That evening, after returning home and having dinner, Gu Wuyou instructed Hong Shuang to bring out all the trunks she had brought from Langya. They contained the clothes she had acquired in Langya in the past.
The Wang family was wealthy, and the Wang Matriarch doted on her.
With each changing season, the finest embroiderers in the region were invited to the house to tailor new clothes for her. Ordinary daughters of official families would receive four or six sets per season, and even Wang Zhao only had eight.
But Gu Wuyou received twelve new outfits every season—and not just clothes. Everything was coordinated from head to toe.
For spring and summer, there were elegant shawls; for autumn and winter, there were cloaks and capes. They were accompanied by matching accessories—hair ornaments, bracelets, earrings. Even sachets and handkerchiefs were often selected to complement her outfits. She had always loved to dress up, refusing to return home until she had drawn countless admiring glances.
The more attention she attracted, the more she enjoyed dressing up.
With nothing better to do, she often experimented with fashion at home. Over time, the noble ladies of Langya began to imitate her style.
The current trends in the capital? She had already worn them long ago.
But now, with an additional soul in her body, she no longer had the same fervor for dressing up as she once did.
“Everything was fine—why did you suddenly ask Hong Shuang to take all these things out today?” Bai Lu entered the room, carrying a bowl of almond tofu sprinkled with golden osmanthus petals from the autumn season. Seeing the mess before her, she was a little surprised.
She placed the tea tray on the table and came over to help. “Look at this mess. Which outfit do you need? I’ll find it for you.”
Gu Wuyou had too many clothes—so many that they covered the entire bed, with more still inside the trunks. She buried her head in the search and, without looking up, answered, “I remember that when I came of age, Grandmother had Madam Yun make me a dress. Why can’t I find it?”
Madam Yun was the most renowned embroiderer in Langya, and it was normally difficult to enlist her.
That particular dress was specially made for Gu Wuyou’s coming-of-age ceremony this year. The Wang Matriarch had gone to great lengths to persuade Madam Yun to take on the task. Though she had since forgotten about many other things, this dress remained vivid in her memory.
“Why are you suddenly looking for that dress?” Bai Lu was a little surprised. She turned to scold Hong Shuang, “And you—you just took everything out without asking? Look at this mess. You’ll have to put it all back later.”
Being reprimanded, Hong Shuang couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. “How was I supposed to know Miss wanted that particular dress? She cherishes it the most, and even we rarely touch it.”
Only then did Gu Wuyou recall this detail and spoke up to defend Hong Shuang. “Don’t blame her—it was my fault for not making it clear.”
She had indeed cherished that dress. Unfortunately, in her previous life, she had only worn it once.
Later, after marrying Zhao Chengyou, his younger sister, Zhao Baozhu, was about to come of age. She specially persuaded Zhao Chengyou to borrow the dress from Gu Wuyou, along with a full set of matching accessories, just to put on a grand show.
At the time, Gu Wuyou was so infatuated with Zhao Chengyou that she agreed without hesitation, no matter how much she cherished the dress.
But once lent, it was never returned.
What excuse did they give her in the end? Gu Wuyou could no longer remember. She only recalled mentioning it to Zhao Chengyou one night, feeling slightly aggrieved, hoping he would console her.
But what did Zhao Chengyou say?
Gu Wuyou thought carefully and vaguely remembered a blurred figure, frowning as he reprimanded her.
“It’s just a dress, and you’re making such a fuss. How will you manage the household servants in the future? How can I entrust the Zhao family’s affairs to you with such a temperament when I inherit the title?”
The loss of the dress saddened her, but she wasn’t truly angry.
What hurt her was Zhao Chengyou’s attitude.
That dress had been the one she wore for her coming-of-age ceremony—it symbolized a girl shedding her childishness, stepping into adulthood, a moment of beauty and significance.
At the time, she had thought that if he had just comforted her a little, even that tiny bit of sadness would have disappeared.
But unfortunately—
She and Zhao Chengyou had been wrong from the very beginning.
What she had believed to be beautiful, what she had thought was love, had never meant anything to him at all.
“Just keep indulging her.” Bai Lu sighed but said nothing more. She turned and went into the inner room, bringing out another trunk. When she opened it, inside was a complete set of clothing, accessories, and a pair of embroidered shoes.
Under the glow of several palace silk lanterns, the outfit shimmered like flowing light, radiating brilliance.
Gu Wuyou, seeing the dress, pulled herself out of her past thoughts. She said nothing, only walked over, reached out, and carefully stroked the fabric—from the hair ornaments to the clothing, down to the shoes. Her touch was filled with remembrance and cherish.
It was an apricot-white, embroidered short jacket with phoenix and luan cloud shoulders, long sleeves, and a standing collar, paired with a raven-gray, gourd-patterned, gold-thread woven skirt. The embroidered shoes matched the short jacket’s design, along with a set of pearl hair ornaments.
“Are you wearing this outfit out tomorrow?” Bai Lu asked from the side.
