He Le'an felt more and more wronged as he spoke, and the more wronged he felt, the more tears fell uncontrollably.

  Don't even mention how heart-wrenching it is, my heart is about to shatter into a thousand pieces. Hurriedly pulling her into his arms, "If others provoke you or make life difficult for you, you can take revenge and make them suffer even more. If you can't get revenge or need help, just tell your husband, I'll deal with them." How dare they make my An'er unhappy, it's really infuriating.

  He Lian was choked with sobs, several times wanting to speak but the words were stuck in her throat and couldn't be spoken. He patted her back and comforted her for a while before she said: "This...this might not be too good, I feel like I'm bullying you after pulling you into this."

  He smiled wryly, "Having kindness in your heart and taking pleasure in doing good is your creed. However, having kindness in your heart and taking pleasure in doing good doesn't mean that you should let others bully you without fighting back or scolding them back. When you've been bullied, repaying with virtue is a way of self-preservation, and counterattacking those malicious intentions is just self-defense. If someone offends you by an inch, retreating by a foot is already a kind intention."

  "If someone repeatedly provokes you and you are unwilling to show mercy, when you could have given him a quick death but instead choose to torture him to death with various methods, that is what's truly cruel."

  He Le'an thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. With tears streaming down her face, she buried herself in his warm chest and murmured, "It's so great to have you." Any anxiety or unease was easily soothed away.

  In her previous life, she was insatiable and wanted everything for herself, but ultimately ended up with a tragic fate.

  In this life, she is content and happy, cherishing what she has, only wanting to protect and maintain it well.

  **

  Early in the morning, a thread of fine and delicate sunlight scattered a ground of bright and shining golden threads.

  A woman with skin as smooth as jade and eyebrows like willow leaves, her face as lovely as a lotus flower emerging from the water, slowly woke up from her sleep. She turned to call for her maid to bring water for washing, but before she could even turn around, she saw a dead person's terrifying face right in front of her, which made her heart almost stop beating. She couldn't help but let out a terrified cry: "Ah!"

  All she saw was the face close at hand, with a pair of eyes staring at her, as if resentful and indignant, full of unwilling accusation. She thought of how she had bribed this person to cause trouble, and she became even more flustered, frightened, and fearful. Her voice trembled with a cry of fear, and the maid finally arrived upon hearing the sound. Before she could ask any questions, her face was already pale from being startled by the bloody head on the bedside...

  **

  On the fifteenth of March, Zhong Sunsi married off to the young master of the Yi family. At the banquet, everyone was discussing how Dongfang Niang had fallen ill after being frightened by an evil spirit and still hadn't recovered. To ward off the bad luck, she had already been betrothed to the young master of the Tai Ning Marquis's household in the capital and would be sent there soon.

  Because He Shi has not been taken back to Zhuo Yibo's mansion by Shao Da Jiu, now if Dai Shi takes Shao Yingxue out for a walk, it is also to restore some reputation to the Bo Mansion which was messed up by He Shi and Shao Yingxiu. It happens that Shao Yingxue has reached the age of marriage, so there are many people who come to ask about her.

  Even if the Dai mother and daughter didn't have much prejudice against He Le'an, the relationship between the Bo and Hou households was no longer the same. When they met, it was only a awkward nod of greeting, even Old Zhuo Yi Bo rarely attended banquets, but when he saw her, he pretended not to see her, everyone knew that the thin emotional connection between the Bo and Hou households had indeed disappeared.

  He Le'an came out of the toilet, walked around the garden, and suddenly forgot the exit, got lost on the way, and stared at a cluster of pink peony flowers that were also there when she came. But the bluestone path next to the peony had changed to a goose warm stone path. She wanted to go back, but after walking back for a while, she turned around again, and everything around her was quiet, not even a maid or servant, and the hope of waiting for someone to rescue her seemed slim.

  “……” He Le'an began to think seriously. If she shouted loudly, wouldn't it be very rude and embarrassing? But before she could figure out what to do, a rustling sound came from the rose bush, as if something was about to emerge, eerie in the quietness.

