In the afternoon, after school, Gu Wuyou still walked with Gu Tiao.
On the way, Gu Tiao leaned against the carriage, head lowered as she brewed tea. She had always been a person with a refined sense of aesthetics. The lotus of summer, the plum blossoms of winter, the peach blossoms of spring, and the chrysanthemums of autumn—she would gather them all, dry them in the sun, and then use the snow she had collected during the winter to brew tea.
Right now, she was brewing dried plum blossoms from last winter. Though the tea had yet to fully steep, the delicate fragrance of plum blossoms was already drifting out.
Gu Wuyou was not well-versed in such things. She was smiling with crescent-shaped eyes, chatting with Gu Tiao about the events of the morning. “I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence, running into him even when I went to the street. Later, we even had breakfast together in an alley.”
“The wontons there were especially delicious. The meat filling was wrapped with finely chopped vegetables, making them incredibly fragrant.”
“The soup was also great!”
“But it had a bit of a scallion taste, which I don’t like.”
“If you have time someday, I’ll take you there to eat. You’ll definitely love it!”
Gu Wuyou was in high spirits, jumping from one topic to another without any logical order, yet she was still brimming with joy. The entire carriage was filled with the sound of her cheerful laughter. “He may look fierce, but he actually has a good heart.”
“He knew I didn’t have loose silver with me, so he paid for me without saying anything. Later, when I went to buy candied hawthorn, he paid for that too.”
“Second Sister, Second Sister, don’t you think he’s really nice~” She reached out, tugging at Gu Tiao’s sleeve, giving it a light pull with a coquettish air, as if demanding a response.
Gu Tiao turned her gaze to her for a moment. The young girl had curved brows and upturned lips, her chin raised high, looking both animated and proud—anyone who saw her would find her endearing. Gu Tiao smiled, feeling both helpless and amused. Softening her voice, she indulged her, “Yes, he’s very nice.”
By then, the tea in the pot had finished brewing.
She poured a cup for Gu Wuyou, added a bit of floral honey, and placed it in front of her.
Hearing her agreement, Gu Wuyou was even happier. She retracted her hand, raised her brows, and said with satisfaction, “I knew he was a good person.” Then, she carefully took a sip of the tea. The taste of honey and the fragrance of plum blossoms spread across her tongue.
She squinted her eyes, took another sip, and praised, “Second Sister’s tea is really delicious.”
Gu Tiao chuckled. “If you like it, I’ll have Qiu Yue send some to your room later.”
“No need.” Gu Wuyou shook her head while holding the teacup. “I don’t really enjoy drinking tea that much, and I’m too lazy to prepare it myself. If I feel like drinking it, I’ll just come to you for some!”
“That works too.”
Gu Tiao smiled as well. Holding her own cup of tea, she suddenly thought of something and said with a light chuckle, “Miss Liu praised you this morning. She said you have a keen mind and a solid grasp of the fundamentals.”
She spoke like a concerned older sister, looking after her younger sibling.
After a moment of thought, she added, “Manman, though a woman attending an academy won’t bring much benefit for marriage in the future, since you’ve already decided to study, you shouldn’t waste this time. Even if it serves no practical purpose later, it will still be a worthwhile experience when you look back on it.”
Gu Wuyou nodded, her expression becoming more composed. “Second Sister, I understand.”
She had originally come to this academy to find the Great General and didn’t care much about schooling. But just as her second sister said, since she had chosen to study, she should do it properly. There was no need to achieve anything extraordinary, but at the very least, she should not disappoint herself.
Thinking of this—
She couldn’t help but think of the Great General again.
Lately, she had heard many rumors about him—not respecting his teachers, fighting his classmates, skipping classes, avoiding school, and scoring at the bottom in exams… No matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, some things were undeniable.
With the Great General’s intelligence, how could he possibly rank at the bottom?
Unless—he simply didn’t want to learn.
She had already learned about the Great General’s past from her second sister, but how could outsiders possibly know everything? She didn’t know if there were still hidden truths behind it, but she hoped to accompany the Great General step by step as he moved forward.
No matter how dark the years had been, no matter how painful the past, she wanted to stay by his side.
She firmly believed that the Great General would only become better and better!
A strong sense of hope ignited in Gu Wuyou’s heart.
Gu Tiao sat across from her, seeing clearly the expression on her little cousin’s face. She knew that Gu Wuyou was once again thinking about Li Qingyuan. Yet, she said nothing, only shaking her head with a soft smile.
Having someone to think about, to hold in one’s thoughts and heart, was in itself a joyful thing. There was no need to say anything about it.
The fragrance of tea in the carriage seemed to grow richer, yet the two sisters spoke no further. It wasn’t until the carriage arrived at the Duke of Ding’s Mansion that Gu Wuyou, just as she was about to step down, suddenly remembered something and asked Gu Tiao, “Second Sister, do you know what books one needs to study to pass the entrance examination for Luming Academy?”
“Entrance examination?”
Gu Tiao was momentarily surprised, but she never liked to pry. Though curious about Gu Wuyou’s question, she still answered truthfully, “The requirements for the male and female academies are different. For the women’s academy, it’s enough to have a general understanding of academic knowledge. The men’s academy, however, is much more difficult.”
