Although the residential house looked simple and ordinary from the outside, once inside, it was actually not bad. At the very least, it was clean and spacious, without a trace of mess.
On the stone table sat a teapot and teacups, but they weren’t the usual green porcelain or ceramic; instead, they were made of bamboo, a vibrant green that blended harmoniously with the bamboo grove in the background, giving off a poetic charm.
By the wall, numerous small, nameless flowers bloomed in various colors—purple, yellow, and more. It seemed that no one had taken special care of them; perhaps a handful of seeds had simply been scattered there, left to grow as they pleased.
Yet, they blossomed quite well.
Especially in this winter season, being able to see such a patch of wild beauty outside was truly rare.
In the southern corner of the courtyard, a plum tree stood proudly against the frost and snow. It was its prime season, and the red blossoms bloomed brilliantly, with its stretching branches even reaching into the neighboring household’s yard.
…
Gu Wuyou walked very slowly along the way.
Almost as if she were taking in every step, as though she wanted to etch every detail of this house—where Li Qinyuan had lived for several years—deep into her mind, to slowly savor and remember it.
Gu Yu didn’t have as much patience as her. After a few steps, she was already annoyed, frowning as she looked at her. “What are you looking at? Walking so slowly, aren’t you cold?” As she spoke, she glanced around as well.
But it was just some ordinary trees and flowers. What was there to admire?
“Nothing.”
Gu Wuyou shook her head, her voice still light. Before Gu Yu could say anything else, she gave the courtyard one last glance before withdrawing her gaze. She smiled at her and said, “Let’s go.”
With that, she stepped forward and entered the house before her.
Perhaps because only one person lived here and few visitors came by, even the main hall lacked any semblance of a place meant for hosting guests. However, one could still discern the habits of the owner.
A long sword hung on the wall.
Gu Wuyou knew this was Li Qinyuan’s personal sword. He practiced with it for an hour every day, rain or shine.
Near the north-facing window, a wooden shelf held an assortment of items—half-read books left open at random, cricket figurines made of bamboo leaves, a bamboo flute, and various trinkets of unknown origin, all placed haphazardly without any particular order. On the floor, there were also hockey sticks and boots, along with archery game pieces used for pitch-pot. Though the room was messy, it still had a certain sense of order.
Fu Xian and the others were seated by the window, with a brazier burning in the room.
Qi Xu, who feared the cold the most, sat closest to the brazier, warming his hands over the fire. When he saw them enter, he lifted his head and smiled at them, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth, making him look quite adorable. “You’re here.”
“It’s cold outside. Come warm yourselves by the fire.”
Gu Yu had been chilled by the wind the entire way and was already freezing. She didn’t care about anything else and immediately went over.
Gu Wuyou glanced around but didn’t see Li Qinyuan, so she asked, “Where is he?”
Jing Yubai looked up and smiled at her. “Qilang is in the kitchen.”
“I’ll go find him.” Gu Wuyou dropped this sentence and, under their gazes, walked out without hesitation.
Fu Xian truly hadn’t expected Gu Wuyou to be so bold. They were all still here, and she just left like that? His eyes widened in shock, watching her leave the room before he finally reacted. He stood up and shouted, “What are you going to find him for?”
“Come back here!”
After shouting, he was about to follow her out, and Gu Yu clearly had the same thought. However, before either of them could move, Jing Yubai smiled and said, “Ah Xian, go tell the coachman to buy some cooked dishes and ingredients from Juke Tavern. We’ll have hotpot here tonight.”
“Why is it always me?”
Fu Xian indeed stopped in his tracks, though he was clearly displeased at being ordered around again.
Qi Xu, still smiling, chimed in, “I also want their grilled skewers. Ah Xian, tell them to bring me some extra.”
Fu Xian shot him an annoyed glare and grumbled, “All you do is boss me around all day,” before storming out.
After he left, Jing Yubai casually picked up an orange, stuck it onto a skewer, and held it over the fire. He then looked at Gu Yu, who was just about to step outside, and asked with a smile, “Miss Gu Yu, would you like a roasted orange?”
“What?”
Gu Yu froze, turning back in surprise. “Roasted orange?”
Oranges could be roasted?
Seeing her astonishment, Qi Xu chuckled and explained, “We were surprised too when we first saw it. We have no idea where Qilang learned this trick. He also roasts sweet potatoes and rice cakes. You probably don’t know about roasted rice cakes, right? You toss the rice cake into the fire, wait about fifteen minutes, then take it out, peel off the burnt crust, dip it in sauce—it’s absolutely delicious.”
Gu Yu wasn’t particularly a foodie, but she was still intrigued by such an unusual way of eating.
Her steps, which had been headed toward the door, hesitated. Then, slowly, she made her way back, staring at the orange Jing Yubai was roasting. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Then… make one for me too.”
—
The kitchen wasn’t hard to find.
There weren’t many rooms in this house to begin with, and after turning a corner, Gu Wuyou easily found it.
The kitchen was neither too big nor too small, but it was well-stocked. However, it was clear that it hadn’t been used in a long time—there was a visible layer of dust on the stove.
At the moment, the kitchen was empty. The so-called “Great General of the Kitchen” that Qi Xu had mentioned was nowhere to be seen. The only thing present was a small red clay stove, where a tall, long-spouted teapot was being warmed.
The water inside hadn’t yet boiled.
But the pointed spout was already releasing thin wisps of steam.
Gu Wuyou stepped inside, looking around at this simple and narrow kitchen. She imagined the days when the Great General had lived here alone—cooking his own meals, eating by himself, spending festival nights alone in this tiny room when others were gathered with their families.
At those times, how had he felt?
Gu Wuyou didn’t know.
