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Meng Liu took a bath all night, rubbing her satin-like skin until it turned red before finally stopping. When she knelt at Song An's funeral early in the morning, dark circles were evident under her eyes. A gust of wind blew by, causing her slender figure to sway slightly, as if she might fall at any moment.
Song Yuan had just finished dealing with the relatives who came to pay their respects when he walked over and saw this scene. Looking at the white-clad figure, a surge of warmth rose within him. He nervously rubbed his fingers against the hilt of his sword, as if he could still feel the smoothness of her skin.
Suddenly, another gust of wind swept through, causing the white funeral banners to flutter. In that brief moment when Song Yuan looked over, he heard a distinct thud beside him. He immediately thought of Meng Liu's delicate form and turned to look, only to see her still kneeling there, staring intently at the pure black coffin in front of her, lost in thought.
Not far away, there was a commotion. After glancing at Meng Liu a few more times to confirm that she wouldn’t faint anytime soon, Song Yuan shifted his gaze toward the source of the noise.
The one who had fainted was Liu Nian Nian, a concubine who was also supposed to kneel according to etiquette. However, considering her frail condition, Song Yuan had turned a blind eye and allowed her to rest. But somehow she had run out again and collapsed from the cold wind after taking just a few steps.
Song Yuan quickly rushed over. The maidservants surrounding Liu Nian Nian immediately parted to make way for him, calling out "Second Young Master" in unison. Only Liu Nian Nian's personal maid, Virgin, remained by her side, supporting her and looking anxious with tears welling in her eyes.
"Second Young Master, my lady didn't sleep all night and insisted on coming to accompany Young Master this morning. But as soon as she stepped outside, she was hit by the cold wind and fainted after just a few steps..." Virgin cried pitifully, kneeling on the ground and preparing to bow her head. "Please save my lady!"
Song Yuan raised his hand to signal a servant nearby to find a doctor. The surrounding maidservants were weak and unable to help much. With Liu Nian Nian unconscious and the early morning wind biting cold, if it continued like this she might fall seriously ill. After hesitating for a moment, Song Yuan reached out and took hold of Liu Nian Nian's shoulders from Virgin.
In contrast to Meng Liu's soft flesh wrapped around bone, Liu Nian Nian felt even thinner; holding her felt like grasping a mere skeleton. When he lifted her into his arms by bending his knees, she felt almost weightless.
Song Yuan frowned slightly as thoughts of Meng Liu’s soft body filled his mind—round and supple with delicate bones covered by smooth white skin. Holding her felt like cradling softness in his palms; yet she was so thin that he could encircle her waist with one hand, reminiscent of willow branches swaying in spring.
Shaking off these inappropriate thoughts, Song Yuan gently laid Liu Nian Nian on the bed. Just as he turned to leave, he felt a tug at his clothing. Looking down, he met Liu Nian Nian's reddened eyes—clear and pure like the moon reflected in water.
"Second Young Master..." Her voice was soft and fragile as if it could be blown away by a breeze.
Song Yuan absentmindedly replied while his gaze drifted through the slightly ajar window towards Meng Liu’s kneeling figure in the funeral hall—her slender waist straightened defiantly against the wind that could easily knock her off balance; yet she remained steadfastly kneeling without losing her posture even slightly.
His dark eyes dimmed as he recalled how he had immediately sought out witnesses who claimed they saw Meng Liu committing infidelity upon returning home yesterday. To his shock, when he checked the dungeon later, all those witnesses had committed suicide by biting their tongues—clearly someone had incited them to take advantage of this situation to harm Meng Liu. Their deaths inadvertently proved her innocence.
Feeling guilty for having wronged someone unjustly, Song Yuan didn’t know how to express it. He thought about how Meng Liu had glared at him last night; surely she must hate him deeply now.
"Could I ask you for a favor?" Liu Nian Nian's voice broke through his thoughts as she curled her fingers around his clothing tightly; they turned pale at the knuckles while her long eyelashes drooped with reddened eyes that seemed ready to cry at any moment.
Snapping back to reality, Song Yuan looked at her hand gripping his clothing but instinctively took half a step back to create distance between them. "You should go ahead; my brother always favored you most. If you accompany him on this journey, I'm sure he would be pleased."
While Liu Nian Nian could participate in ancestral worship at home as a concubine, accompanying him to the tomb was not permitted—only legally married wives could follow. However, feeling pity for Liu Nian Nian’s frail condition and knowing how deeply she cared for his brother made Song Yuan willing to find a way for her to join them.
"But your health..." Song Yuan hesitated; Liu Nian Nian had always been weak and now had fainted from catching a chill—her lips were pale white with no color on her small face whatsoever.
"It’s nothing..." Liu Nian Nian whispered softly. "I just want to accompany Brother An on his final journey..."
Seeing her distress made Song Yuan's heart ache as he pondered how best to comfort her when suddenly there was another stir from the direction of the funeral hall. Instinctively looking up, he realized that the slender figure that had been kneeling before the pure black coffin was now gone.
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