The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

As Xiao Yu recalled this scene, his eyes gradually reddened, and his heart ached terribly.

"Yulang..." the woman's low and weak voice rang out.

Xiao Yu quickly put on a gentle smile and looked at her tenderly.

Ning Shuyan reached out and gently stroked his forehead, eyebrows, corners of his eyes, tip of his nose, and finally his cheeks, as if she wanted to imprint his image deeply in her heart.

"Yulang, don't be sad. We've been husband and wife for forty years, have three lovely and healthy children, and you've given me a lifetime of happiness together in my old age. I'm already very content. I, Ning Shuyan, really have no regrets in this life."

Xiao Yu suppressed the pain surging in his heart and choked out, "But I regret it so much. I regret that I didn't cherish you properly from the moment I met you. I regret that in the short forty years, I only spent twenty of them outside the palace."

He took a heavy breath, his eyes filled with reluctance, and tears welled up in his eyes involuntarily.

Ning Shuyan reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, smiling slightly: "But you gave me twenty unforgettable years."

"Xiao Yu, the luckiest thing in my life is meeting you. If there is an afterlife, I would like to meet you again."

Xiao Yu held the woman in his arms, his eyes filled with an overwhelming tenderness and longing: "Alright, in the next life, I will not be an emperor, I will only be for you, okay?"

Ning Shuyan pressed her head against his chest and nodded slowly. Recalling their peaceful and loving days as husband and wife, tears slowly slid down her cheeks. Perhaps she was too tired, because she fell asleep again.

She has been in a daze for the past few days, and has been sleeping almost all day.

Xiao Yu gently stroked the woman's back, his hand caressing a small white jade bottle hidden in his sleeve. He whispered, "Yan Yan, I've said it before, even if someone has to leave, I should go first. You're afraid that if I leave first, you'll be all alone, so you'll abandon me, right?"

"But you're a fool. You'll be lonely on the road to the underworld. How can I let you go alone? I'll have to watch over you at the Bridge of Helplessness. What if you drink the Meng Po soup and can't find me in your next life?"

The woman sleeping in his arms had opened her eyes at some point. She gripped Xiao Yu's sleeve tightly with all her might, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Yu Lang, what do you mean by that?"

With a clatter, the white jade bottle slipped and fell to the ground.

Ning Shuyan noticed the bottle, then turned her gaze to Xiao Yu, her lips trembling as she asked, "I'm asking you a question!"

Xiao Yu then slowly spoke.

It turns out that when Ning Shuyan was ill, he had asked the imperial physician for Anle Pills. This medicine would not cause any pain when taken, and would be like sleeping. He could go to the Yellow Springs as soon as he closed his eyes.

He said in a deep voice, "Rather than be separated by life and death, I would rather accompany you to the Yellow Springs."

Ning Shuyan was both angry and touched, a deep bitterness and rage swirling within her. She snapped, her voice stern, "I don't need you to stay with me! How can you be so selfish? Don't you think about our children? How heartbroken they would be if they knew their father and mother were gone?"

Xiao Yu simply held her tightly, his cheek pressed against her warm forehead: "I can't care about that much, and I don't care about that much. If you do care, then promise me you'll get better."

Ning Shuyan broke down in tears, pounding Xiao Yu's back hard before hugging him tightly.

It turns out that death is not so scary.

What's scary is that there are people who can't bear to part with them.

Perhaps it was because she couldn't bear to part with Xiao Yu and her three children that Ning Shuyan managed to get through this harsh winter.

Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk from a cocoon. Another spring has arrived, with lush green grass and rows of willows.

Within Lingxi Mountain, the most eye-catching feature is undoubtedly the ten-acre crabapple garden, which, from a distance, resembles a dense cloud of crimson, breathtakingly beautiful.

Amidst the flowers, a woman in a yellow dress and a man in blue and white stroll hand in hand on the vibrant, rosy ground.

They looked at each other, and even after forty years, they still did not feel like they had fallen into despair.

The woman said, "This crabapple blossom is delicate yet not seductive; it is quite beautiful."

The man said, "I think you are more suited to the begonia flower; it's delicate and charming. Wearing it on your head would suit you quite well, making you look more alluring."

Their eyes, filled with deep affection, brimmed with smiles; the lines at the corners of their eyes bore witness to the sweetness they had shared.

