Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

As soon as Wen Zhimiao entered the room, her gaze fell on Liu Yunshu.

Her once bright eyes were now clouded with fear, her hands gripping Madam Wen's sleeves tightly, and the tip of her nose was slightly red.

Even though he had thought a thousand times in his heart that he wished Yun Shu wasn't his sister, he still wished he could have.

But when that possibility actually occurred, her panic and helplessness pierced Wen Zhimiao's heart like a fine needle.

His Yunshu, his little girl, should be bright and cheerful, with smiling eyes. How could she be so bewildered and helpless?

Liu Yunshu composed herself and stepped out of Madam Wen's arms.

She looked at Liu Qingqing, who also seemed bewildered, then turned to Lord Wen. Her voice was still trembling slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Father, although judging by just a red mole is too frivolous, if..."

At this point, she choked up, took a deep breath, and continued, "But if this is true, it would be unfair to Miss Liu not to find out. It would be better to find a safe way to investigate."

Liu Yunshu raised her head, her eyes moist yet revealing a resilient spirit.

"If we can still find the midwives and clinic staff from back then, we can always find some clues. Even if we can't find them, we should find a doctor who understands pulse diagnosis to see if there is a blood relationship. We can't just assume everyone's thoughts based on guesswork."

Lord Wen looked at his beloved daughter, whom he had cherished since childhood, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

As expected of Wen Suheng's daughter, even in a moment of panic, she is still so sensible and responsible.

He said in a deep voice, "Shu'er is absolutely right. This matter cannot be concluded based on speculation. I will send someone to investigate the midwife and the clinic staff from that year. In addition, I will invite Director Li from the Imperial Hospital to come. He is an expert in pulse diagnosis and may have a way to determine the bloodline."

Madam Wen held Liu Yunshu's hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back: "Master is right, we must get to the bottom of this."

She looked at Liu Qingqing, her tone softening slightly, "Miss Liu, please stay in the manor for now. Once we have found out the truth, we will give you an explanation."

Liu Qingqing looked at Liu Yunshu with a complicated expression, secretly admiring her. As expected of a girl raised by the Wen family, she could still care about others even in this situation.

She suppressed her confusion, curtsied, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam Wen. I will follow your arrangements."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Madam Gao smiled and said, "Brother-in-law and sister were so thoughtful, and Shu'er is such a sensible child! Now it's all good, we'll finally get to the bottom of the truth."

As she spoke, a hint of eager anticipation lurked in her eyes.

Wen Zhimiao looked at Liu Yunshu's forced composure, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly, her eyes almost overflowing with heartache.

Looking at Liu Qingqing's complicated expression, Liu Yunshu couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how well Liu's parents had raised her.

She couldn't help but step forward and gently take Liu Qingqing's hand.

Liu Qingqing's hands were slightly cool and stiff. She relaxed a little when she saw that there was no hostility in Liu Yunshu's eyes.

"Miss Liu," Liu Yunshu's voice was gentle, the trembling from before had subsided, "no matter the outcome, can you be my friend?"

Liu Qingqing suddenly looked up, the confusion in her eyes fading, replaced by an unbelievable warmth.

She originally thought that everyone in the Wen family would harbor resentment towards her, let alone Liu Yunshu.

This girl, who might have been "replaced" by her, actually took the initiative to extend a gesture of kindness.

She nodded vigorously, her voice still a little tight: "I...I do!"

Seeing that she had agreed, Liu Yunshu immediately smiled and turned to Madam Wen, "Mother, could you arrange for Qingqing to be placed next to my courtyard?"

Seeing the two so harmonious, Madam Wen felt much relieved and quickly nodded, "Of course, let Granny Lin tidy up Qingfeng Courtyard. It's quiet there and close to your courtyard."

"Thank you, Mother." Liu Yunshu smiled and replied, then took Liu Qingqing's hand. "Come on, I'll show you the courtyard. By the way, did you bring any luggage?"

Liu Qingqing shook her head, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. "After my parents passed away from illness, my second uncle took over our family's property, which is why I thought of going to the capital to find relatives."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yunshu tightened her grip on her hand, her tone becoming even gentler.

"It's alright. I have plenty of newly made ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) and accessories in my courtyard, all still unopened. You can make do with them for now. Tomorrow I'll take you to Jinxiuge in the capital to pick out some that you like, and then we can add some daily necessities."

Liu Qingqing's eyes welled up slightly, and she bowed her head to say thank you.

"Oh, right, my personal maid is still waiting for me at the inn." Liu Qingqing suddenly remembered something, her tone somewhat urgent. "I couldn't find my relatives today, so I asked her to look after my luggage at the inn."

Liu Yunshu immediately sent Biyan to the inn to fetch Liu Qingqing's maid and bring her luggage along.

Seeing that there was no excitement to be had, Madam Gao excused herself and took her leave.

Madam Wen instructed the steward to prepare some silk and silver to silence her, feeling a growing distance from her cousin's earlier relentless pressure.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

at night.

Wen Zhimiao sat upright at her desk, her eyes flickering with light.