  She subconsciously took two steps back, and in a flash of her gaze, she saw a snake as thick as a woman's arm, with a light golden white color, crawling out from the green onions. It seemed to be searching for a faint sound, and its dark eyeballs were staring at her intently, "...".

  He Le'an thought, maybe she shouldn't have gone out today. She got lost on the way to a wedding banquet and then got lost again while looking for the restroom. To make matters worse, she encountered a snake. The snake looked very venomous but didn't move, and neither did she. All she could do was hope it would think she was dead and slither away quickly.

  But this snake was also very arrogant, staring at her and staring at her, as if tired, actually closed its eyes, as if it had fallen asleep.

  He Le'an was sweating profusely, her mind a jumbled mess. She couldn't decide whether to leave or stay, so she rummaged through the books she had read before, searching for anything related to snakes, especially things that snakes were afraid of. But all she could think of were the thirty-two ways to cook snakes. All she could do was silently mourn for herself for thirty-two seconds.

  With a bitter expression, He Le'an removed the small ornaments from her head, weighed them in her hand, and then threw one of them with all her might towards the far corner of the wall. The snake was startled by the loud noise and suddenly opened its eyes. She threw another one, and the snake chased after the glint of gold, she rejoiced and quickly threw out the rest of the small ornaments in her hand, making the snake chase after them even more eagerly, then swiftly ran off in the opposite direction!

  He didn't dare to turn his head back, so he couldn't see a flash of dark green color jumping down from a pagoda tree, blowing a short whistle, and the shallow golden white snake seemed to have received some command, crawling towards him, but he was looking in the direction He Le'an left. A soft laugh escaped: "Interesting."

  **

  He Le An, who was panting heavily, slowed down her pace after making sure the snake wasn't chasing her. However, as she turned a corner hastily, she was blocked by a wall of flesh and lost control due to the sudden impact. She collided with the person in front of her and fell backwards, but fortunately, the man quickly grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her up, "!!!!!"

  He Le'an's small face, which had turned red from running, was suddenly scrunched up in pain due to the intense grip on his arm. The person slowly came back to their senses and loosened their hold. With a mocking smile, they said: "The rules of your family, the House of Jianing, are truly one-of-a-kind. You don't participate in the lively atmosphere of the front hall, yet you run around in other people's backyards."

  "...you might not believe it, but in the residence of Zhi Yibo, there are snakes as thick as an arm. I got lost and was blocked by a snake." He Lian said with a calm tone, "Xiao Qiugongzi often has free time and likes to wander around other people's backyards, but I don't have such strange habits." With a light touch, he deflected the incoming dart and sent it flying back.

  Xiao Qi heavily snorted: "That's a pet from the Eastern region, its fangs have been removed and it can't bite people."

  "It's still frightening." He Lian said with a matter-of-fact expression: "Arms as thick as snakes."

  Xiao Qi's expression turned cold as he thought of Xie Ye, who had taken the position of the richest man in the Xiao family. As soon as he thought of Xie Ye, he couldn't help but switch to his sarcastic mode, and even forgot that she was just a weak woman. Suddenly, he remembered the night of the reward ceremony, when she had cried with tears streaming down her face in response to the malicious taunts, and he let out a mocking snort, saying:

  "It's not a detour, just walk along the corridor from here, pass through two semi-circular stone gates and you can reach the front hall directly."

  "Thanks." He Lian said with a big smile, lifting the sky blue skirt and walking lightly in the direction he pointed.

  **

  Recently, spring rain has been frequent and dense. The patter of the raindrops is endless, making people feel lethargic and unwilling to go out.

  At the end of March, Old Lady He settled the marriage before Third Uncle He's birthday. The back-and-forth between the two families went very smoothly and efficiently. The wedding was scheduled for the 15th, which wasn't rushed but also lacked some of the dignity that a noble family should have had. Fortunately, this was Miss Xiao's own suggestion, so there was no intention on the part of the Marquis' household to give them a warning as a merchant family.

  Under the eaves, a few girls sat by the window, admiring the view, sipping tea and eating pastries, discussing their own situations and talking about the latest news in town. Xue Huiyu said, "The day before yesterday, Dongfang Wu went to the capital, because of the long distance, she was escorted by her eldest brother."

