extravagante

Capítulo 18

Yang Hao simply grunted in response, saying nothing more, but tightened his grip on the reins and quickened the horse's pace. Gu Zao kept quiet, huddling inside her fur cloak, the wind whistling in her ears, the snow hitting her face so hard she couldn't even open her eyes. They didn't know how far they had traveled when suddenly the horse slowed down. Turning around, they saw they had arrived at what appeared to be a small post station. Yang Hao stopped the horse, dismounted himself, and then forcefully lifted Gu Zao down from the ground.

Gu Zao didn't care about anything else. Standing in the snow, he just held onto the reins tightly: "If we keep pushing, we might be able to catch up."

A flicker of anger crossed Yang Hao's mind, but he suppressed it and said in a low voice, "If I hadn't come, were you going to stand there in the snow all this time? Go warm yourself up in that inn and wait. I'll go after that matchmaker. I've seen Liu Zao before, I know what she looks like!" As he spoke, he pulled her into the inn. His grip was a bit too strong, and Gu Zao's wrist stung from the pull.

A stove was burning in the post station, and a wave of heat hit you as soon as you entered. There was only one postman sitting in front of the stove, looking drowsy. When he saw the two people come in, he was about to ask them something when Yang Hao tossed him a piece of silver. The postman caught it, immediately put on a smile, and eagerly led them to the fireside.

Gu Zao was pressed down on the stool by Yang Hao. Seeing that he was about to turn and head towards the door, Gu Zao hurriedly said "Hey!" and took off the fur cloak that was still on her body and handed it to him.

Yang Hao glanced at her, silently took the item, placed it in his hand, and went out. Gu Zao followed him to the door and saw him mount his horse and head north. His figure gradually became a black dot and finally disappeared into the vast snowstorm.

Gu Zao felt a wave of confusion wash over her. She stood there for a long time before finally sitting down by the fire. The snow clinging to her hair and clothes slowly melted into water droplets, leaving a stain on the ground. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but her whole body was now completely dried. As she stared blankly at the flames, she suddenly heard a noise at the door. Her heart skipped a beat, and she jumped up. After taking only a few steps, she saw the door being pushed open, and Liu Zao rushing towards her, tears streaming down her face.

Gu Zao hugged her tightly, overjoyed. He noticed she was only wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket and felt a pang of heartache. He was about to pull her to the stove to warm her up when he saw four or five other girls of similar age to Liu Zao come in. Only then did Yang Hao, covered in snow, enter with his head down.

Gu Zao was somewhat taken aback when Liu Zao cheerfully exclaimed, "Sister, all of them were sold with me. Just now, when they saw that this master wanted to buy me, they all cried and begged him to buy me too..."

Gu Zao looked at Yang Hao and saw that he still had a cold face and was just staring at her like that. For no reason, her heart twitched. She forced a smile and called them one by one to the fire to warm themselves up. When she heard that they had only eaten a cold and hard bun each day, she asked the courier to cook some hot soup. She watched them eat the hot buns with the soup.

Liu Zao naturally agreed to go back with him, but these girls posed a dilemma for Gu Zao. Sending them home would inevitably mean they would be sold again, and it wasn't realistic for them to come back with him. He had asked each of them what they wanted, but none of them wanted to go home. Helpless, he looked at Master Yang, who seemed to have guessed Gu Zao's thoughts and said calmly, "If they are willing, you can take them all to my house. The Grand Commandant's mansion won't make a difference with a few more people."

Going to the Grand Commandant's mansion, though it still meant serving others, and their future depended entirely on their own fate, was far better than being sold to a brothel. It seemed like the most reliable option right now. Gu Zao asked again, and the girls, upon hearing they were going to work as servants in a high-ranking official's mansion in the capital, all nodded repeatedly. Gu Zao sighed inwardly, thanked Yang Hao, and whispered, "Thank you for rescuing Liu Zao today, Second Master. I will repay you for the money you spent buying her from that matchmaker."

