"Why do you ask that? Do you have any grudges against Zheng Xiang?"
"That's not something you need to concern yourself with. Will you tell me or not?" Zheng Wei asked calmly.
"No."
Baili Hao leaned back and lay down.
As he landed on the tattered quilt, Baili Hao felt a piercing pain in his wounds, bringing tears to his eyes.
"If you want to report me, go ahead. What am I afraid of?"
After speaking, Baili Hao closed his eyes and made no further movement.
Zheng Wei watched Baili Hao for a while, then said nothing more. He took Shen Xiaoyan's hand and they walked into the orchard.
Their figures gradually moved away, but they didn't leave directly. Instead, they walked to a stone table a little further away and sat down.
After sitting down, Zheng Wei was deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't disturb him. She quietly rested her chin on her hand and watched him, waiting for him to finish his thoughts and speak, to explain what was going on.
A gentle breeze blew past, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus.
Shen Xiaoyan greedily inhaled the sweet, intoxicating scent of the osmanthus, a look of intoxication on her face.
"Mimi, aren't you curious why I know all this?" Zheng Wei asked, his expression lifting slightly from its earlier solemnity as he looked at Shen Xiaoyan.
"I'm not curious. If you want to say it, you will," Shen Xiaoyan replied.
Her voice was filled with indifference.
Seeing this, Zheng Wei's eyes filled with affection. Mimi truly was the one who understood him best.
Some things, you may want to know, but you don't necessarily have to ask.
Because asking might not get you the answer, but not asking doesn't mean you'll never find out.
As they sat looking at each other in silence, they heard approaching footsteps.
Following the sound, they saw Huo Fen leading a group of people, pushing carts of food.
Shen Xiaoyan took a quick look. Today's meal was noodles.
The noodles weren't white and only had some bok choy leaves added.
Such simple food was something Shen Xiaoyan had only eaten during her previous life's escape.
After two days of good living, she suspected she couldn't stomach such a meal anymore.
"Let's go, let's take a look."
Zheng Wei said, taking Shen Xiaoyan's hand as they stood up and followed Huo Fen and the others back to the work area.
After Huo Fen rang the bronze gong, the guards who were working orderly came forward to collect their food.
Shen Xiaoyan carefully observed their faces.
Due to the strenuous labor and lack of nutrition, the guards' complexions were not good.
However, Shen Xiaoyan felt no guilt.
Although the food was not good, everyone was definitely full.
Compared to some impoverished farmers, these people were fortunate to be able to eat their fill, and there was no need for pity.
Princess Zande and Baili Ziyun walked over, supporting each other. After Huo Fen served them noodles and ladled a bowl for Baili Hao, they each took their bowls and went to Baili Hao's side.
"Hao, have some food?"
Princess Zande placed her own bowl aside and said to Baili Hao, who had his eyes closed.
Baili Hao, with his eyes closed and a frown, remained silent.
Princess Zande called out several times without a response, and a hint of annoyance began to creep in.
"Baili Hao, get up!"
Princess Zande said, reaching out and shaking Baili Hao's body.
"What are you doing? I'm not eating, didn't you hear me?"
Princess Zande was caught off guard and was pushed away by Baili Hao.
She had been holding her bowl of noodles, and as a result, it spilled all over.
"What are you doing?"
Even Princess Zande, who usually had a good temper, was enraged, and her temper was not good to begin with.
Normally, when she was displeased, she would punish her servants to vent her frustration.
She had been working like a dog these past few days. The only free time she had during the day was during meals. She could tolerate eating herself, but afterwards, she still had to rest.
Yet, every time, she had to attend to Baili Hao. Who would have thought he would be so unappreciative?
"Baili Hao, what do you want?" Princess Zande threw her bowl of food onto the ground and shouted angrily.
"Are you starting to despise me now?"
Baili Hao spoke with a sarcastic tone, his expression becoming even more unpleasant.
