Gu Wuyou took the letter in her hand and hurried toward the academy.
When she left, it was only a quarter past noon (11:15), but by the time she returned to the academy, classes were almost over. She dared not delay and ran straight toward Xu Fu.
It was also her good luck.
Xu Fu had only returned to the academy this evening. As soon as he arrived, he heard about Li Qinyuan’s matter and was just about to go out to find him when he ran into Gu Wuyou, who came rushing over.
A student had come to see him.
Naturally, he could not leave at this moment. After setting down the things in his hand, he patiently smiled and asked, “Why are you here at this time?”
Gu Wuyou had run all the way, her forehead and the tip of her nose covered in sweat, and she was panting heavily. She could barely speak when he asked, still catching her breath, but she reached out and handed him the letter.
“What is this?” Xu Fu took the letter with some surprise.
But as soon as he opened it, his usually gentle and refined expression darkened immediately, and even his voice dropped a few tones. “Is this true?”
By now, Gu Wuyou had mostly caught her breath. Hearing his question, she replied in a low voice, “It’s true. I specifically went to the Huang family to ask Miss Huang. The letter was also written by her own hand. If you don’t believe it, you can personally ask her later.”
“But—”
She paused, hesitation evident in her words. “Miss Huang is not in a good state. Dean, if you go to question her, please be mindful.”
Xu Fu already believed it.
He had never thought that Qilang would hit someone without reason, but he also hadn’t expected the matter to be such a disgraceful affair!
He had spent his life studying and pursuing the Dao, never entering officialdom because he did not want to face such darkness. Yet right under his nose, one of his own students had committed something so vile!
And according to Huang Fu’s words, this wasn’t the first time.
With a grim expression, he paced back and forth in the room, his gaze sweeping over Gu Wuyou. In the end, he could only sigh, stop in place, and face her. “You’ve worked hard on this matter.”
He had heard about this young girl’s efforts to protect Qilang yesterday.
Without her, Qilang’s situation might have ended inconclusively. Once Zhou Changbai recovered, he could have continued attending the academy as if nothing had happened. No one would know of his vile deeds, and the young Miss Huang, being of a gentle disposition, would likely have had no choice but to swallow her grievances in silence. As for Qilang… no matter how much he wished to protect him, he could not go against public outrage.
Fortunately.
Now, there was this letter.
Seeing Gu Wuyou’s still flushed face, it was clear how much effort she had put into this matter. Xu Fu’s gaze softened, and his voice became much gentler. “Alright, you should go back. I will handle this.”
Gu Wuyou nodded. She trusted Xu Fu, but she still couldn’t help but remind him, “Dean, I promised Miss Huang that only you and I would know about this matter. You…”
Before she could finish speaking—
Xu Fu had already smiled and said, “Don’t worry, besides me, no one else will know about this.”
With that, Gu Wuyou felt much more at ease.
However—
There was still one more matter.
“Then what about Li Qinyuan…” she asked softly. “Can he still return to the academy?”
Perhaps because the troublesome matter had already been resolved, Xu Fu was no longer in a rush. Hearing Gu Wuyou’s question, he even glanced at her with a smile in his eyes and teasingly asked, “What is your relationship with Qilang? Why are you so concerned about him?”
“I…”
Gu Wuyou opened her mouth to answer but hesitated before speaking. Her relationship with the Great General… truly a difficult question.
She frowned in distress, her small face scrunched up. In the end, she could only reluctantly murmur, “We are fellow students. Naturally, we should help each other. Besides, sir also said that we must not wrongly accuse good people.”
“Oh~”
Xu Fu deliberately dragged out the sound. “Fellow students, huh?” Why did he find that so hard to believe?
However, he didn’t press the matter further. After clearing his throat lightly, he returned to the serious topic. “Don’t worry, since Qilang did nothing wrong, of course, he can return to the academy.”
That was good.
Gu Wuyou, who had been frowning just a moment ago, immediately brightened up.
“Then I’ll head back first,” she said to Xu Fu before turning to leave.
