Like Pearl and Jade

Chapter 48

"Miss, the night is late, go to sleep." Bao Mei walked with red-rimmed eyes next to Sima Xiang and put a cape on her. She turned to glance at the bright fireworks outside the window and didn't dare to take another look. "The night is cold—how about we close the window?"

"The fireworks have been burning for almost two hours." She smiled disdainfully. "Don't they all say that His Majesty is thrifty and diligent, never wasting manpower and resources?"

She pressed her palms to the windowsill and looked up at the fireworks in the sky. "These fireworks are not a waste?"

Bai Mei lowered her head and didn't dare to speak. She was just an insignificant servant girl. She didn't dare to comment on the matters of the imperial family. She also knew her miss was bitter inside and could only listen.

Sima Xiang stood by the window and watched as the fireworks bloomed and then turned into darkness. The loud fireworks only faded at midnight.

She moved her cold feet to the side of the bed. She seemed to hear curses coming from the main yard, and dazedly walked to sit by the table. Suddenly, she sat up, and swept the tea set on the table to the ground. The porcelain smashed against the ground, the sound ear-piercing in the night.

"Miss." Bai Mei worriedly wanted to come forward but was stopped by her shout.

"Get out!" Sima Xiang said harshly. "Do not disturb me."

"I..." Bai Mei saw the mess on the ground and was worried. But seeing her miss' ugly expression, she could only slowly withdraw from the room and carefully guard the outer room.

To her surprise, no sound came from inside the room halfway through the night. She was so sleepy she couldn't help but fall asleep in the outer room.

The next morning, she was frightened awake by a scream from the main yard. She hurriedly walked into the inner room without even putting on her shoes. She saw Miss still sleeping on the bed and was reassured.

She was about to leave quietly when sky-shaking cries came from the main yard.

"Miss, Miss." Sensing something wrong, she went up and woke the sleeping Sima Xiang. "Miss, something seems to have happened in the main yard."

"What did you say?" Sima Xiang used her arms to push herself up to sit. But she might have stood too long by the window last night and her arms were weak.

Bai Mei hurriedly supported her and called in the servant girls waiting outside to help Miss wash.

Sima Xiang hadn't finished dressing when a matron ran in hurriedly. Before she spoke, the matron knelt with a bang. "Miss, Mistress has passed away."

"What did you say?" Sima Xiang finally could not stand up and collapsed to the ground. She looked dazedly at the matron. "She was fine last night—how come..."

"Mistress... Mistress cut her veins." The matron's slightly chubby body shook like dice and she was clearly frightened by the scene she had seen.

Bai Mei turned to look at the pale miss and felt the sky was going to cave in.

"Help me go see." Sima Xiang forced herself to stand, pushed aside Bao Mei who was going to support her, and stumbled out.

"Miss, your shoes..." Bao Mei saw Miss was still wearing a pair of soft slippers for use inside the room and hurriedly returned to the inner room. She opened the shoe cabinet and took out a pair of plain cotton shoes before following.

"Older Sister Bao Mei." The servant girl responsible for taking care of Sima Xiang"s shoes and socks saw her hurry away and looked down at the cabinet that Bao Mei had made a mess of. After organizing it, she frowned in confusion.