Li Qingyuan immediately withdrew his gaze upon hearing the voice, looking as if he were afraid of being caught secretly watching the little chili pepper. He even lowered his head and started eating the meat pie that he was already too full to eat.
Gu Wuyou, on the other hand, didn’t notice his reaction.
She had just eaten a large meat pie, and her stomach felt greasy and heavy. The moment she heard that porridge had arrived, her face instantly lit up with a smile. Turning to look at Liu Lan, her small mouth was as sweet as if it had been coated with honey as she praised, “Aunt Lan, your meat pies are really delicious.”
“If you like them, then come by often in the future. Whenever you crave them, Aunt Lan will make them for you,” Liu Lan said with a smile.
Gu Wuyou happily nodded. “Okay!”
Then, she suddenly remembered that she didn’t actually know the way, hesitating as she said, “But I don’t know the way.”
The road to Uncle Zhang’s place wasn’t so winding, so she was able to remember it after walking there once. But today, she had been too preoccupied worrying about puddles splashing onto the hem of her dress to pay any attention to the path.
“What’s so difficult about that?”
Liu Lan raised an eyebrow and smiled, glancing over at Li Qingyuan. “You don’t know the way, but Qilang does. Whenever you want to eat, just have him bring you over.”
Li Qingyuan hadn’t expected to be dragged into the conversation despite not saying a word. His brows furrowed immediately. “I won’t—” Before he could finish, his eyes met Gu Wuyou’s as she turned to him with an expression full of anticipation.
The words of refusal that were right at his lips suddenly became hard to say. He pressed his lips together and held back for a long moment before reluctantly saying, “Got it.”
Seeing him agree, Gu Wuyou was overjoyed. The corners of her mouth curled up high, and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t suppress her smile.
Watching her delighted expression, Li Qingyuan was so annoyed that he wanted to smack himself. Why did I have to open my mouth?!
Finally, when Liu Lan left, he turned to see the little girl still staring at him and, annoyed, pushed the meat pie in front of her. Lowering his voice, he scolded, “Eat your food and stop staring!”
So shameless.
“…Oh.”
Gu Wuyou looked at the grumpy young general and decided not to argue with this stubborn big general. She cheerfully responded and continued eating.
After finishing their meal.
Li Qingyuan led the well-fed Gu Wuyou outside.
Liu Lan had just finished tidying up the courtyard. Seeing them come out, she said, “There are still a few meat pies on the table. Take them with you to eat later.” Then she added with a smile, “I didn’t put any scallions in them. They’re freshly made, so if they get cold later, just have someone warm them up.”
As soon as Li Qingyuan heard the words “no scallions”, his hand, which had been reaching for money, froze.
Feeling guilty, he stole a glance at Liu Lan, then sneakily glanced at the little chili pepper behind him. Seeing that she had no reaction, he let out a small “oh,” placed the money on the table, picked up the meat pies wrapped in oiled paper, and said to the little chili pepper, “Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
Gu Wuyou obediently nodded and followed Li Qingyuan’s steps toward the exit. When passing by Liu Lan, she sweetly said, “Goodbye, Aunt Lan.”
“Goodbye.”
Liu Lan smiled warmly in response. Then, after thinking for a moment, she called out to Li Qingyuan, “When you go to the academy later, tell Xu Fu not to bring me any more flowers or tea. My place is already too packed! A simple breakfast shop has been turned into some kind of… whatever.”
She pursed her lips, looking completely exasperated. “If he sends any more, I’ll just throw them away.”
“I—”
Li Qingyuan was just about to say that he was no longer at the academy, but before the words could leave his mouth, he heard the little chili pepper beside him already responding with a smile, “Alright, we’ll tell Dean Xu when we get back.”
“Go on, go on, it’s getting late. You don’t want those old men scolding you,” Liu Lan said with a laugh, shooing them off.
Li Qingyuan glanced at Gu Wuyou but didn’t say anything. He simply gave a soft “mm” and led the little chili pepper out.
By this time, it was already quite late. The alley’s residents had all left for work, leaving the once bustling area noticeably quieter. As they neared the entrance of the alley, Gu Wuyou was still thinking about yesterday’s events, wondering how to get the general to tell her the truth.
Li Qingyuan was also thinking about yesterday. He wanted to ask the little chili pepper what she truly thought. He didn’t know why he cared so much about her opinion—he just… couldn’t help but want to ask.
“You—”
“You—”
Both of them spoke at the same time, then simultaneously fell silent, momentarily stunned.
Li Qingyuan was the first to react. He cleared his throat lightly and turned his head away. “You go first.”
Gu Wuyou didn’t hesitate. She continued walking alongside him, seizing the moment while no one else was around to softly ask, “Yesterday, you…”
The moment he heard these three words, Li Qingyuan’s brow twitched instinctively. He didn’t turn back, but his hand clenched into a fist involuntarily, a tension he hadn’t even noticed creeping into his voice as he asked hoarsely, “What about yesterday?”
“Why did you hit that person yesterday?”
