After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Dongxu nodded, thinking that Wei Zhaoning was finally willing to go out for a walk.

Fortunately, the Marquis hasn't come these days. He must be too busy to come. If he did come, he would definitely be suspicious if he saw the young lady looking so distraught.

While it's not too late, now is the best time for Miss to go out and relax.

Dongxu styled Wei Zhaoning's makeup in the way Wei Zhaoning usually liked best, but no matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem as stunning as before. She looked at it from left to right and then realized that Wei Zhaoning's cheeks had sunken in, and her face looked thin and sharp, making her look sickly.

She spent every day with Wei Zhaoning, so she wouldn't notice any changes immediately. It's hard to detect changes when you see the same person every day. That's when she realized with a start that her mistress had lost so much weight!

Wei Zhaoning kept her head down the whole time, unwilling to even glance at herself in the bronze mirror. She had neither the mood nor the energy.

In just seven days, Wei Zhaoning's entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation. If someone were to look at her from a distance without seeing her face, it would be difficult to recognize that this person was once the stunning, spirited, and vibrant eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion.

While a person's beauty or ugliness is related to the refinement of their face, it is not the most direct factor.

Vitality is the most beautiful thing. No matter how exquisite a person's features are, if they are sickly and lack temperament and aura, they will look less beautiful, like a withered flower.

Conversely, even people who don't look particularly refined can appear more beautiful and striking if they radiate vitality and are in good condition.

At this moment, Wei Zhaoning was like a withered flower; no matter how beautiful her face was, it no longer amazed anyone.

After finishing her makeup, Wei Zhaoning stood up, her body looking limp and her back not so straight.

Even Wei Zhaoning herself was somewhat disgusted with her current appearance. She felt that she was degenerating, becoming unrecognizable, and no longer like herself. She couldn't tolerate it, but she had no way to change it.

She can't go back to the past to avoid getting hurt, and she can't control her emotions at will, making herself like a puppet, happy when she wants to be happy, and sad when she wants to be sad.

Dressed like this today, she was in a terrible mood.

Therefore, she refused to look at the bronze mirror again.

"Miss, the carriage is ready."

Wei Zhaoning nodded and led his men out of the mansion.

Seeing the carriage heading towards the capital, Dongxu panicked. "Miss, where are we going? The capital is in turmoil right now. After what happened, if the Xiao family catches you..."

She thought it was just a relaxing stroll in the mountains or by the lake in the suburbs, but she never expected the carriage to head straight for the capital.

Wei Zhaoning had been resting with her eyes closed, but now she opened them slightly, her voice a little hoarse, "Don't be afraid, I'll sleep for a while. Wake me up when we get to the Xiao residence."

She needed to ensure she had the energy after arriving at the Xiao residence. She realized that life was getting more and more tiring. When you're not in good shape, you're tired even if you don't do anything. Then when you try to rest, you can't get up and feel even more tired. When you're tired, you feel like you need to rest again, so you're always resting and always tired.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done; they could only remain in this state of being neither alive nor dead. There's a phrase that describes it very accurately: "living on the verge of death."

Dongxu was even more surprised when she heard this. Her eyes widened. Going to the Xiao residence at this time was just like offering herself up to be slaughtered!

Miss, could it be that you're feeling down because the Regent wants to marry Miss Xiao?

She had a bad feeling and wanted to ask her clearly, but Wei Zhaoning was already breathing evenly, so she didn't dare to wake her up.

The eldest son of the Xiao family is to be buried today. In principle, it should have been a few days earlier, but things have taken a strange turn. General Xiao has gathered all the famous coroners in the country to have them examine the cause of death, which is why it has been delayed.

However, no matter who came, they couldn't see any wounds on his body. In the end, the coroners couldn't find the cause and could only say that Young Master Xiao had frozen to death.

This infuriated General Xiao. Could a person really freeze to death for no reason? What a bunch of useless fools!

But the investigation has made no progress to date. There is really no other way but to bury the deceased first. No matter how big the matter is, nothing is more important than letting the deceased rest in peace. To keep delaying the burial is also a kind of torture for Xiao He.

The burial ceremony is usually attended only by family members or close friends; other people with whom you have a casual relationship are generally not allowed to attend.

When Wei Zhaoning arrived, he saw that they were all weeping uncontrollably, reluctant to bury Xiao He.

General Xiao covered his face, not making a sound, but the silence reflected his grief. That was his favorite grandson, and just like that... gone!

Although the doctor said that no matter how hard Xiao He tried, he wouldn't make it to the New Year, his body was in terrible shape and he wouldn't live much longer.

His death before the expected time was unacceptable to everyone.

Xiao Mengxi lay beside the coffin, crying loudly and oblivious to everyone else, her cries heart-wrenching and devastating.

Her brother was also leaving her, the gentle and kind brother, the brother who looked at her with a smile and bought her candied hawthorns.

Her older sister was gone, her older brother was gone, they were all gone, leaving her all alone.

Pei Yi patted her back, his face solemn. For a moment, no one noticed that Wei Zhaoning was standing not far away.

Just then, someone came in from outside.

"General Xiao, His Highness the Crown Prince is outside."

General Xiao raised his eyes, his cloudy, mature eyes now bloodshot. He said firmly, "I won't see you. Family matters are urgent, I can't spare the time. I'm going back."

Although the crown prince was of high status, he had no reason to disturb the funeral of his relatives.

Wei Zhaoning watched thoughtfully, while even Xiao Mengxi, sobbing, said, "Tell him not to come again! What kind of crown prince is he? He wouldn't even see the Heavenly King himself!"

Such drastically different attitudes are truly interesting.

Besides, there was another person standing silently beside the coffin, staring intently at the person inside, his eyes sore from being open, yet he refused to close them.

It is Bai Yunxiao.

The emotions in Bai Yunxiao's eyes were too complex, unlike his usual flirtatious and teasing demeanor. They were too deep, too deep to be understood.

Lu Ze stood next to Bai Yunxiao, looking regretful, but he seemed to be muttering something under his breath, probably trying to comfort Bai Yunxiao.

Wei Zhaoning stepped forward and said, "General Xiao, may I have a word with you in private?"