Snow falls and the wind blows

Chapter 32

Across the street was a jewelry shop. Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting exchanged a glance and got out of the carriage one after the other. In no time, Duan Chen changed his clothes. He wore a light purple satin jacket and a white pleated skirt with purple flowers. The collar and cuffs of the jacket were trimmed with white fox fur, and the hem and hem were embroidered with matching small lilacs.

She sat down in front of the mirror with a blank expression, letting the lady of the cloth shop behind her style her hair into a ethereal bun, and then adorned it with a jade hairpin inlaid with hibiscus blossoms, while gently combing the hair that had fallen over her shoulders.

"Young lady, don't always have such a serious face. You're a pretty little girl, you should smile more." The middle-aged woman said with a slight smile. She took out a white jade bracelet from the jewelry box that Zhan Yun had just handed her. Just as she was about to put it on her left wrist, Duan Chen reached out and took it. He thanked her softly and put the bracelet on his right wrist.

"Don't you have pierced ears, young lady?" The woman looked at the few remaining items in the box, and coincidentally, there were no earrings among them.

Duan Chen nodded, and as he stood up, he thanked him again softly.

Stepping out of the cubicle, they saw the three waiting inside the fabric shop. Zhou Yufei had chosen the clothes, while Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun had selected the hairpins and bracelets together. Duan Chen stood expressionless before the three, seemingly oblivious to their presence, allowing them to scrutinize her from head to toe. Actually, Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun had already restrained their gazes, but Zhou Yufei looked on with unrestrained gusto, a smirk playing on her lips as she spoke: "Miss Duan, could you at least smile? You are quite attractive, and the clothes and jewelry match perfectly, but with that expression, people might think you've sold yourself into servitude to bury your father!"

Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei were standing closest. Upon hearing this, Zhao Ting raised his foot to kick Zhou Yufei in the back of the knee. Zhou Yufei dodged the kick, but his robes were still stained with some dirty water from the sole of his shoe. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, about to retaliate, when he saw Zhao Ting's gaze turn colder than ever before. Zhou Yufei narrowed his eyes. Judging from this, what sensitive nerve had those words touched on our young prince?

Duan Chen's face was ashen, his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched into fists, his middle and ring fingernails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain. Zhan Yun walked up to him in a few steps, his crescent-shaped eyes fixed intently on him: "Don't take it to heart. He didn't mean what he said."

Duan Chen nodded stiffly, lowering his eyes to hide the moisture in them. Zhan Yun lowered his head and leaned closer, his clear voice unconsciously softening: "Smile, or people will think I'm mistreating my sister."

Duan Chen forced a smile, barely managing to suppress it. Zhan Yun sighed. Zhou Yufei's method was good, but when facing the three of them, she seemed even more wary than before. This personality of hers truly left others at a loss!

Inside the carriage, Zhou Yufei chatted idly, while Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun occasionally chimed in, but the atmosphere remained heavy. The main focus was on the young lady sitting by the door, who never once raised her head, simply holding her light blue bundle and sitting quietly with her eyes downcast.

Zhou Yufei, a man who had frequented countless romantic encounters, had experienced all sorts of women. Yet, this woman truly surprised and bewildered him time and again. At their first meeting, he found her composure and ethereal beauty utterly fascinating. The second time they met, her stubborn nature sent shivers down his spine. Last night, while drinking, he found her to possess a certain masculine boldness, which was quite impressive. And this morning, her aloofness and distance from everyone left him speechless with anger. What kind of woman was this?!

Her arrival drove the aloof and icy Prince Zhao to the brink of madness several times, causing him to vent his anger on her. The gentle and refined Young Master Xingzhi also treated her with cold indifference and even physical abuse. Zhou Yufei, with her legs crossed, curled her lip; she wasn't exactly a beauty, but she was certainly a femme fatale!

Chapter Three: Late Night Snack & Picking Up Girls

After getting off the carriage, Duan Chen walked between Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun as usual. However, unlike before, Duan Chen was noticeably closer to Zhan Yun, keeping about two feet apart from Zhao Ting. After all, they were supposed to be cousins, so they had to appear closer to each other than to others.

As soon as Zhan Yun got off the carriage, he opened an oil-paper umbrella. Duan Chen glanced at him and was about to step out of the umbrella's coverage when he saw Zhan Yun shake his head and chuckle, his expression somewhat helpless: "In this heavy snow, what girl would wear this outfit and walk in the wind and snow?"

Before Duan Chen could hesitate, Zhan Yun had already handed him the umbrella handle: "Take it." Duan Chen did as he was told, raising his hand to grasp it while softly thanking him.

While Zhou Yufei was taking out the invitation and talking to the butler, Zhan Yun leaned a little closer and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "This needs to be changed too. It's one thing to thank others, but what kind of cousin is so polite to her own cousin?"

Turning his head slightly, Duan Chen saw Zhan Yun looking at him with a smile in his eyes, but his handsome face was serious. Duan Chen pursed his lips and nodded slightly.

