She said she was going to find the Great General.
But in truth, Gu Wuyou hadn’t even stepped out the door when she bumped straight into Gu Yu, who was coming toward her.
She wasn’t paying attention and was running too fast. Gu Yu wasn’t paying attention either. When the two of them collided, Gu Wuyou almost fell over. Clutching her forehead, which had turned red from the impact, she let out a soft “mmph” and stopped in her tracks.
Gu Yu also held onto her aching forehead. She was about to curse when she caught sight of Gu Wuyou, who was doing the same. She forcibly swallowed her words but still spoke with annoyance, “What are you doing?!”
“Forget it.”
She pouted, reached up to rub her forehead, and decided to be magnanimous for once. “Let’s go. Second Sister told me to call you home.”
Gu Wuyou was still a little dazed from the collision and hadn’t even spoken before Gu Yu grabbed her and started walking out.
After only a few steps, she finally regained her senses and came to a stop. “Wait, wait.”
“What do you want now?”
Gu Yu stopped in frustration and turned to look at her.
Gu Wuyou opened her mouth but found that she didn’t know what to say. What could she say? That she wanted to go to Buzhi Hall to find the Great General? That she wanted to ask if he had really defended her? That she wanted to know why he had done so?
But at this time of day…
If she ran to Buzhi Hall like this, the Great General… would probably be unhappy.
Definitely would be.
She had just let rumors of breaking off the engagement spread. If she went to find the Great General now, people would surely overthink things.
With a sigh, Gu Wuyou suddenly slumped her shoulders, looking completely dejected, her voice turning feeble and listless. “Forget it, let’s go.”
With that, she started walking toward Gu Tiao’s office, thinking to herself that she might as well wait until tomorrow…
She’d ask the Great General when she went to Uncle Zhang’s for breakfast.
At that thought, she suddenly felt cheerful again.
“Hey!”
Gu Yu called out to her, but seeing that Gu Wuyou didn’t even turn her head, she grew even more annoyed. Puffing with frustration, she chased after her and muttered under her breath, “I don’t know what’s up with you people. You’re like this, and Ah Yi is like this too. Just after class, I wanted to go home with her, but she didn’t even wait for me.”
Gu Wuyou didn’t respond.
Her mind was still stuck on the words those two people had said earlier.
Just thinking about how the Great General had defended her made it impossible to suppress the smile at the corners of her lips.
Gu Yu muttered to herself for a while, but when she didn’t hear any response from Gu Wuyou, she turned to look at her. Seeing her lost in thought, completely oblivious to what she was saying, her temper flared up again.
“Gu Wuyou, you’re not listening to me again! I’m ignoring you!” With that, she stomped off angrily.
Gu Wuyou only snapped back to reality when she saw her run off, but she still looked confused. “Eh, Ah Yu.”
She called after her a few times, but seeing that she didn’t even turn her head, she was completely baffled as to why her cousin was suddenly upset.
Still, as an excellent older sister, Gu Wuyou felt that in moments like these, she ought to give in to her younger sister a little. So, she jogged after her, tilting her head in confusion as she asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Seeing her innocent face only made Gu Yu even angrier. She turned away and ignored her.
Gu Wuyou thought for a moment and figured that she must have been thinking about the Great General just now and missed what Gu Yu had said. So, she softened her tone and explained sincerely, “I was thinking about something just now and didn’t pay attention to what you said. Sorry.”
“What did you just say to me?”
Her tone was serious, and her attitude was sincere. Although Gu Yu was still a little annoyed, she wasn’t as angry as before. She pouted for a while before finally saying, “I said both you and Ah Yi are acting weird.”
She would never have talked to Gu Wuyou about these things before.
But perhaps because they had spent more time together these past few days, Gu Yu had unconsciously forgotten about their past conflicts and naturally started talking to her. “Every time class ended before, Ah Yi would always wait for me so we could go home together. But today, I don’t know what happened—she just left immediately after class and didn’t wait for anyone.”
“Even at lunchtime, when I told her we should eat together with you, she didn’t react at all.”
Her words sounded a little strange, and Gu Yu quickly realized it. She hurriedly added, “I didn’t mean…” But seeing Gu Wuyou’s serious expression as she listened, she became a little discouraged and gave up. “Forget it. You two have never gotten along since childhood anyway, so there’s no point in me hiding anything.”
With a resigned tone, she said, “Anyway, she’s just been acting really strange today.”
Gu Wuyou could pretty much guess why Xiao Yi was behaving like this. People who have done something wrong always become suspicious, fearful, and uneasy. Given how strongly Gu Yu reacted today, Xiao Yi naturally wouldn’t dare to get too close to her.
However, this situation made Gu Wuyou hesitate.
She had originally planned to wait for Xiao Yi to expose herself. She wasn’t some saint—though she had never really cared about the annulment, that didn’t mean she would just sit back and let others spread malicious rumors against her.
But Gu Yu had been close to Xiao Yi since childhood.
