"Okay, I finished applying medicine to the wound. It's deep but not too deep. I had to stitch the wound up. Sorry, Miss, but you will have a scar...,'' the old doctor said. She nodded weakly without complaining. "Here is some medicine to help you recuperate your strength," he added, and LiMei accepted the medicine.
"Thank you.,'' she said, tired.
Morning arose, and after eating rice porridge, LiMei was preparing to clean the entire house. Xiaomei got up and said, "Let me help you."
"Oh no, Miss, that's not necessary. You need rest," LiMei said, trying to help Xiaomei back to bed. "LiMei, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll use my other arm," Xiaomei continued to persuade and got up again.
"But Miss...," she said reluctantly.
"Don't worry, it will be better to have an additional hand to help and make the process faster," Xiaomei said, and so LiMei reluctantly agreed and headed to get a bucket of water. However, up in the trees, a lean and tall man was leaning against the tree. He said, "Oh, look at that she hasn't died yet," and looked down at the small house.
Outside of the cold palace, every guard and maid has been whispering about the matter of last night and how they started to pity Xiaomei and LiMei as the commotion has finally reached LiJie and Baozhai as they have their own problem to solve. Once they heard a whisper from two maids walking out of their courtyard. Baozhai went silent and left while LiJie chased after her. "Don't mind them," he said, but she didn't say anything back. Until they both spotted Chen BoJing and Han ChuHua heading somewhere as Baozhai was about to head towards them, but LiJie grab her wrist to stop her.
A while ago, BoJing had returned from the market from buying a bag of rice, ChuHua had spotted him as she ran to him. "What are you doing?" she asks happily as she has this long crush on him. However, he didn't feel the same and answered, "Why does it matter to you? It's my business.," and he carried on. She chased after him and continued trying to talk to him, but his mind was busy with his feelings, and didn't reply to her. They finally reach the cold palace and ChuHua said, "What are we doing here?"
"You can go if you want," he said, busy while entering the court.
LiMei stood firm on cleaning inside the house as it was dirtier and more work than outside, so she closed the door, not allowing her to enter the house until she finished. Xiaomei was about to start cleaning when she heard some voices coming in. She turns to see BoJing and a bright spunky girl with him, and slowly walks towards them. "Why are you bringing rice to people like her?" ChuHua said, looking at her disgusted.
Xiaomei smiled and said, "Oh General BoJing, you haven't told her... such a shame," she was toying with him. He remained silent, but his face stiffened as he was about to give her the bag of rice. However, ChuHua intercepted and said, "Let me do it. She might try to seduce you,'' and both Xiaomei and BoJing look at her with a cold look.
She didn't seem to notice and processed, "here.'' Xiaomei reached out to grab the bag of rice, but then ChuHua let go of it as it dropped to the dirt and spilled everywhere. "Oh sorry, my hand slipped," she said, cunning.
"Oh really," Xiaomei smiled.
"Just pick up the rice like a filthy person you are," she remarked.
Xiaomei smile turns into a smirk before saying, "I am a filthy person, but at least I don't have a filthy heart like someone.''
ChuHua felt like a slap went across her face as she stuttered, "You-"
However, Xiaomei was not finished and said, "But thank you for giving free food for birds and other animals who would love to eat this rice. You do have an UNEXPLAINABLE heart." she emphasized her words and continued, "well, I think it's best for you two to leave this place. It is unfit for people like you. People might think you are filthy as well.'' ChuHua wanted to say something, but BoJing said seriously, "ChuHua." before walking away. She pouted before following him. However, before leaving the cold palace, BoJing looked at Xiaomei with something in his eyes.
Xiaomei watches them leave as she frowns. She sighs before thinking in her head, such a shame. She was disappointed to find that Han ChuHua is an annoying bratty person as she liked her character in the story because ChuHua was the person who stood up for the main girl and was the main girl's best friend. As Xiaomei always rooted for ChuHua's flashy comeback. Xiaomei shook her head and went back to cleaning.
The man chuckled, "She does have a smart mouth." ZhangWei put up his arms above his head and leaned against it and continued to watch her.
