After Gu Wuyou and her two sisters walked away into the distance.
Fu Xian, who had been standing there dumbfounded, finally seemed to come back to his senses. Stammering, he said, “Just now… just now, Little Chili was defending Qilang?!” As if he had been completely shocked, even after so long, his face still bore an expression of utter disbelief.
Staring into the distance at Gu Wuyou’s departing figure, Fu Xian’s mouth hung wide open. “I… I didn’t see wrong, did I?”
Beside him stood Qi Xu, who was just as stunned. At this moment, it was unclear whether he was responding to Fu Xian’s words or answering his own inner doubts, as he stuttered, “Probably… seems like… it’s real… right?”
If his eyes weren’t blind and his ears weren’t deaf, that was.
But—
How could this be possible?
How could the Gu family’s Little Chili step forward to defend Qilang?!
Among the three of them, the only one whose expression remained normal was Jing Yubai. He gazed at Gu Wuyou’s departing figure without saying a word. Only after she had walked far away did he retract his gaze and look at Fu Xian and Qi Xu.
Seeing that the two of them were even more shocked than the other, he shook his head with some amusement.
“Let’s go.”
He raised his hand, patted the two on their shoulders, and took the lead in heading toward Buzhizhai.
By now, most of the crowd had already dispersed. The students who were supposed to leave had left, and the few who lingered were only those who were usually close to Zhou Changbai, now softly offering him words of comfort.
A few teachers had also stayed behind. Reasonably speaking, since a student had encountered trouble at the academy, they were responsible for handling it.
They were currently waiting for someone from the Zhou family to arrive.
Jing Yubai’s expression remained indifferent the entire way. However, as he passed by Zhou Changbai, his footsteps paused slightly. Clad in blue robes, his jade-like face gave him the appearance of a gentle and mild-mannered young man.
He was the prized student of all the academy’s teachers, consistently ranking first in every subject.
On normal days, he always wore a warm smile, treating everyone with friendliness. But at this moment, as he lowered his head slightly and cast his gaze toward Zhou Changbai, his expression turned completely indifferent.
Especially those clear and piercing eyes, which seemed capable of seeing straight through to a person’s heart.
Zhou Changbai met his gaze and involuntarily shuddered.
“Yubai, why haven’t you gone back yet?” A teacher noticed Jing Yubai lingering and asked warmly.
The instant he looked up, Jing Yubai’s previous indifference was replaced by a gentle and modest expression, his tone carrying its usual warmth. “I forgot something and came back to retrieve it. I’ll be heading back soon.”
The teacher nodded and offered a few words of caution.
Just then, the Zhou family’s people arrived. That teacher had no time to continue speaking with Jing Yubai and turned to deal with the newcomers.
However, the arriving man ignored the teachers altogether. From afar, he had already caught sight of Zhou Changbai’s miserable state, and nearly fell to his knees in shock. Staggering forward hurriedly, he rushed to support Zhou Changbai, completely disregarding the teachers, and could only stare in a daze. “Young Master, you… you… what happened to you?”
“Who beat you up like this?!”
The few teachers standing nearby, seeing his agitation, tried to reassure him. “Sir, we have already treated Changbai’s injuries. They are all superficial wounds, and he will recover after some rest. The ones responsible have also been punished.”
The man was clearly not someone to be easily pacified. Instead of calming down, he became even angrier upon hearing this. “What kind of nonsense is that? Our young master came to school perfectly fine, and now he’s in this state, and you think simply saying he was punished makes it all fine?”
“Who did this?!”
“Do they really think our Zhou family is easy to bully?!” The man spoke as he swept his gaze around the area, finally locking onto Fu Xian and the others.
Fu Xian had originally planned to leave with Jing Yubai, never expecting to run into someone from the Zhou family here. Now, being stared at like this, his temper flared instantly. Heh, like master, like servant—no wonder the Zhou family produced such lackeys!
And this lackey even dared to glare at him?
Did they think he was some pushover?