Yang Hao only gave a slight hum and didn't say anything. Gu Zao didn't know why he was so unhappy, and didn't want to annoy him any further, so she quietly retreated to the side of Liu Zao and the others, watching them eat, unaware that the Second Master Yang's face behind her was even more unpleasant at this moment.

After Liu Zao and the others had eaten and drunk their fill, and seeing that it was still getting light, Gu Zao, fearing that his family would worry, was eager to get back as soon as possible, so he called them all to leave. Once outside the post station, they saw a mule cart parked at the entrance. It turned out that the driver, who had been hired by Granny Wang, had now been hired by Yang Hao.

Gu Zao followed the girls into the cart shed. The driver set off towards the ferry, with Yang Hao following on horseback. Liu Zao, having survived the ordeal and knowing she would never have to go back to that home again, was in high spirits, chattering incessantly with Gu Zao. Gu Zao, however, was somewhat absent-minded, occasionally peeking through the gaps in the cart shed whipped open by the wind and snow. She saw a layer of snow piled on the man's shoulders and back, yet his back remained ramrod straight. A wave of annoyance washed over her; she felt she owed him a huge favor and sighed softly.

The group arrived at the ferry crossing just as dusk was falling. Normally, there would be boats available, but now they could see a large group of travelers gathered ahead, all looking anxious and discussing amongst themselves. Gu Zao was making his own guesses when the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Yang Hao, who said, "I could have taken the ferry when I came at noon, but now the river is frozen over, and we can't cross."

Gu Zao exclaimed and hurriedly got out of the car to check. Sure enough, he saw that the entire surface of the Yellow River was covered with a layer of white ice, and even the ferry boats were frozen solid. Some impatient pedestrians picked up a large rock and threw it at the ice, but the ice broke with a crack. Some people shook their heads and sighed, while others cursed at the sky. However, they had no choice but to wait and hope that the ice would thicken overnight before they could cross the river.

The ferry service was suspended, which boosted business for the foot inns on the riverbank. These inns were already small, and the rooms were all full. Even the main hall was haphazardly furnished with makeshift beds, people and goods piled up here and there, leaving no room to even stand. Everyone had to spend the night huddled around the fire pit. Gu Zao returned to the carriage, gently pushing the few girls who were peeking out back inside. Then she looked at Yang Hao and whispered, "How about spending the night in the main hall too? I'm just afraid it'll be too much of a hassle for you..."

Yang Hao glanced at the messy scene inside the door, frowned slightly, and said, "I'm fine, but how can you stay here overnight? I remember there's a small mountain temple a few miles to the west. Why don't you stay there for the night and we can talk about the rest tomorrow."

Gu Zao glanced at the foot inn, then at the girls in the carriage, and finally nodded before climbing back into the carriage. The driver quickly drove the carriage westward, and after about half an hour, when it was already dark, Yang Hao said "We've arrived" from outside the carriage, and the carriage stopped.

Gu Zao got out of the car and, using the light from the snow, saw that the place was a small hill. At the foot of the hill, there was indeed a small, bare temple, shrouded in wind and snow, looking rather desolate and dilapidated. He then looked at Yang Hao and saw him knocking on the temple gate. After a while, the gate opened, and a young monk poked his head out. Yang Hao said a few words to the monk and handed him something, presumably money. The monk immediately opened the gate wide.

When Gu Zao saw Yang Hao turn his head and nod at her, she hurriedly called the maids in the carriage to get down, and also told the driver to drive the carriage in and park it in the temple courtyard before they all went inside.

Because the temple was small, usually only this young monk and his master were there, so there were several empty rooms. The monk, having received a considerable sum of money, was very attentive, diligently preparing several rooms and lighting stoves for each, soon making the rooms warm. Gu Zao led Liu Zao and the others to one of the rooms and settled them in, while Yang Hao and the coachman each took one.

It was already quite late. Gu Zao noticed that the young girls seemed to be hungry, but they all refrained from saying anything. After thinking for a moment, she found the little monk and asked if there was anything to eat. The little monk thought for a moment before saying, "There are indeed some kinds of rice and vegetables in the kitchen. If it is convenient for you, female benefactor, you can cook them yourself."

