Chapter 1: Rebirth_1

"My lady!"

The hurried sound of footsteps echoed behind me.

Chunlan returned with the medicine and noticed that Ying Shi had opened the window. She quickly stepped forward and shut it with a soft "click."

"It's freezing outside! Why must you always cause trouble?" she exclaimed.

Looking around, Chunlan saw that the room was empty—no one was in sight. She muttered under her breath, "Where have those two servants gone? They're so sly, I suspect they've gone to the front yard to collect their rewards."

They had actually left their ailing mistress alone in the room!

Realizing too late that she had spoken out of turn, Chunlan quickly fell silent. But when she looked at Ying Shi, she saw her turned slightly, her clear eyes meeting hers.

In those silent eyes, it was as if nothing could escape their piercing gaze.

Though Ying Shi had been sleeping more than she had been awake these days, she hadn't lost consciousness completely. Outside, gongs and drums resounded, and the maids in the yard rushed to the front yard to ask for their tips.

She had heard the sounds many times, and could already guess what was happening.

Thinking back to Ms. Fu's visit two months ago, with her swollen belly, Ying Shi understood it all too well.

In an instant, the emotions that had festered inside her—the sorrow and pain—came flooding back, relentless and overwhelming.

It was repulsive, as though all the blood in her body had rotted and turned foul with those memories.

Ying Shi took a deep breath, steadying herself. She didn't want Chunlan to see her sorrow.

But when Chunlan saw her like this, her heart shattered.

The woman on the bed, once as beautiful as the morning sun, had been tormented by the Liang family into this sorry state… How could Chunlan not despise them?

Chunlan's voice was tight, almost grating, as she hissed, "Fu thinks that if she has more children, she'll be above you, able to rest easy? She's dreaming! That woman has no shame when it comes to men! How many in this house truly respect her?"

Ying Shi watched Chunlan's lips move and suddenly pressed a hand to her mouth, her head lowering as a violent cough overtook her.

The coughs wracked her frail body. She was so weak that she couldn't even sit up straight. She coughed uncontrollably, using a handkerchief again and again, but the blood still stained it.

Seeing this, Chunlan dared not provoke her any longer. "I just made some pear soup. I'll bring it to you right away! They say it helps with coughs. You'll definitely feel better after drinking it."

In the cold winter air, sweat beaded on Ying Shi's temples. She was so thin that even the mattress couldn't support her, yet her cheeks held a faint flush.

She smiled at Chunlan, her eyes softening. "Maybe I'm feeling better today. I have more energy, and I don't feel as uncomfortable as before."

"Please, don't go. Stay with me. I've always felt sorry for you. You've suffered with me all this time. I haven't had a moment of peace in so long..."

Hearing these words, Chunlan couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "My lady, none of this is your fault! It's the Liang family who has wronged you! It's all because the Third Master has no conscience! That vile Fu family took advantage of everything! They took the Third Master and all that was meant for you!"

If it weren't for Chunlan's words, Ying Shi might have almost forgotten about it.

Ying Shi's surname was Ruan, and her ancestors had once been nobles. But by her generation, their fortunes had taken a downturn.

Not long after her birth, war broke out. Her father died defending the city, and her mother followed him, remaining loyal to her husband.

Only Ying Shi, barely two years old, survived, left to be raised in Beijing.

Fortunately, Ying Shi still had her clan to look after her.

And fortunately, she still had... Liang Ji.

Liang Ji was the man chosen to be Ying Shi's husband before her father's death.

They were childhood sweethearts, their bond close and inseparable.

From the time she could remember, Liang Ji would scale the courtyard wall every day to play with Ying Shi.

At their childhood banquets, their laughter and conversation were filled with joy.

Life under someone else's roof was difficult, but Liang Ji would secretly bring Ying Shi treats and little trinkets, anything to make her smile.

The friendship between childhood companions is unlike any other; no one could compare to it.

Even when they grew older and Ying Shi moved to another county with her uncle and aunt, their meetings became rarer.

Yet, by then, love had already taken root in their hearts.

Though they were hundreds of miles apart, Liang Ji would often ride alone through the night to secretly meet Ying Shi.

More than one hundred and sixty miles—yet the young man would travel back and forth on horseback in just a day and a night.

When Ying Shi turned fifteen, the families began discussing their wedding date, and the six marriage rituals were performed.

The wedding was set for the following March, when the flowers bloomed and the willows were lush.

The betrothal gifts from the Liang family were sent by boat to the Ruan household, and Ying Shi's dowry was also delivered early to the Liang mansion.

Ying Shi would never forget that night.

It was as cold as the day before, with frost and snow filling the sky.

A young man, dressed in black, climbed the tree in front of her boudoir wall.

His dark eyes were fixed on the girl who opened the window at the sound.

Outside, the wind and snow swirled in, and delicate snowflakes, like goose feathers, landed on her dark eyelashes and temples.

The young man smiled freely, revealing two rows of white teeth, and said boldly, "I'm here to see my bride. Who dares to drive me away?"

"Ying Shi, this time I'm going with the capital to recover Heluo region. Don't worry, I'll return before the wedding date, and I'll win fame and honor for you, just like my father and brothers did!"

Ying Shi was upset that day.

She was unhappy that he had to go to war before their marriage, and she was unhappy that he didn't seem to put her first in his heart.

She turned her face away and said nothing, making the young man, whose cheeks were frozen purple, promise her everything and try to comfort her.

He feared that while he was away at war, she might grow angry and turn to someone else.

She, too, was afraid that he wouldn't return in time, for the battlefield ahead was changing rapidly, and in his absence, she might remarry.

"Wait for me. You must wait for me," the young man kept repeating, reminding her of everything, foreseeing every possible consequence in advance.

But he never expected that he wouldn't return.

Liang Ji left, and no letters came back.

As the wedding date drew nearer, there was still no news of him.

The woman, kept in seclusion, knelt before the Buddha day and night, copying scriptures until her eyes grew weak.

But the scriptures did nothing in the end. She waited for half a year, from winter to summer, until the wedding date passed.

Then came the news that Liang Ji had died in battle.

It was said that he had been pierced through the heart by thousands of arrows. His body was hung on the city wall, devoured by hawks and sparrows, and later discarded in the wilderness.

Ying Shi's heart broke when she heard the news. From that moment on, she could no longer eat or sleep.

She remained awake, her eyes open, tears flowing without end.

Later, she learned that Liang Ji's body had been brought back by his family.

He had promised to return and marry her. If he didn't, she would marry herself.

Even if the sky fell, nothing could stop her from marrying Liang Ji.

Even if he had already become a wandering ghost.