As BoJing and ChuHua left, both LiJie and Baozhai saw where they were leaving from, and LiJie headed there, and Baozhai quietly followed. Xiaomei had a soaked cloth in her hand, and she was wiping away the mud off the door. She then heard footsteps as she turned her head to see a shiny handsome man with a proud and ignorant look with a beautiful pure innocent-looking woman beside him. They had a shiny bright aura around them as she knew it was them. She took a deep breath and walked toward them. She braced herself and was ready to act into character, "What are you doing here! Trying to see how horrible I look! SO, you can look down on me! Ha, yeah right! Just wait! I will get you!" She yells and lunges toward Baozhai, and right on time LiJie stops her and pushes her to the ground. "Daiyu! How dare you!" he shouted. She landed on her wounded arm as she endured the pain and stared at them with fury. "How dare I! Why are you here then!'' she rebuked.
"We came here to see the commotion and see how pitiful you are, but it looks like you are not pitiful but disgusting," he said.
"Yes, I am disgusting! So, you better get out, or this disgustingness rubs off on you!" she said hysterically.
"You-" he said at a loss of words.
"What nothing to say?" she taunted him. He then tried to find something to blame her as he noticed the spilled rice.
"How dare you steal food! You are not allowed to have any food tonight!" he blurted out.
"Steal?" she laughed. "It was given to me. Why don't you ask your friend, General BoJing," she said. She then chuckled again and spoke before he could, "No food. Look at me, do I look like I eat? My maid and I haven't got any food for almost a month now," she said, sharply. Both LiJie and Baozhai look shocked and confused as they felt this sort of pity for her. LiJie's eyes saw her thin body and pale face, but he had never noticed her sharp clear eye before. She has this strong look even though she looks so frail.
"What! Do you feel pity for me? I don't need your pity." she mocked.
LiJie remains silent before storming off. Baozhai never saw him this way and followed him.
Xiaomei exhaled deeply as she felt so exhausted getting into character while she grabbed her arm. "Miss, are you okay? I heard voices and you shouting," LiMei came out, extremely worried.
"Oh, it's nothing big," she said, weakly. "Let's continue," she said. As the man in the tree had long gone when he saw Baozhai, he quickly sat up and quickly followed her when she left.
Baozhai was trying her best to keep up with LiJie as he was speed walking toward the kitchen. She didn't understand what he was doing and had this unsettling feeling in her heart. Once they reached the kitchen, LiJie said, "Why haven't you sent food to Daiyu? I heard you haven't been sending her any food for a month now!"
The maids trembled in fear, and the court lady spoke, "I I- thought I sent some maid to send it, but I guess.... I do apologize. Please forgive us, your majesty. I will not forget."
"You better! If the emperor hears about this, you will be in serious trouble!" he shouted before leaving. Baozhai did understand why he did that because if the emperor had heard that they hadn't fed Daiyu, he would kill them as he cared for Daiyu and favored her, but Baozhai felt jealous.
Baozhai walked away, upset, and bumped into BoJing and ChuHua as ChuHua was trying to reconcile with BoJing. "Baozhai?" ChuHua said, seeing Baozhai upset. "What's wrong?" ChuHua asked, but Baozhai didn't say anything.
BoJing was about to ask her if she was okay as he was worried, but LiJie appeared and said, "BoJing, did you give Daiyu a bag of rice?"
He answered, "yes."
"Why?" LiJie said.
"Because" BoJing simply said. At that moment, Baozhai felt jealous again.
Xiaomei and LiMei were finishing up until LiMei told Xiaomei to rest as she will finish up and make lunch for them. Xiaomei reluctantly agreed as LiMei was very persistent, so Xiaomei went to water her plants before resting. After watering the plants, Xiaomei felt so drained out and exhausted as she sat on the ground and leaned against a tree. Her eyes felt droopy as she fell asleep. The wind lightly blew against her skin and hair as her hair swayed back and forth. A tall figure reappears again to spot her sleeping against the tree as he has returned because he was unsuccessful to talk to Baozhai as she was occupied. He watches her sleep as he sees her slowly and quietly breathing in and out with her eyelashes resting. She seems peaceful. Soon a voice came closer and called out, "Miss?" LiMei was looking for her. "Miss?" she cried again. Xiaomei woke up from her nap and rubbed her eyes. "Here," she called out before slowly getting up. "Miss, why are you resting here? Why didn't you rest inside?" LiMei asked.
"I just felt drowsy," she replied as they headed back. "Miss, do you want to pick up the rice?" LiMei asked.
"No, leave it. Let the birds have it," she said.
"But we are almost done with the rice," LiMei said with concern in her voice.
"It's okay. We can make glutinous rice balls," she assured LiMie. The man listens and watches them leave before disappearing.
However, that night food had arrived at their door as they ate leftovers from the maids who brought it to them, which was a surprise to them and did not taste good.