Yunmeng Marsh, Tianyun City, Wang Clan.
A fine misty rain fell from the sky, wetting the bluestone slabs, yet everyone standing in the courtyard of Listening Rain Pavilion ignored the droplets falling on their faces and bodies.
Men and women, young and old, all wore grave expressions. The atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.
In the master bedroom, Wang Chen sat beside the bed, tightly holding Ye Dai's hand.
This hand had once been slender, fair, and smooth as jade. Now it was gaunt as kindling, its skin wrinkled and covered in dark brown spots.
Ye Dai lay on the bed with a head full of white hair, long stripped of the beauty and gentleness of her youth. Her complexion was also weak to the extreme.
Anyone could see that her lamp was running dry, her oil exhausted. There was no hope of her continuing to live.
Yet there was not the slightest fear of death on Ye Dai's face. Her gaze upon Wang Chen was still filled with tender, blissful love.
"Husband."
Ye Dai called softly, then gathered her last thread of strength to lift Wang Chen's hand and press it against her face.
At that moment, she revealed an incomparably contented smile. Her once-clouded eyes suddenly brightened, and even her spirit seemed to recover somewhat.
An indescribable sorrow surged into Wang Chen's heart in an instant.
He lowered his head closer to his wife and asked softly, "Dai'er, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Ye Dai shook her head and smiled. "With Husband by my side in this life, I have no regrets. If there is another life..."
Her breath gradually weakened as she spoke, yet she still uttered her final words: "I hope I... I can still be with you!"
The next moment, the