Chapter 14

The Song family had brought quite a large group for this snow-viewing excursion. Beyond Qi Yunmiao, there were several children from other families. Among the adults, aside from Madam Song, Wen Tingyao, there were also several ladies from other branches of the Song clan. Everyone headed toward the residence in high spirits.

"I suspected Jingxuan would be here, so I brought a pair of newly made gloves for you and Zhaolin. Take a look and see if they suit you."

Once inside the main hall, Wen Tingyao settled the various family members and children into their quarters. As everyone dispersed, only Qi Yunmiao, Song Qingyu, Pei Ze, and Song Su remained in the flower hall.

She handed the items she had prepared to Pei Ze. He accepted them with a word of thanks. Qi Yunmiao stood to the side, observing him. She truly had not expected to encounter Pei Ze while viewing the snow in the outskirts of the capital today. Since their brief meeting earlier, where she had addressed him as "Brother," they had not exchanged another word.

Having not seen him for a few days, Pei Ze seemed to have grown even taller. Amidst the falling snow, he wore a moon-white robe draped with a snowy fox-fur cloak that blended into the flurry. It looked exceptionally refined and clearly of great value.

Qi Yunmiao stared at the cloak. She, too, had a fox-fur cloak, made for her by her mother and her father when he was still alive last year. That day, her father had returned from hunting on the mountain with a pure black fox. Neighbors had said that if they sold the pelt in the city, it would fetch a high price; the nobility loved such rare furs, and the money would have provided for their family of three for an entire year.

However, those days were bitterly cold, and Qi Yunmiao, who loved to run wild and learn hunting, was in dire need of a warm outer garment. After discussing it, her parents decided against selling the fox. They used the pelt to craft her a thick cloak. Fearing the black might look too somber for a child, her mother spent a long time deliberating before embroidering silver-white butterflies across the fabric to complete it.

When she first received the cloak, Qi Yunmiao had been inseparable from it, wrapping herself in it whenever she went out. Later, after her father passed away, she had worn that same cloak while witnessing her mother retrieve his remains and lay him to rest. Today, however, she was not wearing that piece, but rather a long-sleeved coat with a fur collar from her trunk.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct; after a moment, Pei Ze turned his head, his eyes landing on Qi Yunmiao. This was his stepsister, whom he had not seen in a long time. In truth, Pei Ze had not expected to run into her here either. Although he had heard Song Su mention that Qi Yunmiao and Song Qingyu were close, he had not realized they were this close.

Their eyes met, his calm gaze seemingly harboring a question. Caught staring, Qi Yunmiao felt no shame. Under his scrutiny, she merely widened her eyes and looked at him even more brazenly.

"..."

What a tiresome little girl. Pei Ze quickly looked away.

—

Qi Yunmiao was to share a room with Song Qingyu tonight. Once Wen Tingyao finished making the arrangements, it was finally their turn to settle into their quarters.

It was a small courtyard near Wen Tingyao’s room, featuring a bedroom, a study, a small kitchen, and most importantly, a hot spring pool. This was Qi Yunmiao’s first time seeing such a pool. She crouched by the edge, dipped her hand into the warm water, and watched the snow falling heavily outside, her spirits lifting.

Until Song Xiao arrived.

"Qingyu, Qi Yunmiao, are you two settled in yet?"

Before they had been in the room for long, Song Xiao rushed in. "Not yet," Song Qingyu replied.

"We’re planning to go outside the backyard to kick shuttlecocks and have a snowball fight. Hurry up!" Song Xiao said with a hint of impatience.

"Outside the backyard?" Song Qingyu asked, puzzled. "But brother, isn't that the Duke of Ding’s residence? Mother warned us before we came that there are people there, and we shouldn't disturb them."

"Going out the back doesn't mean entering the Duke’s main gate, it's just their outer wall. What’s the harm?" Song Xiao dismissed the concern.

"But..." Song Qingyu knit her delicate brows, wanting to say more, but Song Xiao waved a hand. "Oh, alright, you girls are so troublesome. Come if you want, stay if you don't! We're going ahead!"

"Second Brother!"

Song Qingyu tried to call out, but Song Xiao had already turned and dashed away. She could only look at Qi Yunmiao, her brows still furrowed.

"Is the Duke of Ding’s residence right next to your home?" Qi Yunmiao asked. Song Qingyu nodded.

"Do you want to go play?" Qi Yunmiao asked.