Just as she reached the doorway, she suddenly remembered Aunt Lan’s instructions. She stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said to Xu Fu, “Oh, right, Dean.”
“Hmm?”
Xu Fu was in the middle of pouring tea. Hearing her words, he looked up.
“Aunt Lan said to tell you to stop sending flowers and tea. She’s running out of space over there. She said if you send any more, she’s going to throw them all out.” Gu Wuyou relayed the message with a completely serious expression.
Xu Fu’s eyes widened in shock.
How did this little girl know about Liu Lan?! And Liu Lan even asked her to pass on a message?!
“Hiss—”
Boiling tea overflowed from the cup, scalding his fingers. He almost dropped the teapot but managed to steady himself. With great effort, he forced himself to remain composed, setting the teapot down as if nothing had happened. “…I understand.”
Since she had delivered the message, Gu Wuyou didn’t plan to linger any longer. However, seeing the strange expression on Xu Fu’s face, she considerately asked, “Are you alright?”
Xu Fu barely managed a smile. “…I’m fine.”
“Then I’ll be going.” Gu Wuyou didn’t think much of it and simply bid farewell before lifting the curtain and stepping out.
Once she was gone, Xu Fu could no longer maintain his composed expression. He paced back and forth in the room before covering his face with a long sigh.
His dignity was completely ruined!
“…That damn brat!”
Xu Fu gritted his teeth as he cursed that name. It must have been that brat who brought Gu Wuyou to see Liu Lan!
—
Xu Fu was efficient in handling matters.
Gu Wuyou had just gone to see Gu Tiao and exchanged a few words with him. Before she even had a chance to step into Pingshuo Hall, a message had already arrived from Xu Fu’s side.
There weren’t many words, but the meaning was clear:
The incident from yesterday had been thoroughly investigated.
Zhou Changbai had been the one at fault first, and Li Qinyuan had a justifiable reason for acting.
As for the outcome—
Starting from today, Zhou Changbai was expelled from the academy, and in the future, no members of the Zhou family would be admitted. While Li Qinyuan had a reason for his actions, he still needed to be punished. However, the specifics of his punishment were not mentioned.
Upon hearing the verdict, everyone was in an uproar.
“How could this happen? Zhou Changbai was actually expelled from the academy? What exactly did he do to make the Dean so furious?”
“And the entire Zhou family’s descendants are now barred from enrollment—this must have been a grave offense!”
Luming Academy had been established for nearly a century, and in all that time, nothing like this had ever occurred. That was why everyone was so shocked by Zhou Changbai’s punishment.
The room was abuzz with chatter.
Gu Yu sat quietly in her chair, saying nothing, only furrowing her brows slightly. What exactly had Gu Wuyou uncovered for this matter to turn around so quickly?
“Shh, the Princess of Leping is back.”
Someone whispered the words, and Gu Yu immediately turned toward the doorway. Sure enough, she saw Gu Wuyou stepping inside, bathed in golden sunlight. A bright smile hung on her face, and the gloom that had lingered on her expression since last evening had finally dissipated.
The moment Gu Yu saw her enter, she stood up at once and walked over, lowering her voice as she asked, “Where exactly did you go just now? And what… what on earth happened?”
“Huh?”
Gu Wuyou blinked her large, innocent eyes as if she had no idea what Gu Yu was talking about. “What do you mean, what happened?”
“Don’t play dumb with me!” Gu Yu was instantly irritated by her act. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, “You must have found something out—otherwise, why would the Dean issue such an order?!”
“I really don’t know.”
“Maybe the Dean discovered something himself.”
Seeing that Gu Yu was about to get even angrier, Gu Wuyou simply smiled and pulled a piece of candy from her small satchel, handing it over. In a weary tone, she said, “Be good, I’m exhausted. I’m going to rest for a bit.” With that, she turned and walked toward the back seats.
“Gu Wuyou, you—!”
Standing in place, Gu Yu puffed up her cheeks in frustration. As if she would believe Gu Wuyou’s nonsense!
