The Sixth Snowflake

Fool. Those were the two words that surfaced in Shen Qiancheng's mind.

In her eighteen years, Shen Qiancheng had met plenty of flatterers, plenty who scorned her, and very few who dared oppose her, but she had never met anyone like Liao Xue, who, no matter how cruelly Shen Qiancheng treated her, simply refused to leave.

If it weren't for the gulf between true and false heiresses, Shen Qiancheng would have been hard-pressed not to want Liao Xue happy.

Liao Xue stood before her, one leg planted on the ground, the other slightly bent, her entire weight resting on a single leg.

Shen Qiancheng noticed and her gaze flickered, a strange unease squirming in her chest.

But she'd be leaving soon, wouldn't she? Soon, none of this—Liao Xue, the Shen family—would have anything to do with her.

Liao Xue, too, was studying Shen Qiancheng, noting the dark circles under her eyes that suggested a restless night.

The silent wind, like a mischievous child, danced between them.

The white dress really did suit Liao Xue. Shen Qiancheng smiled with satisfaction.

"So why the dress today?"

She'd meant it as a casual opener, but the words came out laced with sarcasm.

Liao Xue pressed her lips together, glanced down at the dress, and said shyly, "Going to town..."

Shen Qiancheng waved a hand; she didn't care why Liao Xue had worn the dress to town. What she really wanted to know was how Liao Xue's leg was, but in her eighteen years, she'd never once asked after someone's health. At most, when she swore at someone, she might invoke their family or ancestors.

As Shen Qiancheng watched, Liao Xue pulled down a small stool, bent low, and said, "Miss Shen, step on this to get in the car."

Her train of thought derailed, and asking now felt even harder. Silently, she took Liao Xue's arm and climbed into the car.

As she stood, she heard Liao Xue let out a faint hiss of breath.

The road to town was long and tedious; dust coated her hair and face, and the wind was so fierce she could barely keep her eyes open. Any attempt to speak filled her mouth with grit. Shen Qiancheng propped her head on her hand and stared at the endless cornfields lining the road.

"Liao Xue, is there a jewelry store in town?"

The tricycle jolted, speeding up, and Shen Qiancheng swayed with it three times.

"What are you doing?" she snapped, annoyed. "What if I fall and get hurt?!"

Liao Xue muttered, "Sorry, Miss Shen."

Sorry, sorry—those were the only three words she said fluently.

Shen Qiancheng said magnanimously, "It's fine."

Liao Xue's voice came again: "There's no jewelry store in town, but there's a gold shop."

Shen Qiancheng sighed. A gold shop would do; the bracelet had gold in it, after all.

The tricycle crawled steadily along and soon reached town.

Shen Qiancheng looked at the shabby signs and storefronts everywhere, the agricultural vehicles kicking up dust on the road, and nearly blacked out.

"Liao Xue, you didn't need to wear a dress to come here."

Liao Xue cast her a puzzled look, and Shen Qiancheng changed the subject: "Is this the gold shop?"

A sign with red letters on a yellow background read "Gold Recycling," and several pairs of men's underwear hung by the entrance.

Next door, a loudspeaker blared, "Clearance sale! Nothing left! Nothing left! Rock-bottom prices! Don't walk past without stopping! Opportunity only once—only once! Only once!!!"

Shen Qiancheng glanced over out of curiosity—the shop had two thick, flower-patterned cotton jackets, the kind popular in the northeast, hanging on display.

She snapped her gaze back as if she'd met a venomous snake.

What awful taste.

She stepped inside, and a blurry counter came into view. A plump woman, gold bracelet on her arm as thick as two centimeters, leaned over the counter scrolling through her phone.

Shen Qiancheng narrowed her eyes, gave the bracelet a fleeting glance, then looked away and cleared her throat twice. "Ahem, do you buy jewelry here?"

The woman, grinning at her phone, looked up at the sound and saw a girl so beautiful she seemed to have stepped out of a painting, with hair that glowed. She stared with envy.

Liao Xue stepped forward, her short stature blocking Shen Qiancheng. "Do you buy jewelry?"

The shop owner snapped out of her trance. Over the loud, obnoxious noise from her phone, she said, "This is a gold shop. I don't buy jewelry."

In a poor, remote place, what real jewelry could there be? At most, someone might sell off gold given as a wedding gift.

The owner went back to her phone as if they didn't exist, the absurd sound effects nearly lifting the roof.

"What about this?" Shen Qiancheng pushed Liao Xue aside, walked to the counter, and slammed the bracelet down with a thud. "Take it or not?"

Liao Xue stood behind her, eyes fixed on the owner as if to say, 'Don't even think about cheating her, I'm here.'

But Shen Qiancheng's attention was on the bracelet. In the dim shop light, it sparkled brilliantly, as if it belonged in a luxury boutique display.

The owner might have been out of touch, but she could tell the bracelet was out of the ordinary—at least, it looked priceless.

But when had anyone in this town come by something of this caliber?

Her suspicious gaze fell on Shen Qiancheng. Could it be stolen?

Shen Qiancheng's patience wore thin under that stare. Why was this such a hassle? She looked down at Liao Xue. "Any other gold shop?"

