Anhe was anxiously waiting beside the carriage.
He was Gu Jiufei’s bookboy, and when he saw Gu Jiufei being carried out, his face turned pale. Especially upon seeing all the wounds on his body, he nearly collapsed to the ground. Forcing himself to stay upright, he stumbled over, not even caring to greet properly, his voice trembling as he asked, “Y-young Master, w-what happened to you? H-how did you get hurt like this?”
Gu Wuyou frowned when she saw him and asked in a deep voice, “Where did you go? Why did you leave Jiufei alone in that alley?”
Having been used to seeing her playful and smiling face, Li Qinyuan found it rather novel to see her with a stern expression. He suddenly recalled what Dabai had told him that day:
“Qilang, you haven’t seen it, but when that girl puts on a serious face to scold someone, she really has a bit of authority and presence.”
Was she also like this when she defended him at the academy that day?
Li Qinyuan stared at Gu Wuyou, momentarily lost in thought, feeling a bit regretful—he had actually missed such a scene.
“I…” Anhe only then noticed her. Having feared this Princess of Leping since childhood, he was now so frightened by her scolding that he nearly lost his soul. Lowering his head, he answered nervously, “I had just gone to buy something for Young Master.”
Gu Wuyou was about to say more, but Gu Jiufei spoke up, “I was the one who sent him to buy something. Besides, those people came prepared. Even if he had been there, it would have just meant one more injured person.”
His injuries were severe, making even speaking a laborious effort. After saying just that one sentence, a fine layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
And this was even after enduring it.
Gu Wuyou felt distressed for him and naturally couldn’t continue blaming Anhe. Instead, she simply maintained her stern face and ordered, “Go back to the residence first and inform the family. Have them prepare a physician and everything needed.”
Anhe hesitated upon hearing this.
The Young Master and the Princess had never gotten along since childhood. If he left him alone here, he was truly worried… Gu Jiufei seemed to know what he was thinking and gave him a slight nod, saying calmly, “Go.”
Receiving the command, Anhe finally nodded, saluted them, then gritted his teeth and turned to board the carriage, instructing the driver to take him back first.
Gu Wuyou was also worried that delaying here any longer would only make Gu Jiufei suffer more. She turned to call her own carriage over but caught a glimpse of Li Qinyuan standing beside her. Only then did she belatedly realize and her face flushed red.
This time, it wasn’t out of shyness but embarrassment.
Thinking about how he had seen her scolding others just now, Gu Wuyou felt so mortified that she didn’t even dare to lift her eyes, afraid that he would think she was fierce. After hesitating for a long time, she finally mustered the courage to say in a small voice, not daring to argue, “L-let’s get on the carriage too.”
Li Qinyuan looked at her reddened face and couldn’t help but curl his lips. Just now, she had been all fierce and commanding, yet now, in front of him, she had softened again…
How utterly adorable.
He didn’t say anything, only gave a soft “Mm” and helped Gu Jiufei onto the carriage.
Gu Wuyou’s carriage was spacious and comfortable, with everything well-prepared. She had Gu Jiufei lie down on the couch while she and Li Qinyuan sat together. As she poured water from the storage jug, she soaked a handkerchief, preparing to wipe the wounds on Gu Jiufei’s face. At the same time, she remembered Li Qinyuan’s studies and turned to ask, “Do you… want to go back to the academy first?”
She was worried he would be late.
“It’s fine, it’s still early.”
Li Qinyuan responded absentmindedly—not because he was careless, but because his attention was entirely focused on her hands. Watching her wring the handkerchief, he frowned slightly…
He had the sudden impulse to just snatch the cloth from her hands and roughly wipe Gu Jiufei’s face himself.
But reason told him he couldn’t.
Helping Gu Jiufei earlier could still be explained, but wiping his wounds now… that was definitely not something an outsider like him should be doing.
Realizing this, he couldn’t help but regret sending the bookboy away earlier.
If that little bookboy were still here, at least this little girl beside him wouldn’t have to do this herself.
Young Master Li was both irritated and unhappy.
If he were a little sharper about such matters, he would have realized that his unhappiness stemmed from jealousy. But clearly… Young Master Li had yet to truly awaken to such things.
