“You’re back?” Xiao Huiniang made more space by the fire pit, saying, “The wind and snow outside are heavy. Quickly come over and warm your hands and feet.”

“It’s alright, not too cold.” Xiao Li’s gaze swept over Wen Yu sitting by the fire pit as if by chance or not. He took off his bamboo hat and hung it on the wall by the door. Carrying several oil paper packages in his hand, he walked in. “I passed by Fengqing Tower and bought a few packages of the pastries you like to eat.”

Xiao Huiniang felt sorry that her son earned money with difficulty and couldn’t help nagging, “Spending money recklessly again. Mother told you I don’t like eating these things…”

Xiao Li placed the pastries on the table, saying, “During the New Year festival, Fengqing Tower has a buy-one-get-one-free deal on pastries. It doesn’t cost much silver.”

The inadvertent question Wen Yu had asked earlier was covered over by the mother and son’s conversation.

Xiao Li hooked a long bench with his foot and sat by the fire pit to warm his hands. The space that had been made available was already quite large, but he was tall with long legs. After sitting down, it still made this corner of the fire pit cramped—like a giant beast returning from cruel wind and vicious snow, retracting its claws and fangs in this tiny space.

Since he entered the room, Wen Yu hadn’t raised her head again, silently embroidering the handkerchief on the hoop in the corner.

However, the person opposite exerted too much oppressive pressure, still making her unconsciously tense all her nerves.

“Why did you return so early today? Will you go out again in the afternoon?” Xiao Huiniang added two pieces of firewood to the fire pit, then used iron tongs to clamp out the red-hot charcoal from inside and placed it into a clay pottery jar beside it covered with a mud brick.

“I’ll go out. Today I’m collecting debt from Li Tuhu. It’s close to home, so I came back for the meal.” The snow on Xiao Li’s body melted from being roasted by the firelight, bringing moisture. He bent down to pick up a piece of broken firewood. This posture suddenly brought him somewhat closer to Wen Yu, the oppressive feeling even stronger.

The needle in Wen Yu’s hand suddenly pricked into her finger pad. The pain made her frown and hiss softly.

Xiao Li raised his eyes. His wild yet scrutinizing gaze just happened to meet Wen Yu’s.

Wen Yu didn’t dare meet his gaze. She lowered her eyes and curled up her injured finger. The rashes on her profile seemed to have faded considerably under the firelight’s illumination.

“Did you prick your hand? Let me see.” Xiao Huiniang heard Wen Yu’s hiss, pulled over her hand, and saw that her finger pad had already oozed out a bean-sized blood drop. She couldn’t help but say with pity, “How did you prick it so deeply…”

Wen Yu said, “Blame my clumsiness for soiling your handkerchief.”

Xiao Huiniang said, “It doesn’t matter if the handkerchief got stained with blood. Just wash it clean.”

Xiao Li threw the half piece of burned firewood into the fire pile, straightened up and asked Xiao Huiniang, “Have you drunk your medicine?”

Xiao Huiniang said, “Not yet. I planned to warm it together when cooking the meal in a bit.”

Xiao Li then picked up a piece of vigorously burning firewood from the fire pit and walked out. “I’ll go warm it for you.”

As soon as he left, Wen Yu felt her breathing became much smoother.

Xiao Huiniang seemed to also notice that Wen Yu feared her son, so she said, “Though my son works at the gambling house, he’s not that kind of fierce and brutal person. Don’t be afraid of him.”

Wen Yu made an obedient appearance and nodded, but the wariness in her heart didn’t diminish.

She had suffered vicious beatings in Chen Laizi’s hands and had also seen him casually whip Chen Laizi across the face. As a debt-repayment maid sent here after Chen Laizi deceived his mother, how could she not fear that person?

So whenever that ruffian was present, she tried as much as possible to reduce her presence.

Xiao Huiniang chatted with her about various other things. When putting away the embroidery hoop, she caught sight of that embroidered handkerchief stained with Wen Yu’s blood. Her gaze suddenly paused. She picked it up and examined it carefully against the light. When she looked at Wen Yu again, her eyes showed delight mixed with some appraisal. “You know Suzhou embroidery?”

