In her haste and fright, he hadn't seen clearly. When he realized Zhang Miao'er had turned around, Ling Muzhu saw just how daringly she was dressed.
This attire was even more revealing than what the women of the pleasure quarters wore. How could she, a lady from a respectable family, come out dressed like this?
Momentarily, Ling Muzhu’s gaze darted around, unsure of what to do. He scanned the room, then fixed his eyes on the tablecloth on the table, tore it off, and covered Zhang Miao'er with it, closing his eyes.
"Cousin, what is the meaning of this?"
Zhang Miao'er looked at the ink-stained tablecloth draped over her, her brows furrowing in displeasure. She suppressed the urge to turn and leave, maintaining a smile.
"The wind is strong at night; you should wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold," Ling Muzhu said with a cold face, his gaze not lingering on Zhang Miao'er for a moment.
"Thank... thank you for your concern, cousin..."
Though feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhang Miao'er did her best to maintain her smile. She subtly removed the tablecloth, placed it aside, and holding a bowl of porridge, walked towards Ling Muzhu.
"Cousin, this porridge must be drunk hot. Drinking it cold is not good for the stomach. Cousin, try the porridge Miao'er made; see if it suits your taste."
Zhang Miao'er scooped a spoonful of porridge and brought it to Ling Muzhu's lips, trying to force him to drink it.
Completely caught off guard by Zhang Miao'er's action, Ling Muzhu flinched and took a step back. He reached out to block Zhang Miao'er's approach, but dared not make any sudden movements, fearing he might touch her.
"Cousin, please try this porridge..."
With no other option, Ling Muzhu's heart hardened. He directly pushed Zhang Miao'er's hand away, and the spoon fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Ling Muzhu finally gained a moment to breathe and quickly retreated a few steps, creating distance between himself and Zhang Miao'er. This woman was too terrifying; the type who forcefully threw herself at you was the most dreadful, impossible to shake off.
"Cousin... you..." Zhang Miao'er changed her tactic, forcing a few tears from the corner of her eyes, feigning a pitiable appearance. "I know you don't like me, but I never expected you to despise me to this extent. I only saw that the porridge was getting cold and wanted my elder cousin to drink it quickly..."
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have made this porridge, nor should I have brought it to you. If you felt uncomfortable, it's all my fault. I'll leave now."
Zhang Miao'er put on a show of being greatly distressed, appearing quite pitiful. It was a shame Ling Muzhu had seen too much of this act and remained unmoved.
After a while, Zhang Miao'er realized that Ling Muzhu didn't seem to fall for her tricks and became a little anxious. Her suspicious eyes darted around.
New stratagems came to mind. Zhang Miao'er tiptoed to Ling Muzhu's side, remembering her mother's words to get Ling Muzhu to drink the bowl of porridge.
"Cousin, Miao'er spent a full hour making this porridge. Please, for Miao'er's sake, drink it."
Ling Muzhu was at his wit's end with her persistence. He had never met a girl like this.
Frustrated, he put down the book he was holding and sighed. It seemed that if he didn't drink this bowl of porridge today, Zhang Miao'er would absolutely not leave so easily.
After a pause, having made up his mind, Ling Muzhu picked up the bowl, brought it to his lips, and drank it all in one go. He then tossed the empty bowl in front of Zhang Miao'er. "I drank it. Can you leave now?"
A triumphant smile curved Zhang Miao'er's lips, though she maintained her delicate demeanor. "Cousin drank the porridge, so Miao'er will... will..."
Before she could finish, Zhang Miao'er suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed.
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Ling Muzhu reacted instinctively, catching Zhang Miao'er as she fell towards him. "You... what's wrong?"
In his arms, Zhang Miao'er was as still as death, not making a sound.
Ling Muzhu's brows furrowed deeply, his face etched with helplessness. After a moment, Ling Muzhu felt a fire building in his chest, a suffocating pressure, and his entire body felt hot and agitated, as if burning.
Meanwhile, Zhang Miao'er in his arms emanated a coolness. Ling Muzhu immediately sensed something was amiss. Why would he feel this way? His body felt strangely off.
...
"Young Madam, will these pastries do?" Chu Qing scanned the several dishes of pastries in the food box, all of which seemed to be the Second Young Master's favorites.
"Just prepare a few casually."
Feng Jin put down the bottles and jars she was holding and turned her gaze to the food box. She gave them a quick glance; these were more than enough. Just a few prepared casually would suffice.
"Let's just do this. What time is it? Let's hurry and go."
After delivering the pastries, she needed to hurry back for a beauty sleep. Feng Jin stretched, finding that staying up late was truly exhausting.
As soon as she stepped out of her room, Feng Jin felt a chill. "The weather has really turned cold. It's only what month is it?"
"Right, Chu Qing, what's the climate like in your Xiliang?"
"Most places there are covered in sand, the climate is arid, and water is scarce. It's not like Dongchu, with mountains and forests everywhere, nor such vibrant competing flowers. It's mostly sand."
Before coming to Dongchu, she had never seen such beautiful flowers, never seen trees as thick as a water vat, nor experienced rainy days.
Dongchu was a very comfortable place to live, unlike Xiliang, where the sun always blazed fiercely.
From Chu Qing's description, Feng Jin roughly surmised that Xiliang was located in the northwest, with hot weather and likely vast deserts.
"In short, Xiliang's weather is very harsh, mostly dry, and sometimes it doesn't rain for a very, very long time."
"The environment of every region is determined by natural factors. No place is perfect. While Xiliang is arid, it has vast deserts and tall camels. The fruits there should be the sweetest. Dongchu, although it has distinct seasons with flowers and water, experiences harsh winters..."
Feng Jin patiently reasoned with her. After all, the climate had been decided long ago. Everything in nature had its predetermined course. All things coexist, give birth to each other, and counteract each other; it's all ordained. There are pros and cons, complementing and assisting each other for long-term survival.
"Young Madam is truly wise to know all this. Xiliang's fruits are indeed the sweetest, and there are tall camels. When I was young, I rode camels with my father across the boundless desert. The desert under the sunset is the most beautiful."