He glared back even more fiercely, his expression arrogant and defiant, as if challenging, “Come on, if you’ve got the guts, try hitting me!”
“You—!” The Zhou family servant was so enraged he could hardly speak.
Zhou Changbai, seeing that the man was about to get into an argument with Fu Xian, hurriedly pulled him back and said weakly, “Uncle Zhou, stop making a scene. Let’s go home first.”
He was truly terrified now. First, Li Qinyuan, then Gu Wuyou, and now even Jing Yubai and the others—he couldn’t afford to offend any of them.
All his previous arrogance had vanished. He only wanted this matter to pass as peacefully as possible.
Otherwise—
If Li Qinyuan suddenly lost his temper and decided not to keep quiet anymore, then what would he do? Forget staying in the academy—he might not even be able to stay in the capital!
“Young Master—” Uncle Zhou was clearly displeased.
“Let’s go.”
Zhou Changbai’s condition was obviously not good; even his speech was weak and feeble. Although Uncle Zhou was unwilling to let the matter drop just like that, he had to take his young master’s health into consideration. With a fierce glare at Fu Xian and the others, he then swept an unhappy gaze over the teachers and spat out a warning: “This matter will not end here!”
Then he turned to the Zhou family servants. “Come over here, quickly carry the young master home! Be careful with him!”
The group of people who had rushed over in a hurry now left just as hastily.
The academy teachers’ expressions were all rather unsightly. However, as scholars who had already been in the wrong from the start, they had no grounds to argue. Watching the Zhou family members depart, they merely shook their heads and left as well.
Fu Xian watched them go and spat angrily, “What a load of nonsense!”
“Why are you getting worked up over them?”
Jing Yubai chuckled lightly, withdrew his gaze, and spoke with his usual gentle tone. “Let’s go get our things and head home.”
“Are we really just going to leave Qilang alone? There must be a reason for this whole mess! If he won’t say anything, does that mean we’re just supposed to drop it?” Fu Xian asked urgently, trailing after Jing Yubai.
Qi Xu also jogged to keep up with them, panting as he spoke, “If we don’t get to the bottom of this, Qilang is really going to be expelled. That will make it nearly impossible for him to enter officialdom in the future.” His brows were tightly furrowed, his face filled with worry. “No, we can’t just ignore this.”
Jing Yubai halted and let out a soft sigh. “You both know what kind of person Qilang is. Since he doesn’t want us to intervene, he won’t let us get involved, nor will he tell us the truth.”
“Then—”
Fu Xian frowned, about to say more, but Jing Yubai cut him off, “We may not be able to help, but someone else can.”
Qi Xu was stunned. “Who?”
Who else had the ability and the concern to help Qilang more than they did?
Just as he was about to ask, a realization hit him. Thinking back to what had just happened, his tone turned hesitant, “L-Little Chili?”
Jing Yubai smiled but said nothing. He merely glanced in the direction of Pingshuo Hall before patting both of their shoulders. “Alright, let’s go.”
Seeing that they still looked worried, he added with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Qilang will be fine.”
However—
He truly hadn’t expected Little Chili to defend Qilang like that.
What a pity.
Qilang hadn’t even seen it.
—
Meanwhile, inside the Gu family’s carriage.
Gu Yu kept sneaking glances at Gu Wuyou, sitting opposite her, looking like she had something to say but didn’t know how to begin. She wasn’t someone who could hold things in for long, and after suppressing herself for a while, she finally blurted out, “Why did you defend Li Qinyuan like that just now?”
“Since when did you become so close with him that you’d go to such lengths to protect him?!”
Thinking back to what Gu Wuyou had said earlier, her delicate brows knitted together tightly, filled with both urgency and worry. “Have you even considered—what if you’re wrong? What if Li Qinyuan really did—”
Before she could finish her sentence—
Gu Wuyou, who had been lost in thought with her head lowered, suddenly looked up and firmly said, “He wouldn’t.”
