The dream looped back precisely when she was most distracted. She didn't know when she had returned to Dream Garden.
The lush ivy she had just seen on the wall earlier had, for some unknown reason, now grown on the ground.
Many well - known and unknown vines kept sprouting out.
One vine extended its tendrils and grabbed her feet. Ji Jianxue tried to escape, using all her strength, but she couldn't break free from the vines that tightly wrapped around her body.
As she struggled, Ji Jianxue suddenly burst out laughing.
She didn't want to escape anymore.
Ji Jianxue's laugh was one of mockery.
Mocking her own incompetence.
She had tried every means to leave before, but when the moment of departure actually came, she was desperately finding excuses for herself, just to convince herself.
To stay, to stay by his side.
To no longer let him be lonely, to no longer let him be sad.
Fires flickered in the distant mountains.
A young servant rode a fast horse, holding a torch, and galloped towards Dream Garden.
In this vast mountain, such a commotion not only startled the resting birds in the woods but also woke up the gatekeeper in Dream Garden, who had already fallen asleep.
Before long, the servant had reached the gate.
Before he could knock on the door, the door automatically opened.
The gatekeeper recognized this servant.
He often came here to deliver messages for Ji Shihuan. Over the past year, he had appeared in Dream Garden no less than a hundred times.
But at this moment, he looked extremely flustered.
The servant jumped off the horse neatly. As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked about the lady's situation.
"Is the lady asleep?"
"At this hour, the lady has already fallen asleep. I wonder if something has happened that made you come here in such a hurry."
The gatekeeper didn't dare to tell the servant about the incident where the lady had almost died. He quickly changed the subject.
The servant frowned. He had already anticipated this result, but today he had no choice but to disturb the lady's sweet dream.
He instructed the gatekeeper.
"Please find someone to wake the lady up. Something has happened to the master."
At this moment, Ji Jianxue, who was in the dreamland, was completely unaware. There was a smile on the corner of her mouth.
Ji Jianxue was naturally good - looking. When she smiled, she was like a night - blooming cereus, brilliantly in full bloom.
The moonlight was as clear as ever.
However, things had ultimately changed.
Even if the change was subtle, even if it was just a momentary change in mood, it was enough to affect a person's whole life.
At this moment, Ji Jianxue didn't know that the deeper bond between her and Ji Shihuan was just beginning.
...
Ji Jianxue was woken up and dazedly stuffed into a carriage.
By the time she fully came to her senses, she had already arrived in front of the Ji Mansion.
Ji Jianxue stood in front of the grand mansion of the Ji family.
Over the years, she had grown much taller. When she came to the Ji Mansion again, she had changed a lot. When she was a child, she thought the stone lions in front of the Ji Mansion were very tall and huge, but now they seemed like kittens.
However, the pitch - black and seemingly endless gate of the Ji Mansion was still as terrifying as ever.
Normally, as a concubine's daughter, especially one with such a background, Ji Jianxue was not qualified to enter the mansion through the main gate.
But at the moment, the Ji Mansion was in a complete mess, with servants coming in and out.
Ji Jianxue even saw the carriage of the Bai family at the gate.
Had her father and mother come too?
The servant saw her standing there in a daze and waved to her, saying, "Lady, hurry up. The master is waiting for you to save his life."
"Waiting for me to save his life?!"
Ji Jianxue followed the servant all the way in.
After all, she had lived in the Ji Mansion before, so she was very familiar with everything in the mansion.
She was even more familiar with it than the servant.
After hearing that something had happened to Ji Shihuan, she found Ji Shihuan's residence without hesitation, leaving the servant far behind.
Ji Jianxue had already prepared herself to face a large number of elders.
But when she reached the door, she found that the only one waiting for her was Zhao Luoning.
Zhao Luoning had also rushed over in a hurry after hearing the news.
But now that Ji Shihuan was a grown - up boy, as a female relative, it was not appropriate for her to go in, so she waited at the door.
Ji Jianxue stopped her hasty steps and bowed to Zhao Luoning.
"Mother."
Zhao Luoning looked at this daughter who was almost as tall as herself and had grown into a graceful young lady.
If this incident hadn't happened, she wouldn't have realized that Ji Jianxue had already become a young woman.
Zhao Luoning lovingly looked at Ji Jianxue.
It was only after she gave birth to a daughter that she knew what it was like to raise a daughter.
"Jianxue, I'm sorry."
Ji Jianxue was stunned.
She didn't expect that Zhao Luoning would actually apologize to her.
Shouldn't her mother scold her?
Zhao Luoning stepped forward, gently hugged Ji Jianxue, and tenderly stroked her back.
"I've heard about you and Shihuan."
"Mother, I..."
"Don't worry. I know it's not your fault."
Zhao Luoning had originally planned to take Ji Jianxue away this time.
But seeing Ji Jianxue rushing over in a hurry.
A person's behavior when they are in a hurry cannot be faked.
Zhao Luoning gently patted Ji Jianxue's shoulder and said, "Go. Shihuan is waiting for you. Don't be afraid. Mother is here. I'll help you."
Zhao Luoning paused for a moment and added, "No matter what decision you make."
Zhao Luoning gave the right of choice to Ji Jianxue.
Ji Jianxue nodded with red eyes.
Although she had always called Zhao Luoning "mother", in her heart, she only regarded Zhao Luoning as an elder.
Ji Jianxue didn't expect that with her background, there would be someone who truly cared about her.
"Mother, thank you."
This time, when she called "mother", she truly regarded Zhao Luoning as her mother from the bottom of her heart.
Zhao Luoning smiled at her.
Only then did Ji Jianxue walk inside.
Ji Shihuan had been looking out at the door. Hearing Ji Jianxue's footsteps, he quickly lay back on the bed on his stomach.
Yes, his buttocks were bruised, so he could only lie on his stomach.
As soon as Ji Jianxue entered the room, she saw Ji Shihuan lying on the bed on his stomach and rushed forward anxiously.
Due to Ji Shihuan's movement, the gauze on his buttocks came loose, and blood oozed out.
Ji Jianxue was so scared that she couldn't hold back her tears, and they immediately fell.
Ji Shihuan had thought that since Ji Jianxue thought something had happened to him, she would surely pour out a lot of her innermost feelings. But to his surprise, there was no sound for a long time.
No, it wasn't completely silent. There were soft sounds, like... someone wiping away tears.
Ji Shihuan secretly lifted his eyelids and saw Ji Jianxue wiping away her tears.
He quickly opened his eyes and pulled at his sleeve, trying to wipe away her tears.
"Hey, Jianxue, don't cry. I'm fine. I was just kidding you. I'm really okay..."
Ji Jianxue pointed at Ji Shihuan's buttocks and said, "There's so much blood. How can you say you're okay?"
Ji Shihuan quickly pulled the quilt over to cover it.
"It's okay. It's just a skin injury. Don't cry. I shouldn't have scared you."
Ji Jianxue craned her neck and looked outside, asking, "Did the second sister - in - law say anything to you?"