The original host and the mute girl buried Muling in another place outside the city.
Jiu Yue's injuries had not yet fully healed. By the time she arrived there carrying Xue'er, the sky had already begun to lighten with the first hints of dawn.
Seeing the mute girl kneeling before the grave mound, Jiu Yue froze.
The mute girl also heard her footsteps. She turned around, and their gazes met, each filled with their own surprise.
When her eyes fell on the child in Jiu Yue's arms, the mute girl closed her eyes briefly, quickly wiped away her tears, and silently began digging a pit beside Muling's grave.
Jiu Yue slowed her steps, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to help.
"I'm sorry," Jiu Yue murmured, her mood sinking.
But the mute girl shook her head, patted her shoulder, and as soon as Jiu Yue looked up, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times with great solemnity.
Jiu Yue was startled and tried to stop her, but she was too exhausted to intervene… so she knelt down as well.
"Don’t do this… I didn’t do much…"
The mute girl wept silently, about to write on the ground when she suddenly realized something. She looked up at the person before her, her eyes widening slightly, and tentatively began signing.
The original host had understood sign language, so Jiu Yue could now comprehend it as well.
Meeting the mute girl’s stunned gaze, Jiu Yue nodded slightly and wiped her tears away.
"Yes… I’ve regained my memories." That was how she had found her way here.
The mute girl covered her face and continued signing.
[That’s wonderful. Thank you for avenging the princess. You don’t need to apologize. Xue'er must have missed her…]
Jiu Yue fell silent for a moment before helping the girl up with a sigh.
"You’re right… Then let’s hurry…"
The mute girl nodded. By the time they finished burying Xue'er, the sun had risen.
The first rays of sunlight were special.
They now shone upon the two graves, one large and one small. Jiu Yue gazed at them for a long time before suddenly kneeling before Muling’s grave and digging out the silver hairpin the original host had buried with her own hands.
The mute girl, who had been waiting nearby, suddenly widened her eyes and stepped forward, instinctively gripping Jiu Yue’s hand tightly.
[You… you… how do you have two of these?]
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Jiu Yue didn’t explain directly. Instead, she extended an invitation. "Do you want to return to Great Yan with me?"
The mute girl’s pupils dilated, and she couldn’t help but pull Jiu Yue into a tight embrace.
Jiu Yue couldn’t show herself in public for now, so she handed all the gold bars she had taken from the coffin to the mute girl, who would procure the necessities for their journey.
Once her wounds had healed a little more, Jiu Yue slipped into Nan Xun’s courtyard under the cover of night.
At that moment, Nan Xun had just stolen a dog.
"Don’t bark, don’t bark—I’m a good person!" Nan Xun hadn’t even had time to remove his face covering as he tried to calm the squirming dog in his arms. But when he entered the room, he saw a figure in a bamboo hat casually strolling around inside.
Nan Xun froze, then widened his eyes in disbelief and stepped forward to remove the person’s hat.
But at the same time, the person reached out and pulled down his face covering.
Jiu Yue raised an eyebrow, leisurely studying his outfit before teasing, "I thought you were so engrossed in storytelling that you’d forgotten your old trade."
Nan Xun stared at her still-pale face for a long moment before finally handing the dog over.
"To come out of the imperial palace alive…" Nan Xun poured her a cup of tea and propped his chin on his hand. "It must have been tough, huh?"
"Not too bad," Jiu Yue replied, stroking the dog in her arms with a hint of joy. "Thank you."
Nan Xun waved a hand. "I thought your dog was still at the Prince Regent’s residence, but after sneaking in a few times, I realized there was no one there except guards."
Jiu Yue paused, then understood—Wu You must have reunited with his grandfather.
"They say the Prince Regent is searching for miracle doctors again… Maybe he’s on the verge of death." Nan Xun shook his head. "After that, I went looking for that training camp. It took a lot of effort to steal this dog."
Jiu Yue’s expression turned slightly odd, but she didn’t dwell on it.
Sima Qing himself had said he only had five years left to live. Maybe after defeating Prince Ping, he suddenly wanted to live a little longer?
When she looked up at Nan Xun again, she smiled. "But you’re the legendary thief. Even if it took effort, it’s nothing for you, right?"
"Heh, well, I wouldn’t say—" Nan Xun’s grin suddenly froze. His eyes changed as he stared at Jiu Yue, his pupils slowly widening.
"What did you just say?"
Jiu Yue picked up her teacup with a smile. "I said you’re amazing—legendary thief."
Nan Xun immediately slammed the table and stood up, overjoyed. "Jiu Yue, you… you’ve regained your memories!"
"Jiu what Yue? Call me senior sister," Jiu Yue scoffed.
Nan Xun immediately crouched beside her and reached out to touch the back of her head.
"Hmm… that lump really is gone." He grinned delightedly before eagerly massaging her legs.
"Fine, fine—senior sister it is. Now that you’ve regained your memories and avenged your enemies, does that mean you’ll come back to the mountain villa with me? My father misses you so much!"
Nan Xun looked at her pleadingly.
But Jiu Yue only smiled faintly.
"Probably not." She pushed his hand away and spoke slowly. "You should inherit the villa yourself. After all… you’re the young master."
"Nangong Xun."
