Chapter 3: Having Feelings

“What is the meaning of ‘heartlessly cold’?” Anu stood with her hands behind her back, her aura pure and refined, a playful glint in her cool, clear eyes.

Shen Sheng was so angry she nearly fell backward. Anu explained to her slowly: “To be heartless and cold requires first having feelings. Did we have feelings between us before?”

“You… you weren’t so cold-hearted last night when you were pulling on me!” Shen Sheng was furious enough to explode. Her life was at stake, and this woman was still in the mood for games.

The two stood inside the room talking. Outside, footsteps passed by constantly. Suddenly, someone paused, seemingly about to enter.

Quick as lightning, Shen Sheng grabbed Anu’s wrist and leaped directly onto a crossbeam.

Just as they landed, the door was pushed open. Song Changyu and a woman rushed in frantically.

The woman was crying and wailing, clutching Song Changyu’s clothes. Song Changyu, impatient, shook her hand away. “Don’t talk nonsense, shut your mouth.”

“I only had this one daughter, and now she’s gone! How can you tell me to bear it? From the beginning, I said we shouldn’t do this marriage, but you forced her to marry. I don’t care what you do, but you shouldn’t have used your own daughter’s life as a bargaining chip. How can you be so cruel…”

On the crossbeam, Shen Sheng was seething with rage. Yet Anu remained calm and composed. Shen Sheng looked at her. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“Why should I be surprised? Do you still think this is a coincidence?” Anu mocked, her gaze sweeping over Shen Sheng’s face. “You are doomed to bear the label of murderer.”

Shen Sheng was so angry her chest hurt.

Down below, Song Changyu lowered his voice: “Don’t say what you shouldn’t. Stick to the story that Shen Sheng killed our daughter and fled to escape punishment. Nothing else needs to be asked or said.”

“Even if you kill her, our daughter won’t come back. Song Changyu, was it you who killed your own daughter?” The woman, Madam Song, cried out regardless of the consequences.

Song Changyu’s face turned ashen with fear. He hurriedly covered his wife’s mouth and nose, the veins on his forehead bulging. “Don’t talk nonsense! Otherwise, I’ll take back everything I’ve given your maiden family.”

Madam Song was so frightened she nodded frantically, the sound of her weeping stopping instantly.

Only then was Song Changyu satisfied. He said: “I’ll put Ji’er under your name. You’ll have a son, and he’ll gain the status of a legitimate son by the principal wife. It’s good for you, and good for him.”

Madam Song seemed deathly afraid of her husband, only nodding repeatedly, too terrified to speak again. Her fear was plain to see.

The two on the crossbeam exchanged glances. Shen Sheng was deeply worried, while Anu’s face showed pure disgust.

The couple soon left. Neither noticed the incense ash on the table.

After landing on the ground, Shen Sheng’s first action was to thoroughly clean up the incense ash on the table. Worried, she looked at Anu: “I have no grudge against the Song Family. Why would they frame me?”

“Is the number of people who have died by your hand small?” Anu lowered her head to brush the incense ash from her body, her gaze distant.

Shen Sheng was eighteen years old. Although seemingly young, the heads she had chopped off in three years were countless. How could her enemies be few?

“I can’t leave. I must investigate and understand what’s really going on.” Shen Sheng looked dejected, her brows tightly knitted, lacking her usual youthful vigor.

After straightening her own collar, Anu glanced out of the corner of her eye at the crestfallen girl. Her heart softened slightly despite herself. She sighed, resigned. “Go investigate at the Song residence. If Song Changyu can’t find you, he won’t let it rest. Hiding in someone else’s place isn’t as good as hiding right in the Song residence. How dare a mere merchant move against you? There must be a mastermind behind this.”

“Are you willing to help me?” Shen Sheng’s brows lifted, surprise flashing across her heroic face. “I knew you still had feelings for me.”

Anu shook her head gracefully: “I just think you’re very pitiful, that’s all.”