Wen Yu nodded. “My mother was from Suzhou-Hangzhou and excelled at Suzhou embroidery. I learned some following her.”

Xiao Huiniang scrutinized those few stitches Wen Yu had embroidered and praised, saying, “Your embroidery work is quite remarkable. I’m afraid even those embroiderers who make a living by their embroidery skills can’t match you.”

Luodu’s first noble lady—what people could praise about her was naturally not just that layer of identity.

Wen Yu’s bearing, needlework, and talents were all beaten out by the teaching nannies and tutors with rulers.

Thinking of past events, Wen Yu’s eyes dimmed slightly. An itch surged up her throat. She coughed twice and said, “Auntie, you’re too kind.”

Xiao Huiniang looked at the stitches Wen Yu made—the more she looked, the more she liked them. Gazing at her with a smile, she said, “Even if you doubled the price of this handkerchief and sold it at a vendor’s stall, it would definitely be snatched up completely.”

Wen Yu then said, “Then when I have free time, I’ll help you embroider.”

This was also Wen Yu’s intention in displaying her embroidery skills.

Though her wind-cold had improved somewhat now, her body was still weak. Previously pampered and privileged, where had she ever done rough work?

But according to what that ruffian said that day, he wanted her to take on all the household chores, large and small, to serve his mother.

Wen Yu worried that if she couldn’t do well and incurred the other party’s disgust, her situation would become even more difficult.

After all, Xiao Huiniang currently treated her kindly out of pity, but how long could this compassion last? The Xiao family didn’t look wealthy. An extra mouth in the house meant extra expenses. She was someone who couldn’t carry loads on shoulders or lift with hands. Over time, how could there not be resentment?

If she could take on some embroidery work, she wouldn’t be eating free meals.

Xiao Huiniang wasn’t that kind of harsh person. How could she let Wen Yu help with these things while still ill? She declined, saying, “Your wind-cold hasn’t recovered yet. Rest and recuperate properly first.”

Wen Yu said, “Being idle is being idle anyway. Working with needle and thread can also pass the time.”

Since words had reached this point, Xiao Huiniang couldn’t refuse further. She smiled and agreed, flipping through the handkerchief Wen Yu embroidered, saying, “The pattern you embroidered is beautiful. I’ve never seen it before.”

Wen Yu answered, “It’s a fashionable style from Luodu’s side. Perhaps it hasn’t spread here yet.”

As soon as these words left her mouth, the light in Xiao Huiniang’s eyes intensified. She said, “That’s wonderful! Handkerchiefs with fashionable patterns, on market days, hung at vendor stalls, usually sell out in less than half a day. It’s just that the patterns are learned and copied immediately. Before long, the whole street is selling silk handkerchiefs in this style. In the end, one must rely on embroidery skill for the long term.”

Hearing this, Wen Yu’s eyes flickered slightly as she asked, “The whole street?”

Xiao Huiniang thought she didn’t understand the situation and explained, “Patterns that sell well—how could embroiderers not eagerly learn them? They all depend on this to make a living.”

Wen Yu lowered her eyes and said gently, “Then I’ll alternate embroidering fashionable styles from Luodu’s side.”

Originally she had been at a loss, not knowing how to contact her trusted guards. Xiao Huiniang’s unintentional words actually gave her an idea.

If fashionable silk handkerchief patterns could be copied and imitated until they were all over the streets, she could slightly modify the secret emblem for contacting the Wen family’s death warriors and embroider it on silk handkerchiefs. When the trusted guards searching for her saw it, they would know she was here.

Having thought of this method, Wen Yu didn’t care about her hand pain or Xiao Huiniang’s dissuasion. She immediately continued embroidering by the fire pit.

When Xiao Li came in carrying the cooked meal, he saw that woman given to him as collateral by Chen Laizi sitting by the fire pit without even raising her head, just concentrating on the embroidery work in her hands.

Xiao Li unconsciously frowned.

Was she afraid he’d dislike her for not working, so as soon as she could get out of bed, she took on work for herself?

