Prologue

The merman is formed from the essence of the sea's soul

In this world, there are always certain people or things

The bloom has its own breathtaking moment of flourishing

Even in a state of languor, there exists a captivating essence of languor itself

Indeed. Ji Yunhe lowered her eyelids and said, "It is no longer six years ago." Ji Yunhe smiled and continued, "You have become such a formidable great monster, while I have turned from a beast tamer into a useless person. Changyi..." The teasing tone in Ji Yunhe's words made Changyi's lips tighten.

The newly arrived maid, Jiang Weiyan, walked in with a food box, her expression filled with displeasure: "Still wanting to drink? With your sickly body, aren't you afraid of drinking yourself to death?" Jiang Weiyan raised her eyebrows, appearing somewhat willful and overbearing. "Make sure the window is tightly shut; if you die, that's one thing, but if you fall ill, I will have to take care of you later." As she spoke, she placed the dishes from the food box onto the table, her voice deep and heavy.

It is said that this woman has connections with that esteemed official in the residence, yet Jiang Weiyan has been here for so many days, and that esteemed official has not only failed to visit Yun Garden but has not even set foot on Lake Heart Island once. She thinks to herself, this is merely a neglected woman on the verge of death, long past her prime. Without even a title to her name, what is there to be feared!

Seeing Ji Yunhe in such a state, Jiang Weiyan was instantly filled with rage. She set down the bowl in her hand, took two large steps to the window, and reached out to close it. However, just as she was about to shut the window, a hand came through under her arm, barely propping the window open. It was the sickly Ji Yunhe who had reached out to hold the window, preventing her from closing it.

It was specifically instructed that this "master" must not step out of the door even once

Come over for a meal

Jiang Weiyan turned her head and glared at Ji Yunhe, who still wore a half-smiling expression: "I just wanted to enjoy the breeze and get some fresh air, I've been cooped up all day..."

The person in the satin quilt stirred, let out a grunt, and woke up

Ji Yunhe sighed: "What do you want to keep me for? I don't have many days left to live. Let me go out to see the snow, to see the moon, to see the spring flowers that will soon bloom across the mountains and fields. If I'm lucky, I might even make it to see the summer rain... I just want to enjoy a few days of freedom..."

As Chang Yi placed the chopsticks on the bowl, a soft crisp sound echoed, startling in the silence of the room

In the next moment, she was casually thrown away, like garbage, directly out of the window opened from the third-floor attic.

Four eyes meet, silence speaks volumes

Hearing her say this sentence so flatly, Chang Yi's palm tightened slightly, then relaxed again. He stepped forward to stand in front of Ji Yunhe, grasped her chin, and looked directly into her eyes, trying to find some trace of emotion in them, but there was nothing.

Her tightly shut eyes opened, and she saw that it was Ji Yunhe who had pulled her back. She stood steadily inside the room, glanced behind her, and saw the cold wind howling outside the window. The sun had already set, offering no warmth whatsoever

Upon hearing this, Jiang Weiyan was so frightened that she immediately grabbed Ji Yunhe's wrist, saying: "No, no, no, please don't shake."

The attendants standing outside the courtyard were all taken aback, casting a fearful glance at the third floor, and no one dared to move

Who cares about you

Before she could finish her words, Jiang Weiyan slapped her hand away

Ji Yunhe smiled and said, "Who cares about you." She pretended to let go, and Jiang Weiyan was so frightened that she screamed. However, after her scream, she felt a force pulling her up.

None of the attendants dared to move, not even to raise their heads, simply because the man in the black robe beside Ji Yunhe exuded an overwhelming aura of coldness that instilled great fear

With a "click," the window on the third floor indeed closed.

After narrowly escaping death, the anger from being mocked instantly overshadowed the fear

It has been perfectly exchanged

Ji Yunhe held her with one hand, wiped the thin sweat that was slightly seeping from his forehead with the other, coughed twice, and sighed: "Alas, it really is not as good as before; just doing this little bit of movement makes me feel flustered and shaky."

Ji Yunhe leaned against the window, resting her head on her hand, observing her. Upon hearing Jiang Weiyan's words, she did not become angry; instead, there was a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

... ...

Jiang Weiyan was cherished and raised in her family since childhood. Had it not been for the decline of her family's fortune, she would not have entrusted her aunt to bring her into this household as a servant. Yet now, she is being subjected to such ridicule.

What are you?

Every time Jiang Weiyan comes to deliver the meal, she has to lock the door from the outside when she leaves, as if she is watching a prisoner

This ... ... This ... ...

In the winter, the days grow dark exceptionally early. Outside the window, the sun is about to set, casting an orange-yellow light upon the specially made window paper, which glows as if it were radiating golden light. If it were not for the flickering candle flame, the room would be almost devoid of light.

Jiang Weiyan turned around and glanced once more at Ji Yunhe, who was smiling annoyingly in front of her

However, there resides a sickly "master" in this Cloud Garden—officially referred to as a master, but in reality, merely under house arrest here. The Cloud Garden is built on an island in the middle of the lake, surrounded by inaccessible transportation. Without directives from above, outsiders cannot approach this island even a step. Outsiders cannot enter, and those within the Cloud Garden are also not allowed to leave at will

And the body that has not been touched by sunlight remains as usual

Upon seeing this, Ji Yunhe slightly curled her lips and said, "Alright, I will close the window, and you take the opportunity to pull her up; this fellow will no longer be visible."