She definitely knew something!
She just wouldn’t tell her!
The others in the room didn’t know what kind of secret exchange was happening between the two sisters. Seeing Gu Wuyou return to her seat, they resumed their quiet discussions.
“So from the looks of it… Li Qinyuan really was wronged?”
“Since the Dean said so, it must be true.”
“Then yesterday, didn’t we…”
They exchanged glances, then all turned toward Gu Wuyou, lowering their voices. “Do we really have to apologize to him?”
“…I don’t know.”
They were all noble daughters from prestigious families. To apologize to a man they had always looked down on as a scoundrel—just the thought of it was difficult to swallow. If word got out, where would they put their dignity?
Someone murmured resentfully, “If Xu Wan hadn’t spoken first yesterday, I wouldn’t have said anything either.”
With that, almost everyone turned to look at Xu Wan.
Ever since Xu Fu issued his order, Xu Wan had kept her head down, remaining silent. Now, being stared at by so many people, even with her thick skin, she couldn’t endure it. “Why are you all looking at me?!”
“If you hadn’t spoken first yesterday, we wouldn’t have said anything about Li Qinyuan either,” someone responded in a cold tone.
Xu Wan was not Xiao Yi.
They weren’t that close to her.
“You—you all—!”
Xu Wan trembled with anger, her fingers shaking. The very same people who had been friendly with her just yesterday had now turned on her. In her frustration, she turned to Gu Yu, hoping that she would help her out.
But Gu Yu was still sitting with her head lowered, absentmindedly fiddling with a piece of candy she had gotten from who-knows-where, lost in thought.
Just as the others were glaring at her with either anger or dissatisfaction, Xu Wan found herself at the center of their resentment for the first time. Her body trembled, and her lips quivered as she clenched her sleeves tightly. In the end, under the weight of those condemning gazes, she picked up her belongings and walked toward the door.
But before she could step out—
Gu Wuyou, who had been resting her head on her hand and pretending to nap, suddenly opened her eyes and called out, “Stop.”
Although she hadn’t mentioned a name, Xu Wan instinctively halted. She turned back, pressing her lips together as she nervously clutched her sleeves.
The girl in red sat at the very back, still propping up her chin. Under the golden glow of the setting sun, her clear, piercing eyes fixed on Xu Wan, her voice devoid of emotion as she said, “You haven’t forgotten what I said yesterday, have you?”
Xu Wan remained silent.
“If you’ve forgotten, let me remind you—when Li Qinyuan returns, you will apologize to him.” Gu Wuyou’s gaze remained cold as she watched Xu Wan tremble with anger, showing not the slightest bit of sympathy. “If you think skipping class tomorrow will get you out of this, you can try.”
“Unless you plan to never return to the academy, you will have to say those words to him sooner or later.”
That completely crushed any lingering thoughts Xu Wan had. She had indeed been considering feigning illness to avoid coming to the academy tomorrow, but now… She bit her lip, meeting Gu Wuyou’s gaze, and in the end, she gritted her teeth and said, “I stand by my word. I will do it!”
After that, she turned and ran out.
Seeing her leave, the others also began gathering their things. But before they could step outside, that voice rang out again—
“And the rest of you—”
Gu Wuyou didn’t call out any names, but her sharp, clear eyes swept over them, forcing them to stop in their tracks.
“You think just because you only jeered a little, you’re not at fault?”
“You said hurtful words so easily, but now you want to act as if you’re innocent? Since when was the world ever so convenient?”
Their faces turned red with shame. One by one, they lowered their heads, murmuring, “I’ll apologize…” before hurrying out of the room.
Soon, the room was empty—except for Gu Yu, who had sworn to herself that she would never speak to Gu Wuyou again. Even so, she gritted her teeth, stood up, and stomped over.
“Why are you making enemies out of so many people just for Li Qinyuan?”
