Shen Hanxing, who had experienced the biting winter winds on the border of the country, was accustomed to such harsh weather, and wasn’t particularly sensitive to cold. In the past, when it was during the winter, he would still light a stove in the room. But now, he has stopped doing so in the last couple of years. As a man living alone, he never had to consider whether it was cold or not.
However, Shen Hanxing had gained a new wife just yesterday, and she seemed to be a bit delicate.
Shen Hanxing released Lin Xingxue’s hand. It still felt itchy and she still had the urge to scratch. However, under his gaze, she dared not continue and could only bow her head to resume grinding ink, occasionally sneaking a scratch under her sleeve.
When Luo Yan returned, she immediately gave up the spot for grinding ink to him, turned, and went back to the west side room.
Watching the girl rush away, Shen Hanxing clearly saw her scratching her frostbitten hand lightly. He lowered his eyes and continued writing, thinking that this matter had nothing to do with him, so why bother intervening? If she scratched the wound open, she would be the one in pain.
Lin Xingxue returned to the west side room, Wu Tong had not yet returned, so she called a young maid to bring in a basin of warm saltwater. She soaked her right hand in the soothing warmth to alleviate the itching sensation.
The ink spots on her clothes had spread, especially noticeable against the embroidered white snow and red plum blossoms.
Lin Xingxue sighed softly. Eventually, she couldn’t escape the curse of changing clothes.
After soaking for about a quarter of an hour, Lin Xingxue finally lifted her right hand, drying it with a piece of cloth, gazing at the frostbite with a sense of melancholy.
This wasn’t her first time getting frostbite. Each time, it was an unbearable itch that she was forbidden from scratching. She remembered the first year she got frostbite, not understanding and unable to endure, she accidentally scratched it open. As a result, it kept scabbing and didn’t get better until the following spring. Now, there was still a noticeable scar on the inner side of her index finger.
When Wu Tong returned, Lin Xingxue was struggling to resist the urge to scratch.
Seeing her situation, Wu Tong quickly guessed that it was frostbite and grabbed Lin Xingxue’s hand to prevent her from scratching. “My good miss, you can’t scratch it. This is frostbite, and if you scratch it open, it’ll be uncomfortable throughout the winter.”
Lin Xingxue nodded, indicating that she understood. She pointed to the ink spots on her dress, signaling that she wanted to change into a new outfit.
While helping her with the clothes, Wu Tong consoled her, “Don’t worry, madam. Actually, the situation with frostbite has significantly improved these past two years. Maybe by next winter, you won’t get frostbite again.”
Lin Xingxue sighed silently, hoping so.
However, this year might still be difficult. The ointments prescribed by the clinic weren’t very effective, and she had tried other methods, but her frostbite had still worsened. She didn’t know if it would improve this year.
The inner room was truly cold. Lin Xingxue took off her outer garment and put on a new one as quickly as possible. As Wu Tong fastened the clasps for her, she couldn’t help but mutter, “I wonder why the General doesn’t use a stove. Even the servants’ quarters are allowed to use stoves due to the extreme cold, but it’s forbidden in the main house. Previously, a servant lit a stove here without permission and was expelled from the Hou residence on the same day, rumored to have been beaten as well.”
Since then, no one has dared to secretly use a stove in the main house.
After hearing this, Lin Xingxue felt particularly disheartened.
She thought that this winter might be especially difficult.
“Alas,” Wu Tong sighed as she felt the frigidness in the room, “Miss is really enduring a lot. In Cangling Province, there was no money to buy charcoal, and after finally returning to the capital, you can’t even use a stove. If we hadn’t used up all that charcoal back then… Miss wouldn’t have suffered from frostbite on her hands and feet. It only healed in the spring of the following year, and the scars were difficult to eliminate.”
Wu Tong felt sorry for Lin Xingxue, but such words could only be spoken when others were not around.
Lin Xingxue shook her head to indicate that it was okay. She hugged the warm hand stove, smiling with curved eyes.
Not afraid, she still had this.
Walking together, Lin Xingxue in the lead, she suddenly stopped when she stepped out of the inner room. Startled, Wu Tong looked up and asked, “Miss…”
A “Miss” got stuck in her throat as she watched Luo Yan pushing Shen Hanxing closer. Cold sweat broke out on Wu Tong’s back.
When did the General arrive? Could he have overheard what they were talking about just now? If he heard those complaints, would he trouble Miss?
Wu Tong was in a state of anxiety, but Lin Xingxue remained calm.
She bent her peach blossom eyes, looking at Shen Hanxing with a delightful smile.
Shen Hanxing looked at her faintly, and Lin Xingxue’s newly changed jacket had a lower collar, faintly revealing the finger marks on her neck.
