STT – Chapter 18

Ripples Across a Quiet Lake

Perhaps because the medicine Jiang Wang had prescribed contained a sedative, Lu Zizheng slept exceptionally deeply. By the time she woke up, the sky was just beginning to brighten. It was a good night’s sleep, the likes of which she hadn’t had in a long time.

She rubbed her eyes, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings with a brief moment of confusion. It took her a while to realize she was at Jiang Huaixi’s place. Rising from the bed, she gathered the clothes Zhang Ma had prepared and hung on the bedside coat rack, then went into the bathroom to wash up.

            

Her mind was still preoccupied with Jiang Huaixi’s pale complexion when she had walked through the door yesterday. Worried that she might have caught a cold and fallen ill, Lu Zizheng washed up as quickly as possible. Once she’d put herself together, she hurried downstairs, figuring that Jiang Huaixi would probably be up soon as well.

She had only made it halfway down the stairs when she heard Zhang Ma’s anxious voice, slightly raised in pitch: “Oh, my Eldest Miss, you’re still running a fever! How can you still touch water? Just leave this to Zhang Ma…” Lu Zizheng’s heart tightened, and her brow furrowed instantly.

She continued downward, following the sound of the voices. She heard Jiang Huaixi speaking; her voice was different from usual—though it retained its customary calm and indifference, it was raspy and hoarse: “Zhang Ma, when Zizheng comes down in a moment, don’t mention my fever to her.”

            

Zhang Ma replied hesitantly, “But Miss, your face is completely flushed from the fever. I’m afraid Miss Lu will notice even if I don’t say anything. We should have Doctor Jiang come over again.”

Jiang Huaixi didn’t respond for a moment. Then, she instructed in a hoarse voice, “Zhang Ma, go check if Zizheng is awake. If she’s up, come back down, and bring me a cold towel while you’re at it.”

While Zhang Ma remained perplexed, Lu Zizheng’s heart throbbed with a sharp, aching pain. She felt anxious and angry, yet deeply touched and aching with care all at once. Using a cold towel to bring down her temperature just to hide her flushed face—she really had no idea how to look after her own body. Yet, it required no second thought to realize why this fool, who didn’t know how to cherish herself, was doing this. She was simply afraid that Lu Zizheng would worry and blame herself…

            

Before Zhang Ma could come out to check on her, Lu Zizheng deliberately let her footsteps fall heavily to make some noise. She then quickly made her way toward where Jiang Huaixi and Zhang Ma were—the kitchen…

Inside, she saw Jiang Huaixi standing before the cutting board in an apron, turned slightly to look at her. One of her hands rested naturally on the counter, her face flushed with an unnatural redness, and even her eyes were slightly reddened by the fever. Upon seeing Lu Zizheng, a flash of panic darted through her eyes. Zhang Ma stood beside her, her face filled with anxiety.

As Lu Zizheng stepped into the kitchen, Jiang Huaixi turned back around and began slicing mushrooms on the cutting board, one slow stroke after another. Her voice betrayed no emotion: “Up so early? Didn’t you sleep well last night?” Lu Zizheng could hear that she was deliberately slowing and softening her voice, yet she still couldn’t hide the hoarseness.

            

Lu Zizheng walked over to stand beside her. Reaching her hands into the water to help wash the vegetables, she kept her voice perfectly casual as she replied, “I slept quite well. What about you? Didn’t you sleep well? Your voice is so hoarse.”

Jiang Huaixi swept the sliced mushrooms into a small dish on the side and replied flatly, “Mm. I had some insomnia in the middle of the night, so I stood by the window for a bit. The wind must have given me a slight cold.”

She spoke so steadily, as if merely stating a fact, that Lu Zizheng maintained her own facade. Refusing to expose her well-meaning deception, Lu Zizheng teased her, “Miss Jiang has such elegant sensibilities. Admiring the scenery in the dead of night must have its own unique charm.”

            

Jiang Huaixi let out a soft hum, a faint smile gracing her lips. “Miss Lu is cordially invited to join me.”

