After rebirth, she became the favorite of the powerful minister.

But now, those sealed memories have returned.

Even Granny Dou didn't know what exactly happened at the banquet that night. There were too many unclear aspects to the matter, but everyone present had already been silenced. The only person who knew the truth was her own young lady. Granny Dou was usually very careful with her words, and now she didn't even dare to mention it.

She was just a teenage girl, thin and small, wrapped in a blanket, like a kitten.

"Miss……"

Grandma Dou was heartbroken, but she couldn't say a word, only calling out to her in a trembling voice. The girl, however, seemed oblivious, tilting her head and giggling as she looked at Grandma Dou. "My mother always calls me Little Ge'er… Grandma, you should call me Little Ge'er too, and my teacher likes to call me Little Ge'er too… Teacher… Teacher…"

The little girl's expression visibly fell silent. She slowly turned her head to look at Song Wenyuan behind Grandma Dou, pouted, and cried.

Yuan Ge was carried back by Song Wenyuan.

She held the thin blanket, and he held her. The girl had lost a lot of weight; the extra flesh she had gained recently was almost gone. She didn't say a word the short distance, only calling his name softly once they entered the courtyard, "Song Wenyuan." She spoke his full name, and then, from under the blanket, she tugged at his collar, glancing at him. The alcohol still lingered in her eyes, but her mind had cleared somewhat.

She asked, "Song Wenyuan, do you believe in fate?"

Before Song Wenyuan could answer, she continued, "I didn't believe it before. So-called fate is just an excuse for the incompetent. If I wanted something or wanted to do something, I wouldn't care about the will of Heaven. But now I believe it… I think I must be destined to have shallow kinship with my father, mother, and elder brother. Those rumors on Zhixuan Mountain back then, now I think, weren't entirely unfounded. I just didn't expect that even my teacher…"

Her low, husky voice, which seemed to dissipate in the wind, seemed to have countless tentacles, piercing straight into his heart and bones. His body sensed her voice even before his ears.

I also sensed her emotions much earlier.

Song Wenyuan paused, glancing down at Yuan Ge in his arms, his heart pounding with alarm: Feng Qingtan? Earlier in the pavilion, Song Wenyuan had sensed something was wrong, but no matter how he tried to signal Xu Chengjin, the boy just leaned against the railing, head down, drinking in silence. So he assumed the two of them had just gotten drunk and had a quarrel. He never imagined it was about Feng Qingtan. No wonder he had noticed something was off about Feng Qingtan earlier.

He looked down at Yuan Ge, who had her eyes closed and was nestled against his chest, breathing evenly as if she were asleep.

Song Wenyuan didn't press Feng Qingtan about what had happened. He just tightened his arms, swallowed hard, and then said softly, "Don't worry... No matter what happened, I'm here for you. We'll figure out a solution together."

After taking two steps, he said again, "Jingchen said I was born with a tough life and am not afraid of being overcome."

Yuan Ge's breath hitched.

She wasn't actually drunk. Although she had drunk a few extra cups to drown her sorrows, she wasn't drunk at all. She was just overwhelmed with grief and didn't know how to face the situation. She vaguely foresaw a separation, like a premeditated and deliberate arrangement, or like a sudden clap of thunder on a summer afternoon. But in any case, it was destined to be beyond human control.

Tears welled up from the corners of her eyes, seeping into her dark brocade robes.

……

When Song Wenyuan came out of Yuan Ge's house, he saw Xu Chengjin waiting under the tree. Xu Chengjin raised his chin slightly towards the house and asked, "Asleep?" His voice was low.

Song Wenyuan nodded, walked to the tree, took the wine jug from the other person, shook it, and frowned, admonishing, "Drink less. You've had quite a bit tonight, haven't you?" He glanced at his chest, where the dampness was even more pronounced, feeling like a cold, hard stone pressing against it, making him feel sluggish and listless. He pressed his lips together, took a large gulp from the wine jug, and slowly exhaled…

He had been holding his breath for a long time, and finally let it out with a sip of wine. He asked the person opposite him, "What's wrong, teacher?"

"I'm sick." Xu Chengjin said succinctly, then added, "It's quite serious, and I'm afraid even I can't help much this time."

"It's actually quite difficult to admit this." Xu Chengjin lowered his head, kicking the tree trunk absentmindedly. After a long while, he forced a bitter smile and said, "Being flattered and fawned over in Shengjing City for so long, it's inevitable to become arrogant and believe that you're only half a step away from being called a 'miracle doctor.' That half step was only because I was being modest... Song Wenyuan, to be honest, I thought so until today."

Song Wenyuan listened quietly without saying a word.

Xu Chengjin didn't need Song Wenyuan to say anything. He had just been holding it in for too long and wanted to talk to someone. If he couldn't find anyone, talking to the tree in front of him would be just as good.

"I can't cure the Nine-Turn Intestinal Severing Powder, but this poison is inherently vicious. There are only a handful of people in the world who can cure it, and those are all divine doctors. I'm still half a step behind—that's how I comforted myself at the time. But why haven't I been able to help at all along the way... Yuan Ge is, and so is my teacher. Song Wenyuan, that feeling of helplessness tormented me all night. I don't know where things went wrong. Aren't I the medical genius that everyone praises? Aren't I the genius who returned from studying at Zhixuan Mountain? Aren't I a guest of honor at the Imperial Medical Academy?"

"How could I... be unable to help at all?" He leaned against the tree trunk, slowly squatted down, buried his face in his hands, and choked up.

It looked like she was crying.

Song Wenyuan turned around and looked back. "What exactly happened?"

Xu Chengjin sat cross-legged against a tree trunk, hugging his knees and pondering for a moment before sighing softly, "Yuan Ge almost got into trouble... My teacher had no choice but to use the only 'Wei Rui' tree he had. Only three fruits... How could that be enough? I should have realized it beforehand, how could three small fruits possibly be enough... So, he used his blood to nourish himself, using his own body as a catalyst. Yuan Ge said that the Wei Rui fruit is far more poisonous than the Wei Rui itself... Wen Yuan, I just wanted to, I just wanted to be of some use..."

Song Wenyuan lowered his eyes and opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked. In the end, he said nothing. The word "comfort" seemed so pale and powerless.

He finished the last sip of wine in the pot, patted Xu Chengjin on the shoulder, sighed softly, and walked outside.

After taking only a few steps, he heard Xu Chengjin choke up behind him, "Song Wenyuan, I might not have a teacher anymore..."

The voice was kept very low, as if afraid of startling the people in the room. Because it was kept low, it sounded even more forceful and trembling.

Song Wenyuan's feet stopped, and he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into the boundless darkness. The little girl must be in so much pain right now...