Don't forget either.

A cool breeze brushed against the bamboo leaves, also stirring the pale pink hair ribbon. The ribbon was light and thin, caught and curled by the wind like tendrils of a vine searching for a foothold, probing boldly in every direction.

Just like Shen Qinglu’s mood at this moment.

Why couldn’t she?

Mu Lin looked so much like her...

Suddenly, moisture gathered in her large, jet-black eyes, accumulating relentlessly, swirling around pitifully and stubbornly refusing to fall.

She lifted her delicate, lotus-like face, tear-clouded eyes gazing at the person before her—not to seek sympathy, but out of a strange sense of grievance.

After a long pause, reason returned, and she accused, “You’re bullying me!”

Those words fell like a meteor from the sky, plunging into a stagnant pool deep within a hidden valley.

In Mu Han’s cold eyes, ripples finally appeared.

He seemed to frown slightly, whether out of disdain for Shen Qinglu’s words and actions or a sudden awareness of his own unease was unclear. The faint hint of illness beneath his refined exterior gave him a somewhat sickly aura.

“Don’t fight for what’s not yours, or you’ll only bring trouble upon yourself.”

Having said this, he vanished without a trace.

Shen Qinglu marveled at his sudden disappearance, a mocking glint slowly rising in her eyes.

What a coincidence!

Some things were truly hers; she was justified in fighting for them.

Breathing in the unique freshness of the bamboo, she once again wound through the grove, inexplicably feeling as if this was not an ordinary path, but another road in her life.

From the welfare home to her new residence, she had traveled this path for eight years.

The new home was splendid, a detached house with a small bamboo grove planted in front.

During the season when all life bursts forth, new bamboo shoots stretched out tender green branches, blending with the deep green of the older bamboo.

A gentle, refined youth stood at the door to greet her, his first words: “From now on, I am your brother.”

Brother...

The day fate changed was unlike any other, even years later when she recalled it, it felt extraordinary.

Reborn in another world as a human, with a new body and heart, yet the beautiful memories never faded.

As her vision blurred with tears, a few familiar faces appeared before her, suddenly feeling like a dream.

From afar, Mu Lin saw her standing by the bamboo grove, so solitary, so lost, so pitifully delicate. Those black jade-like eyes, clear as washed stone, instantly drew him in.

“Miss Ali, so you were here all along.”

“Where am I?” she murmured, asking both Mu Lin and herself.

Mu Lin thought she had lost her way and found it odd that no servant was nearby. “Miss Ali, don’t be afraid. This is the Hou Mansion; you can’t get lost here.”

Indeed.

She could not get lost; even if she died, she could still cross into places where shadows of the past existed. Though only faintly resembling, to her, it was enough comfort.

“Sister Tang’er said she was going somewhere and told me to wait. I waited a long time but didn’t see her, so I came to look for her. Have you seen her?”

This explanation was completely opposite to what Yu Liuzhu had said, causing Mu Lin to frown instinctively.

“You mean she left first and told you to wait, but when she didn’t come, you went to find her?”

She nodded earnestly, looking innocent and confused.

Mu Lin couldn’t help but believe her more, his impression of Yu Liuzhu inevitably soured. “She should know the way back. I’ll take you home first.”

After passing through the bamboo grove and walking a little further, they reached the garden. Not long after entering, they encountered Yu Liuzhu and the Hou Mansion maid who had previously guided them.

Yu Liuzhu’s expression changed the moment she saw them together.

The young man in exquisite blue brocade was in the prime of his youth, handsome and composed, moving with the sharpness of a martial artist and the dignity of a noble heir.

He had once been the one to capture her heart. Even though their union had turned sour and despite living a second life, she remained resentful and unsettled.

“Young Master Mu, my cousin is mentally deficient and unaware of propriety between men and women. Don’t you know that if anyone sees you alone with her, it would ruin her reputation?”

“I...” Mu Lin wanted to explain that this was the Hou Mansion and he was only fulfilling his duties as master, yet he also knew that as an outsider, his behavior was somewhat improper. “I acted hastily and didn’t think it through.”

