Ye Shixian stumbled toward Ye Mingze’s room. Just as she reached the door, she heard suppressed sobs from inside.

She froze, not daring to take another step.

Night had fallen. The lanterns hanging from the eaves cast a ghastly white light, swaying in the night wind like whimpering spirits.

An immense fear gripped her heart, and an overwhelming chill swept over her.

The sound of even more hurried footsteps came from behind her. It was Mrs. Gao, who had clearly heard the news and come rushing over in a panic.

Her head was still wrapped in gauze, and she looked as if she had lost a significant amount of weight. In the flickering candlelight, her pockmarked, red, and swollen face shifted between light and shadow, making her look like a malevolent spirit.

"Mingze! Mingze!"

Mrs. Gao stumbled forward, her voice trembling as she screamed his name. She didn’t even notice Ye Shixian, bumping into her without a backward glance as she charged straight toward the room.

As she went up the steps, she missed her footing and fell hard.

"My lady!"

The maid following her hurried forward to help, but Mrs. Gao had already scrambled to her feet and thrown herself into the room.

Shaoyao steadied Ye Shixian, who had nearly been knocked over. Her own heart was a frantic mess. "Miss, are you..."

Ye Shixian didn’t move, remaining frozen in place. Her knuckles had turned white from how tightly she was gripping Shaoyao’s hand.

After a moment of dead silence, a heart-rending wail erupted from the room—

"My son!"

Ye Shixian felt as if a blade had viciously struck her, splattering blood everywhere.

Stiffly, she slowly raised her head. The door was ajar, and the scene before her seemed to be shrouded in a dark, bloody haze.

Leaves rustled in the courtyard. The candlelight flickered under the eaves. The wailing was utterly piercing.

Ye Shixian suddenly shoved Shaoyao aside and rushed forward.

’Impossible, impossible!’

’How could Mingze be dead? He was just sick. How could he just die so suddenly?!’

The servants were kneeling all over the floor inside. Mrs. Gao was collapsed by the bed, sobbing until she was breathless.

Hearing the commotion, a maid turned and kowtowed heavily to her.

"First Miss, my condolences!"

Ye Shixian kicked the maid to the ground and snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting! Mingze is just gravely ill. Hurry up and fetch a physician!"

With that, she rushed to the bedside.

Ye Mingze lay there, covered by a quilt. His eyes were shut tight, his lips deathly pale, and a ghastly, bluish tinge of death hung between his brows.

Ye Shixian’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Just a moment ago... they said... What are you all standing around for?! Go get help!"

The maid she had kicked down sobbed, "First Miss, the Second Young Master had a high fever for days. A moment ago, for some reason, he suddenly had a seizure and started foaming at the mouth. I couldn’t wake him no matter what I did. It was only a quarter of an hour, and then... and then—"

Every word was a sharp blade, stabbing viciously into Ye Shixian’s heart.

She stepped forward and reached out to pull back the quilt covering Ye Mingze, but her hand accidentally brushed against his.

Ice-cold.

The frigid temperature seemed to seep into her, making her feel as though she had been plunged into an icy cavern.

Mrs. Gao clung desperately to Ye Mingze. Blood ran down her face, mixed with tears and snot, as she shrieked herself hoarse.

"Mingze! My son! You’ve just left... what am I supposed to do now!"

Ye Shixian took a step back, the last trace of color draining from her face.

’Yes, what now?’

’Just a few hours ago, she thought things were finally turning around. As long as Father was alive, everything else could be dealt with.’

’But she never imagined that at this very moment, Mingze would die!’

’Without him, with only her and Mrs. Gao left, how could they possibly hold on?!’

...

Ye Chutang sat at her desk, writing with a brush.

Xiao Wu lay obediently beside her. She recognized the characters Ye Chutang was writing, but she didn’t quite understand what they meant.

Ye Chutang rubbed her wrist. Catching sight of the little head out of the corner of her eye, her expression flickered.

The date for relocating her parents’ graves and erecting new tombstones had long been set, but there were still matters she needed to arrange personally. Xiao Wu was too young to have any real memory of their parents or their older brother, so she looked on with a bewildered expression.

But Xiao Wu didn’t know that some things, once lost, are gone forever.

Xiao Wu seemed to sense something. She turned and looked up at her sister, her big, dark eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

’Why does Big Sister seem unhappy?’

She blinked, then reached out with two chubby little hands to grab Ye Chutang’s fingers, giving them a gentle shake.

’Big Sister, don’t be sad! I’m here!’

Ye Chutang came back to her senses, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile.

"I was just thinking about the past."

Xiao Wu had no memory of much of the past. Hearing Ye Chutang’s words, she pouted and lowered her head, looking a little deflated.

’If only I were a little older,’ she thought. ’Then, like my Third and Fourth Brothers, I would have so many more memories with Big Sister.’

Ye Chutang pinched her little cheek.

"Alright, let’s not talk about that. Go to bed early tonight. We might have to wake up early tomorrow."

Xiao Wu was confused.

’It’s not time for Third Brother and Fourth Brother’s holiday leave yet. And it doesn’t seem like Big Sister and I have anything to do. Why do we have to get up early?’

But she was always obedient. Since Ye Chutang said so, she just nodded her little head.

Ye Chutang took Xiao Wu to wash up. She had just gotten her halfway undressed when a maid came rushing in to report.

"Second Miss! Something’s happened to Second Young Master Ye!"

Ye Chutang paused and turned her head. "What is it?"

A look of shock was still fresh on the maid’s face.

Ever since the two families had a falling out, the servants of the residence hadn’t dared to casually mention matters concerning the other household—especially with the young miss present...

Noticing her hesitation, Ye Chutang said, "Just say it."

The maid steeled herself. ’Right! This news must be delivered!’

"Second Young Master Ye had a sudden turn and... passed away!"

It was sudden, but because of the delicate relationship between the two households, news traveled back as soon as the incident occurred.

Ye Mingze had been in a coma ever since the Ye Family fire. Although many didn’t expect him to recover, no one thought he would actually die at a time like this.

Ye Chutang calmly straightened Xiao Wu’s hair, her expression serene.

’The thick smoke from the fire had severely damaged Ye Mingze’s trachea, heart, and lungs. After lying in bed for so many days, his internal organs were already ravaged by infection.’

’In an era lacking proper doctors and medicine, death was inevitable.’

’He didn’t die at anyone’s hand, but from a persistent high fever.’

’He died—as his fate had long been written!’

When the maid received no response from Ye Chutang, she grew anxious. "Second Miss, this is..."

Although Ye Mingze was, by blood, Ye Chutang’s cousin, the two sides of the family were bitter enemies. Furthermore, the suspicion that Ye Heng had murdered his own brother had yet to be cleared. How to handle this matter now was a true dilemma...

"What a pity. Only sixteen."

Ye Chutang spoke softly, glancing outside. Her voice seemed steeped in the same chill as the deep autumn night.

"My brother was the same age when he died."