Why did you only change your mind recently?
Shangguan Tou paused for a moment, then said, "Don't you think... Yuan Shuangshuang has very different feelings for Lin Fengzi?"
"I feel that even a mother wouldn't spoil her daughter like this."
"Yes, Yuan Shuangshuang's personality has been unpredictable in recent years, and she has a particular fondness for girls. Don't you think that's a bit abnormal?"
Xuezhi asked in a daze, "Lotus God... Nine Forms?"
"Whether it is the Nine Forms of the Lotus God remains to be seen. However, the one who came to steal the manual last night was likely Feng Cheng, or someone who possessed one of the 'Lotus Wings'. Feng Cheng is more likely. However, he doesn't seem to have such high martial arts skills."
Xuezhi nodded thoughtfully.
"No matter what, we'll talk about everything once you're fully recovered." Shangguan Tou stood up.
"Wait a minute."
"Um?"
“I know you’re in a difficult position, but it’s better to be clear about some things. You don’t need to do this just because I’m sick…”
"Wait a minute." Shangguan Tou shook the pear core in his hand. "I'll go throw this away." Without waiting for her reply, he turned and left.
But he didn't come back that day.
136 137 138
136
Time passed very slowly, yet the days seemed to slip through our fingers like water, and two months had passed in the blink of an eye.
In late winter and early spring, the plum blossoms faded, and a few pale pink cherry blossoms budded under the eaves. Xuezhi's hand wound had fully healed, but the wound on her back often throbbed with pain. She discovered that whenever she was in a bad mood, the wound would hurt even more. So, despite her turbulent emotions, she tried her best to remain calm.
A celadon vase by the window, which originally held red plum blossoms, is now replaced by a fresh cherry blossom every day by Shangguan Tou.
The Spring Festival has just passed, and the window paper has been changed to bright red.
She can get out of bed and walk around, but she still can't go out or be exposed to the wind. Every day, she can only look at the cherry blossoms outside the window through the bright red window paper.
A warm spring is approaching.
Shangguan Tou's gentle indifference froze everything.
She still remembered what happened a few days ago, on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
Everyone from Chonghuo Palace gathered together, including Lin Yuhuang, Jieyu, Mu Yuan, the Four Protectors, and the Little Protector. Shangguan Tou also brought Qiu Hongxiu, Zhong Tao, and several important subordinates from Yue Shang Valley. That night was arguably the most lively night Chonghuo Palace had seen in years: Qiu Hongxiu and Zhong Tao praised Xuezhi's beauty endlessly, but didn't mention a word about her and Shangguan Tou; Mu Yuan remained quiet, only laughing along when others told jokes; Shangguan Tou would serve her rice and dishes, but his attitude was lukewarm; the Four Protectors chatted and laughed constantly, even Haitang, who usually didn't show her emotions, laughed so hard she almost fell over; Lin Yuhuang and Jieyu simply chatted... For some reason, Xuezhi found all of this extremely displeasing.
Lin Yuhuang noticed Xuezhi's bad mood, so he poured her a glass of wine and offered to play a drinking game with her. Xuezhi didn't play and simply downed the wine in one gulp. Shangguan Tou, seeing this, immediately rushed to her side, snatched the glass from her, and scolded her for drinking while her wound wasn't healed. Lin Yuhuang patted Shangguan Tou, telling him to relax and that a little wine was fine. Shangguan Tou couldn't bring himself to say it was because she was pregnant, so he asked Zhusha to switch places with him, wanting to sit next to Xuezhi. Xuezhi didn't continue drinking, simply focusing on her meal.
Before long, Yanhe brought over the sweet and sour fish, smiling as she said it was made by someone personally for the Palace Master. Although she didn't say it aloud, everyone present knew it was Shangguan Tou who made it. Then Lin Yuhuang cleared her throat and said, "Why would a man who never cooks cook for a woman?" Everyone laughed. Shangguan Tou, as if he hadn't heard anything, put a piece of fish on Xuezhi's plate. Xuezhi took a bite, spat it out, and said, "It's not fresh at all."
Almost everyone present was stunned.
A moment later, Yanhe and Zhusha were still trying to wink at Xuezhi, afraid that she would hurt Shangguan Tou.
Lin Yuhuang immediately stepped in to smooth things over: "Zhi'er, it's almost Chinese New Year, so the fishermen aren't fishing anymore. Even though the fish has been refrigerated for a few days, it definitely won't be tough."
Shangguan Tou simply said, "Then let's eat some other dishes."
"I just want to eat fish. I'm not eating anymore." Xuezhi threw down her chopsticks, moved a stool over, and sat down to the side.
Shangguan Tou didn't say anything, put down his chopsticks, and silently left.
Everyone looked at each other, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward. Lin Yuhuang went over to her and said, "I just ate some. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the fish that Shangguan Xiaotou made. Even if you're in a bad mood, don't take it out on me today, okay? Today is Lunar New Year's Eve."
Xuezhi turned her back to him immediately.
Lin Yuhuang had no choice but to say nothing more and went back to eat.
She also overheard Yao Kong and Yan He whispering to each other, saying that the Palace Master had become increasingly spoiled lately and was really difficult to please.
This made them even more irritable.
An hour later, after everyone finished eating, they were discussing going out to set off firecrackers when Shangguan Tou returned, carrying a fish. He handed the fish to Zhu Sha and whispered to her to find the cook to prepare it quickly, making sure it was fresh.
