The previous commotion had faded, leaving the entire Gu residence in utter silence.
Now, the only sounds in the flower hall were the faint echoes of footsteps and the rustling of fabric as people moved.
Lanyin held a white jade medicine bottle in her hand. Water and a handkerchief had already been brought in earlier and now sat quietly on the table. Beside the ornately carved, gold-inlaid redwood table sat a man in azure robes. A few steps behind him stood an ebony square lantern, about half a man’s height. The orange-red light filtered through the silk lampshade, casting a glow upon him. The dark blue fabric of his robe bore water ripple patterns, which shimmered faintly under the flickering lamp, appearing almost like real ripples. He still looked as lofty and unattainable as ever, yet his complexion was noticeably paler than before, making his deep, ink-black phoenix eyes even more striking—like a piece of the finest black jade.
And at this moment, those eyes, like polished black jade, were quietly gazing at her.
It was not the first time she had encountered such a gaze from him, but today, as Lanyin looked into those eyes, her heart inexplicably trembled.
In this life, she had never been alone with Qi Yubai like this before. The enclosed space inevitably brought back memories of her past life—memories she had tried so hard to forget.
She had thought that after so long, she would have already blurred that humiliating past. But upon careful reflection, though two lifetimes had passed, for her, it had only been a matter of a month. Moreover, that memory was too deeply imprinted—how could it be forgotten so easily? It was only buried beneath the surface, suppressed by her will, making her believe it was gone. But now, as she recalled it, she realized she still remembered everything vividly.
She remembered his strong, powerful arms.
She remembered, in her dazed state, how she had wrapped her arms around his neck.
She remembered the low, cool, and hoarse voice that whispered beside her ear—
“Gu Lanyin, wake up.”
Gu Lanyin, wake up.
That was the first time in that lifetime someone had said those words to her.
She had always been rational.
To many, her rationality even made her seem too cold.
But that was the only time she had lost control.
When she was clear-headed, she told him to leave.
But when she lost herself, she desperately clung to him.
Many details had blurred with time, but she still remembered that day as one of shame and chaos.
Inside that abandoned Buddhist hall, the doors and windows were shut tight. She had been tormented by desire, unable to escape.
That day, Qi Yubai had been like an unmoving tree, silently standing outside the screen with his back to her.
While she lay on the bed…
By the time she regained clarity, she didn’t even know how much time had passed. The shame she had never felt before made it impossible for her to face Qi Yubai. She had followed the rules for over a decade, only to utterly disgrace herself that day—in front of an unfamiliar man, no less. The overwhelming humiliation finally broke her composure, and she could no longer hold back her tears.
That was probably the first time she had cried since leaving her grandmother’s side at thirteen.
She hadn’t cried when her mother scolded her.
She hadn’t cried when Xiao Ye neglected her.
Yet she had shed tears in front of Qi Yubai—this man she had only just met.
Even then, she had only cried softly.
It was less like weeping and more like a silent, powerless rebellion against fate.
“After today, I will leave Bianjing,” Qi Yubai had said from behind the screen, hearing her suppressed sobs.
For a fleeting moment, a selfish thought had crossed Lanyin’s mind.
If Qi Yubai really left, then what had happened that day would never be known to anyone else. She wouldn’t have to face him in unbearable shame in the future.
But how could she think that way?
For the sake of her own reputation, would she ruin his future?
She did not have the heart for such selfishness.
“No need,” she had said, sitting on the bed, tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her voice hoarse as she kept her head down. “I trust you, my lord.”
It was their first conversation.
And yet, she had chosen to trust Qi Yubai’s character.
If this man had even a shred of ill intent, he wouldn’t have merely stood outside, silently keeping watch, ensuring her safety.
Unfortunately—
That day, neither of them had been able to leave in time.
Recalling the past, Lanyin no longer felt the same unease and humiliation of being thrust into the center of attention as in her previous life. Yet, facing Qi Yubai now, her heart was still in turmoil. She knew he was unaware of those past events, but she…
Her steps were slow, but the flower hall was not large. No matter how unhurried, she would eventually reach him. As she drew closer, her peripheral vision caught sight of his left shoulder, soaked in fresh blood, and her expression changed instantly.
Remembering why she had come, she gripped the medicine bottle tightly, forcing all those chaotic thoughts out of her mind. Steadying herself, she spoke to Qi Yubai, “Zhusheng and Tianqing aren’t here. I… I came to apply medicine for you.”
The latter half of her sentence was spoken more softly.
Before she arrived, Qi Yubai had not expected Lanyin to personally tend to his wound. Now, with her standing so close—
Of course, he longed to be near her. But he did not want to make things difficult for her. He knew she was always proper and restrained; he would not use her guilt to fulfill his own selfish desires.
