Good Ending: She Swears She Will Not Let Him Die!

"Stop!" Seeing Mu Lianhui about to leave, the Lian Family called out to her, "You’ve played some tricks on Lian Xiao’s wife too, hasn’t she noticed? Now you want to stay out of it, but can you truly wash your hands clean?"

Mu Lianhui paused her steps but didn’t turn around, leaving a remark: "Even if she realizes, what can she do to me?"

After saying this, regardless of how Mu Yuanmou and the Lian Family reacted, Mu Lianhui went straight back to the East Cross Courtyard.

Inside the East Cross Courtyard, it was cool. After stepping inside, much of Mu Lianhui’s depression and conflict dispersed. She picked up the ice bowl on the table and drank the melted ice water in one gulp.

Lin Ke looked at her timidly and handed her a towel to wipe her hands.

Mu Lianhui didn’t take it, kicked off her shoes, and laid on the couch, saying, "I’ll take a nap, don’t call me for dinner."

Lin Ke lowered her hand and responded quietly, tidying up the ice bowl before leaving.

The ticking of the Western clock echoed, and Mu Lianhui took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

She had indeed caused trouble for Du Yunluo, and not just once; Du Yunluo had known this for a while, and she knew Du Yunluo was aware.

Looking back, all those tangled issues seem clearer to Mu Lianhui now.

The current Du Yunluo is not the same girl she once knew.

Although she still laughs and cries, at her core, she’s different.

When Mu Lianhui awoke, she was in the main hall of Putuo Mountain’s Pujisi Temple. Opening her eyes, she saw the compassionate countenance of Guanyin holding a Pure Bottle, as if the Bodhisattva was watching her with eyes full of mercy.

Mercy for her thirty years of lonely vigil at the Imperial Mausoleum, mercy for thirty years of separation from her child, mercy for thirty years of speechless days with her husband...

Mu Lianhui rose from the prayer mat, looked up at the statue of Guanyin, overwhelmed with emotions, not knowing whether to feel joy or sorrow.

When she returned to the capital with the Imperial Consort, Mu Lianhui’s thoughts were simple— as long as she didn’t have to marry Li Luan, she could avoid those thirty years of pain, for as Lady Jiarou, she could live in peace no matter whom she married. Why entangle herself with Li Luan?

The infatuation and goodwill she had for Li Luan upon her youthful marriage had long been worn away by those thirty painful years.

No love, no hate.

As for the title of the Dingyuan Marquis, if it were just a matter of convenience, she wouldn’t mind helping Mu Liancheng.

In several interactions, Mu Lianhui discovered that Du Yunluo had changed. Du Yunluo was no longer the easily manipulated girl she once was, and her love for Mu Lianxiao surpassed Mu Lianhui’s imagination.

In Wangmei Garden, there was a vague feeling, but at the time, Mu Lianhui was busy trying to break away from the marriage with Li Luan, having no time to dissect Du Yunluo layer by layer.

At Guoning Temple, Mu Lianhui wanted to sabotage Nanyan’s path.

In her painful past life, the true source of her hardened resolve was Nanyan’s presence.

The Nanyan who always watched Li Luan from a distance, who admired Li Luan yet became Prince Rui’s consort.

Li Luan was oblivious to Nanyan’s feelings, but Mu Lianhui knew. Women’s intuition is sharp; she knew it long ago.

Knowing yet helpless, Nanyan’s feelings were always repressed without a misstep, could Mu Lianhui kill Nanyan and lay her heart out for Li Luan to see?

She’d be mad to let Li Luan know!

But Li Luan eventually did find out.

Mu Lianhui faintly had this feeling. In her final moments, she asked Li Luan.

Li Luan said, for someone long gone, let it not be mentioned.

At that moment, Mu Lianhui could finally confirm, Li Luan had known, since Nanyan begged Princess Yunhua and hung herself, Li Luan knew.

Mu Lianhui realized her thirty-some years were but a joke, she might as well have followed Nanyan’s example, ending it with a white silk, and in death, finding peace.

In this life, Mu Lianhui wanted to stop Nanyan but ultimately could not.

She suddenly understood, Nanyan was just like her, and so was Du Yunluo, who was friends with Nanyan.

At the hunting ground was Mu Lianhui’s last attempt to harm Du Yunluo, trying to figure out exactly how much Du Yunluo knew.

With the ending as it was in the past life, in this life, the most she could do for her parents and brothers was a mere "raised hand."

When it all went beyond a trivial effort, requiring painstaking involvement and tighter entanglement, Mu Lianhui was unwilling.

If Du Yunluo were still the muddle-headed girl easily manipulated as in the past life, Mu Lianhui wouldn’t mind helping her parents plot further gains, but Du Yunluo was no longer that girl, and if entangled further, Mu Lianhui’s life would also be ruined by the awakened Du Yunluo.

Du Yunluo not only awoke but also saw through, seeing through all the schemes and plots of the second branch.

When Mu Lianhui realized Du Yunluo knew everything, she withdrew her hand.

Both having lived again, both knowing how to choose best.

Mu Lianhui would get married, and once married into her husband’s family, even if the second branch fell, Du Yunluo wouldn’t push Mu Lianhui to a dead end.

They both knew each other’s past, knew each other’s vulnerabilities, forcing an already disarmed and no longer scheming opponent to pick up the sword again for a final fight to the death is something only a fool would do.

Desperate struggles are not just idle words.

Du Yunluo had been foolish before, but in this life, she wouldn’t be so confused.

Moreover, Mu Lianhui didn’t want to see the day she was trampled underfoot by Du Yunluo.

As things stand now, it is no easy feat for the second branch to seize the title again. If she helped the second branch scheme and plot, when the deceit was exposed, how could she protect herself?

Mu Lianhui closed her eyes, in her mind was Du Yunluo dressed in a Marchioness’s attire.

"You could have left unscathed, but insisted on meddling, debts of blood must be repaid, let’s settle the grudges of both lives clearly!"

This was a phrase that appeared often in her dreams over the past year.

In the dream, Mu Lianhui sat paralyzed on the ground, Du Yunluo tightly gripping her jaw, her long finger guards cutting into her cheek, her voice cold as an ice cellar.

If she didn’t withdraw, perhaps this would be her fate?

Mu Lianhui abruptly opened her eyes, her chest heaving.

She would never give Du Yunluo the chance to say such words to her!

She’d never give Du Yunluo the opportunity to trample her underfoot!

If defeat was inevitable in this life, she would not become Du Yunluo’s stepping stone.

What titles like the Dingyuan Marquee’s own sister or the Princess Consort may have seemed supremely honorable, but she had held them all in her past life.

But what was the point?

Could they secure her a life of peace? Could they bring her children a daughter and a son? Could they allow her to enjoy her grandchildren and live a long, full life?

No, none of them could!

Since that’s so, what use are these titles to her? She doesn’t care, she doesn’t care for any of them!

All debts of gratitude for raising her have been repaid in her last life.

When Mu Liancheng succeeded to the title and the second branch rose to prominence, only she suffered, although she was Mu Liancheng’s own sister, how much help could the entire Dingyuan Marquis Mansion provide her?

Thirty-some years of suffering were enough to repay everything.