After a pause, she glanced at him again and added in a quieter voice, “Very good-looking.”
Whether it was the great general of her past life or the young man before her now, he was the most handsome person she had ever seen.
Li Qinyuan, who had originally been teasing her, suddenly felt his ears turn red at her straightforward compliment. He let out a soft cough, turned his head away awkwardly, and muttered, “Hurry up and go inside. Aren’t you afraid of others seeing?”
His last sentence was spoken so quietly that it was barely audible.
Gu Wuyou didn’t quite catch it but didn’t ask further. She simply nodded and agreed. After some thought, she rummaged through her small satchel, took out a small packet of pastries, and placed it in his hand. Her voice was soft as she reminded him, “Eat something first, don’t go hungry.”
“When you get to the academy, if there’s still food in the dining hall, eat a little more.”
The general from her past life had always been too busy to remember eating breakfast, sometimes to the point of stomach pain. Because of that, she had developed the habit of carrying some pastries with her whenever she went out—just in case.
Li Qinyuan looked at the packet of pastries in his hand, feeling a little helpless. He had never liked eating such things—too sweet, too sticky, and they got stuck in his teeth. But seeing the concern in her eyes, he couldn’t bear to reject her kindness, so he nodded in acknowledgment.
Only then did Gu Wuyou feel at ease. She stepped down from the carriage.
By then, Bai Lu and Hong Shuang had heard the news and had come out to greet her. As they approached, they saw Gu Wuyou waving to someone inside the carriage.
Hong Shuang, who was somewhat careless and had her full attention on Gu Wuyou, didn’t notice anything unusual.
But Bai Lu was always observant. She instinctively glanced toward the carriage, but all she saw was the hem of a black robe. She kept her expression neutral but made a mental note of it. However, this wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, so she simply helped Gu Wuyou inside.
The three of them entered the residence.
Meanwhile, Li Qinyuan remained seated in the carriage, holding the packet of pastries. He watched Gu Wuyou’s departing figure until the coachman softly called his attention. Only then did he snap out of his thoughts. With a slight smile, he clenched the packet in his hand and said, “Let’s go.”
—
Gu Jiufei’s injuries were neither too severe nor too light—he would certainly need several days of rest at home.
Upon receiving the news, both the Old Madam Gu and Madam Liu rushed over to check on him. Learning that Gu Jiufei had been ambushed, their expressions darkened considerably.
While Gu Wuyou stayed inside tending to Gu Jiufei, Fu Jiang and the others went outside to discuss the matter.
Although Madam Liu usually didn’t get along with Fu Jiang, she still knew how to prioritize in times of real trouble. Now, her face was grim, and she lowered her voice as she cursed, “They must have eaten a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall to dare lay hands on someone from our family. If we find out who’s behind this, we must report them to the imperial court and make them pay!”
The Old Madam, being more composed by nature, didn’t react as emotionally as Madam Liu. However, her tone was just as heavy when she asked, “What happened to those men?”
Fu Jiang answered truthfully, “According to Manman, they’ve already been sent to the yamen.” After a brief pause, she added, “That Lord Lu at the yamen once served under my elder brother. I plan to write a letter to my brother and have him put in a few words privately.”
Naturally, such ‘words’ would include the use of certain necessary ‘methods.’
“Mm.”
The Old Madam nodded, saying no more. After a moment of silence, she finally added, “Once Ruohua returns from court, be sure to inform him as well. His son was attacked—he, as a father, should take responsibility.”
Fu Jiang hesitated at that. After a brief pause, she finally answered, “…Yes, I will remember.”
She knew that their marriage was not harmonious, but when it came to matters concerning the younger generation, it wasn’t her place to interfere. When she was younger, she could still say a few words, but now… with one foot already in the grave, how much could she still manage?
Sometimes, Old Madam Gu wondered whether she had made a mistake back then. But in this world, even if one realizes their mistakes, what can be done? Even if she could start over, she would still make the same choice. If it hadn’t been Fu Jiang, it would have been someone else.
