A piece of Japanese incense

As night falls and the stars twinkle, I close my eyes, and my soul is like a fairy that has taken off its heavy shackles and floats away from its heavy body. In the painting of my dream, I transform into a sky elf, flying across the shimmering sea, through layers of clouds, and soaring towards the unreachable sky.

However, dreams are not always so peaceful and beautiful. Suddenly, it turns into a chaotic battlefield, with fear and anxiety following closely.

I wandered in the maze-like streets, looking for a way out, but found that the scenery around me kept changing like a kaleidoscope, and it seemed that I would never find the way home.

My heart was beating faster and my clothes were soaked with sweat. I tried to shout but found that I had lost my voice.

I witnessed a little girl in a light pink skirt fainting on the ground, her hands and feet tightly bound with rough hemp ropes.

A few strands of hair stuck to the sweaty forehead, and the young face was covered in dirt and dust beyond recognition.

She wore a gold-woven belt with a few small pearls on it around her waist; she had two small buns on her head with a pair of emerald butterfly hairpins inserted in them, which fluttered gently in the breeze, like butterflies dancing among the flowers; she also wore a crystal-clear jade necklace around her neck...

(Hey? This outfit...why does it look so familiar...)

While my mind was still churning, several men's voices came from the side:

"I think this little girl is about to die, so let's just leave her here so we can go back and report back."

"Yes, brother. I heard there are wolves on this mountain. This little broken house can't resist the wolves if they come."

"Clean up the scene and don't leave any traces."

Each of them had his face covered, and as one of them was putting out a fire, his scimitar revealed the mark of a dog and a crescent.

I suddenly realized that this scene was exactly the same as when I first came to this world! After they left, I used a torch to burn the rope and escaped, then hid in the bushes and waited for Yu Nian to appear.

Why am I dreaming about this?

Just as I was lost in thought, a young boy quietly slipped in and patted me gently: "Wake up! Wake up!"

(Huh? Who is he? Why did a little boy suddenly appear?)

The young man was dressed in a brocade robe, with a wide belt embroidered with gold thread around his waist, soft-soled cloud-head shoes on his feet, and a small jade crown on his head with long tassels hanging on both sides. His robe was embroidered with exquisite cloud and water wave patterns.

Xiaozhi Yihe was shaken awake and burst into tears. His nose turned red from twitching constantly and his little mouth was pursed in grievance.

The boy untied the ropes on her body, covered her mouth and warned: "Don't make a sound! It will lead them back!"

Xiaozhi Yihe ignored him and struggled and cried. She broke free from her restrained hands and legs and threw herself at the boy violently: "Who are you! Let me go! I want to find my daddy! Mommy! Wuuuu! I want to go home..."

The boy's back, being beaten by the twigs, was like dark red ink, gradually spreading out and forming irregular blood flowers.

(Is he... Apan?)

Aban suddenly turned his head and looked out the window in horror. His pupils dilated rapidly, as if he had seen something terrifying.

"Oh no! They are back!" A panicked Aban jumped up suddenly, held Xiaozhi Yihe's hand tightly, and fled from the dilapidated hut like a rabbit.

They hid themselves in the lush grass. Xiaozhi Yihe pursed her lips tightly, trying to block out the heart torn by fear, but sobs still leaked out sporadically through her clenched teeth.

"Everyone be careful! If we don't catch them, we will die!"

"Don't worry, bro. We are in this area. We can't get away!"

All the muscles in my body froze instantly, and my heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. The beating rhythm was disrupted and turned into a series of rapid and chaotic drum beats.

Aban covered Xiao Zhiyi and the frightened cherry mouth with his hands. The two tender bodies clung to each other in the shadow of the night, waiting for those figures to gradually go away until there was no sound.

The sky gradually turned pale, and at this moment, Zhi Yian led a group of people, broke through the morning mist, and found their hiding place...

Xiaozhi Yihe woke up in Ah Ban's arms and heard the bell of her own carriage. She rushed out of the bushes, opened her arms, and shouted loudly: "Daddy! He'er is here! Daddy!"

Zhi Yian held little Zhi Yihe in his arms, but his eyes passed through the crowd and fell on A-ban who was standing in the distance.

He gently handed Xiaozhi Yihe to his mother's arms, then took a few steps to Ah Ban's side and whispered a few words to her. After that, he stretched out his hand, took Ah Ban's hand, and boarded another carriage parked nearby...

(What’s going on? Is that little girl me? But why is her experience different from mine? Where’s Yu Nian?)

"He'er hates mother! He'er wants to find father! It's all mother's fault for not protecting my brother, that's why father didn't come home! It's all mother's fault! I can't keep father's heart! He'er wants to find father!"

Xiaozhi Yihe was yelling loudly in front of the bed. Yunhe was lying on the bed with his limbs spread out weakly, sobbing with his eyes closed.

(This was when my mother had just experienced a miscarriage. She stayed in bed for half a month, and then she asked for a divorce from Zhi Yian. I remember that I was very relieved at the time, and I was glad that she could get rid of that scumbag! Why did she make such a fuss?)

"Mother was once married and still lives in my grandparents' home. He'er is in the business world. How can Daddy know what the outside world thinks of He'er? He'er's reputation has been ruined! Daddy! Please take He'er into the palace! He'er longs to be reunited with Daddy and my brother. You are He'er's family! He'er doesn't want to endure the world's pointing fingers anymore!"

Xiaozhi Yihe knelt on the ground, hugged Zhi Yian's thighs and cried.

(No! What on earth is going on? Why is he going into the palace on his own? Who is he?)

"Tiantian, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I'm living under someone else's roof in this palace, treading on thin ice, and I still have to look at Miss Fang's face to act. How can I throw away my life for our childhood friendship?"

Xiaohan knelt on the ground and begged Zhi Yihe, but she pushed him away.

(Childhood friendship? Did I play with Xiaohan when I was a kid?)

"Miss, for the sake of your reputation, you must never have any private contact with His Highness Zhixu again!" Yu Tuan warned in a serious tone.

"But if I don't see him again, I'm afraid he will forget me. I stepped into this deep palace, isn't it just to see him! Good Yu Tuan, please! Please help me deliver this letter to him personally, I swear to heaven, this will only happen once! Please!"