Chapter 6: Zhou Jin Garden

The body felt so tired. Since learning of Liang Ji's death in her previous life, Ying Shi had lived like a living corpse.

She could neither eat nor sleep, barely surviving each day.

Now, with her mind emptied, exhaustion overwhelmed her.

She chose to completely give in, closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

The next thing she remembered was the clamor around her. She seemed to have been lifted into a sedan chair, and someone kept wiping her face with a handkerchief, feeding her honey water.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already quite dark.

The windows and doors were half open, and a slight breeze made the curtains sway. The soft light from candles flickered in the room, casting a glow on the simple bed and the carved wooden furniture.

She was in the Liang residence—Zhou Jin Garden.

This was the place she had never been able to escape from in her previous life.

Zhou Jin Garden was the newly renovated courtyard in the Liang residence, prepared for the newlywed couple—Liang Ji and Ying Shi. It was a small garden inside the Liang estate, designed with great care.

It was originally meant to be their home for the coming years, with the spaces carefully rebuilt to accommodate them. They had even installed a lotus pond, study, and music room.

Originally filled with wedding decorations, everything had been replaced with simple white linen after Liang Ji's death.

Ying Shi was very familiar with everything here, having spent eight years of her past life trapped within these walls.

Even with her eyes closed, she would know the place by heart.

She sat quietly by the bed, staring at the room for a long while, unable to understand why heaven had chosen to make her reborn at this time.

She tried to recall everything from her previous life but couldn't remember how Liang Ji had been saved. She only knew that news of his survival had reached them from the Luoyang region—six years later, in the fall.

As for where Liang Ji had been during those six years, she had no idea.

The man she had once thought of as her lifelong partner had already died in her heart the moment he returned.

She cried and buried the past, unable to find any more strength to care about anything else.

Now, looking back, Ying Shi felt nothing but regret.

If she had known more back then, if she had been more cautious, perhaps she wouldn't be in such a painful situation now.

Calculating the time, it had been more than two months since Liang Ji went missing on the battlefield.

He had long been saved by his future wife.

Maybe they had already married.

What should she do now?

Could she continue waiting, as she had in her past life, for them to return and trample her dignity again?

She sighed deeply.

"Are you awake? Why didn't you call for me?" A familiar voice sounded from outside the room.

Hearing that voice, Ying Shi froze for a moment.

She turned; her gaze fixed on the small figure in the doorway. She couldn't believe her eyes—it was Gui Niang, who had passed away two years ago.

Yes, it was at this time that Gui Niang was still alive.

She was healthy and well.

"What's wrong? Why didn't you answer when I spoke? Did something happen during the day?" Gui Niang asked, concern written all over her face.

Gui Niang had been Ying Shi's mother's personal maid. She was younger than Ying Shi, and when Ying Shi's mother passed away, she was assigned to take care of Ying Shi.

Since Ying Shi's parents had passed away early, all the old servants had gone one by one, leaving only Gui Niang.

Gui Niang had always been protective of Ying Shi, and during her life, she had always been the one to shield Ying Shi from suffering any wrongs.

Even when Ying Shi insisted on marrying into the Liang family, Gui Niang had quietly supported her, managing everything for her in the background.

But what Gui Niang didn't know was how much hardship Ying Shi had endured after her passing...

Ying Shi didn't dare blink, afraid that if she did, Gui Niang would disappear. She feared that if she blinked, tears would begin to fall.

The night passed in restless turmoil for Ying Shi. As soon as she closed her eyes, memories flooded her mind, stirring the deep pain and resentment in her chest.

She clenched her teeth, enduring the anguish in silence, the torment relentless, until dawn broke. With dark circles beneath her eyes, she finally rose from the bed.

"Help me comb my hair, keep it simple, and choose something plain to wear. I must go and greet the old madam," Ying Shi instructed Chun Lan.

Chun Lan hesitated and advised, "The doctor specifically said yesterday that the mistress should rest and avoid exertion. Why don't I go on your behalf to explain to the old madam? You should rest a few more days."

But Ying Shi was already on her feet.

"I've already missed two days. I can't delay any further," she said, her voice firm.

Chun Lan, seeing her resolve, no longer insisted, and began preparing the water and towels to wash her face, then took the comb to fix her hair.

As Chun Lan worked, she couldn't help but sigh, "You're a new bride now, you can't style your hair the same way anymore."

Not only could she no longer wear a complicated hairdo, but she could no longer adorn herself with the usual accessories either.

Chun Lan carefully styled Ying Shi's jet-black hair, sweeping it into a simple hanging cloud bun, adorned with a single white silk flower pinned at her temple. She added a pair of simple silver earrings, completing the look.

As she gazed into the mirror, the reflection of a youthful face stared back at her.

A soft moonlight filled her brow, the peach blossom light flickered across her cheeks. Despite the simplicity, the face radiated a quiet, subtle beauty.

At sixteen, Ying Shi had the health and vitality of youth—such a refreshing contrast from the past.

As Chun Lan brought in the clothes, she added, "The outside world must already be gossiping about yesterday's incident in the incense hall. The Liang family is so particular about their reputation; you must go apologize properly to the old madam, just admit that yesterday was a mistake. There's no need to explain anything else. No one can blame you for it."

Ying Shi nodded in acknowledgment.

She understood the necessity of going to greet the old madam. In her previous life, she never had the chance to meet the old matriarch until half a month after Liang Ji's funeral. They had never been close, and she had always kept her distance because of the negative influence of Wei Fu Ren, who frequently spoke ill of the old lady, saying that the matriarch treated her unfairly and never showed respect.

But time had given Ying Shi a different perspective. In her second life, she was no longer swayed by the prejudices of others. She realized that, while the old madam had her strict ways, she was far more transparent and upright than Wei Fu Ren, who was filled with malice and deceit.

She resolved not to make the same mistakes as before. There was no need to purposely offend people, especially the old madam, whom she could not afford to alienate.