Hongzhao woke up refusing to eat or drink but could answer when asked, though not with the exuberance she once had.
The maidservants often saw Hongzhao lying on her bed weeping alone.
Sun Qinglian was anxious about this matter; she wanted to consult someone but realized that, just like Hongzhao had lost her mother, she herself had lost someone to talk to.
"Mother, I want to see elder sister," Hongzhao suddenly said on her own accord.
Sun Qinglian paused, then sent for Yan Wanqing. Looking at Hongzhao's pale little face, she ultimately didn't ask a single question.
When Yan Wanqing arrived, Sun Qinglian respectfully withdrew from the room.
Upon seeing Yan Wanqing, Hongzhao's eyes, already dry, reddened instantly, and tears gushed forth. She choked out, "Elder sister."
Yan Wanqing sat down beside the bed and wiped the tears from Hongzhao's eyes with a handkerchief while gently caressing her back, "I'm here."
