“Miss, there’s some excitement.”
That evening, Dou Xueci was flipping through the account books by candlelight. Liu Yun, lips curved in a mischievous smile, looked sly and playful.
“What excitement?”
Liu Yun leaned closer and said, “Following your instructions, I found an excuse to reward Fourth Sister Hua. Then I spread her words around, and soon the household was buzzing. The filthy gossip I won’t repeat, but some bold ones even went straight to Young Master Cousin’s courtyard to talk loudly, as if afraid he wouldn’t hear. On my own initiative, I secretly rewarded a few more people.”
She glanced at Dou Xueci’s expression, and seeing she wasn’t angry, continued.
“Just at supper, Young Master Cousin’s servant Xiao Wu went to the kitchen asking for chicken soup. The kitchen matrons mocked him mercilessly. Xiao Wu lost his temper, argued with them, and nearly smashed up the kitchen. When Young Master Cousin heard about it afterward, he was so furious he fainted!”
A smile flickered in Dou Xueci’s eyes. “Whatever you spent, take it from the chest yourself. Add ten taels more—it’s your hard-earned reward.”
Liu Yun’s round eyes lit up instantly. “Thank you, Miss!”
“Now go cut off half the charcoal supply to Danxia Pavilion. Isn’t he trying to play the pitiful victim? A few rumors are nothing. Better yet, I’ll show some kindness and help him along.”
Liu Yun happily agreed and ran off.
“Miss, are you planning to visit Young Master Cousin?” Mu He, who had been serving quietly nearby, spoke once Liu Yun left.
Dou Xueci was not surprised by Mu He’s perceptiveness. Her aunt had trained her well—without real skill, she would never have been sent to Dou Xueci’s side.
In this life, Dou Xueci had denied Madam Zou any chance to sow discord, and now trusted Mu He all the more.
“I’ve left him to stew these days. And today, on my way back, a little maid just happened to let her tongue slip. Wasn’t that meant for me to hear?”
Mu He chuckled. “They’ve lost patience. They’re trying to win your sympathy.”
For some reason, Mu He suddenly felt as though she were back in the palace. There, the consorts would exhaust every trick to catch the emperor’s eye—and feigning pitifulness was the most common tactic of all.
“Yes, but he’s far too unwilling to truly harm himself. That’s why he needs us to help him along.” Though a smile lingered on her lips, Dou Xueci’s eyes were cold.
Madam Zou was under confinement, but she had managed the household for many years; her foundation could not be uprooted so quickly. How could anyone dare openly mistreat Zou Yunjian simply because she was confined? If such things happened, it was by his own doing.
Dou Xueci had deliberately refrained from visiting Zou Yunjian after his injury, precisely to force Madam Zou into action. She had maneuvered him into the Duke’s household with the intention that one day she might marry him, allowing the Zou family to seize power under the guise of legitimacy.
But if Dou Xueci showed even the slightest sign of cutting ties with Zou Yunjian, Madam Zou would never be able to sit still.
And so, here it was.
The next day, after lunch, Dou Xueci finally left her courtyard.
Snow was falling heavily, blanketing the world in white. Liu Yun walked beside her, holding an umbrella, while Yuxuan and Xuelu followed behind.
She wore a robe of vivid crimson, the color so pure it made her face appear even more luminous—whiter than the fox fur lining her collar.
The surroundings were hushed, the only sound that of snow falling.
A shadow in indigo seemed to flicker briefly behind the rocks of a nearby artificial hill.
When they reached Danxia Pavilion, Dou Xueci had just ordered Yuxuan to knock at the door.
Suddenly, a servant rushed out in panic, nearly colliding with her.
Yuxuan and Xuelu reacted instantly, stepping forward to block him.
“Impudent! Have you no eyes?”
The servant, terrified, stumbled backward and fell heavily onto the snow.
The servant’s face, full of panic, lit up as soon as he saw Dou Xueci—like spotting a lifeline. Crying, he scrambled up and kowtowed several times.
“Miss, please save our master! He’s coughing blood!”
Dou Xueci’s expression changed instantly, and she hurried into the courtyard.
Lifting the curtain and stepping into the warm chamber, she exclaimed, “Cousin, what are you doing!”
Zou Yunjian sat on the floor, blood staining the corner of his lips, his expression dazed and helpless. In his arms, he clutched a bundle of half-burned letters. In the brazier on the ground, the other half of the letters still smoldered.
Dou Xueci crouched down and saw his hand had been burned.
“Cousin…?” Zou Yunjian’s eyes, once lifeless, flickered faintly when he saw her. Then, with a bitter smile, a tear slipped from the reddened corner of his eye, falling onto the letter in his hand, leaving a blurred stain.
“I was foolish again… why would you come here…” Lowering his gaze, he looked like his soul had been drained away—fragile as a porcelain doll.
Seeing him so lost and broken, Dou Xueci’s brows hardened with sudden anger. She turned and scolded the attendants of Danxia Pavilion.
“Bring ointment for burns! Are you all dead? Can’t you see his hands are red and blistered? To neglect your master like this—tomorrow, when I have time, I’ll flay you alive!”
Zou Yunjian’s page, Xiao Wu, dropped to his knees in terror, kowtowing with tears streaking his face.
“Miss, it wasn’t neglect—it’s our master who’s lost his senses. Today, while tidying up, he said to burn the old scraps of paper and drawings. But someone careless took the wrong pile—it was the letters between our master and you. He barely managed to snatch some out of the fire, burning his hands in the process. And no matter what, he wouldn’t let us touch them. He just kept muttering your name…”
Xiao Wu kowtowed several more times, his voice trembling. “Miss, please save our master. Only when you come can he be well again. Otherwise, he’s nothing but an empty shell…”
Dou Xueci’s gaze softened further as she looked at Zou Yunjian, still sitting numbly on the floor, clutching the remnants of those letters as though they were treasures.
“Cousin, why put yourself through this…” She reached out to brush aside the stray locks of hair falling across his forehead, speaking gently. “Cousin, look at me. I’m here. I’ve come to see you.”
After a long moment, Zou Yunjian finally stirred. The once well-tailored azure robe now hung loosely, making him look all the more desolate and worn.
“Cousin… is it really you?” His voice sounded as though it had been torn from frayed silk, hoarse and chilling. Before he could finish, something seemed to shatter in his eyes, spilling into a flood of tears. The snowy light outside the window illuminated his profile, the taut line of his jaw, and the faint tremor of his fingertips. Even his tears were restrained, dragging at the heart with their quiet agony.
Dou Xueci raised her hand to wipe them away. The burning heat of his tears seemed to scorch her heart as well.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu slowly rose, intending to slip out, signaling to Liu Yun and the others. But none of the three paid him any attention.
Xiao Wu cursed inwardly—how could the young lady’s attendants be so blind?
Zou Yunjian had already regained some clarity. His eyes shimmered with tears, his voice still trembling. “I thought… you would never come to see me again…”
“Nonsense!” Dou Xueci’s fingertips lightly caressed his cheek, her gaze deepening.
You are not dead yet, Cousin. How could I not come to see you?