Gu Wuyou studied his expression. But since the young man had turned his head away, all she could see was his clear, well-defined profile—not his full expression. “Did he do something that made you upset?”
For some reason, upon hearing these words, the anxiety that had been hanging over Li Qingyuan’s heart suddenly eased. It hadn’t completely settled, but at least he wasn’t as tense as before.
He stopped walking and turned to look at her, his voice dry and hoarse as he asked, “Why are you asking that?”
“Didn’t you hear what people have been saying?” When he was around, the rumors were already flying everywhere. Now that he was gone, there were bound to be even more absurd things being said. He didn’t believe she hadn’t heard any of it.
“I did.”
Gu Wuyou didn’t hide it from him. “But I don’t believe them.”
She spoke decisively and seriously, yet her tone was entirely casual, as if stating something completely ordinary.
“…Why?” Li Qingyuan was stunned.
Even his closest family wouldn’t stand so unwaveringly by his side. Where did she get the confidence to trust him like this?
Why?
Hearing this, Gu Wuyou furrowed her brows slightly.
That was a hard question to answer. She simply didn’t believe that her general would do such a thing. What was there to explain? She thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with a reason. In the end, she just looked into his eyes and answered honestly, “I believe in you. You’re not that kind of person.”
The little girl looked up at him, her clear almond-shaped eyes filled with unwavering trust.
Li Qingyuan suddenly heard a rapid thump-thump-thump in his chest. At first, it was just thump-thump-thump, but soon it became thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—like fireworks exploding in the sky on New Year’s Eve. It felt absurd, yet in the dark corners of his heart, a tiny flower quietly began to bloom.
He stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Gu Wuyou for a long time, unable to say a single word. When he finally found his voice, he only looked into her eyes, his Adam’s apple moving slightly, and murmured one word, “Idiot.”
His voice was too soft, so soft that Gu Wuyou didn’t catch it at all.
“What did you say?” She blinked, her eyes carrying a trace of confusion as she looked at Li Qingyuan.
“…Nothing.”
Li Qingyuan simply turned his head away, avoiding her gaze so she wouldn’t notice his abnormality.
“Then… can you tell me why you fought?” Gu Wuyou didn’t press further but instead spoke softly, “Old Master Wang said that as long as there was a valid reason, he wouldn’t blame you.”
She was a little nervous, afraid he might think she was meddling too much. But she still spoke, her fair little hands lightly tugging at her skirt as she looked up at him. “I… I don’t want to see you being wronged.”
Her general shouldn’t have to bear such a reputation.
Looking at Gu Wuyou in that moment, Li Qingyuan had an instant urge to tell her everything without holding anything back. But when he thought of the people and matters involved… he ultimately furrowed his brows and said, “There’s nothing to say. I did hit him.”
Before she could respond, he glanced at the nearing alley entrance, stopped, and handed her the wrapped meat pies in his hand. His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. “Alright, you should go to the academy now.”
Gu Wuyou accepted the package but didn’t step forward.
She stood in front of Li Qingyuan.
The cold wind swept through her hair and lifted the hem of her bright dress, but she didn’t raise a hand to push her hair away. Lips pressed together, she looked at him with the stubbornness of a young girl. “I won’t let them wrong you like this.”
“I will find out the truth.”
“Even if—”
Gu Wuyou hesitated slightly, lowering her head with a trace of reluctance and uncertainty. But when she looked up again, her brilliant face was still glowing with a bright, sunny smile. She stared at him unwaveringly. “Even if no one else believes you, I will always believe in you. Always and forever.”
At that moment, Li Qingyuan felt the fireworks in his heart explode beside his ears. The sound roared like a buzzing hum, dizzying him. He suddenly realized that his voice had become even hoarser. “You…”
He didn’t know what to say.
His heart pounded too fast, so fast that he had the illusion that anyone nearby would be able to hear it.
Gu Wuyou seemed to have convinced herself already.
She no longer obsessed over getting the truth from her general. Since he refused to say, he must have his reasons. She wouldn’t force him. Instead, she would find out herself, investigate, and clear his name.
The brilliant smile on her face seemed frozen in place, unaffected even as the cold frost brushed against her.
“I want to eat Aunt Lan’s meat pies again tomorrow,” Gu Wuyou suddenly said, an oddly out-of-place remark.
“What?”
Li Qingyuan was startled, momentarily unable to react.
“I said, I want to eat Aunt Lan’s meat pies again tomorrow. Will you come with me?” The dazzling girl looked at him with hopeful eyes, filled with mischievous intent, as if to shatter all impossibilities. “You just promised Aunt Lan that if I wanted to eat, I could tell you, and you’d bring me here.”
“You gave your word. You can’t go back on it.”
“Who said I’d go back on my word?” Li Qingyuan finally snapped back to his usual self, replying in his usual awkward and stubborn manner. Looking at the little girl’s clever, cunning expression, he couldn’t help but grumble in a low voice, “I didn’t promise her.”
Gu Wuyou blinked, not catching the last part. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.”