cold clothes

Leng Yi was removing her makeup when she heard a knock on the door. Without thinking, she opened the door and was surprised to see her stepbrother's face. Even more unexpectedly, she was suddenly grabbed by the waist and pressed behind the door by her stepbrother.

"Bang!" With the sound of the door closing, Leng Yi's back hit the door panel, and a sharp pain shot through her spine. In front of her was her stepbrother's extremely imposing face. Leng Yi was terrified and quickly asked, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"Don't call me brother, you're not my sister." The stepbrother's voice was as cold as ice. His deep gaze was fixed on Leng Yi's pale lips, which were bare after removing her lipstick. He kissed her urgently in Leng Yi's terrified eyes.

"...Let me go!" Leng Yi shoved her stepbrother away, almost causing him to fall. The unfamiliar scent and faint smell of alcohol lingered in her mouth, making her feel nauseous. She never imagined that her stepbrother would have such thoughts about her.

She immediately tried to rush out the door, but her stepbrother closed it halfway open and then threw her onto the bed.

His tall figure immediately loomed over her, and Leng Yi screamed, "You can't treat me like this! I'm your sister in name only! If your stepfather finds out, he won't let you get away with this!"

The stepbrother laughed contemptuously, "Isn't this how my dad treated your mother?" He restrained Leng Yi's struggling hands, uttering vulgarities that were completely contrary to his cold and composed image: "You're just as promiscuous as your mother. After living in my house for so many years, it's time I slept with you. Sister? Do you even deserve to be my sister?"

"I will sue you, I will definitely sue you!"

"You dare! I'll make sure your mother regrets it!"

This beast!

Leng Yi's eyes were bloodshot with rage, wishing she could stab her stepbrother to death. Suddenly, a dagger appeared in her hand, and her stepbrother's face transformed into that old scoundrel Liang Shuyun's. Leng Yi was horrified and gripped the dagger tightly, aiming to stab Liang Shuyun in the face.

"Ningbi, wake up, wake up—ah!"

Leng Yi suddenly woke up, startling Ling Cao.

"Ningbi, did you have a nightmare?" Lingcao felt sorry for Lengyi when she saw that Lengyi was covered in cold sweat and her eyes were dull and lifeless. She gently wiped the sweat from Lengyi's forehead with a handkerchief.

"It's all my fault. If I had stopped you, you wouldn't have been locked in the dungeon."

Leng Yi's eyes flickered, and when she saw the candlestick and bellflower on the ground, her slightly reddened eyes, filled with concern, momentarily dazed. Only then did she snap out of her dream and immediately feel a sense of relief.

Why would she have such a dream? Moreover, the dream was somewhat chaotic compared to reality. Her stepbrother forcibly kissed her in the bathroom the day before she returned to school. There were people nearby at the time, so her stepbrother didn't dare to make any rash moves. What's even more outrageous is that she dreamed of Liang Daren's lewd face.

Suddenly, the sound of fireworks exploding came from above. Lengyi looked up but saw only darkness. Seeing her confused look, Lingcao explained, "It's the Mid-Autumn Festival today, and they're setting off fireworks outside."

“Mid-Autumn Festival…” Leng Yi murmured, “There must be a beauty pageant being held on Xiuyun Lake. The top courtesan from Fengxiang Pavilion and other brothels will be performing. There will be beauties everywhere, vying for attention. The lake must be bustling with lanterns and boats, crowded with people, brightly lit, and filled with revelry all night long.”

"Yes……"

"I haven't yet witnessed the singing and dancing of the four courtesans, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. I imagine it must be absolutely stunning. Young Master Qingyou's sword dance and Huai Lou's zither playing must also be breathtaking."

“Ningbi…”

Leng Yi's blue eyes gazed at Lingcao, reflecting the flickering candlelight, adding a touch of melancholy to her calm demeanor. "We had planned to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Yunmei in the courtyard, enjoying the moon, eating mooncakes, and watching fireworks... The osmanthus blossoms in the courtyard are in full bloom, and Yunmei said she would teach me how to make osmanthus wine. And..."

