The biting wind and snow brought a bone-piercing chill. Ji Hanyi waited until the latter half of the night; the scattered charcoal had long since died out, leaving only the faint, flickering light from the glass lamp atop the carriage.
The carriage sent to fetch her still had not arrived.
The snow was heavy tonight; she knew he wouldn’t be coming.
Fortunately, even the longest night eventually yields to the dawn.
As a sliver of white appeared on the horizon, the carriage finally arrived, albeit late.
The driver ran over, handing her a fox-fur cloak while reporting, “The snow was too heavy last night. If we hadn’t happened to run into some officials clearing the way to leave the city on urgent business, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to reach you even now, Young Madam.”
“It was lucky we met those men, otherwise, what would have happened to you out here in the snow?”
Ji Hanyi’s fingers tightened around the fox-fur cloak as she lowered her eyes.
Outside the curtain, the driver continued to ramble. “I had prepared a hand warmer, but it’s likely gone cold by now.”
“The charcoal in the carriage has also burned out. It’s my fault for not bringing more.”
Ji Hanyi listened quietly without a word of blame, merely lifting the curtain.
The wind and snow disheveled her hair. The world was a stark, blinding white that made her eyes ache.
The driver’s voice droned on. “Yesterday, when the Eldest Young Master learned that you and the Young Miss were stranded halfway, he was worried sick. He was going to come pick you up right then. For a man as busy as the Eldest Young Master to set aside his official duties… last night, he actually—”
He cut himself off abruptly, belatedly realizing his slip of the tongue. He stole a glance at Ji Hanyi’s expression.
However, her face was tilted down, her expression unreadable. He wished he could slap himself—why did he have to bring that up? He hurriedly set down the footstool.
Ji Hanyi silently pulled the fox-fur cloak tighter and stepped down from the carriage.
As she exited the damaged vehicle, she lifted her skirt and stepped into the thick snow. Her stiff body had long since lost all sensation; she couldn’t even feel her feet hitting the ground.
Several times, just as she was about to fall, Rong Chun caught her and held her firmly.
Rong Chun’s eyes were already rimmed with red. Like her mistress, she walked forward in silence, without a single word of complaint.
The carriage returned to the Xie estate. When the servants at the front gate went to help Ji Hanyi down, they saw that the usually gentle and dignified Young Madam appeared disheveled and was walking with great difficulty. They couldn’t help but feel a flicker of sympathy.
They had gone to the hot spring villa together, yet the Eldest Young Master had personally gone to fetch the Young Miss, leaving the Young Madam stranded in the snow all night.
They heard that after the Young Miss was brought back, the household was in an uproar, even summoning a physician to examine her, as if they had completely forgotten the Young Madam was still out in the storm.
Then again, it seemed almost expected.
Years ago, everyone in the estate believed the Eldest Young Master would eventually marry the Young Miss.
Ji Hanyi ignored those gazes. She forced herself to stagger back to her courtyard, her palm pressing against Rong Chun’s wrist so hard her knuckles turned white, barely maintaining her balance.
Inside the room, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, yet Ji Hanyi felt no warmth. Staring at the flames, she crouched before the brazier to warm her hands.
She held her palms very close to the fire; even when the flames licked her skin, she felt no heat.
Her mind was empty of complex thoughts or even a sense of grievance. Instead, she felt a lightness, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
On the contrary, she felt fortunate—fortunate that this realization had not come too late.
Rong Chun brought over ginger tea to warm her up. Seeing her mistress, who always prioritized her poise, huddled in a small ball, she choked back a sob. “Young Madam, please bathe and change your clothes first. It will warm you up faster.”
Ji Hanyi held the cup, her stiff, frozen fingers still lacking sensation. Even as the hot liquid slid down her throat, her body remained cold.
At that moment, the curtain was hurriedly lifted from the outside, followed by the sound of light footsteps. Li Mingrou entered with a face full of concern. She paused, startled to see Ji Hanyi crouching by the charcoal brazier, then quickly approached. “I heard my cousin-in-law had returned. My aunt sent me to check on you. She said you should get some rest and don’t need to visit her for now.”
