Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Library.

Inside the room, Bao Zhong tucked the blanket around the unconscious Jiang Shuoning, his eyes filled with unconcealed heartache.

He raised his hand and gently touched her swollen cheek, his Adam's apple bobbing deeply.

If Zhou Zhengyin hadn't arrived in time tonight, she would have suffered an even more tragic fate than what happened at Yanxi Palace.

The memory of that incident still terrified him. He thought he would be more careful in the future, but trouble still came knocking.

He reached out and gently grasped her fingertips, whispering:

"Shuoning, now that we've embarked on this path, I know how difficult it will be. But what I fear most is not the difficulty of the road, but that you will fall before me. Whether it's a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire ahead, I will go with you. I only ask that you be safer than me."

Zhou Zhengyin stood outside the door with a basin of water, listening intently to every word, his heart aching as if pricked by needles.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Zhengyin gripped the edge of the basin tightly, pushed open the door with his elbow, and went inside.

The water in the basin sloshed, splashing onto the back of his hand; it was icy cold.

He strode to the bedside, placed the basin on the stool, then soaked the cloth in water, wrung it out vigorously.

Then, as he leaned closer to Jiang Shuoning, Bao Zhong reached out to stop him, saying, "Let me do it."

Zhou Zhengyin's jawline was taut and hard, his fingertips clenching the handkerchief tightly, refusing to loosen it even a little.

Bao Zhong frowned slightly and looked directly at Zhou Zhengyin.

The moment their eyes met, their gazes collided, each filled with an unyielding stubbornness and competitive spirit.

Zhou Zhengyin spoke first, breaking the deadlock: "She is my aunt, so it is my responsibility to take care of her."

Looking at his childish appearance, Bao Zhong chuckled in exasperation, loosened his grip on the handkerchief, slowly stood up, and stood directly in front of Zhou Zhengyin.

His gaze locked onto Zhou Zhengyin, his tone unhurried yet each word carrying weight:

"A wise person does not contend for short-term gains, but instead strives for long-term benefits. Remember, strive for lasting success, not for short-term gains."

Zhou Zhengyin suddenly raised his head, his gaze meeting Zhou's, his chest heaving violently.

"I strive for the future, and I strive for the present. These are two things that the books didn't teach me to choose from; I can only choose one."

Bao Zhong looked at him, his gaze darkening for a moment, but he didn't reply immediately.

The night breeze blew through the window, passing between the two of them, making the silence seem even longer.

He seemed to mentally review those words before speaking, his voice lower than usual:

"You're right, the book didn't teach you that you could only choose one thing. But you chose to wait and to protect. When these two things collide, you have to distinguish between what's more important."

Tonight you protected her; you made the right choice. As for Qianqiu, Shuoning and I have been waiting for you. It's not that we didn't want you to fight for it, but if you do now, she will die, I will die, and you will die. The Qianqiu you fight for can only be seen by those who are alive.

After speaking, Bao Zhong brushed past him, took a few steps forward and stopped. The evening breeze made the hem of his robe flutter slightly, and his voice drifted on the wind:

"What books don't teach you, life will teach you one by one. When you're weak, the rules speak for you; when you're strong, you yourself are the truth."

Zhou Zhengyin lowered his eyes, feeling a tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing as Bao Zhong's words choked him.

His stubborn refusal to admit defeat still urged him to argue a few more times, but when he turned around, the room was already empty.

He immediately chased after them, but stopped abruptly as soon as he stepped out of the room.

At the Moon Gate, Bao Zhong gave Fu Dai and Fu Dou each a silver ingot, his movements casual and relaxed, as if he were just casually giving them a small gift.

The two brothers held the silver in their hands, their eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, and bowed repeatedly, their joy impossible to hide.

Bao Zhong reached out and patted one of them on the shoulder, saying in a calm tone, "Take good care of A Yin."

Zhou Zhengyin stood there blankly, watching Bao Zhong's figure disappear outside the moon gate, then staring at Fu Dai and Fu Dou huddled together happily, a very ugly self-mockery tugged at the corner of his mouth.

What makes him think he can compete?

Fu Dai and Fu Dou followed his instructions, and were able to settle down peacefully in the library. Even when they were able to freely leave Changmen Palace at night, all of their reliance was given by Bao Zhong. Not a single thing was earned by themselves.

Just now, Bao Zhong's composure when taking the silver, his nonchalant demeanor when giving instructions to the two men, and the elder-like concern in his admonition all weighed heavily on him.

He was penniless, unable to even give a small reward to those around him, and didn't even know how to properly care for someone.

His fingers gripped the door frame so tightly that his knuckles turned blue and white, and his fingernails pressed hard against the wood.