The woman then said, "Then I will bring crabapple blossoms when I see Your Majesty next time."

These were their first words upon meeting and their first time sleeping together.

This time, however, Xiao Yu simply reached out and plucked a delicate and beautiful crabapple blossom, then lowered his head and placed it in Ning Shuyan's no longer black hair bun.

His gaze remained fixed on the woman's no longer charming and full face, but the tenderness in his eyes was even greater.

"Absolutely beautiful!"

He had said those same words before, but Ning Shuyan rolled her eyes at him, stroking her cheek and saying, "Now that I have white hair and a gray face, those two words no longer suit me."

Xiao Yu's relaxed eyes lifted slightly, and he smiled faintly: "Yan Yan, have you ever heard the saying that time never defeats beauty? It was only after meeting you that I realized wrinkles can be so beautiful."

Perhaps her beauty has faded and her hair has turned white, but in his heart, she is still the most beautiful and the best.

Ning Shuyan chuckled and turned her head away: "At your age, you've only become more glib and slick."

After saying that, the two walked and laughed like a young married couple, their eyes filled with each other.

After walking for a while, Ning Shuyan suddenly stopped and looked up at him.

Xiao Yu turned around: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ning Shuyan shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, as gentle and captivating as the spring waters of Jiangnan: "I was wondering if you could still carry me on your back right now?"

Xiao Yu laughed out loud, and as always, he bent down and patted his back: "Don't say I'm seventy-four now, even if I were eighty-four, I could still carry you on my back."

Ning Shuyan climbed onto Xiao Yu's back with a smile. Her once full head of black hair had turned white, and her once agile steps had become slow.

She once said that she envied a woman she met on the street. The woman said she didn't want to walk in the rain because she was afraid of getting her shoes and socks wet. So her husband simply carried her on his back and told her that he would never let her walk in the rain again.

Over the years, Xiao Yu has never let her walk in the rain. He has done what he said he would do, making himself the happiest woman in the world.

When they travel and see other couples being affectionate, he will be more considerate and gentle with her.

He once said, "How can I let my Yan Yan envy other women?"

As a result, Ning Shuyan became the envy of women all over the world.

However, it's unclear how long she can enjoy such days.

She herself felt that her recovery was a blessing from God.

According to the beggar, she was destined to be ahead of the pack.

Since it's unknown how long she can stay with Xiao Yu, let's cherish every minute and second they spend together.

Thinking this, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pressed against his back: "Yulang, do you think there is reincarnation in this world? If two people who love each other can continue their predestined relationship?"

Xiao Yu was slightly taken aback. He never believed in ghosts or gods, but at this moment, he said, "I believe they exist. If two people truly love each other, they will surely see reincarnation and continue their love after a hundred years."

"Then... if in my next life I go to a place that is unfamiliar to you, where only monogamy exists, would you still be willing to come with me?" Ning Shuyan asked.

Xiao Yu smiled, but without any hesitation: "I'm willing to accompany you on your journey to the underworld. What do you think?"

Ning Shuyan smiled brightly. The bright sunlight filtered through layers of delicate crabapple blossoms, casting golden rays and gently swaying halos upon them. It was as if a ray of hopeful light warmly seeped into their hearts.

In this life, they didn't have the breathtaking beauty of those in the novels, nor did they have a passionate love story. They simply lived a gentle and peaceful life together, growing old together with deep affection.

One glance, a fleeting glimpse;

The two developed feelings for each other over time;

In the next life, we will continue our predestined relationship.

(End of article)

It lasted 193 days, more than six months.

This time, it's really time to say goodbye to everyone.

For a moment, there was excitement, a sense of accomplishment, regret, and a deep reluctance to part.

"White hair cannot be replaced by snow, and meeting each other is already the best fortune." This applies not only to love, but also to friendship and fate.

Thank you, Tomato, thank you, Yan Yan and Xiao Yu, for letting me meet you. I received unprecedented care and encouragement in front of the screen. I really love you all.

Wishing you:

Farewell to the twilight years, fireworks bloom year after year;

Nothing troubles my heart, and all my wishes come true;

Look up and you'll find light; look down and you'll find hope; and your pockets will be full of wealth.

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The story is finished! Hooray! ✿✿✿✿✿✿