Chapter 20
The Forbidden City
The purple silhouette behind her disappears. When he comes back, he is holding an umbrella in one hand and a shoe in the other.
When she kneels earlier on, he notices that her left foot has no shoe. Wearing just a sock in this snowy weather must have been cold.
To him, this girl is a little different. Indeed, different.
A touch of smile floats on his lips as he shelters her from the snow with the umbrella. The funeral queue should be for her loved one. Now that she’s in the palace, going out for the funeral is impossible.
This is the true nature of the Forbidden City. It has a kind of cruelty that will not conform to anyone.
There was once a person who tried to change this cruel nature, but in the end, that person paid it with his/her life.
Upon remembering that, he frowns.
The snowfall gradually turns bigger, the funeral queue disappears from their line of sight. She has been kneeling like that under such cold weather after being bitten by a snake, she ought to fall ill soon.
“It is gone.” He gently says that. He can see her delicate body trembling. As he stares at her, she straightens her body and gaze at the direction of the funeral queue that has long disappeared. And then, she turns to him with a controlled expression.
“Chenqie lost conduct.”
She seems different from those women in the back palace. But why does she seems so similar to them as well? That obedience and resignation she carries in her……
No, they are not the same.
Underneath that respectful and obedient appearance of hers, she carries cold indifference.
“You must not tell anyone the things you sees today. Do you understand?” the words that comes out of his lips somehow sounds colder than those floating snow to him. Seems like he too is the kind that repels other people away. Seems like he and her are the same kind of people.
This is the only way he can protect himself; protect the people he wanted to protect.
“Chenqie understand.” Her voice is cold and simple, she didn’t speak any more after that.
He outstretches his hand and supports her arm, wanting to help her get up. Her arm feels cold. When he accidentally comes into contact with her jacket sleeves, he can feel her trying to withdraw from him, trying to surrept.i.tiously avoid his help.
She has a row of bangs on her forehead; that coupled with the way she droops her head makes it hard for him to see her expression. That row of bangs casts a dark shadow on her jade-like face, making her nose appears more prominent.
Maidens with high nosebridge have high esteem.
He doesn’t know why he suddenly thinks of that saying. He retrieves his hand, indifferently asking: “Can you walk?”
She tries to take a couple of small steps, her socks in contact with the snowy ground directly. He can almost feel the penetrating coldness on her behalf.
He wanted to hand over the shoe on his hand to her. He sees a frown on her face, one that quickly disappears.
Her foot still ache, but she does not mind this ache. She does not mind anything now.
“Answering Your Majesty, chenqie can.” She answered him while drooping her head low, like usual. She staggers as she walk and just like that, her delicate body moves farther away from her and the protection of his umbrella.
He doesn’t know why he suddenly outstretch his hand and grab her arms. He hands over the umbrella to her. When she refuses to accept it, he forces it into her hand. He accidentally touches her palm, it feels cold.
She unknowingly looks at him with a pair of icy eyes, an act that she forgot to cover.
She accepts the umbrella and after she did that, he lifts her entire body up.
“Do not speak.” That three simple words flew out of his lips and blocked her incoming protest.
He carries her to the house from before. Only now did she notice that it is actually a bamboo house.
The green bamboo looks so eye-catching amidst the floating snow.
She, who is wearing plain white dress holds the umbrella in one hand, while he who wears a purple robe that contrasts her’s makes an absolutely beautiful scene in the background.