Gu Wuyou, on the other hand, failed to notice his unusual mood. Hearing his response, she merely nodded and spoke in a casual, chatty tone, “Then you can take my carriage to the academy later. Don’t walk back—it’s a waste of time.”
Once he agreed, she picked up the handkerchief and prepared to wipe Gu Jiufei’s wounds.
Just as her hand reached out, Gu Jiufei instinctively flinched. His eyelashes trembled, and his thin lips pressed together slightly. He seemed unaccustomed to such touches—or perhaps, unaccustomed to her touch.
“I’ll do it myself,” he said, his parched voice slightly hoarse.
“Don’t move. Lie still. Look at you—you’re already this badly hurt, and you’re still being stubborn.” Gu Wuyou frowned, firmly insisting as she cleaned his wounds, her tone carrying no room for argument. At the same time, she muttered, “We must have the yamen properly interrogate those people later. They must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall to have the audacity to lay hands on you.”
Even if she wasn’t well-versed in worldly matters, she understood that those thugs were surely acting under someone’s orders.
Otherwise, how could they have dared to target someone from the Gu family? No matter how reckless they were, they wouldn’t have done such a thing without backing.
With her words leaving him no room to avoid it, Gu Jiufei had no choice but to lie back stiffly. In truth, even if he wanted to move away, there was nowhere to go. The carriage was only so big, and besides… he found himself reluctant to pull away.
Just as he had been reluctant to refuse her that day.
His youthful face had not yet fully matured, but the refined features of the Gu family were already apparent in him.
Normally, when Gu Jiufei was outside, he always wore an indifferent expression. Even now, he lowered his eyes as if maintaining his usual demeanor, yet his ears were slightly flushed. Fortunately, the dim carriage lighting concealed it well.
He pursed his lips and allowed Gu Wuyou to clean his wounds, his slender fingers lightly gripping the hem of his robe. He had assumed that someone like her, who had been pampered and waited on since childhood, would be clumsy with her strength, but surprisingly, the hand pressing against his wounds was incredibly gentle, not causing him the slightest discomfort.
The stiffness in his spine gradually eased.
His voice was still hoarse, but he only responded with a faint “Mm.”
They had already sent word to the yamen earlier, and with the status of the Duke of Ding’s household, the officials wouldn’t dare to slack off. But Gu Jiufei knew that even if they put in their utmost effort, they were unlikely to uncover anything.
Whoever had orchestrated this had clearly intended for him to suffer and must have made thorough preparations. There was no way they would leave behind any clues leading back to them.
But these thoughts—
He wouldn’t tell Gu Wuyou, nor would he tell his mother… there was no need.
His affairs were his to handle. It had always been this way, and he had long since gotten used to it.
Gu Wuyou carefully wiped away the bloodstains from his face and hands before taking out a bottle of medicinal ointment for promoting blood circulation and reducing bruising. As she applied it to his wounds, she suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, why were you in that alley?”
That alley was particularly secluded, a place where ordinary people wouldn’t pass by.
It was a casual question, but Gu Jiufei’s expression darkened. His fingers clenched tighter around his robe.
Especially when he saw the person sitting beside her—Li Qinyuan—raising an eyebrow at him, his lips curled into a mocking smirk.
Gu Jiufei’s lips pressed into a thin line, and before he could think, the words escaped him:
“Then why were you two there?”
The moment the question left his lips—
Gu Jiufei saw the brief stiffness in Li Qinyuan’s smile. He even noticed him glance at Gu Wuyou out of the corner of his eye, as if contemplating something. Whatever it was, the previous hint of mockery on his lips had now been restrained into a tight press, his mood visibly dampened, and his expression slightly darkened.
Gu Wuyou, on the other hand, remained completely unaware.
Hearing the question, she was momentarily stunned but didn’t hide anything. She answered candidly, “We went to have breakfast.” Her tone was open and natural, as if stating the most ordinary fact. And to her, it was nothing unusual—after all, in her past life, the three of them had interacted like this all the time.
Whenever Gu Jiufei came to visit her at home, he would often find her and Li Qinyuan heading out for breakfast. Sometimes, they even went out together.
