By the time they finished eating hot pot, it was already the Xu Hour (19:00-20:59).
Although the Gu family wasn’t particularly strict, it still wasn’t proper for young ladies to return home too late. So after finishing the hot pot and having a few drinks, Gu Yu, feeling a little dizzy, still kept track of the time and pulled Gu Wuyou along, preparing to leave.
“Be careful.” Gu Wuyou carefully supported Gu Yu, afraid she might stumble.
“I… I’m fine.” Gu Yu waved her hand. She hadn’t actually drunk much; the room was just too warm, making her feel a bit lightheaded. She reached out to fan away the heat in front of her face, her cheeks still flushed. “Let’s go.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fu Xian, already so drunk that he no longer knew where he was, and scoffed, “His alcohol tolerance is even worse than mine.” But just as she finished speaking, she hiccupped from the alcohol herself.
Gu Wuyou was still a little worried about her. She acknowledged with a soft hum before turning her head to look at Li Qinyuan. Amidst the hazy white steam in the room, her young man hadn’t changed much from before—still holding a cup of liquor, his face handsome and composed. Yet, at the moment she turned around, she clearly noticed the sudden tension in his posture.
Her heart softened uncontrollably, and even her voice grew gentler. “Then, we’re leaving now.”
“…Oh.”
Li Qinyuan’s voice was dry and flat, devoid of any emotion. In truth, he was reluctant to see her go, though he didn’t understand why he felt this way. So he could only lower his head, idly twirling the wine cup in his hand, watching the clear liquor ripple inside.
He usually loved this plum wine the most, yet at this moment, the very same wine suddenly didn’t taste as fragrant as before.
Jing Yubai, who had barely drunk anything, saw his reaction and smiled, shaking his head. As Gu Wuyou was about to take Gu Yu outside, he suddenly spoke up, “Qilang, it’s dark outside. Walk them back.”
“I’ll go make some hangover soup.”
Saying this, he glanced at the two men who had already passed out drunk and sighed helplessly, “Otherwise, they’ll wake up tomorrow and start complaining about their headaches again.”
After speaking, he stood up. As he passed by the Gu sisters, he maintained his usual graceful demeanor, smiling as he said, “Your Highness, Seventh Miss, be careful on your way back.”
He then added, “The coachman is reliable and won’t gossip, so you can rest assured.”
Gu Wuyou nodded at him, expressing her thanks. After Jing Yubai left, she turned to look at Li Qinyuan, her eyes curving like crescent moons, her voice tinged with laughter. “Are you going to walk us out?”
“Ahem.”
Being looked at like that, Li Qinyuan’s face flushed red. He put down the wine cup in his hand and stood up. His handsome face, in the midst of the warm, steamy room, quietly turned a shade deeper. “Let’s go.” He spoke and took the lead in stepping out of the room.
Gu Wuyou watched his departing back, the smile in her eyes deepening.
Following his pace, they stepped outside. The winter night was cold, and the wind was sharp, cutting against their skin like blades. Gu Wuyou glanced at Gu Yu, who was still a little dazed, and considerately pulled up her hood for her before putting on her own.
The young man walking ahead seemed to deliberately match her pace, moving neither too fast nor too slow.
Gu Wuyou easily kept up with him. Supporting her slightly dizzy sister, she lifted her face under the hood and tilted her head to look at him. Seeing that he was still wearing his usual simple attire, she lowered her voice and asked, “Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m not.”
Li Qinyuan shook his head, his voice kept soft. Catching a glimpse of her concerned gaze, he inexplicably added, “I’ve never been afraid of the cold since I was a child—like a living stove.”
That was true.
When she first married Li Qinyuan, she was still unfamiliar with him. She knew he didn’t have the habit of lighting a brazier in winter, but she didn’t dare to speak up about it. At night, she was so cold that her lips turned purple, yet the man beside her was like a human furnace.
Later, when he discovered this, he considerately placed a brazier in their room at night.
But no matter how warm the brazier was, it only dispelled some of the chill in the room. Her body still felt icy cold. Unable to fall asleep, she would carefully turn over in her bed, quietly rubbing her hands together and breathing warm air onto them.
She thought she had done it discreetly.
Yet, to her surprise, a sigh drifted to her ears, and a mature man’s warm voice, tinged with helplessness, murmured, “Why are you so stubborn?”
That was the first night she was pulled into someone’s embrace, and also the first night she slept so soundly.
They were almost at the doorway when she pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked at Li Qinyuan beside her. She couldn’t help but say, “Even if you’re not afraid of the cold, the night wind is strong. If you get chilled, you’ll end up with a headache.”
Li Qinyuan sometimes thought this little girl was like a tiny crybaby—tears always welling up for no reason. Other times, she was like a nagging old mother, worrying about everything.
