◎Our young mistress is ill today. I’m afraid she won’t be able to come.◎

In the main hall, Old Madam Wei, dressed in a purple longevity-patterned robe, was half-reclining on the couch while folding lotus lamps for blessings. Suddenly, she heard a maid report that Cousin and Second Miss had arrived. She quickly called them in and had a maid bring over chairs so they could sit nearby.

Lu Jia’an, after removing her cloak, did not sit. With a cheerful smile, she leaned toward the couch and said to her grandmother, “The sun coming out makes it even colder. Grandmother, please be careful when going to the Buddhist hall; don’t catch a chill!”

Old Madam Wei patted her hand and smiled: “Snow itself isn’t cold; it’s the melting snow that chills. You must be careful too.” Then she looked at Chu Yufu, sitting properly in her chair, and said, “You too, Miss Fu, be careful on slippery roads when the snow melts.”

“Yes,” Chu Yufu obediently nodded.

A few days ago, she had thought the sleep-aid sachet she made might have lost its scent, so she made another identical one and personally delivered it. She also “coincidentally” met her grandmother a few times while visiting her cousin. Over the past fortnight, her interactions with her grandmother were even more frequent than in the past two years of her original life.

After quietly listening to her cousin chat with her grandmother over the storybook, Chu Yufu gently took over the conversation: “Grandmother, I recently learned a method for promoting circulation and aiding sleep. How about Sister reads the story while I give you a massage?”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Wei’s laugh lines deepened. She lifted the cloud-patterned silk headband slightly and lay back: “Good, let the little miracle worker try it.”

Chu Yufu rose and seated herself near the grandmother’s head. She first warmed her fingers over the incense burner, then gently placed them behind the elderly woman’s neck, precisely pressing the acupoints for sleep, gradually applying pressure: “Grandmother, please close your eyes and rest.”

Lu Jia’an sat at her grandmother’s feet, flipping the storybook pages with a rustle, leaning her head on the grandmother’s knees and reading aloud.

Outside, snowwater dripped from the window frame. Inside, sandalwood incense curled gently, and the sound of reading was soft and slow.

Two flower-like young ladies—one lively and charming, the other obedient and quiet—gathered by the couch of the old madam. The scene radiated a warm, serene feeling of time well spent.

Yang Mama, serving in the main hall, smiled at the trio and stepped forward to refill the tea. Seeing the old lady’s relaxed expression, she couldn’t help but feel delighted.

Unexpectedly, after the incense had burned down, Old Madam Wei had even fallen into a light snore. Chu Yufu paused her movements, exchanged a glance with her cousin, and carefully stepped away from the couch, quietly saying to Yang Mama in the outer room, “Yang Mama, this circulation-and-sleep massage is best done for four consecutive days. I’ll come tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. Is that alright?”

“Ah, when the old madam wakes, I’ll tell her,” Yang Mama replied with a smiling face.

The old madam slept until lunchtime and awoke feeling extraordinarily refreshed, her eyes clear, chest relaxed. When she learned that Second Miss would come the following days, she chuckled and nodded.

Yang Mama helped her sit up and said with a smile, “Perhaps because Second Miss is betrothed and soon to be married, she seems even closer to you than before.”

Indeed, not only was she warmer with the old madam, but her temperament also seemed different. Though she had always been quiet, she previously gave off a slightly gloomy air, less lively. Now, Second Miss appeared more transparent in speech and action.

Of course, servants did not have the authority to judge their mistress, so they kept their thoughts to themselves.

“Is he really the third son of the Li family from the National Academy?” the old madam asked.

“Yes, and a legitimate child too.”

“Oh?” The old madam turned to look at her, slightly surprised. “Was this decided by Master?”

Yang Mama thought for a moment: “I heard it was Madam’s decision.”

Old Madam Wei lowered her eyes and smiled, sitting by the table to stir her bird’s nest porridge with a porcelain spoon: “For that little lady to let go like this, it’s truly admirable.”

