Bursts of whooshing sounds abruptly arose.
A group of Hidden Guards, dressed in black and with their faces covered leaving only their eyes exposed, swiftly appeared beside Pei Huaian.
They knelt on the ground, their heads hanging even lower than their bodies, "Master, your subordinates have arrived late!"
One of the Hidden Guards, without speaking, carefully extended a hand to lift Pei Huaian's body.
"Hmm." The complexity in Pei Huaian's eyes flattened out at that moment, and no trace of disturbance was visible anymore, "Investigate the identity of the woman who appeared here just now."
A few Hidden Guards nodded, then vanished again into the shadows.
Several guards streamed into the back yard of Marquis's Mansion.
"Marquis." They wore ingratiating smiles, "The person has been dumped at Mass Burial Mound. The woman and the child's breaths were very weak, the mother and son will most likely not survive."
"Marquis..." Luo Jiner lowered her eyelids, her voice carrying a sobbing tone, "The lady and the child are truly pitiful, no matter what the child is innocent, it is the lady's folly..."
Chu Yu immediately felt a surge of tenderness within him.
He lightly stroked the tear-stained corner of Luo Jiner's eyes with his fingertips, his voice gentle, "Do not cry, all of this is the fate that woman deserved, and that bastard deserves to die too!"
"In a few days, I will speak with my mother about marrying you into our family. From then on, you and I will be legitimately husband and wife, and no one will be able to obstruct us anymore."
Luo Jiner's tears streamed down, her reddened eyes seeming pitifully lovely, "As long as I can be by your side, I do not need any status."
Her frail body snuggled into Chu Yu's embrace, making the tenderness in his heart grow even stronger.
"Jiner, I will surely give you the best of everything..."
The rest of the guards discreetly turned and left.
In the dimly lit room, candlelight flickered casting their intertwined shadows on the white wall.
Several Chinese hours later, daylight suddenly broke.
The first touch of gentle sunlight fell on Shao He, who had just walked out of Mass Burial Mound.
The child, weak from frailty, had already stopped crying and fallen into a deep sleep.
Staggering, Shao He walked towards the city gate ahead, her mind spinning.
Even though she had received basic treatment, she hadn't eaten for several days and was so hungry that walking took all her strength.
She only made it to the front of a shop when suddenly she felt an overwhelming weakness in her limbs.
She had no strength left to struggle, her body fell forward, instinctively protecting the child in her embrace.
The shop door opened from the inside.
Through her blurry consciousness, Shao He only saw a man in brocade coming out of the door.
Her voice hoarse, she reached for the man's robe hem with her blood-stained fingertip, "Save..."
Before she could finish her plea, her consciousness faded completely.
"Please save my child! You are a Divine Doctor, you must have a way!"
"I'm sorry, this child's intestines are already out; there is truly no hope."
When consciousness returned, Shao He was aware of a noisy commotion around her.
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up alertly on the couch!
The sight that met her eyes was completely unfamiliar.
Shao He's heart tightened, her gaze dropping to the left.
The moment she saw the child, her anxious heart settled back into place.
The child had already awoken, in Shao He's arms not only did he not cry but he also blew bubbles from his mouth.
"Good." At this moment, her heart suddenly softened, Shao He's chilly phoenix eyes slightly narrowed with a smile, as she got off the soft couch holding the child.
Her frail body felt much better at this moment, though a slight bitter taste lingered in her throat, presumably from the soup medicine given by that person.
Lingering medicinal fragrance in her nose, Shao He thought for a moment, her mind settling on a conclusion.
She reached out to push open the screen in front of her.
On hearing the noise, the man instinctively turned his head to look back.
The mild sunlight shone on Shao He, making her phoenix eyes sparkle brilliantly.
The man was momentarily stunned, then warmly smiled, "You are awake, Missy?"