After the noble lady was reborn, the whole mansion begged her for forgiveness

The northern frontier is covered with snow and biting north winds.

Qi Qiyuan stood alone, his figure gradually blurred by the flying snowflakes.

It is like a stone statue that has experienced many vicissitudes of life, silently telling of indomitable spirit and tenacity.

He should have been the brightest star in the Dongyue Imperial City, enjoying the supreme glory and pampering of his family, but he voluntarily buried this glory deep in his heart and turned it into the hardest rock in the north, weathering all kinds of hardships and remaining steadfast in his determination.

The years have left faint marks on his face, but have not been able to erase the light in his eyes.

Sometimes the light is as hot as the sun, illuminating every corner of the battlefield and making the enemy tremble in fear; sometimes it is as gentle as water, silently licking the unknown loneliness and persistence in the heart in the dead of night.

On the battlefield, he led the troops from the front, and every charge seemed like a battle with fate, which made the emperor and aunt who were far away in the capital city worried and uneasy.

What most people consider as their final destination, became a corner that Qi Qiyuan deliberately avoided.

"Qi Qiyuan!"

Shen Ling's voice penetrated the wind and snow, interrupting Qi Qiyuan's thoughts with a bit of urgency and concern.

He did not turn around, but just responded softly. There were too many unspeakable emotions hidden in that voice, including a polite response to his friend, and a faint helplessness about his peaceful life that was about to be disrupted.

Shen Ling hesitated to speak, his eyes wandering between Qi Qiyuan's back and the hurried footsteps outside the door.

He knew that although he was not fully aware of the news of His Majesty's urgent summons, he could guess some of it.

It was not just a call for military duties, but also a reminder from the emperor about Qi Qiyuan's marriage.

After all, Emperor Dongyue did not like to see him marry Qin Suling.

"You're here." Before Shen Ling finished his words, Cao Weigui rushed into the house with the cold wind and a secret letter. His eagerness seemed to freeze even the air.

Qi Qiyuan finally turned around, his eyes as sharp as torches, instantly locking onto the bamboo tube in Cao Weigui's hand.

The moment he took the letter, a complex expression flashed across his face, from a furrowed brow to a gradually relaxed expression, as if he had experienced a fierce inner struggle.

Seeing this, curiosity drove Shen Ling to move closer, wanting to find out what was going on.

However, Qi Qiyuan's indifferent response was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his enthusiasm.

"It's nothing."

These four simple words reveal an unquestionable determination.

Although Shen Ling felt unwilling, he also understood that there were some things that he could not easily touch.

He could only smile bitterly and use jokes to cover up his embarrassment and loss.

"You're such a busybody."

Shen Ling secretly complained in his heart, although his voice was low, it was loud enough for Qi Qiyuan to hear clearly.

But he did not get angry about it. He just shook his head slightly and continued to immerse himself in the content of the secret letter, discussing with others the follow-up arrangements of "she already knew about the affairs of the Yongyi Marquis' Mansion."

At this moment, in addition to the righteousness of his family and country, there was an indescribable complex emotion in his heart, which was the worry about the unknown and the expectation for the future.

In that long and silent afternoon, the sunlight filtered through the window lattice, scattering mottled images on Shen Ling's slightly pale face. Although he had expected everything, the moment the truth cut through his disguise like a sharp blade, his face still rippled slightly, just like the surface of a lake being gently brushed by the breeze, rippling with layers of imperceptible waves.

"Are you okay?..."

This almost became the most natural greeting on his lips, but when the word "sister" was about to come out, he was abruptly frozen by the other person's eyes, which were as deep as the night sky and seemed to hide endless stories.

Shen Ling's words seemed to be frozen by the sudden frost in winter. There seemed to be thousands of words in his throat, but in the end they only turned into a few light coughs.

He tried to adjust his breathing and asked in a more appropriate tone: "Is everything okay lately?"

Qi Qiyuan stared at the note in his hand. There were only a few words on it, but they carried so much unspoken emotion.

He was silent for a moment, and then he said in a low and slow voice: "... everything described in the letter is peaceful and there are no disturbances."

However, behind this simple response, lies his complex and unspeakable emotions and concerns for her.

Qin Suling stood not far away, facing the sudden change, without showing a trace of panic or sadness.

The tears and struggles that people usually think would follow seemed to have lost their rightful place in her.

She turned around and gently comforted the equally shocked woman beside her with extraordinary calmness and tenderness. Her composure was like a flower quietly blooming in spring, not fighting or competing, but with its own style.

Shen Ling's eyes were involuntarily attracted to the small portrait on the table. The person in the painting was simply sketched, but exuded a sense of freedom and unruliness that transcended the world.

This should have been a source of some comfort in his heart, but at this moment, looking at the portrait, Qi Qiyuan's heart seemed to be pressed down by an invisible rock, heavy and suffocating.

He would rather see her burst into tears, venting all the pain and unwillingness in her heart, than see her so indifferent, as if she regarded everything as a passing cloud.

Are you afraid that expressing your emotions will put you in the spotlight again and make you a laughing stock in the eyes of others?

Or has the wind, frost, rain and snow over the years already made her indestructible, allowing her to remain indifferent to all the joys and sorrows of the world?

The revealed past events flashed through Qi Qiyuan's mind, like a sharp blade, cutting into his heart one by one.

Every time hope is rekindled, it is accompanied by deeper disappointment.

Perhaps, it was these experiences that taught her how to walk alone in the wind and rain, without sadness or joy.

His clenched fists were shaking slightly due to excessive force, and the paper under his fingertips was almost crushed, but then he seemed to realize something and quickly loosened his fists, only to see that a corner of the statue had been wrinkled by him inadvertently.

He frowned and gently smoothed the tiny marks with his fingertips. Every movement revealed his inner struggle and reluctance.

Naturally, this subtle movement did not escape Shen Ling's sharp eyes.

"What are you doing?"

There was some confusion and concern in Shen Ling's voice. He slowly approached, trying to read more information from Qi Qiyuan's expression.

But Qi Qiyuan just shook his head slightly and responded in an almost evasive manner: "Nothing."

Then, he turned and walked to the desk, and began to arrange the next affairs, with a tone of unquestionable determination: "After the matter in Beijing is settled, you need to go to Hangzhou in person and take care of everything in Baiwan Building. I don't want her past to become a shadow of her future life."

"As for those two villains," Qi Qiyuan said with a more complicated tone, "I have ordered Zhuo to track them down. You need to bring them to justice and give her justice."

At this point, he paused, as if he was weighing something in his mind, "But remember, you must act cautiously and don't let her know, so as to avoid more trouble."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ling nodded silently, but in his heart he felt a little more respect for Qi Qiyuan, who seemed indifferent but was actually affectionate.

He knew that everything Qi Qiyuan did was to protect the woman who occupied an important place in his heart.

Even if this protection requires him to bear all the weight and decisions alone.