Gu Zao asked for directions to the kitchen, thanked the young monk, and saw him leave quickly with his head bowed, his face slightly flushed. Gu Zao smiled slightly, took a candle, and called Liu Zao to come with him to the kitchen.

The kitchen contained only a few winter bamboo shoots, radishes, tofu, and some millet. Gu Zao told Liu Zao to start a fire, and then he started cooking himself. He peeled and cut two winter bamboo shoots into chunks, lightly salted the tofu, boiled it in water to remove the musty taste, blanched the bamboo shoots, and then simmered them in broth with a little salt until cooked. He also peeled and chopped the radishes, boiled them in water, stir-fried them with some turnips and the bamboo shoot broth, and made another dish. Seeing that there were also some mushrooms, wide rice noodles, and some mixed vegetables, he made a mushroom, rice noodle, and mixed vegetable hot pot. He also cooked a pot of red bean millet rice. After smelling the aroma of the rice, he asked Liu Zao to call the maids and the coachman to come and eat together. Suddenly, she remembered the second master again. Fearing that he might not want to come over and eat with her because there were too many people, she hurriedly took a few small plates and rinsed the chopsticks with boiling water. Then she put some vegetables into the small plates, filled a large bowl with golden millet rice, found a tray, and carried it to the second master's room herself.

Chapter Forty-Two: Mushroom Dumplings, Dried Mushrooms, Listening to Snowfall and Bamboo Shoots by the Mountain Window

When Gu Zao entered, she saw the man standing by the window, gazing at the snowy scene outside. His back seemed to be silent, lost in thought. She gently placed the dishes of food from the tray on the table, then set out the chopsticks. Seeing that he had turned to look at her, she glanced at the still-steaming dishes. The firelight in the room was dim, and Gu Zao couldn't see his expression clearly. She simply smiled and said, "The food here is very simple; I couldn't prepare anything good. I just cooked it myself, and the taste is only so-so. But the bowls and chopsticks have been scalded and are clean. Second Master, please eat while it's hot." She nodded slightly and left.

Gu Zao returned to the kitchen and saw Liu Zao and the coachman eating there, praising the delicious soup and the fragrant red bean and millet rice. Hearing them recount the embarrassing scene of Granny Wang being left with a bag of silver coins in the snow earlier that day, Gu Zao couldn't help but laugh. She joined them and ate a few bites herself. The coachman, exhausted from the day, went to his room to sleep after his meal. Gu Zao noticed Liu Zao and the others also looked tired, so she had them scoop some hot soup from the pot to wash their faces and feet before sending them to bed as well. She herself stayed in the kitchen tidying up. When she was almost finished and turned to leave, she suddenly saw Master Yang standing at the door with a tray in his hand, looking at her. Startled, she paused before saying, "Master, you can just leave it in your room when you're done. I was just about to tidy up anyway. Why did you have to bring it yourself?"

Yang Hao had clearly seen her startled but unwilling to show it. Seeing the flickering candlelight reflecting on her face, making her eyes shine even brighter, as if they were about to overflow with water, the anger that had been building up in his heart all day suddenly dissipated. He couldn't help but say, "My surname is Yang, my given name is Hao, and my courtesy name is Shaomin. You can call me by my given name or courtesy name."

Gu Zao seemed not to hear him, but took the tray from his hand. Seeing that all the food in the bowls and plates on it had been eaten, and even the soup was gone, she put it on the stove and then said to him, "Second Master, you must be tired from traveling all day..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yang Hao interrupted her, his voice sounding somewhat displeased: "My surname is Yang, my given name is Hao, and my courtesy name is Shaomin."

Gu Zaoxin thought to himself, "How can I address you by your given name or courtesy name? If I really do, I'm afraid we'll never be able to sever our ties again." He sighed inwardly and then looked at him and changed his address, saying, "Second Master Yang, you must be tired from traveling all day. Go and rest now. I'll heat up some soup and bring it to your room to soak your noodles and feet. It should be more comfortable to lie down then."

