The copper pendant was worthless, of course. What held value was the pill tightly encased within it.
That single pill had killed her most respected grandfather, her kindest grandmother, and her most understanding mother.
She hated this pendant, yet she had no choice but to protect it well.
This was the only thing her grandfather had entrusted to her before his death.
Fingering the pendant, she recalled life deep in the mountains.
Chu Lingzhi was overwhelmed with grief, tears brimming in her eyes. Those had become both beautiful and heartbreaking memories.
Nangong Yehen watched her back and suddenly felt she looked fragile, exuding a sorrow that tugged at the heart.
"Lingzhi?" he called her name in a low voice.
"..." She didn't hear him, so she didn't respond.
Nangong Yehen raised an eyebrow. Was she sulking?
He stood up, striding over to her on his long, straight legs.
Looking down, he furrowed his brow. "You're crying?"
Chu Lingzhi snapped out of her grief, a bit flustered. She quickly lowered her head. "You're the one crying! I'm not crying!"
Nangong Yehen gazed at her deeply, his brow arched. "Your voice sounds choked with sorrow, and you still won't admit you're crying?"
"..."
"Thinking about something sad?" His voice was uncharacteristically gentle.
"I have nothing sad to think about!" Chu Lingzhi suddenly looked up, her emotions somewhat agitated.
She had wiped away her tears, but her eyelashes were still damp, and her eyes and nose were red.
Seeing this, Nangong Yehen's eyes darkened, a faint pang tightening in his heart.
He didn't poke at her pain but instead spoke in a light, teasing tone. "You weren't worried about me to the point of tears, were you?"
"Is that not allowed?" Chu Lingzhi suddenly snapped.
"It is." Nangong Yehen broke into a smile, reaching out a hand to pat her head.
"Mommy, why are you yelling so loud?"
Chu Junyu's childish voice came from the hallway, and he withdrew his hand.
"Daddy, did you make Mommy unhappy again?" Chu Junyu walked in gracefully.
Seeing Chu Lingzhi's bright eyes, he was startled. "Mommy, you cried?"
In all his memory, he had never seen her cry.
In front of him, Mommy had always been strong, never shedding tears in the face of hardship.
Chu Junyu tilted his little face up, glaring at Nangong Yehen. "Daddy, Mommy's hurt. Can't you just be more considerate of her?"
"Chu Junyu, your mommy wasn't made to cry by me."
"Then who made her cry?" Chu Junyu blinked, looking puzzled.
"This made her cry." Chu Lingzhi glanced at Nangong Yehen and handed her phone to Chu Junyu.
"This?" How could a phone make someone cry?
"Mommy was bored and watched a tragedy."
It really wasn't Nangong Yehen who made her cry, so she had to make up a story to soothe Chu Junyu.
"A tragedy made you cry like this? You're not allowed to watch them anymore."
"I won't watch them ever again."
"Let's go downstairs for dinner. Little old man is waiting for us." Chu Junyu took Chu Lingzhi's hand with one hand and Nangong Yehen's with the other.
As they left the room, Chu Junyu smiled adorably and innocently. "From now on, we should always hold hands like this and never be apart."
Nangong Yehen and Chu Lingzhi exchanged a glance, each lost in their own thoughts.
When they reached the dining area downstairs, the two little ones had particularly good appetites, eating more heartily than usual.
Throughout the meal, Nangong Yichen's gaze kept shifting between Nangong Yehen and Chu Lingzhi.
After finishing, Chu Lingzhi put down her chopsticks and smiled at Nangong Yichen. "Little treasure, do you have something to tell us?"