In the hazy night, snowflakes danced in the air, and the moon on the horizon was blurred into a shapeless apricot-yellow blob. The mountain village was covered in a blanket of white, and the warm yellow light from the lanterns made it seem brighter than usual.

Zhao Ting's expression remained cold and stern from the moment he stepped off the carriage. He glanced at the two people beside him, then carefully observed Duan Chen's expression, only to see her staring straight ahead expressionlessly. Zhao Ting secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that judging from this, her choice of Zhan Yun was probably not for any other reason than that she had heard Zhan Yun's father was acquainted with the young master of the manor, and wanted to increase her chances of getting into "Wanliu Manor".

Duan Chen's reason for choosing Zhan Yun was actually quite simple. Of the remaining two, one was frivolous and unruly, while Duan Chen himself was not good with words and his martial arts skills were inferior to Zhan Yun's. If he were to acknowledge Zhan Yun as his cousin, he didn't know how many times he would suffer, both openly and secretly. The other was clearly... Duan Chen recalled the sudden embrace last night, and his expression grew even colder. He had initially thought that Zhan Yun, as Qing Zi had said, had homosexual tendencies, which was why he had acted that way towards him. But when Zhou Yufei told him to change back into women's clothing today, although the two beside him showed some fluctuations on their faces, they clearly showed no surprise whatsoever. It seemed that Zhou Yufei had told them both this beforehand. In this case, Zhao Ting was actually more dangerous than Zhou Yufei.

Duan Chen was as clear-headed as a mirror. That Zhou fellow always boasted of his womanizing ways, but he was just a sharp-tongued man with a penchant for physical advances; he didn't necessarily have any real feelings for him. As for Zhao Ting, if he truly harbored the same intentions as he had shown last night, then he really needed to be careful. Beset by dangers, each more perilous than the last, none were suitable companions. Only Zhan Yun, known in the martial world as "The Gentleman of Jade and Clouds," remained. Duan Chen knew this man was no ordinary person, but firstly, from the time they met until now, Zhan Yun's words and actions had been those of a gentleman; secondly, he didn't seem to have any romantic feelings for him. After much deliberation, Duan Chen ultimately chose Zhan Yun as his cousin.

The steward led the four of them toward the main house. Before they even reached the door, they saw Second Master Liu striding up to greet them. Upon seeing them, he burst into laughter: "Indeed, talented people emerge in every generation! My nephews, each of you is handsome and has an extraordinary bearing. I am truly fortunate to have the opportunity to associate with you!"

The three quickly returned the greeting with clasped hands. After several exchanges of pleasantries, Liu Yichen turned his gaze to Duan Chen, who was standing in the middle of the group, and then looked at Zhan Yun: "How come I remembered that Master Zhan only had two sons? And this is..."

With a gentle smile, Zhan Yun replied softly, "This is my distant cousin. She has long heard of the spectacular scenery at the 'Plum Garden Gathering' at Wanliu Manor and has always longed to visit. Since Xingyun Manor was also among the invited guests, my father asked me to bring her here so that she can feast her eyes and broaden her horizons."

Liu Yichen's brow furrowed even deeper, but in an instant, he broke into a hearty smile again: "So you're Master Zhan's niece, welcome, welcome! Look at me, I've been so busy talking. Come on in, everyone, the snow is getting heavier and heavier."

Upon entering the room, Liu Yichen quickly instructed the servants to serve tea. He then picked up a teacup himself and said with a smile, "This tea has some freshly fallen red plum blossoms added to it, giving it a unique flavor. Please try it and see if you like it."

The group picked up their teacups and drank as instructed. Duan Chen took a small sip; the rich aroma of the tea carried a hint of bitterness, but upon closer inspection, a subtle sweetness lingered on his tongue, and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms lingered in his nose—truly a unique and delightful experience.

"And these pastries, they were just made this afternoon." Liu Yichen said, picking up a pale white pastry from a small dish beside him: "Nephew Zhan, why don't you try this plum blossom cake and see how it is?"

Zhan Yun took an identical pastry from a plate held by a maid, bit off half of it, put it in her mouth, chewed it carefully, and then took a sip of fragrant tea: "Refreshing and elegant, sweet but not cloying, very good."

Liu Yichen's smile deepened: "It's getting late today, and my father and Manye have both gone to bed. This plum blossom cake is a new treat that Manye recently came up with. If she knew that Nephew Zhan appreciates it so much, she would be overjoyed."

Zhan Yun smiled slightly and said nothing more. The group chatted for about half an hour, and the guest rooms were ready. Liu Yichen then asked the butler to take them there to rest.

The four of them were assigned a room in a secluded courtyard near the plum garden, where several plum trees were planted. Snow was falling heavily, but the pale yellow plum blossoms bloomed wildly, seemingly defying the snow's intensity. Duan Chen hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since noon, and had only drunk two cups of strong tea. The tea, combined with the plum blossoms' ability to stimulate saliva production and appetite, left his stomach feeling empty and aching, his hands and feet growing increasingly cold. With no desire to accompany the other three to admire the plum blossoms, Duan Chen took the newly acquired clothes and jewelry box from Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting, and hurried into the room with his bundle.

