Three days later, the heavy rain finally stopped, but no trace of Nan Su had been found, and there was still no news.
Yu Jingchen had been exhausted by these matters for the past few days. Before he could catch his breath, he heard someone shouting outside.
"Your Majesty!" The eunuch outside rushed in, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Xing Lai. "What's the rush? Have you no manners in front of His Majesty?" Xing Lai roared.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's Consort Shu! Consort Shu has suddenly fainted!" The eunuch quickly blurted out.
Hearing that Consort Shu was in trouble, Xing Lai's heart tightened, and he quickly looked up at Yu Jingchen. But before he could get a clear look at His Majesty, he felt a figure flash past. The next moment, Yu Jingchen had already left the Hall of Diligent Governance.
"Your Majesty..." Xing Lai called out, then quickly followed. What was going on?
When Yu Jingchen arrived at the Hall of Purple Celestial Light, Nan Zhiyun had not yet woken up. Her face was so pale that it seemed as if she could... at any moment.
"What is going on!" Yu Jingchen began to rage as soon as he entered. Everyone knelt down.
Nan Zhiyun's condition was unclear, so Yu Jingchen could not continue to vent his anger. Nan Zhiyun's safety was the most important. He looked at the imperial physician. "What is Consort Shu's current condition? Why did she suddenly faint?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"Replying to Your Majesty, Consort Shu's sudden fainting was likely due to extreme emotional fluctuation and shock, therefore..." The imperial physician chose his words carefully.
"Shocked?" Yu Jingchen was confused and looked at Qian Xia, the palace maid who had been serving Nan Zhiyun.
"Replying to Your Majesty, the Consort has been in a bad mood these past few days and has not allowed anyone to serve her closely. Today, I don't know what happened. When I went in, I found the Consort's emotions were not right. I said I would invite an imperial physician, but the Consort refused. I had just helped Consort Shu up when she fainted." Qian Xia was also startled when she saw her Consort faint today.
"Go and investigate." Yu Jingchen ordered. Because of the matter with Nan Su, he had not allowed anyone to approach this place for the past two days. Moreover, he had been keeping a close watch, so there should be no slip-ups.
He stayed by Nan Zhiyun's side. The young woman did not wake up, and her brows seemed to be filled with much disquiet. Yu Jingchen wanted to smooth out the wrinkles on her forehead, but it seemed to have no effect.
"Daddy..." Nan Zhiyun suddenly called out. Yu Jingchen heard her and quickly went to check.
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen called out softly. Nan Zhiyun was hazy. Seeing this, he continued to call, "Yun'er?" Nan Zhiyun felt someone calling her, but she felt unable to open her eyes. Was it... Yu Jingchen?
Nan Zhiyun felt her eyes were so heavy, she couldn't open them no matter what.
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen reached out to stroke Nan Zhiyun's face. Nan Zhiyun struggled, and it took a lot of effort for her to regain her senses.
"Daddy..." Nan Zhiyun missed her father.
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen continued to call. Nan Zhiyun opened her eyes in a daze. The first person she saw was Yu Jingchen. A flicker of fear flashed in Nan Zhiyun's eyes, which Yu Jingchen saw clearly.
Yu Jingchen frowned. What was going on? Why was she so afraid of him again? He was about to reach out and pull Nan Zhiyun, but she dodged. Then he saw the... hatred in Nan Zhiyun's eyes? Huh? Why?
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen looked at her. Nan Zhiyun said nothing. Yu Jingchen tentatively reached out to her. Fortunately, Nan Zhiyun did not continue to dodge this time.
Yu Jingchen successfully pulled Nan Zhiyun into his embrace. Nan Zhiyun's eyes were somewhat distant, and he didn't know what had changed. Yu Jingchen ordered the palace servants to withdraw.
Nan Zhiyun leaned quietly in his embrace, making no move, not even moving her eyes much. Yu Jingchen naturally noticed the abnormality. He looked at the little person in his arms. "Yun'er, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?" His voice was gentle.
Nan Zhiyun gave no reply. Yu Jingchen was not in a hurry. "What happened today? Did someone make you unhappy?" he continued to ask.
