A trace of surprise flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes, and she said calmly, "I didn't expect, Shen Nianshu, that I underestimated you."

Liu Ruyan sighed softly and continued, "Well, maybe it's because I have been here for a long time and there has been no one to talk to for a long time. I just wanted to say a few words to you." Her voice revealed. An indescribable loneliness.

Shen Nianshu looked at Liu Ruyan, and an inexplicable resonance surged in her heart. She seemed to be able to feel the feeling of being surrounded by loneliness.

Suddenly, a sharp cough broke the brief silence.

Liu Ruyan's face turned pale instantly and she covered her mouth, but red blood still seeped out from her fingertips and dyed her palms red.

Shen Nianshu was stunned by this scene. She quickly stood up and held Liu Ruyan's hand nervously, "What's wrong with you? What's going on?"

Liu Ruyan shook her head and forced out a smile, "It's okay, it's just a recurrence of the old disease. I made you laugh."

But her coughing became more and more violent, as if she wanted to cough up her entire lungs. Shen Nianshu's heart also tightened , and she knew what she had to do.

Liu Ruyan struggled to sit up straight, but the pain of coughing made her bend over uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Shen Nianshu hurriedly helped her up and let her lean on his shoulders.

"You can't do this." Shen Nianshu's voice was full of worry.

However, Liu Ruyan shook her head gently. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down her breath. Then she looked up at Shen Nianshu, with a trace of determination flashing in her eyes.

"I won't keep you here today, let's talk another day."

Shen Nianshu nodded, knowing that Liu Ruyan needed peace and solitude at this moment. She stood up quietly, trying not to make any noise.

Before leaving, she looked back at the figure leaning on the table.

The first ray of sunshine in the morning shone into Shen Nianshu's house, and she got up early.

Shen Nianshu gently pushed open the ajar door, and saw the dim light in the room, with a faint medicinal fragrance filling the air.

She walked to the door and called softly, "Miss Liu, are you awake?"

Liu Ruyan's voice was hoarse, "What are you doing here?"

After a few seconds, the door slowly opened with a creak, and Liu Ruyan's figure appeared at the door. Her face was still pale, but the light in her eyes was much brighter than yesterday.

She was wearing a plain white dress, with the skirt fluttering gently, like a white lotus that was about to wither.

When Shen Nianshu saw this, her heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward to support her, "How are you? Do you feel better?"

Liu Ruyan smiled slightly and shook her head, "Don't worry, it's just an old illness. I'm used to it."

She turned around and walked back into the house, followed closely by Shen Nianshu. There was a pair of medicine utensils on the table. Liu Ruyan picked up the medicine jar and gently poured it into a bowl of water.

"Come in and find a place to sit." Liu Ruyan said.

Shen Nianshu nodded in agreement and turned her eyes to Caiwei .

"This is my personal maid, a person I trust very much. If you believe me, you can ask her to take a look at it for you."

Liu Ruyan smiled slightly, "It's an old habit. I know how I am. That's okay."

Caiwei took a step forward, bowed slightly and saluted, "I've met Miss Liu."

"No need to be polite."

Liu Ruyan raised her head and smiled, indicating that she didn't have to be cautious.

Caiwei walked to Liu Ruyan and asked softly, "Can I check your pulse?"

Liu Ruyan nodded and stretched out his arm. Caiwei carefully put her hand on her wrist, frowned slightly, and carefully felt her pulse.

Caiwei took back her hand and looked at Shen Nianshu solemnly.

Shen Nianshu's heart tightened and she asked eagerly, "How is it?"

Caiwei sighed and said softly, "Empress, Miss Liu's pulse is very weak, and..."

She paused, as if searching for the right words.

Liu Ruyan said, "It's okay , Miss Caiwei, you just say it's okay!"

"This is not just a simple cold-cold cough, but more like a long-term accumulated disease. We need to see an imperial doctor quickly, otherwise..."

Liu Ruyan said, "You can't live for long, right? I know it, and I know it even if you don't tell me."

Shen Nianshu's heart sank. She looked at Liu Ruyan and saw that her face was still pale, but there was determination and calmness in her eyes.

Liu Ruyan smiled softly and said, "It's okay, I told you, it's just a recurrence of the old disease. Looking for an imperial doctor? Haha, they won't come to the cold palace."

Shen Nianshu's heart felt as if something heavy had hit her hard, and the pain was so painful that she could hardly breathe. She looked at Liu Ruyan's pale and strong face, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes.

She stood up, walked to Liu Ruyan, and hugged her gently.

Liu Ruyan's body trembled slightly in her arms, as if he was suppressing the pain in his heart.

"I will find a way." Shen Nianshu's voice was firm, as if she was cheering herself up and conveying hope to Liu Ruyan.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Liu Ruyan, trying to use her own strength to give her some comfort and warmth.

"Haha, it's okay. I'm not worried. Why are you worried?"

The sunlight shines through the window lattice into the house, which is warm and seems to dispel some of the desolation in the house.

Shen Nianshu sat by the bed and listened quietly to Liu Ruyan telling her story.

Liu Ruyan's voice was soft and low, with a hint of sadness.

As Shen Nianshu listened, an inexplicable emotion surged in her heart.

Looking at Liu Ruyan's pale and beautiful face, she seemed to see a woman who had been teased by fate but was still tenacious and unyielding. Shen Nianshu also seemed to see some shadows of herself in her.

"I was supposed to be getting married in a few days, but I didn't expect that I would be favored by the emperor who was visiting privately incognito. How can civil rights compete with imperial power? I tried to resist but failed."

Liu Ruyan's words fell gently, but they were like a huge stone hitting Shen Nianshu's heart.

Liu Ruyan looked out the window, a hint of depth flashed in his eyes.

If she hadn't gone out that day, she might be wearing a wedding dress a few days later, waiting for the arrival of her sweetheart, with bright red makeup and full of joy, living a life of caring for her husband and raising her children. Everything was so beautiful. However, fate played tricks on her.

"Then what they said..."

"I know what you want to say. We can't control it if it's someone else's mouth."

Shen Nianshu nodded.

Liu Ruyan turned around gently and took out an exquisite wooden box from the cabinet beside the bed. The surface of the box was inlaid with complex patterns, giving off a simple and elegant atmosphere.

She carefully opened the box, revealing a string of crystal clear pearl necklaces inside.

Shen Nianshu came closer curiously and saw that each pearl exuded a soft luster, like a pearl on the bottom of the sea, breathtakingly beautiful.

"This is what he made for me personally back then." Liu Ruyan's voice was gentle as she gently stroked the necklace, as if recalling the past.

She put the necklace in Shen Nianshu's hand.