The stove in the room was burning warmly, and Duan Chen couldn't help but take a deep breath as soon as he entered. The kettle on the table was filled with boiling water, probably just taken off the stove. He poured himself a cup of hot water and sipped it slowly, gradually warming himself up, but the cramping pain in his stomach became increasingly pronounced. Duan Chen half-slumped on the table, pressing one hand firmly against his stomach, clenching his teeth to avoid making a sound, yet a thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead. He hadn't had this problem in a long time and had almost forgotten he had stomach pain.

Just as I was gritting my teeth and enduring the pain, I heard a clear voice from outside the door: "Are you asleep?"

Duan Chen, supporting himself on the edge of the table, strode to the door, unlocked it, and, with a gloomy face, tried his best to maintain his composure, making himself appear no different from usual. Outside the door, Zhan Yun held a mahogany tray, a faint smile playing on her lips: "You probably didn't eat much tonight. I had the housekeeper cook some porridge and a few dishes of pickled vegetables. Have some."

With a slight tightening of his grip on the door, Duan Chen turned to the side and softly thanked him. Zhan Yun placed the tray on the table, turned to look at the person still standing by the door, but showed no intention of leaving immediately. Duan Chen's slightly softened expression darkened again, but the man with the gentle smile remained unhurried. His clear voice was lower than usual, adding a touch of mellowness: "I think there are some things I should tell you now."

The delicate aroma of rice gradually filled the surrounding air. Duan Chen ate a few small dishes of various pickled vegetables and soon finished a small bowl of rice porridge. A warm current slowly rose in his stomach and gradually flowed to his limbs and bones, and his previously cold hands and feet gradually warmed up.

After a simple yet heartwarming late-night snack, Zhan Yun had basically explained his family situation. When he got to the part about his personal habits and preferences, Duan Chen couldn't help but furrow his brow. After Zhan Yun finished speaking, a faint, knowing smile appeared in his crescent-shaped eyes: "You'll know later that everything I've told you has been useful."

Although Duan Chen didn't agree in her heart, she still nodded slightly, glancing at Zhan Yun to signal him to speak quickly and leave. Zhan Yun couldn't help but chuckle; this person's temperament was even more difficult to please than Zhao Ting's. "There are two last points. First, in front of outsiders, you still need to act somewhat dependent on me. Remember, you are a lady from a respectable family, not a member of the martial arts world. Second, regarding the issue of how you address me, you need to change it."

Duan Chen remained silent, gesturing for him to continue with his eyes. Zhan Yun cleared his throat twice, then said slowly, "You can call me cousin. But I can't just call you 'Little Duan' like before, can I?" Seeing Duan Chen hesitate but still nod slightly, Zhan Yun continued, "Then, shall I call you Chen'er?"

Only an oil lamp was lit in the room, and in the dim light, the two could only vaguely make out each other's outlines. Zhan Yun called out "Chen'er," and even though it was still a question, he still felt his cheeks burning and his heart beating faster.

Duan Chen didn't hesitate much this time. He nodded slightly, then got up, covered the small bowl, and put it back on the tray. Zhan Yun naturally understood that this was a polite way of asking him to leave. He said softly, "Sleep well," and then picked up the tray and left, his smile deepening and his crescent-shaped eyes turning into crescent moons.

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In three days, it will be the 60th birthday of Master Liu. Guests from all sides arrived at Wanliu Manor one after another. Duan Chen and his group arrived relatively late, and most guests had already checked into their respective courtyards. Early in the morning, Second Master Liu had the steward announce that, starting today, several famous artifacts passed down through generations of Wanliu Manor would be on display until the day before Master Liu's birthday.

Zhao Ting was quite interested in these kinds of things, so right after breakfast, he dragged Zhan Yun and Zhou Yufei to the hall to take a look. Duan Chen was still very unfamiliar with the manor, and thought that this was a good opportunity to look around and find her place in the blueprint her master had drawn for her; on the other hand, her current identity as Xingzhi Gongzi's cousin meant she couldn't move around as freely as before, and following those three people made her feel somewhat helpless.

The four renowned artifacts were placed in the north, west, and east directions of the hall, with two placed against the north wall. These were rare treasures coveted by everyone in the martial arts world, and their separation was to avoid unnecessary conflict caused by overcrowding.

The four examined each weapon one by one, and even Duan Chen, who wasn't particularly knowledgeable about weapons, found them somewhat interesting. One was the "Seven Victories Blade" used by Shi Shouxin, a founding general of the Song Dynasty, during his southern expedition; another was the "Flowing Splendor Sword," said to have been passed down from the time of Cao Pi, the crown prince of Wei; and the remaining two were the "Fish-Tail Axe" and the "Qin Family Thunder God Whip," both renowned in the martial arts world. Of these famous weapons, Duan Chen was most impressed by the "Fish-Tail Axe," because while most people had seen many axes, such an exquisitely crafted and coldly gleaming axe truly caught the eye. As Duan Chen was examining it closely, he heard someone beside him say in a deep voice, "Legend has it that the original owner of this axe was a woman of unparalleled beauty."