Chapter 34: Ice Sculpture

The cotton curtain was lifted from the outside, and Qiuyue hurried in, stamping the snow off her feet. As she looked up, she saw Mrs. Liu sitting on the floor, her expression dazed.

"Nanny, what is the matter?"

Qiuyue crossed the room in a few strides and hurriedly helped her up. She immediately noticed the dampness on Mrs. Liu’s collar. She frowned and was about to speak, but Shen Quanyi cut her off: "It is freezing out there; hurry and stoke the furnace fire."

Qiuyue acknowledged the order, leaned over to toss some charcoal into the stove, and looked up to see Mrs. Liu’s unusually flushed face, assuming it was from the cold. She muttered, "Nanny, come over here quickly to warm yourself up."

Mrs. Liu gave a dry laugh. Meeting the sharp gaze of Shen Quanyi opposite her, she clenched her hands and gently wiped her nose with a handkerchief.

"Qiuyue, bring the leftover cold wine from before."

Qiuyue pouted in dissatisfaction, thinking to herself that taking medicine while refusing to abstain from alcohol was a waste of the treatment. If the doctor knew, he would likely be furious. Thinking this, she remained rooted to the spot.

Shen Quanyi smiled as she walked over and pinched Qiuyue’s nose. The girl gasped for air, unable to breathe, until Shen Quanyi laughed out loud: "What a silly girl, I just pinched your nose, and you almost suffocated."

Qiuyue was annoyed but could do nothing about Shen Quanyi. She reluctantly retrieved the leftover wine and handed it over, though she couldn't help but plead, "My lady, please drink less. Drinking cold wine in the winter is harmful to your health!"

Shen Quanyi nodded repeatedly, but her hand did not stop. As the wine slid down her throat, the sharp burn stimulated her senses. She exhaled slowly and looked at the vast, white expanse outside, suddenly feeling agitated.

She finished the bottle in one gulp.

The boldness of the action terrified Qiuyue, who rushed forward to grab the bottle. When she snatched it away and gave it a light shake, it was too late—it was completely empty.

Shen Quanyi steadied her spinning head. Her emotions were volatile; she couldn't stop thinking about what kind of schemes Gu Tan would have waiting for her when she returned to the manor.

She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek; it was scorching hot. Having drunk so recklessly, she was growing intoxicated. Dazed, she allowed Qiuyue to help her onto the daybed.

Wrapped in a silk quilt, she felt an intense feverish heat. Qiuyue, helpless, went out to fetch hot water and, together with Mrs. Liu, knelt by the bed to wipe Shen Quanyi down and change her into her nightclothes before coaxing her to sleep.

Still uneasy, Qiuyue ran to the small kitchen to have someone prepare a hangover tonic, thinking she would give it to her once she woke up.

Sitting beside Mrs. Liu, Qiuyue’s face was filled with sorrow. She lowered her head and kicked at the bits of charcoal on the floor, then stretched her feet toward the stove; her shoes were soaked with snowmelt, and she hoped to dry them out slowly.

"I... I just think Nanny is so kind, and I don't know when we will see each other again," Qiuyue said with a muffled voice, her tone full of reluctance.

Mrs. Liu’s heart tightened, and guilt welled up in her eyes. She took Qiuyue’s small, icy hand, warming it with her own body heat. She rubbed it gently but did not respond to Qiuyue’s words.

The joy and laughter of the past few days seemed to have vanished with time, leaving only a heavy, solemn oppression that made it hard to breathe.

The two sat in silence. Tears welled up in Qiuyue's eyes, and she opened her mouth to speak, but she heard footsteps beneath the window. Through the gauze, she could make out several silhouettes.

She quickly composed her face and smoothed her clothes.

By the time Li Qian entered the room, Qiuyue and the others had already knelt. He waved his hand dismissively and turned to enter the inner chamber. Seeing the human-shaped hump on the bed, he softened his footsteps.

But as soon as he approached, the person on the bed sat up, giving him a start.

Shen Quanyi knelt on the bed, draped in a quilt, her loose night robe hanging off her shoulders. The sight made Li Qian’s pulse quicken. He was about to move closer, but remembered he had just come from outside and was carrying the chill of the air, fearing he might make her sick again.

"Change your clothes and put on something thicker. I will take you out to see something interesting."

Qiuyue hurried in with clothes, wrapping Shen Quanyi layer after layer until she was bundled tight, finishing with a thick cloak to ward off the wind.

Shen Quanyi chuckled. She climbed off the bed and hooked her arm into Li Qian’s, acting spoiled: "Master, look, I’ve been wrapped into a rice dumpling. I can hardly lift my legs."

"With your delicate frame, a few more layers are well-deserved." Li Qian still felt lingering fear over her recent illnesses and flicked the tip of her slightly upturned nose.

Watching Shen Quanyi follow closely behind Li Qian, Qiuyue gathered her own robes and followed carefully. The group walked along the corridor, and by the direction, they knew they were heading toward the main courtyard.

Shen Quanyi couldn't keep up with Li Qian’s stride, and with the ground slick and wet, she nearly stumbled.

Li Qian was startled; he quickly caught her, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her as they walked slowly.

Passing through the veranda and the floral gate, they saw two ice sculptures standing in the main courtyard. As they drew closer, they saw the sculptures were as tall as a person, incredibly lifelike—they were clearly statues of Shen Quanyi and Li Qian.

Under the sunlight, they shimmered with a faint luster.

"I had these commissioned long ago. They were finished yesterday, and I was worried about transporting them, but they finally arrived. To see your smile makes all the effort worthwhile." Li Qian gripped Shen Quanyi’s hand tightly, his smiling voice melting into her heart.

Shen Quanyi’s eyes brightened as she circled the ice sculptures again and again. They were exquisitely crafted; even the spirit in their expressions had been captured.

The time and effort it must have taken to make them, and then to transport them here in one piece, showed just how much care Li Qian had for her.

Deeply moved, Shen Quanyi turned to look at Li Qian’s doting face and threw herself into his arms. But before she could speak, a shrill voice pierced the air, shattering the peace and tranquility, causing everyone to look toward the source.

In a sheltered corner under the corridor, three or four people were surrounding an old woman, with someone trapped in the center.

The night wind blew Shen Quanyi’s hair onto her shoulders, and a chill seeped into her heart.

In the distance, Hushang seemed to have a premonition; she suddenly turned her head and saw the person she knew so well and longed for so dearly. She stood beside that handsome man, just standing there quietly, her face wearing a coldness that terrified her.

They were within arm's reach, yet it felt as if they were worlds apart, forever unreachable.

The old woman looked like she lived quite well; the fat on her face wobbled with every gesture. Her eyes were filled with malice, and her long nails dug fiercely into Hushang’s shoulder.

She was shouting something, her expression becoming hideously distorted.

Hushang, on the other side, did not resist at all. She obediently knelt on the ground with a thud—a sound so heavy it seemed her knees must have shattered.

It was unclear what it was, but something like a pendant fell to the ground, and Hushang scrambled to protect it.

The old woman, as if watching a joke, deliberately stepped on Hushang’s slender fingers. Not content with that, she twisted her foot with force, and blood bloomed from Hushang’s hand.

Shen Quanyi froze, inadvertently tightening her grip on Li Qian’s hand. Li Qian turned back and saw her pale face, assuming she had been frightened by the bloody scene.

He patted her hand, offering comfort.