Faced with Baili Hao like this, Princess Zande didn't know what to say. She wanted to placate Baili Hao, but as a princess, she couldn't do that.
She wanted Baili Hao to coax her, but looking at him, it seemed she could only wish for that.
"At a time like this, you can still be flirting and joking in public. I must say, you truly are in love."
Shen Xiaoyan watched their interaction, her words laced with mockery.
In her heart, however, she was sighing.
Earlier, she had thought they were in love through thick and thin. Yet, after only a few days, they were about to go their separate ways when disaster struck?
"Princess Zande, tell me, what is so good about this disfigured man who is constantly facing death? Why are you willing to marry him?"
Zheng Wei looked at Princess Zande, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"That's none of your business," Princess Zande's expression froze, and she replied stiffly.
Hearing Princess Zande's response, Zheng Wei smiled indifferently. He exchanged a glance with Shen Xiaoyan, and neither of them spoke further.
While these people were talking, Baili Ziyun was squatting under a tree, wolfing down her noodles.
She was truly starving.
The Baili Ziyun who had refused to eat on the first day was long gone.
Now, Baili Ziyun had to eat at least two bowls per meal to be satisfied.
Even so, she often suffered from stomach pain from hunger halfway through work or in the middle of the night.
As she ravenously ate the noodles in her bowl, Baili Ziyun recalled how she used to face a table full of delicacies and have no appetite. Thinking back to then, she wanted to strangle her past self. She truly didn't know what she had until it was gone.
If Shen Xiaoyan knew what Baili Ziyun was thinking at this moment, she wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She never thought that her tormenting of Baili Ziyun would make her cherish food. This was truly unbelievable.
Although Baili Ziyun had a great realization regarding food, perhaps she didn't have the same realization when it came to being a daughter.
Here, Princess Zande and Baili Hao were arguing fiercely, yet she could only focus on eating noodles. Shen Xiaoyan looked at the scene and felt that the three of them were truly quite pathetic.
Having seen enough of the drama, Baili Ziyun and Zheng Wei left hand in hand.
They returned to the main courtyard, just in time for dinner.
Yue Qingxin sat at the dining table, holding Sima Shui Rong in her arms.
Huo Fen was bringing dishes to the table. Seeing the fragrant dishes on the table, little Sima Shui Rong stretched out his hands and neck, making "ya ya ya" sounds.
"What's wrong?"
Shen Xiaoyan walked over and sat down, taking Sima Shui Rong from Yue Qingxin. "Why is our little Rong ge making such a loud noise? I could hear him from outside from a distance."
"He wants to eat," Yue Qingxin said with a smile, but also with a hint of helplessness.
A child who was only half a year old was so eager to eat. What was she supposed to do?
With his two tiny baby teeth, what could he chew?
"Have the wet nurse take him to play with Zheng Jiang and the others. If he doesn't see us, he won't fuss," Shen Xiaoyan said, handing Sima Shui Rong to a wet nurse standing nearby.
As children grow, they naturally become interested in things other than breast milk.
Especially when they see adults eating, they become even more eager.
Shen Xiaoyan felt she couldn't solve this problem, so she simply prevented the triplets from seeing it. That way, they wouldn't hear them fussing.
The four of them sat down for dinner, and then each went to coax the children to sleep for their afternoon nap.
After the triplets fell asleep, Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei sat on the kang bed and talked.
"You met Baili Hao in your previous life?" Shen Xiaoyan asked about Baili Hao again, driven by immense curiosity.
"Yes, I met him. However, I only met him once, and he died at that time," Zheng Wei nodded.
"How did he die?" Shen Xiaoyan was surprised. He died right after they met.
"He was killed by Zheng Xiang. After I returned, one night, someone assassinated Zheng Xiang. I, along with the mansion's guards, captured him. Then, Zheng Xiang killed him. When I asked why, Zheng Xiang said that this was his half-brother, who had killed his mother. He was now seeking revenge."