Young Master Ye An frowned at her, his voice stern, “Give me your hand.”
Thinking she was to be punished, Chuxia timidly extended her hand, closing her eyes. There was no pain, only the warmth of his hand enveloping hers. Then she heard his voice, “Why are your hands so stiff? Are you very cold?”
How could she not be cold? It was the dead of winter, and there wasn’t even a stove in the study, yet the young master liked to keep the windows open. She was nearly freezing her nose off. Chuxia nodded quickly, “Very cold.”
Young Master Ye An’s voice turned cold as well, “Why didn’t you say so? Do you think I’m a harsh master who doesn’t care for his servants?”
“The young master is the most considerate. I’ll have someone install a stove tomorrow,” Chuxia hurried to say, “Thank you, young master.”
He hummed in acknowledgment, tossing the book aside, then suddenly said, “Very well. The cold night is indeed hard to endure.”
“Ah?” Chuxia sniffed, “Young master… are you going to see those girls?” If he did, wouldn’t she be… freed?
Noticing her excited expression, the young master casually remarked, “Aren’t you curious? Come with me to have a look.”
Cang Qianlang had arranged for the twelve girls to stay in the eastern corner of the Shuyuan Garden, named Yingyuan—a fitting name indeed. As Chuxia followed the young master into the hall, she felt an immediate warmth; the stewards must have been afraid the delicate girls would get cold, for there were glowing braziers everywhere. The hall had only a single table, with a white camel hair rug from the desert covering the floor, surrounded by many silk cushions. The girls, dressed in thin veils and barefoot, stepped on the rug, the soft fur covering their feet, making one’s heart itch. The young master had even taken off his heavy cloak, wearing only a plain white silk robe, a brocade belt at his waist, with a few strands of black hair falling freely, his eyes showing a hint of wild abandon.
“May I know what kind of music the young master prefers?” One of the girls, with a light laugh, leaned close to him, her breath like orchid.