"Does Your Majesty want to help concubine vent her anger?" Nan Zhiyun actually spoke, but her tone sounded strange. And she even referred to herself as "concubine"? Yu Jingchen frowned, but he didn't think too much of it, only that something unpleasant had happened today that made her unhappy.
"Of course. Yun'er, tell me, okay? Tell me who made you unhappy today, and I'll help you vent your anger." Yu Jingchen said, even affectionately stroking Nan Zhiyun's head.
Nan Zhiyun slowly sat up, and Yu Jingchen let go of her. She looked at Yu Jingchen, her eyes becoming strange. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"The hairpin on my head is pressing on my scalp, it's a bit painful..." Nan Zhiyun said. Hearing Nan Zhiyun say it hurt, Yu Jingchen couldn't sit still. He looked at the hairpin on Nan Zhiyun's head and took it off for her.
Nan Zhiyun looked at the hairpin in Yu Jingchen's hand and took it over. "This hairpin was given to me by Daddy before," she said.
"Missing your father again? I've told you, haven't I? Don't worry, I'll help you find him, okay? General Nan will be fine." Yu Jingchen coaxed her.
"Then it's been so long, has Your Majesty found him? Have the news of concubine's father been investigated?" Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"...Yun'er, this matter is not small, is it?" Yu Jingchen told her.
Nan Zhiyun's eyes clearly dimmed. Yu Jingchen couldn't bear to see her like this. Just as he was about to comfort her, he found that Nan Zhiyun was actually crying. Tears instantly escaped her eyes.
"Is Daddy not coming back?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
"What nonsense are you thinking? Nothing will happen, okay?" Yu Jingchen comforted her, wanting to wipe her tears, but Nan Zhiyun directly dodged.
Yu Jingchen's hand stiffened. Why did he feel that Nan Zhiyun was a bit abnormal? Was she avoiding him now, or was she afraid of him?
"Daddy isn't coming back. Your Majesty doesn't want Daddy to come back, so Daddy doesn't have the ability to come back." Nan Zhiyun wiped her tears herself.
Yu Jingchen frowned upon hearing this. It seemed his brow hadn't unfurrowed all day.
"Why are you thinking nonsense again? Who told you these things? Who was gossiping? I'll rip their tongue out." Yu Jingchen continued to speak.
"..." Nan Zhiyun did not answer. Yu Jingchen sighed helplessly and then pulled her into his embrace again.
"Yun'er, be good, don't think too much, wait a little longer, okay?" Yu Jingchen whispered in Nan Zhiyun's ear.
Nan Zhiyun closed her eyes. "Your Majesty, this is the second time you have killed my loved ones. You promised me you would not kill my father..." Nan Zhiyun's voice was very light, so light it seemed to dissipate with the wind.
"What?" Yu Jingchen did not understand. Just as he was about to look at Nan Zhiyun in his arms, he felt a pain in his chest. Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun in shock.
Nan Zhiyun's gaze was fixed on Yu Jingchen's face. Her gaze moved downwards. The hairpin she was holding was now inserted into Yu Jingchen's chest.
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun in disbelief.
"Yu Jingchen, why must you ruin me? Why can't you let me go, let my father go? You clearly said you wouldn't kill my father." Nan Zhiyun's tears flowed uncontrollably. Yu Jingchen didn't understand.
"Yun'er, did you hear some gossip? I didn't do anything, Yun'er, don't you believe me?" Yu Jingchen suddenly felt a little pity.
"It's not gossip, it's my personal experience, what I saw with my own eyes... Your Majesty, I know why your attitude towards me has suddenly changed." Nan Zhiyun continued, her eyes shifting slightly.
"I remember everything..." This sentence from Nan Zhiyun shattered the last sliver of hope in Yu Jingchen's heart.
"Yun'er..." Yu Jingchen called her name.
"You are not worthy of calling me Yun'er. Yun'er is dead..." Nan Zhiyun's hand began to tremble. Yu Jingchen grasped the hands of Nan Zhiyun holding the hairpin.
"So you want to kill me? Hmm?" Yu Jingchen asked her, but there was not much blame in his tone.