  He Le'an didn't care much about Peng Xiaohuo being bought by Dongfang Niuniang, and after hearing the news, he just let it go. However, He Le'yan smiled and said: "Even if it's a rushed marriage, she won't lose out. Just last time, I heard Father mention it casually, and now the Tai Ning Hou Fu is a big red person in front of the emperor. She married into the Hou Fu as the young master."

  Xue Huiyu, although she was no longer on good terms with Dongfang Niangxiang, didn't mind seeing her do well either. She nodded and went along with it: "The old lady of the Tai Ning Hou Fu who passed away many years ago was the biological sister of the old lady of the Zhi Yi Bo Fu. It seems that when the Tai Ning Hou Fu was in a difficult situation in the past, the Zhi Yi Bo Fu lent them a helping hand. So when the Zhi Yi Bo Fu's wife came to the capital, the Tai Ning Hou Fu's wife agreed to this marriage..."

  **

  He Le Yan, who couldn't stay still, took advantage of the rare good weather and dragged He Le An to go shopping. In the bustling market, she was like a wild horse off its reins, showing an attitude that even ten cows couldn't pull her back. However, after a while, she didn't watch out for people and started arguing with someone on the street, "Hmph, this fan is something I looked at first, you'd better let go immediately!"

  He Le'an chased after her, only to see a boy of about 14 or 15 years old, with a delicate and refined appearance, stubbornly holding onto the same fan as He Le'yan. With a scowl on his face, full of disdain, he said: "I picked it up first, you wicked girl, let go!"

  "You!" He Lejuan, who had been labeled as a malicious woman, was annoyed and shouted: "Do you believe I'll do it to you again?"

  The young man seemed to have a shadow over him, and he retreated a step cautiously, but still grasped the fan, saying softly to He Le Yan who was showing his fangs: "In front of so many people, if you dare, I won't be polite to you either."

  He Le didn't show any fear towards this soft and fluffy threat, using force to pull the fan towards himself. Seeing that the young man was also pulling hard, the old boss who sold fans was worried about his innocent and pitiful fan, wanting to persuade them but not knowing how. Just then, He Le grabbed the middle of the fan where there was a gap, laughing: "It's really not good for your heart to be treated like this."

  Everyone's eyes were on her.

  He Le'an gently brushed aside He Le'yan's hand and grasped it, smiling slightly at the young man: "About the last time at the Provincial Governor's banquet. In any case, my sister shouldn't have hit you, so consider this fan as an apology from me." With that, he raised his hand and handed a 10-tael silver ingot to the boss, not waiting for him to make change, and led away He Le'yan, whose face was full of resentment.

  The young man stared blankly at her gentle figure, which had just left after a soft "four ounces move a thousand pounds". He only heard He Leiyin humming and muttering: "Sixth sister, why be so polite to him, what's the need for courtesy? The governor said I was right."

  "It's reasonable, but the behavior is wrong. Hitting someone is not right in the end. The governor doesn't want to argue with a little girl like you, and you can't think it's justified, or others will think this is the rule of our Hou Mansion." He Lian said, "Third brother doesn't have much interest in fans, we'll go out for a trip and bring him some good food..."

  **

  In mid-April, He Le'an and Xue Huiyu both received letters and gifts from Cheng Shuwei. The contents were different, but the gifts were similar, being special products of the capital city.

  Time seems to have been pulled into a slow staircase. The days are like the water of a small stream in the mountains, clear and flowing when no one disturbs it. She still rarely attends banquets, occasionally dressing up as a man to go to the wealthy wine house, or visiting Auntie Xiong's home to see Xiong Lin, or going to the Xi Fu. Even on lively days, she would be dragged out by He Le Yan and Xue Hui Yu to have fun, and in this way, early summer arrived.

  At the end of May, on He San's birthday, He Le'an just found out that Xiao Si's family, whom she was about to marry into, was actually Xiao Qi's family. She, who had never thought that there would be such a coincidence in the world, was utterly shocked.

