When a group of people strode into the kitchen, the girl named Xiao Yan had just sat down.
In front of her was a bowl of simple scrambled egg fried rice, and she was about to start eating.
"Xiao Yan, quickly, make another dish for the Young Lord," said the person in charge of the manor.
Zhu Xiao Yan had already heard the footsteps coming in and knew there were quite a few people.
Ever since she lost her sight, this had become her subconscious habit.
Hearing Uncle's words again, she said nothing and skillfully fumbled her way to the stove.
"Uncle, what should I make?"
"Anything is fine."
"Okay."
Relying on memory, Zhu Xiao Yan grabbed two handfuls of green vegetables and scooped some water from the vat to wash them simply.
On the other side, an aunt helping at the manor began to light the fire.
Zhou Guanjing took two steps forward, first looking at her eyes, then shifting his gaze to her hands.
Zhu Xiao Yan knew someone was watching her, and not just one person.
She just didn't know if it was because the dish had a problem, or…
They had come to watch a performance.
But no matter what, she dared not slacken.
Green vegetables were the quickest, simplest, and easiest to bring out flavor.
She placed her hand in the wok, feeling the temperature inside, and then poured in the oil.
Everything on the stove was arranged according to her habits.
Over the years of learning to cook with her father, she could accurately know where each seasoning was placed even with her eyes closed.
*Sizzle—*
The green vegetables went into the wok, and she wielded the spatula.
Zhou Guanjing stood beside her, watching from beginning to end.
He watched the vegetables in the wok, her skillful movements with the kitchen utensils, and her focused expression, oblivious to the outside world.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears, it would have been hard to imagine that this was someone whose parents were both dead and who was blind.
It was even harder to imagine that the table full of dishes had all been made by her.
Zhou Guanjing had seen blind people before.
On the contrary, he had seen workers with broken legs and arms, beggars starving to death, and desperate merchants…
But the person in front of him, despite having lost everything, gave the impression of having everything.
She even seemed to live more freely than those with intact limbs.
If one only heard about this person, they might feel pity.
But if you saw her, you wouldn't think of the word 'pity'.
…
When returning to the capital, Zhou Guanjing said to his butler:
"This manor is good."
It was unclear whether he was referring to the people or the rice fields.
The butler smiled and nodded in agreement.
…
In the amusement park—
The young soul girl who had been brought out had played everything she wanted and was starting a second round.
Jiang Lin looked at Prince Jian'an, "So you've taken a liking to that girl named Xiao Yan?"
"To say I've taken a liking to her isn't entirely accurate."
Prince Jian'an looked at the lively scene below, "It's more about appreciating her attitude towards life."
"Before, I thought that living was either fighting on all fronts or living freely and unrestrainedly…"
But later, he realized that this wasn't the most important thing?
Or rather,
These were concepts he had gotten from books or from others.
He was born a Crown Prince, and his journey had been too smooth.
He had no persistence, no beliefs of his own…
Had he, who had nothing, truly lived?
It was the first time that Zhou Guanjing, before becoming Prince Jian'an, felt a sense of confusion.
He admired the blind girl's attitude towards life, her courage and conviction to stand up again after facing adversity.
She was too radiant.
As if she was glowing.
After that, he often visited the manor.
Looking at the world with such admiration, he gradually discovered one person after another who had beliefs.
They might come from humble origins or noble birth…
Despite different identities and experiences, they each had their strengths and their convictions.
He tried to connect with these people, either by offering help or by recruiting them.
His life, it seemed, was also illuminated by these shining points.
…
Jiang Lin listened quietly.
This was the first time he had heard Prince Jian'an voluntarily mention his past.
No wonder the later Prince Jian'an, despite his noble birth, was so approachable.
No wonder he was rumored to be charitable and diligent in his work.
No wonder he stayed in the end to defend the city with everyone.
Wait!
Jiang Lin suddenly thought of something.
Ever since he knew of Prince Jian'an, he didn't recall the man ever getting married?
What about that girl Xiao Yan?
"She died."
Prince Jian'an's tone suddenly became indifferent.
If she had still been alive back then, he might have married her.
Or perhaps, they would have become friends?
But she had died.
Died in that era.
"…"
Jiang Lin fell silent.
A brief silence ensued above the Ferris wheel.
A moment later, Jiang Lin looked at the soul girl playing wildly below,
"Is this her reincarnation?"
"Mm."
Prince Jian'an sat down on the Ferris wheel, "At first, I just wanted to see her reincarnation.
But I found that in every life, she either died young or had a disability."
Later, he learned that the reason she was like this seemed to be due to soul damage.
He searched through a lot of information.
Although he found one or two methods to repair the soul, they were either unorthodox or had too many side effects.
If he could find the cause of her soul damage, or where it was damaged…
The chance of repair would be greater.
"But I couldn't find it."
Before Jiang Lin could ask, Prince Jian'an continued,
"I can only find her reincarnations in recent years; I cannot view older ones."
"Cannot view?" Jiang Lin asked.
"Mm."
Prince Jian'an nodded slightly, "There are generally two reasons why something cannot be viewed: first, insufficient authority.
Second, data loss."
The archives recorded—
During the era when humans mastered ghosts, they possessed a large number of extraordinary abilities.
They even attempted to defy heaven and change fate, and to bring the dead back to life.
And they broke into the underworld, attempting to rule the netherworld.
This incident caused a great stir and taught the underworld a lesson.
It is said that much of the information and records were also lost during that incident.
…
"Her name in this life is Feng Rong."
…