Ever since his mother passed away, only his grandmother and maternal grandmother would remind him about such things.
Yet this girl, who was even younger than him, worried more than anyone else.
Li Qinyuan felt helpless. At his age, he rarely listened to such advice—if anything, he tended to do the opposite just out of defiance.
Especially with his temperament, he hated being controlled the most.
But under the moonlight, looking at the clear, concerned eyes of this little pepper, he pursed his lips. The words of refusal got stuck in his throat, and in the end, he relented, “…Got it.”
Seeing him agree, Gu Wuyou’s smile brightened even more.
They soon reached the carriage. The dozing coachman, seeing them come out, quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
Li Qinyuan, upon noticing an outsider present, immediately reverted to his usual demeanor. Once the man straightened, he coolly instructed, “Take them back to the Duke of Dingguo’s residence. On your way back, inform your master that your young lord will be staying here tonight. Also, send word to the Qi and Fu families.”
This was a common occurrence, so the coachman naturally didn’t question it. He simply responded with a soft, “Yes,” before stepping aside.
“Ah Yu, get in the carriage first.” Gu Wuyou gently patted Gu Yu’s hand before helping her into the carriage. As soon as Gu Yu settled inside, she mumbled a sleepy sound and leaned back, closing her eyes.
Only after confirming that Gu Yu wouldn’t fall did Gu Wuyou turn back to Li Qinyuan.
These coachmen from noble families were all extremely perceptive. This one bowed his head, led the carriage forward a few steps, and in no time, the originally occupied space was left with only Gu Wuyou and Li Qinyuan standing there.
There were no lanterns hanging at the entrance, only the faint glow of the moon.
Li Qinyuan lowered his gaze to look at Gu Wuyou in the moonlight. Without the usual teary-eyed look of a little crybaby, she appeared gentler, more graceful—like a lotus swaying in the summer breeze.
Especially those almond-shaped eyes.
Gone was the lively radiance of the daytime; now, they carried a hint of tenderness. Even the most irritable person, faced with such a gaze, would likely find themselves calming down instantly.
Yet in the brief stillness, his heart inexplicably sped up.
Faster than ever before.
A sudden, undeniable flutter—so intense that it made him uncomfortable. He turned his head away abruptly. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
“Will you… be coming to the academy tomorrow?” Gu Wuyou finally asked the question she had been holding back.
Perhaps sensing the anticipation in her voice, Li Qinyuan, as if intoxicated, inexplicably turned back to look at her and blurted out, “Do you really want me to go that badly?”
As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake. Before she could answer, he quickly added, “I’ll go.”
Even as he spoke, he secretly clenched his hands.
Thankfully, it was nighttime. Otherwise, the little girl would have surely noticed the odd expression on his face.
Gu Wuyou didn’t notice his unease. Hearing his response, she quietly let out a breath of relief. Her previously tense face relaxed, and her smile bloomed once more. “Then, see you at the academy tomorrow.”
As she spoke, she took a few steps backward, raising her hand as if to wave goodbye.
“Oh, right—”
She suddenly paused, remembering something. Turning back to him, she said, “We won’t be going to Aunt Lan’s tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Li Qinyuan immediately frowned. No longer caring whether she saw his expression, he turned to face her fully. “Why?”
Just this morning, she had stubbornly insisted that he promise to take her to Aunt Lan’s for meat pies tomorrow—she had practically forced him to swear on it.
And now, she suddenly didn’t want to go?
“Hmm…”
Gu Wuyou had made her decision in the kitchen earlier. She hadn’t planned on telling the great general now, so she could only say, “I have something to do tomorrow. Let’s go together next time.”
After speaking, she noticed his unhappy expression still hadn’t eased. So she took a few steps closer, tilted her head up at him, and softened her voice, “Alright?”
Li Qinyuan really didn’t want to deal with this little pepper who went back on her word.
But looking at the sweet, radiant face before him, the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. His ears reddened as he turned his head away, refusing to meet her bright eyes. Yet, despite himself, he still grumbled, “If you go back on your word again next time, don’t expect me to take you.”
Still, remembering how cold it was outside, and noticing how the wind had turned her face red, his voice unconsciously softened. “Alright, you should go back now.”
Gu Wuyou nodded obediently. As she walked away, she still remembered to remind him, “It’s windy out here. You should go inside soon too.”
“…Got it.”
Li Qinyuan muttered under his breath. But hidden in the shadows, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and his voice unconsciously softened even more. “I know.”
Only then did Gu Wuyou feel at ease. She waved at him before turning and walking toward the carriage.
The night was dark. The stone-paved road was uneven, many of the stones cracked and filled with small pits—easy to trip over. Normally, she wouldn’t dare walk this road alone.
But she knew—
Her great general, her young man, was watching her from behind.