“No matter if legitimate or not, they are Madam’s children. If she marries well, it brings honor to Madam as well,” Yang Mama added, placing a piece of fish belly on her plate with a smile. “Moreover, Madam has been managing the household for nearly ten years now. You may rest assured.”

It was no secret that Old Madam Wei did not favor her daughter-in-law. Many long-serving servants knew this. Most thought it was because she had high standards and looked down on someone from a small family. Perhaps even Madam Wu herself believed this, assuming that the mother-in-law’s constant nitpicking was due to disdain.

But as the old madam’s attendant, Yang Mama knew the real story.

Back then, Master Chu was a bright scholar, achieving high honors while young, with a brilliant future. The old madam had carefully chosen a well-born, beautiful girl from the clan. But Master Chu refused to meet anyone else and insisted on marrying Wu. The old madam did not get angry. Seeing her son’s determination, and Wu’s respectable appearance and literary talent, she agreed.

After entering the household, Wu not only spent her personal and family silver to support her brothers, but also extravagantly purchased gold and jewelry for herself. She leveraged her daughter to make things difficult for pregnant concubines. Old Madam Wei, a woman from a proper Hedong Wei family, could see through all her behind-the-scenes tactics, but out of decorum, did not openly call her out, often hinting instead.

Later, the old madam’s youngest daughter, who had not yet married, passed away unexpectedly. Distraught, she spent her days burning incense and praying, no longer managing the household, leaving it to Wu. Perhaps because Wu grew older, the family in recent years had become stable and peaceful.

Now, with Second Miss about to marry and her cousin’s family returning to the capital, the master secure in his career, and Madam Wu handling matters steadily, the entire Chu household flourished. Recently, even the old madam’s meals tasted more delightful. Thinking this, Yang Mama smiled, adding a piece of duck meat: “Today the duck skewers are well done. Eat more, please.”

The next day, Second Miss came as usual, bringing her cousin along, holding unfinished books to pass the time with the old madam.

The third day was the same. But on the fourth day—the last day—the sun had climbed high, and everyone in the house waited, yet Second Miss had not appeared.

Just as the old madam was about to send someone to inquire, Second Miss’s personal maid arrived.

“Reporting to Old Madam and Cousin, our young mistress is ill today. I’m afraid she won’t be able to come.”

Lu Jia’an was surprised, immediately sitting up straight. “When did this happen? Is it serious?” Before the maid could answer, she turned to her grandmother: “Grandmother, I’ll go see Second Miss.”

The old madam nodded in agreement: “Yang Mama, accompany Jia’an to check on her.”

The group walked to Zhu Yu Courtyard. The maid said Chu Yufu had just taken her medicine and gone to bed. Lu Jia’an and Yang Mama gently pushed open the main room door, intending to check on her. But as soon as they stepped in, Lu Jia’an exclaimed:

“What’s going on? Why is it as cold as an icehouse in here?”

A wave of cold air rushed in, threading its way straight into their bones, and both of them shivered at once.

On the left, the ink in the inkstone on the secondary room’s desk had frozen solid. The wolf-hair brushes hanging on the rack were stiff as well. Looking further to the right, the main room’s large bed with green curtains hung half-draped. At the foot of the bed sat a charcoal brazier. Though there were still some gray embers, it had long since lost its warmth.

“Is… is Cousin here?”

The bed curtain lifted, revealing Second Miss Chu’s small face, paler than the snow outside by at least a few shades.

She was wrapped in a thick quilt, her expression listless. Her eyelids, like delicate fans, cast dark shadows underneath, and her long black hair spread across the pillow. Wisps of hair stuck damp against her temples from sweat, revealing her frail and sickly state.

Lu Jia’an’s heart tightened. She hurried to the bedside, taking her icy hand in her own. “What’s happened? Yesterday you were fine, and now overnight you’ve fallen so ill?”

Yang Mama furrowed her brow and quietly scolded the maid trailing behind, Lan Zhu: “How have you been taking care of her? The room’s freezing! Do you not value your own skin? Go light the charcoal immediately!”

