Who would have thought Wei Lin could win over the seemingly unapproachable old lady? Xi Linxuan regarded her with disdain, feeling something he couldn’t quite define, eventually settling on disgust. Girls like Wei Lin, who know how to please others superficially, are the most detestable.
Due to the empress dowager’s birthday, the night curfew was lifted for three days, making the royal city exceptionally lively.
Returning home with her mother, Wei Lin remained unusually quiet. When her mother asked if she was unwell, Wei Lin slowly inquired, “Mother, does the empress dowager mean to marry me to the crown prince?”
Lady Wei nodded, acknowledging that her daughter could understand such matters.
Xi Linxuan’s second mountain visit finally occurred before the new year, accompanied by the Wei siblings. The Taoist nun Xu Zhen administered the black “mysterious needles” behind a screen, while Wei Lin and Wei Feng Zhi sat in the hall. Despite closed windows, the cold wind persisted, prompting Wei Feng Zhi to comment on the need for oiled paper.
Wei Lin held a ceramic water stove, recalling how the elder Taoist nuns would warm her bed during winter.
Tai Qing burst in with a cold wind, casting a disdainful look at the Wei siblings: “Who asked you to come? Feeling cold? Serves you right.”
Wei Feng Zhi retorted about her immunity to cold.
Sensing the brewing conflict between Tai Qing and her brother, Wei Lin discretely excused herself.
Outside, the wind was cold, but the view from the Wangxian Terrace overlooking the royal city was magnificent. Walking down the stone steps through a layered forest, she noticed an abandoned wooden house at the forest’s edge, which she had previously asked the Taoist nun about, receiving only a mysterious smile.
These quarters were places she and Tai Qing often visited.
During the summer when flowers bloomed, Wei Linxia would pick many flowers, placing them in vases or making garlands to hang on doors and windows. Now, the withered flowers trembled in the wind. She pulled out the key that only she and Tai Qing possessed and opened the door. Dust had settled on the table, indicating Tai Qing hadn’t cleaned for a long time. “This lazy fellow,” she muttered, grabbing a feather duster to wipe away the dust. Always hating dust, she decided to open the window, but the motion startled her.
