Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

When Mo Han returned, Yun Chu was sitting at the table drinking tea.

She smiled and greeted Mo Han, "Come, sit here. You must be thirsty from running around." She handed her tea, took the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from her hand, and casually said, "Let me think about what to paint?"

Mo Han accepted the tea offered to her and drank it without suspicion. Then she sat down next to Yun Chu and asked, "I'm not very good at these things. Do you see what I can do?"

Yun Chu put down her pen and smiled at her, "You don't have to do anything."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Han felt Yun Chu's image begin to blur. She looked down at the cup of tea, and before she could react, she fainted on the table.

Yun Chu got up and helped her to bed. "I'm sorry, Mo Han, get some sleep. You've had a tough time these past few days," she whispered.

Then she sat down at the table, picked up her pen, and began to write a letter.

After a short while, she got up, put the letters she had written into the pre-labeled envelopes, picked up one of them, and stepped out the door.

She opened the gate to Qingfeng Courtyard and saw two children playing not far away. The child who had delivered the letter to her last time was also there.

She had seen the child when the carriage passed through the alley, and she vaguely felt certain that perhaps she had made the right bet.

She called out to the child, "Hey kid over there, come here for a second."

The children looked up at the sound and ran toward her.

Yun Chu took out the candy from her pocket and gave it to them.

She asked the little boy, "I saw you near Shilipu a few days ago, and I see you here again today. Do you live around here?"

"Yes." The boy nodded and pointed to a spot not far away. "I live on the west side of the alley."

The alley west is located right between Qingfeng Courtyard and Shilipu.

Yun Chu continued, "Why are you playing here today?"

"A couple of days ago, a boy gave me a big bag of candy and said that if Shili Pu was open, I should go there to play, and if Shili Pu was closed, I should play here."

Yun Chu's heart skipped a beat. "Do you know where that older brother lives?"

The boy shook his head.

Yun Chu lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat disappointed. Had she made a mistake?

"Are you looking for him?" the boy asked.

"Do you know how to find him?" She looked up at the boy.

"That brother said someone was looking for him, so he put the things in the stone cave under Lingqiao Bridge, and he would know about it."

Yun Chu handed over the letter in her hand, "Could you please put this letter there for me?"

"Okay." The boy nodded, took the letter, and ran away.

Yun Chu returned to the bedroom, where Mo Han remained quietly lying on the bed.

She walked to the wooden box, her hand stroking the wedding dress, her eyes slightly moist. She remembered the scene of Gu Ruoxiao delivering the wedding dress more than half a month ago.

"What is this?" Yun Chu asked, looking at the huge box in front of her, puzzled.

"Open it and take a look," Gu Ruoxiao gestured.

Yun Chu opened it and was slightly shocked. Zhu Ling and Nan Rao behind her exclaimed in surprise.

Inside the box were two sets of wedding dresses, along with a phoenix coronet and embroidered cloak. Yun Chu reached out and touched them.

"Why are there two sets?" she asked Gu Ruoxiao.

At this moment, Gu Ruoxiao said somewhat embarrassedly, "The royal ancestral hall ceremony is a bit complicated, and I need to wear palace attire." He pointed to the wedding dress that looked exceptionally formal, "but it's too heavy. I made this extra one, which is lightweight yet still proper. You can wear whichever one you like."

Yun Chu gently stroked the light red dress, her heart enveloped in warmth.

Royal marriages are far more than just troublesome. When she married Gu Chengjie, she suffered quite a bit. Back then, she was full of passion and thought she would persevere for Gu Chengjie, but all her sincerity was in vain. Now it's different. The man beside her has considered so much for her. Perhaps this is the difference between liking and not liking.

“I like it very much,” Yun Chu replied.

Gu Ruoxiao behind him smiled contentedly.

Yun Chu snapped out of her thoughts; she couldn't waste any more time. She picked up the red wedding dress and changed into it.

As Yun Chu stepped out of the bedroom, she took a deep look at Mo Han lying on the bed. "At least you're still alive in this life." She turned and closed the door.

Yun Chu led the white horse out of the stable. It was a horse that Gu Ruoxiao had given her as a birthday gift for her nineteenth birthday. It looked very similar to Gu Ruoxiao's Ta Xue, so Yun Chu named it Chu Xue (First Snow).

"First Snow, thank you for your hard work today." Yun Chu patted its head and led it away from the courtyard.

When they reached the main street, it was bustling with activity. It was a joyous occasion, and many acrobatic performances had been arranged for the day, with people celebrating happily. Yun Chu glanced around, then turned and ran towards the city gates.

This time, Yun Chu is taking a gamble. Given Gu Chengjie's temperament, he might not be inside the city, in the imperial ancestral hall, the imperial city, or even where Nan Rao is being held. A cunning rabbit has three burrows. The most likely scenario is that he'll be outside the city, waiting for things to settle down, and then swaggering into the city—that's what he seemed to have done in his past life.

Isn't it said that two people facing tribulations are destined to be together forever, through countless lifetimes? Then let her lure him out; perhaps this matter should be resolved by her.

She was gambling. If she won, and he came, she would drag him down to hell with her. If she lost, and he was captured by Gu Ruoxiao in the city, then she would go back and apologize to Mo Han properly.

She wanted to be Gu Ruoxiao's final, unexpected weapon.

After riding for almost an hour, Yun Chu arrived at the villa. She dismounted and led Chu Xue to the grassy area beside her.

She didn't tie the horse's reins. She patted its head and said, "If it catches fire later, remember to run. Don't be silly, okay?"

The horse let out a low neigh.

She turned and stepped onto the stone steps, took out the key from her pocket, opened the door, and pushed it inside.

The heavy door creaked open, and Yun Chu stepped inside.

More than four years later, carrying endless memories and complex emotions, she returned to this once familiar yet now strange place. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the withered bushes looked particularly desolate, clearly neglected for a long time. She sighed inwardly.

But Yun Chu had no time for sentimentality; she immediately headed towards the main hall.

She pushed open the main hall door, only to find it empty except for the candlesticks on either side. It seemed the Ye family had sold everything, but that was enough.

Yun Chu walked to the middle steps, found the mechanism, and pressed it down hard. A clicking sound rang out as gears turned. Yun Chu walked back to the main door and pushed it outwards with all her might, then kicked it, but the door didn't budge.

Yun Chu sighed inwardly, "Truly a master craftsman; it's still usable after all these years."

She walked back to the steps, found the unlocking mechanism on the other side, and pressed it again. Click, click—perhaps because of the first turn, the gears made a much quieter sound this time.

She got up and hurried toward the backyard; she had to be quick.