Chapter 35: Returning Home, Everything Has Changed

After reading the letter left by Steward Li, Jiu'er fell into a daze.

A moment later, a look of steely resolve appeared in her eyes. She wiped the tears from her face and bowed deeply toward Steward Li's body.

"Grandpa Li, rest easy. I will fulfill your final wish."

...

Time slipped away in the blink of an eye. Night fell quickly.

A sudden clap of thunder rolled across the night sky of the Imperial Capital, followed by a relentless downpour. In the backyard of the Earl of Anyuan's manor, the space was desolate, save for the torrential rain battering the earth.

A flash of lightning illuminated the courtyard with a ghostly white glow. Under a large tree, a petite figure stood exposed to the rain. Looking closer, one could see Jiu'er, soaked to the bone, using a shovel to carve into the muddy ground. Beside her, a straw mat lay spread out, with the body of Steward Li resting upon it.

Having read his letter during the day, she understood that his only wish was to be buried here. Tomorrow, the manor would be seized by the Prime Minister’s estate, so she had to bury him tonight. It was fortunate that the rain had softened the earth; otherwise, a girl not yet sixteen would never have had the strength to dig such a pit in a single night.

Half an hour later, with her palms raw and bleeding, Jiu'er finally finished the excavation. Taking one last look at the steward's body, she gritted her teeth, grabbed the edge of the mat, and dragged it into the pit.

"Whew!"

After finishing, she wiped the rain from her eyes and whispered, "Grandpa Li, if you meet the Young Master on the other side, tell him to wait for me. I will come to find you both before long."

With that, she climbed out of the pit, her body shivering from the cold.

"Sss!"

A sharp pain shot through her palm. Looking down, she saw a gash caused by a stone. At that moment, the physical pain triggered the anguish in her heart. She couldn't hold it back any longer and sat in the mud, sobbing.

"The Master is gone, the Mistress is gone, the Young Master is gone, and now even Grandpa Li is gone. I..."

Jiu'er’s face was etched with grief; the rain was cold, her body was cold, but her heart was colder still. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her—the result of being soaked in the rain for too long. In her muddled state, she saw a hazy figure appear before her. She reached out a trembling hand, trying to grasp it, but then the world went black, and she lost consciousness.

In that final moment, she felt herself being wrapped in a warm embrace.

"Is... is that you, Young Master?"

...

"Young Master!"

With a gasp, Jiu'er’s eyes flew open, and she sat bolt upright. She looked around and realized she was in her own room, with a candle flickering on a nearby table. She was stunned. Although she had fainted, her memory remained intact. She remembered collapsing in the rain in the backyard, and since there was no one left in the house, she couldn't explain how she had ended up in her bed.

She touched her forehead and found it burning; she had clearly caught a fever from being out in the rain. Then, she vaguely recalled being held by someone while she lost consciousness.

"I..."

Jiu'er quickly pulled back the covers to check her clothes, only to find that she had been changed into fresh garments. Her expression darkened. Even if it were just an outer robe, it concerned her virtue. Who could have changed her clothes? Had someone returned to the manor? If it had been a woman, it would be fine, but the thought of a strange man changing her clothes made her feel sick, and she felt the urge to cry.

Suddenly, she thought of Steward Li. She ignored her physical weakness, jumped out of bed, put on her shoes, and ran out the door.

A short while later, she reached the backyard and froze. The rain was still falling, but the pit she had dug for the steward had been completely filled in.

"Who on earth could it be?"

Jiu'er was utterly bewildered. She noticed footprints in the mud. Though they were fading under the deluge, she could tell they were fresh. They were much larger than her own—clearly the footprints of an adult man. Fear gripped her heart. Who was this? What did they want?

Despite her fear, she decided she had to find out. Judging by their actions, the person meant her no harm; otherwise, she wouldn't have been left safe and sound in her own room.

*My room?* A spark of realization crossed her mind. The person knew where her room was, which meant they knew her. Could it be a former servant? Taking a deep breath, she began to follow the tracks.

Half an incense stick of time later, she reached the ancestral hall, where the footprints ended.

"Whew."

Jiu'er took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the doors. Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated the hall through the cracks. She saw a figure clad in black standing in the center.

"Ah!"

Jiu'er let out an involuntary gasp, quickly clapping her hand over her mouth. The sound startled the figure. In the dim light, she saw him turn around and start walking toward her. Terrified, she turned to run, but tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground.

"Don't come any closer!"

She scrambled backward on her hands, tears streaming down her pretty, delicate face. The figure didn't stop; instead, he quickened his pace. Finally, he stood before her and crouched down.

*Boom!*

Another bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the courtyard. As the white light flooded the room, Jiu'er saw the man's face and froze.

*What a handsome face,* she thought, before her nervousness returned. *Handsome or not, I don't know him, which makes it even scarier.*

He raised his hand toward her. *Is he going to kill me?* she wondered. She had read in storybooks that villains liked to crush people's skulls. Was this how she would die? Death didn't matter—she had already planned to put on her wedding dress and join the Young Master after burying Grandpa Li. But would it look too ugly if her head were crushed? Would the Young Master dislike her?

In those brief seconds, countless thoughts raced through her mind. Finally, his hand landed on her head. She braced herself for the impact, but after a few breaths, she realized he wasn't applying any force; his hand was just resting there. Was he trying to choose a different way to kill her?

Then, his hand began to rub her head—it was itchy, yet strangely comforting. It reminded her of when the Young Master was still home. Whenever they were together, he loved to rub her head like this, even when he was angry. It felt exactly the same.

*Huh? Exactly the same?*

Jiu'er stiffened and looked up. A handsome face met her eyes—a stranger’s face, one she had never seen before. Yet, why did the sensation on her head feel so familiar?

"Young... Master?" she whispered tentatively.

The man’s hand paused, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He said, "What do you think?"

Jiu'er’s pupils dilated. *That voice!* It was the Young Master’s voice. Even if the face was different, she would never forget his voice.

"Are you really the Young Master?" She covered her mouth in disbelief.

Li Dao reached out and flicked her forehead gently, saying with a roguish air, "Little girl, your Young Master is short a little sidekick. Want to come with me?"

Jiu'er trembled. "Young Master, it really is you!"

She threw herself into his arms. She was certain now; every gesture and tone was identical to the day the Young Master had found her and taken her home—a secret known only to the two of them. No third person in the world could know that.

Feeling the girl’s excitement and her frail frame, Li Dao’s heart ached. "You little girl, you haven't been eating properly while I was away, have you? Why are you so thin?"

"Have you forgotten what your Young Master told you?"

Jiu'er kept her face buried in his chest, her voice muffled. "You said you liked soft girls, but... but I couldn't eat after you were gone."

She burst into tears. Even now, she couldn't believe it; she felt as if she were dreaming. Everyone had told her he was dead—the household, Grandpa Li, everyone. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

Li Dao sighed and looked toward the empty courtyard. He hadn't expected that in just over three months, the great Earl of Anyuan's manor would have fallen into such ruin, with only this young girl left to stand guard, and his old steward buried in the back. It felt as though the world had turned upside down.

But who was to blame for all this?

He looked down and found that the girl had fallen asleep in his arms, her small hands clutching his clothes tightly, as if afraid he would vanish if she opened her eyes. It seemed that with her Young Master back, she was finally sleeping soundly for the first time in three months, a tear-stained smile lingering on her face.

"I'll let you have your way just this once, little girl," Li Dao murmured.

...

"Young Master!"

Jiu'er woke with a start, her eyes darting around until they landed on a figure sitting at the table.

"Young Master!" She scrambled out of bed, barefoot