When Li Xiyu woke up, she was a bit dazed. She hadn't been in good health these days, and since the snow had fallen earlier this year than in previous years, she had been cooped up in the house and couldn't go out.
Shen Mingzhu was worried about her every time she mentioned Li Xiyu. So Li Xiyu simply followed her advice, went out less, and huddled in the house.
However, a few days ago, Chen Yun was about to give birth. After hesitating for a long time, she finally moved to the house next to Shen Mingzhu's.
So Li Xiyu moved there too.
She remembered when Shen Mingzhu slapped her chest and said that the imperial physicians would be on standby there, urging them two to move. Li Xiyu couldn't help but smile, and a faint smile appeared in her eyes.
The little maid beside her saw the rare smile on Li Xiyu's face and lightened her movements.
"Wait."
Li Xiyu stopped the little maid and asked with a smile, "Shouldn't we go out today?"
The little maid was stunned, and a look of panic flashed across her face. When she realized what Li Xiyu meant, she immediately said, "M...Miss, you'd better stay in today..."
She was a bit flustered. Thinking that Li Xiyu hadn't been in good condition recently, she still asked, "Your health is not good, and the snow is too heavy today."
"It's okay."
Li Xiyu's expression remained unchanged. She slightly pushed open the window and saw that it was still pre - dawn in the distance. It was still early. So she smiled at the little maid and said, "Find me a red dress."
"...Yes."
After watching the little maid leave, the smile on Li Xiyu's face gradually faded away and finally turned into a trace of dead silence. She stared blankly at the snow outside the window, lost in a daze. When she came back to her senses, she found that she was already freezing all over and her fingertips were slightly pale.
The crowing of a rooster, rarely heard in winter, came from afar. Li Xiyu subconsciously looked up and saw a faint light gradually emerging not far away. So she pulled her clothes closer and watched quietly.
She hadn't dreamed of him for a long time. So when she woke up today, she couldn't help being in a daze and it took her a long time to come back to her senses. For a moment, she didn't know where she was.
Last night, when she saw him in her dream, she was still conscious. She clearly knew that the person in front of her had already left. So she just watched him staring at her sadly. Finally, he gently stroked her face and said something that she couldn't remember now.
It should have been a farewell.
Li Xiyu sighed. When she saw that the sky had changed from pale to orange as dawn broke, she closed the window and sat by it waiting for the little maid to come back.
He came into her dream at just the right time. Today was the day when the last batch of prisoners would be beheaded. After today, she was afraid that she would rarely see things related to him again. Maybe he had forgotten that she had forgotten him, so he came into her dream again.
"Miss."
Coming back to her senses, Li Xiyu saw the little maid looking worried. So she couldn't help smiling and asking, "What's wrong?"
Only after she said this did she suddenly realize that her face was full of tears. So she couldn't help smiling and saying, "It's okay, it's okay. I just..."
Halfway through the explanation, she suddenly found that she couldn't find a good excuse. So she just smiled and said to the little maid, "Put it there. I'll call you when I'm dressed."
After putting on the dress, she looked at herself in the mirror.
The woman in the bronze mirror was now surrounded by a silence that didn't match her age. She looked listless and somewhat lifeless.
The snow outside the window had stopped a little. When Li Xiyu arrived at Shen Mingzhu's place, seeing Shen Mingzhu's red - rimmed eyes, she couldn't help laughing out loud and gently consoling her, "Why are you crying? Today is a good day. If your elder brother saw this, he'd be sad again."
Shen Mingzhu wiped her eyes and showed a rare vulnerability to Li Xiyu, saying, "Sister Xiyu, if you're sad, just cry."
Li Xiyu didn't say a word, but there was still a smile on her face.
As if in a daze, when she opened her eyes again, she found that she was already at the execution ground.
The blade rose, fell, rose again...
After who knows how many cycles, Li Xiyu saw that the snow around was dyed red and the people gradually dispersed.
"Sister Xiyu, let's go back and rest for a while."
Li Xiyu shook her head and felt inexplicably weak.
After a major event in one's heart suddenly disappears, one is always prone to be in a daze.
"Your Highness!"
