Nan Ziyun lowered her head, silent. She couldn't quite explain her feelings towards Yu Jingchen now.
"Fear is useless. This feeling only matters to those who care about you. If you encountered such a situation outside, would saying you're scared be enough?" Yu Jingchen asked her with a smile.
Nan Ziyun looked at him, unsure of what he was trying to convey.
"I don't mean anything else. I just want to tell you, don't be afraid. No matter what, I'm here. Yun'er, you must understand that I have no ill intentions towards you now. You can trust me and rely on me completely, okay?" he said to Nan Ziyun.
But this time, Nan Ziyun shook her head. Yu Jingchen saw her movement and raised an eyebrow. "What does Yun'er want to say?"
"I can't control it... I'm scared," Nan Ziyun said.
"Scared of what? Scared of me?" Yu Jingchen comforted her.
Nan Ziyun hesitated for perhaps one or two seconds, then nodded. Yu Jingchen felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he controlled his expression well.
"I know I've made many mistakes before. I know I was wrong now, and I'll correct them in the future, okay? Yun'er is scared, I can understand, but can you try to accept the current me?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
"Yun'er says she's scared of me, but compared to before when she dared not say anything, isn't it much better now? So Yun'er, don't resist communicating with me. Tell me whatever you want to say," Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Ziyun didn't reply this time. She had never seen Yu Jingchen like this before, nor had she interacted with him in this manner. Therefore, facing this Yu Jingchen, she felt helpless, nervous, and frightened.
"Alright, I won't pressure you. Rest well, okay? I'll have someone bring you books." Yu Jingchen knew that Nan Ziyun might need a little more time to process and accept.
Nan Ziyun didn't respond. Yu Jingchen stood up from his seat, then asked someone to bring books for Nan Ziyun, while he himself left the room.
He understood that if he stayed in the same room with Nan Ziyun, she would feel uncomfortable, so he chose to give her some space.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager sent people today, saying they are to serve Consort Shu." Xing Lai reported.
"Then let them all stay and serve." Yu Jingchen did not object. He trusted the Empress Dowager's people to serve. Nan Ziyun would also not resist them. If he had arranged all his own people, she might have felt uncomfortable instead.
"Yes..." Xing Lai replied, but it seemed he hadn't finished speaking.
"Are there any other issues?" Yu Jingchen asked.
"There's also... Noble Consort just sent someone to ask if, now that Consort Shu has regained her position, the He'an Hall needs to be reorganized?" Xing Lai wanted to gauge His Majesty's current attitude towards Consort Shu.
"He'an Hall... have it renovated. But there's no need to move for now. Consort Shu will stay in He'an Hall during this period. Also..." Yu Jingchen lowered his voice here: "Send two people to keep a close watch and see if there's anything amiss in He'an Hall." Yu Jingchen implied. Previously, "witchcraft dolls" had been found in Nan Ziyun's room twice.
They were found again this time. Although more than a year had passed, there was no guarantee that other situations wouldn't arise later. He remembered that the person responsible was the current Noble Consort Wen. Thinking of this, Yu Jingchen's eyes darkened. He had not forgotten how much Nan Ziyun had been injured the last time Noble Consort Wen abducted her.
Therefore... Wen Shi absolutely could not be spared. It was just that he couldn't act against her for the moment, but even the King of Hell couldn't stop him from moving against someone he wished to. Wen Shi would be eliminated sooner or later, it just depended on whether she was truly so eager to die.
Xing Lai listened to Yu Jingchen's words. Although there were parts he didn't understand, he knew he just had to follow orders. After responding, he withdrew.
Yu Jingchen sat on a chair outside. He hadn't fully come to terms with the current situation. He had indeed been reborn, but... what was the meaning of being reborn? This had happened more than once. He didn't know how long he would have to endure this, nor whether this time would have the same outcome as the previous life.
He pressed his temples. He had returned much too late this time, so he was uncertain about the hidden dangers ahead. Also, if he could be reborn so many times, what about Nan Ziyun? Would she have memories of the past? If she regained her memories, what would he do?
Yu Jingchen began to worry. In the previous life, Nan Ziyun and he had ultimately become strangers. In that life, Nan Ziyun had been somewhat strange. Those events that happened to Nan Ziyun in that life had not followed the original trajectory. So... in that life, had Nan Ziyun also regained her memories later on?
Yu Jingchen felt uneasy. He was unsure if Nan Ziyun would truly regain her memories. If she did, what would he do, and what would she do? If he wanted to leave again, would he make the same choice as last time?
Yu Jingchen knew very well the pain he had felt after Nan Ziyun left in his previous life. He truly did not want to go through it again, so this time, he might not let go. But... if it truly came to that, would Nan Ziyun be hurt again?
Yu Jingchen felt a sense of powerlessness. These kinds of things always had unexpected developments that were beyond his control. He was uneasy and unaccustomed to it.
Yu Jingchen sat outside alone for perhaps an hour. During this time, he did not disturb Nan Ziyun. However, now, when he was away from Nan Ziyun for too long, he felt unsettled, as if he would lose her forever if she wasn't by his side. So he finally stood up from his seat, then tiptoed and went into the room.
Nan Ziyun was indeed reading a storybook inside. Perhaps because Yu Jingchen wasn't there, and she had a lot of time, she felt a bit bored and read for a while.
Yu Jingchen didn't walk in directly. Instead, he stood outside watching her. If he went in now, he might break the current harmony. Nan Ziyun was engrossed in her reading inside, completely unaware.