Han Tianci wiped diligently, while Chu Yu watched, his annoyance evident.
Yet he couldn’t do anything to Han Tianci, and could only fret helplessly on the side.
Yun Jinnian felt incredibly exhausted, as if before her lay an endless thorny path, and she stood at the crossroads, too scared to proceed.
"Momo?" Yun Jinnian called out softly, looking around in suspicion.
"Mother, don’t be afraid, move forward, Momo will take you home!"
Yun Jinnian’s eyes instantly filled with tears, "Momo, Mother can’t go back, Mother can’t go back!"
She remembered that Momo had eaten her flesh; she was already dead.
How could she possibly return if she was dead?
"Mother, believe Momo, just walk forward, don’t be afraid of the thorns. Trust Momo, they can’t hurt you, you must return, only if you return can Momo come to find you, Mother, Mother..."
On hearing this, tears streamed down Yun Jinnian’s face.
Yet she still gathered her strength and moved forward.
Indeed, though the thorns pierced her body and made her bleed, she felt no pain.
Yun Jinnian sighed in relief and then broke into a run.
"Mother, keep it up, just a little more and you’ll be home, Mother..."
With a startled cry, Yun Jinnian sat up.
Gasping for breath, her eyes wide open, it took a while for her pupils to gradually gather a trace of light.
Two anxious voices reached her, and Yun Jinnian suddenly came to her senses, turning to look at Han Tianci and Chu Yu.
Her throat was hoarse, even speaking was painful.
"Sister, it’s good that you’re awake, so good that you’re awake!" Han Tianci embraced Yun Jinnian, then suddenly burst into tears.
"Wuu, Sister, you scared me to death!"
Yun Jinnian was stunned for a moment before coming to her senses. She reached out to hold Han Tianci, her voice raspy as she comforted, "It’s okay now, it’s okay!"
Chu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, instructed Hemei and Henuan to prepare hot water for Yun Jinnian to wash her face and rinse her mouth, and ordered Han Zhong to bring over some light porridge.
He also had two older servants brought over to attend to her.
After bathing and having some porridge and her medicine, Yun Jinnian slept again, and when she next awoke, it was already dark.
She saw Hemei and Henuan asleep on the side, with Han Tianci lying by the bed, her chest aglow with warmth and trembling subtly.
She gently stroked Han Tianci’s head and smiled tenderly.
Han Tianci looked up, still drowsy, and gazed at Yun Jinnian, "Sister, you’re awake, are you thirsty? Do you want to drink water?"
Yun Jinnian shook her head slightly, "I’m fine now, go back to sleep in your room!"
"Tianci, be obedient, go back to sleep, I’m really fine!"
Han Tianci looked at Yun Jinnian, took a deep breath, "Then Sister, I’ll go to sleep. I’ll come to see you in the morning, you take care!"
Yun Jinnian nodded, watching Han Tianci leave the room, then told Hemei and Henuan to continue sleeping.
She too lay down and closed her eyes, took a deep breath.
It was seeing that old lady who had been subjected to mutilation that frightened her, reminding her of her past life, which led her into a nightmare.
In the future, she must stop indulging in reckless thoughts.
Thinking too much led her into nightmares, and awakening from them was like losing half her life, not to mention it was physically damaging and terrified the family members who truly cared for her.
This life was completely different from her past life, for she had severed all potentially dangerous ties.
As long as she saved the Prince Yanjun, returned to the palace to save the Emperor, she would ask for a favor: to decide her own marriage in the future and cut off any thoughts of people trying to use her to climb higher.