They had grown plump, laying eggs daily, and even hatched a few little chicks. He withdrew his gaze and then slowly walked toward the eastern room. Each step seemed like a breeze of cold air, stirring up the fairy aura of Gods akin to those in the ninth heaven. The door of the eastern room was open, and everything inside remained as it was. Roughly counting, it had been five months, nearly half a year. But such a long time had left no trace upon this room. He looked at the person inside the room, a gentleman modest and mild, smooth as jade, dressed in a thin white robe, head bowed, his fingertips resting on the cupboard, caressing, reminiscing... Shu Yu called out softly, Shu Yu called out to Yixuan, but Yixuan did not respond. He examined the room, everything was just as it had been before she left. It was he who had driven her away. He thought, if only he hadn’t hurt her heart back then, if only he could have shaken off the instinct to fear and stay away from her, perhaps she would still be living here nicely, instead of having vanished from this world as she had now. He knew, the eldest brother and Third Brother were out looking for her. And he himself... He turned to look back at Shu Yu, his second brother, and suddenly a trace of sourness welled up in his eyes. If it weren’t for the need to take care of his second brother here, he really didn’t want to stay in this home without her for a moment longer! "I’ll go prepare breakfast now; what should we have today?" His demeanour was mild as jade, like a gentle breeze. His tone was also utterly ordinary, but Shu Yu dropped his eyelashes. "Just make whatever," Shu Yu gave him a deep look, then turned back to the brothers’ room and picked up an ancient lute. He walked into Baiyang Forest by the river with light steps and played a tune on the lute. People say, this ancient lute, known as the Seven-stringed Guqin because it has seven strings. The lute pleases the heart, pleases oneself; when one cannot express their troubles to others, they entrust them all to this ancient lute. Shu Yu’s favorite piece was "The Song of the Spring," but today, the piece he played was a mournful and shattered tune. His mood unconsciously merged into the music, and the melody went from its initial plaintiveness to wild chaos, like a battle hymn, as if there were armies clashing ahead, with a battle cry that shook heaven and earth, causing the roof tiles to take flight. Upon closer inspection, there were sounds of golden drums, swords and crossbows, men and horses... stirring fear and despair in the listener, leaving them without a place for their tears. Suddenly, with a forceful strum, the string snapped, cutting his fingertip and beads of blood emerged from the wound, which left him stunned. Had he done something wrong? Shu Yu looked up at the vast sky, an inner voice kept repeating to him, he had not made a mistake, his concerns were reasonable. Yet another voice emerged, arguing against him, condemning his actions. Had he not misspoke back then, perhaps Yixuan wouldn’t have overthought, and she... wouldn’t have been driven away, and this family... wouldn’t have fallen apart. These two voices, two thoughts, fought against each other, in a stalemate, pulling and tugging, like the battle hymn he played in his irritation not long before; this was his unchanging life. Every morning upon waking, he would reflect thoroughly upon himself, then as if entering a deadlock, unable to break free, he could only continue to ponder day after day, as if waiting for the two utterly distinct thoughts in his heart to decide a victor. The family pantry was not lacking rice, flour, or green vegetables and meat, but Yixuan always remembered Dong Huiying’s words before she left, mentioning that his second brother’s body could only handle light meals, that he shouldn’t eat big fish or greasy meats.