Seeing that she was completely unmoved by reason, Yang Hao felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "The food you just cooked was too salty. I'm a little thirsty. Why don't you make some tea?" After saying that, he turned and left.

Gu Zao looked at him just now. Such a grown man, yet he spoke like a sullen child. She shook her head inwardly, but then she also started looking for tea leaves. After searching for a while, she finally found some loose tea in a jar.

At that time, Song people valued compressed tea and considered loose tea cheap. Finding some loose tea here was quite lucky, and it didn't look like green tea. Remembering that the snow here wasn't as polluted as in later generations, and that the ancients often used snow water to brew tea for its sweet and refreshing taste, and recalling that he had vaguely seen clumps of bamboo growing in this temple, he took a clean basin, went to a clump of green bamboo outside the kitchen, swept a layer of snow off the leaves, put it in a teapot, boiled it, filtered it, and brewed a pot of tea using his usual method. He then carried it to Master Yang's room, only to find him sitting by the candlelight at the table, waiting for him.

Gu Zao suppressed her slight unease, walked briskly over, placed the teapot on the table, and turned to leave. But she couldn't move. Yuan Lana Yang Hao had actually reached out and tugged at her sleeve.

Gu Zao was slightly displeased and was about to speak when she heard him say softly behind her, "I'm not sleepy at all, and neither are you. Why don't you stay and talk to me? Don't worry, I won't offend you again."

Gu Zao was startled. She turned to look at him and saw that he had already let go of her sleeve and was looking up at her with a hopeful look in his eyes. Her heart softened, and she couldn't bring herself to say "no".

When Yang Hao saw that Gu Zao had stopped, a slight smile finally appeared on his face. He hooked a stool for her to sit down, then picked up two teacups, poured two cups of tea, offered one cup to Gu Zao, and took a sip himself.

As soon as the tea entered his mouth, he looked at Gu Zao with a puzzled expression and said, "It tastes somewhat different."

Gu Zao paused, then remembered that people at the time were accustomed to brewing tea, even loose tea, in a cauldron before drinking it. She had been careless just now, brewing it with boiling water after boiling the tea leaves. Considering that the tea leaves from the temple were just ordinary, it was normal that she didn't like the taste, so she smiled slightly and said, "I once heard someone mention some methods of brewing tea. The water should be tender rather than overcooked, because tender water makes the tea sweet, while overcooked water makes it too bitter. So I just brewed it haphazardly. If you don't like it, I'll go and brew it properly again."

Yang Hao couldn't bear to let her go and brew tea again. After taking another sip, he nodded and said, "The taste is indeed good, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Your method works too."

Gu Zao took a sip himself, and thought it was because of the tea leaves that it tasted astringent, not at all like the sweetness he had described. He knew that he was just making things up, and smiled slightly at Yiwei.

Yang Hao had been watching Gu Zao drink her tea, and when he saw her looking at him, he was momentarily flustered. He quickly found a way to start a conversation and said, "The mushroom soup you made just now tasted delicious."

Gu Zao recalled that he had complained in the kitchen earlier that her dishes were too salty and asked for tea, but now he had changed his tune and praised the taste. Without pointing out his mistake, she simply smiled and said, "Mushrooms are naturally delicious. My grandmother was a Buddhist, and she would spend every birthday festival at the nunnery. I remember when I went there with her when I was little, there was always a dish of mushroom dumplings on the vegetarian feast. A large bowl of mushroom soup would be served first, and then the vegetarian dumplings, fried until crispy, would be poured into the soup with a sizzling sound, releasing the aroma of mushrooms. The taste was unique, yet it made one's mouth water. Back then, a big reason why I would pester my grandmother to go with me every year was for that bowl of mushroom dumplings."