Yu Liuzhu, seeing his admission, felt a strange mix of relief and frustration.

He had never admitted fault in their marriage before; now, because of someone else, he was bowing his head.

Then what did that make her?

“Do you think you can just do whatever you want because you were ‘hasty’? Where do you place my cousin? Where do you place me?”

“Miss Yu, you are all guests in my family. If a guest is missing, isn’t it my duty as master to help find them? Why speak so harshly? Have I ever done anything to displease you?”

“Do you not know what you’ve done?” The grievances and hatred from her past life flooded Yu Liuzhu’s heart, aching and painful. “Young Master Mu, do you not understand our relationship? Reflect honestly—how have you treated me? Shouldn’t I be upset?”

Their verbal engagement was still an engagement; outsiders might not know, but the two involved certainly did.

Mu Lin had nothing to say. He was the one who agreed to the marriage and also the one who wished to end it. By that measure, he deserved the blame.

After a long silence, he said, “I’m sorry.”

But a single apology could not erase Yu Liuzhu’s resentment; it only added fuel to the fire, making her emotions impossible to restrain. The bitterness in her eyes and the anger in her expression were clear as day.

Shen Qinglu watched them, feeling the entire scene was unbearably absurd.

She glanced around, trying to grasp where she truly was, finally settling her gaze on the Hou Mansion maid. The maid lowered her head, holding a cup of tea.

The tea had cooled; its steam was gone.

One sip sent a chill rolling through her stomach, cooling her entire body.

Yu Liuzhu’s pent-up anger choked when she saw Shen Qinglu drinking tea calmly, unable to voice her frustration or suppress it—it stuck, caught somewhere between.

“Ali, I told you not to wander off, I—”

“You said you were going ahead to look around. I waited a long time for you, but you never returned. So I went to find you. I think I heard you talking to a man. That man—”

Yu Liuzhu’s heart skipped a beat. “You must have misheard!”

She dared not look at Mu Lin’s face, hurriedly pulling Shen Qinglu away.

Shen Qinglu didn’t resist; once out of Mu Lin’s sight, she slipped free, her deep, dark eyes—empty and unfathomable—like a bottomless abyss, mysterious and terrifying.

“I saw him.”

“What did you say?” Yu Liuzhu’s face changed, disbelief evident.

Her gaze was dark and unclear, impossible to read—was she truly naive or merely pretending?

“I saw the person you were talking to...” She feigned struggling to recall, staring up at the sky.

“You mean that man?” Yu Liuzhu was certain that even if she had seen him, she couldn’t possibly know Mu Han’s identity. She lied, “I was in a hurry to find you and just asked a servant in the mansion for directions.”

Shen Qinglu responded with an “Oh,” as if she believed it.

Truly foolish.

Yu Liuzhu thought bitterly, touching her delicate, peach-like face, feeling discomfort swell within.

A fool born so lovely was truly a waste.

“Ali, I know you don’t understand much, but there are things I must tell you. You are the daughter of a disgraced official, born into a bad family. Even if you’re pretty, a decent man from a reputable family won’t marry you. If rumors spread, you can only be a concubine.”

“What’s a concubine?” Shen Qinglu feigned ignorance, her expression innocent and puzzled, her beauty flawless, like a rare gem untouched by the light.

Yu Liuzhu grew increasingly uncomfortable, jealousy and irritation twisting inside her, sharpening into biting words.

“A concubine is like a servant—bought, sold, even beaten or killed. Your aunt has raised you with great hardship. You must never let things come to that, to make her heartbroken and disappointed.” She clenched her palm, voice stern and displeased. “Without you, why would she work so hard?”

“I’m the daughter of a disgraced official. I can only be a concubine...” Shen Qinglu muttered as if half-understanding, lowering her head.

After a while, as if struck by sudden clarity, she lifted her head sharply, appearing lucid. “Sister Tang’er, I remember.”

But soon the clarity vanished from her eyes, replaced by an impenetrable darkness.

“Don’t forget either.”