WBICDPH Chapter 29 Part 1

Chapter 29: A Thin Fate, a Shallow Bond

Perhaps it was because Chu Ji reminded Winter Si of her former self that she found herself paying her a little more attention.

On the first day, Chu Ji did not come out.
On the second day, she still did not.

Privately, the women of Mantingchun were already discussing the newcomer, saying she had a stubborn temper. Even the usually self-assured madam was beginning to feel uneasy. Every so often, she would go check the black room, afraid Chu Ji might die inside.

On the third day, as Winter Si went downstairs, she noticed an unusual number of women gathered along the corridor.

Winter Si had always treated people gently. In her free moments, she even taught the others to play music and recognize characters. The women of Mantingchun liked her very much, and most of them had benefited from her kindness in one way or another.

When they saw her approach, they instinctively made space. Someone volunteered an explanation.

“It’s been three days now. I’ve never seen anyone stay in the black room this long. That Miss Chu is really strange. If you say she’s fierce, she eats all the food and drinks the water we send in without complaint. But she just refuses to bow her head. I think the madam’s been driven nearly mad by her.”

Winter Si nodded as she listened and asked, “Where’s the madam?”

“She just went in. She’s probably losing her temper again.”

Winter Si acknowledged this and headed toward the black room.

Seeing her move, one of the women hurriedly called out, “Sister Winter Si, you shouldn’t go in there. The madam’s probably in a foul mood. If you get too close, she might take it out on you.”

“It’s all right,” Winter Si replied gently. “I’ll try to persuade her. A person can’t stay locked up like that forever.”

She smiled softly at them. “All right, everyone, disperse.”

Just as the women had said, the madam was raging inside the black room.

Winter Si had long been familiar with the madam’s way of berating people. It was ugly to hear, but in truth, it was always the same handful of phrases, repeated over and over. At first, it hurt, but after hearing it enough times, one grew numb to it.

Chu Ji, however, must never have endured such vicious insults before. And yet she remained steady. Her back was still ramrod straight, kneeling there like a sculpture carved from frost and snow.

“Madam,” Winter Si said.

Unable to bear it, she pushed the door open and walked in—only to be greeted, as expected, by curses.

“You little slut, why aren’t you working? What are you doing here, asking to be scolded? Or do you want to be locked in here too?”

“Please calm yourself, Madam,” Winter Si replied softly, lowering her eyes like a harmless, obedient rabbit. “I heard a new sister had been locked up for three days without bowing her head, so I came to see what sort of person she might be.”

“What sort of person?” the madam sneered. “A stubborn mule, that’s what! What ‘eldest miss? Her whole family’s been wiped out. She’s got one worthless life left, and she still thinks she’s some lofty noblewoman!”

Those words seemed to strike home. Winter Si noticed Chu Ji’s fingers curl slightly.

Seeing this, Winter Si immediately interjected, “Madam, please don’t be angry. Anger harms the body. Miss Chu has suffered a great upheaval in her family—she likely hasn’t recovered yet. People aren’t cats or dogs; they can’t be trained into obedience overnight. You’re magnanimous—why not give her a little time? If you push her too far and something irreversible happens, that wouldn’t be good.”

“Push her too far?” the madam scoffed. “I’ve seen real martyrs of chastity. The truly fierce ones smashed their heads against the wall on the very first day! This little bitch won’t bow her head, but she eats every meal just fine. If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t want to waste that pretty face by letting her starve, I’d really—”

She raised her hand as if to slap Chu Ji, then angrily withdrew it.

Letting out a cold snort, she was about to continue scolding when something seemed to occur to her. She glanced thoughtfully at Winter Si.

“‘People aren’t cats or dogs,’ you say. That reminds me—you weren’t, you just like a little dog back then? When you were brought in, I thought you were so lofty and pure. And yet you bowed your head after only half a day, didn’t you?”

The madam lightly patted Winter Si’s cheek.

“You were the easiest one I ever trained. A perfect little dog. All that fox-spirit charm—you didn’t even need teaching. What ‘virtuous woman’? You were born a slut.”

She swept a vicious gaze over Winter Si, then lifted her chin at her.

“Since you can’t bear to see her locked up, you can train her yourself. I’ll give you a few days. Convince her to submit, and while you’re at it, teach our Miss Chu how to serve men properly. If you fail, I’ll punish you along with her.”

With that, she jabbed Winter Si hard in the forehead. Winter Si lowered her eyes, answered obediently, then smiled and bowed as she escorted the madam out.

Once the madam was gone, Winter Si hurried forward and untied the coarse rope binding Chu Ji’s wrists.

The rough fibers had rubbed her skin raw and red. Chu Ji flexed her wrists slowly before finally removing the blindfold from her eyes.

After being trapped in darkness for so long, even a little light felt piercing.

It took her a long while to open her eyes fully. Winter Si sat beside her, and soon found herself meeting an exceptionally clear pair of eyes.

The madam had said she couldn’t bear to ruin Chu Ji’s face—even in her fury, she hadn’t slapped her. Winter Si had never been particularly concerned with appearances. Over the years, she’d seen many beauties. Yet upon seeing Chu Ji now, she still found herself momentarily dazed.

Chu Ji was like pure winter outside the window—skin like ice, bones like jade. Her eyes, especially, were clean and lucid; one glance was enough to melt a person’s heart.

Facing those eyes, Winter Si felt an unexpected flicker of fear.

She didn’t know whether it was because Chu Ji resembled the Xu Dongsi of old, or because the madam’s words had reduced her to nothing, but Winter Si was afraid of seeing contempt or disgust in Chu Ji’s gaze.

Cruel words couldn’t hurt her anymore—but a look could strike straight to the soul. She feared being judged by Chu Ji, or worse, by the Xu Dongsi she once was. She feared hearing, from the depths of her own soul:

How did you become like this?

But there was no such thing in Chu Ji’s eyes. She looked at Winter Si as if she were simply an ordinary friend.

“Thank you for speaking up for me,” Chu Ji said. “It seems I’ve caused you to be punished as well.”

Hearing this, Winter Si instinctively let out a breath of relief.