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

Song Wenyuan was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Yuan Ge, whose expression was so complicated it seemed as if he had a thousand words to say.

Yuan Ge stroked the sandalwood box for a long while and said softly, "Yuan Qi was born weak and has spent most of his time lying down these past few years. He has also become increasingly lazy and reluctant to move. Winters like this are the hardest for him to endure."

Song Wenyuan was taken aback. He had heard of Yuan Qi of Zhixuan Mountain, but his limited knowledge seemed insignificant compared to Yuan Ge's reputation. In the end, all that remained was regret: "Yuan Qi, what a pity, he won't live long."

Yet this seemingly light and short-lived ending is something that is deeply cherished by certain people, so much so that any words of comfort seem utterly inadequate.

So he fell silent and took her hand.

Yuan Ge lowered his gaze to their clasped fingertips, his lips pursed almost imperceptibly, and said softly, "I originally learned poison from my teacher; saving lives was never my wish. That's when the name of the Xuan Mountain Demoness spread... But no one expected that even my teacher would be helpless against Yuan Qi's constitution. I refuse to admit defeat... How can I admit defeat... The doctor says he won't live past twenty. If I admit defeat, wouldn't I be accepting this absurd ending?"

“They say I was born with a hard fate, that I would bring misfortune to my father, mother, and brother… I refuse to accept this fate. If I am the one who brought misfortune, then I will do everything I can to save him and let him live a long and healthy life… So I became a doctor halfway through my life. Fortunately, medicine and poison are not separate fields, and although I was a halfway through my studies, I learned quickly. Yuanqi’s health is sometimes good and sometimes bad. When he is in good health, he can accompany me for a walk, but when he is not in good health, he cannot even leave his small courtyard.”

“The Broken Life Flower… was something I prepared for him. It grows on a cliff, and I watched over it every day, waiting for it to bloom, but who knew…” She tightened her grip on her hand, as if that would give her the motivation to continue speaking, “Actually, I don’t know if all my efforts over the years have been effective… He still couldn’t make it past his twentieth birthday.”

Then came a long silence.

A gentle mountain breeze carries a subtle chill, a gentle warmth unique to springtime.

Song Wenyuan turned his head to look at Yuan Ge, noticing her slightly lowered brows, her gently pursed lips, and the stray hairs blowing in the wind. He raised his hand and tucked those stray hairs behind her ear, gently comforting her, "How could there not be? It was an accident, you know that better than anyone, don't you? If it weren't for this accident, he would definitely be able to enjoy a normal lifespan—that's the result of your many years of hard work. Besides, someone risking their health is the most touching thing in the world."

The gentle, deep voice, even gentler than the mountain breeze, soothed a heart that had never truly found freedom since its rebirth.

She woke up in Wen Qian's body, seemingly reborn, and lived a happy life. But only she knew what was locked in that corner of her heart. Countless heavy chains were wrapped around her, locking away those past events that even she dared not easily touch.

That was Yuan Ge's past, and also Yuan Ge's obsession—heavy, dark, and capable of breaking free and devouring people's hearts if one is not careful.

She killed Yuan Qi.

She was born with a tough fate and an inauspicious aura, bringing misfortune to her father, mother, and brothers.

She was born disrespectful of gods and Buddhas and did not believe in fate. However, it wasn't until Yuan Qi died at the age of twenty and she woke up in Wen Qian's body that she began to doubt whether there really was such a thing as "destiny." Was she, Yuan Ge, destined to have few family ties and be all alone? These thoughts grew wildly in her heart, like poisonous vines that entangled her until she was almost suffocated. So she locked all those vines and placed them in boundless darkness.

Until this moment, it seemed as if someone had torn a hole in that pitch-black, gloomy area, allowing a sliver of light to burst through.

Her fingertips, wrapped in a blanket, felt a faint warmth, and she gave a relieved smile. "Yuan Qi always said that my medicine gave him more strength than other medicines... Now that I think about it, even if I brought him poison, he would still say the same thing."

Yuan Qi was always that kind of person; he was the purest and gentlest person she had ever met in this world.

"Song Wenyuan..." she called softly, her voice carried on the wind, tinged with helplessness and melancholy. She said, "I miss him a little..."

Song Wenyuan stroked her hair. “I won’t advise you to forget him… I just don’t want you to overthink and get hurt. I always hope you are at peace and happy, and that you can only think about the warm things of the past. If you really can’t do that, then don’t keep everything bottled up inside. It’s good to talk to me like this… Ge’er, just remember that I am the one who will walk hand in hand with you for the rest of your life.”

Yuan Ge stared at him blankly.

The moonlight was hazy and indistinct, making his features appear somewhat blurred, which only accentuated his sharp and defined features. His deep, dark eyes were long and narrow, like the mist that emerges when a stroke of ink reaches its end, exuding a gentle yet captivating charm that even the most skilled artist could not capture.

"Song Wenyuan, come with me somewhere," she said.

"Okay." He didn't ask where, just nodded and said okay, then gently helped her to the ground.

……

The two arrived at the forbidden area behind the mountain.

The flickering light of the ever-burning lamp illuminated the fresh offerings placed on the spotless altar, and the air was filled with the faint scent of incense.

Yuan Ge respectfully kowtowed before his mother's memorial tablet, lit three incense sticks, then slowly took a step back, bowed his head in silence. All his unspoken words finally culminated in a helpless sigh as he softly called out, "Song Wenyuan..."

"Mm," he responded softly, standing half a step behind her, composed and gentle.

When did it begin that simply calling him by his full name could bring a sense of security, as if even the biggest problems could be easily solved with his help? Yuan Ge tightened his grip on his side, finally making up his mind, "Song Wenyuan... my mother died by my blade."

Song Wenyuan was taken aback, his gaze falling on the memorial tablet. "But you were just a child back then... how could you have the ability to hurt people?"

But he ultimately didn't voice his question. If he weren't certain, why would he stand here saying such things? He lowered his gaze and saw the little girl's tightly clenched fist. He sighed softly, took her hand in his palm, their fingers intertwined gently yet domineeringly, and changed the subject, "When you were asleep, we captured someone from the Murong family, named Murong Jiu. He's the adopted son of the Murong family's steward. He confessed to many things. Would you like to hear them? It'll be good... to give the deceased some answers."

Even if a child hurts someone, he doesn't want the deceased to blame the innocent child.