Lu Zizheng let out a soft chuckle. She gave Jiang Huaixi a gentle nudge and said, “The patient should go rest on the side. Hand the battlefield over to me.”

Zhang Ma, standing nearby, immediately seized the opportunity to chime in. “Yes, Miss, just leave this to Miss Lu.”

            

Jiang Huaixi stopped slicing the pork. She cast a sideways glance at Lu Zizheng and remarked with interest, “You certainly sound like you know what you’re doing. But would the great Miss Lu—who’s never soiled her hands with kitchen work—mind telling me first: do you even know what I’m making?”

Lu Zizheng scanned the ingredients on the counter and the rice soaking in water nearby, then smiled knowingly. Underestimating her, was she? She arched an eyebrow and said, “Isn’t it just preserved egg and pork porridge?” This was the very first dish Jiang Huaixi had learned from Mother Lu, as it was Lu Zizheng’s absolute favorite breakfast. Although she had never made it herself, she had seen her mother prepare it countless times.

Jiang Huaixi’s interest was piqued as well, and she smiled. “You certainly talk as if you actually know how.”

            

Lu Zizheng nudged Jiang Huaixi aside, took her place before the cutting board, and slipped the kitchen knife from her hand. Striking a practiced pose, she said, “Whether I actually know how or not, you’ll see in a moment.”

Jiang Huaixi stepped back behind Lu Zizheng, yielding easily and letting her take the knife. Her eyes, slightly reddened by the fever, were filled with amusement. She was slightly taller than Lu Zizheng; by lowering her head from behind, she could watch her slice the meat stroke by stroke. Though Lu Zizheng’s movements were clumsy, she still managed to look the part.

Seeing that Jiang Huaixi had finally stepped aside, Zhang Ma let out a sigh of relief. She went to fetch a small basin of warm water and brought it over to Jiang Huaixi.

            

Jiang Huaixi washed her hands thoroughly, untied her apron, and gently tugged on Lu Zizheng to indicate that she should turn around.

Lu Zizheng shifted her steps slightly. Still holding the kitchen knife, she turned halfway around with a look of confusion.

Just as she turned, Jiang Huaixi stepped in close with the apron. Lowering her head, she gently fastened the strap around Lu Zizheng’s neck.

            

The gesture was so sudden that Lu Zizheng froze instantly. She felt Jiang Huaixi’s breath catching her loose strands of hair, tickling her neck again and again. She didn’t dare to move even a fraction of an inch.

Once she’d finally secured the neck strap, Jiang Huaixi drew back slightly with a smile. Her hand remained resting on Lu Zizheng’s shoulder as she looked down, only to find Lu Zizheng staring blankly up at her with an unreadable expression. As their eyes locked, Jiang Huaixi lost herself for a moment. She forgot to lift her hand from Lu Zizheng’s shoulder, and instead, her grip tightened slightly without her realizing.

Lu Zizheng only felt that Jiang Huaixi’s hair was so fragrant, her face so beautiful, and her eyes made her unwilling to look away from her face for even a fraction of a second…

            

Undercurrents seemed to ripple through the air, disturbing the tranquility of a quiet lake…

Finally, Jiang Huaixi coughed softly and averted her eyes, quieting that hard-to-define undercurrent.

Lu Zizheng also pulled back her scattered thoughts and turned her head. At some point, Zhang Ma had already silently slipped out.

            

Jiang Huaixi leaned down and quickly tied the apron straps around Lu Zizheng’s waist. Stepping aside, she said with a trace of amusement, “Now, please display your skills, Miss Lu.”

Lu Zizheng curved her lips into a smile. Turning back around, she slid the knife through the meat slowly but steadily, looking entirely composed. “Just make sure you don’t get too shocked.”

Yet reality always fell short of imagination. Watching someone cook was one thing; doing it oneself was quite another. Once she actually started cooking, Lu Zizheng got a bit flustered. She struggled to keep the steps in order, but fortunately, although Jiang Huaixi gloated from the sidelines, she still offered a pointer or two along the way. In the end, the preserved egg and pork porridge was completed without further mishap.