Gu Wuyou smiled and nodded. She wanted to wear this outfit to meet her great general, her young warrior… This was the first time in this lifetime that the great general had taken the initiative to invite her out.
Even though he had stubbornly found an excuse for it, no matter what, this was their first time having breakfast together.
It wasn’t by chance, nor a coincidence.
It was something they had planned together in advance.
Gu Wuyou had always been sentimental. She liked to remember all sorts of dates.
In her past life, she had memorized the day they first met, the first time Li Qinyuan cooked for her, the day he taught her how to write, how to ride a horse, how to shoot an arrow.
Whenever those days came around, she would find various excuses to pester him into keeping her company.
And now, it was the same.
Even though she was older now, her sentimental nature hadn’t changed at all.
She thought that since this was the first time they were doing something together, it was special—it was worth remembering.
So she wanted to appear before him in her best state.
In both lifetimes, he had never seen her coming-of-age appearance.
But that didn’t matter.
She would carry all her beauty to him and let him see everything.
“Alright, you two get up early tomorrow and do my hair.” The delighted young princess gave her orders, preparing to wash up and sleep early. She didn’t want to meet him tomorrow with dark circles under her eyes.
She had to see him in her most beautiful state.
The two maids glanced at each other, unsure of why she was so happy, but they still obediently responded, “Yes.”
Only after stepping out did they whisper to each other.
“Miss seems like she has someone she likes,” one of them murmured.
“Could it be someone from the academy?” Hong Shuang lowered her voice. These days, Miss spent all her time at the academy, so if she had feelings for someone, it could only be from there.
Bai Lu had some thoughts of her own but didn’t say them aloud. Upon hearing this, she simply said, “Don’t jump to conclusions, and don’t let anyone else find out—especially not the Duke. Miss and the Duke have only just started getting along again. Don’t let some baseless speculation cause another rift between them.”
Hong Shuang nodded obediently. “I just worry Miss will be like before…”
Bai Lu was worried too. But Miss was different from before now. She wasn’t sure what to think for the moment. “Anyway, Miss spends all her time at the academy now. With Second Miss watching over her, it should be fine.”
“I’ll find a chance to ask her later.”
That was all they could do for now.
The next day.
Gu Wuyou must have slept well, as she woke up in high spirits. After getting dressed carefully, she stepped out. As usual, her carriage stopped at East Street. By now, the driver had grown accustomed to this routine and, without asking any questions, dropped her off at the exact place she requested.
It was still early—just past the hour of Chen (around 7-9 AM).
In winter, the sun rose late. At this hour, it had just begun to pierce through the clouds, casting a streak of brilliant light that illuminated half the sky, while the other half remained in a dim haze.
They hadn’t agreed on a specific time the night before. Gu Wuyou thought she might have to wait, but to her surprise, the moment she stepped down from the carriage, she saw Li Qinyuan already waiting at the entrance of the alley.
A bright smile bloomed on her face, and she was just about to walk over when she suddenly froze.
His outfit today was completely different from before.
The red hair tie securing his high ponytail was new, and his clothes… were also new.
She stood there in a daze, staring ahead. In the narrow and shadowed alley, the youth who always wore white had, for the first time, donned a set of black robes with a standing collar. The slightly open neckline accentuated the sharp contours of his throat, the subtle rise of his Adam’s apple, and underneath, a deep red inner garment peeked through. On his feet were black boots embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread, crossed casually over one another.
His figure looked even more tall and striking.
Even in the midst of a bustling street, he seemed to carve out a world of quiet solitude around him. Just like before, Li Qinyuan leaned against the moss-covered, weathered wall. Perhaps sensing her gaze, he lifted his long, slender eyes and looked in her direction.
At first, his face appeared indifferent in the dim morning light, exuding a certain coldness. But the moment he saw Gu Wuyou standing there in a daze, his brow arched slightly—like the breaking of ice in winter, like a fish leaping from water—bringing life into the stillness.
“Not coming over?”
His voice wasn’t loud, easily drowned in the chatter and cries of street vendors.
Yet, somehow, amidst the noise of dozens of voices, Gu Wuyou heard him clearly.
Her heart suddenly raced, pounding wildly—like the little drum used in the Flowing Goblet Banquet, dong, dong, dong, an unstoppable rhythm.
She looked at Li Qinyuan, and her feet seemed to move on their own, as if guided by an invisible string, stepping instinctively toward him.
Her gaze never left him.
She had grown used to seeing him in white, but suddenly seeing him dressed in black reminded her of the general he would one day become.
But compared to the solemn and unreadable man in her memories, the young man before her still carried a trace of unrestrained freedom. He didn’t even bother to look away, letting his sharp, narrow phoenix eyes lock onto hers, pulling her in as he reached out to take her hand and led her forward.
Li Qinyuan found himself unable to look away.
The little girl before him had always been beautiful. Even without dressing up, she naturally stood out. But today, she had clearly taken the time to dress meticulously.
