The next day was a sunny day.
Old Madam Song sent someone to Linyue Pavilion early, intending to take Song Lingzhi to Jinming Temple.
Before leaving, Song Lingzhi went to Biyuxuan first to pay his respects to his mother.
The Jade Pavilion was quiet with no one whispering, except for the occasional rustling sound of wind.
In front of the warm room, there is a multi-treasure stand more than two meters high. On the tea booth is a small lacquered tea tray, and next to it is a crabapple flower pot decorated with Xuan stone.
Tibetan incense is burning on a bronze incense burner with a mahogany base and inlaid gold and silver animal ears, and the aroma lingers in the air.
Qiuyan and Baizhi changed their usual talkative nature and stood quietly behind Song Lingzhi with their hands hanging down.
After a while, someone finally lifted the turquoise green gorilla felt curtain. It turned out to be Chuntao, the little maidservant beside Jiang.
Chuntao bowed and greeted him. She spoke softly, as if she was afraid of disturbing the quietness of Biyuxuan: "Miss, please go back. Madam is not feeling well and is afraid of infecting others. I will not see you today."
These words were said in a tactful way and were obviously not what her mother said originally.
Song Lingzhi didn't expose her when she heard this, but just nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Chuntao. Please give my regards to mother for me."
Chun Tao was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "You are too polite, young lady."
The roads were slippery on a snowy day, and the white snow looked like a blanket of silver. Song Lingzhi was wearing a feather satin jacket with a double collar, a pair of Yang Fei-colored sheepskin boots on her feet, and was sitting high on a bamboo sedan chair.
The sky was filled with snowflakes again.
Qiuyan held an umbrella and walked with Song Lingzhi. After they left the Jade Pavilion, she smiled and said, "Young lady has really grown up now. Just now at the Jade Pavilion, I was worried that she would be angry."
Song Lingzhi's voice was lazy, and his flawless face was stained with a little fatigue: "Why should I be angry?"
But I waited in the Jade Pavilion for more than half an hour.
In her previous life, after she and Shen Yan got married, this kind of thing happened more often.
Even on the wedding night.
The hand warmer in his palm was burning hot, but Song Lingzhi could not feel any warmth at all. He only felt his hands and feet were cold, as if he had fallen into a cold lake in December.
After the wedding ceremony that night, Shen Yan returned to the study alone, leaving Song Lingzhi alone in the new house.
The night was long and the wind was bone-chilling. The red candles with dragons and phoenixes on the table burned all night long until the last inch of the candle burned out. The morning light appeared and the palace maids entered the room carrying washbasins and toiletries, but Song Lingzhi still hadn't waited for Shen Yan.
She took off her red veil by herself.
The room was filled with palace maids standing with their hands hanging down, silent.
Song Lingzhi felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and the silk handkerchief in her hand was clenched into a ball. Although Shen Yan did not stay in her room, according to the custom in the palace, the white handkerchief on the couch had to be handed over.
The snow-white handkerchief was neatly placed in the lacquered wooden box. Song Lingzhi's face turned red and white, and even his ears were red.
Seeing the nanny leading the palace maid out of the house, Song Lingzhi couldn't help but stepped forward and asked one more question: when Shen Yan would return home.
The sky at that time was just like today, with snow falling like cotton wool.
The old nanny stood at the door against the light, raised her wrinkled face and glanced casually at Song Lingzhi who was lying on the couch.
There was disdain and contempt in that look, as if mocking Song Lingzhi's arrogance.
The old lady turned around and left without saying a word.
The lattice wooden door slowly closed in front of Song Lingzhi's eyes, and the last ray of light and shadow disappeared from her face.