Chuntao rushed over and whispered, "Miss Chen is in labor!"
"What?!"
Even though Chuntao had lowered her voice, since Li Xiyu and Shen Mingzhu were standing close, they still heard it.
Chen Yun was about to give birth!
"Let's go, let's go back quickly!"
Shen Mingzhu couldn't help being a bit anxious. So she subconsciously glanced at Li Xiyu and said, "Sister Xiyu, do you want to go back?"
"Let's go."
Xie Lang had been silent all this time. It wasn't until he saw that Shen Mingzhu's hands were trembling a bit that he gently consoled her, "Walk slowly. The snow is heavy today. Giving birth isn't something that happens in a hurry. There are so many imperial physicians there. Don't worry."
Saying this, he took Shen Mingzhu's hand and said to Li Xiyu, "Why don't you come back with us, Sister Li?"
"Let's go."
Li Xiyu subconsciously looked back at the snow dyed red. The melancholy in her heart was gradually replaced by anxiety.
She knew what Shen Mingzhu was anxious about. There was once a concubine who had died during a difficult childbirth. Now the person giving birth was Chen Yun, who had grown up with Shen Mingzhu. Naturally, she was anxious.
When they got back, everyone was a bit in a mess. As soon as they reached the courtyard gate, they saw a group of people waiting there.
Li Chengyu was in a daze and was stopped by Chen Jin. When he saw Shen Mingzhu coming and was about to rush in, Chen Jin quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, please stop. Yunyun said for you not to go in. She said that if you go in, she'll really get angry."
Shen Mingzhu immediately stopped in her tracks, gritted her teeth and stood still, her face full of anxiety.
A scream came from inside the room.
Shen Mingzhu trembled all over and her face instantly turned pale.
Chen Yun's mother was in poor health. Since Chen Jin was here, it meant that her mother couldn't make it.
So this scream made the faces of the people around turn paler and paler. Shen Mingzhu was even more anxious and pacing around.
"How about..." Li Xiyu said, "I'll go in."
Chen Jin was a bit surprised. Seeing that it was Li Xiyu in front of him, he was silent for a long time and then just nodded and said in a deep voice, "I'm counting on you."
Li Xiyu smiled.
When she went in, she saw Chen Yun with a pale face. Chen Yun glanced at her and was surprised, "Sister Li."
"Shh—"
Li Xiyu quickened her steps, squatted down beside the bed and gently said, "Don't talk. Everyone is waiting for you outside."
"Don't worry. Mingzhu and Chen Jin are fine."
Chen Yun had been full of panic in her heart. After hearing Li Xiyu's consolation, she came back to her senses a bit and nodded gratefully.
Before she could say anything, the pain hit again.
Li Xiyu reached out and held her hand, consoling her word by word, with a gentle look on her face.
It was already dusk when the baby was born.
"It's a girl!"
The midwife held the baby in her arms and said happily, "Do the two ladies want to take a look?"
The newly - born baby's face was wrinkled and not very good - looking. Li Xiyu took a look and suddenly let out a soft laugh. It was as if she had suddenly come back to her senses. She felt as if her feet had finally touched the ground.
Waking up from the daze after seeing the blood - stained snow for the last time, she suddenly wanted to cry. So her eyes gradually filled with tears. Seeing the baby's clear eyes, she just felt her heart tremble slightly.
"How about Sister Li also be the baby's godmother?" Chen Yun said weakly and gratefully smiled at her, "Anyway, I always do things that go against the rules. It's not too out of the ordinary for the baby to have two godmothers. As long as you don't mind."
"How could I mind?" Li Xiyu didn't dare to reach out and touch the baby, but saw the baby as if smiling. The next moment, the baby opened its mouth and cried out.
She nodded.
This was new life.
From now on, the hatred was finally let go. She had to watch this child grow up to be a qualified godmother.
When she saw the baby being carried outside the screen and Shen Mingzhu rushing in, she suddenly remembered the words in last night's dream.
The man's eyebrows and eyes were gentle. He just sighed regretfully and then said to her,
"Don't be in such a hurry. I'll wait for you. Take a good look at the mountains, rivers, the sun and the moon for me. Then tell me slowly when the time comes."