And her deliberate effort made his usually steady heartbeat suddenly accelerate.
He watched as the sunlight caught strands of her hair. He watched the soft curve of her pink lips as they lifted ever so slightly. He watched as she walked step by step toward him, her eyes fixed on him just as his were on her.
At first, he had felt at ease. But now, under her unwavering gaze, even he felt a little self-conscious.
This self-consciousness was… complicated.
On one hand, he thought this girl was incredibly bold, staring at him like that without the slightest hint of shyness.
On the other hand… he realized that, just like her, he had taken extra care with his appearance today. He had deliberately worn new clothes, just for this meeting.
And beneath that self-consciousness, buried deep within, was an indescribable, unexplainable joy.
His ears, hidden under the shadows, turned a faint red. He cleared his throat, finally looking away first.
From behind his back, he pulled out something and handed it to her.
“For you.”
“Hmm?”
Gu Wuyou blinked, her gaze shifting from his face to his hand.
“…Candied hawthorn?”
“Mm.”
Li Qinyuan seemed a little embarrassed, his ears turning red, yet he still insisted, “I just bought it casually.”
How could it possibly be casual?
At this hour, there were no street vendors selling sweets. He had searched through several alleys before finally finding a vendor, then had carefully brought it to her. It was only because he remembered that she used to like them.
But after waiting for a long moment and not seeing her take it, he frowned, turned his head, and asked, “You don’t like it anymore?”
“No.”
Gu Wuyou quickly took the skewer, afraid he wouldn’t believe her, and smiled as she added, “I like it. I like it very much.”
She suddenly believed that the great general really had never interacted with girls before. Who gives someone candied hawthorn first thing in the morning? She had carefully applied lip rouge before going out, and now eating candied hawthorn would not only smudge it but also stick to her teeth.
Yet in her heart, she could already sense just how sweet this skewer of candied hawthorn would be. Her crescent-moon-shaped eyes shimmered with laughter, and a faint smile played on her lips.
Such a foolish and awkward great general… how could she not like him?
She smiled, held the candied hawthorn in her hand, and said, “Let’s go.”
“Mm.”
The two walked into the alley.
The alley was narrow, but since the surrounding buildings were all single-story houses, they could still see the distant scenery.
They strolled leisurely through the waking capital, neither of them speaking.
But silence didn’t matter.
Sometimes, even without words, they could sense each other’s happiness.
And that was enough.
In the distance ahead, the golden eaves of the palace shimmered with grandeur and solemnity. Behind them was the bustling marketplace, filled with the noisy yet reassuring presence of common folk going about their lives.
The two of them continued walking toward Aunt Lan’s place.
Gu Wuyou lowered her head and gently bit into the candied hawthorn. It was sticky and would ruin her lip color, but none of that mattered anymore.
This foolish great general probably hadn’t even noticed that she had powdered her face and applied rouge today.
She chuckled and was just about to tell him, “The candied hawthorn is really sweet,” when a sudden sound reached her ears.
There were many voices in the alley, so it was nothing unusual. But among them, she caught a voice that was familiar…
It was Jiufei’s.
“What is it?”
Li Qinyuan, who had been walking beside her, noticed her sudden stop and halted as well.
Gu Wuyou let out a soft “Mm,” then shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Maybe she had misheard. How could Jiufei be here?
At this hour, he was probably still at home… or on his way to the Yu family’s residence.
But that voice seemed to pull at her like an invisible thread, keeping her feet from moving forward.
A memory surfaced.
Something from her past life, a long, long time ago.
When she was fifteen, she had returned to the capital from Langya. She hadn’t wanted to dine with the Gu family and had grown tired of the small kitchen’s meals.
One day, she took Bai Lu and the others out in search of food, but along the way, she got lost—and somehow, she ended up separated from them, wandering into an unfamiliar alley.
And there, she saw Gu Jiufei being bullied.
At first, when she saw him being beaten, her instinct had been to turn around and leave.
She had never liked Gu Jiufei. If anything, seeing him get bullied should have been a moment to clap and sneer, not help.
But when she saw him being beaten so badly—his head bleeding, collapsed on the ground—she found herself unable to take that step away.
In the end, she had been so angry that she gritted her teeth, picked up several stones from the ground, and hurled them at those bullies. With her delicate face set in a cold scowl, she had shouted, “What kind of nobodies are you to dare bully him?”
Could it be…?
Gu Wuyou’s heart tightened, and her expression changed instantly.
Without thinking, she suddenly moved, dashing toward the source of that voice.
But before she could take more than a few steps, someone grabbed her hand.
The young Li Qinyuan had caught her wrist, frowning as he asked, “What are you doing?”
Gu Wuyou pointed ahead, her voice flustered, “Jiu—Jiufei—”
Her words were unclear, but Li Qinyuan could hear the urgency in her voice.
He listened carefully to the sounds coming from not far away, his brows furrowing slightly.
Then, he turned to her and said, “Stay here and wait. Don’t follow me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he released her hand and strode toward the alley.