Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

"What you did last night scared me."

It's not that I'm afraid of you, it's that I'm afraid our relationship won't last.

Xiao Fang felt as if he had been pricked by needles, a sharp, persistent pain in his heart.

He reached out and grasped Yun Shuyao's hand; his palm was burning hot.

"I will never do it again! Really, I promise."

I...I...I'm quitting drinking!

"Empty guarantees are useless."

Yun Shuyao withdrew her hand and shrank further into the blanket, but a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"I'm tired, I want to sleep a little longer."

This time, Xiao Fang didn't press the matter further. He simply tucked the blanket around her and whispered:

"Go to sleep. I'll stay here and watch over you. Just call me if you feel unwell."

Yun Shuyao closed her eyes, but she wasn't really asleep.

She heard him bustling around outside, instructing people to prepare her favorite chicken porridge.

One moment there was the rustling sound of someone rummaging through things, and the soft exclamation of him clumsily knocking things over.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Shuyao slightly opened her eyes, and the light outside the window had already brightened.

The bedroom was dark, and Xiao Fang wasn't in the room, but she could still faintly hear voices.

She struggled to sit up, and almost knelt down as soon as her feet touched the ground.

Already weakened from the ordeal, he then developed a high fever.

Even putting on a coat and walking to the table took almost all of her strength.

Yun Shuyao saw a bowl of perfectly warm shredded pork porridge on the table and immediately picked it up to drink.

She was really starving, and in order to pretend to be angry with Xiao Fang, she didn't dare to eat anything.

At this point, feeling that the time was right, they stopped trying to make things worse.

After finishing a bowl of fragrant porridge, Yun Shuyao seemed to regain some strength.

She slowly got up, pushed open the bedroom window, and wanted to get some fresh air.

Hundreds of river lanterns were floating in the artificial waterway of the Prince's Palace.

The river lanterns were made of colored paper and came in various shapes, some like lotus flowers and others like rabbits.

The candlelight shone through the paper and drifted slowly along the canal, casting a warm yellow glow on the lake.

Xiao Fang was standing by the lake, holding an unlit lamp in his hand, while a servant was handing him a tinderbox.

The tall man clumsily tried several times before finally lighting the wick.

"Master, please slow down, don't burn your hands!"

The servant was jumping up and down in anxiety.

Xiao Fang ignored him and carefully placed the river lantern into the water.

Watching it slowly drift away, he straightened up, glanced towards the bedroom, and smiled foolishly.

Yun Shuyao leaned against the window, watching the flowing light.

Watching the man frantically trying to make a living by the river, the uncertainty I felt suddenly vanished.

She knew Xiao Fang's personality; he always preferred to be straightforward.

He doesn't understand those romantic notions of love and romance, but he'll clumsily try to learn them just to make himself happy.

She would panic like a child when she felt neglected, and would secretly prepare these river lanterns that weren't very fancy, but were full of heartfelt sentiment.

Footsteps came from behind, and Xiao Fang stood at the door holding a jar of candied fruit.

Seeing her looking out the window, his face instantly turned red.

"Yaoyao...you're awake?"

I heard from Aunt Zhang that river lanterns can bring good fortune, so I wanted to try it…”

Yun Shuyao didn't say anything, but simply reached out her hand to him.

Xiao Fang was stunned for a moment, then quickly ran over and took her hand.

Yun Shuyao's hands were still a little cold, so he quickly wrapped them in his own palms and placed them on his chest to warm them.

"Where's the noodle soup you made for me?"

Yun Shuyao asked, her voice tinged with amusement.

"Oh? Oh! It's keeping warm in the kitchen, I'll go get it right away!"

Xiao Fang was overjoyed and turned to run away.

"return."

Yun Shuyao pulled him back, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Xiao Fang, you're not allowed to do that again. You're hurting me."

Xiao Fang felt a tingling sensation all over his body from her coquettish tone.

His face flushed red, as if dyed by the sunset, and he nodded heavily.

"Yes! Never again! I'll never let you hurt again, I'll only make you feel good..."

Yun Shuyao's face flushed from his words, and she raised her hand to slap his chest.

Xiao Fang did not dodge at all. After being hit, he immediately grabbed Yun Shuyao's hand and pulled her into his arms.

The river lanterns outside the window were still floating, and the candlelight reflected on their clasped hands, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Looking into the light in his eyes, Yun Shuyao suddenly realized that in these bumpy and difficult days...

There are arguments, there are adjustments, and there is his clumsy attempt to please; that's what makes life more like.