“Just leave the medicine here. I can do it myself.” His voice softened as he spoke to her.
The moment Lanyin heard this, however, her brows furrowed. “How will you manage on your own?”
Seeing the dark crimson stain spreading over the fabric of his left shoulder, her willow brows knitted together even tighter. She took a deep breath and told him, “Please remove your robe.”
Heaven knew how fast her heart was pounding when she said this.
Yet no matter how erratic her heartbeat was, Lanyin still met Qi Yubai’s gaze directly, as if doing so would prove her determination.
Qi Yubai stared at her for a long moment, sensing her unwavering resolve. After a brief silence, he lowered his eyes without further argument.
His slender fingers reached for his waistband. Just as his fingertips touched the sash, the air in the room seemed to tighten. Without any visible change in his expression, he glanced at the woman before him from the corner of his eye.
She stood tense, her delicate figure visibly stiffened. Her fair, elegant face was strained with tension.
Yet, even so, she stubbornly kept her gaze on him, refusing to look away—almost as if she feared he might think she was unwilling.
Looking at this version of Gu Lanyin, Qi Yubai’s heart softened unbearably.
Several breaths passed.
It felt like both an eternity and a mere fleeting moment before Lanyin finally heard him say, “It’s done.”
The sudden words made her nerves tighten even further, her grip on the medicine bottle instinctively tightening. Her heart pounded like a drum, but she dared not let any of her emotions show.
She gave a soft acknowledgment before stiffly lowering her gaze.
She had originally thought she would be faced with Qi Yubai’s bare upper body. Instead, she saw that the man had only exposed his injured shoulder.
This small act of consideration made her exhale a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The tension that had gripped her heart loosened ever so slightly.
But when she caught sight of the gaping wound, the dried and fresh blood staining his shoulder, guilt and heartache surged in her chest once more.
She had no words for him.
Instead, she stepped forward.
She had treated wounds before, but now, for some reason, she hesitated.
Perhaps it was the guilt and unease flickering across her face that Qi Yubai noticed, for he spoke to her in a low, reassuring voice, “Don’t be afraid. It only looks worse than it is. Just clean it with the cloth before applying the medicine.”
His voice, as steady as ever, gradually eased the nervousness in her heart.
Lanyin gave a soft “Mm” in response.
She set the medicine bottle aside, then rolled up her sleeves and reached for the cloth. But when she was about to clean his shoulder, she hesitated again, lips pursed slightly, as if afraid of hurting him.
She stared at his wound for a long moment before finally, carefully, leaning in and beginning to clean away the blood.
Lanyin had not tied up all of her hair today.
At home, she always preferred comfort. Since she hadn’t planned to go to the Qi residence for dinner tonight, she had only intended to read for a while before going to bed. Half of her dark hair was loosely fastened, while the rest cascaded down her back.
Now, as she leaned forward to clean his wound, a few strands slipped over her shoulder, falling onto Qi Yubai’s bare skin.
The soft strands carried a familiar fragrance of plum blossoms, brushing against him like a whisper of warmth.
Qi Yubai’s hand, which had been resting on the armrest, suddenly clenched.
His poised, upright figure tensed visibly.
“Did I hurt you?” Lanyin stopped her movements and turned her head nervously, her eyes filled with concern.
“…No.”
Qi Yubai’s voice was hoarse.
But Lanyin didn’t believe him. She pursed her red lips lightly and whispered with a hint of self-reproach, “I’ll be gentler.” As she spoke, she turned her attention back to Qi Yubai’s shoulder, carefully wiping it, her movements noticeably softer than before.
Seeing her like this, Qi Yubai felt a wave of helplessness in his heart.
He had known this would happen. No matter how much restraint and endurance he had, it would all be effortlessly dissolved in her presence.
Having been in the officialdom for so many years, Qi Yubai was no stranger to the tactics of seduction. There were even times when he was away on official business, and people, trying to curry favor with him, would send women to his room without his knowledge. Among them were daughters of officials, wealthy heiresses, and even renowned courtesans of exceptional beauty and talent. Yet, no matter their background, beauty, or cunning, Qi Yubai had never spared them a second glance. Only her… She didn’t need to do anything. Just standing there, she could easily stir his heartstrings.
But even though he had known this all along, he still yearned and longed to draw closer to her, to be intimate with her.
Suppressing the burning emotions in his heart, he gazed at her quietly under the lamplight. His eyes seemed to transform into an invisible brush, sketching her delicate features in the air—from her full forehead to her crimson lips, until his gaze finally settled on her slender, fair neck.
Looking at the flawless beauty before him, Qi Yubai’s eyes flickered slightly.