“No, no need… cough, cough!” Chu Yufu didn’t have time to reply to her cousin. Seeing Lan Zhu start to leave, she forced herself upright to stop her.

Then, from the next ear room, quarrels could be heard intermittently:

“…Quick, bring the charcoal.”

“Sister Yun Sui, the young mistress said it should only be burned at night.”

“You stubborn girl! At a time like this, why save on something so trivial… Things will work out in the end anyway. There’s always a way.”

Both Yang Pozi and Lu Jia’an froze, their eyes falling on the cold, spent charcoal at the foot of the bed.

Second Miss Chu’s face flushed, then paled even more than before. She forced a smile. “It’s a heat condition; I’m sweating all over. There’s no need to burn charcoal.” She gently took Lu Jia’an’s hand and guided it toward her own forehead.

Lu Jia’an felt the sweat on her tender white face, cold to the touch. The hand she held trembled lightly.

At that moment, Lan Zhu at the door suddenly knelt, striking two loud kowtows on the floor and crying out:

“Miss! Miss, how long do you intend to endure this! Must you really freeze to death in this courtyard before… before you—ugh!”

“You unruly girl! What are you doing? Stand up!” Second Miss Chu’s eyes instantly reddened. Her large, innocent eyes glared sharply, her lips pale from biting them, tears rolling in her eyes.

Lu Jia’an was stunned, sitting dumbfounded at the bedside, speechless. Previously, she had known her second cousin’s life was hard, but she had never imagined it was this bad.

Since winter began, her elder cousin had already replaced her fur cloak more than three times. Yet her second cousin had to calculate every bit of charcoal carefully. Even though Madam Wu appeared mild on the surface, why was she so harsh to the second cousin? Could it be just because she wasn’t her biological child?

Had the second cousin preferred to stay with her these past few days because her own courtyard was too cold, unbearable even? And she had been making sachets in such a freezing room? How had she managed to sew at all?

Yang Pozi reacted faster than Lu Jia’an, pulling Lan Zhu up and whispering: “Light the brazier first. Miss is precious; don’t worry about such trivial things.”

“Ah!” Lan Zhu wiped her tears and ran off, picking up the charcoal brazier and heading toward the ear room.

Yang Mama had observed in the Cishou Hall that Second Miss Chu was a delicate, gentle hibiscus. Even when she smiled, she barely parted her lips. She wasn’t the cleverest, but she was kind and obedient.

This naturally made her the easiest to take advantage of.

At such a young age, without the protection of her biological mother, living under her stepmother’s rule, enduring endless grievances yet always suppressing her own feelings—being obedient was admirable, but her temperament was far too fragile. If not for the fortuitous meeting with the old madam, who knows how long this situation would have continued unnoticed?

And speaking of which, how had this happened? Hadn’t Madam Wu just arranged a good match for Second Miss, seemingly caring for her? Why was she so harsh in private?

A short while later, Lan Zhu and Yun Sui returned, carrying two charcoal braziers, placing them at the head and foot of the bed.

Lu Jia’an placed her cousin’s arm back under the quilt and quietly reassured her: “Don’t be afraid. Grandmother will make sure you’re taken care of.”

“…It’s all my fault my body isn’t strong enough. Mother… mother is just looking out for me.” After a pause, Chu Yufu lowered her head, speaking softly.

The young girl was innocent, and her grievances shone clearly under her damp lashes—any fool could see. And yet, even at this point, she clung stubbornly to the notion of “it’s for my own good.” She was like a soft bun come to life, making one both exasperated and heartbroken at the same time!

“You—”

Lu Jia’an’s brows arched in anger, ready to scold, but seeing her pale little face, she stopped. A surge of inexplicable protectiveness erupted from her heart. She stood up in a fury, marching out, reminding the maids as she left: “Take very good care of our young mistress!”

Yang Mama followed behind, firmly closing the door to keep out any drafts.

Once the footsteps faded outside, Chu Yufu wiped her tears with her sleeve and whispered: “I’m not feeling well. I’ll rest for a while. Do not enter unless necessary.”

The two nodded, tucked the quilt around her, closed the door, and left.