Xuezhi saw that his hands were frostbitten, and there were many cuts and bloodstains on his originally fair fingers. Tears welled up in her eyes, but what she said was, "Get out!"
At this point, Qiu Hongxiu finally couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Girl, how can you be like this? Don't act recklessly just because Yi Pintou likes you." Zhong Tao also chimed in, "Xuezhi, that's not right of you. After all, this is Baldy's kind gesture."
Shangguan Tou didn't leave, but Xuezhi left first.
She developed a high fever that night, which lasted for two days before she recovered.
Shangguan Tou continued to take meticulous care of her, but as always, he maintained a very obvious distance.
A few days later, Feng Zi came to pay her New Year's visit. When Xue Zhi saw that little face that she had wanted to abuse countless times before, she felt even more wronged, threw herself into her arms and cried her heart out, and then inexplicably developed a fever again.
Shangguan Tou finally reacted, summoning the doctor who had treated her and giving him a severe dressing-down. But once he returned to Xuezhi's room, he reverted to his previous behavior.
Xuezhi thought that Shangguan Tou was probably so emotionally uneasy because her injury was not healing and he could not get away from her.
Since then, she has never lost her temper again. She just waits quietly for the day she recovers and cooperates with the people around her, taking her medicine and resting on time.
However, what I still look forward to every night before bed is that when I wake up the next day, the chair in front of my bed won't be empty.
Another morning, Shangguan Tou entered the room with news: Liu Hua and Xia Qingmei got married a few days ago.
Xuezhi was fiddling with the cherry blossoms in the vase and only gave a soft "hmm".
Shangguan Tou said, "Liu Hua is dead."
Xuezhi paused in her movements, turned around, and asked, "Who killed him?"
Nobody knows.
What do you think?
"Xia Qingmei".
"Do you think he practiced the Hibiscus Heart Sutra?"
"Um."
“Is that so…” Xuezhi turned to look at him, “It’s almost a hundred days.”
"Your injury is almost healed, isn't it?"
"Yes." Xuezhi casually plucked a cherry blossom petal, moistened it with water, and stuck it on the window paper. She smiled faintly and said, "For Young Master Shangguan, these hundred days are probably the longest hundred days of his life."
Shangguan Tou did not reply.
Xuezhi didn't say anything more, but simply pulled the whole cherry blossom branch out of the vase, pushed open the door, and threw it out.
The next day, a fresh, tender cherry blossom was placed in the vase.
137
Ten days have passed.
night.
Chaoxuelou.
The entire Chonghuo Palace has been adorned with a new look by spring. The backyard of Chaoxue Tower is filled with fallen cherry blossoms, large and small, pale red in color, scattered on the steps and under the moon, on the eaves and rooftops, like tears staining a red bodice.
The next day would be the hundredth day.
Shangguan Tou was clearly in a great mood. Although he remained gentle and polite, he wore a smile all day. He personally prepared the dinner, making it exceptionally lavish. Xuezhi, however, ate very little, preoccupied with her thoughts, and returned to her room early.
The spring chill lingered, and the candlelight cast a dim glow.
The celadon vase was filled to the brim with cherry blossom branches that day, so many that they almost overflowed the vase. The petals were pink, a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Xuezhi was puzzled and turned to look at Shangguan Tou, who was carrying in some herbal medicine: "Why did you spend so much today?"
"The cherry blossoms in the backyard are blooming too profusely. Picking some off will help them produce better fruit."
Xuezhi nodded, took the bowl, drank the medicine, and went to bed early.
This was the day she went to bed earliest, and the day she went to bed latest.
Shangguan Tou did not stay by her side; he only made an excuse to go out for a walk and did not return until she fell asleep.
The next morning.
In early spring of March, birds sing and the sunlight is warm and bright.
Xuezhi was awakened by birdsong. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and her heart sank – there wasn't just an empty chair in front of the bed, the chair had been moved away. The room was completely empty, along with the celadon vase by the window filled with a hundred red plum blossoms and cherry blossoms.
Xuezhi got out of bed in a daze, threw on a piece of clothing, and sat by the window in a daze.
In the end, he still left.
There might have been a farewell before departure, but there wasn't even a note left on the table.
The room was so empty it was as if no one had ever been there.
During this time, she rarely left her room. Even when she did go out, she would wear thick, loose clothing to conceal her protruding belly. Moreover, she had been clearly feeling the baby move these days. She felt no excitement as a mother; she lived in constant anxiety. However, all of this seemed completely transparent to Shangguan Tou.
He knew she was pregnant. He still left.
She has too many people to deal with.
His own father, sister, subordinates, Chonghuo Palace, and the entire world.
How should she live her life from now on?
Birdsong and fragrant flowers fill the air as March gradually warms.
The baby was kicking her stomach again.
She stroked her lower abdomen, leaned over the table, suppressed the sobs in her throat, and let the tears fall straight down, but dared not cry out loud.
I don't know how much time passed.
She stood up, feeling parched, her ears ringing, and somewhat losing her balance. After taking a couple of steps, she kicked over a chair.
Just as she was sobbing and crouching down to hold onto the chair, a familiar voice suddenly came from downstairs:
"Zhi'er?"
Xuezhi froze, completely still.