  Looking at Xiao Qi, the fourth brother of Xiao Si, bringing Xiao Si's biological younger sister Xiao Shi to attend the banquet with a disgusted expression, He Le'an said to Xi Ye beside him, "Fortunately, they are not siblings of the same parents, otherwise I would have been tempted to dig out my own eyes." Coincidentally, this match was made in heaven.

  Xu Xiào smiled and said, "The Xiao family has not officially split up on the surface, but internally it has already collapsed. Xiao Qi's character is not great, but his personality is still okay. In recent years, he has been advising his parents to treat Xiao Si and the others fairly. Unfortunately, their family business is too big, and the conflicts are not just about one or two branches. Xiao Si is quite stubborn, firmly holding on to the share that belongs to his parents and younger brother."

  The aristocracy has its own rules, and men and women cannot meet each other for a month before they get married. Therefore, at He San Uncle's birthday banquet today, Xiao Si did not come, and Xiao Qi and Xiao Shi represented him, taking up a seat. Many people are willing to give face to the county magistrate, smiling and treating Xiao Qi and Xiao Shi with courtesy.

  Xiao Shi-er was different from Xiao Si and Xiao Qi, who often went out and about. Although he was only a merchant's son, he had been raised extremely well and exuded an air of nobility from head to toe. He was also well-read and knowledgeable about etiquette, with a gentle disposition and soft-spoken words that made him highly likable.

  He Le'an suddenly remembered something and said in a puzzled tone: "The day before yesterday, I received another letter from Mei sister. She said that Xiao Shiyi had entered the palace. If I'm not mistaken, Xiao Shiyi is Xiao Qi's biological younger sister. He doesn't seem like someone who would sell out his own sister for wealth and status... how could this be?" She was still thinking of the Xiao Shiyi she had met at the Red Leaf Gathering.

  "This is naturally the intention of Xiao Qi's father." Xū Xié said, "These decisions are not something that Xiao Qi, who has yet to take over the household, can decide or stop." The Xiao family was already dissatisfied with being suppressed by the Xū estate everywhere in Fengzhou City and had long been planning to take a shortcut.

  He Le'an understood and sighed: "The bigger the business, the more trouble."

  "You will never have these miscellaneous troubles, my career is as big as the mansion occupies land, that is only ours, after our children and grandchildren are gone, we are all dead, and can't take care of so much."

  He Le'an was amused by him and looked up to see Xue Huiyu and Xue Shizi arriving.

  As guests arrived one after another, the banquet became increasingly lively.

  **

  After the banquet dispersed, Xue Huiyu was still in the Houfu's separate courtyard.

  She held up a cup of Hawthorn tea and smiled, "I just received news that Zhong Sun Si has given birth."

  He Le'an naturally didn't need to ask what this simple "got it" meant, "That's great."

  "Uh-huh." Xue Hui said, "Moreover, the Crown Prince of the East is going to take office in the capital, and she will also go to the capital after the fetus is stable."

  He Le'an noticed that her tone was somewhat unusual and asked: "Huiyu, what's wrong?"

  "I might be betrothed to the Crown Prince of Xuanqin Kingdom." Xue Hui's words suddenly came out in a rapid and pale tone, "Although it's only possible, with a probability of seven or eight out of ten, the news won't leak out. Mother thinks... I can no longer linger for a dead person. She says marrying far away is the best option for me, to leave this sorrowful place and gradually forget what has been hard to forget..."

  He Le's heart was like a lake that had been thrown into chaos by a huge stone, and she didn't know how to comfort her. Before he could speak, the girl in front of him, who seemed at a loss for words, had already started crying. She sobbed: "But I don't want to forget, if even I forget, he...he will be so, so lonely..."

  "She said: 'He was only ten years old when he died, how could he know what rebellion or not, it's said that the evidence is conclusive, but before his death, General Pingbei was still shouting that he was innocent, and no one in the entire mansion admitted guilt, yet they all died! They all died!!'"

  He Le's heart was in disarray, as if the seas had turned upside down. It wasn't until then that she realized what Xue Huiyu meant by "childhood sweethearts" - it was actually the Pingbei General's Manor. She stared blankly at her, only to hear her sadly wipe away tears and say:

  "The General of Pingbei spent his life in battles, but ended up being exiled and dying in a foreign land. Meanwhile, the corrupt officials in the imperial court lived safe and sound year after year. They talk about leniency and benevolence, but I only feel chilled to the bone! It's just like that, the Marquis of Jinning's family has been willing to stay in Fengzhou City all along, far away from the intrigue of the imperial court."