Although she agreed that Gu Wuyou wasn’t wrong, she still felt it was unnecessary to offend everyone like this. Even after leaving the academy, they would all still move in the same social circles. If she turned them all against her, how would she navigate those interactions in the future?
“Hmm.”
Gu Wuyou looked at Gu Yu and asked, “Do you think that if this hadn’t happened, I could have been friends with them?”
Gu Yu frowned and thought about it—then realized that the answer was no.
“Then that’s that,” Gu Wuyou said with a smile as she stood up. “No matter what I do or say, they already have preconceived notions about me. Since that’s the case, why should I have to make myself suffer to please them?”
Seeing that Gu Yu was still frowning, she continued with a gentle smile, “I know you’re worried that once I get married, I won’t be able to get along in the capital’s social circles. But that won’t happen. We’re still young. When we grow up, our thoughts and actions will change naturally.”
Right now, people envied each other over looks, family background, or even a more beautiful hairpin or dress.
But when they grew older, those things wouldn’t matter as much anymore.
Back then, she and Gu Yu had been at odds, barely speaking to each other. But over time, didn’t their relationship improve?
That was just how people were—when they were young, they thought everything and everyone was against them. But once they grew older, they realized it wasn’t such a big deal after all.
Gu Yu, who hadn’t yet reached that level of maturity, wanted to argue back but couldn’t find the words. After some thought, she begrudgingly muttered, “As long as you know what you’re doing.”
But then, as she recalled something Gu Wuyou had said earlier, her face suddenly flushed red. She wasn’t sure if it was from anger or embarrassment, but she scowled and snapped, “Who said I was worried about you?! Only a fool would worry about you!”
She still hadn’t forgiven Gu Wuyou.
But Gu Wuyou was already used to her awkward attitude. Instead of getting upset, she naturally went along with her words to coax her. “Mm-hmm, you weren’t worried about me. It was my misunderstanding.”
Gu Yu huffed angrily, still fuming. “Of course, it was your misunderstanding!”
After this little back-and-forth, she no longer cared about the answer Gu Wuyou hadn’t given earlier. It was probably some secret that couldn’t be revealed.
And if it was a secret, then there was no need to pry any further.
She glanced at Gu Wuyou again.
Hmm, though she didn’t want to admit it, Gu Wuyou was indeed different from before. The once petty and quick-tempered girl, who used to get angry over the smallest things, now seemed much more carefree… and mature.
“There’s no need to make yourself suffer for people who aren’t worth it?”
Gu Yu mulled over those words in her heart but didn’t look at Gu Wuyou again. Instead, she returned to her seat, gathered her things, and walked toward the door. As she walked, she awkwardly called out, “Let’s go. Second Sister is probably waiting for us.”
“Coming!” Gu Wuyou responded with a bright smile, catching up to her.
—
By the time the three sisters stepped out of the academy, most of the carriages had already left. However, Jing Yubai and the others were still there, seemingly waiting for someone.
Seeing them come out, the three young men approached.
Fu Xian was still as awkward as ever. Other than greeting Gu Tiao politely and calling out sweetly, “Sister Gu Tiao,” he remained distant toward Gu Yu and Gu Wuyou, barely acknowledging them.
Jing Yubai, on the other hand, was courteous to everyone. After exchanging greetings, he turned to Gu Wuyou with a smile and said, “Although Dean Xu didn’t mention it, we all know that Qilang was able to clear his name thanks to you.”
“Princess of Leping, we owe you our thanks.”
Gu Wuyou didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she glanced at Gu Yu beside her. Seeing her snort but not say anything else, she smiled and replied, “I didn’t do much.”
She paused for a moment before adding, “Besides, he didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. If he had, nothing I did would have made a difference.”
“Mm.” Jing Yubai nodded with a smile. Then, as if he had just thought of something, he suddenly said, “We were planning to go find Qilang now and tell him the good news.”
Find the Great General?
Gu Wuyou’s already bright eyes lit up even more. She lifted her head to look at Jing Yubai, filled with anticipation and hope, and carefully asked, “Can I… go with you?”