Upon hearing this, Lanyin only felt like shaking her head. In this world, what was ever truly a matter of “should” or “should not”? Even the closest of kin could abandon you in times of crisis. Even between husband and wife, there were times when disaster struck, and they fled separately. Let alone her and Qi Yubai, who were not even particularly close.
She was about to say something when Old Madam Qi seemed to anticipate her thoughts.
She gestured for Madam Wei to lead the other attendants out. Once they had left, she held Lanyin’s hands and, for the first time, lowered her voice to speak earnestly. “Yinyin, you are a good child in every way, but you are too polite.”
Seeing the slight daze in Lanyin’s eyes, Old Madam Qi did not stop but continued, “Being courteous is a good thing when dealing with outsiders, but when it comes to family, it can be hurtful.”
“I truly like you, Yinyin. I genuinely see you as my own child.”
She meant every word. Even without Qi Yubai’s involvement, she truly regarded Gu Lanyin as her granddaughter. That was why she did not want Lanyin to always be so reserved, as though the warmth of this world had nothing to do with her, as if she were merely an outsider.
Knowing the reasons behind her guarded heart, the old woman was not angry. Instead, she felt a deep pang of sympathy. She raised her slightly rough, wrinkled hand and gently stroked Lanyin’s head with a tenderness full of affection.
Then, softening her voice, she said, “Grandmother Qi hopes that one day you can truly let go of all your defenses and regard me and Yubai as your family. You can show us all your emotions, and you can tell us anything you wouldn’t speak of to outsiders.”
Her voice was warm, her expression filled with kindness, but for the first time, Lanyin found herself unable to respond.
She had long mastered the art of social interactions, maneuvering effortlessly through banquets and conversations, yet under the old woman’s gentle and understanding gaze, she was at a loss for words.
Gu Lanyin knew her own flaws. The experiences of her childhood made it difficult for her to entrust her heart to others. She had always been cautious, planning three steps ahead and preparing for every possible unfavorable outcome. Just like with Xiao Ye—she had once loved him, but the moment she sensed his evasiveness and his lingering attachment to Gu Qing, she immediately withdrew all her feelings. As if, by retracting her emotions in time and expecting nothing, she could avoid getting hurt.
She had lived this way for years.
She never thought there was anything wrong with it. Better to never expect too much than to end up broken and unable to piece herself back together.
But the look in the old woman’s eyes was far too gentle—so gentle that Lanyin couldn’t refuse.
And she didn’t want to refuse.
Only now did Gu Lanyin realize that deep down, she still longed for someone who would love her unreservedly, cherish her, and believe in her. Even after all the wounds she had suffered, after experiencing so many disappointments, after telling herself again and again to be smarter, to never fall again—just a little bit of warmth, and she would still plunge headfirst into it.
So—
Under the old woman’s expectant gaze, she nodded. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “…Alright.”
She could not promise that she would be able to completely lower her guard and reveal all of her true self, but she would try. She would try not to be so defensive, not to resist their kindness. She was willing to reciprocate their warmth—genuinely and sincerely.
And this time, it wasn’t just because Qi Yubai had once saved her.
“Alright now, no more crying.” Old Madam Qi held a handkerchief, tenderly wiping away Lanyin’s tears.
Lanyin hadn’t even realized she was crying until she heard those words. Stunned, she raised a hand to touch her face—sure enough, it was damp. How long had it been since she last cried? She couldn’t even remember.
The last time she could recall was when she was thirteen. That year, her grandmother had told her to return home.
She had understood why her grandmother had made that decision. After all, she was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changxing. When she married in the future, she would be wed from the Changxing Marquis Manor. She couldn’t stay in Jinling forever; she had to go back and maintain her ties with her family. She had known all this, yet she still couldn’t bear to leave her grandmother. So when all the servants had withdrawn from the room, she had silently wept into her grandmother’s lap.
Lanyin was just about to speak.
At that moment, the curtain was lifted.
Qi Yubai stepped inside, dressed in a plain blue robe. His gaze fell on Lanyin, and upon noticing her red-rimmed eyes—clear evidence that she had just been crying—his steps halted abruptly. Even his brows furrowed deeply into a sharp crease. “What happened?”
“Why are you crying?” He asked her.
Lanyin had not expected him to enter at this moment. A single teardrop still clung to her thick lashes. Startled by his sudden appearance, her eyelashes quivered slightly, and the tear slipped down. Ever since moving to Jinling, she had grown unused to letting others see her cry—especially a man.
Only now, belatedly, did she realize how embarrassed she felt. A faint flush spread across her cheeks, and a tinge of unease surfaced in her heart. She dared not meet Qi Yubai’s gaze and could only lower her head, replying softly, “It’s nothing.”
But Qi Yubai was not the least bit reassured by those two words.
He continued to look at her, his brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.
The room was brightly lit, as if it were still daytime.
One sat, the other stood, both with their heads lowered—completely forgetting about Old Madam Qi’s presence.