The second son had passed away early.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch as the eldest branch of the Gu family lost its bloodline as well.
For once, Old Madam Gu sighed inwardly. The prayer beads in her hands, which she had been turning idly, remained still for a long time.
After sitting for a while longer, it was time for her daily prayers. She had no intention of staying longer and was prepared to leave.
As she rose, Fu Jiang escorted her and Madam Liu outside. While walking, Old Madam Gu asked, “I heard that it was the seventh young master of the Li family who saved Jiufei today?”
Fu Jiang nodded, supporting her arm respectfully as she answered, “Yes, we were very fortunate to have him today. I was thinking of inviting him over in a few days to properly thank him.”
“He is a junior—what sense is there in having his elders invite him over?”
Old Madam Gu’s expression was calm, and her voice was steady. “It just so happens that his grandmother’s birthday is coming up soon. Our two families have never been particularly close, and I had not planned on attending. But given the circumstances… I shall pay a visit.”
Over the years, Old Madam Gu had kept a low profile and rarely went out, even during the New Year or festival celebrations. For her to personally visit the Li family for Jiufei’s sake was a significant gesture, both sentimentally and socially.
Fu Jiang, realizing this, quickly expressed her gratitude once more.
Old Madam Gu paid her no heed, simply continuing to turn her prayer beads. Just before stepping out of the room, she suddenly asked, “And what was Manman up to today?”
“Huh?”
Fu Jiang was momentarily taken aback. That… she hadn’t thought to ask.
After a brief hesitation, she lowered her voice and replied, “Perhaps she and Jiufei just happened to run into each other on the street.”
Old Madam Gu said nothing. The movement of her prayer beads halted briefly before she finally looked at Fu Jiang and said, “Regardless, you are still her mother in name. You should pay more attention to her affairs.”
“A young lady should not be involved in any scandals.”
This put Fu Jiang in a difficult position.
When it came to Gu Wuyou, she wouldn’t dare interfere in the slightest. But such words were not for her to speak. If they got out, others would only assume that, as a stepmother, she harbored ill feelings toward the child left behind by the first wife.
She could tolerate a few unpleasant words directed at herself, but if such talk reached Gu Wuyou’s ears and upset her, that would be even worse. So, Fu Jiang said nothing more and simply nodded in agreement.
Once she had sent everyone off, Fu Jiang originally intended to go back inside and check on Gu Jiufei again. But when she remembered that Gu Wuyou was still inside, she hesitated and stopped.
Qing Dai, her maid, asked in a hushed voice, “Madam, aren’t you going in?”
“Forget it. Let the siblings talk. If I go in, the atmosphere will just turn awkward again.” Fu Jiang sighed, though she wasn’t too disappointed. Seeing Jiufei and Wuyou getting along was already enough to bring her comfort. As for anything beyond that, she had never truly fulfilled the duties of a mother, so she had no right to expect to be called one.
She gave some instructions instead. “Have someone send some food to the young master and young lady. Jiufei is recovering, so no meat—just some light porridge and vegetarian dishes will do. Manman likes shrimp dumplings, so have the kitchen prepare them properly and make sure they don’t use any strong seasonings.”
Qing Dai immediately responded, “Yes, Madam.”
Fu Jiang lingered in the courtyard for a while before finally leaving.
Inside the room, the two siblings barely spoke. One lay on the bed, the other sat beside it.
Gu Wuyou wasn’t quite used to interacting with the younger version of Gu Jiufei. She asked him a few times, “Does it hurt?” But after receiving his replies, she didn’t know what else to say.
As for Gu Jiufei—
His thoughts were far more complicated than hers.
He wasn’t used to Gu Wuyou treating him kindly; it made her seem unfamiliar, unpredictable… Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of attachment to this kindness. Just like that day at the academy—he had clearly not wanted to stay, but when he saw her bright smile, he found himself unable to refuse.
