C11 Three Days of Snowfall

“Could it be that there's something wrong with the tea?” she mused absentmindedly. Mrs. Qian's face turned ghostly pale, her fingers trembling slightly.

Crash! The teacup fell to the ground. When she looked up again, she met Zuoyu's fierce gaze.

“Sister, how could there be anything wrong with the tea? It was prepared with all my heart,” came a warm voice from behind. Waner struggled to sit up, gently tugging at her clothes, tears streaming down her face.

Zuoyu looked at Waner intently, then suddenly smiled and said in a deep voice, “If there's any doubt, why not have a doctor check it out?”

Waner’s face changed drastically, and she clung tightly to Zuoyu’s clothes, pleading, “Sister, do you not trust me?”

“Of course, I trust you, sister. Otherwise, I wouldn’t call a doctor to clear your name.” With that, she turned to the door and said, “Zi Luo, please go to the medical center and bring a doctor.”

“Yes,” Zi Luo responded crisply from outside, her footsteps fading away quickly.

Waner collapsed to the ground, looking at Mrs. Qian in terror. If Zuoyu found out there was a concoction in the teacup to prevent heirs, she would never set foot in the Earl Mansion.

The air suddenly felt heavy as Mrs. Qian stared silently at the spilled tea on the floor, steeling herself. Without hesitation, she threw herself onto the puddle.

"Ouch!" she cried out, as blood mixed with the tea beneath her. She rolled over, making sure her clothes soaked up every drop.

Zuoyu couldn't believe they would use such a ridiculous method to deal with the tea. He chuckled softly, looking down at Mrs. Qian. "What are you doing, Mother?"

"Mother!" Waner swiftly got out of bed and hurried to help Mrs. Qian up.

As she helped Mrs. Qian to her feet, a sudden realization hit her, and she froze for a moment.

"You're moving pretty quickly for someone who's supposed to be weak," Zuoyu remarked with a slight laugh, unable to hide the disdain in his eyes.

Before Waner could respond, Zuoyu quickly grabbed her by the neck, exclaiming, "Come on, sister, let me help you."

"No—" Waner barely got the word out before Zuoyu roughly rubbed her neck.

Unfortunately, Zuoyu was too strong, and she couldn't resist in time.

The three of them stood there, dazed, as Zuoyu glanced at the vibrant purple-red stain on his once-white sleeve. He feigned indifference, chuckling softly, "I didn't expect your wound to bleed through like that, sister."

In an instant, all the truths were laid bare.

The mother and daughter’s faces flushed red, unable to maintain even a semblance of composure.

Amidst the awkwardness, Zi Luo pushed the door open and, seeing their expressions, couldn’t help but chuckle. She then turned to Zuoyu and said, “Miss, the doctor has gone on a long journey and won’t be back anytime soon.”

“No matter, I think there’s no need to call the doctor now,” Zuoyu replied, her gaze lingering on the wound on Waner’s neck.

With that, Zi Luo helped Zuoyu out of the room.

She hadn’t actually gone to find a doctor; she had just spent a moment in the garden of the Cui family.

The two walked straight to the Tea Fragrance Pavilion, where Zi Luo burst into laughter, recalling the usually dignified Mrs. Qian’s recent disheveled appearance. It was truly satisfying.

“I feel like you’ve changed, Miss,” Zi Luo suddenly said seriously.

Outside, the cold wind blew gently, carrying a moist scent. Zi Luo smiled at her through the dappled light and shadow of the leaves, just like she always had.

Suddenly, a lump formed in her throat, and when she came to her senses, her eyes were already red.

Zi Luo had advised her more than once to stay away from Waner, but unfortunately, she had been blind at the time, even thinking Zi Luo was trying to ruin the bond between the two sisters.

In the end, only Zi Luo met a tragic fate trying to save her.

She gently took Zi Luo's hand and said earnestly, "I was confused before, but from now on, I'll know who is truly worth trusting and who is deceitful."

She vowed never to repeat past mistakes; this time, she would live beautifully.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that, miss," Zi Luo replied.

Just then, her other maid, Liuli, hurried over, pulling a letter from her pocket with disdain. "That noble heir sent another letter."

Before she could respond, Zi Luo angrily interjected, "Burn all those letters! Why let them clutter the miss's sight?"

That noble heir was worse than a beast. He had an engagement with the young lady yet was entangled with her sister, even having an illegitimate child together.

If the young master were here, he wouldn't stand for the young lady being treated so unfairly.

"Wait—"

A clear voice suddenly interrupted. Zi Luo turned, meeting Zuoyu's eyes.

Puzzled, Zi Luo asked, "What do you need, miss?"

Zuoyu didn't speak, just quietly gazed at the sky, knowing the time was near.

It was the winter of the thirty-second year, on the ninth day of November.

The first dazzling winter snow had fallen, blanketing the world for three full days, more grandly than any year before. She remembered it so vividly because on November 9th, her sister, Waner, had knelt at her door.

Waner poured out her troubles, claiming the child she carried was for her. Just as she finished speaking, snow began to drift down outside. That day was bitterly cold, chilling her to the bone, but the pain in her heart was far sharper than the cold.

Today was November 8th. If she remembered correctly, tomorrow at this time, the first dazzling winter snow would fall again. She suddenly curled her lips into a bitter, cold smile.

She locked herself in her room for a full half-hour, emerging with a letter in hand. Ignoring the hopeful look from Zi Luo, she tossed the letter to her.

"Make sure this letter reaches the Earl Mansion before nightfall," she said, her voice so cold it sent a shiver down the spine.

Though unsure of her mistress's intentions, Zi Luo took the letter. That evening, the letter arrived intact at the Earl Mansion.

It was said that Noble Heir Yaen stayed up all night, and by morning, he was already on his way to the Cui Mansion.

The letter contained no passionate declarations of love, just a story.

It was said that centuries ago, a high-ranking official waited outside his wife's door for three days to earn her forgiveness. In the end, he not only won her back but also gained a long-lasting relationship.

Yaen Ting was taken aback. It was clear that Cui Zuoyu handed him this letter with the hope that he would emulate the official's patience and wait for three days for his wife.

To win back Cui Zuoyu, he needed to show respect at the Cui Mansion. He couldn't bear the thought of losing such a remarkable wife—not only was she stunningly beautiful, but her worth was beyond measure.

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