Ji Yunhe turned her hand, looking at her bones exposed under the sunlight, clenched her fist, "That scared me to death." She spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion, and as soon as her words fell, she saw a maid approaching slowly from outside the courtyard, carrying a food box.

The only person who would dare to say such words in front of the master is probably the woman in this room

Jiang Weiyan recognized the person, and immediately was so frightened that her whole body trembled. However, before she could even perform a greeting, the hand that had seized her wrist had already moved to her neck. In the end, Jiang Weiyan only had time to hear his cold words mixed with anger, like an icy blade, capable of slicing through flesh and bone

Ji Yunhe withdrew her hand, yet did not close the window

The words exchanged between the two seemed completely unrelated. Chang Yi walked to the table and arranged the dishes and chopsticks that had not yet been fully set for Ji Yunhe. Ji Yunhe did not move, merely staring silently at Chang Yi, and after a long while, said: "Let me go, I have been imprisoned long enough."

It has been perfectly exchanged

Jiang Weiyan closed the window and turned to walk inside, saying: "I'll eat by myself, and when it's ready..." Before Jiang Weiyan could finish her sentence, Ji Yunhe grabbed her wrist. Jiang Weiyan was taken aback and turned to stare at Ji Yunhe, but before she could say anything, she felt herself being pushed lightly. Without knowing how it happened, her head bumped against the recently closed window, forcing it open with a thud. Jiang Weiyan was stunned, turned to stare at Ji Yunhe, but before she could say anything, she felt herself being pushed lightly, and without knowing how it happened, her head bumped against the recently closed window, forcing it open with a thud.

However, just as this slap was about to land on Ji Yunhe's face, halfway through, her hand was seized by someone.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Jiang Weiyan struck Ji Yunhe with a slap and shouted, "What do you think you are!"

In the end, Ji Yunhe finally laughed and said, "If you had said this six years ago, I could have left tonight."

Today there is sunshine, yet the cold wind still blows fiercely, rushing into the house. She feels no chill, only hiding behind the wall, gazing at the distant mountains and waters, exhaling a breath of cold white mist: "Tonight there will likely be light snow, it is time to warm a pot of wine to drink."

"I heard you," Ji Yunhe said, arching her brows and looking at her, not as if she were facing a hot-tempered and chattering girl, but as if she were admiring a rare and beautiful scene. "Please continue."

"Hey, give her a hand!" Ji Yunhe, from the third floor, poked her head out and called to a few people downstairs, "If you don't help her soon, it might lead to a serious incident."

The imprisoned and the captives

Jiang Weiyan has practiced martial arts since childhood. She felt indignant, believing that Ji Yunhe had only taken advantage of her moment of inattention to launch a sneak attack. Jiang Weiyan is the niece of the female official in charge of this residence, and her aunt has repeatedly advised her not to cause trouble in the Cloud Courtyard

Ji Yunhe glanced at the back of her hand, which had turned red from the beating, and her eyes narrowed slightly

After combing her hair in front of the mirror, she glanced at the diminishing light outside the window. Her eyebrows slightly twitched, and her pale fingers reached out. With a creak, she pushed open the tightly shut window. Standing beside the wall, her outstretched hand made contact with the sunlight of the setting sun.

Jiang Weiyan's face turned pale halfway, and her voice trembled slightly: "You... what are you doing! Don't... don't let go..."

With a loud "thud," it fell into the frozen pond in the courtyard, breaking the ice above and sinking into the water. After a considerable time, it resurfaced, crying for help and pleading for mercy from its master

At that moment, her already emaciated hand seemed as if the flesh had been stripped away by the sunlight, leaving only the terrifying white bones.

With a loud "bang," the door was rudely pushed open. At that moment, the setting sun outside had completely dipped below the horizon. The room quickly grew darker.

She nearly fell from this building

Now, we have turned the tables compared to six years ago

On a day like this with heavy snow, everyone else is resting indoors, yet I still have to come over to bring you food. " Jiang Weiyan muttered as she set the meal, and when she turned her head, she saw Ji Yunhe still had the window open, immediately raising her eyebrows, "Can't you hear what I'm saying?"

The cold wind outside immediately struck her face. Jiang Weiyan had half of her body hanging out of the window, relying entirely on Ji Yunhe's hand gripping her collar, which provided her with a point of support, preventing her from falling from the third floor loft.

"What does it feel like to be bullied?" Ji Yunhe asked.

Isolating herself from the cold wind outside, Ji Yunhe turned her head, her gaze landing on the face of the man before her. She took a step back and sat sideways on the chair next to her: "Chang Yi, your temper has become too bad lately."

As before, a dark swirling vortex conceals all secrets within it

Long Yidao: "Unfortunately, it is no longer six years ago."

She squinted her eyes and glanced towards the window. "Ah, it's dark outside, time to get up." She yawned and sat up.

It was not the strength of a woman. Jiang Weiyan turned her head and saw that the newcomer was dressed in a blue gown and black robe, with blue eyes that seemed to be frozen in ice

The imprisoned and the captives

Ji Yunhe. Chang Yi turned around, his ice-blue eyes seemingly devoid of any emotion, yet they appeared to conceal a thousand words. "If you have the ability, then kill me once more. Then leave."