The courtyard of the Prince Ping's residence was always simple and elegant, with a constant, refreshing fragrance that contrasted sharply with the grandeur of the rest of the estate.

  Bai Qingqing looked out the window. Beyond the courtyard walls, the servants were decorating, and she knew that her husband, the heir to Prince Ping, would soon return with his childhood sweetheart.

  On the small table in front of her, there was a delicate tray with a fine wine pot, gleaming with a cold light. Bai Qingqing picked up the pot to pour herself a drink, but her hand trembled uncontrollably.

  Had she known that Fu Yiyi harbored such deep affection for another woman, she would never have begged her father to marry him!

  She loved Fu Yiyi so much, from the moment she first met him at the spring flower banquet. In her eyes and heart, he was the only one. She didn’t care about his indifference or distance. He was naturally aloof, so she would be more proactive, more passionate…

  But it turned out that Fu Yiyi also had emotions, though he never directed them toward her.

  The cold wine glass chilled her fingertips, and it also chilled her heart.

  The Bai family had fallen from grace. Everyone, except for her—married off—was imprisoned. She had gone to plead with Fu Yiyi, but her father would never do such things. What she hadn’t expected was that Fu Yiyi left the next day, not to help the Bai family, but to eagerly bring his childhood sweetheart back.

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  Bai Qingqing’s eyes ached, almost splitting open. She had cried for so long, but her tears couldn’t compare to even a fraction of the distress Fu Yiyi had for the woman he had kept hidden in his heart.

  It was the Princess who told her the truth. From the moment Bai Qingqing begged her father to marry Fu Yiyi, he had hated her—hated her for taking the place of the woman he loved, for occupying the position of the wife of the heir to Prince Ping.

  “But Yi’er is soft-hearted,” the Princess had said regretfully. “When the Bai family fell, he couldn’t just ignore it. But you’re the daughter of the Bai family, and his position made it difficult for him to act. If there was a reason, it might have been better…”

  Bai Qingqing remembered the Princess’s disappointed expression. She wasn’t stupid; she understood the Princess’s implication. As long as Fu Yiyi was willing to help the Bai family, she was willing to provide the reason.

  With trembling hands, she brought the wine glass to her lips, closing her eyes as two streams of tears fell down her cheeks. She raised her head and drank it all in one go.

  She was willing to give up the position of the heir’s wife, if only Fu Yiyi would help her family, just once, for the sake of their marriage.

  A sharp pain in her abdomen left Bai Qingqing weakly sprawled on the table, the wine glass rolling off her hand and falling to the floor. Her vision blurred and twisted, and in the haze, the noise from outside the courtyard suddenly faded. It was as if she could hear Fu Yiyi’s voice.

  That year, when the plum blossoms stood proud in the spring snow, she stood under the tree, mesmerized. A gust of wind blew, and Fu Yiyi, passing by, sheltered her from the falling snow, causing her heart to fall entirely for him.

  Bai Qingqing opened her mouth, and warm, iron-tasting blood poured from her throat. It was as if she could truly hear Fu Yiyi’s voice, filled with urgency and helplessness, a tone she had never heard before. She wanted to laugh. She was about to die, and yet still hoped for such illusory things. What was the point?

  ...

  "Big Sister, Big Sister."

  Bai Qingqing's head throbbed. She lifted her hand to shoo away the voice in her ear, wondering why death wouldn't allow her a peaceful end.

  "Big Sister! If you keep sleeping, you'll make a fool of yourself!"

  The bright voice gradually grew clearer, and Bai Qingqing suddenly opened her eyes, staring at the person speaking. Her little sister, Bai Yaoyao, was sitting by the couch. When she saw that Bai Qingqing had woken up, her face was full of relief. "Finally awake. We came here for the banquet; how can you fall asleep by yourself in the warm room?"