The girl hugged the hand stove tightly. From Shen Hanxing’s perspective, he could clearly see the red and swollen skin on her hands.
Luo Yan pushed the wheelchair closer, and as Shen Hanxing passed by Lin Xingxue, he raised his hand, signaling for Luo Yan to stop.
Lin Xingxue’s heart skipped a beat. She felt a bit guilty. If her husband had heard those words just now, what would he think? Would he consider her too delicate? Would he dislike her even more?
She knew better than anyone that her husband didn’t want to marry her. The events of last night were just a way to tease and mock her. But she didn’t want to retreat.
Because, apart from being by his side, she seemed to have nowhere else to go.
Lin Xingxue felt the hand stove in her hands gradually losing warmth. She saw Shen Hanxing’s lips slightly part, and his expression seemed capable of freezing someone to the bone.
She became increasingly discouraged, more convinced that her husband had heard those words.
With her heart hanging high, the next moment, she heard Shen Hanxing coldly asking, “Feeling cold?”
Huh?
Lin Xingxue raised her eyes in surprise, almost thinking she had misheard.
Was Husband asking if she was cold?
Should she nod or not?
Her husband had always refused to light the stove, presumably for a reason. Although she was indeed cold, she could just wear more clothes on regular days. Since she already had frostbite, being barefoot was no different from wearing shoes.
At this moment, the young girl completely forgot the pain when her hands and feet were frostbitten for the first time.
She shook her head firmly.
Shen Hanxing’s eyes flashed slightly, looking at her as if she were a fool.
‘Not cold? It’s not cold and frostbite could still happen?’ New chapters come out on g.com first.
He furrowed his brow, displaying impatience, and tapped on the armrest. “I don’t like people lying. I’ll ask you again, are you cold or not?”
For the first time, Shen Hanxing showed such patience with a woman, even surprising Luo Yan.
Realizing that she couldn’t lie anymore, Lin Xingxue nodded honestly.
Shen Hanxing, seeing her admission, fell silent for a moment before muttering, “Troublesome.”
Upon hearing his words, Lin Xingxue was momentarily stunned, and her smile suddenly became somewhat forced.
Troublesome—was he beginning to find her burdensome too?
Although she hadn’t insisted on using the fireplace, why did he have to describe her that way?
The girl’s emotions were visibly low, and this time, her grievances seemed to be intertwined with a lot of embarrassment and sadness.
She silently lowered her head, standing quietly to the side.
As Luo Yan pushed Shen Hanxing into the inner room, Lin Xingxue walked out of the courtyard with Wu Tong.
Close to noon, the warm sunlight bathed Lin Xingxue’s body, seemingly dissipating some of her worries. Guided by memory, she walked towards the small garden and gazed at the two blossoming red plum trees.
With her stock of calming pills running low, she needed to make a few more.
Last night’s nightmares were probably due to the diminishing effect of the pills.
For so many years, she still couldn’t recall what happened before she fell into the water. Vague memories haunted her like nightmares, disrupting her peace. Upon waking, she couldn’t remember anything, as if her subconscious mind blocked her from retrieving those memories.
Lin Xingxue and Wu Tong picked a few branches of red plum blossoms before slowly returning to the East Transverse Courtyard.
As she stepped into the bright hall, her eyes widened slightly.
The previously cold and dry main house had somehow become warm. Thick curtains blocked small cracks, obstructing the cold wind, and dispelling the chill from people’s bodies.
“Did they burn Di Long?” Wu Tong hesitated and asked.
After all, she had been worried as she left, fearing that the general might bully Miss because of those words. She hadn’t expected to come back and find that they had burned Di Long in the room.
Lin Xingxue was also in a daze, and it wasn’t until Luo Yan came out, handing two white porcelain medicine bottles to Wu Tong, instructing, “Madam, these two bottles contain frostbite ointment and a gel for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis. Apply the frostbite ointment three times a day, and if Madam persists in applying it to the affected areas, the frostbite will improve. Just remember not to scratch the affected areas, or it will be even more difficult to recover.”
Lin Xingxue looked at the two medicine bottles, somewhat slow to react.
After Luo Yan finished his instructions, he bowed and withdrew, leaving the mistress and servant in a state of shock.
Anon’s Little Theater:
Lin Xingxue: ╥﹏╥ Does he think I’m bothersome? Troubling? Annoying? Why??? I didn’t do anything… *sad noises*
Shen Hanxing: How troublesome, now I’m gonna have to add all this unnecessary stuff to my room so she doesn’t feel cold…*hmph* I gotta keep up my image as a cold ML.