Her expression was resolute, and her tone was decisive, so much so that Gu Yu was startled into silence. It took her a long time to recover before she huffed in frustration, “How can you be so sure? His reputation is already bad, and he’s bullied people plenty of times before!”
“If he really did it, with no reason at all, do you even know what people will say about you?”
She was practically fuming.
She had thought that Gu Wuyou had changed since coming back this time—that she had learned to be more measured in her actions. But now, it turned out she was still so reckless!
Gu Tiao, seeing that her two younger sisters were about to start arguing again, quickly set down her teacup and spoke softly to Gu Yu, “Ah Yu, you’ve known Qilang since childhood. How many times has he actually hit someone?”
Gu Yu was taken aback. After a moment, she replied, “Including this time… twice.”
Li Qinyuan never hid the fact when he used force. If he did something, he admitted to it. So in her memory, he had only ever physically struck someone twice.
Gu Tiao nodded and continued, “Qilang’s reputation may not be good, but that doesn’t mean he acts recklessly or without reason. We don’t know why he fought this time, but shouldn’t we refrain from speaking ill of him behind his back before we know the full truth?”
“Second Sister—”
Gu Yu’s voice was tinged with dissatisfaction, but when she met Gu Tiao’s gentle and serene gaze, she eventually fell silent and nodded reluctantly. “I understand.” Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she turned her gaze back to Gu Wuyou and studied her for a long time before stiffly asking, “So what are you planning to do?”
“…I don’t know.”
Gu Wuyou didn’t try to brush the question aside, nor did she lie. She truly didn’t know what to do. Her mind felt like a tangled mess of yarn—scattered, twisted, and chaotic.
“You—!”
Gu Yu was so furious that she nearly exploded again. This brainless woman—she never had a proper plan when she did things. She always acted on impulse, recklessly and thoughtlessly!
She had already made such bold declarations, yet now she had no idea what to do next. Gu Yu felt like she must have lost her mind to have wasted so much time accompanying her! She had no interest in talking to her anymore. Lifting the carriage curtain, she took a quick look outside—almost at the Prince Dai’s Manor. Without hesitation, she called out, “Stop the carriage!”
She refused to spend another second with Gu Wuyou!
The coachman immediately pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a stop.
Gu Yu turned to Gu Tiao and said, “Second Sister, I’m going to see Ah Yi.” Without sparing Gu Wuyou another glance, she stepped out of the carriage.
Just as she was about to lower the curtain, she hesitated, pressing her lips together. In the end, she clenched her teeth and turned back awkwardly. Looking directly at Gu Wuyou, she spoke in a stiff, almost reluctant tone—
“If you find out the truth and can prove that Li Qinyuan really had a reason for what he did, then I…”
“I’ll apologize to him.”
She lifted her chin and straightened her back, her voice crisp yet carrying the grace of an aristocratic daughter. “The children of the Gu family admit when they are wrong!”
With that, she no longer paid attention to Gu Wuyou, flicked the curtain aside, and left.
The carriage continued moving forward at a steady pace.
Gu Tiao glanced at Gu Wuyou beside her. The little cousin who had spoken so righteously just moments ago now suddenly appeared lost and dejected. With a soft sigh, Gu Tiao reached out, held her hand, and patted it gently.
“Second Sister.”
Gu Wuyou’s long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at Gu Tiao with a hint of confusion. “What do you think I should do?”
Gu Tiao gently stroked her long hair, her warm voice carrying a soothing strength, as if it could dispel all unease. “Go investigate, go ask, go see. Anything that has happened in this world can be uncovered.”
“And if I can’t find the truth?” Gu Wuyou asked blankly.
“If, after all the effort and struggle, it still ends in nothing?”
It wouldn’t be the first time.
She had seen people make all the preparations, put in all their effort, only for everything to come to nothing in the end… She wasn’t afraid of hardship or hard work. She was only afraid that she wouldn’t be able to clear the Great General’s name.
She was afraid that the Great General would always carry such a reputation.
