After a long contemplation, Man Qingting finally said, "I'll tell you once this illness of mine is cured."

Having said that, Man Qingting coughed softly twice.

Ye Heng, with a puzzled frown, asked, "Why must you wait until your illness is cured before you can tell me?"

Man Qingting fell silent, her eyes misty. Seeing she wasn't responding, Ye Heng stood up and stormed out of the thatched hut in a huff.

Witnessing this scene, Chen Hao felt a sense of déjà vu. He thought back to the time when he asked Ye Yuqiao if she liked him, and Ye Yuqiao also had various non-responses. As the saying goes, the spectator sees the game better than the players. Now, watching the story of Ye Heng and Man Qingting from the perspective of a bystander, and seeing Man Qingting's struggle, he empathized with Ye Yuqiao's past difficulties.

Thinking of this, Chen Hao felt a deep sense of guilt for never having put himself in Ye Yuqiao's shoes, considering how much she had done for him, while he was always fixated on an oral response. Suddenly, Chen Hao's affection for Ye Yuqiao grew by several degrees.

The mournful flute music continued to drift through the air, while the story in Chen Hao's mind went on.

After leaving the thatched hut, Ye Heng walked straight to the base of the waterfall and started playing his flute.

After finishing a piece, Ye Heng felt much calmer. For the past year and a half, every time he felt lonely and sad, he would stand by the lake and play his flute. The moon's reflection on the lake was like an old friend, an old friend who would never abandon him.

Ye Heng looked up at the bright moon and asked, "Do you think senior sister likes me?"

The bright moon couldn't nod or blink, it could only bring a cool breeze that fluttered his white garments and long hair. Ye Heng did not know whether the gentle breeze was saying yes or no. He looked up at the bright moon and murmured, "The bright moon knows my heart, pity it cannot understand."

Suddenly, a series of light footsteps came from behind.

Ye Heng turned around and saw Man Qingting slowly walking towards him, coughing with every few steps she took.

Ye Heng hurriedly went to support Man Qingting and said, "Senior sister, it's chilly outside, let's go back inside and rest."

Man Qingting held his hand, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Do you know that for the past year and a half, I have not slept peacefully for a single day?"

After a moment of stunned silence, a smile suddenly appeared on Ye Heng's face, and then he carried Man Qingting back to the hut.

After gently laying Man Qingting on the bed, Ye Heng sat cross-legged beside her.

After coughing twice, Man Qingting asked, "If one day I become an old woman, will you still be willing to sit beside me and keep me company?"

Ye Heng turned around, leaned over close to Man Qingting, and said with a very firm look, "Of course I will!"

Man Qingting slowly raised her hand and tenderly touched Ye Heng's face as tears streamed down unchecked.

Ye Heng reached out to wipe away the tears on Man Qingting's face and said seriously, "Senior sister, you promised me just now, once this strange illness of yours is cured, you would tell me everything. You can't deceive me again."

Man Qingting nodded slightly. Then, she closed her eyes and smiled, "With you sitting by my side, I can finally have a good night's sleep."

Before long, Man Qingting fell asleep, her face peaceful. Just like two years ago, Ye Heng secretly kissed her face while she was deep in slumber.

Seeing a tear slide down from the corner of Man Qingting's eye, he scratched his head in confusion and quietly wondered to himself, "Why does senior sister love to cry even in her sleep?"

"Idiot, she wasn't sleeping at all!" Chen Hao couldn't help but curse Ye Heng in his mind. However, thinking of the tears Ye Yuqiao had shed for him before, Chen Hao felt a bitter taste in his heart because he too had been the idiot he was cursing.

Legend has it that if zombies do not consume blood for a long time, the blood in their bodies will congeal, sending them into a deep slumber until their bodies petrify into mummies. In Chen Hao's view, given Man Qingting's character, she probably wouldn't consume blood, so could her illness be related to the coagulation of blood in her body?

The scene fast-forwards to half a month later.

Master finally returned, and he brought back a male infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Master said that the infant was found at the foot of Ziyanyan Mountain and was probably abandoned by nearby villagers. Man Qingting was very pleased to see the baby boy.

That night, besides Ye Heng, there was also this male infant accompanying Man Qingting.

Watching Man Qingting care for the infant with such loving eyes, Ye Heng felt a twinge of jealousy because it reminded him of how Man Qingting used to look at him many years ago.

Seeing Man Qingting neglect him and only focus on taking care of the child, Ye Heng snorted in anger, stood up, and was about to leave the room.

Man Qingting hurriedly grabbed his sleeve and asked anxiously, "Junior brother, where are you going?"

Ye Heng responded coldly, "I see that with him here to accompany senior sister, there's no need for me."

Man Qingting couldn't help but chuckle and then teased him with a laugh, "Junior brother, you get jealous so easily. Are you not still a child?"

Ye Heng was at a loss for words and could only pull a sulky face.

Man Qingting pulled him back to sit on the bed and said, "Aren't you grown up? Tonight, when I sleep, you can take care of him!"

"Why should I take care of him?" Ye Heng said with a face full of unwillingness.

"Stingy!" Man Qingting gave Ye Heng a white look, "Of course you will take care of him. Maybe when he starts to talk, he will even call you father."

Instantly, joy lit up Ye Heng's face as he leaned in close to Man Qingting and asked, "Call me father? Doesn't that mean he is going to call you mother?"

Man Qingting's brows furrowed, and a saddened expression crossed her face. Then, with a distant look in her eyes, she said, "I… Can I even be his mother?"

"Of course you can, no one is more suited to be his mother than you!" Ye Heng said excitedly, holding Man Qingting's hand.

Man Qingting looked at Ye Heng with tears welling up in her eyes. After a long gaze, she said in a hoarse voice, "Then you promise me, you will take good care of him until he grows up."

Ye Heng's eyes sparkled, and he smiled, "I can! But first, you have to promise to be his mother, then I'll promise to take care of him."

Man Qingting immediately agreed, "Mmm, as long as I get better from this illness, I promise to be his mother."

Ye Heng laughed and said, "Then I promise you, I will take good care of him until he grows up."

Looking at Ye Heng's innocently happy face, Chen Hao suddenly felt a stifling pain. He knew that the oblivious Ye Heng would never see the day Man Qingting recovered from her illness.

From that day on, Ye Heng anticipated Man Qingting's recovery every day.

Unfortunately, contrary to his wishes, Man Qingting's cough seemed to worsen.

At times, she would cough through the night, and fearing that she would disturb the child's rest, she would always cover her mouth with a towel.

Ye Heng always felt that Man Qingting was hiding something from him, but whenever he asked her or the master, the master would say it was nothing serious, only a persistent cough due to excessive yin within her body causing lung coldness.

Every day in the early morning, Man Qingting would sit in front of the bronze mirror and dress up. After dressing, she was as beautiful as a lotus, bright and captivating. That captivating Man Qingting mesmerized Ye Heng every day.

Before long, Man Qingting became gravely ill, yet she still insisted on getting up early to dress up. Ye Heng didn't understand why she became so fond of rouge and face powder these days.

"Fool, a woman dresses up for the man she pleases!" Chen Hao said urgently, wishing he could appear before Ye Heng at that moment to tell him. At the same time, Chen Hao couldn't help but feel sad, sensing that Man Qingting was about to depart, and thus she wanted to leave behind her most beautiful self in Ye Heng's heart.

"She must really like Ye Heng," Chen Hao thought to himself.

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