The snow fell heavily outside the window, the moon hung in the sky, and the biting winter wind occasionally swept frost and snow into the room, bringing a chill to the air.
The person in my arms had long since fallen into a deep sleep, their breathing unusually soft.
Xie Fu put his arm around her waist and held her close, looking at her peaceful and serene sleeping face, but he still felt waves of fear in his heart.
He struggled to describe the complex emotions within him. He simply gazed at her cool, serene eyes as she slept, from her dark eyebrows to her delicate nose and soft lips, over and over again, as if trying to memorize every inch of her skin, never quite able to get enough of looking at her.
As he traveled from the northern city of Xiliang to the southern border, his understanding of the plague along the way led him to a voice in his mind that she might have already contracted the plague and died long ago.
Even though she possesses extraordinary medical skills, she is physically weak. If she doesn't get sick, all will be well, but if she does, who can treat her?
Thankfully, she was still alive and waited until he found her.
Xie Fu gently stroked her snow-white cheek with his fingers, his movements extremely tender, afraid of waking her from her deep sleep.
The soft pads of his fingertips brushed across her beautiful, expressive eyes, tracing a path to the outer corner of her eye before stopping.
After a while, he leaned over and kissed her eyes, then moved to the corners of her eyes, slowly lowered his lips, and gently rubbed them against her soft lips.
Under the soft moonlight in the dimly lit room, Xie Fu himself was unaware of how tender his deep black eyes were as he gazed at the sleeping Shu Yun.
The Wuxiufang, a nightly entertainment venue in the Western Liang capital, has been rather deserted lately, simply because its top courtesan, Yanran, has closed her doors to customers.
The madam of Wuxiufang paced anxiously outside a room, her brows furrowed into a deep frown. In recent times, compared to the thriving Miaoyinlou and Huanhualou, Wuxiufang was shrouded in gloom.
As long as the Yanran brand doesn't reappear, their Wuxiufang business will decline day by day. Now, only a few regular customers still come to patronize them. But if this continues, won't all the other customers be snatched up by the other two businesses?
Seeing that her income had shrunk by more than half compared to before, she could hardly manage a smile when facing customers these past two days, her face full of wrinkles with nowhere to hide.
"Yanran," the madam said urgently, clutching her handkerchief, "you've been depressed for so long, that's enough. How about we go out and dance a couple of times tomorrow?"
Dressed in red, Yanran sat listlessly in front of the dressing table, staring at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Her mind was replaying the scene when she first met the woman in the carriage on the day of Wan Ming, the young master of the Wan family, celebrated his birthday.
It truly was a stunning glimpse.
No wonder the young master now wants to marry her.
His slender fingers, delicately painted with nail polish, tightened in resentment. He had heard that the woman was a female healer with no family background, yet Xie Fu resolutely proclaimed to the entire Western Liang that she would be his future wife.
In recent days, people from the Xie family have been shopping all over the capital. The girls from the Wuxiufang brothel were initially hinted to by the madam, and none of them dared to tell her the news. However, the fact that the young master of the Xie family was going to get married was known throughout Xiliang, from the noble families to the common people, because of the Xie family's servants who went out to spread the word. How long could they keep it from her?
In what ways was she inferior to that woman? Yanran silently asked herself.
In terms of appearance, family background, and talent, that woman was stunningly beautiful, but she was no less so. In terms of family background, she was just a female doctor, a world apart from Xie Fu, the future ruler of Xiliang. In terms of talent, no one in Xiliang could surpass her graceful dance.
However, a plague broke out in Xiliang, and the woman went south to treat the sick, saving the Xie family from crisis and making a great contribution.
It was truly a matter of timing and fate. It's a pity she didn't know medicine, otherwise she would definitely have gone south with that woman.
Outside the door, the madam was still nagging and persuading, "Yanran, the young master of the Xie family is, after all, the future ruler of Xiliang. We are not of a high enough status to be worthy of him. It is more practical to be down-to-earth and do our own job well."
"The sisters of Wuxiufang have been living better and better lives all these years thanks to your fame. Don't let this make you think too much about it..."
"Too good to be associated with?"
Yanran's voice came from inside, "Isn't the woman the young master is going to marry just a commoner? In terms of status and the powerful family behind her, shouldn't she be far above the young master?"
Hearing Yanran's words, the madam knew that this ancestor had not given up on Xie Fu of the Xie family. "Her status and position are not worthy of the young master, but the young master likes her. Besides, she cured the plague in Xiliang, which is a great achievement."
"Yanran...you are the daughter of a disgraced official..."
Yanran pursed her lips. She knew what the madam meant; the madam was reminding her that her status was even lower than that of a commoner—she was of lowly birth…
But she was still unwilling to give up. Xie Fu's indifferent face flashed through her mind. Could someone who seemed so indifferent to everything really fall in love?
She couldn't even imagine what he would be like if he liked someone. Would he shower that woman with sweet words, like those wealthy young men do when they're wooing their sisters? Would he live a life of perfect harmony with his wife, or would they be exceptionally affectionate every day?
Her gaze fell on the makeup box on the dressing table. Since the young master could disregard his status to marry another woman, did she also have a chance to be by his side?
"What are you thinking about?"
Xie Fu saw that Shu Yun had actually started to daydream while eating, and he curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
Shu Yun swallowed what was in her mouth and said, "I'm starting to crave sake and bird's nest soup."
"Sake and bird's nest?" Xie Fu had never heard of this dish before. He summoned the servants beside him and said, "Go and call everyone in the kitchen."
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