He also recalled that lifetime.
What was merely a month ago for Lanyin was already decades in the past for Qi Yubai. Yet, the events of that day seemed to have become a frozen image in his mind. In the twenty years he had lost Lanyin, it had appeared before his eyes time and time again, so much so that even after all these years, it remained vivid in his memory.
That was the first time they had been so close.
Back then, she was tormented by desire. The usually cold and dignified woman seemed to have lost all reason that day. She clung to him desperately, and in the face of her closeness, his once unshakable self-control nearly crumbled.
Perhaps Lanyin never knew.
He had once leaned down slightly when she was lost in passion. His cool lips had brushed against the warm side of her neck. It wasn’t until he caught a whiff of her cold plum fragrance that he came to his senses and pulled away, avoiding an irreversible outcome.
Qi Yubai looked at Lanyin before him, flawless as a piece of jade.
As if restraining himself, he pressed his lips together, his attractive Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. After a moment, he lowered his eyelids, shielding the turbulent emotions in his phoenix eyes. He no longer looked at the fair skin so close to him. Closing his eyes gently, his slender fingers slowly gripped the prayer beads in his hand. As he silently recited the Heart-Clearing Sutra, he began to turn the beads one by one.
Lanyin was always very focused when she worked. Her eyes would fixate intently on the task at hand, so much so that she remained oblivious to everything around her. Naturally, she didn’t notice his gaze or his unusual behavior.
After changing the cloth several times, the once-clean basin of water had turned red. With the bloodstains cleaned away, the wound on his shoulder became starkly visible. Seeing the injury, Lanyin’s hand holding the cloth trembled slightly, and the guilt in her heart reached its peak at that moment.
She had burdened him yet again.
That time it was his reputation, this time it was his body. It seemed as though she always brought him significant harm. If Qi Yubai hadn’t dodged in time today, Xiao Ye’s sword could have truly taken his life. At this thought, her eyes suddenly reddened again, filled with both self-reproach and anger toward Xiao Ye.
She didn’t say anything at this moment, instead continuing to suppress her emotions and carefully applying medicine to his wound.
The medicine in the white jade bottle was something Lanyin had purchased at a high price in the past. It had an exceptional effect on stopping bleeding, though it carried a cooling sensation. She used her fingertips to carefully spread the powder evenly over the wound. Just as she was about to smooth it out further, Qi Yubai suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The medicine was cool, but her fingers were burning hot.
“What’s wrong?” Lanyin turned her head to look at him.
Qi Yubai gazed at her luminous cheeks and the confusion on her face. His eyes flickered slightly as he spoke in a hoarse voice, “It’s fine, that’s enough.”
As he spoke, he began to put on his clothes.
The Heart-Clearing Sutra could no longer calm his mind. Qi Yubai was afraid that if she continued to touch him, he would lose control.
Lanyin didn’t notice how his slender fingers were tensed. Seeing that the wound had stopped bleeding, she acquiesced to his wishes. However, she couldn’t help but frown at the sight of his blood-stained clothes. She placed the medicine bottle back on the table and, while rolling up her sleeves to her wrists, said to Qi Yubai, “I’ll have someone fetch a clean set of clothes from the Qi residence for you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Tianqing’s voice came from outside.
“Master.”
Lanyin glanced at Qi Yubai, and after seeing him nod, she called out, “Come in.”
In just a couple of breaths, Tianqing entered, holding a set of clean new clothes. Seeing Lanyin, he respectfully greeted her, “Miss Gu,” before handing the clothes to Qi Yubai.
Seeing that Tianqing had brought the clothes, Lanyin sighed in relief. “Then please get dressed first. I’ll wait outside for you.” After saying this and nodding to Qi Yubai, she walked out.
Outside, Ting Yun and Shi Yu had already returned. They were aware that she had been tending to Qi Yubai’s wound and were now reprimanding Hong Xing and Lu Fu in hushed voices. When they saw her come out, they immediately fell silent.
“Master.”
The four maids bowed their heads in unison to greet her.
Lanyin nodded, glancing at the two maids who were on the verge of tears from being scolded. She said, “It was my decision to go in. It has nothing to do with them.” Before Ting Yun and Shi Yu could respond, she asked, “How are things outside?”
Shi Yu replied, “We’ve already spoken to them. With the two Qi guards present, those families, out of respect for Lord Qi, have assured us they won’t spread any rumors. They even told us that if we ever need anything in the future, we can send someone to them.”
At this, Shi Yu’s tense expression from the entire evening finally softened a little. As the saying goes, “A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.” Though it was unclear whether these were just polite words, it was still better than those who would take advantage of others’ misfortunes.