I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 448 Meeting
"W-Why are you crying?" Chu Liuzheng hugged her helplessly, wanting to comfort her by holding her on his lap as before, but found that the little girl had grown a lot and he could no longer hold her.

"Waaaaah, big sister, I miss you so much." Chu Yuxin cried as she climbed onto Chu Liuzheng like a monkey, straddling her with her legs spread, her face pressed against her chest, hugging her tightly face to face.

All Chu Liuzheng could hear was her loud crying, just like when she was a child, her wailing could be heard halfway through the village.

Her heart ached, and she gently patted the little girl in her arms, softly comforting her, her eyes gradually reddening.

On the other side of the screen, Madam Bai stared dumbfounded at her hand that had been flung away. What? Her little girl had just run behind the screen like that? Had she broken the rules? Wouldn't this cause You Miao to be punished?

Just as she was thinking this, a pretty palace maid came out from behind the screen and invited her to talk behind the screen.

Without a second thought, Bai immediately followed.

Previously, Chu Liuzheng was able to restrain his emotions and gently comfort his sister, but now, upon seeing his mother whom he hadn't seen for many years and hearing that familiar, trembling voice calling "Youmiao," tears streamed down his face like a flood.

"Auntie!"

"Hey."

The mother and her two daughters huddled together and cried. Chu Qin, who was standing in front of the screen, was extremely anxious. If Xiao Anzi hadn't been holding her back, she would have run behind the screen long ago, disregarding the rules.

Xiao Anzi brought him a chair, personally served him tea, and told him not to rush, that he would be able to talk to her soon.

Chu Qin could only barely suppress her anxiety, staring longingly at the figure moving behind the screen, wondering what kind of ridiculous rules the palace had, why couldn't her own father see his daughter?
About fifteen minutes later, the crying behind the screen gradually subsided, and the voices of the mother and her two daughters could be heard, along with the little girl's giggles. Chu Qin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He couldn't help but cough twice to remind the mother and her two daughters that there was someone else there.

Chu Liuzheng then realized she had forgotten her father, and hurriedly asked Chu Qin through the screen how he was doing and how his health was. Chu Qin answered her questions while also showing concern for her.

The father and daughter's polite manner made Bai's teeth ache, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Chu Liuzheng scratched her face awkwardly. She knew about her family's situation through the system. Now, separated by a screen, she really didn't know what else to talk to her father about besides his health and the business of the general store.

She thought for a moment, then reached out and gently stroked Chu Yuxin's upturned nose. "Xin'er, I've asked the imperial kitchen to prepare some snacks. Go out and have some with your father. I'll talk to my mother for a while."

"No, I want my older sister." Chu Yuxin wrinkled her nose and hugged Chu Liuzheng's neck, acting coquettishly.

Father can see me every day, but I can only see my sister for a short while. Of course, spending time with my sister is more important.

"The pastries made by the imperial chefs are not available anywhere else."

Chu Liuzheng pinched her cheek and smoothly recited a series of dessert names, deliberately picking the ones that sounded good and tasted even better. This successfully whetted Chu Yuxin's appetite, and she ran out with her legs clattering, pulling her father to taste the desserts and fruits. Along the way, with sympathy for her father for not being able to see her older sister, she chattered on and on about what Chu Liuzheng was wearing today, what he was wearing, whether he was fat or thin, and whether he was fair-skinned or dark-skinned.

Chu Qin listened very attentively and seemed quite pleased.

The Bai family behind the screen were not in a good mood.

She held Chu Liuzheng's hand and looked her up and down carefully. Seeing that Chu Liuzheng had a pointed face, a long neck, and very little flesh on her body, she felt more and more distressed and tears fell again. "How did you get so thin?"

Chu Liuzheng was slightly embarrassed; actually, she had gained weight.

All she does now is eat, sleep, and play. She hardly has anything to worry about; she's a complete freeloader.

Fortunately, she was already very thin before, otherwise she would already be worrying about losing weight.

Xiao Jingfan, on the other hand, ate, slept, and lived with her, and sometimes even ate an extra midnight snack than her, yet he didn't gain an ounce of weight.

Work really does make you haggard... no, thin. "Mother, this dress makes me look slimmer and hides my flesh. You can feel it if you don't believe me." Chu Liuzheng was about to speak with facts, taking Bai Shi's hand and placing it on her waist. "See, there's some flesh on you, isn't there?"

Bai Shi actually pinched it and frowned, "It's all bone."

Chu Liuzheng: "..."

[That's blatant lying, how could there be bones in your waist?]

Perhaps all parents in the world are similar; she stopped discussing with Madam Bai whether she was fat or thin, and instead instructed Chenxing to go to the Imperial Hospital and invite Doctor Qin over.

Although Bai's old illness has not recurred in the past two years, it has not been cured. Chu Liuzheng is worried that it may suddenly flare up one day.

She had previously asked Qin Shu if the Juyi Divine Needle could cure Bai's illness. Qin Shu's reply at the time was that, based on her description of the symptoms, it was roughly curable, but a definitive diagnosis could only be made after seeing the person and carefully taking her pulse.

Since then, Chu Liuzheng has been looking for an opportunity to have Qin Shu see Bai Shi. Now that Bai Shi has entered the palace and Qin Shu happens to be there, it's a good opportunity.

Seeing her casual way of ordering people around, Bai felt a sudden jolt in her heart and vaguely guessed what was going on.

She tightened her grip on her daughter's hand and whispered, "Youmiao, Deyin said you'll be able to leave the palace in the next two years. Now His Majesty has granted us permission to come to the palace to see you, so it must be soon?"

His tone and eyes were full of expectation.

Alas, quite the opposite.

Chu Liuzheng had originally planned to talk about it later, but since Madam Bai had asked, she didn't hide it from her.

"Mother, I cannot leave the palace for the time being."

"W-why?" Bai's hand trembled, her tear-reddened face gradually turning pale, her eyes staring straight at Chu Liuzheng, "Are you short of money or... are you..."

"It may take a few more years." Chu Liuzheng patted her hand reassuringly, a faint smile on his face. "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself. His Majesty has been kind enough to send someone to bring you to the palace every month, so we can see each other."

She couldn't reveal the details of the bet, so she could only use this ambiguous statement to reassure Bai.

But Madam Bai wasn't stupid. Although she didn't know the rules of the palace, she had just noticed that her daughter's clothes were different from those of the palace maids. She had assumed that her daughter had dressed up specially to see them, but now it seemed that the situation was not so simple.

Her eyes seemed to pierce through Chu Liuzheng, and she tightened her grip on his hand, her knuckles turning white from the effort, her breathing becoming heavier.

Chu Liuzheng sensed something was wrong and quickly reached out to pat her on the back to help her breathe: "Mother, don't worry, tell me what you want to say slowly, I'm listening."

Bai did have something to say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it to her daughter who had suffered so much for the family. Her breathing became more and more rapid, and tears slid down her pale face, splashing onto the mother and daughter's clasped hands, blooming into a warm water droplet.

"Mother, please don't cry." Chu Liuzheng didn't understand what was wrong all of a sudden, and hurriedly took a silk handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "I'm fine, really fine. It's the same if you come to the palace to see me in the future."

How can they be the same?
Bai felt the things in front of her begin to spin rapidly, and the sounds around her gradually became blurred.

It's all her fault; she shouldn't have gotten sick.

If she hadn't gotten sick, her young daughter wouldn't have sold herself into this cannibalistic place and never been able to get out.

(End of this chapter)