Liao Xue thought hard; there really wasn't another. But catching the look on Shen Qiancheng's face, she understood and said, "I know of one more. Let's go."

Shen Qiancheng nodded, picked up the bracelet, and turned to leave.

The owner pressed a hand on Shen Qiancheng's arm and said with a smile, "Don't rush off. I can't decide on my own—wait a moment, and I'll call my husband."

Shen Qiancheng snorted. "What? Can't even take jewelry?"

The owner held out a teacup. "Have some tea first. Long ride, wasn't it? I've called him; he'll be here soon."

Liao Xue took the tea and sipped. Shen Qiancheng said disapprovingly, "Why are you drinking my tea?"

Liao Xue answered, seemingly out of nowhere, "It's a bit hot and a little bitter. Not good."

Shen Qiancheng thought to herself: Of course it's not good; what fine tea could they have?

The owner's husband arrived quickly—the tea had barely cooled by the time he showed.

He weighed the bracelet, examined it with a magnifying glass in a knowing way, and finally held up three fingers.

Shen Qiancheng nodded. "Fine, thirty thousand it is. Cash or transfer?"

"Thirty thousand!" the wife burst out. "Miss, even pure gold wouldn't fetch that."

Shen Qiancheng raised an eyebrow. "Three thousand? That's way too little."

The owner shook his three fingers and said, "Three hundred."

"Three hundred!!!" This time, it was Shen Qiancheng who shouted, as if he'd stepped on her foot, nearly jumping. "Do you even know your goods? Three hundred wouldn't even buy the smallest stone on it!"

The owner's face darkened, and he shoved the bracelet back at her. "Wife, see the guest out!!!"

Five minutes later, Shen Qiancheng stared at the transfer record on her phone for three hundred yuan, standing at the entrance, listening to the loudspeaker blare "Clearance sale."

Three hundred yuan—it would also cover the economy-class ticket to Switzerland; once there, she'd have money.

"Miss Shen, should we head back?" Liao Xue could feel the oppressive aura around her, like the calm before a violent summer storm. She didn't know what the bracelet was worth, but she knew it wasn't three hundred.

Shen Qiancheng let out a long sigh. She was used to it by now—not a single peaceful day since she'd come to Liao Family Village. No matter; soon all this would be over.

She flicked her hair back and said, optimism returning, "Is there a rabbit restaurant in town?"

Liao Xue, caught off guard by the rapid mood swing, stammered, "There is, there's one."

The rabbit restaurant was newly opened, with a clean front and an appetizing aroma wafting out.

Shen Qiancheng strode in and found the cash register behind a row of coolers filled with sodas.

"Boss, one rabbit."

The owner, wearing an apron, was bent over picking something up. He looked up to see a pretty young girl standing there, arms crossed, an air of aloofness that didn't match the place at all.

Seeing such a beautiful girl, his tone softened. "Live or prepped?"

Shen Qiancheng, recalling the village chief's wife's cooking, nearly blacked out. "I'll eat here. Bring out all the house specialties."

"Alright," he said, smiling. "How d'you like the rabbit? Charcoal-grilled?"

"Whatever," she said nonchalantly.

He nodded and then asked, "Didn't cook the last one well at home?"

What? Shen Qiancheng frowned, irritation making her even prettier. "Did I buy a rabbit from you before?"

The boss paused, menu in hand, and looked past her to Liao Xue. "Little miss, didn't you get the rabbit your sister took home last time?"

Liao Xue had kept her head down since entering, hoping he wouldn't recognize her. Now exposed, her face burned red and words failed her.

Shen Qiancheng laughed coldly. "Your sister here didn't know our little miss had bought a rabbit to take home."

The boss was stunned. "That was the biggest rabbit I had, still alive when I sold it. No matter—you're here today, a regular customer, so I'll throw in a plate of cold dishes."

Shen Qiancheng gritted her teeth. "Thanks."

They sat at a round table by the window, with a glass lazy Susan in the center.

Shen Qiancheng took the seat nearest the window, Liao Xue across from her.

Shen Qiancheng smiled. "I really thought you knew how to catch rabbits. Never thought you'd try to pass off a store-bought one!"

Liao Xue stammered, "The back mountain... no rabbits. Had to buy."

"How much did it cost?"

"Mushrooms... in exchange."

Ah, so that was it. No wonder she'd looked like she'd rather die when asked for the mushroom dishes.

The steaming rabbit arrived, and Shen Qiancheng tore off a leg and placed it in Liao Xue's bowl. "Eat what you need to heal."

Liao Xue's eyes were a bit red from the steam, and she poked at the rabbit leg, scraping the tender meat into her own bowl. When she thought Shen Qiancheng wasn't looking, she quickly swapped their bowls.

Shen Qiancheng picked at some cold dish, and a lump of rabbit meat appeared in her bowl.

Hmm... she wouldn't use a bowl someone else had eaten from.

Liao Xue was carefully picking at the century egg and tofu in front of her when a bowl abruptly slid before her.

"After we eat, take me to the town hospital."

Liao Xue's heart skipped a beat. "Miss Shen, what's wrong?!"

Shen Qiancheng let out a long, weary sigh and gave a slight shake of her head, gazing at the table full of delicacies. "My heart's been wounded."