CHAPTER 366: CHAPTER 366: DEAD WOOD MEETS SPRING, REBIRTH FROM DESPAIR

Nancy Allen extended her fair little hand and picked the apple in front of her.

Emma Lewis shouted from the side, "Nancy, you cheated! You have a ladder that’s 1.9 meters tall!"

Nancy looked at the apple in her hand and gave a brilliant smile, bursting into laughter.

Emma’s yelling quieted down.

The people below catching apples also quieted down.

They had never seen Nancy smile like this before; it was a pure, unblemished smile of genuine happiness.

Nancy had lived a very hard life.

Everyone watched Nancy, only Godfery Shaw took a few steps forward to let Nancy pick the fruits from the tree.

"Godfery, a little forward, I’m about to get it."

"Godfery, I can’t reach it, help me put it in my pocket, don’t let it fall."

"Godfery..."

At that moment, everyone felt that there was no way they could take Nancy away from Godfery’s side.

On the way back, Nancy couldn’t walk anymore.

Godfery had a few horses sent from the riding field, and everyone experienced a new mode of transportation.

Nancy was held in Godfery’s arms, sharing the same horse.

Along the way, they saw many traces that were not there in the Imperial Garden before.

Such as those luxurious swing chairs, potted plants turned into strawberries, exotic fish kept with grass carp in aquariums, dolls scattered around the Imperial Garden, white plush blankets draped on sofas, bringing color to the entire Imperial Garden.

Those were traces of Nancy.

Everyone returned to the villa.

The Imperial Garden had a dedicated studio, and Nancy led everyone there.

Fortunately, the studio was large enough to accommodate everyone.

Nancy prepared the paints and laid out the paper.

Robert Reed nervously asked, "Little apprentice, what do you want to draw?"

Robert hadn’t called her little apprentice for a long time. So much happened five years ago, Nancy’s near-death scattered Robert’s spirit a lot, and without Sophie Allen as his belief, Robert might not have held on.

He couldn’t protect his wife and child, and in his old age, he couldn’t protect his student.

Now watching Nancy pick up the brush, Robert felt his eyes welling up with tears.

Nancy didn’t answer and smiled as she let the first stroke fall.

A vibrant green appeared on the paper.

No longer dark and despairing as before, just one stroke gave a sense of rebirth, a sense of brightness.

Nancy continued to paint.

The five-year break did not make her painting skills rusty; instead, they had a steadiness from time’s sedimentation.

Stroke by stroke, towering trees leaped from the paper, lush and green, carrying a strong vitality.

A vine climbed along the tree branches, blooming a bright red flower at the longest tip.

The colors slowly became vivid, and the details of the picture gradually filled out.

Nobody spoke; everyone looked at Nancy, watching the painting gradually take shape.

Sophie looked intently, her eyes unblinking, feeling, learning, experiencing the clash of colors, experiencing the vitality, thinking, is this her mom’s painting?

It’s really nice.

Mr. and Mrs. Allen felt a sense of awe; their daughter was indeed very talented.

Emma just thought it looked beautiful.

Robert, however, had reddened eyes; he was the first to realize Nancy had thoughts of death, he could see Nancy’s inner state through her paintings.

It was dark despair, it was dim and dull.

Robert had persuaded many times, advising Nancy not to die, to live well, always telling Nancy that even if everyone gave up on her, she still had her teacher.

But he was helpless, unable to save someone lost in despair; he watched Nancy walk towards death, watched her lingering life, watched her without any will to survive.

Those bleak, despairing paintings seemed to prelude Nancy’s fate.

Now, dead wood meeting spring, coming back to life from death.

She had truly come back to life.

Nancy painted quickly, her strokes graceful and free, without needing caution, not worried about mistakes, her casual strokes were lively.

Finally, at the bottom of the painting, she wrote a line: to let the flower bloom, bloom under the blazing sun.

At that moment, Nancy was like the flower on the branch in the painting, blooming brilliantly.

Godfery didn’t squeeze in; he watched Nancy from afar, his gaze tender.

He would let her bloom, bloom without any concerns.

Nancy put down the brush.

The studio fell into a strange silence.

After a long while, Sophie spoke, "Mom, you paint so well."

At some point, Nancy’s hand had a bit of green ink on it. She lightly dotted Sophie’s forehead and said with a smile, "This painting is for our Sophie."

This painting seemed to foretell Nancy’s rebirth, and Sophie was also Nancy’s new beginning.

Sophie was very happy, her big eyes sparkling, exclaiming, "Really? That’s great."

Emma enviously said, "I want one too, Nancy, the wedding room for Basil and me still lacks a painting."

Nancy, agreeable as usual, said, "Sure, I’ll paint one for you later."

At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Allen also showed expectant expressions for wanting one.

Robert, thick-skinned, said the Ink Manor lacked two of Nancy’s paintings.

Godfery’s face darkened.

Godfery walked over, put an arm around Nancy, and declared his authority, "Her health is not good, she can’t be too tired; let her paint when she has time and feels up to it."

Nancy’s health was indeed not good, and everyone had gotten used to Godfery’s protective nature.

Overall, everyone was really happy today.

Seeing Godfery’s growing impatience, everyone wisely prepared to leave.

Nancy checked the time; now that the painting was finished, it was already very late. It wasn’t convenient for the elderly and children to go back so late.

Nancy suddenly suggested, "Everyone, just stay at the Imperial Garden tonight. There are plenty of guest rooms, enough for everyone."

Emma and Basil didn’t mind; they already had rooms in the Imperial Garden.

The others instinctively looked to Godfery.

Everyone knew Godfery wasn’t fond of outside guests. Inviting so many people to the Imperial Garden had already exceeded their expectations, let alone offering them a stay.

Yet, they saw Godfery calmly instruct, "Joyce, didn’t you hear Nancy? Prepare the guest rooms."

Everyone was surprised.

Nancy had the freedom to make arrangements at the Imperial Garden, without needing Godfery’s permission.

Joyce, who was preparing a fruit platter for everyone, immediately responded with a nod.

Joyce went off to arrange the guest rooms with a face full of smiles. It had been a long time since the Imperial Garden was this lively.

During the five years the Young Madam was away, the Young Master forbade any other voices, let alone people, at the Imperial Garden.

Today, the Young Master took the initiative to arrange guest rooms—such a change delighted Joyce.

Sure enough, with the Young Madam around, the Young Master truly lived like a person.

No one refused, and they settled down at the Imperial Garden.

They also wanted to see more of how Godfery and Nancy interacted.

Watching Godfery wash Nancy’s hands, give her medicine, coax her to sleep.

Forget it, maybe they shouldn’t watch all this affection!

From their visit, they could be certain that Nancy was living well at the Imperial Garden.

It was so late, Godfery took Nancy back to their room to rest.

The usual medicinal bath routine.

Lately, Nancy had been able to move around, and Godfery would prepare the bath for her, and she would soak herself.

Today was no different.

However, after bathing, she realized she didn’t have any pajamas.

With Godfery taking care of her these days, she completely forgot she needed to prepare clothes for herself. Today, Godfery had gone to the studio to watch her paint, also forgetting to prepare clothes for her in advance.

Nancy looked at the clothes she took off and tossed into the laundry basket, already soiled and wet.

She felt embarrassed to call Godfery in, so she wrapped herself in a towel and quietly opened the bathroom door.

She poked her little head out, looked around, and seeing Godfery wasn’t in the room, she breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly ran out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, searching for pajamas.

However, just as she opened the wardrobe, she heard the sound of the door handle turning at the entrance.