She only knew that the Great General in her memories was exceptionally skilled at cooking.
Though well-versed in poetry and literature, he never cared for the saying that “a gentleman stays away from the kitchen.” In the years after they were married, whenever she felt unwell, he would take her to a secluded villa, without bringing any servants.
Just the two of them.
And all three meals a day were prepared by him.
Back then, she would always bring a small stool into the kitchen, resting her chin on her hands as she watched him busy himself.
She had asked him once—born into a prestigious family of noble lineage, how did he know how to cook?
How had he answered back then?
He had lowered his long, narrow eyes, and under the dazzling hues of the setting sun, piercing through the golden light, he had looked at her with a smile. A gentleman—gentle and warm.
“When I was young, I thought it was fun, so I learned it as a hobby.”
“…Liar.”
Gu Wuyou’s voice was low, but she couldn’t suppress the lump in her throat as she murmured those words.
Fun? A hobby?
It was clearly the hardships of his youth.
He just never wanted her to worry.
“Muttering to yourself—what are you talking about?”
In the quiet of the kitchen, a sudden voice interrupted—a young man’s tone, casual and unrestrained.
Gu Wuyou hurriedly turned her head and saw, under the setting sun’s glow, her great general leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. When he saw her turn around, he even raised an eyebrow. The young man was dressed in white, exuding a sense of carefree boldness, unrestrained and untamed.
This was someone entirely different from the refined and composed man she remembered—this version of him carried the arrogance and vitality unique to youth, like a blazing sunrise, dazzling and captivating, yet stirring her heart just the same.
But beyond that feeling of heart-fluttering affection, there was also an unfamiliar ache in her heart.
Her great general, in her memories, was a man of immense power, warm and composed. In his eyes, there seemed to be no hardship too great; even the gravest of troubles she once thought insurmountable were mere trivialities in his presence, effortlessly resolved.
But what about the young man before her?
He was proud and aloof, seen by many as a wayward troublemaker—poor in studies, unruly and undisciplined. Even when misunderstood, he never bothered to explain himself, only using a hardened exterior to conceal his true self.
Just like…
She once had.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Qinyuan looked at the red-clad girl before him, staring at him without blinking, and wondered if something was off about his appearance.
He had deliberately gone back to his room to change, even retying his hair. Before coming out, he had checked himself in the mirror several times to make sure nothing was out of place.
Could he have missed something?
He frowned slightly, debating whether to go back and check again. But then, seeing the way the little pepper was gazing at him so earnestly, he felt that his own thoughts were utterly embarrassing.
What was there to fix?
It wasn’t as if he were some girl dressing up to meet her lover.
With a light cough, he straightened his expression, masking his momentary lapse in composure. Before Gu Wuyou could speak, he strode inside, sitting down unceremoniously on the stool beside the red clay stove. Without looking up, he asked, “They’re all outside. What are you doing in here?”
Gu Wuyou didn’t answer, still staring at him without blinking.
Li Qinyuan felt this little pepper had absolutely no sense of decorum. How many times had she blatantly stared at him like this? He had told her to stop, but she never listened. He was tired of saying it.
Before, he could just glare and tell her off.
But now, no matter what, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
It was frustrating.
Like being wrapped in layers upon layers of hemp rope.
The room was small, and in the silence, they could hear each other’s breathing. Fortunately, the kettle on the stove was gradually coming to a boil, its bubbling and hissing providing a welcome distraction from the awkward quiet.
Otherwise, Li Qinyuan might have really started fidgeting in his seat.
“I heard from Dabai that you found evidence and gave it to Old Xu?”
Li Qinyuan finally broke the silence, deciding to bring up something serious.
He had already made up his mind—if she continued staring at him without speaking, he was going to scold her.
Luckily, this time Gu Wuyou finally spoke. But her voice no longer carried the usual brightness and energy; instead, it was slightly hoarse and subdued, laced with a quiet sorrow.
“I went to find Miss Huang. She wrote down everything that happened.”
So he had guessed right.
This little pepper had gone looking for Huang Fu. Who knew how much effort it had taken her?
In his heart, Li Qinyuan quietly called her a fool, but the corners of his lips still couldn’t help but curl up.
Afraid she would see, he quickly suppressed the upward curve.
The kitchen was silent once more. Thinking back to the questions she had asked him earlier that morning, Li Qinyuan wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly started explaining things to her.
“This matter really wasn’t anything serious. Not telling you wasn’t for any particular reason. Yes, I did beat someone up—no point in hiding that. That Zhou Changbai, I’ve disliked him for a long time. Even if it had been someone else that day, I would’ve still hit them just the same.”
I don’t know why I need to explain these things.
He had never done anything like this before. It felt unfamiliar and a bit awkward. He wanted to say a few more words, but it was as if his tongue had been tied, and he couldn’t get another word out.
Gu Wuyou waited for him to finish speaking, then softly took over the conversation, “…I know.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Qinyuan could hear the oddity in her voice. He no longer cared about whether it was awkward or not and directly lifted his head to look at Gu Wuyou.
He had already sensed something was off with this girl earlier. Normally, whenever she saw him, she would chirp like a little oriole, chattering away nonstop without a moment’s pause. But today, she had barely spoken. And now, even her voice sounded strange.
Did something…
Happen?
He immediately stood up and positioned himself in front of her. He wanted to get closer but felt it would be improper. So he remained where he was, furrowing his brows, and asked in a deep voice, “Who bullied you?”
The moment Gu Wuyou heard his voice, she couldn’t stop her tears from welling up. She had never been this emotional before, but for some reason, she had now developed this habit of tearing up at the slightest thing.
She herself didn’t feel it was a big deal, but she had clearly scared him.