Gu Yin looked at the Empress Dowager, appearing to regret something.
"I actually advised her, but she wouldn't listen. In that rebellion, she underestimated the enemy. Because of her memories from the first life, she always believed that if Nan Su hadn't arrived in time, you would have truly failed. But she didn't realize that you had already made contingency plans. In fact, whether Nan Su arrived or not, Yu Jing'an could never have succeeded."
"She underestimated you. Her final defeat brought her despair. She knew you wouldn't spare her and the Nan family. Later, Nan Su's head was severed by you personally in front of Nan Zhiyun, and you forced her to witness the torment you inflicted on Nan Zhiyun... She regretted it. But her regret wasn't just for this failure; it was also for raising you, for nurturing a tiger that would become a threat... She raised someone who should have been her own child into an enemy... She suddenly felt like a failure."
"In the end, she chose to immolate herself. By the time I rushed there, it was too late, everything was irreversible. But I couldn't bear to lose her... This shouldn't have been her ending. My existence was for her. If she were truly gone, what would I do?" Gu Yin's eyes reddened as he spoke.
"So, I let her stay once more. This time, she only needed to stay by my side. I would help her become her former self. But... she wasn't willing. I truly didn't want to agree to her requests again, but she knelt at my feet. Seeing her like that, I couldn't refuse." Gu Yin now truly regretted it.
"This time, however, she no longer harbored thoughts of revenge. She lived entirely in guilt, always believing that it was her fault that Nan Zhiyun and Nan Su met their fate. She felt a profound sin, carrying these burdens and suffering endlessly. She wished to change, no matter the price, she only hoped that this time Nan Zhiyun could be safe and sound..."
"So, she suddenly had an idea. Since I could grant her a new life, did that mean I could do the same for others? Thus... she chose to restore those memories to you. But this required a price. To defy fate is to invite divine retribution."
"That price was her five senses, and she only had half a year. Within these six months, her senses would gradually fade. After half a year, she would cease to exist in this world, her soul vanishing into nothingness." Yu Jingchen was clearly shocked by this revelation.
"As for why you were reborn instead, it's because she knew Nan Zhiyun was too naive and would need someone to protect her. If she were to know those memories, especially the second life, facing you would be akin to seeking death. She was young, she understood nothing. Moreover, Yin'er didn't want her to recall those painful memories, didn't want her to experience the cruelty of those events again. Therefore, she chose you."
"If you were reborn, it would be killing two birds with one stone. One was the apprehension towards the Nan family... With the memories of that time, you would be much more at ease regarding the Nan family. And Nan Zhiyun... she died for you, so Yin'er wanted to leverage this, to use your guilt to change everyone's destiny."
"In this lifetime, the Empress Dowager has consistently, both openly and subtly, urged you to become Nan Zhiyun's complete reliance. Only when you fully sided with Nan Zhiyun would Nan Zhiyun be safe, and the Nan family would be safe," Gu Yin continued.