"You killed my father, you killed him twice..." Nan Zhiyun's emotions became more agitated.
Yu Jingchen had no memory of what Nan Zhiyun was talking about. Even if this counted as one time, where was the other time? In his previous life, he had never killed Nan Su.
"After killing me, what then? What do you want to do?" Yu Jingchen's voice gradually became gentle.
"If I kill you, can I still live? Father is gone, is there any reason for me to live?" Nan Zhiyun smiled, but there was a lot of bitterness in this smile.
"Naturally, you can..." Yu Jingchen said, slowly exerting force and pulling out the hairpin. Nan Zhiyun wanted to resist, but she didn't have that much strength.
"Yun'er... you were too light when you struck. Hmm?" Yu Jingchen's expression was much more relaxed than before. But... why did Nan Zhiyun feel fear after seeing this?
"Rest well and recover your health here, okay? Don't do anything to yourself, or I will truly be angry." Yu Jingchen used his other clean hand to stroke Nan Zhiyun's head, then stood up himself.
Nan Zhiyun gasped for breath. She hadn't felt afraid just now, but now she felt as if she had done something terrible. She had just stabbed Yu Jingchen...
Watching Yu Jingchen's retreating back, Nan Zhiyun felt as if all her strength had been drained from her body. She collapsed limply.
Yu Jingchen left the room. Xing Lai was waiting outside. Seeing Yu Jingchen's injuries, he was so terrified that his soul almost flew away.
"Your Majesty... you are..." Xing Lai was so scared that he was almost paralyzed.
"Summon the imperial physician. Consort Shu accidentally knocked over the medicine bowl while taking her medicine and cut her hand." Yu Jingchen instructed.
"Yes..." Xing Lai dared not ask further and personally went to fetch the imperial physician.
After all, His Majesty was injured. But... how could His Majesty be injured? How could His Majesty be injured? Yu Jingchen was indeed seriously injured this time, with a lot of blood, which looked terrifying.
Yu Jingchen waited in the side hall. Nan Zhiyun's action just now had genuinely surprised him. She said she remembered too... what exactly did she remember? Why did she say he had killed Nan Su twice? He had never done so...
——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——♡——
Xing Lai quickly brought the imperial physician. The imperial physician originally thought that it was indeed Nan Zhiyun, this pampered Consort Shu, who had some new problem. But he discovered it was His Majesty. He was also startled. Was there anyone in this world who could injure His Majesty?
He was even more trembling while treating the wound. How could it be so deep? And now this wound was very close to the heart.
"Your... Your Majesty..." The imperial physician found his tongue tied, his hands shaking violently. What was going on?
"Today you are here to bandage Consort Shu's wound. She accidentally broke the bowl while taking her medicine, and the shards cut her." Yu Jingchen looked at the imperial physician, his eyes filled with warning.
"...Yes" The imperial physician had been in the palace for so long, how could he not see the hidden implications? So, for the sake of his own life, he immediately agreed.
Xing Lai was also a smart person. It seemed that His Majesty's injury today was definitely related to Consort Shu. But... His Majesty was clearly not angry now, and he even wanted to protect Consort Shu... What exactly had happened in between?
After Yu Jingchen had the imperial physician bandage him casually, he dismissed him. Xing Lai was full of worry. "Your Majesty, your injury..."
"I'm fine. Watch Consort Shu closely. Reinstate the people who were dismissed earlier." Yu Jingchen's face was pale. He had never felt so weak before. Nan Zhiyun's strike just now was truly intended to kill him; she had not held back at all.
"Yes." Although Xing Lai did not know what had happened specifically, he was sure that something major had occurred. He dared not be careless.
After Yu Jingchen said this, he waved his hand at Xing Lai. Xing Lai naturally did not dare to ask more, but... His Majesty's wound...
After Xing Lai left, Yu Jingchen leaned back in his chair. "Yun'er... do you really hate me that much?" He had clearly seen the hatred in Nan Zhiyun's eyes today.
(Dear, a reminder: So far, the male lead does not have the memories of his second life, meaning he has not recalled the scene where he personally killed the female lead's father. However, he will recall it later.)