  He Le'an moved her somewhat chilly hand, and the various events of her past life and this life's subtle clues wove a seemingly unrelated circle, linking into tangible facts. She suppressed her complicated thoughts, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away tears, and said softly: "In my presence, you can say whatever you want. Just speak your mind, I'm willing to listen."

  Xue Hui's tears fell even more fiercely, as if the nostalgia that had been pent up in her heart for years was a dense forest blocking her breath. Finally finding a suitable place to vent, she slowly cut down the flowers, grass and trees inside, pulling them out with blood and flesh. She said: "We met during the Qinghe season, that year General Pingbei moved to Fengzhou City to recover from his injuries..."

  She spoke a lot in one breath, sometimes some things were completely unrelated, but He Le'an listened attentively. Word by word, accompanying her to laugh with joy because of memories, and wiping away the tears that were destined to be unclean, until she cried herself to sleep.

  He Le'an gently wetted a handkerchief and handed it to her to wipe away the tears on her face, her thoughts slowly rising, and in her heart, she repeatedly combed through them until she had figured out the complete outline, then let out a sigh.

  People can always sacrifice their lives for the sake of their loved ones, and they can also throw themselves into the abyss for the sake of love. They are always pitiful and tragic - she remembered it especially well. In her previous life, Cheng Shuwei was favored by the emperor and became the crown princess, but after securing her brother's title, she still tried to clear the name of the Pingbei General Manor, only to meet a tragic end in the cold palace's lotus pond.

  She didn't know who was behind her death, but she knew that it had something to do with the Pingbei General's mansion. So on the day when Cheng Shu left the city for the capital, she borrowed an intention to give her a batch of orders and a brocade pouch, hoping to help her get through that fatal disaster.

  He Le'an lit Ning Shen Anmian's incense, calling Xue Huiyu who was heartbroken to sleep well. He changed into men's clothing and went out alone.

  It was still that familiar back door, and she just opened it. He appeared with a flourish.

  "You've just seen me, and yet you're thinking of me again so soon?" Xū Xié said with a hint of a smile.

  He Le'an forced a smile, his lips curling up slightly as he said, "Mm, I missed you so much that I couldn't sleep."

  He wrapped her in his arms, but felt that her body was somewhat chilly on the sweltering summer night. He touched her hand and furrowed his brow, saying: "Did you just come out of an ice cellar?"

  "Is there wine? I'd like some hot." He Lian didn't answer, but instead asked with a faint smile.

  He hugged her and directly jumped onto the roof, after a few swoops, they arrived at his residence, Langya House.

  After a few tosses, He Le'an looked at the wine that was being brewed. The light fragrance slowly evaporated on her nose, and she said: "I don't know why, but I suddenly miss the 'Green Plum Bamboo Horse' that Mei Jie and Hui Yu brewed together."

  Xu Xie sat opposite her, lazily leaning against the edge of the table, one hand carelessly propping up his chin, staring intently at her: "An Er, if you have something to say, just say it directly, we don't need eighteen turns."

  He Le'an shook her head, "I'm curious, but I'm also afraid, afraid that the scene of being killed in my dream will become a reality. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to lose everything I have now." Although that person was vicious, he is now just a nightmare that doesn't hurt her bones. If some things are said, she's afraid she'll still fall into it and never be able to escape.

  He patted the chair beside him and said, "Come over here."

  He Le'an thought for a moment, then got up and walked over. Before she could even sit down, she was already pulled into his arms. She sat on his sturdy thighs, her back against the hard edge of the table, facing him with all four eyes. Her restless soul almost got sucked into his deep and mysterious pupils. He lifted her chin and said:

  "I don't know what dangers you have in your dreams, but if those dangers become real, I'll protect you from the raging winds, keep you safe from the icy snow, and navigate for you through treacherous waters." As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned in and covered her trembling, ice-cold lips with his own.