It was exceptionally stifling today. Gu Antong felt as though she could barely catch her breath. She forced her heavy body to move, shuffling over to the window to open a small crack. Instantly, a cool breeze slipped through the gap. Unable to resist the refreshing sensation, she leaned closer. The sun was still hanging high in the sky outside, but it was far cooler than her room.
Her courtyard had been cut off from its ice supply for a while now, and the servants had grown increasingly negligent. As a result, a strange, musty odor constantly lingered in the room.
"Cai Hua, you wretched girl! Where did you run off to?" Gu Antong bellowed. She would have liked to maintain her image, but her current circumstances simply didn't allow it. If she didn't scream at the top of her lungs, that blasted Cai Hua could easily ignore her for the entire day.
