The April night was slightly cold.
Su Anan stood by the window and looked at the bright Moon in the night sky. Her excitement slowly died down.
Her very last memory was in the slums. It was winter, and it had finally started snowing in Luo City.
She was curled up in a corner, wearing an old, tattered cloak and gazing at the white snow falling from the sky while shivering.
Her flower-like face had been scratched into an ugly mottled mess. Even the dirtiest beggar was shocked to see her hideous face and kicked her away.
All ten of her soft, slender fingers were frostbitten and ulcerated. However, the cold made her numb and she could no longer feel any pain.
The snow that filled the sky swayed affectionately. It reminded her of the snow at the Luo City Plum Blossom Banquet that year. It had the same dreamy quality.
She reached out a trembling hand to pick up the snow. The white snow contrasted the dirt on her, reminding her that she was no longer the Young Miss of a noble family.
She could never return to the past.
At that moment, her heart became incomparably desolate, and traces of warm tears flowed down from the corners of her eyes.
Her hand suddenly fell to the side and her bumpy life came to an end.
A short and absurd life.
She woke up to see a pink gauze curtain. She took in the calming fragrance, the warm mattress, and the pair of hands that were still as white as jade. There were no frostbites, no festering, and they were as good as new.
She was stunned for a long time before she reacted. She grabbed a second-rank servant girl and asked for the year. When she learned that it was the 23rd day of the third month in the 18th year of Yongjia, her eyes suddenly widened and she fell to the side of the bed.
The 23rd of March was the day before she got married, and it was also the most important day of her life.
It was on that day that she was urged by Su Pingping to escape from the marriage. It was on that day that her life was turned upside down.
Was she sent back to that time?
She pushed away the servant girl who was supporting her, walked to the window and suddenly opened it.
Yingshan Hong's heart-penetrating fragrance instantly attacked her nostrils. The cool wind blew her shoulder-length hair, and the lush grape vines adorned the window frame. They were verdant and glistening, full of vitality.
It was her Zhilan Court.
She was really back.
The maidservant, Cui Yan, came in with a pot of freshly made tea. She saw the young lady standing by the window after waking up from her afternoon nap. She quickly put down the tray and gave her a cloak. "Young Lady, the wind is strong by the window. Don't stand for too long. You'll get a cold."
Su Anan came back to her senses when she was covered by the warmth. She studied the face in front of her and called out the name that she had said countless times before."Cui Yan?"
"Yes, Miss, this servant is here." Cui Yan obediently replied and helped her tie the belt.
Su Anan's eyes suddenly became warm as she watched Cui Yan tying the bow for her.
Cui Yan was still here.
After fastening her belt, Cui Yan looked up at her miss's worried expression. She assumed that she was still worried about her marriage, so she couldn't help but mutter, "Miss, listen to this servant's advice. Don't be afraid and get ready for the marriage tomorrow. Although Young Master Shen's health is not good and he lives in the countryside, he is still the heir to the residence of Marquis of Xuanyi. If you marry over, your luck may be diminished but your status would not be at a disadvantage."
She continued, "Moreover this matter has already been settled and there are no more uncertainties. The moment the bridal sedan comes tomorrow, you will become a member of Shen Family. If you insist on breaking off the marriage, your reputation would be ruined. In the future, who would dare to propose marriage to you?"
"Young Lady, let's just accept our fate. If you marry over and serve your husband well, perhaps that Shen gongzi will give you a divorce paper when he passes away and set you free."
Su Anan used to hate Cui Yan's nagging. Cui Yan was two years older than her and was the maidservant her mother had chosen for her. Unfortunately, this maidservant was too straightforward and always lectured her, much to her frustration. In the end, she hid her escape plan and was doomed.
Su Anan had missed her very much. Tears welled up in her eyes.
In her previous life, after she ran away from her marriage, she had never heard a single word of advice.
She had also never seen Cui Yan again. She only heard that after she left, Cui Yan was sold by Lu Shi and married off to a random manor. Her life was not easy and she left the world earlier than her.
At that time, she finally realized how good Cui Yan was and how much she had tried to persuade her.
Su Anan suppressed the tears in her eyes and held Cui Yan's hand. "I know. I will get married tomorrow. Don't worry."
Cui Yan was surprised for a moment. Had the Young Miss suddenly thought it through?
The past few days, she had been making a fuss about running away.
However, since the Young Miss chose to do so, Cui Yan decided to comfort her. The Young Miss might have seen that there was no way out.
"It's good that you understand, Miss. Please don't blame me for being a busybody. Rumor has it that Young Master Shen has a good temper and is gentle and refined. Although he is weak, he might recover if he is taken care of carefully. Miss, don't be too pessimistic."
Su Anan was not pessimistic at all.
So what if she married a sickly person? What if she was unhappy? Could it be worse than her previous life, where she had to wander around, freeze to death on the streets, be cut off from her family, removed from the genealogy and be homeless?
Nothing could be worse than that.
She patted Cui Yan's hand. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm not being pessimistic. Sometimes, people have to accept their fate. I have already thought it through. Cui Yan, don't worry."
Cui Yan's eyes overflowed with a sense of relief. The Young Miss was finally not afraid.
After a few more words of advice, Cui Yan decided to go down to see why the dishes in the kitchen had not been served. She had just taken a step when a report came from outside the door. "Eldest Miss, Second Miss is here to see you."
Cui Yan paused and worriedly looked back at the Young Miss.
Second Miss was the daughter of the First Miss's stepmother, Lu Shi, and the second daughter of the Di Family in the Su Residence.
The two of them had a good relationship. The Eldest Miss had always trusted the Second Miss and treated her as her own sister. However, the Second Miss did not reciprocate the affection.
Cui Yan had said that the Second Miss was not as innocent as she looked, but the Eldest Miss did not believe her and thought that she was trying to sow discord. In a fit of anger, she was punished to do odd jobs in the kitchen for three months. Later on, on the day of her mother's death, she remembered her and got her transferred back.
Now that the Young Miss had finally thought it through, she hoped that she wouldn't continue to chat with the Second Miss and cause trouble.
Cui Yan wanted to say something but stopped. She helplessly bowed and left.
This was because the two of them had never liked having a servant girl serving them when they spoke.
When Su Anan heard the term "Second Miss", her fingers unconsciously tightened, and her calm eyes suddenly became turbulent.
Unfortunately, Su Pingping didn't notice. She walked over with small steps and waved the maidservant away. She went forward and affectionately held her arm."Is Elder Sister still worried?"
"Don't worry, sister. I have a good idea that can help you. "
The word 'sister' pulled Su Anan back to her senses.
In her previous life, the last person she saw before she ran out of energy was Su Pingping.
She had come to the slums, dressed in fine clothes. With a condescending attitude, she had vented all her suppressed dissatisfaction and had ridiculed her.
"Do you know that every time I call you sister, I feel disgusted? I'm obviously older than you, so what right do you have to be my sister? You were just relying on your status as the legitimate daughter."
"Now, you're no longer a legitimate child, you don't deserve to call me big sister. You're more suited to stay in this poor alley, fighting with the dogs for food. Hahaha."