Yang Hao was mesmerized by the memory-tinged smile on her face and the tenderness in her eyes as she spoke. Gu Zao, however, assumed he was engrossed in listening, his past memories flooding back, and smiled as she continued, "These shiitake mushrooms, also known as winter mushrooms, are, in my opinion, the most delicious of all mushrooms. When I was little, my grandmother cut down a linden tree to grow winter mushrooms, and they just kept growing. My grandmother would pick them and stir-fry them with tea leaves—they were tender, succulent, and indescribably delicious; or stir-fry them with a few slices of cured meat, and the flavor would be even more fragrant; or, with a bowl of vegetable soup and a dish of spicy fermented bean curd, I could easily eat two bowls of red rice. But speaking of uniquely flavored ones, there's one called 'dried mushroom,' which looks..." It looked like a trampled hornet's nest, the color of semi-dried cow dung, mixed with pine needles and grass stems. Picking it apart was laborious; even when you did manage to pick it out, it wasn't in large pieces, but rather in thin strips about the thickness of crab leg meat. After washing it, it was stir-fried with alternating layers of lean and fatty pork and green peppers. One bite, and you'd be speechless for a while. The flavor had the aroma of aged ham, the aroma of preserved white fish, the aroma of Suzhou wind-dried chicken, the aroma of Nanjing duck gizzard and liver, and the delicate fragrance of pine needles. But after my grandmother passed away, I never tasted this exquisite flavor again…”

Gu Zao got carried away and talked on and on until she remembered her grandmother, at which point she sadly stopped talking.

Yang Hao was completely absorbed in listening, staring at Gu Zao without saying a word. Gu Zao was surprised to realize that she had said so much to the person in front of her, things she had never said to anyone in her previous life, and she was momentarily dazed. She just stared blankly at the dim lamp on the table in front of her, which reflected the wisps of steam still rising from the teapot.

The room fell silent. It seemed as if one could hear the rustling sound of snowflakes falling on the bamboo forest outside the window, a gentle, rustling sound that soothed the soul.

Suddenly, a gust of wind seemed to sweep past the mountain window, followed by a crisp cracking sound. It seemed that the bamboo branch, already covered by thick snow, could not withstand the fierce wind and broke off.

The sound was unusually crisp in the cold night. Gu Zao was startled and then noticed Yang Hao staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stood up abruptly. She turned to leave in a panic, but he grabbed her again and wouldn't let her go. This time, however, he grabbed her hand instead.

Yang Hao had already stood up, turned around to face her, and placed his hands over one of hers. Her palms, worn from daily labor, weren't particularly soft and boneless to the touch, yet he couldn't bear to let go.

Yang Hao lowered his head slightly to look at Gu Zao and said softly, "Every year at this time I would have already left the capital, but I'm still worried about you, so I haven't left yet. I wanted to see you one last time before I left, so I went to your house early this morning to wait for you to come out, but I found the door tightly closed, as if no one lived there. I was wondering about this when I happened to see your brother and a few other people rushing out of the city. I saw that he looked anxious, so I asked him a few questions and learned that you had gone to chase after Liu Zao yesterday. Your brother had already asked the neighbors last night, but the city gates were closed and he couldn't get them to open them, so he called people to set off together early this morning. My horse is fast, so I told them to rest and I came here to find you."

“Although it’s peaceful now, you’re a lone woman. What if you encounter bad people? Even if you don’t, just seeing you waiting for a ride in the snow and ice on the roadside like today would make me very unhappy.” Yang Hao looked into Gu Zao’s eyes and said, word by word, “Second sister, if you really don’t want to encounter such a situation in the future, just have someone inform me. Never again travel alone like this. Remember my words.”

Gu Zao looked up, staring blankly into Yang Hao's eyes, and for a moment she couldn't utter a single word.

Yang Hao noticed that Gu Zao had tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes reflecting the candlelight, shimmering and captivating, and her moist lips glistening with an alluring luster. He couldn't resist reaching out to embrace her waist, gently pulling her close, and slowly lowering his head to kiss her.

Gu Zao trembled all over, her eyes slightly closed, her eyelashes trembling. She could already feel his warm breath pressing down on her cheek. Just as they were about to touch, Gu Zao's hand accidentally touched the jade pendant hanging at his waist. The cold, gold-inlaid jade was worth a fortune, but to her it felt like touching a branding iron. The pain shot from her fingertips to her brain. She shivered, abruptly opened her eyes, and forcefully pushed away Yang Hao, who was currently in a tender moment, before turning and running out of the house.

