"The meaning of his words was clear: with him here, like some Door God, Yixuan wouldn’t dare step out of the Purple Garden’s threshold." Yes, just a few more months, and his wife... She was about to turn twenty. Shu Yu had gone out for a stroll, and by the time Yixuan realized, he found two people standing outside his room, one on either side, summoned by Shu Yu from the west wing. Originally, his wife had taken Hong Fei and others to Taihang Town to find Third Brother, but some of these female soldiers remained, not all had left. Seeing this, Yixuan couldn’t help but fall silent, soon followed by a bitter smile. This time, he really hadn’t considered everything, now escape seemed impossible. He took a small cloth bag from his pocket and upon opening it, found a single fruit pit inside. He remembered that day when he had been away from home all night. His wife had thought him gone, panicked for a long time, until he returned at dawn... Suddenly feeling nauseous, he covered his mouth, but unable to hold back, he bent over and retched, then sat back in his chair with a face full of tiredness, listlessly sinking down... He had thought that leaving here with his thoughts might be a release. But this release now seemed more like a delusion. Yixuan pondered for a while, then took out his brush and ink and began to write... Hong Fei escorted Luo Yang and Gao Jian back to their respective homes, didn’t even stop for a meal, and immediately hurried back to Taihang Town to reunite with Dong Huiying and the others. They set out just as He Su was being executed that afternoon. A slight delay on the road, and by the time they returned to Qingfeng Prefecture, the weather had grown colder, and the thin clothes they wore had been changed for light jackets. Upon their return, they encountered a major incident. His young wife was utterly confused. She remembered the look in Yixuan’s eyes when they last parted—so distant, so indifferent. He was looking at her, but his heart seemed far away. She couldn’t grasp him, which terrified her; confusion ensued until Shujun analyzed the situation for her, only then did she realize her gravest mistake. She had realized her error, but how could everything in this world be decided by one’s desires alone? He hadn’t waited for her, to speak clearly with her, he just left like that. Furrowing her brow, Shu Yu lifted a thin paper with Yixuan’s name on it, written by Yixuan himself. There was also a letter, merely a few words advising his brothers not to worry about him, that he needed to walk around, look around, and once he had seen enough, he would return. He promised to regularly send letters. Dong Huiying felt overwhelmed, thankful that Shujun was there to support her, or she might have fallen. Her mind was in turmoil, lost in thought, Shu Yu glanced at her and poured her a cup of hot water. She took it, sipping a small mouthful, slightly calming her shock. Looking around, Shu Yu’s expression was indifferent, Shujun looked melancholic, and Yue Ning was clenching his fists in frustration, evidently angered by Yixuan’s sudden departure. Shu Yu said, "Haoming has gone to the black market, with no known return date. He might only come back by the end of the year." Dong Huiying rubbed her face hard. Burying her face in her palms, her mind was cluttered. This family, originally consisting of six brothers, but somehow, it had dispersed . Zhi Chen was unaccounted for, Haoming had gone to the black market with an uncertain return, and now, even Yixuan had left. She sighed, supporting her forehead, "How much did I really hurt him?" She asked herself, then shakily stood up. She locked herself in her room, the whole day, without coming out.