“Can you speak properly for once?” Shen Sheng’s gaze fell on the woman’s alluringly cold features. She was untouched by worldly dust; not exactly radiant in a conventional way, but her presence was imposing, overwhelmingly oppressive.

Shen Sheng had grown up in the Imperial Capital until she was fifteen. She knew quite a few of the big and small figures in the capital, but there was absolutely no one called Jiang Wan.

Her eyes scanned the woman several times, instinctively growing alert. This person’s status was undoubtedly exceptional. Perhaps she could even partner with her to return to the capital.

Having made up her mind, she grinned with an obsequious smile: “It’s fine if you don’t speak properly. As long as you’re happy.”

Anu looked at the girl’s fawning expression, her mood subtle. She kindly reminded her: “Your flattering expression is too obvious. It reminds me of the tabby cat I chased out of my house.”

Shen Sheng didn’t retort. Fine, let her be a tabby cat, as long as this trouble could be solved.

The sky outside had brightened considerably. Sunlight streamed in through the window, the light from the latticework breaking into scattered rays that fell on Anu’s profile. Half her face was hidden in shadow, lending her a certain ruthlessness.

The half of her face lit by the light seemed even paler. Shen Sheng thought of the woman from last night, the one who could easily break a person’s backbone with just her presence.

Everything about her was good, except for her temper.

She would coax her, follow her whims.

In the adjacent room, the yamen runners carried out Song Ling’s body. The Song Family went first to the county yamen. The two of them slipped out of the inn.

Anu suddenly asked: “You didn’t even know what Song Ling looked like, yet you married her?”

“I didn’t want to marry her either. But do you know what it’s like when so many people force you to bow at the ceremony, just pouring alcohol down your throat? Could you handle that?” Shen Sheng was also frustrated. It was far too crude.

Anu lifted her foot and walked away. Shen Sheng hurriedly followed, asking hopefully: “Where are we going?”

“Change clothes, go to the Song residence.”

“And how did you know the Song Family’s marriage was a setup?”

Anu didn’t answer. The only sound was the crunch-crunch of their feet on the snow.

There was hardly anyone on the streets of the small town. Snow had fallen all night, making the icy, snowy landscape exceptionally cold. Every household kept its doors tightly shut.

Walking in the snow, the frigid air was biting, yet Shen Sheng felt nothing. She just felt warm and comfortable all over, which was very pleasant.

“Where do you live?” Shen Sheng followed the woman like a shadow, afraid that if she blinked, the other would simply disappear.

Anu clearly paid no mind to her words, continuing to walk along casually on her own.

Shen Sheng said: “I still need to go back to the Song residence to get my belongings. You have to help me…”

In this icy, snowy world, it felt like the breath from her words would freeze in mid-air. Seeing Anu didn’t respond, Shen Sheng added: “You were quite talkative last night…”

Before she could finish, Anu suddenly stopped walking and turned back to look at her.

A single, light glance made Shen Sheng extremely uncomfortable. “N-not talkative… just a few words… re-repeating them, that’s all.”

“Forget what happened last night.” Anu’s expression was rather grim.

Shen Sheng shook her head, speaking with utter seriousness: “My mother taught me to treat every person you’re with sincerely. You must not be unfaithful. Don’t worry, once this matter is resolved, I’ll take you back to the Shen Family in the Imperial Capital.”

“Is that so?” Anu smiled again. It was a smile tinged with a hint of mockery on her pale face. “I’m afraid your mother will skin you alive.”

“She won’t.” Shen Sheng waved her hand confidently. “My mother doesn’t care about family status. My brothers all married freely. She never forced them to marry anyone.”

The daylight grew brighter. In this snowy world, the youthful energy and heroic spirit on the girl’s face became even more pronounced. She smiled radiantly, her eyes pure and untainted.

She was a general fighting on the battlefield, yet also the cherished daughter carefully brought up by the Shen Family.

Anu stiffly tore her gaze away and continued walking forward.

Such a silly Young General Shen.

Shen Sheng followed. “Don’t be disbelieving. Everything I said is true.”

