Emma's shelter was like a pebble tossed into an icy lake, sending faint ripples through Gu Liang's frozen world.
After that day, Gu Liang's circumstances did not immediately improve. The housekeeper remained harsh, and the heavy chores continued unabated. Yet at least she knew she was no longer utterly alone. She carefully hid that thick, old scarf, only unwrapping it to cling tightly to herself in the dead of night or when the cold felt especially biting. It seemed to still carry Emma's faint, cool scent.
Emma's aid was silent yet effective. She always found opportunities to slip Gu Liang a warm flatbread, a few pieces of malt sugar she'd been saving, or a small packet of herbs for treating frostbite. The gifts were modest, yet they precisely soothed both her physical and emotional hunger. What astonished Gu Liang even more was that Emma began teaching her to read.
"What is this?" Emma traced simple strokes with a twig on the muddy ground still covered in snow.
Gu Liang watched timidly and shook her head.
"Ren," Emma said, her voice flat and unruffled, pointing to the character on the ground. "A person standing tall and upright."
Gu Liang repeated after her: "Ren..."
"Mouth." Emma drew another stroke. "The mouth for eating and speaking."
"Mouth..."
Lessons usually took place in unnoticed corners, brief and efficient. Emma never wasted words. After teaching a few characters, she let Gu Liang practice alone while she watched quietly nearby, or kept watch for any sounds around them. Gu Liang studied with extreme diligence, knowing this opportunity was hard-won. Those crooked characters were like windows opening onto an unknown world, letting a faint glimmer of light into her otherwise gray existence.
Once, Emma traced the character "忍" (endure) in the mud with a twig, her voice flat: "A knife above the heart. Here, to survive, you must learn it."
Gu Liang stared at the character for a long time, then picked up the twig and scribbled another word beside it.
"Sister Emma, is this... 'resilience'?" she asked timidly, lifting her head. "I... I heard the Third Young Miss recite it once. Does it mean that the knife in our hearts can be tempered until it's soft yet tough, like chewing gum—impossible to sever?"
Emma looked at the two characters side by side on the ground, her gaze lingering briefly on Gu Liang's face. In those clear eyes, there was not only obedience but also a kind of understanding that had sprouted through heavy pressure. She offered no praise, only a faint "Hmm," before using her foot to erase the marks. "Remembering how to live is more important than remembering how to write characters."
Under Emma's deliberate feeding and occasional shelter, Gu Liang's body began to sprout like parched seedlings meeting sweet rain. Though still frail, color gradually returned to her cheeks. Her once-straw-colored hair gained a faint sheen, making her eyes appear even more vividly black and white, clear and captivating. She was no longer a shadow that a gust of wind could blow away, but was beginning to take on the form of a young girl.
Emma observed Gu Liang's transformation with a cold eye, her mind quietly calculating. She knew that her sporadic aid and brief instruction alone wouldn't be enough to lift Gu Liang out of her predicament. The Su household was like a deep pool; for a lowly maid to rise, she either had to climb by attaching herself to a master or rely on extraordinary luck. The path Emma had chosen for herself was to become the playmate of the third young miss, Su Wan.
Su Wan, the legitimate third daughter of the Su household, was close in age to Emma and her peers. Her temperament was famously gentle throughout the manor, and she seldom harshly reprimanded the servants. Her courtyard was a rare haven of tranquility within the estate. If Emma could gain her favor, she would at least be spared much bullying and might even have the chance to access books and learn more.
Emma had observed for a long time and made secret preparations. She had even "accidentally" revealed a composure and literacy uncommon among maids when Su Wan passed by, sparking a faint curiosity in the young lady.
Yet, when she saw Gu Liang's eyes growing ever clearer, witnessed her complete dependence and trust in her, a thought quietly surfaced.
Perhaps this relatively stable path was more suitable for Gu Liang.
One evening, Emma found Gu Liang struggling to draw water from the well and pulled her aside.
"Do you know Third Young Miss Su Wan?" Emma cut straight to the point.
Gu Liang nodded, her eyes shining with longing. "I know. The young ladies all say she's very kind."
"She needs a literate companion," Emma's voice was low but crystal clear. "The characters I've taught you will suffice."
Gu Liang froze, staring blankly at Emma.
"I'll find a way to get you there," Emma continued, her tone utterly unruffled, as if stating an established fact. "Once you're with Third Young Miss Su Wan, be sharp. Speak little, observe much. She's gentle-natured. As long as you keep your head down, she won't mistreat you."
"Emma... what about you?" Gu Liang asked instinctively. She sensed Emma was also striving toward some goal.
"I have my own plans," Emma cut her off without elaboration. "Remember, this is an opportunity. Seize it."
Emma was exceptionally proactive. Days later, she orchestrated a perfectly timed "opportunity" for Su Wan to "accidentally" discover Gu Liang diligently writing with a twig in a corner. Sure enough, Su Wan was captivated by Gu Liang's writing—childish yet neat—and her timid yet clear gaze. Combined with Emma's earlier, subtle mention to the Third Young Lady's personal maid that "there's a poor little maid who seems to recognize a few characters," all these factors stirred Su Wan's interest.
Before long, the housekeeper summoned Gu Liang, informing her she was to serve in the Third Young Miss's quarters. Officially, she would perform light chores, but in truth, she was to keep the young miss company and teach her to read.
When the news reached her, Gu Liang could scarcely believe her ears. She rushed to Emma, her face flushed with excitement as she stammered, "Sister Emma! I... I really get to go to Third Young Miss's courtyard! Thank you! Thank you!"
Emma watched the ecstatic girl before her, her expression unchanged as she offered only a faint "Mhm."
