After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, Fang Siying stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself. The fatigue from the previous night had left only faint traces on her face. However, the confusion and bewilderment in her eyes were deeper than ever before. She sighed, slowly brushing her beautiful long hair, and couldn't help but recall what Tingting had said:

  “Let your hair down, don’t wear gsses, and put on this purple dress—you’ll look absolutely beautiful.”

  Now she had let her hair down and wasn't wearing gsses. Was she beautiful? She gnced at herself in the mirror. No, not as beautiful as Ai Lin. Ai Lin was a true beauty.

  But... why should she compare herself to Ai Lin?

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “You're crazy. What are you thinking? This pce is not suitable for you; can't you see that? You're pale and thin. You should be in America right now, married to Alec, raising a bunch of lively children. You shouldn't be here, staring bnkly at yourself with a pair of confused eyes! You're crazy! You really are lost. Since that afternoon in May, you've lost your soul. Your soul was taken away by the ruins of Hanyan Vil. Since that afternoon, you haven't done a single thing right. Hanyan Vil has some kind of evil aura, and you′ve truly lost your soul.”

  She murmured to herself as the brush ran through her hair for what felt like the hundredth time. While she didn′t entirely approve of Bai Peiwen taking it upon himself to request a day off for her, she couldn′t deny the relief of having a day to herself.

  Tossing the brush onto the dressing table, she deftly twisted her hair into a bun at the back of her head, securing it with a few long pins. Then she put on her gsses. This look felt better—this way, she had a sense of security.

  A soft knock came at the door. "Come in," she called. The door opened, and Yazhu entered, carrying a rge bouquet of yellow roses, her face alight with a cheerful smile.

  Fang Siying froze for a moment, surprised. "What′s this, Yazhu?" she asked, puzzled.

  "When Master asked me to buy groceries, he also asked me to get this. He wanted me to put it in Miss Fang's room," Yazhu said with a smile, her round face showing an innocent demeanor. She walked over to the shelf, picked up the vase, and transformed it into an object that opposed and dominated the subject. After filling it with water, she pced the roses one by one into the vase.

  "I'll do it," Fang Siying said, taking the roses and trimming them with scissors, slowly arranging them in the vase. She had once been skilled at flower arranging and had always taken a keen interest in it. But today, she felt distracted, absent-minded, and there was an odd sensation in her chest. Yellow roses! Yellow roses!

  The first day she moved in, there had been a vase of yellow roses in the room, and now, again, yellow roses! Though Bai Peiwen was blind, his mind was sharp—what game was he pying?

  Yazhu hadn′t left immediately and stood aside, watching Fang Siying as she trimmed and arranged the flowers, smiling mischievously. She had always harbored a pure admiration for Fang Siying, believing that since Fang Siying had entered the Bai household, there had been a sense of "home" in the family, a vitality, a liveliness.

  Because of that, she liked Miss Fang far more than her own mistress.

  "Miss Fang, you must have been tired st night," Yazhu said kindly, trying to make conversation.

  "Hmm," Fang Siying blushed slightly. "Someone has to take care of the patient, you know."

  "Yes," Yazhu agreed wholeheartedly. "Miss Fang, it's so much better since you arrived. Everything has improved."

  "How so?" Fang Siying asked, puzzled.

  "Well, Tingting has gained weight, Master smiles and ughs now, and the mistress doesn't quarrel and scold people every day anymore," Yazhu said as she headed toward the door. "I need to get to the kitchen. Lao You said there will be guests for dinner tonight."

  "Guests?" Fang Siying was taken aback. "Mr. Bai is sick—how can there still be guests? And Mrs. Bai is in Taichung."

  "I don't know either. It was Master who asked Lao You to send a telegram to invite him. Early this morning, Lao You went to send it," Yazhu said.

  "Oh?" Fang Siying was filled with curiosity. So much had happened since the morning. She could only hope Lao You hadn't seen her asleep on the recliner. A telegram? What kind of guest would warrant such urgency? It must be one of Bai Peiwen's business associates, she guessed.

  After Yazhu went downstairs, Fang Siying finished arranging the flowers, washed her hands, and gnced out the window. The autumn sunlight shone brilliantly. She stepped out of her room, intending to take a walk in the garden. Passing by Bai Peiwen's room, she noticed the door was open. Bai Peiwen seemed to be asleep, and the curtains had already been drawn back, flooding the room with warm sunlight.

  Quietly, she entered the room, intending to lower the curtains or close the window—after all, someone recovering from a high fever shouldn't be exposed to the breeze.

  Just as she reached the window, Bai Peiwen's calm voice came from the bed:

  "Miss Fang?"

  Startled, she turned around and said nervously, "I thought—I thought you were asleep."

  "I've had enough sleep during the night," Bai Peiwen replied. "Would you be willing to sit by the bed for a while?"

  Fang Siying hesitated.

  "Afraid of me, hmm?" Bai Peiwen said softly. "I'm not frightening, Miss Fang. Why do you often seem like you want to avoid me?"

  "I don't," Fang Siying replied weakly.

  "Then, close the door and sit here. If you could do me a favor, I would be very grateful."

  Fang Siying didn't move.

  "Why, Miss Fang?" Bai Peiwen paused, then added, "I understand. You must be tired of me—a troublesome blind man, right?"

  "Oh, no," Fang Siying said quickly. She walked to the door, closed it, and returned to his bedside. "All right, sir."

  "Would you read something for me?"

  "Read something?" Fang Siying asked, confused.

  "Yes. After my eyes were damaged, I haven't been able to read. I feel as though my soul has dried up. If you would read something for me, you would be doing a good deed."

  "What would you like me to read for you?"

  Bai Peiwen reached under his pillow and pulled out a set of keys, handing them to Fang Siying. To her surprise, he quietly said:

  "Use the smallest key to open the drawer under my bedside table. Inside, there′s a wooden box. Please bring it to me."

  Fang Siying looked at him suspiciously, wondering what was going on. She was thoroughly confused and hoped that Bai Peiwen's mind was clear. Holding the key, she unlocked the drawer, where a finely carved rosewood box y inside. As she picked up the box, she was momentarily stunned because the entire surface of the box was intricately engraved with roses—each stem and bloom carved in a lifelike manner.