Gu Qinghan slept until evening, unaware of when her maidservants had quietly withdrawn.
She opened her eyes drowsily, having slept exceptionally well. The summer heat had been soothed by the hope of rebirth, and her body was no longer troubled by the sweltering weather. She saw Chun Tao sitting beside an ice basin, gently waving a fan to direct the cool air toward her.
“Young Miss is awake. Did you sleep comfortably?” Chun Tao smiled as she helped her up, draping a thin gauze robe over her shoulders.
“Where did this ice come from? Wasn’t all the ice allocated to the royal family this year?” Gu Qinghan recalled that in her previous life, it had been the same—ice, a rarity worth a fortune, was never lacking in her chamber; in fact, it was always plentiful.
But in her past life, her heart had been entirely consumed by that despicable couple, leaving no room to notice such things.
Hearing her question, Chun Tao chuckled softly.
“I heard that the Crown Prince, out of consideration for the officials, specifically ordered his household to distribute ice from his own residence to the mansions of high-ranking officials.”
At the mention of the Crown Prince, Gu Qinghan recalled the scene she had witnessed in his room. Her body still seemed to tingle with the lingering sensation of his kisses, and her cheeks flushed as she unconsciously tightened her grip on the hem of her robe.
Chun Tao brought out the sweets she had personally prepared, unaware of this reaction.
“Young Miss, I went to check on the nearby Li and Xin households. The ice they received isn’t even half of what we have. Logically, that shouldn’t be the case—the Li and Xin families are both renowned generals.”
Gu Qinghan guessed it was the Crown Prince’s doing—using the pretext of caring for the officials to send ice specifically to her. He truly understood her thoroughly, even knowing she was sensitive to heat.
Immediately afterward, the harrowing scenes from her wedding in her past life flooded her mind—the overwhelming crimson, the sharp and hoarse cries, and the arrogant, terrifying laughter of that couple. Tears welled in her eyes. In this life, she would make sure all who betrayed her faced retribution.
Chun Tao turned and saw her young mistress with reddened eyes, tears brimming in her usually bright gaze. Her thick, curled lashes glistened with moisture, and her lips, bitten by pearly teeth, took on a rosy hue.
Worried, Chun Tao looked at Gu Qinghan and couldn’t help but pat her head gently. “Why is Young Miss so upset?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a maid from the courtyard announced, “Young Miss, Miss Xin is here.”
Gu Qinghan pulled herself from her thoughts, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
“Quickly invite Third Sister in!”
Gu Rongxin, who had just reached the doorway, heard this sweet, soft voice and could hardly believe her ears. Usually, influenced by Gu Xu’s provocations, Gu Qinghan had never shown her a friendly face. While she never bullied her, she also ignored her efforts.
Stunned, she froze at the entrance.
Chun Tao covered her mouth with a smile and walked over to guide Gu Rongxin inside.
“Miss Xin cared for you tirelessly for two days while you were unconscious. Why are you so shy now upon meeting?”
Gu Rongxin passed through the screen. The room was filled with a delicate, sweet fragrance from the incense, reminiscent of her elder sister’s scent. She drew closer to Gu Qinghan, step by step, until she reached the bedside.
“Sister Han…”
Before she could finish, Gu Qinghan threw herself into her arms, her soft, fragrant body colliding with Gu Rongxin’s in a tight embrace.
Without waiting for Gu Rongxin to say anything, Gu Qinghan began chattering away, pouring out her thoughts like spilled beans.
“Xin Xin, Xin Xin, it’s all my fault as your elder sister. I misjudged people and kept neglecting you. I was deceived by villains, I’m the stupidest person in the world—throwing away a real gem while picking up a stinking rock as treasure. It’s all my mistake, making Xin Xin suffer grievances. Can Xin Xin forgive me?”
Gu Rongxin’s entire body stiffened, tears falling before she could utter a word.
She also embraced Gu Qinghan in return, saying gently, “Sister Han is the smartest person in the world. Everyone in the world admires you, and you’ve always been the best to me. How could Rongxin blame you? Being able to do even a little something for you already makes me happy. Hearing these words from you today makes Rongxin feel I could die without regret.”
Chun Tao watched the two sisters embracing, their delicate faces streaked with tears, and couldn’t help but feel her own eyes moisten.
“Then we’re still the best sisters in the world, right?”
Gu Qinghan naturally began to act coquettishly, and Gu Rongxin naturally played along.
“Of course.”
With that, she had a maid bring over a set of light green clothing she had made herself and handed it to Gu Qinghan.
“Sister has been bedridden due to illness for some time now. Rongxin noticed you haven’t purchased any new dresses in a long while, so I made this Hundred Waters Dress according to your measurements. If you don’t mind, you could wear it to the Liang family’s flower banquet two days from now.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan froze. She recalled the Liang family’s flower banquet in her previous life—when Gu Xu had knocked over tea onto her dress, and while looking for a place to change, she discovered the Liang family’s rogue second son hiding in the room. In the end, it was Xiao Yinghuai who appeared and saved her, solidifying her determination to marry him.
Afterward, she hadn’t been without suspicion that someone had schemed behind the scenes. When she shared this thought with Gu Xu and Xiao Yinghuai, both laughed at her for overthinking, and the matter was dropped without resolution. The Liang family’s second son never received the punishment he deserved.
Thinking about it now, the mastermind had long revealed themselves—she only hated herself for being too foolish. At this thought, she lifted her chin, beginning to anticipate how these events would unfold in this lifetime.
In reality, Gu Qinghan’s thoughts lasted only an instant. She smiled and accepted the Hundred Waters Dress, feeling its cool and soft texture. Every detail of the embroidery was exquisite. She pressed her cheek against the fabric, rubbing it gently, and said happily, “Thank you, Xin Xin. What a beautiful dress.”
She glanced at Gu Rongxin’s somewhat worn dress, remembering how Rongxin, due to her status as a concubine-born daughter, was bullied by the legitimate-born daughters of the third branch and didn’t have an easy time in the household. Her monthly allowance was less than ten taels of silver, yet she still saved up to buy clothes or other small trinkets for Gu Qinghan.
Thinking of this, she called Chun Tao to record Gu Rongxin’s monthly allowance under her own account, setting it at one hundred taels of silver per month.
Hearing this, Gu Rongxin anxiously waved her hands. “Sister, Rongxin didn’t do this for—”
Chun Tao turned around and said gently to Gu Rongxin, “Miss Xin, please don’t refuse. The master and mistress have set up thousands of estates and properties for the young miss, and she herself has vast businesses in the capital. One hundred taels is merely a drop in the bucket. If the young miss weren’t worried about Miss Xin attracting jealousy, it would likely be a thousand taels or more.” With that, she hurried out of the courtyard to make the necessary arrangements.
Gu Qinghan nodded in agreement. “Xin Xin, don’t worry. Tomorrow, we’ll go out and splurge.”
Seeing Gu Rongxin still looking worried and ashamed, Gu Qinghan put on a pitiful expression.
“Does Xinxin still refuse to forgive me? If I don’t spend money on Xinxin, my silver will be taken over by Gu Xu, Gu Yun, Gu Xuzhen, and many other bad people.”
Knowing Gu Qinghan was trying to comfort her, Gu Rongxin nodded solemnly and said, “Rongxin is already very happy to be as close with Sister Han as we are today. From now on, I will definitely guard Sister’s family assets well and not let petty people covet them!”
In Gu Qinghan’s ears, the summer cicadas chirped, her sister’s gentle voice lingered, and the ice cubes still emitted a faint coolness. She curved her almond-shaped eyes, and her soft voice drifted out.
“What a blissful summer~”