CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER 323: BEING ALIVE IS THE GREATEST BENEFIT

The next morning, when she opened her eyes, the room was already brightly lit.

It seemed that it was not early, Tushere brought in hot water and busied herself, but Shang Ruyi lay on the bed somewhat bewildered, unable to collect her thoughts for a long time.

Last night...

She instinctively reached out to touch herself, the sensation of being tightly embraced seemed to linger, yet on the bed, there was clearly only her.

Could it be a dream?

However, the sensation of those warm and solid arms in the dream was too real.

So real that it seemed to truly exist...

"Miss?"

Just as she felt a bit lost, Tushere’s voice sounded beside her ear. Turning her head, she saw her standing by the bed, cautiously asking, "What are you thinking about?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi also asked herself, what was she thinking?

It was just a dream, what was there to think about?

So, she faintly shook her head.

When she got up to wash, she found herself seemingly not as weak as the previous days. It seemed that these days of bed rest had indeed shown some results. After having breakfast, she was still coaxed by Tushere to drink a bowl of medicine. Just as Tushere was about to bring some sugared plums to cleanse her palate, Shang Ruyi said, "I want to go out for a walk."

Upon hearing this, Tushere immediately said, "No, Miss."

Shang Ruyi calmly replied, "What kind of illness do I have to stay in the room all the time? Are you letting me recuperate, or are you confining me?"

Hearing the word "confinement," Tushere’s face turned pale with fright.

She hastily said, "How could you say that, Miss? I’m just concerned about your health."

"I am much better now, and I can get out of bed and do things myself. If this doesn’t count as being well, do you want me to do a somersault to prove it?"

At this point, she gave Tushere a cold look, "Tushere, are you my maid, or Yu Wenye’s?"

Upon hearing this, Tushere’s eyes turned red.

She pouted and looked at Shang Ruyi for a while, then softly said, "Miss, don’t say that. I am, of course, your maid. Everything I do is for your own good. If you want to go out for a walk, go ahead, there’s no need to speak to me like that. But you must promise me, if the wind is strong outside, you have to listen and come back immediately; you cannot stay outside in the wind for too long. Also, wear something warm."

Though her words were somewhat aggrieved, they were still filled with care and consideration for Shang Ruyi.

Shang Ruyi knew she had spoken too harshly earlier, so she sighed lightly and said, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

Only then did Tushere’s expression relax slightly.

She then helped Shang Ruyi get dressed and looked her over several times to ensure there were no draughts before carefully supporting her out of the room.

As they walked out, they finally left the cabin and saw some daylight.

Shang Ruyi felt a moment of disorientation.

The deck in front of her was wide and flat, neatly arranged. As soon as they left the cabin, a gust of river wind carrying moisture hit them, like a veil of light mist gently brushing her cheeks.

Shang Ruyi reached out to touch her face and slowly walked forward.

This was the bow of the ship, and she could see the wide river ahead. Today, the wind was calm and the boat sailed very quickly. Shang Ruyi held onto the railing, watching the broad river surface sparkle in the sunlight, as if countless golden carp were swimming beneath the water. On both sides of the canal, green hills stretched out, shaded by verdant trees. By the river, some families were washing by the water, and a shepherd’s boy rode a cow, leisurely playing a flute, the sound drifting far and wide on water’s melody.

Shang Ruyi suddenly felt like she had come alive.

These past days, indeed, she had been "confined" in that small cabin to recuperate, but her heart was also trapped in some place within her memories, unseen by daylight. Until at this moment, seeing these scenes, these people, she was surprised to realize that she was still alive after all.

This vibrant world was so full of life.

Shang Ruyi said, "Where are we now?"

Tushere hastily replied, "We have already passed Suzhou."

Already passed Suzhou...

Though she had stayed in that small cabin for a long time without seeing the light of day, almost unable to feel the passage of time, she still had some idea of how many days had passed. Unexpectedly, the ship traveled so fast, they had already passed Suzhou.

In other words, they were not far from Luoyang either.

To speak of it, the ship’s speed was one thing.

For some reason, Shang Ruyi seemed to hear that person’s voice in her ear again—"This time, Wo Xue managed to take you from Luoyang straight to Jiangdu in just over ten days. If it were before, when there was no canal, do you know how long it would have taken you on the road?"

Indeed, it was all thanks to him.

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

But this laughter was also choked with emotion.

Tushere, who had been cautiously watching her from the side, immediately stepped forward nervously when she heard her laugh, "Miss, what’s wrong?"

Lowering her head to glance at her, Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Nothing."

"..."

"I just feel that being alive... also has its benefits."

"..."

Tushere tilted her head, seemingly not understanding her words, but she quickly said, "Of course being alive is good, only the living can have benefits. When you’re dead, there’s no benefit at all."