Chapter 43 Gu Zao's Choice

Seeing the woman he longed for looking so delicate and vulnerable, Yang Hao's heart was wavering when she suddenly pushed him away and tried to escape. He wasn't about to give up so easily, so he took a few big steps to catch up with her and blocked her at the threshold.

"Second Sister, if I don't make things clear today, I will not let you leave again." He stretched out his arms, pinning her against the door, his eyes fixed on her, and said in a low voice, "Ever since you said those words to me last time, I haven't forgotten them for a moment. Do you think I'm the kind of person who dreams of having multiple wives and concubines because I'm still unmarried? I simply hope to find a woman who is kind to me, to share my heart and soul, and to spend my life with her. Now that I've met you, I've decided that I will never let go again. Don't you understand my heart even now?"

Gu Zao pressed herself tightly against the door, the wooden door, already soaked with the chill of the snowy night, emanating a chill that seemed to seep into her bones. She lowered her eyes, not looking at him, and remained silent.

Using the dim light of the snow, Yang Hao carefully observed her. Although she no longer tried to break free from him, her face remained somber and unreadable. Unsure of her thoughts, he finally sighed softly, "Second Sister, do you still not trust me? If you are willing, I will tell the Old Madam as soon as I return this time, and ask her to come to your house to propose marriage."

As he spoke, a gust of wind howled by, carrying large flakes of snow that rushed towards the two of them. A few flakes landed on Gu Zao's face, feeling cool and icy.

Gu Zao shuddered, finally raising her head to look at Yang Hao, and said calmly, "I don't understand what you're saying. We've only met by chance, and we've only met a few times. How come we've already reached the point of discussing marriage? When did I ever say I wanted to marry you?"

Yang Hao felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water; his whole body was even colder than the wind and snow outside the eaves. After a long pause, he shook his head and gave a bitter smile, saying, "Second Sister, I know you still don't trust me. But I want to tell you what's on my mind. My father, the deceased patriarch of this household, rose to the position of Privy Councilor during the Dazhong Xiangfu era. He held a high position and great power in the court, but his household was never peaceful. My mother was his first wife, who gave birth to my elder brother and me. However, besides her, my father had six or seven concubines in the household. I grew up in the mansion, witnessing my mother's daily struggles with those concubines. Over the years, those women have changed countless times, and my mother has never had a day of peace. My half-brothers all died either in accidents or at a young age. Even I, as a child, was pushed into the pond in the garden and nearly..." He died. Later, after my father passed away, things finally calmed down a little in the household. But after only a few years, once my elder brother's household had acquired a host of concubines, the chaos resumed. Therefore, I only wished to stay in the capital. In my teens, I followed a trusted elder from the household to Guangzhou to trade overseas. We went to Arabia, Cuba, Java, Champa, Brunei, and Ma'anshan, trading gold, silver, silk, porcelain, incense, rhinoceros horn, ivory, coral, amber, pearls, tortoiseshell, agate, and sappanwood. Only when I was away did I feel more at ease. Having traveled to many places, I secretly resolved that I would either never marry, or if I did, it would have to be a woman who would be devoted to me until old age. I would respect and love her, ensuring she wouldn't waste her life in the strife of the inner court like my mother, and that my children wouldn't die needlessly because of women's conflicts…”

Gu Zao never expected to hear a man say that he only wanted to grow old with one woman. She was slightly moved and couldn't help but look closely into his eyes.

Yang Hao met her gaze and said softly, "Second Sister, I know what you're worried about. Are you afraid that my mother will obstruct us because of your status? Don't worry, if I tell her my feelings and that I will marry you, she will eventually agree, no matter how much she dislikes me. If you don't want to live in the mansion and find it stuffy, I will take you with me to Huaiyang and Guangzhou. I have properties there. If you're willing, I can also take you to travel to foreign lands. What do you think?"