Leng Yi's voice choked with emotion: "We still have so many things to do..."

But it will never be possible to achieve that.

Lingcao couldn't help but hug Lengyi and sob softly. Lengyi's eyes also welled up with tears, but she couldn't cry. There was no point in her crying now.

Leng Yi hugged the heartbroken Ling Cao and asked, "Why did you come to the dungeon to see me?"

“Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I begged Aunt Hu to let me see you,” Lingcao said, sobbing. “The dungeon is so dark and cold, and you’re still a child. How could you stay here for half a month?” Lingcao hadn’t noticed that Lengyi’s eyes didn’t look like a child’s now; her blue eyes had an indescribable depth and allure.

"By the way, Yun Mei has already been taken out of the city for burial, and should be... cremated."

"What?" Leng Yi's eyes suddenly blazed with anger, her nails almost digging into her flesh. "There's no way to prove it when you're dead, huh?"

Lingcao looked at Lengyi with concern and said earnestly, "So Ningbi, don't do anything foolish again. If it happens again, Mom won't be lenient."

"Yunmei was murdered! Haven't you thought about seeking justice for Yunmei?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Yunmei died of a sudden illness!" Lingcao said urgently. "What can women like us, who have been confined to the lowest social class, do to compete with people of noble status? Yunmei's fate was unfortunate; her death is a blessing in disguise. But Ningbi, you are the one Mother has chosen to be the most beautiful courtesan; your future is much brighter than ours."

Leng Yi's heart gradually turned ashen. Ling Cao was right; even in a world thousands of years later, social classes still existed. Even if everyone was equal before the law, money and power could blind the law and deafen justice. Ling Cao's thoughts were those of countless poor people, and perhaps even Yun Mei thought the same way and endured humiliation. But she would rather die than be so ignorant and numb.

After Lingcao left, Lengyi was once again shrouded in cold and darkness alone. But she felt a fire burning in her heart, supporting her against the onslaught of the cold night.

Even if she ends up in a brothel, even if she has to use her beauty to serve men in the future, she will never corrupt her soul, never.

The fire in her heart burned ever brighter, making her feel incredibly hot. Her mind was hazy, with only one thought echoing: "Never, never, never—"

At noon, the maid brought Lengyi her meal on time, but found her curled up in a ball, feverish and unconscious. She cried out in alarm and ran out to call for help.

Leng Yi woke up in the herbal medicine hall. The moment she opened her eyes, the light stung them, and she instinctively reached out to cover them, only to touch a cold towel on her forehead.

"Uh..." She tried to speak, but her throat felt blocked and she couldn't make a sound; it was dry and hoarse.

Leng Yi immediately realized that she had a fever and a cold. The dryness in her throat told her that she desperately needed to drink water, but she couldn't ask for help and had to fend for herself.

She struggled to sit up with her eyes closed, but the feeling of being dizzy and lightheaded almost made her fall over.

It sucks.

She forced her eyes open a crack, enduring the discomfort. Through her blurry vision, she saw a person sitting at the table, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the kettle on the table.

"Water..." Her lips moved silently, and Leng Yi rolled off the bed in one swift motion. After rolling twice, she rolled to the edge of the table, then reached out and grabbed the other person's leg.

"..." She was so thirsty that she didn't care about her image. She just grabbed her legs and used them to move up, then sat down on the other person's lap. A muffled groan came from her ear.

So this person didn't die!

Leng Yi was too exhausted to care about anything right now. She leaned against the man, panting heavily. Judging from his flat chest, he should be a man, but that didn't matter. He should be in a vegetative state, otherwise why wouldn't he be able to move at all? So he probably wouldn't mind.

The man in a vegetative state was speechless. Aunt Fang had gone out on errands and asked him to look after the unconscious little girl. Who would have thought that while he was distracted, the little girl rolled off the bed and sat on him? It was the first time a girl had ever leaned against him, and he was so shocked he didn't know what to say or do.