Fu Jiuque was persuaded by the crowd and had no choice but to brace himself and chase after her.
After he had gone some distance, Yao Huiyi excused herself to change clothes and returned alone to her room.
As soon as the door closed, the gentle expression on her face vanished instantly.
"Xitong, what's going on?" she whispered, lowering her voice. "Shouldn't Shu Nansheng be dead? How did she come back to life?"
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind: "A deviation in the plot has been detected. It may be a minor BUG."
Yao Huiyi frowned. "A BUG? A cannon-fodder female supporting character dies and comes back to life, and her personality changes drastically—and you call that a minor BUG?"
Xitong fell silent for a moment before replying, "As compensation for the Suzhu, 1 point of Meili-zhi has been awarded."
Only then did Yao Huiyi break into a smile. "That's more like it."
She didn't notice a figure quietly slipping away outside the window.
Jiang Yuwei had originally returned to retrieve a jade pendant she had left behind but unexpectedly overheard this conversation.
Frowning in thought, she found words like "Suzhu," "Xitong," and "BUG" rather strange. Yet, considering her own experience of having her soul transmigrate into her daughter's body, she felt nothing in this world was truly impossible.
Just as she was pondering this, a warm current suddenly surged through her entire body, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
She flexed her hands and feet, feeling as if her whole body had become much more relaxed.
At that moment, Fu Jiuque caught up and blocked her path.
"Shu Nansheng, don't be ungrateful when given face!" he habitually began to scold, but his words suddenly caught in his throat halfway through.
Strange, why did Shu Nansheng look different today?
Fu Jiuque blinked hard.
It was clearly the same face, yet it somehow seemed more captivating than before, even radiant.
The harsh words he had prepared suddenly felt difficult to utter.
Jiang Yuwei gave him a cold glance. "Does Young Master Fu have any further instructions?"
The address "Young Master Fu" sent a tremor through Fu Jiuque's heart.
In the past, Shu Nansheng had always sweetly called him "husband." Now she was addressing him as Young Master Fu?
"I… Grandmother asked me to persuade you to come back," Fu Jiuque's tone unconsciously softened.
Jiang Yuwei raised the corner of her lips as if hearing a joke. "Come back? Back where? Back to the Fu family that even tries to take their daughter-in-law's dowry?"
"That was all a misunderstanding," Fu Jiuque attempted to explain.
Jiang Yuwei couldn't be bothered to waste words on him. "Young Master Fu, please return. I, Shu Nansheng, have no further ties with the Fu family."
She turned to board the carriage, but Fu Jiuque instinctively reached out to stop her. "Wait!"
Jiang Yuwei sidestepped to avoid him. "Young Master Fu, please behave with dignity."
Fu Jiuque's hand froze mid-air as he watched helplessly while she climbed into the carriage.
"Back to Hou Fu," Jiang Yuwei's voice came from inside the carriage.
The coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage slowly began to move.
Fu Jiuque stood rooted to the spot, unable to snap out of his daze even after the carriage had disappeared.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Yuwei let out a soft sigh.
Her mind was now filled with the conversation she had just overheard and that thing called "Xitong."
If Yao Huiyi truly possessed some special ability, could Nansheng's death also be related to her?
The most urgent task now was to confirm the condition of her original body and determine where Nansheng's soul had gone.
If Nansheng, like her, had possessed someone else's body, where should she even begin to search?
No matter what, she must find her daughter!
…
Meanwhile, Zhaopinghoufu was already in complete chaos.
Nanny Wu anxiously paced outside the room, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
Inside lay the unconscious Lady of Zhaoping Marquis. Several physicians who had been summoned all shook their heads, saying her pulse was strange—they had never seen an illness like this before.
"Nanny, what should we do?" a young maid asked with reddened eyes. "Madam is in this state, and now Fu Fu has sent such terrible news."
"Silence!" Nanny Wu glared at her. "Anyone who dares to speak nonsense again will have their hide tanned!"
When she heard the news that the Eldest Young Lady had hanged herself at the Fu family home, she nearly fainted on the spot.
But now, with the Lady of Zhaoping Marquis unconscious, she didn’t even have time to grieve.
"Have the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Lady been notified?" Nanny Wu asked.
"They have already been sent for and should arrive soon," the steward hurriedly replied.
Just then, a young servant stumbled into the courtyard, panting and out of breath, shouting, "She’s back! The Eldest Young Lady—the Eldest Young Lady has returned to the manor!"
Nanny Wu’s vision darkened, and she swayed unsteadily.
"The Eldest Young Lady’s body isn’t even cold yet, and they’re already in such a hurry to send her back to her maiden home?" Nanny Wu’s voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. "The Fu family truly goes too far!"
She wiped her tears and gritted her teeth. "Open the gates! Welcome the Eldest Young Lady home!"
With that, she forced herself to walk outside, preparing to receive the Eldest Young Lady’s coffin.
But as soon as she reached the second gate, she saw a living, breathing "Shu Nansheng" standing there.
Nanny Wu froze on the spot, rubbing her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating from grief.
"Eldest Young Lady? Are you all right?" Nanny Wu exclaimed in shock and joy, quickly stepping forward to take "Shu Nansheng’s" hand, examining her from head to toe.
"Yunwan," Jiang Yuwei suddenly called softly. "It’s me."
Nanny Wu trembled all over, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Yunwan was her maiden name. Aside from the late Dowager and the Lady of Zhaoping Marquis, no third person knew it.
"Who are you?" Nanny Wu’s voice shook, a vague guess forming in her mind, but she dared not voice it.
"I am Jiang Yuwei," Jiang Yuwei said calmly.
Despite her earlier premonition, Nanny Wu still staggered back two steps in shock. After a long moment, she finally asked, "What on earth is going on?"
"I’m not entirely sure myself," Jiang Yuwei sighed softly. "When I opened my eyes, I was in Nansheng’s body."
She glanced around and lowered her voice. "This isn’t the place to talk. Dismiss the servants."
Nanny Wu quickly waved the others away and led Jiang Yuwei swiftly toward the main room.
As soon as she entered, Jiang Yuwei saw herself lying on the bed—the unconscious Lady of Zhaoping Marquis.
She hurried to the bedside, took "her own" hand, and called softly, "Nansheng? Nansheng, are you in there?"
The person on the bed showed no response, only faint breathing to prove she was still alive.
"Madam has remained unconscious like this," Nanny Wu said with reddened eyes. "I’ve already summoned the best physicians and prepared medicine, but there’s been no improvement."
Jiang Yuwei reached out to check the pulse, her frown deepening. "This pulse… it doesn’t seem like an illness."
She suddenly looked up at Nanny Wu and said, "Go to Xianguosi and invite Abbot Yuantong here. Remember, do it quietly. Don’t alert anyone."
Nanny Wu trembled at these words.
Abbot Yuantong was a highly accomplished monk at Xianguosi and an old acquaintance of the Lady of Zhaoping Marquis. Very few people knew of this connection.
Now that "Shu Nansheng" could speak his name, it must truly be the Lady of Zhaoping Marquis.
"I'll go right away," Nanny Wu promptly replied.
"Wait," Jiang Yuwei called her back. "Don't let anyone know I've returned just yet."
"I understand," Nanny Wu nodded.
After Nanny Wu withdrew, Jiang Yuwei sat alone by the bed, gazing at her own unconscious form with a tumult of emotions.
She gently stroked her own cheek and whispered, "Nansheng, if it's you in there, you must hold on. Mother will find a way to save you."
The person on the bed remained completely unresponsive.