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She held her crescent moon pillow, sitting up in a daze.

She hadn't left a lamp lit tonight, so the entire inner chamber was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything.

In contrast, a single lamp remained alight in the outer chamber. Its thin light illuminated the cotton curtains, casting a slender shadow through the bottom gap.

Rong Shu tilted her head to look at the curtain. Seeing that the bright strip of light was now dimmed by more than half, her grip on the moon pillow involuntarily tightened.

"Gu Changjin?" Her voice was soft and gentle, like a whisper from a dream.

The man sitting quietly in the outer chamber heard her. His Adam's apple moved slightly as he replied, "Mm-hmm. It's me. Don't be afraid."

Rong Shu wasn't frightened; she was merely perplexed.

When he had left that morning, he said he wouldn't return to the capital until the next day at the earliest. So why was he back in the middle of this night?

After a moment's thought, Rong Shu took a silver-inlaid jade palace lantern and walked over slowly, lifting the curtain aside.

The man was still leaning silently against the wall, just as before.

As Rong Shu lifted the curtain, he turned his head and raised his gaze, silently looking at her.

For a long while, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "It's over, Rong Zhaozhao. Everything is over."

Chapter 105

"It's over, Rong Zhaozhao. Everything is over."

A thin veil of light draped gently over the man's profound eyes. Usually as cold as a deep pond, his eyes now seemed to be ignited by sparks, flickering with flames.

This reminded Rong Shu of that New Year's Eve when fireworks blossomed in the snowy night.

Though she had never asked, Rong Shu knew that Gu Changjin had left the Eastern Palace this morning for Xiao Fu.

When he left, she had lifted the curtain and stared at him for a moment, seeing the worry in her eyes. He had softly reassured her, "I will return safely."

Those words were often spoken by Gu Changjin to Heng Ping and the others.

From the day they swore their loyalty to him, he understood that his life was no longer just his own.

Only if he lived would Heng Ping and the others survive. That was why, during uncertain times with unpredictable outcomes, he would utter these words to reassure them.

But saying the same sentence to her held a different meaning.

It wasn't just to ease her worries, but also to ask her to wait for him. This sentence comforted his heart as well.

In reality, many things between her and him didn't need to be spoken aloud.

Rong Shu didn't inquire about his mission, and he didn't explain his departure. For she knew what he was going to do, and he knew that she was aware of his destination.

"I know," she replied softly, trusting that he would return safely, just like all those other times, no matter how severely wounded he might be.

A faint smile tugged at Gu Changjin's lips. "If everything goes well, I'll be back by dawn tomorrow."

Rong Shu acknowledged with a gentle "mm-hmm."

The events at Minglu Yard and Daci'en Temple had proceeded smoothly. Gu Changjin should have remained at Daci'en Temple to handle the aftermath. However, he longed to see her.

He wanted to share with her countless stories about how he had reached this point in his life over the years.

How could he dare to look back, to recall those who had passed away, or allow himself even a moment of relaxation?

For fear that if he did, he might not be able to carry on.

Not until she arrived at Songsi Courtyard.

The moment the curtain embroidered with blooming pomegranate flowers fell, he could return to being himself, the Official of the Floating Jade Mountain.

With a gentle sway, the painted screen parted, and Rong Shu emerged from the inner chamber, seating herself beside him.

During his residence in the Eastern Palace, he had guarded her every night, but she had never ventured beyond the inner chambers, always standing quietly behind the cotton curtains.

Tonight, for the first time, she stepped out from behind the cloth partition.

Rong Shu set down her small palace lantern, resting her chin on her knees as she asked, "Do you have many things you wish to say?"

About Floating Jade Mountain, about his dearest kin.

Gu Changjin replied, "When I rode back from Daci'en Temple, I indeed had much to discuss with you. But now that I'm truly here, I suddenly feel that those words are no longer necessary."

Rong Shu nodded gently.

If he wished to speak, she would listen. If not, then it was no matter.

The outer hall had underfloor heating, but no braziers, making it much colder than the inner chamber. When Rong Shu got off the bed, she only draped an outer robe around herself. Now, sitting on the chilly golden bricks, she couldn't help but curl her feet up.

Just as she completed this small movement, a large cloak infused with the scent of cedar suddenly descended from above, firmly enveloping her. His garment was indeed spacious; Rong Shu was cocooned inside, resembling a mushroom that had been uprooted from the ground.

Gu Changjin glanced at her, then lowered his gaze slightly, suppressing the amusement in his eyes. He lifted his gaze again and asked, "Are you still cold?"

Rong Shu shook her head. He continued, "Did I frighten you just now?"

"No," Rong Shu replied. "I knew it was you."

Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Is Xiao Fu dead?"

"Mm, I returned the 'Third Watch' she prepared for you," Gu Changjin said. "Tan Zhi also consumed the 'Third Watch' alongside her."

Rong Shu had anticipated Xiao Fu's death, but she never expected that Tan Zhi would be sent from Yangzhou to Da Ci'en Temple by Gu Changjin to meet his end alongside Xiao Fu.

"Tan Zhi... he's also dead?"

"Yes," Gu Changjin replied coolly. "I stood outside the door until they drew their last breath after consuming the 'Third Watch Pill'."

Xiao Fu and Tan Zhi wouldn't have survived much longer even without taking the 'Third Watch Pill'. If Gu Changjin had wished it, he could have killed her the moment Master Fan Qing revealed where she was hiding.

But he wanted to see how Xiao Fu had driven Rong Shu to her death in her previous life, and make her experience the agony of having her beliefs shattered.

Did it give him satisfaction?

Indeed, it did.

In the final moments before Tan Zhi breathed his last, he was plagued by illusions. One of them was of him stumbling upon Xiao Fu painting on Mount Great Compassion.

Xiao Fu was an exceptional artist, gaining fame in the Great Yin art scene at the age of thirteen under the pseudonym "Master Spring Mountain". Tan Zhi had recognized the young maiden painting before him as the revered "Master Spring Mountain" when he accidentally caught a glimpse of her on Mount Great Compassion.