42 Autumns Fragrance, A Frigid Heart of Snow 4 (1/2)

Hearing the maidservant's voice, Wei Chang Luo edged his face closer towards the curtained bed, even going as far as risking exposing his countenance to the maidservant just a meter or two away. Unfortunately, all that greeted him was Xiao Wen pushing aside one side of the curtains to jut her face in.

”Fourth Young Miss, ah!” Xiao Wen called, reaching in to tickle the sleeping girl. ”Please wake up! This servant made some lunch for the Fourth Young Miss to eat.”

As she spoke, the maidservant retrieved her head from the curtained bed, rolling up her sleeves to expose a pair of fair-skinned arms. Seeing that Xiao Wen began moving towards the table that he was hiding underneath, the Second Young Master quickly ducked his head back into his sheltered area, his eyes still probing the curtains for any hint of his sibling's appearance.

”Fourth Young Miss, this servant made some warm herbal congee to eat, along with some salted radish.”

The maidservant explained as she opened the wooden box, taking out the contents and placing them onto a tray. To Wei Chang Luo's utter disappointment, Xiao Wen simply peeled apart the curtains to enter herself, closing them shut to ward of his 'accidental' prying eyes.

”Can't get a peek this time…” the youth sighed, before sneaking out from underneath the table. Just as he attempted to inch closer to obtain a single peek, Wei Chang Luo's expression drastically changed, panic spreading across his countenance.

”Next time it shall be! Father can't hide her from the rest of the family forever, but I have to grasp this opportunity before Elder Brother can!”

Clenching his fist as an indomitable figure appeared in his mind, the Second Young Master of Wei took a deep breath and spread out his arms to his sides. Revolving the spiritual essence congealed within his body to attract the cloud he had expelled to disguise his presence from the maidservant's awareness, Wei Chang Luo retrieved all traces of spiritual essence he could detect before stealthily departing from the study.

-

When night fell, An Fei finally escaped from her bedchambers, or rather, the study of the Flowing Wind Residence. Muffling her sounds as she crept past a soundly asleep Xiao Wen, the girl heaved the two doors open.

”Oh.”

A heavy gust of chilly air struck her face, causing An Fei to stagger back inside. However, the short glimpse of the night sky was enough motivation for her to bear the cold temperature of the night.

Walking back to the bed and wrapping her body with the lightest blanket she could find, the girl finally took her steps outside of the study.

Her feet wrapped within a pair of shoes stolen from the maidservant, An Fei aimlessly staggered around the courtyard. She would walk along the winding pathways of cobbled stone before falling to the ground in exhaustion, or sometimes spin around in the neatly trimmed grass.

Regardless, she continued to stare at the night sky, her countenance breaking into a full smile of admiration.

”How beautiful…” the girl murmured, her right hand reaching for the sky.

The night sky was decorated by a sea of shining dots of light. Some were dim, others shone bright with a distinct radiance that was firmly captured in her gaze. Some dots of light twinkled, others were shining orbs suspended in the night sky.

Bathed in starlight that was not inhibited by atmospheric pollution, An Fei closed her eyes as she slumped on the ground, huddled in the blanket. Taking deep breaths of the chilly but clean air, she felt so incomparably alive and tranquil, as if her worries were sliding off her body.

She no longer knew how long it had been since she had entered this world. Two months, three?

Nothing seemed to particularly matter compared to the sensation of living in the windless, cold night of autumn's last fragrance. Opening her eyes, the scarlet irises were still dulled, yet a deeply concealed determination could be detected within.

”I…want to live.”

The girl whispered, her hand grasping towards the stars. Her fingers curled into a fist; though it was weak in strength, contained within was all she could muster.

”But I don't know what I will do…” she affirmed to the emotionless sky of night. ”Yet still, I wish to live.”

”I want to learn.”