"Mother said we shouldn't go near the Duke's estate," Song Qingyu said, hesitating as she looked in the direction Song Xiao had vanished.

"I don't mind," Qi Yunmiao said. "If you want to play with Song Xiao and the others, I'll go with you. If you don't, we can just lie in the room and watch the snow!"

"Hmm..."

She left the decision entirely to Song Qingyu. After thinking it over, the desire to play in the snow eventually outweighed her mother's instructions. She nodded at Qi Yunmiao, and the two quickly tidied up and went out to join the others.

They kicked shuttlecocks, threw snowballs, and built a snow lion in the backyard. There were so many children from the Song family that after playing for a while, Qi Yunmiao realized why Song Xiao was so insistent on playing outside—the Song family's suburban residence simply couldn't hold them all.

Gradually, the snow at the foot of the mountain grew heavier, and everyone's spirits soared, oblivious to the cold. Suddenly, someone kicked the shuttlecock too hard. It soared against the falling snow, landed on the wall of the neighboring courtyard, and tumbled straight inside.

"Oh no, the shuttlecock fell into the Duke of Ding’s residence!" Song Qingyu exclaimed.

Song Xiao’s expression changed. He hurriedly asked, "Who kicked that?"

But no one dared to admit it. Everyone looked at one another; they had been playing so wildly that no one knew who had sent it over. A little girl with her hair in twin buns flushed red, appearing about to speak, but the boy taller than her beside her pulled her sleeve and shook his head.

The scene fell into a deathly silence. Finally, Song Xiao lost his temper. "That was a shuttlecock my father made for me by hand! What are we going to do now?"

"If it was handmade, why not just go and ask for it back?"

Qi Yunmiao didn't understand. If the shuttlecock fell into someone's yard, why not just ask for it back? Why was Song Xiao making such a fuss?

Song Xiao glared at Qi Yunmiao. Did this wild girl from the countryside have any idea what the name "Duke of Ding" meant? They were the most unreasonable people in the capital. Relying on their relative in the palace, a noble consort, they were terrifyingly arrogant, looking down on everyone they met with disdain.

Asking for it back? It sounded simple, but who wanted to suffer the Duke of Ding’s cold shoulder for no reason? They would surely be mocked. But leaving it behind... it was a gift from his father; Song Xiao couldn't bear it.

"Who kicked it? Think of something!" His temper flared, but as the friends huddled together, no one stepped forward to claim responsibility.

Finally, someone suggested, "How about we play 'heads or tails'? Whoever loses goes to the Duke of Ding’s residence to get it back." Some agreed, but others refused. "It wasn't me, why should I participate?"

...Such were the objections. But they had no better option. Before Wen Tingyao had left, she had warned them not to provoke the Duke of Ding. If Song Xiao wanted his toy back without getting scolded by his mother, they had to handle it themselves.

In the end, despite the reluctance, everyone joined the game. Qi Yunmiao and Song Qingyu stood together, flipping their hands several times, but neither lost. A bad premonition grew in Qi Yunmiao's heart. Sure enough, only she, Song Qingyu, and one other boy remained.

The three played the final round. Song Qingyu trembled, and the boy stood in the snow, sweating despite the cold. The loser was Qi Yunmiao.

She had to go to the Duke of Ding’s residence to retrieve the shuttlecock for Song Xiao.

"Qi Yunmiao, if you get it back for me, I'll treat you to snacks for a whole year!" Song Xiao promised bravely before she left.

Qi Yunmiao didn't need his snacks. A bet was a bet; she would go. Judging by everyone’s reaction, the Duke of Ding’s residence was not a place to be trifled with. She remembered that she had some history with them—they had sent an invitation to the Prime Minister’s estate for her and her mother to attend a banquet, but her mother had said it was a trap and they had declined.

She wondered if she was walking into the lion’s den today. Before leaving, she gripped Song Qingyu’s hand, whispered a few words of instruction, and then turned to walk toward the Duke of Ding’s residence.

She arrived at the gate and explained her purpose to the guards. After confirming her identity, they told her to wait while they went inside to report.

Qi Yunmiao stood quietly at the gate. Before long, the guard returned, empty-handed. He said, "Apologies for the wait, Miss Qi. The shuttlecock was found, but it was picked up by our Madam. Upon hearing that a young lady from the Prime Minister’s estate had arrived, our Madam wishes to invite you inside for tea and to enjoy the snow together."