"Sigh, it's really a pity that the mistress passed away. Father was in low spirits for quite a while because of this. After all, she was his first wife. But the illness came on fiercely. It was your younger brother who passed the illness to the mistress."
As she said this, a familiar little face appeared in He Hui's mind.
That's right. She had a younger brother born of the same mother. Her mother and younger brother were the only ones she still cared about in that family. She never expected that just after she left, such a big thing would happen.
However, she felt that things couldn't be as simple as He Rou described.
"How could it be such a coincidence? My younger brother has been ill for so many years, and nothing life - threatening has ever happened. The maids around him have never caught the illness either."
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that the person in front of her must have taken advantage of her absence and secretly harmed her mother and younger brother.
She shot a sharp look at the person opposite.
But the person opposite met her gaze without flinching, as if she had done nothing wrong.
"Indeed, nothing happened before. But not long after you left, your younger brother's condition worsened. The mistress took care of him day and night. Gradually, her health declined, and she caught the illness. The illness was so fierce that many people suffered. Many maids also died. Many people can testify to this. Please accept my condolences, elder sister."
She sighed and took out another letter from her body.
"This is a letter that the mistress asked me to give to you specifically before she passed away. You should understand after reading it."
Almost without thinking, He Hui snatched the letter directly, took it in her hand, and opened it with a trembling hand.
When she saw the contents inside, she completely broke down.
Every word in the letter was filled with the mistress of the He family's longing for her. It also reminded her of many things. It was indeed in the tone of her mother's usual words to her, and the handwriting was the same.
Everything seemed to verify what He Rou had said.
He Hui gradually lost herself because of the words in the letter.
When she came to her senses, she tightly held the letter in her arms and still refused to believe it.
"No! You must have conspired together. You want me to leave the prince voluntarily, so you made up these lies. I tell you, it's absolutely impossible. Even if I die, I'll still be the only wife by the prince's side."
She was almost crazy. She was like a shrew in the market. But it was precisely such a person that aroused Ji Huang's sympathy.
He couldn't help but think of all the things the woman had done for him before, and how she had given birth to Jun Lin tremblingly behind everyone's backs.
Involuntarily, he stepped forward and stood in front of the woman.
"Alright, let's just call it a day for today's matter. Go back and rest well. Mother, we won't disturb you here. Please take good care of Jun Lin these days."
"It's okay. Sigh, no one wants such a thing to happen. Lady Hui, please accept my condolences."
The death of the mistress of the He family finally became an established fact. No matter how much He Hui didn't believe it, she had no other choice.
She was sent back to the side courtyard by the man in person. Just as the man was about to turn around, she threw herself into his arms.
"Prince, I was really wrong about what I did before. Can you forgive me for the sake of our child? From now on, I'll serve you whole - heartedly and do my duty as a wife."
The man's body stiffened, and he didn't directly answer her words.
"Some things are already a foregone conclusion, so don't try to change them. Isn't it good for us to be like this now? Why do we have to go back to the past?"
"Don't you understand, Prince? Now I have no one else but you. You and Jun Lin have become my last relatives."
Her voice was a bit hoarse, which made the man can't help but feel compassion. But just as he was about to say something, a scream came from not far away.
It was this scream that completely woke the man's reason up.
He broke free from the woman's embrace in a flurry, and then deliberately kept a distance.
"You're very tired today. Rest well in the back courtyard. Don't worry, no one can take your position, as long as you don't cause any more trouble."
After leaving this sentence, he walked towards the source of the sound.
He Hui was very familiar with that scream. After all, she had been with that person for more than ten years.
After watching the man leave, a look of venom flashed in her eyes. She tightly held the letter in her hand and said to the darkness.
"I want the exact news about mother. If mother is really dead, let the He family be buried with her. Anyway, I'm tired of father's plan. If he can't protect mother well, then I don't have to help him complete his so - called grand plan."
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure flashed by in the darkness.
On the other side, Ji Huang rushed to the source of the sound in a hurry. Seeing the person who fell on the ground, he stepped forward and said, "Is Miss He okay?"
There was a weak look like a little rabbit in He Rou's cold eyes.
"Prince, I'm so useless that I didn't see there was something here. Could you please call a few maids for me?"
This kind of appearance was beyond Ji Huang's expectation.
He was used to seeing the dirty tricks of those women before. He thought the woman in front of him would be like those people before and take the opportunity to let him carry her back.
But she didn't. She seemed to keep a distance, so she wouldn't let him touch her even when she was in trouble.
His thoughts gradually returned. The man saw that her ankle was swollen badly, frowned slightly, and stepped forward to pick her up from the ground directly.
"You're in this condition. You don't have to worry about the so - called difference between men and women. Besides, with me in this mansion, no one will say anything bad about you. Your injury is the most important thing now. You're a woman, so don't leave any ugly scars. It's not good for you."
He Rou was held in his arms. Immediately, her face turned completely red from her neck, but she still knew how to behave appropriately.
"Thank you for your help, Prince. But this is only once. It's out of necessity. Prince, don't worry. Even if we can't get married in the future, I won't use this matter to pressure you."
The man's tense face broke into a hearty laugh because of this sentence.
"Chuckle, what are you thinking about? I never thought you would be such a person who takes advantage of others' difficulties. Besides, the future is still uncertain. Who knows if we can get married in the end? If you really feel bad about today's matter, just owe me a favor. Just invite me to a meal afterwards, and it will be okay."
He Rou visibly let out a sigh of relief.
"Rou'er has never liked to owe others favors since childhood. The prince has thoughtfully found a way out for Rou'er."