As Father Jian stood by the doorway, catching the raised voices of Jian Shu and Ming Mei arguing—Ming Mei loudly insisting on returning home to see her parents—he realized with a shock that his son and daughter-in-law’s marriage had never received approval from Ming Mei’s family. Stunned, he summoned Jian Shu into the study alone, demanding a full and honest account of Ming Mei’s background. Seeing his deception unravel, Jian Shu knew he could lie no longer. He confessed everything, detailing exactly who Ming Mei’s father was, the existence of his nine concubines, his eighteen sons, and how Ming Mei was his sole daughter.

Upon hearing this, Father Jian was instantly pale, losing all color, and collapsed right there in the study. This threw his son, Jian Shu, into a panic. He frantically administered CPR, forced sugar water between his lips, and after what seemed an age, finally managed to rouse his father. Once conscious, Father Jian wept profusely, dismissed everyone else, and gripping his son's hand, spoke each word clearly, revealing Jian Shu’s true parentage.

It turned out that Father Jian was the very student who had diligently studied outside the Guanyin Temple all those years ago. And Jian Shu was none other than the infant brought in by Cui Hua that fateful day. For years, he had treated Jian Shu as his own flesh and blood, offering meticulous care. However, regardless of what the main family thought of the ambiguous past between the Ninth Concubine and the student, the fact remained: Jian Shu and Ming Mei were full siblings, sharing the same father. When Jian Shu learned the truth, the world spun around him; he was paralyzed, utterly unsure how to deliver this thunderbolt from a clear sky to Ming Mei. That night, he kept vigil by his father’s bedside, weeping.

Her husband having not returned all night, Ming Mei worried about what had transpired, assuming Jian Shu was still angry with her. By now, she was already six months pregnant, though she hadn't yet shared the news with Jian Shu. Thus, she took out the tiny baby clothes she had painstakingly stitched, piece by piece, and placed them prominently on the table, deliberately positioning them so Jian Shu would see them the moment he entered, hoping the pregnancy would offer a surprise that might ease the strain between them.

At dawn, Jian Shu emerged from his father’s room, his face drawn and haggard. He pushed open the door to his own room and caught sight of the baby clothes Ming Mei had left on the table. That single glance was like frost settling upon snow, carving a deep wound into Jian Shu’s already exhausted heart, leaving him unable to face the reality before him. Without even looking at his wife, Jian Shu slammed the door shut and fled, disappearing without a trace. Ming Mei sat alone by the bed, her previous hopeful mood instantly doused by the icy shock of his reaction. Overwhelmed by grievances with no one to confide in, she could only bury her head and weep quietly.

In truth, Jian Shu had not gone far, merely sitting alone in the study. Several times he considered returning to their room, but he couldn't face his wife. Memories flooded his mind—their journey from friends to lovers, and finally to husband and wife, a bond forged in sincere affection that now felt impossible to sever. Then he remembered the infant clothes placed on the table; Ming Mei was likely pregnant, and there was absolutely no way he could ever tell her the truth. He could only pick up a brush, his hand moving with fierce purpose, and write a long letter detailing the love he had held for Ming Mei over the years and the history his father had revealed the night before. He slowly sealed the letter, writing "To be opened by Ming Mei" on the envelope, and placed it neatly on the desk. He then retrieved three feet of white silk and used it to hang himself in the study.

Jian Shu's death was a devastating blow to the Jian family. Father Jian, already tormented by the situation involving his daughter-in-law, now faced the tragedy of burying his own child. The stagnant grief choked him, directing all his fury toward Ming Mei and the sordid family she came from. Ming Mei, crushed by the double blow, was heartbroken and attempted suicide several times, only to be stopped by the servants.

However, every event has its dual aspects; not everyone was left completely shattered by the calamity. Upon learning that Jian Shu was not Father Jian's biological son, Father Jian's newly married young wife was elated. She spent her days brimming with affection, whispering intimately, promising to bear Father Jian a son. Yet, fearing that Father Jian might leave the family inheritance to the child in Ming Mei's womb, she relentlessly whispered poison in his ear, night after night, urging him to send Ming Mei back to her parental home.