Rebirth: Ordinary Life and Living

Jin Youyuan sent everyone away. He slowly lifted the veil and gently approached Zhou Xinyue. Looking at Zhou Xinyue's miserable appearance, he felt as if he was covering his heart with both hands, strangling his throat, and was in pain and unable to breathe.

Looking at the bruises on Zhou Xinyue's face, Jin Youyuan couldn't help but put his hand over. He wanted to touch her face and ask her if it hurt and why she hurt herself like this.

Before his hand touched his face, he gently lowered his head and looked at his blood-stained dress, his heart surging.

Thinking back to the days when I ran into you in the forest, in that narrow cave, we boiled tea around the fire, the warm bonfire illuminated the innocent you, we talked about everything under the sun, talked about life, and remembered that you once dreamed of a simple life. You once said to me: "For me, I don't have as big ambitions as you. Although the world is big, only home is the foundation, only home is the root. I just want a place to accommodate one person, and chat with three or five friends in the courtyard in my spare time. In spring, I drink wine under the peach blossoms and drizzle. In midsummer, I enjoy the coolness and fan myself to appreciate the summer moon. In autumn, I watch the osmanthus flowers fall. In winter, I drink wine and talk about heroes. I think this is life, this is where life is."

Recalling Zhou Xinyue's fantasy of a beautiful and happy life, and then looking at Zhou Xinyue lying on the bed covered with scars, his thoughts were as messy as a fishing net, getting tighter and tighter, as if reaching directly to the heart, causing a dull pain.

Jin Youyuan didn't know what was wrong with him. This feeling was so strange and he had never experienced it before. Jin Youyuan gently covered Zhou Xinyue with a quilt, stayed beside her for a while, and then went out.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Xinyue was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window. When she opened her eyes, it was Erdan.

Erdan was staring at her with his eyes wide open. When he saw her wake up, he shouted excitedly, "You woke up, haha, you finally woke up, my God, my sister, you finally woke up, you worried me so much, do you know that?"

Zhou Xinyue said softly, "What's wrong? Why are you so excited?"

Erdan quickly poured a cup of hot water, came over and gently helped him up and said, "Do you know how long you have been unconscious?"

Zhou Xinyue saw that she was drinking the water in a hurry, and her movements seemed a little anxious. Erdan said distressedly, "Slow down, don't be anxious."

Zhou Xinyue choked because she drank the water too quickly and kept coughing. Erdan said distressedly: "See, I told you to slow down."

After that, he took a few soft gold-thread pillows for her to use as cushions. Erdan then said softly, "I'll go to the kitchen to get some porridge. Wait for me."

Before Zhou Xinyue could react, Erdan disappeared.

Zhou Xinyue looked around and realized that the room was so big and luxurious. The bed was carved with many dragons and phoenixes. The tables, chairs and benches were made of golden orchid wood that ordinary people could not afford. There was even a dressing table filled with all kinds of rouge, powder and jewelry. The gauze curtain was gently swayed by the wind blowing in from the door that Erdan opened. The sunlight from outside the room was very soft under the light blue gauze curtain.

Everything in this room exudes luxury, it is not a mansion at all. Zhou Xinyue looked at the room in disbelief. As she looked around the room, she even felt that the clothes she was wearing were so comfortable.

The material is icy cool. I don't feel hot and uncomfortable in this hot weather. Instead, I feel cool yet warm. Even the quilt is soft. It's really comfortable.

Just as Zhou Xinyue was lost in thought, Erdan came running over with a big bowl of porridge in his hand.

Erdan said happily: "Look, I put a lot of precious things in this porridge, including bird's nest, ginseng, red dates..."

Zhou Xinyue suddenly said, "Stop, where is this?"

Erdan's eyes revealed a hint of excitement and he said, "Guess?"

Zhou Xinyue said in confusion: "How should I know? My memory is still stuck on the day I joined the clan. I remember that the master seemed very angry and wanted to kill me, and then I don't know."

Erdan said happily: "Drink this and I will tell you slowly."

Zhou Xinyue glanced at the porridge and said, "I don't think I have an appetite."

Erdan was unhappy and said, "You have to eat even if you have no appetite. If I hadn't force-fed you food bit by bit during this period, I would have used ginseng to keep you alive and you would have used it to gain strength to speak. People are lamps and food is oil. Without oil, your lamp would be extinguished."

Zhou Xinyue saw Erdan staring at her anxiously and seriously, and she covered her mouth and laughed.

Erdan was furious when he saw Zhou Xinyue covering her mouth and laughing. He slapped her angrily and said, "Oh, I'm serious. If you do this again, I'll call Guard He and ask His Highness to come down and he'll scold you."

Zhou Xinyue was laughing, but she slowly stopped laughing and said seriously, "What? Your Highness? Sister, what do you mean? You don't mean..."

Erdan looked at Zhou Xinyue and said, "Yes, we are in His Highness's residence now."

Zhou Xinyue looked at her in disbelief and said, "Oh my God, we are actually in his house? I knew it, the layout of this room and the materials used are very expensive, it's obvious that this is not an ordinary family. Sister, why am I here, how did you and Sandan get here? And, how is the situation at the mansion?"

Erdan said in a depressed mood, "I heard them say the other day that His Highness took you away from Princess Yan'an. At that time, the Fourth Aunt wanted to kill you, but it was the Princess who tried her best to save you, and His Highness took you back to the mansion. As for the mansion, they put Master Jinlang's body in the cellar and froze it."

Zhou Xinyue's eyes turned red as she asked, "Why? Why not hold a funeral and bury him?"

Erdan continued, "In order to silence the gossips of the people, the family doesn't want outsiders to know about this matter, and doesn't want outsiders to associate Young Master Jinlang's death with you, so they are keeping it a secret for the time being. When these people from the family leave and the excitement of the initiation ceremony is over, we will pick an auspicious day to hold the funeral and tell the public that he died of illness."

Zhou Xinyue was in a low mood. When she thought of that day, Jin Lang ran to her with all his might, his heart and eyes were full of her, and he wanted to take her away, and he was willing to fight against the feudal ethics for her, Zhou Xinyue felt as if her heart was being stabbed by needles, and her heart was broken like glass cracking from the inside out, as if it was about to burst at any moment.

Zhou Xinyue frowned, pursed her lips, tears dripped like pearls, lowered her head, began to sob and said sadly: "I'm sorry for him, I really didn't mean to, I didn't think of hurting him, I didn't think he would go that way, sister, I really didn't mean to hurt him, I'm really sorry, I really let him down, I don't even have the chance to say sorry. He is really a good man, I'm sorry for him. I killed him."

Zhou Xinyue covered her face and started crying. Erdan said distressedly, "Sister, don't cry. I know you didn't mean it. I know you are upset. I am here with you."

Zhou Xinyue leaned on Erdan's shoulder and sobbed. Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, I see you are here. My men just reported that Lord Wang has been waiting for you in the side hall for an hour. He said he has something important to discuss with you."

Zhou Xinyue and Erdan's bodies tensed at the same time. Zhou Xinyue stopped crying immediately and her body froze. A handsome man in gorgeous black clothes with gold thread stood outside the door. He stood at the door with his hands behind his back.

No one saw the expression on the man's face at this moment, it was as if a dark cloud was covering his face, and his fists were clenched tightly, as if he wanted to crush something.

The voice came from a guard named He Shi, who was the personal master of the 29th Prince and was inseparable from the 29th Prince Jin Youyuan.