Gu Wuyou, who hadn’t experienced such awkward silences in a long time, didn’t know what to say either. Feeling bored, she muttered, “Ugh, why isn’t the food here yet?”
Gu Jiufei glanced at her but said nothing. Instead, he reached over to the bedside cabinet, picked up a plate of pastries, and handed them to her.
The plate contained sour plum cakes and black date pastries—both of which Gu Wuyou used to love. Even if this was purely coincidental, it still made her smile. She accepted them, her crescent-shaped eyes curving into a grin. “Thank you.”
Gu Jiufei remained silent for a long time, then finally gripped the edge of his blanket and asked in a low voice, “Today… why did you help me?”
In that situation, if Gu Wuyou hadn’t said something, Li Qinyuan definitely wouldn’t have shown up. But why would she help him? Didn’t she hate him? Wouldn’t it have been better for her if he had just been beaten to death?
“Huh?”
Gu Wuyou had just taken a small bite of the sour plum cake when she heard his question. She blinked at him, puzzled.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, accentuating her fair complexion. She was, in truth, stunningly beautiful, but the confusion on her face gave her an added touch of innocence.
However, that innocence lasted only for a moment.
She quickly broke into a smile. “Because we’re family.”
Those simple words stunned Gu Jiufei, who had always been unreadable in his expressions.
Family… Did she really think of him as family?
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but at that moment, footsteps sounded from outside—the servants were bringing in the morning meal.
Seeing others enter, he immediately fell silent.
Gu Wuyou didn’t think too much about it, allowing the maids to set up the food. She hadn’t been particularly hungry before, but now that she smelled the fragrant dishes, she couldn’t resist and eagerly sat down to eat.
Once she finished, she decided to take her leave, not wanting to disturb Gu Jiufei’s rest. However, just as she was about to go, Gu Jiufei, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly stopped her.
“You and Li Qinyuan, you…”
“Do you like him?”
His voice was soft, but his gaze remained fixed on her. Seeing her widen her eyes in surprise, he didn’t look away.
Gu Wuyou was momentarily stunned, but she didn’t try to hide anything. After a brief moment of surprise, she simply smiled and admitted, “Yes, I like him.”
She had never concealed her feelings for him.
Gu Jiufei frowned even more at her straightforward answer. “And what about him?”
“Hmm.”
That… Gu Wuyou wasn’t entirely sure.
Did the great general like her? Tilting her head in thought, she hesitated before replying, “He probably… likes me?” Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn’t have taken the initiative to find her.
Probably?
Gu Jiufei’s frown deepened, and his young face turned solemn.
Before he could say anything, the girl in the red dress suddenly beamed. It was a bright, radiant smile as she declared, “Even if he doesn’t like me yet, he definitely will in the future.”
As she spoke, she looked utterly confident—adorable and self-assured, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Gu Jiufei looked at her like that, yet he found himself unable to say a single word.
He wanted to say that their father would never agree.
He wanted to say that Li Qinyuan wasn’t good enough for her.
He wanted to say countless things…
But under that unwavering gaze, he couldn’t utter a single word.
It wasn’t until Anhe entered the room—nearly a full quarter of an hour after Gu Wuyou had left—that he finally snapped out of his daze. Seeing his young master still staring blankly in bed, Anhe hesitantly asked in a soft voice, “Young Master, are you all right?”
Gu Jiufei returned to his senses and glanced at him.
Noticing the slight limp in Anhe’s gait, he immediately understood—he had been punished.
He said nothing at first. Then, reaching into the cabinet beside him, he took out a bottle of medicinal ointment for bruises and casually tossed it to him. “Use this.”
Anhe quickly expressed his gratitude.
Gu Jiufei, however, had already averted his gaze. Leaning back against the soft pillow, he drummed his long, slender fingers lightly against the embroidered blanket. His expression was unreadable, his tone devoid of emotion as he instructed,
“Make sure word of my injuries reaches the Yu family.”