            

At the dining table, Lu Zizheng took small spoonfuls of the porridge from her bowl while stealing unobtrusive glances at Jiang Huaixi. She felt the flavor was decent, but when she saw Jiang Huaixi furrow her brow slightly, her heart sank with unease.

Fortunately, although she furrowed her brow, Jiang Huaixi admitted, “I didn’t expect the presentation to be so-so, but it actually tastes quite good.”

Lu Zizheng couldn’t help but beam with joy. “Naturally. Does the Eldest Miss Jiang know she underestimated me now?”

            

Jiang Huaixi scooped up another small spoonful, let out a quiet chuckle, and didn’t reply.

Lu Zizheng had worried that Jiang Huaixi’s fever would ruin her appetite, but seeing her finish the entire bowl of porridge set her mind at ease. A feeling of profound contentment filled her heart, and for a fleeting moment, she even resolved to learn how to cook from her mother when she went back.

After breakfast, Zhang Ma cleared the table and washed the dishes. She then brought some medicine and a cup of warm water to Jiang Huaixi, saying, “Miss, please take your medicine.” When she finished, she glanced at Lu Zizheng. Recalling the scene she had witnessed in the kitchen, her weathered face flushed slightly, and she murmured, “Miss Lu, would you… would you also like to take some medicine to prevent a cold? Just in case… in case you catch it from Miss…” Her voice grew quieter and quieter toward the end.

            

Seeing Zhang Ma’s sheepish expression, Lu Zizheng’s eyelids twitched. Had Zhang Ma misunderstood something?

She waved her hand dismissively and said with forced casualness, “No need to go to any trouble. It was just a meal together; how could it be so easily transmitted?”

Zhang Ma was clearly still a bit worried, but seeing that Jiang Huaixi remained calm and said nothing, she didn’t press further. Since the Miss wasn’t worried, it was likely not an issue.

            

Lu Zizheng knew that Jiang Huaixi didn’t want her to know about the fever. Realizing that staying would only get in the way of her resting and seeing the doctor, she sat a little longer before taking her leave.

Jiang Huaixi truly exasperated Lu Zizheng. She actually wanted to drive her home, completely ignoring the state of her own complexion. Suppressing the urge to drag Jiang Huaixi back to her room and fling her onto the bed, Lu Zizheng put on a cold expression and firmly refused her: “Didn’t you get enough of the wind last night? Do you think your throat isn’t hoarse enough?”

Seeing how serious Lu Zizheng was, and feeling indeed a bit lightheaded and worried about driving safely, Jiang Huaixi compromised, “Fine. I’ll have the driver take you back.” She insisted, however, on seeing Lu Zizheng out to watch her get into the car.

            

The snow that had blanketed the courtyard last night had already been cleared away, and the snowmen had melted, leaving no trace. All that remained were damp patches of water on the ground and a lonely scattering of four tree branches, a few beads, and two carrots…

Daylight had come, the dream was over, and the playful laughter of the previous night felt a lifetime away. The snowmen, who had stood as witnesses, had dissolved into water, evaporating under the sunlight and leaving behind only these melancholy remnants.

The rosy cheeks leave the mirror, the flowers leave the tree; they are what can least be retained in this human world.¹

            

With misty eyes, Lu Zizheng stared at the scattered remains, stopping in her tracks and forgetting to move.

Suddenly, an enlarged photograph was presented right before Lu Zizheng’s eyes.

“It’s right here…”

            

Amidst hazy lights and drifting snowflakes, two snowmen stood hand-in-hand beneath the vast, quiet night sky, grinning into the wind…

Jiang Huaixi’s voice, though raspy, was incredibly tender: “Flowers watered with joy will never wither.”

In that moment, looking at Jiang Huaixi’s calm and resolute expression, Lu Zizheng almost believed her.

            

Could she, could she believe just one more time—believe in the “forever” on Jiang Huaixi’s lips?

---