aunt Cheng was pestering Qin Yi in the front yard in the morning, she said, "Since she likes to kneel, let her go back to her own yard and kneel for two hours."

The second wife was extremely anxious after hearing this. She knew that the wife of the marquis was usually harsh and strict. If she did not plead for mercy as soon as possible, she might bring more severe punishment to her niece. However, at this moment, she was powerless - the second master actually ordered her to be imprisoned in the courtyard to reflect on her mistakes! This undoubtedly made the situation worse and put her in a desperate situation.

Now trapped in the courtyard, cut off from the outside world, the second wife was as helpless as a bird in a cage. She couldn't help but think of the past when she was free and could do whatever she wanted, but reality had so cruelly deprived her of everything. What was even more tragic was that her two daughters had already married, and there was no one around her who could plead for her in front of the marquis' wife. This feeling of isolation and helplessness became stronger and stronger, making the second wife anxious and restless.

Although she was extremely anxious, she was helpless in the face of the current predicament. She could only pray to God silently to protect her niece and look forward to regaining her freedom one day to plead with the Marquis. During this period, she hated Su Yue even more...

After hearing this, the eldest young lady couldn't help but feel strange. She thought to herself, "Mrs. Cheng is clearly seeking her own death!" Su Yue, who was far away in Baiyun Temple, had no idea about these things. Even if she heard about them, she probably wouldn't pay attention to them. After all, what did all this have to do with her?