As she spoke, she crouched down beside Ji Hanyi and asked with feigned concern, “Is my cousin-in-law alright?”
“After my cousin brought me back, I told him to go fetch you immediately, but he was worried about my health and insisted on staying with me. Now that I see you’ve returned safely, I can finally be at ease.”
“Once my cousin finishes his shift and sees that you’re well, he’ll be relieved too.”
Ji Hanyi turned her head slightly to look at Li Mingrou.
The girl was wearing a yellow padded jacket with a fox-fur collar. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her complexion was fair and rosy, showing no signs of having been battered by the wind and snow.
That young, beautiful face was as tender and clear as a well-protected flower bud covered in dew. Yet, deep within those weak and bright eyes, there was a faint trace of triumph and contempt.
That look seemed to be constantly telling her that she would never win against her.
But Ji Hanyi had never intended to compete.
Ji Hanyi withdrew her gaze and said softly, “It’s no matter. You didn’t need to come see me. Your health is more important.”
With that, Ji Hanyi pushed herself up from her knees and sat in a nearby cushioned chair. She motioned for Rong Chun to serve tea to Li Mingrou as well.
Li Mingrou froze for a moment as she looked into Ji Hanyi’s calm eyes. She had imagined many possible expressions on Ji Hanyi’s face, but she had never expected her to be this composed.
In the past, Ji Hanyi would always lecture her about how it was improper for an unmarried girl to cling to her cousin. Back then, she had seen the hidden resentment, the preachy attitude, and the hurt in Ji Hanyi’s eyes. She shouldn’t be this calm.
Li Mingrou admitted she enjoyed seeing the look of disappointment in Ji Hanyi’s eyes; only then would Ji Hanyi truly understand who was most important in her cousin’s heart.
If Ji Hanyi were sensible, she would have requested a divorce long ago. Having forced her way into the Xie family, Li Mingrou looked down on her.
Twisted melons are never sweet—did she not understand such a simple truth?
Li Mingrou sat down in the other cushioned chair, her disdainful gaze sweeping over Ji Hanyi. She saw that Ji Hanyi was still wearing the same dark blue robes from yesterday, her hair slightly messy, with a simple hairpin tucked into her dark tresses as she sat sideways, sipping tea.
The faint light from the window fell upon her. Her skin was as white as snow, and her features were as delicate as a painting. She always looked so dignified.
That dignity was all she had left.
Li Mingrou desperately wanted to push Ji Hanyi until she lost her composure, to tear away the hypocritical mask of the steady wife who wasn’t loved by her husband.
Li Mingrou watched her coolly and spoke again, “I was truly worried about you, which is why I hurried over.”
“But it seems you don’t like me being here. Is it because my cousin brought me back first last night and made you unhappy again?”
Standing nearby, Rong Chun had heard Li Mingrou say such things countless times. She always acted pitiful and fragile. The Eldest Young Master was indeed biased, but the way she spoke made it seem like the Young Madam was the petty one, which would surely lead to him scolding his wife again.
Ji Hanyi set down her teacup. The fragrance of the Spring Snow Tea lingered in the air. She looked at Li Mingrou with calm eyes, her voice soft and gentle. “You shouldn’t think that. I’ve just returned and the chill hasn’t left my body yet. Your constitution cannot handle the cold, so go back and rest early.”
“Don’t make your cousin worry.”
Her words were dignified and composed, showing none of the embarrassment of having been abandoned.
Ji Hanyi knew what Li Mingrou wanted to see, but she would likely never get her wish again.
Li Mingrou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. She looked out the window, her straight back tracing a silhouette of mock pity and ridicule. “I remember the year you first married in, you planted many begonias outside the window. By March, the view was beautiful.”
She turned back to Ji Hanyi. “Unfortunately, I cannot stand the scent of begonias. For my sake, my cousin forbade them from being planted anywhere in the estate. He even had the ones you planted ripped out.”
“I heard that begonias are your favorite, but you won’t be seeing them this March. Does that make you sad, cousin-in-law?”