Gu Zao shook her head slightly, sighed, and said, as if speaking to him, yet also as if talking to herself, "I don't despise my own status, but in the eyes of others, it's an indelible stain on my reputation. Even if your mother couldn't resist and finally agreed, so what? She's old. If I entered your family as your wife and then neglected to serve her, that would be the greatest act of filial impiety, and I wouldn't be in the right even in court. If I served her every day, I would have to be careful and try to please her, and she would feel like she had a bone stuck in her throat. Even you would be caught in the middle, making things difficult for everyone. In the end, everyone would be unhappy. At that point, even the deepest affection would probably become useless. What would we do then? I'm alone now, not rich or powerful, but I earn my own living and do as I please. I'm incredibly happy. Second Master, if you were me, what would you choose?"

The more Yang Hao listened to her, the uglier her expression became. In the end, it was as dark as the night sky covered in snow. He suddenly leaned closer and asked in a deep voice, "Can't you even come into my house for my sake?"

His face was so close that Gu Zao could feel his breath on her face.

Gu Zao opened her eyes wide, stared at him for a moment, and finally sighed softly, saying, "Second Master, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm just a person who only thinks of myself, and I can't accept your kind intentions."

Yang Hao's breathing became heavy, and he gripped her shoulders with both hands.

"I don't believe you. You're so devoted to Liu Zao, do you really have no feelings for me at all?" He stared intently at her. "If I really get this answer from you, I'll let go and never bother you again."

Gu Zao took a deep breath, met his eyes which were as dark as the night, gritted her teeth, and said, word by word, "Second Master, I, Gu Erjie, am grateful for your saving Liu Zao's life today, and I am also grateful for your misplaced affection for me. But apart from that, I have no other thoughts. Second Master is not my true love, and I am not your true love. I only ask that from now on we go our separate ways and never have to be entangled again."

She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, as if it were being crushed by a great force, and she had to endure it to keep from groaning.

“I know you’ve always been hard-hearted, but I never expected you to be this hard-hearted! I’m not the right person for you…” He repeated Gu Zao’s words in a low voice, then suddenly released his grip on Gu Zao’s shoulders, took a step back, nodded, and sneered, “Don’t worry, I will do as you wish from now on and will never bother you again.”

Gu Zao stood silently for a moment, then turned and walked toward the room of Liu Zao and the other girls. After taking only a few steps, he heard him say "Wait a minute" behind him again. He turned around in a daze and saw that he had thrown something toward him. He caught it subconsciously and immediately felt a warm sensation in his hand. It turned out to be his big fur coat.

"It's cold at night, take this and put it on yourself."

He said this, but there was no emotion in his voice.

Gu Zao thanked him in a low voice, turned around and walked away quickly. He felt his steps were a little unsteady. When he entered the house, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, perhaps because of the bone-chilling cold of the night.

Gu Zao gently climbed into bed, lay down on the edge, and spread her cloak on the quilt covering the girls and herself. After a long time, she still felt cold. She closed her eyes, and what surfaced in her mind were the remnants of her past memories, memories so dark that she once thought she would never remember them again in her life.

...She was cooking for customers in the kitchen when he came over between serving dishes to wipe the sweat from her nose. He said with a grin, "Zaozao, you've worked so hard. When we've saved enough money, we'll open our own private restaurant. You'll be the boss, and I'll manage it for you. You can just sit back and count the money until your hands cramp up..." She smiled brightly at him, her heart filled with sweetness.

However, when that "later" came along, he ran off with her money and another woman.

"Gu Zao, do you really think I'll spend my whole life with you? If you believe a man's words, then you can just wait to cry. Consider it a lesson learned..."

Until the very last moment before she died, she still remembered the cold words he had said to her.

Gu Zao sighed softly, turned around and snuggled closer to Liu Zao, who was already fast asleep beside her. Her cold hands and feet finally felt a bit of warmth, and she slowly drifted off to sleep as well.

When they woke up the next day, the snow still showed no signs of stopping, and the snow on the road was already up to half a person's calves. After a quick bowl of thin porridge, the group braved the wind and snow and headed towards the ferry crossing along the old road from the previous night.