Walking in the snow was difficult. After the heavy snowfall, practically no one was on the road, nor was anyone out clearing the snow.

They trudged along, sometimes in deep snow, sometimes shallow, Shen Sheng sweating profusely. They had walked for who knows how long when they encountered a patrol of yamen runners.

Anu stopped. She looked left and right for a place to hide. Unfortunately, the one thing on the road in greatest abundance was snow. Even the tree branches were bent low under its weight. There was truly no concealed spot.

Seeing the yamen runners approaching, Anu reached out and pulled Shen Sheng close. She opened her cloak, covering Shen Sheng’s body with it.

Shen Sheng, understanding tacitly, pressed herself tightly against Anu, burying her head into Anu’s shoulder, not daring to reveal her face in the slightest.

On the snow-covered ground, the two stood almost without any gap between them, pressed closely together. Anu’s warm breath sprayed onto the side of Shen Sheng’s neck. Shen Sheng’s ears slowly flushed the color of rouge.

Watching the runners draw near, Anu lifted a hand and placed it on Shen Sheng’s back, patting it gently as if to soothe her.

Pat after pat, each one landing almost directly on Shen Sheng’s anxious heart.

A strange feeling grew in Shen Sheng’s heart. The breathing near her ear became increasingly hot. She gulped, her whole body growing warm.

There were about five or six yamen runners in the patrol, all wearing sabers, their feet crunch-crunching on the snow constantly.

Shen Sheng’s ears were sharp. Hearing the crunching sound come closer and closer, her arms tightened around Anu’s waist.

The soft body carried a faint, delicate fragrance. The shameful scenes from the previous night flooded her mind, and her whole body tensed up completely.

The runners passed by the two of them, seeing the hem of the garment of the person in Anu’s arms—a coarse, short robe—and then looking at Anu. They merely thought they were a man and woman embracing in the snow and all laughed together.

The leader joked: “Our town is getting more and more open-minded. Look at these young people, hugging right out on the street.”

“Is it any of your business when young couples show affection?”

“They’re just hugging, not doing anything improper. You guys are really too nosy.”

The sound of the idle chatter gradually faded into the distance. Anu raised her head to look at the sky, her cheeks burning fiercely. The person in her arms stirred, and she pressed down with her hand, lying deceptively: “They’ve turned back.”

The person in her arms shrank further into the crook of Anu’s neck, her cheek pressed tightly, not daring to move an inch.

Once the blush on her cheeks had subsided, Anu unceremoniously pushed Shen Sheng away and turned to leave.

Shen Sheng, still immersed in the woman’s gentleness, was suddenly smacked by a blast of icy wind, shivering all over from the cold. “Wait for me…”

“Why are you turning cold again…”

The two arrived in front of a residential compound. The snow obscured the inscribed plaque above the gate. The majestic stone lions before the entrance guarded the doorway dutifully.

“You actually own a residence here?” Shen Sheng exclaimed in surprise. But then she thought again—something wasn’t right. If she had a residence, why didn’t she return here last night?

This woman was strange and mysterious, unfathomable and unclear.

She followed Anu through the gate. Looking left and right, she saw no one.

Shen Sheng unconsciously stopped in her tracks, peering inside curiously. “Is it just you living here alone?”

“Are you afraid?” Anu turned back, her abyss-like eyes settling on the uneasy Shen Sheng. “Are you afraid I’ll kill you?”

Shen Sheng’s lips curved up. “I’m just curious that you live alone, that’s all.”

Anu started walking again. Shen Sheng gritted her teeth and chose to follow.

There was no one in the front courtyard, nor in the rear courtyard. The deeper they went, the more secluded it became.

“Anu, do you really live here all by yourself?”

Anu pushed open the bedroom door without answering. After crossing the threshold, Shen Sheng jumped in after her.

The room was clean, with bright windows and a spotless interior. On the table were several sets of clean clothes ready for changing. Anu walked by them, casually picked up a set of red skirts, and tossed them to Shen Sheng.

“Change your clothes.”