What is he apologizing for? He's always owed her a favor.
In the end, she got drunk and stopped talking. He, too, succumbed to the alcohol and fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke up, the moon was bright, and a light snowflake was falling from the night sky. The snow hawks were still hanging upside down on their perches, waving their claws and making soft, gurgling noises. The air was filled with the fragrance of white plum blossoms, and the flames in the red clay stove danced quietly, illuminating their faces—everything in the world suddenly seemed more tranquil than ever before.
He lay there quietly, his heart filled with a peace he hadn't felt in a long time.
That was a peace and fulfillment he had almost forgotten during the eight years he had spent traveling and fighting tirelessly. The moon rose year after year, and the snowflakes fell year after year, but he had never noticed. Life should be so peaceful and beautiful, so why was he still so deeply immersed in the distant past? In truth, it had nothing to do with him at all.
Am I really such a fool?
"Hmm..." The person who was sleeping on the table stirred, muttered something, and curled up.
He was jolted awake by the tranquility of the moment. He looked at Xue Ziye, who was completely drunk and unconscious, and couldn't help but sigh and shake his head: This woman is not young anymore, but she still doesn't know how to take care of her body... On such a cold night, she actually fell asleep on the table like this.
He helped her up from the table, intending to move her to the couch. However, she tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder, continuing to sleep soundly. He was somewhat amused and exasperated, so he let her lean on him, while using his toe to kick up the blanket that had fallen onto the couch, draping it over the sleeping woman and wrapping her tightly in it.
"Xuehuai..." Suddenly, she murmured, "Cold...so cold..."
She trembled slightly, curling up in his arms like a cat afraid of the cold. In her sleep, her expression was one of unprecedented bewilderment and dependence, as if seeking warmth and comfort as she nestled closer. He dared not move, letting her rest her head against his chest, nuzzle against him, then sigh contentedly and drifted off to sleep.
He felt his heart skip a few beats, and then he immediately lowered his head guiltily, wondering if the woman who used to tease him was pretending to be asleep—but she was sleeping so peacefully, with the lingering flush of alcohol on her face.
He breathed a long sigh of relief, wrapped her in a blanket to his chest, and then gazed at the moon in the snow, lost in thought.
The world seemed so vast yet so full, even the falling snow felt warm.
He looked at the sleeping woman in his arms, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
If only things could stay like this forever… Life is a run with heavy burdens, and he and she are both exhausted. So why not stop for a moment and drink together all night? In this fleeting life, everything is illusory and impermanent. Nothing is reliable, and everything will eventually change. Even the deepest love in life cannot withstand the erosion and decay of time.
Only the steady breathing of the person beside me at this moment is real, only this night of embracing and keeping warm is real.
This feeling... is it like depending on each other for survival?
54zhi54yin54wen54xue54wang54
Part Four: The Third Night of Snow
When Feng Lü and Shuang Hong arrived early in the morning, they witnessed an unbelievable scene: their young lady was wrapped in a blanket, peacefully asleep in Huo Zhanbai's arms! Huo Zhanbai rested his chin on the top of her head, his arms around her waist, leaning against the plum tree, dozing off. Fallen plum blossoms cascaded down like snow, covering the two of them. The snow hawk had already woken up, but unusually, it stood obediently on its perch, turning its head to look at the two people under the plum tree, making gentle cooing sounds.
"My God, what's going on?" Greenie's eyes nearly popped out when she saw that the person she hated most was right next to her mistress. "This—wailing!"
Shuanghong, who was standing nearby, quickly covered her mouth and pulled her out.
“I’ve never seen Miss sleep so peacefully before…” Shuanghong, who had been with Xue Ziye the longest, murmured. “Before, no matter how much fire she lit, she would always complain of being cold, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, and pacing back and forth—let her sleep a little longer now.”
“But…the patients at Qiuzhiyuan…” Greenie frowned, somewhat worried.
The patient had been tossing and turning all night, constantly clutching his head and screaming. They all thought he was going to die soon, so they rushed over early this morning to ask the young lady what was going on, only to witness this embarrassing scene.
"Ah?!" Just as the maids were discussing what to do, a startled exclamation came from the courtyard, shaking the entire area. "What... what's going on?"
"Miss is awake!" Greenie exclaimed in surprise. But then a loud "bang" was heard, and something flew out of the courtyard through the broken door.
"Huo Zhanbai! You're taking advantage of me!"
Before the person was fully awake, there was no time to react, and they landed on their backs in a disheveled state, instantly waking up in pain.
"You..." The sleepy man couldn't immediately recall what he had done yesterday to make this woman so furious. He instinctively dodged the rain of cups and glasses flying at him. When a glass hit his forehead, he finally remembered and yelled, "Don't hit me! You threw yourself at me! It's not my fault... Yes, you took advantage of me!"
"Nonsense! You lecherous devil! You're no good person at all!" Xue Ziye rushed out, pointing her finger viciously at his nose, and ordered the maids around her, "Your Liu Huakui isn't here! Lock him up, prepare the medicine, and kick him out of the valley!"
"Yes, Miss!" Greenie replied happily, completely unaware that Frost Red was frowning to the side.
Xue Ziye's face fell. Without even glancing at him, she snorted and turned to leave: "To Qiuzhiyuan!"
After everyone had hurriedly left, Huo Zhanbai finally came to his senses, got up from the ground, and touched his broken forehead—was this how a doctor should treat a patient? This aggressive and wicked woman was completely different from the quiet and docile woman he had been with last night. Was he…dreaming?
But wait! What did she just say? "Liu Huakui"?
How did she know that she knew Liu Feifei from Linglong Flower World in Yangzhou?
He suddenly slapped his thigh and jumped up. Oh no! Did I drink too much last night and get even this kind of thing tricked out of me? He slumped down, dejected, and pounded his head, wishing he could smash a hole in it.
Xue Ziye led her people hurriedly toward Qiuzhiyuan, still gritting her teeth.
How dare he take advantage of me! I'll see how I deal with that guy later... She stormed off, when Greenie offered her a jade-green fur coat: "Miss, you forgot to wear your cloak. It snowed lightly last night, aren't you cold?"
Cold? She suddenly froze—yes, it had snowed? But why was her dream last night so warm?
Holding the jade-green fur coat, she stood lost in thought in the herb garden.
When I arrived at Autumn Garden, I was almost overwhelmed by the strong fragrance that filled the room as soon as I opened the door.
"A bunch of stupid girls, are you trying to suffocate the patient?" she yelled at the girls on night duty, rolling up the curtains on all four sides and opening the window. "You can't even use your brains properly without giving me a single instruction!"
"Don't..." Suddenly, a low voice came from the depths of the darkness, "Don't open it."
Xue Ziye turned her head in surprise and saw a pair of light blue eyes gleaming in the shadows of the thick bedding on the bed. The eyes spoke softly, "Close it... I don't like the wind and light. I can't stand it..."
She felt a slight jolt in her heart, but remained silent as she rolled the curtain all the way up. The sunlight shone in with a "whoosh," dazzling the eyes of the person inside.
"Close it!" The person trapped in the bedding immediately turned their head towards the inside of the bed and shouted sharply.
She waved her hand, signaling the maids to leave, and sat down on the edge of the couch.
“Without wind and light, you’ll rot in the darkness if you’re locked up.” She smiled and whispered to the pale-faced patient, “You’ll have to get used to it, Meisuke. You can’t stay in the dark all the time.”