When Huang Rang opened her eyes again, her mind was in complete chaos. She still lay on Di Yiqiu’s bed. The candle flame, blown by the wind, stood unsteadily, swaying back and forth. Outside, snow was still falling. With a creaking sound, some branch somewhere had snapped under the weight.
Just now… was that truly a dream?
Huang Rang tried to move her hand. Sure enough, there was no response at all. Freedom gained then lost again—she was trapped once more in this prison. Huang Rang wished she could tear herself to pieces, but she could only stare quietly at the gauze canopy above. Despair submerged her like a tide.
Having already fallen to such depths, why continue living?
This thought had appeared countless times in her mind, but this time, she couldn’t suppress it.
Could she not just die? Even if she turned to yellow earth and sand, at least give her an ending.
Her eyes began to sting. A tear rolled down into the hair at her temple. But she couldn’t even wipe it away. Before, she had always thought about revenge, so even in the most difficult times, she forced herself to maintain rationality.
But now, this brief dream had easily shattered her.
The door was suddenly pushed open. Wind-blown snow tumbled in like flowers, staggering inside.
The warmth that the heating basin in the room had painstakingly accumulated instantly scattered completely. Di Yiqiu had no time to close the door and rushed straight to the bed. He lifted the gauze canopy and saw Huang Rang still lying there properly, then finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But seeing the tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, he froze slightly and reached out to wipe them away. Wind poured in, the gauze curtains dancing wildly. Di Yiqiu suddenly helped her sit up and said: “If you don’t want to sleep, then keep me company while I handle official documents.”
Finishing, he fetched a cloak and wrapped Huang Rang thickly in layers, then carried her to the wheelchair.
He crouched down to put on her shoes and suddenly said: “Just now I had a dream.”
Huang Rang’s heart was full of dejection—she had no intention of acknowledging him at all. Di Yiqiu was already accustomed to her non-responses and continued: “I dreamed that Xie Yuanshu severely injured Xie Lingbi and Xie Hongchen, and established himself as Sect Leader.”
! Huang Rang was shocked.
Di Yiqiu pushed her up and went out the door.
Outside, wind and snow cut at their faces. Huang Rang was blown by the wind until she couldn’t open her eyes. Di Yiqiu pushed her forward. The snow on the ground came up to their knees.
Continue telling your dream! Huang Rang urged him in her heart. But Di Yiqiu didn’t continue. Probably such conversations without response—he couldn’t be bothered to continue. Huang Rang felt somewhat disappointed.
Di Yiqiu pushed her into the study and turned back to close the door.
It was truly cold. Huang Rang was frozen until her lips went numb.
Di Yiqiu placed her in the corner closest to the heating basin, removed the cloak from her body, and hung it on the bookshelf. Then he formed his right hand into a fist and held it against his lips, coughing lightly.
Ah. Huang Rang suddenly remembered—today after returning from Shi Wenyu’s place, he had seemed very weak. Could it be that the wind and snow had frozen him, giving him a chill? Huang Rang didn’t know why this was so.
By rights, Si Tianjian was also one of the immortal sects. As a cultivator, he should be very robust. At least she and Xie Hongchen rarely got sick.
After coughing for a while, Di Yiqiu finally sat behind his desk. On his large desk were piled stacks of official documents.
He took up his brush, dipped it in ink, and bent his head to review them.
Huang Rang stayed in the corner with a good view. She could see the entire study, naturally including Di Yiqiu. His complexion was still pale, but his hand movements were extremely fast. In the study, one could only hear the sound of charcoal burning and him turning pages and the rustling of his brush.
Huang Rang’s collapsed and desperate state of mind gradually calmed. She quietly surveyed the room. Looking from the bookshelf all the way around, she examined every item in the room. Then her gaze fell on Di Yiqiu.
—In this entire room, he was still the most interesting to look at. After all, he moved.
By the time the sky had grown bright, Di Yiqiu had finished reviewing most of the official documents and finally stood up. He fastened the cloak for her, then found a rabbit fur blanket to drape over her legs, and pushed her out the door.
In this weather, even an umbrella was useless.
Outside, the accumulated snow was thick. Wind whooshed into their collars, mixed with snow particles that melted inside. It felt like one would freeze solid.
Di Yiqiu pushed her and soon arrived at a place.
Huang Rang smelled the rich aroma of food and suddenly understood—this was a dining hall!
Indeed, as soon as Di Yiqiu arrived, someone at the entrance lifted the windbreak curtain for him. He pushed Huang Rang inside. Quite a few people were already gathered inside, eating.
“Director!” Seeing him enter, everyone immediately stood up and spoke in unison.
Di Yiqiu brushed off the snow from his clothes and nodded to indicate everyone should continue eating. Then he pushed Huang Rang to the table closest to the heating stove.
Huang Rang felt she had finally thawed out. The winter in the capital was truly cold. A little demon like her who couldn’t circulate energy to protect herself would have frozen to death long ago if not dressed warmly.
As soon as Di Yiqiu sat down, a kitchen helper came over to wipe the table. Then breakfast was quickly brought over.
Huang Rang’s wheelchair was placed right next to Di Yiqiu. She surveyed the food on the table. Nothing more than steamed buns, clear porridge, salted duck eggs, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Huang Rang looked with considerable disappointment—this is what Si Tianjian eats for breakfast? The food is quite ordinary. Your cooks aren’t very good.
Just as she thought this, the kitchen helper walked over carrying an exquisite small dish. He placed the dish in front of Huang Rang and said: “Director, the kitchen specially made a bowl of rose milk. It’s cold out—to warm Miss up.”
Huang Rang stared at the dish before her. Indeed, it held half a bowl of milk with several rose petals floating on top.
—Though their culinary skills aren’t great, they’re really very sensible! Very sensible! Huang Rang immediately took back her earlier words. The fragrance of the milk entered her nose, warming her lungs. She was very satisfied.
Di Yiqiu nodded slightly: “Thank you for your trouble.”
Having received this sentence from him, the kitchen helper knew his flattery had hit the mark and was immediately very pleased, repeatedly saying: “As it should be, as it should be.” While speaking, he withdrew.
Di Yiqiu began to eat. He actually rarely came here. Though Si Tianjian belonged to the imperial court, it was after all also one of the immortal sects. And the art of abstaining from grains and subsisting on energy was a required course for the immortal sects.
His willingness to eat today was probably due to illness and physical weakness.
Huang Rang quietly watched Di Yiqiu eat, while everyone in the entire dining hall was secretly observing her.
In the kitchen, several cooks heard the kitchen helper’s report and praised the head chef: “Master, you truly have discerning eyes. You could see at a glance where the key point was!”
The head chef snorted and said proudly: “Learn from this, you young monkeys!”
He had good judgment, but this gentleman who came in next lifting the curtain wasn’t as perceptive.