But while her words were spoken casually, the two others in the carriage each had their own reactions.
Especially Li Qinyuan—he seemed momentarily dazed, then suddenly looked up and stared at her in a trance. He had just been wondering how Gu Wuyou would respond. Would she deny it?
And if she did… what would he feel?
Li Qinyuan didn’t know.
He supposed he would feel uncomfortable, but at the same time, he would also think that was the expected reaction.
Yet, he had never anticipated that she would be so forthright, so direct that it left him speechless.
At that moment, the sunlight streamed in through the lattice window of the carriage, casting a golden glow inside. Bathed in that warm light, Gu Wuyou looked particularly radiant.
Li Qinyuan’s heartbeat pounded in his chest like a drum, and an unfamiliar but distinct joy spread through him, filling every corner of his heart.
Even though he couldn’t quite make sense of his ever-shifting emotions, one thing was clear—he was very happy. So much so that even the sight of Gu Jiufei’s annoying face didn’t bother him anymore.
Gu Jiufei, too, was taken aback by Gu Wuyou’s response.
Her honesty and straightforwardness left him completely unable to formulate a reply. And when he glanced at Li Qinyuan’s unconcealed smile, he really didn’t want to say anything at all.
The atmosphere inside the carriage once again fell silent.
But Gu Wuyou, who was utterly oblivious to certain things, didn’t notice at all. She was still preoccupied with worrying about Gu Jiufei’s injuries, repeatedly urging the driver to go faster.
When the carriage finally came to a stop, she lifted the curtain.
A crowd had already gathered outside—servant women, maids, and several young attendants carrying a sedan chair. Gu Wuyou instructed them to come forward and help.
Among them was Fu Jiang, who, upon seeing Gu Jiufei’s condition, had reddened eyes. She completely disregarded etiquette and rushed over, grasping his hand and anxiously asking, “Jiufei, how are you? Where does it hurt?”
Seeing his mother, Gu Jiufei’s face finally softened into a genuine, reassuring smile. He comforted her instead, “Mother, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
But Fu Jiang’s eyes only reddened further. She hurriedly ordered, “Quick, carry the young master inside.” As the servants carefully helped Gu Jiufei out, she finally noticed Gu Wuyou and Li Qinyuan. Momentarily startled, she asked, “Qilang, why are you here?”
Gu Wuyou had just been about to explain when, at that moment, as he was being carried away, Gu Jiufei promptly turned his head and interjected, “Mother, it was Brother Li Qi who helped me today.”
His tone was somewhat rushed, and he offered no further explanation, clearly worried that Gu Wuyou might say something unnecessary that could lead to further speculation.
Fu Jiang, however, didn’t think too deeply about it. Hearing this, she immediately expressed her gratitude. “So it was Qilang who helped Jiufei—thank you.”
But she was anxious to tend to her son’s injuries, so after a brief pause, she added, “There’s too much happening at home today to properly thank you, but we’ll be sure to invite you over as a guest another day.”
Fu Jiang was the aunt of Fu Xian. Though Li Qinyuan wasn’t particularly close to her, they weren’t strangers either. At this moment, he responded politely, “It was just a small effort, nothing worth thanking.” Then, he added, “You should go inside first. I should head back to the academy as well.”
Fu Jiang said nothing more, simply thanking Li Qinyuan again before being helped inside.
Once she left, the maids and servants also dispersed, leaving the courtyard empty. Gu Wuyou was anxious to check on Gu Jiufei’s injuries, but when her gaze swept over to Li Qinyuan beside her, she hesitated for a moment. Before she could speak, he beat her to it.
“You should go in,” he said.
His voice was warm, and the smile on his face was exceptionally gentle—a rare softness that momentarily stunned Gu Wuyou.
“Why do you keep spacing out?” Li Qinyuan sighed slightly, raising a finger to lightly tap her forehead. “What kind of habit is this? Am I really that good-looking?”
Gu Wuyou covered her forehead. It didn’t actually hurt—she was just a little flustered by the affectionate gesture. Hearing his words, she lifted her head and answered seriously, “You are.”