At this moment, a deep voice came from behind—

"Only the living have benefits."

"..."

"Staying alive is the greatest advantage."

Shang Ruyi turned her head and saw a somewhat familiar figure approaching. It was none other than Deputy Commander Cheng Qiao, whom she had met once before at the Jiangdu Palace.

He came over and cupped his hands towards Shang Ruyi, "Young Madam."

Shang Ruyi was somewhat surprised to see him, "Mr. Cheng, you’re here too?"

But upon reflection, it made sense for him to be on the boat. After all, that night he and his men had battled the Imperial Guard fiercely. Had he not left Jiangdu, he might have already been avenged by Wang Shaoji and his men, leaving not even a trace of his body.

Sure enough, Cheng Qiao also said, "I no longer have a place to stand in Jiangdu, so I followed the Second Young Master with my family."

Shang Ruyi nodded slightly.

Cheng Qiao looked her up and down, seemingly confirming her well-being before saying, "Is the Young Madam alright now?"

Shang Ruyi forced a smile, "I’m fine."

Seeing her calm smile, Cheng Qiao couldn’t help but show a trace of sorrow on his face, saying, "Unfortunately, I still couldn’t protect the Young Madam thoroughly."

Only then did Shang Ruyi recall that it was him who first informed her of the Imperial Guard’s rebellion.

But in the end—

Shang Ruyi quickly said, "No, your message was very timely."

Cheng Qiao frowned, "Then why did the Young Madam still—"

"..."

Shang Ruyi’s expression darkened.

These days, she had been deliberately avoiding recalling the events of that day, not wanting to remember her state of mind. But what happened had happened, and everything and everyone around her were constant reminders that she survived from that blood-filled day.

She shook her head slightly in pain.

Cheng Qiao, being perceptive, saw her reaction and immediately closed his mouth.

Shang Ruyi turned around, leaning on the railing to look at the picturesque scenery around. Suddenly, she remembered something and turned to him, "By the way, Mr. Cheng, the painting you had sent back then—did you paint it yourself?"

Cheng Qiao immediately shook his head, "No."

"Then who—"

"It was given to me at my home on a night before the Cold Food Festival."

Shang Ruyi’s eyes lit up, "By whom?"

Cheng Qiao said, "It was too late at night, and this person deliberately disguised themselves. After handing me the painting, they left. I didn’t get a clear look at who it was."

"...Oh."

Shang Ruyi lowered her head disappointedly.

Cheng Qiao said, "However, it should have been a woman."

"A woman?"

Shang Ruyi’s eyes lit up again, "Are you sure?"

Cheng Qiao said, "That I can be sure of. Although she made a deliberate disguise and spoke in a lowered voice, when she handed me the painting, I smelled a fragrance coming from her sleeves, the scent of a woman’s cosmetics. So, I can deduce she was a woman."

"..."

"Actually, I also wanted to find out the person’s identity, but—"

At this point, he hesitated, then said softly, "At that time, the Second Young Master was in my house, discussing the plan to break into the Jiangdu Palace. This matter was of significant importance and needed to remain confidential, so I didn’t dare to cause additional complications and let the person leave."

"..."

Shang Ruyi’s heart sank slightly.

In fact, this wasn’t really a secret. Since Yu Wenye and Cheng Qiao had breached the Bright Gate together on the night of the Cold Food Festival, they must have met and discussed everything beforehand.

But listening to it at that moment, she felt a peculiar sting.

Shang Ruyi was silent for a moment, then said, "Oh."

Cheng Qiao seemed to sense the coldness emanating from her. Whatever he wanted to say, he refrained from saying it. After a few moments of hesitation, he finally gathered the courage to say, "Actually, we planned for several days to ensure the Young Madam’s safety. We just didn’t anticipate things to change suddenly and that the Young Madam would end up in the Bright Hall—"

At this point, he said solemnly, "I ask the Young Madam for forgiveness."

Shang Ruyi glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "You saved me, yet you ask for forgiveness? What sense does that make?"

"..."

"Mr. Cheng, I am only grateful to you."

Cheng Qiao looked at her, his expression still conflicted, but he remained silent.

Just then, the wind on the Canal grew stronger. Although Cheng Qiao was thinly dressed, his strong build made him less susceptible to the cold. However, Shang Ruyi felt different. Although she was dressed warmly, as soon as the cold wind blew, she immediately felt a chill seep into her limbs, as if pricked by needles.

How can it be this cold?

As soon as Shang Ruyi shivered, she felt warmth envelop her. Turning to look, she saw that Tushere had already draped a thick wind cloak over her.

She said, "Miss, please don’t catch a cold."

Shang Ruyi looked down at the wind cloak, which seemed unfamiliar and was not her own.

So she asked, "Where did this come from?"