The official documents on the table had been laid out for a long time, but he hadn't read a single word of them.

My fingertips unconsciously rubbed together, my mind filled with countless thoughts.

The shackles that were originally locked now have loosened.

He had forced himself to suppress those inappropriate thoughts countless times. This blood relation was an insurmountable barrier between the two of them, one that could not be crossed in the slightest.

But now, with doubts suddenly arising about his origins, that seemingly insurmountable barrier appears to be on the verge of collapse.

If the truth is as the speculation suggests, and she is not of the Wen family bloodline, then could he...?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he recalled the tears welling up in Liu Yunshu's eyes as she forced herself to remain calm during the day.

And when she held Liu Qingqing's hand, there was that pure and unadulterated kindness in her; she was so good, so pure.

If the truth comes out, and she really isn't a member of the Wen family, wouldn't she be even more terrified?

Do you feel like you've become a helpless and alone person?

The thought of her possibly looking dejected made Wen Zhimiao suppress her heartache.

"Yun Shu..." he murmured the name, his throat tightening. He could no longer suppress the longing in his heart and got up to walk towards Liu Yun Shu's courtyard.

Her courtyard had long since fallen silent, with only the palace lanterns hanging under the eaves casting a warm yellow glow.

Wen Zhimiao tiptoed to the window and saw that it was slightly ajar. Through the window, he saw that she had already fallen asleep.

He chuckled and shook his head. This girl really had a big heart; she could still sleep soundly in such circumstances.

He stood by the window, hesitated for a moment, then followed his heart, gently pushed open the window, and climbed inside.

He walked to Liu Yunshu's bedside and looked at her brows furrowed in her sleep, feeling a tightness in his heart, as if something was gripping it.

He sat gently on the edge of the bed, reached out and touched her brow, his fingertips brushing against a patch of cool skin.

The tiny wrinkles actually started to smooth out slowly, and Liu Yunshu unconsciously mumbled, "Brother~"

That one word, "Brother," brushed against Wen Zhimiao's heart like a feather, and the heat in Wen Zhimiao's eyes intensified.

He recalled what Liu Yunshu had said when she was drunk in the carriage that day: "If only you weren't my brother."

"Yun Shu, is that what you're thinking too?" Wen Zhimiao's voice was very low, with a barely perceptible tremor.

His fingertips gently caressed her brow, reluctant to withdraw.

Just as he was reluctantly withdrawing his hand, a warm little hand covered it.

"Brother, is that you?"

Wen Zhimiao's fingertips suddenly stopped, and her heart suddenly started pounding so hard it felt like it was going to shatter her chest.

He stood frozen in place, even unconsciously softening his breathing, afraid of disturbing the person in front of him.

Liu Yunshu slowly opened her eyes, still sleepy, and used the warm light coming in from the corridor to see the person beside the bed.

"Brother, it really is you!"

Liu Yunshu suddenly opened her eyes and threw herself into his arms.

Wen Zhimiao froze. The person in his arms was warm, and her hair had a faint fragrance that was etched into his very bones.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his previously restless heart suddenly calmed down, leaving only a careful and cherished feeling.

He slowly raised his hand and gently placed it on the top of her head.

"Why are you awake?" His voice was extremely gentle.

"I dreamt that you... and my parents didn't want me anymore."

Liu Yunshu's voice was hoarse from just waking up, and she couldn't hide her grievances.

Wen Zhimiao's heart clenched, and he reached out to hug her tightly.

"Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about?" He lowered his head, his chin resting on the top of her head, his voice gentle yet incredibly firm.

"Brother... how could Father and Mother abandon you? No matter what the truth is, you are still my, our Shu'er, my Wen Zhimiao's sister."

He paused for a moment after saying that.

The word "younger sister" felt like a fine thorn, making my throat tighten.

But as he watched the tense back of the person in his arms slowly relax, he felt that as long as he could put her mind at ease, what did this bit of forbearance matter?

"Brother, if I really weren't a daughter of the Wen family, would you truly consider me your sister?"

Liu Yunshu looked up at him intently.

Wen Zhimiao looked down at Liu Yunshu, his racing heartbeat preventing him from seeing the expression in her eyes.

"I..." He really wanted to say that if she really wasn't a member of the Wen family, he wanted to marry her and protect her for the rest of his life.

Liu Yunshu reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned closer to him, and stared intently into his eyes.

"If I weren't a daughter of the Wen family, would my brother truly consider me his sister?"

Wen Zhimiao's breath caught in his throat. The person in his arms was so close, their warm breath brushing against his chin.

Those once bright phoenix eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, now carried a hazy, alluring quality.

His Adam's apple bobbed twice, the burning passion in his heart breaking free from the shackles of reason, and long-suppressed emotions surging in his eyes, almost threatening to devour him.

"Yun Shu, I..." His voice was terribly hoarse, and his fingertips unconsciously gripped her waist.

Just then, the maid Biyan's soft voice came from outside the courtyard: "Miss, are you awake? I heard some noise inside the room just now."

Liu Yunshu suddenly pulled him to the inside of the bed, quickly lay down herself, and then pulled the quilt over both of them.