After leaving the Capital City, the group headed southward along the road.
For the first half of the month, snow blanketed the landscape, making their journey difficult. Gradually, the scenery changed, and heavy snow gave way to biting, gusty winds and a damp cold that seeped into their bones.
"Why is it both cold and hot at the sa ti?"
While taking a break at the posting station, Tan’er asked with confusion.
ng Qianqian replied, "Warm during the day, cold at night. Rember to layer your clothes in the morning and evening."
Tan’er pouted, "Got it."
She bounced outside, shouting, "Xiao Bai! Ti to go hunting!"
The mont Bai Yuwei climbed down from the carriage, she was roped into the hunt. "Hey, is this *your* hocoming or *mine*? How co you’re more excited than I am?"
ng Qianqian smiled faintly and went to check on Shang Changle in the guesthouse.
The beds in the posting station were unbearably hard, so Ban Xia had laid out soft bedding from their own provisions before helping Shang Changle lie down.
"Sister."
Shang Changle’s eyes lit up with unmistakable dependence and affection when she saw ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian approached and sat gently on the stool beside the bed, gazing at her with warmth.
Strangely enough, though she wasn’t typically a gentle or nurturing person, she always seed to exude tenderness in Changle’s presence—almost as if she were unconsciously imitating the way her aunt had cared for her in the past.
"After traveling for so many days non-stop, you must be exhausted. Now that the weather’s fine, let’s stay at the station for two days to rest."
Shang Changle replied, "I’m fine—it’s not too tiring."
ng Qianqian checked her pulse.
Her cold had cleared up, and the poison from the Thousand chanism Pavilion was temporarily suppressed by Lady Yan’s antidote. Her current pulse was stable, showing no need to treat her like a fragile patient.
Still, anyone would be weary after traveling this long. Looking at Ban Xia was proof enough.
When they first set out, the little girl could chatter away non-stop with Tan’er through the carriage. Yet over the last two days, she resembled a frost-wilted eggplant.
ng Qianqian couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
Ban Xia asked, "Miss, are you laughing at ?"
"Yes."
ng Qianqian nodded with a smile.
A little embarrassed, Ban Xia said, "At least this ti isn’t as bad as six years ago."
Six years ago, ng Qianqian had traveled from You State to marry into the Capital City. At the ti, she was twelve and Ban Xia eleven, two half-grown children setting out on their first long trip. They both got so violently carsick that they nearly left half their lives on the road.
ng Qianqian’s mories of this period were blurry—she couldn’t recall much of what happened. Yet Nanny Li had recounted it to her many tis: when the Lu Family saw ng Qianqian’s condition, they mistook her for being on death’s door from an illness contracted during the journey.
What had once been a heartbreaking ordeal now no longer stung upon reflection.
The soul that once faltered at the lake’s bottom had moved on.
Noticing that ng Qianqian stayed silent, Ban Xia thought she must have brought up sothing upsetting and said guiltily, "Miss, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have ntioned sothing so sad."
"What sad thing?"
Shang Changle asked.
As soone new to their circle, she wasn’t yet familiar with ng Qianqian’s past.
Ban Xia covered her mouth anxiously. Oh no—what was wrong with her today? Either she said sothing wrong or blurted out sothing she wasn’t supposed to!
ng Qianqian gently patted Shang Changle’s hair. "Do you want to hear it, Changle?"
Shang Changle nodded, "I do. I want to know everything about Sister."
Pretending not to notice Shang Wuyou’s furtive listening outside the door, ng Qianqian said, "Alright, I’ll tell you."
-
Outside the room, Shang Wuyou was utterly absorbed in eavesdropping when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.
Startled, he turned around to see Yu Zichuan frowning at him.
"You’re eavesdropping."
"I’m not!"
Shang Wuyou denied it imdiately.
"You sound guilty."
Yu Zichuan retorted.
Shang Wuyou straightened, "I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping; the door’s open. Besides, I was just checking that she wasn’t doing anything to my sister."
Yu Zichuan replied, "Whatever she plans to do, it wouldn’t matter—your sister’s already dead."
Shang Wuyou: "..."
Yu Zichuan: "Still want to listen?"
Shang Wuyou muttered, "Who cares about her trivial stories anyway?"
Yu Zichuan’s expression was icy. "Then why haven’t you left yet?"
Shang Wuyou snapped back coldly, "Why haven’t *you* left?"
Yu Zichuan answered frankly, "I want to listen."
Shang Wuyou once again: "..."
Inside, ng Qianqian shared her mories with Shang Changle to deepen their bond. Fully aware of Shang Wuyou’s eavesdropping, she carefully paced her story.
She couldn’t make it too sorrowful, lest Changle beco upset for her.
But she needed to sprinkle in a hint of tragedy—enough to tug at Shang Wuyou’s heartstrings.
"That’s about it."
ng Qianqian smiled lightly, as if it were nothing. "There was a ti when I thought all hope was lost, that I’d spend the rest of my days quietly in the back courtyard... But you see, no obstacle is too great. If you keep going, you’ll always find the clouds part and the moon shining through."
Shang Changle’s eyes turned red, her cheek resting against ng Qianqian’s hand as she nuzzled softly against her palm.
Suddenly, a hot teardrop fell onto ng Qianqian’s hand.
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