Old Madam Qi, despite being ignored, was not the least bit angry. Instead, she watched her grandson’s rare display of emotion with both surprise and amusement. Last night, he had lectured her so seriously, saying things like, Don’t let Yinyin notice anything. But now that she was observing him coldly from the side, with the way her grandson was acting, it would be stranger if he wasn’t noticed.
Looks like she had to step in.
“I was chatting with your younger sister about childhood memories. Why did you just walk in without having someone announce you first?” Old Madam Qi shot Qi Yubai a displeased glare while holding Lanyin’s hand and telling her, “Ignore him.”
Qi Yubai, under his grandmother’s pointed look, restrained his emotions somewhat.
He no longer kept his eyes fixed on Lanyin, though that deep, quiet intensity remained. And every now and then, when he glanced at her, he couldn’t help but press his lips into a firm line.
He didn’t like seeing her cry.
Lanyin had no idea what he was thinking. She only felt a quiet relief once that oppressive aura around her disappeared.
Shi Yu was right. This Lord Qi’s presence was truly intimidating—far beyond his years.
—
That evening at dinner.
Most of the dishes on the table were Jinling specialties, which Lanyin liked. Among them was a dish of braised shrimp in oil, her favorite. When she had been at home, Ting Yun and Shi Yu would always peel a full bowl for her. But in the Qi household, neither Qi Yubai nor his grandmother liked having servants attend them during meals—everything was done personally. Naturally, Lanyin followed their custom and didn’t wish to appear overly delicate.
Because of that, however, she refrained from eating the shrimp. She disliked getting her hands sticky while eating.
Old Madam Qi glanced at Lanyin, then at Qi Yubai across the table. The moment he looked back at her, she knew he was waiting for her to speak. But she wasn’t about to let him have it that easy. Instead, she deliberately continued chatting with Lanyin while placing more food into her bowl. Not until she noticed her grandson pressing his thin lips downward—an expression that reminded her of when he was a child and she forced him to eat something he didn’t like—did she finally relent and say, “If you have nothing else to do, peel some shrimp for your sister.”
Lanyin had just been eating when she heard this and froze.
“There’s no need—”
She had barely spoken when she saw the young man beside her put down his chopsticks and start peeling shrimp. Remembering what Grandmother Qi had said earlier, she hesitated but ultimately chose not to refuse. When he placed the peeled shrimp into her bowl, she softly thanked him.
After a moment of thought—
Her gaze fell on the plate of Dongpo Tofu in front of him. She didn’t know what Qi Yubai liked to eat, but out of all the dishes on the table, he seemed to reach for that one the most.
She had been at the Qi household for several days and had often placed food into Grandmother Qi’s bowl, but she had never once done the same for Qi Yubai.
Now, as she watched him silently peeling shrimp for her, a sudden thought emerged—she wanted to do something nice for him, too.
Without hesitation, she picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of tofu into his bowl.
She clearly saw his expression pause slightly at the sight of it.
Then, the man—who had been keeping his head down—suddenly lifted his gaze toward her.
For a brief moment, Lanyin wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, or if the room’s lanterns were too bright, but she seemed to see a flicker of light in his deep, dark eyes.
Like the stars in a night sky.
He didn’t say a word, but Lanyin could sense his good mood. The worry in her heart settled—she had been afraid he wouldn’t like it.
Seeing the soft warmth in his presence now, she thought to herself—perhaps this Lord Qi was actually quite easy to get along with.
Although he was reserved and sparing with words, he made people feel at ease.
Whether as a family member, a friend, or even… a husband—someone like him would bring a deep sense of security.
The interaction between the two younger ones naturally pleased Old Madam Qi. She glanced at Lanyin, then at her grandson, who was clearly in a much better mood than usual. Looking at the two of them—so well-matched—she wished they could just get married tomorrow. But she knew that some things couldn’t be rushed. So, as the room fell into silence again, she asked Lanyin, “Has the Ministry of Revenue given a reply yet?”
“Someone from the ministry came by in the evening,” Lanyin replied. “They said they’ve already retrieved the divorce document from the Xiao family. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to get it by tomorrow.”
She paused briefly before adding, “I plan to go there myself tomorrow.”
At this, Old Madam Qi immediately frowned. “That place is a mess. Why do you need to go? Just send someone else to handle it.” She didn’t want Lanyin to be seen or to become the subject of gossip.
But Lanyin had already made up her mind, and she wouldn’t change it.
She was about to explain when she suddenly heard Qi Yubai’s voice from beside her.
“I’ll go with you.”
Lanyin was startled and turned her head.
She saw Qi Yubai placing the last peeled shrimp into her bowl. Then, he took a handkerchief and wiped his hands, looked straight at her, and said,
“You don’t need to care about what others think, nor do you need to worry about how they see you. If you want to go, I’ll go with you.”
Lanyin knew she should refuse.
She had already troubled him too much with this matter—how could she ask him to accompany her to such a place?
But as she looked into Qi Yubai’s eyes, into the vast expanse within them that seemed like a starry sky, the words of refusal lingered on the tip of her tongue yet refused to come out.