“What about entering Changrong Hall?”
If it were Changrong Hall, then the background of the students wouldn’t be from the prominent aristocratic families of the capital. At the very least, their families would hold official ranks below third grade.
Gu Tiao didn’t know where her little cousin had met such people, but she still answered honestly, “The basic Four Books and Five Classics are required for the exam. As for the Six Arts, the expectations would be lowered based on previous performance…” She thought for a moment before adding with a smile, “If you want more specific details, you can ask Third Brother.”
“When he entered Luming Academy, he ranked second in the top tier.”
Gu Wuyou had never paid attention to such matters in the family before. Even though she was close with her third brother, she had no idea that his academic performance was so outstanding. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn’t help but praise, “Third Brother is amazing!”
Not only was he an excellent scholar, but he was also skilled in commerce.
“But if Third Brother ranked second in the top tier, who was first?” Gu Wuyou tilted her head slightly and asked Gu Tiao.
Gu Tiao’s steps halted, and the smile on her face seemed to stiffen. After a moment, she answered lightly, “First… was the young master of the Shen family, Shen Yuqian.”
Shen Shao?
If it was him, then it wasn’t surprising.
The newly appointed top scholar in the seventeenth year of Qingxi—who wouldn’t praise his excellence upon seeing him?
###
Gu Tiao always had dinner with the Old Madam of the Gu family.
Having lost her parents at a young age, she had been raised entirely by the Old Madam. It could be said that among all the people in the residence, the Old Madam’s most cherished grandchild was likely Gu Tiao.
Gu Wuyou originally wanted to accompany her to pay respects to their grandmother.
However, the Old Madam was a reserved person who didn’t even require them to visit for morning greetings regularly. At this hour, even if Gu Wuyou went, she wouldn’t be able to exchange many words with her grandmother, and it would likely only cause unnecessary displeasure. So, at the fork in the path, she told Gu Tiao, “Second Sister, you go ahead.”
By now, Gu Tiao had already regained her usual composure.
Hearing this, she nodded, then, after a moment of thought, added, “Though Grandmother may seem strict, she has a warm heart. When her health improves, I’ll bring you along next time.”
“You’re so much better now, Grandmother will surely like you.” As she spoke, she even reached out and patted Gu Wuyou’s head.
Gu Wuyou smiled, her eyes curving.
In truth, she wasn’t concerned at all. Affection between people was mutual. She had hardly spent much time at home since she was young, and even when she did return, she carried a deep resentment in her demeanor. It would be strange if her grandmother liked her.
Moreover—
If she had to compare her grandmother and her maternal grandmother, she would undoubtedly choose the one who cherished her more. So it was only natural that her grandmother favored Second Sister more.
###
After parting ways with Gu Tiao, Gu Wuyou originally intended to return to Zhaixing Tower to put down her things. However, midway, she caught sight of Gu Jiufei.
He seemed to have just returned from the Yu family’s academy. Dressed in a brocade blue robe, he was coming from another small path.
Behind him, a young servant followed closely, carrying a bag filled with books. With a bright smile on his face, he was excitedly saying, “Young Master, you are truly amazing! You ranked first again in this assessment! When Madam hears about this, she will be overjoyed!”
Gu Jiufei was in a good mood, and a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.
Hearing this, though he said nothing, his brows and eyes softened with a hint of joy.
Seeing his delight, the young servant couldn’t help but lower his voice and add, “Young Master, are you really not going to tell the Duke? If the Duke knew, he would surely be pleased.”
Such a simple remark instantly wiped the smile from Gu Jiufei’s face.
When he wasn’t smiling, he truly resembled Gu Wuji, exuding an imposing and dignified air that was quite intimidating. However, he was not in the habit of taking his anger out on servants. Even though his mood darkened, he merely pressed his lips together and said, “He wouldn’t be pleased.”
He had experienced this before—why should he humiliate himself again?
“Young Master…”
“Enough.” Gu Jiufei’s expression remained somber, showing his unwillingness to continue the conversation.
The two of them likely hadn’t noticed Gu Wuyou nearby, and their voices hadn’t been lowered, allowing her to hear every word clearly.
She thought about it for a moment and quickly understood why Gu Jiufei would say such a thing.
Their father had only married Madam Fu at Grandmother’s insistence, solely for the sake of continuing the family line. However, in his heart, he never liked her. After Gu Jiufei was born, he never visited Madam Fu’s quarters again. If he wasn’t staying in his own rooms, he was visiting the old residence where he had once lived with his late wife.
Because he disliked Madam Fu, he also disliked Jiufei. No matter how outstanding or hardworking Jiufei was, their father simply wouldn’t see it.
Thinking of that night, the stubborn figure of the young boy standing in the wind and frost surfaced in her mind. Then, recalling how, in her past life, the grown-up Gu Jiufei had protected her all the way back to the capital, Gu Wuyou couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
She didn’t call out to Gu Jiufei at that moment but instead headed toward her father’s residence first.