He didn’t consider himself any kind of virtuous person, but he wasn’t harsh to this extent, was he?

Xiao Li thought about how every time she looked at him, it was like looking at some fearsome beast. Though his heart felt slightly displeased, he didn’t particularly care.

Let her fear him then. Fearing him meant she’d muster up her full energy and spirit to take good care of his mother. This was a good thing.

Yet every time he recalled that ruthless streak that had burst forth from her twice, then looked at her timid and obedient appearance, he felt something was off everywhere.

That gaze that should have swept past momentarily paused on Wen Yu for a few more breaths, sharp as if trying to peel open her spine and explore something inside.

But in Wen Yu’s hands, only needle and thread shuttled through. She seemed not to have noticed at all.

Xiao Li withdrew his gaze, placed the meal on the square table, and called, “Mother, time to eat.”

Xiao Huiniang, who had been watching Wen Yu do embroidery work by the fire pit all along, responded with an “Ah” and also called to Wen Yu, “A’Yu, eat before embroidering. A few more stitches won’t matter.”

Wen Yu, who had been concentrating on placing stitches, heard that “A’Yu” and the embroidery needle in her hand nearly pricked her finger pad again.

Since leaving Fengyang, no one had called her this way anymore.

Wen Yu suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and agreed with a sound.

That square table had one side against the wall. Xiao Huiniang and Xiao Li each sat on one side.

When Wen Yu walked over, she saw that the other unoccupied side also had a set of bowl and chopsticks laid out, and the bowl was also filled with dumpling soup—as if prepared for her.

Her heart was full of doubt, yet she didn’t dare rashly sit down. After all, in the prince’s mansion, no matter how favored a maid was, when the masters were eating, they had to stand at the side serving dishes. So she held her chopsticks and stood beside Xiao Huiniang, asking, “Auntie, what would you like to eat?”

Xiao Huiniang held her large bowl. The chopsticks in her hand had already picked up some oil-fried bamboo shoots. Hearing this, she turned her head very strangely to look at her, saying, “You sit down and eat. Whatever dish I want to eat, I’ll pick up myself.”

Actually, there weren’t many dishes on this table to choose from. Aside from a plate of oil-fried bamboo shoots, a plate of salt-boiled beans, only a small dish of pickled vegetables remained.

Wen Yu stood frozen in place holding her chopsticks.

She didn’t need to serve dishes?

Her searching gaze looked toward that ruffian.

Xiao Li was looked at by her until a mouthful of dumpling soup choked in his throat. After coughing twice, he said, “The family doesn’t have so many rules. If you’re told to sit and eat, just sit and eat.”

Only then did Wen Yu sit on the other side of the table. While eating the dumpling soup cooked from some unknown flour paste in her bowl, she slowly figured out something.

Though that ruffian said she should be a maid for his mother, both mother and son seemed not to care about those formalities of hierarchy and status.

Just as she was lost in her own thoughts, Xiao Huiniang stuffed a chopstick full of bamboo shoot shreds into her bowl. “Why only eating dumpling soup with your head down? Pick up some vegetables to eat.”

The strange feeling in Wen Yu’s heart grew heavier, gradually piling up into other emotions that were somewhat bitter. She lowered her head to eat that chopstick full of oily bamboo shoot shreds and said in a hoarse voice, “Thank you.”

Xiao Huiniang looked at her frame that still appeared thin despite wearing her old jacket. Her heart ached even more with pity. She said, “Don’t be distant. As I said, from now on just treat this place as your own home.”

Xiao Li glanced at her while eating his dumpling soup but said nothing.

After the meal, Xiao Huiniang drank another cup of medicine. Feeling somewhat tired, she returned to her room to rest.

Wen Yu listened to the washing sounds coming from the kitchen. She weighed whether to continue embroidering by the fire pit or return to her room. Finally, holding the needle and thread basket, she returned to her room.

When Xiao Li returned after cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks and saw no one by the fire pit, he raised his eyebrows slightly.

He walked to Wen Yu’s door and raised his hand to knock.