140 The End of Destiny

Settling into the Yun estate, Yun Xueyan’s life returned to a state of quiet simplicity. Xiao Chenxue never questioned her identity, treating her with the proper courtesy of a hostess toward a guest, never once showing any neglect.

She had suggested to Yun Qixiao that they reveal her true identity to Xiao Chenxue, but he had dismissed the idea. He did not want too many people to know who she was, not even his own wife. He insisted that he would find an appropriate time to tell her himself. Since he was adamant, she had no choice but to let the matter rest; after all, she did not wish for many to know her secret either. The veil she wore served not only to hide the scars on her face but those upon her heart as well.

Pacing out of the courtyard, she caught sight of a few young maidservants gathered together in the distance, whispering about something. Driven by curiosity, she drew closer, and soon their words drifted toward her, faint but audible.

"I heard Prime Minister Feng is coming to the estate tonight. It’s such a rare occasion! I’ve lived this long only hearing of him, but I’ve never seen him. Finally, I’ll get a look tonight," one maid said with a smile, the corners of her lips curling upward.

"I’ve seen Prime Minister Feng once, though only from afar. He was dressed all in white, looking just like an immortal, and he seemed to always wear a smile on his face," another maid said excitedly. She suddenly paused, her eyes darting around to scan their surroundings. Not noticing Yun Xueyan standing beside the rockery, she lowered her voice. "But I’ve heard that although he still smiles now, he wears a cold expression much more often."

"I’ve heard that too, but I don’t know why," the other maid chimed in quickly, looking at her companion with expectant eyes.

"Why?" Yun Xueyan murmured softly. She, too, wanted to know why. Amidst those agonizing days of the past, he had been her only salvation.

"I heard it has something to do with Consort Yan of the Prince Xiao estate. But that’s just hearsay—you mustn't spread it around. It’s a matter that could cost lives," the maid warned, lowering her voice as much as possible.

Her numb heart was suddenly thrown into disarray. After she left… did he truly stop smiling so much? What right did she have to make him bear such bitterness and pain on her account? She was nothing more than a woman abandoned by fate—there were moments when she had even despaired enough to abandon herself—yet there was one person who had never given up on her: Feng Xilou.

A sharp, dull ache pierced her heart, so intense it stifled her breath. Her composure, so carefully maintained, crumbled and disintegrated in that instant.

She turned and walked back toward her courtyard with unsteady, drifting steps. The quiet path was filled with the thin, desolate cries of birds; their winter song sounded particularly forlorn, and she couldn't help but quicken her pace.

The empty road was covered in a thick layer of snow. In her haste, she lost her footing and nearly fell, but a pair of broad, warm hands caught her firmly by her sides.

"What are you thinking about? You almost took a tumble." The tone was flat, tinged with a hint of reproach. Feng Yihan looked at her, his gaze lingering on the glistening droplets caught in her long lashes, reflecting the sunlight, until he was momentarily lost for words. "Be careful next time. A fall like that would hurt."

He turned away with indifference, his solitary figure retreating into the distance. She was left alone on the path once more; had it not been for the clear footprints left in the snow, she might have thought she had been entirely alone.

She stood frozen in place, watching the empty path stretch toward the horizon until it narrowed to a single point. She wondered what her own fate would look like when she reached the end of her road, when she reached that final point. She was… lost.