If she were to find out that her best friend was that kind of person… Gu Wuyou put herself in her shoes and thought about it. She probably wouldn’t be able to accept it either. Thinking of this, she turned to look at Gu Yu, a little worried.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Gu Yu furrowed her brows, looking at Gu Wuyou in confusion, unable to understand the expression on her face.
“It’s nothing.” Gu Wuyou shook her head, not voicing her thoughts.
Forget it.
She and Gu Yu hadn’t been close since they were little, but in the end, she was still her younger sister. This sister of hers was proud by nature, and when it came to friends, she didn’t have that many more than Gu Wuyou herself. Xiao Yi was her best friend—perhaps it was better to let her keep that beautiful illusion.
As long as Xiao Yi didn’t do anything like this again, she could let it slide this time.
“What do you mean ‘nothing’? You clearly have something on your mind!” Gu Yu didn’t like how Gu Wuyou was acting, as if she were some worldly-wise adult pretending to be deep.
They were obviously about the same age!
“It’s really nothing.”
Seeing that Gu Yu was about to say more, Gu Wuyou suddenly spotted her savior. She quickly waved and called out, “Second Sister!”
A beautiful woman in a green cloak turned around in the corridor. She reached up to smooth her long hair, which had been tousled by the wind. When she saw them, her warm and dignified face showed a gentle smile. “You’re here.”
With Gu Tiao present, Gu Yu stopped making a fuss. She shot a glare at Gu Wuyou before obediently running to Gu Tiao’s side, holding onto her arm as she called sweetly, “Second Sister.”
“Mm.”
Gu Tiao smiled at her, then looked at Gu Wuyou, who was following closely behind. She extended her other hand and said, “Let’s go.”
Gu Wuyou immediately reached out and held onto it.
The two girls who had been bickering just moments ago were now quietly following their second sister home.
—
The next morning.
Gu Wuyou was up early as usual.
So, as long as one persists in doing something for a long time, it becomes a habit. For example, someone like her, who used to wake up only at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), no longer felt sleepy even after waking up this early. Similarly, Bai Lu and Hong Shuang, who served her during her morning routine, no longer found it strange.
Gu Wuyou thought that if this continued for a few more days, the two servant girls might even rush in and ask, “Why aren’t you up yet?”
As usual, she instructed them to wash and dry the flower petals before getting into the carriage and heading out.
While sitting in the carriage, she pondered. Since everything could become a habit through persistence, and habit would eventually feel natural, then perhaps the Great General could also grow more and more accustomed to being around her?
Resting her chin on her hand, she leaned back against the carriage, letting it sway as it moved forward.
At the same time.
In a narrow alleyway leading outward, another carriage stood.
A young servant boy, dressed in a gray short jacket, saw a carriage flash past in front of him. He hurriedly lifted the carriage curtain and bent forward to step inside. Rubbing his frozen hands together, he shivered as he spoke to the blue-robed youth inside, “Young Master, Fifth Miss has already left.”
“Mm.”
Gu Jiufei was leaning against the carriage, his slender fingers lifting a corner of the curtain. In the long alleyway, that familiar carriage quickly disappeared from sight. He furrowed his brows and watched silently, his thin lips slightly pursed, saying nothing.
“Do we still follow her?” Anhe asked.
“No need.”
Gu Jiufei let go of the curtain. After just a short while, the carriage had grown colder, yet he seemed unfazed. Holding a cup of now-lukewarm bitter tea, he took a sip and spoke in a calm tone, “Let’s go to the Yu family.”
“Yes.”
—
The sky was still early.
However, those who needed to head to work had already risen.
There weren’t many breakfast stalls in the alley, but Uncle Zhang’s place was the most popular. By the time Li Qinyuan arrived, a line had already formed. People stood waiting for their wontons while chatting with those next to them.
Seeing Li Qinyuan walk in, someone who recognized him asked in surprise, “Young Master Li? How come you’re here so early today?”
Hearing the voice, Uncle Zhang, who was busy cooking wontons, glanced in Li Qinyuan’s direction despite his hectic pace. He, too, looked a bit surprised. “Why are you here so early?”
Li Qinyuan responded with a faint “Mm,” his voice somewhat hoarse, his expression slightly fatigued—clearly, he hadn’t slept well.
Uncle Zhang had known him for a long time and genuinely saw him as a junior he cared for. Seeing him like this, he immediately showed concern. “Alright, go inside first. Once things settle down here, I’ll bring you your breakfast.”
Li Qinyuan nodded.
As he passed by Uncle Zhang, he opened his mouth as if to ask something, but seeing how busy the old man was, he decided against it. When he reached the fabric curtain leading inside, he suddenly stopped, lost in thought. He stared at that slightly gray and worn curtain for a long time before finally lifting it and stepping inside.
The room was empty.
On the table were dishes and bowls that hadn’t been cleared away.
His usual table was clean—too clean.
Li Qinyuan didn’t know what he was thinking. He just sat there in a daze.
In fact, ever since yesterday, he had been unsure about what he was thinking, what he was doing. After returning from Xu Fu’s place, Fu Xian had grabbed him and asked, “Were you really helping Little Chili just now?”