After the long, tiring day at the tea house, the cold evening air grew sharper. Shadows stretched across the snow-covered streets, signaling that it was time for Yimei and Qinqin to start heading home.
Before boarding a carriage back to the Bai Manor, Yimei stopped her footsteps at a small evening market stall near the corner of the avenue.
"Miss, why are we stopping here?" Qinqin asked, shivering and wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "It is getting late and the wind is freezing!"
"I need to buy a few things," Yimei said softly, her dark eyes scanning the remaining market stalls.
She picked out fresh ginger roots, a small brick of sweet brown sugar, and a bag of dried red dates. Remembering how bitter and freezing the Northern Courtyard always felt, Yimei thought of Bai Zhengyu sitting in his wheelchair all day. The harsh winter cold was terrible for someone with ruined legs. A hot pot of sweet ginger soup would help keep him warm tonight.
They stepped out of the market square, clutching the small paper bag of fresh ginger and sugar. The snow fell faster and thicker by the minute, turning into a heavy winter storm.
Yimei and Qinqin stood by the edge of the road, waiting for a carriage. But the street was completely empty. The icy wind howled through the narrow avenues, and the few drivers out that night had already gone home to escape the freezing storm.
Qinqin stomped her feet in the deep snow, her teeth chattering loudly. "M-Miss... there are no carriages left! The snow is too thick. What are we going to do?"
Yimei pulled her cloak tighter around her chest, looking up at the darkening sky. Walking all the way back to the Bai Manor in this blizzard would take over an hour, and they would freeze before they reached the gates.
Just as the wind blew a harsh gust of white snow into their faces, the quiet sound of heavy wooden wheels and horse hooves echoed down the street.
A grand, dark carriage pulled by two black horses slowly emerged through the thick white curtain of snow. It stopped right in front of them.
The driver, a tall man wrapped in a thick wool coat and a wide hat, leaned down from his wooden seat. He wiped the frost from his eyes and looked at Yimei and Qinqin.
"Young ladies!" the man called out above the whistling wind. "The storm is getting dangerous. Do you need a ride?"
Yimei’s dark eyes narrowed slightly as she looked the driver up and down.
’Nine,’ she asked in her mind, her breath rising like small white clouds in the freezing air. ’Analyze this man.’
Immediately, Nine’s clear voice echoed in her head: [Target scanned: Skillful horse driver. Possesses faint martial arts training and military posture. No weapons drawn. No aggressive intent detected.]
Yimei took in the small details herself. The man dressed like an ordinary hired carriage driver, but his hands held the reins with a sharp, expert grip, and his shoulders stood straight despite the cold wind. A regular driver out in a heavy storm would look tired, cold, and eager to make a quick coin. This man remained entirely calm, his steady gaze waiting patiently on her.
He was definitely sent by someone.
’Was it Young Master Xiao, or someone else?’ Yimei thought silently, a quiet smirk touching her lips beneath her fur collar.
Qinqin, oblivious to the driver’s true identity, tugged on Yimei’s sleeve with trembling, cold hands. "Miss, it is so freezing! Should we take it?"
Yimei looked at the driver, her posture completely calm and unbothered.
"Yes," Yimei said smoothly, stepping toward the carriage door. "We will take the ride."
The driver immediately bowed his head with quiet respect, holding the wooden door open for them as they stepped out of the howling storm and into the warm interior.
The carriage rolled smoothly through the heavy snow until it finally ground to a stop right in front of the grand, red wooden doors of the Bai Manor.
The driver quickly hopped down from his seat, opening the wooden door and holding out an umbrella to shield Yimei and Qinqin from the falling blizzard.
Yimei stepped down into the deep snow, holding her small basket of ginger and brown sugar. Qinqin followed right behind her, shivering but relieved to finally be home.
Reaching into her waist sash, Yimei pulled out two bright silver coins and handed them to the driver. "Thank you for the safe ride in such a terrible storm."
The driver accepted the silver with a polite, respectful bow of his head. He looked at Yimei, his sharp eyes remaining calm and steady behind the falling snowflakes.
"Young Madame," the driver said in a low, respectful voice. "The winter weather in the capital will only get colder over the next few weeks. If it pleases you, I can come by every morning and evening to pick you up and drop you off wherever you need to go."
Yimei paused, her dark eyes looking at the driver’s calm face.
She knew this was no random carriage driver. Whoever sent him, whether it was Xiao Jun ensuring his new business partner didn’t freeze, or Bai Zhengyu silently monitoring her movements across the city was offering her reliable transportation across the capital.
A quiet, clever smile touched Yimei’s lips.
"That would be very convenient," Yimei replied smoothly. "Come to the side entrance near the Northern Courtyard every morning at eight."
"Understood, Young Madame," the driver bowed deeply, taking the reins of his horses.
They turned around ready to enter but noticed that the gates were locked.
Qinqin’s face turned completely white. She rushed to the heavy wooden doors, slapping her cold hands against the solid wood as hard as she could.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hello?!" Qinqin cried out, her voice trembling in the freezing wind. "Is anyone there?! Open the gate! Young Madame is back!"
Only the howling blizzard answered her. The main entrance remained locked tight from the inside, the heavy iron bolt slid firmly into place. Not a single guard was in sight. The torches by the entrance flickered weakly in the snow, leaving the two of them alone in the dark, icy street.
"Miss, what are we going to do?!" Qinqin panicked, tears springing to her eyes from fear and cold. "They aren’t supposed to leave their post! It is not even that late! Who would lock the main gates like this?!"
Yimei stood quietly in the falling snow, her fur cloak wrapped tight around her shoulders, holding her basket of ginger and brown sugar. Her expression did not change.
She didn’t need to guess. She knew exactly who did this.
This was the work of the Second Young Madame An Yulan and her mother-in-law. After Yimei had slapped Yulan at the gates this morning, there was no way Yulan would let it go. Locking the gates under the excuse of "bad weather" and pulling the guards away was a petty, cruel way to freeze Yimei outside all night.
A cold, dangerous smile touched Yimei’s lips.
’They really think a locked door can trap me out in the cold?’ Yimei thought silently.
She turned away from the main gates, her boots crunching softly over the thick snow. "Stop banging, Qinqin. Save your breath."
Qinqin wiped her wet eyes, confused. "Miss? Where are we going?"
"To the side entrance near the back alley," Yimei said smoothly, her eyes gleaming with sharp calm. "Let us see if they locked every door in this manor."