My aunt was willing to discuss everything with Baozhong and confide in him, probably because he was someone she could entrust with her life.

A thought suddenly popped into my mind and pierced my very bones.

It turns out I am utterly useless.

(under)

The distant sound of the clapper at the fourth watch echoed through the empty palace road, breaking the silence of the deep night.

Jiang Shuoning frowned slightly, pursed his dry lips, and slowly opened his eyes.

I felt my hand, which was resting on the edge of the bed, being tightly gripped, my palm covered in hot, damp sweat.

She looked up and saw Zhou Zhengyin kneeling in front of the bed, his head resting against the edge of the bed, holding her hand tightly.

Jiang Shuo watched him quietly for a while, then gently tried to pull his hand away. Zhou Zhengyin suddenly tightened his grip and abruptly looked up.

Seeing her open her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "Auntie, you're awake?"

Jiang Shuoning slowly sat up, propping himself up on his arms, and asked in confusion, "How did I end up in your room?"

Zhou Zhengyin quickly got up, took a pillow to put behind her back, walked quickly to the table, picked up a bowl of cooled mung bean porridge, turned back, and handed it to her.

"Auntie, drinking some mung bean porridge will make you feel better."

Jiang Shuoning was already extremely thirsty, so he immediately reached out and took the bowl, picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

The cool mung bean paste is smooth and soft, with a light sweetness that perfectly soothes the burning thirst in your throat.

"It was Baozhong who suggested placing you in the library, saying it would be safer there. He also guessed that you must have been wronged by Consort Rong, which is why you appeared on West Street."

If we were to send you back to Yihua Palace while you are unconscious, it would easily cause new trouble.

As Zhou Zhengyin spoke, he slowly lowered his head, stood by the bed, his lips unconsciously pursed down, and his tone held a hint of inexplicable loneliness.

"He thought of everything carefully. After he left, he even specially instructed Xiao Luzi to bring you this bowl of mung bean porridge and a midnight snack, knowing that you would be hungry when you woke up."

Jiang Shuo Ning remained silent, simply sipping his mung bean porridge spoonful by spoonful.

Zhou Zhengyin secretly glanced at her and saw that she had a calm expression. He panicked and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Auntie, please punish me. I shouldn't have thrown a tantrum at the observatory."

Jiang Shuoning finally looked up at him, her tone calm and gentle:

"Everyone has moments when they can't control their emotions. I am, Consort Rong is, and even the Emperor is not immune to moments when he loses his temper and composure."

We're all just ordinary people; how can we possibly never have a temper?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengyin felt both guilty and bitter. He had prepared himself for a scolding, but his aunt not only didn't utter a word of reproach, but also understood his impulsive act.

But this tolerance only made him feel more and more suffocated, and he could hardly breathe.

"I can't do anything right, and you and Baozhong always have to protect me. Aunt, please punish me instead... I'll feel better if you punish me."

Jiang Shuoning had just gently placed the empty bowl on the low stool beside the bed when he suddenly heard a loud and clear slap.

She looked up abruptly and saw Zhou Zhengyin with red eyes, slapping himself repeatedly.

Each sound rang out crisply in the empty room.

Her heart clenched suddenly, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her chest, choking her throat.

She knew all too well how much bitterness and grievance Zhou Zhengyin had harbored in his heart.

He is sensitive and stubborn, prone to getting stuck on trivial matters, and his deep-seated inferiority complex torments him constantly, always leading him to assume the worst about everything.

Ultimately, it's because no one has ever truly loved him from childhood to adulthood.

Only Granny Yu, who used to treat him with some genuine warmth, shattered that last bit of warmth and reliance the moment her identity was revealed, and his mind gradually became paranoid and twisted.

Thinking of this, Jiang Shuoning threw off the covers, sat up, put her feet on the ground, and reached out to firmly grasp the wrist that was about to slap her again.

Looking at his already red and swollen cheeks, I was filled with mixed feelings.

"Ah Yin, Bao Zhong and I have never considered you a burden, nor have we ever felt that you have dragged us down."

Zhou Zhengyin looked up at her blankly, then quietly shuffled his knees forward until he knelt at her feet, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

"Auntie, I don't care what others think of me, the only person I care about is you. I just want to know, what am I to you?"

Jiang Shuoning released his hand, placed his hands lightly on his knees, and said:

"Ah Yin, everything I've done for you was done willingly. You're not a burden; you're someone I'm willing to protect."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengyin's body trembled violently. He quickly reached out and grasped her hand, his expression a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Is that really true?" He gripped her hand tighter, as if afraid she would pull it away. "Then, compared to Baozhong... in your heart, who do you favor more, Aunt?"