After all, life is so long, we have to learn slowly how to cherish each other more.

Zhuangzi.

Gu Jinghuai was half-dragged and half-carried back to the manor by his servant Afu.

He lay face down on the creaking wooden bed, half of his face wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth.

The wound on my back was jolted open by the bumpy ride, and every movement felt like being pricked by countless needles.

The stench of blood mixed with the damp, musty smell of the village made him cough.

"water……"

Gu Jinghuai shouted in a hoarse voice, his voice sounding as if it had been sanded.

Afu hurriedly poured a bowl of cold water and had just brought it to his lips when a short scream came from the doorway.

Su Yuyan stood by the threshold and saw the injury on his face, so she shrank back in fright.

There was no pity in his eyes, only terror; he didn't even dare to step inside.

"What...what's wrong with you?"

Her voice trembled, not out of concern, but rather because she was frightened.

Gu Jinghuai kept his eyes closed and didn't say anything.

He was in so much pain that he didn't even have the strength to lift his eyelids.

I'm just waiting for her to rush over to me crying and asking all sorts of questions, even if it's just feigned comfort.

But after waiting for a long time, all I heard was her lingering motionless at the door, while helpless sobbing could be heard coming in.

She was crying again, but not for him.

"Is...can this person still survive?"

Su Yuyan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible panic.

"What will I do if you die...?"

Gu Jinghuai felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart with an ice pick, and the pain made him suddenly open his eyes.

It turns out that what she was afraid of wasn't his pain, but that if he died, no one would be there to support her.

"roll."

He squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

Su Yuyan was startled. Seeing that he was really angry, she covered her face and ran away crying.

He didn't even say, "I'll go find you a doctor."

The days that followed became the most miserable time of Gu Jinghuai's life.

Afu was busy taking care of everything, changing his dressings and cooking.

The grain stored in the manor had long been empty, so Afu pawned the few brocade robes that Gu Jinghuai hadn't had time to take away from the bottom of his trunk.

He exchanged a few taels of silver for some brown rice and the cheapest wound medicine.

The medicine, when applied to the wound, caused a burning pain, like being on fire.

Ah Fu was clumsy and always wrapped the cloth strips too tightly, making it hard for him to breathe.

But he didn't even have the strength to curse, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

When he couldn't sleep at night due to the pain, he would always think of his past life.

He also suffered a serious illness at that time, with a persistent high fever.

In his dazed state, he felt someone touching his forehead.

He later learned that Yun Shuyao had stayed by his side for three days and three nights.

She had to check the temperature dozens of times a night. As soon as it dropped a little, Yun Shuyao would breathe a sigh of relief and then continue to watch over the decoction.

The medicine is always cooled to the perfect temperature, not too hot to drink, and not so cold that it loses its effectiveness.

Yun Shuyao was very gentle when feeding him medicine, afraid that he would choke. She would also prepare candied fruit in advance, knowing that he was afraid of bitterness.

When he woke up, he would always see Yun Shuyao sleeping by the bedside, her dark circles under her eyes as heavy as ink that couldn't be dissolved, and she was still clutching a handkerchief that hadn't been wrung out.

At that time, he only felt that her virtue was her duty as a wife.

They even felt that she was too cautious and lacked the charm of Su Yuyan.

But now, lying on this broken bed, smelling the spoiled rice porridge, and feeling the burning pain of his wounds, Gu Jinghuai belatedly realized what was going on.

That's not just a duty, it's a concern ingrained in one's very bones.

Yun Shuyao never said "I love you," but she cared deeply about his every need, from his food and clothing to his health and illness.

Yun Shuyao cleaned up the mess in the Marquis's mansion, took care of his picky parents, and used her dowry to make up for the deficit, never complaining.

That was the bond of childhood sweethearts, the steady and enduring devotion, the most solid warmth he had never cherished before.

And what about Su Yuyan?

She constantly says "Jinghuai, I love you so much," but when he needs someone to take care of him the most, she stays far away.

He lay in bed for five days, and Su Yuyan only visited twice.

He would stand at the door every time, complaining that the manor was too dilapidated.

One time, she cried and said she was scared.

But she didn't even offer him a cup of hot water.

"Sir, the people from the brothel are here again."

Afu came in carrying an empty bowl, his face pale.

"They say...they say Miss Su is still 8,000 taels short of her ransom, and the Marquis's mansion won't accept it, so they want you to pay it quickly..."

Gu Jinghuai sat up abruptly, which aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.