Gu Liang went to Su Wan's courtyard. Just as Emma had predicted, Su Wan treated her exceptionally well. Not only did she allow Gu Liang to accompany her in reading and writing, but she also gave her some of her own old clothes to wear and shared delicious snacks with her. It was as if Gu Liang had fallen from hell into a honey pot. Her face lit up with more smiles, and she became livelier.
Like a vine parched by drought, she greedily yet silently absorbed every nutrient that could strengthen her. She not only learned characters from Su Wan but also secretly mimicked her walking posture, speaking tone, and even her composed manner in handling minor matters. She began to understand that within these deep walls, being merely "harmless" was insufficient—she must make herself "useful," even "irreplaceable."
Emma occasionally glimpsed Gu Liang and Su Wan playing in the garden. Su Wan would affectionately hold Gu Liang's hand as they leaned heads together over a book or whispered and giggled. Sunlight bathed them in warmth and brightness.
Emma stood in the shade of a distant tree, watching them silently.
She noticed the gratitude and warmth in Gu Liang's eyes when he looked at Su Wan. She also saw that Gu Liang seemed to be gradually shedding the caution he'd carried when he first arrived. His words and actions grew less restrained, gaining instead a touch of the innocence typical of her age. Occasionally... the distinction between master and servant even blurred.
One day, Su Wan enthusiastically taught Gu Liang how to play chess. So engrossed were they that they missed the appointed hour for paying respects to the mistress. As the legitimate daughter of the household, Su Wan faced no blame, but Gu Liang was caught red-handed by the matron, who had been watching them. Accused of "corrupting the young lady and being negligent in her duties," she was made to kneel in the corridor for half an hour.
Kneeling on the cold stone slab, Gu Liang's knees throbbed with excruciating pain. But when her gaze drifted through the moon-shaped doorway and caught sight of Sister Emma patiently teaching a new maid to read in the distant pavilion, that pain was suddenly drowned by a wave of overwhelming hurt—that focused expression, that gentle tone, which had once been reserved only for her in the snow, was now so easily given to another. She lowered her head forcefully, biting her lip.
Later, Emma found her in a secluded corner of the rear courtyard. Watching her rub her sore knees, Emma's tone was stern: "Did you see? The distinction between master and servant lies not in how well Third Young Miss treats you, but in these ironclad rules. Today it was merely kneeling as punishment. But if you commit a greater offense in the future, do you truly believe Third Young Miss can shield you every single time?"
Gu Liang lifted her head, crumbs from the pastry Su Wan had secretly slipped her still clinging to her face. She whispered in defense, "The young mistress treats me like a sister... She said it would be fine. The maids... they're just going through the motions."
Emma gazed into those eyes—still clear, yet now deaf to harsh truths. Within them lay warm dependence, and the tendrils of wishful thinking had begun to grow. All words of caution choked in Emma's throat. She knew some detours must be walked alone, some lessons must be learned firsthand. Words, she realized, were powerless now.
A few days later, as Emma passed through the garden, she overheard Su Wan laughing, "Liang'er, your calligraphy is even better than mine!" Gu Liang replied with a hint of pride, "It's all thanks to Miss's excellent teaching!"
Just then, an unfamiliar matron passed by. Hearing this, she shot Gu Liang a cold glance—an icy stare that instantly silenced him, draining the color from his face.
Emma's footsteps faltered slightly.
That evening, Emma sought out Gu Liang, her tone unusually stern: "The distinction between master and servant lies not in how well the Third Young Miss treats you, but in the eyes and tongues of others. Today's pride is tomorrow's downfall."
Gu Liang clutched her skirt hem, murmuring a defense: "The young miss treats me like a sister... There was no one else present..."
"Caution is especially needed when alone," Emma cut her off. "You may think 'no one was present' today, but do you remember the matron's gaze?"
Gu Liang lowered her head, pressing her lips together. Though she offered no further rebuttal, her eyes held a hint of unconvinced skepticism. Emma watched her, knowing that some lessons could only be learned through personal experience.
After that, Emma visited Gu Liang less and less. Sometimes Gu Liang would come to her excitedly, eager to share amusing stories from the Third Young Miss's courtyard. Emma would listen quietly, occasionally nodding, but rarely responding.
Gu Liang seemed to sense something. She asked cautiously, "Sister Emma, are you angry with me?"
"No," Emma replied, her voice as flat as ever. "You're doing well. That's enough."
Emma stood beneath the tree shadows, watching the unclouded smile on Gu Liang's face. That smile was one she had once longed to give but couldn't. Now Su Wan achieved it effortlessly. A faint, almost imperceptible pang of bitterness flitted through her heart, only to be swiftly suppressed by a stronger rationality. "This is for the best," she told herself inwardly. "She's found a steadier path. My guidance is no longer needed. Closer proximity would be a risk of overstepping for her, and a breeding ground for weakness for me." From that day onward, she consciously withdrew her gaze from that courtyard, like an artisan stepping back calmly after completing a work.
She began transforming back into the quiet, solitary Emma. All her emotions and thoughts were buried deep beneath that expressionless face.
She had charted a course for Gu Liang and personally pushed her onto it. Now, Gu Liang seemed to have found her harbor and sunshine. But what about herself?
Emma lifted her gaze to the towering walls of the Su residence, the sky framed into a square. Her eyes were cool and deep, as if reassessing her situation and plotting her next, unknown move.
Immersed in warmth and friendship, Gu Liang hadn't fully realized that the sister who had offered her first warmth in the snow was quietly stepping back, creating an invisible distance between them. Those dark, deep eyes that once reflected only her now seemed to hold something more complex and distant.