“Even if it comes to that, even if the whole world refuses to believe him, as long as you still do, then that is enough.” Gu Tiao’s delicate hand rested on Gu Wuyou’s head, and those forever gentle eyes held a steadfast light.
She smiled and said, “As long as there is still one person in this world who believes in him, then he has not been abandoned by the world.”
At that moment, all confusion and hesitation seemed to vanish.
Gu Wuyou, who had been lost in uncertainty just moments ago, suddenly broke into a radiant smile. With joy in her voice, she said, “Second Sister, you’re right. It doesn’t matter what others think. As long as I continue to believe in him, that’s enough.”
“I will investigate, I will ask, I will do everything I can to clear his name.”
“And even if it all turns out to be in vain, I will still stand by his side. No matter what he chooses to do, I will be there with him!”
The young girl, full of passion and determination, spoke her oath for the person she cherished most.
Gu Tiao, who had been watching her this whole time, felt both happy and sorrowful at the sight. She said nothing, merely ran her fingers through Gu Wuyou’s hair once more, her touch as gentle as ever.
Until the little girl, full of excitement, suddenly declared, “I’ll go right now!”
Only then did Gu Tiao helplessly—and with some amusement—reach out to pull her back. “The academy is empty by now. What can you do if you go there now?” She coaxed, “Be good. Go tomorrow. Second Sister will go with you to investigate.”
Gu Wuyou, though anxious, knew this was the best course of action. She could only nod in agreement. “Alright.”
—
When they returned home, Gu Tiao watched as Gu Wuyou walked in the direction of Zhaixing Tower. She stood in place for a long moment before, for the first time, choosing not to go directly to the main courtyard for dinner with their grandmother. Instead, she returned to her own room.
Perhaps she was tired. She leaned back on the soft couch, closed her eyes, and held a dark blue bamboo-scented sachet in her hand.
Outside, the wooden window was slightly ajar, allowing a bit of the cold wind to seep in.
She lay there with her eyes closed, unsure if she was caught in a dream or still in reality. She only knew that she was in a vast and endless darkness.
Suddenly, a beam of white light appeared in the distance.
She opened her eyes and saw a young man in white slowly walking toward her. His jade-like face was as gentle and elegant as ever, but the affectionate eyes that usually carried a soft smile now held only deep disappointment and sorrow.
“Ah Tiao, you don’t believe me.”
It felt as if something had clenched her heart all at once. A sharp pain spread through every inch of her body.
Gu Tiao wanted to cry, wanted to argue, but when she opened her mouth, all that escaped was a weak, trembling whisper.
“Yu Qian…”
—
“Miss, Miss.”
A voice came from beside her—it was Qiuyue. She was gently shaking her arm, pulling her out of that deep, dark abyss.
Gu Tiao slowly opened her dazed eyes. Her first instinct was to tuck the sachet in her hand into her sleeve before looking up at Qiuyue with a smile. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice was already hoarse.
Qiuyue looked at her worriedly. “You’re asking me what’s wrong?” She crouched beside her, holding her hand, and countered, “I should be the one asking you—what’s wrong?”
“What could be wrong? I was just tired and took a nap, that’s all.” Gu Tiao smiled. She was about to lift the blanket and sit up when Qiuyue’s voice came again.
“Miss… you were crying.”
All her movements froze in an instant.
One hand braced against the couch, the other bent down to reach for her shoes. But at this moment, she seemed to have turned to stone, remaining bent over with her head lowered.
It was a long time before she seemed to come back to life, continuing the motion of putting on her shoes as if nothing had happened. “Perhaps it was just the wind carrying sand into my eyes.”
“Miss…”
“Enough.”
Gu Tiao stood up with a smile and turned to look at her. “I’m fine.”
She absentmindedly pinched the tassels at the edge of the sachet, hidden deep within her sleeve where no one could see. Her fingertips trembled slightly, yet her voice remained as firm as ever—
“Not a single thing is wrong.”