“Who?”
Gu Rong didn’t know whether he had heard clearly or not. He turned his head and asked her.
“It’s just—”
Gu Wuyou still felt a bit shy in her heart. This was the first time since waking up that she had spoken about her Great General to someone. She lowered her head, her face flushed red, and her slender fingers tightly gripped the scented sachet. Her heart was filled with shyness and embarrassment, even beating somewhat fast.
“Thump, thump, thump, thump,” like the sound of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.
“Li Qinyuan from the Duke of Wei’s residence, he…” Gu Wuyou endured her shyness and raised her head to look at her third brother, asking, “Third Brother, do you know him?”
“Why are you suddenly asking about him?”
This time, Gu Rong had clearly heard her. He frowned, and his usually gentle and smiling face showed an unusual expression, seemingly filled with some disdain.
Gu Wuyou was momentarily stunned, not understanding what was going on.
The Great General in her memory held a high position and great authority, deeply respected and admired by many. Even her father often praised him. In her impression, it seemed that no one disliked the Great General. They all revered and adored him, with some even treating him like a deity.
But why did Third Brother show such an expression—one of disdain and contempt, as if he didn’t even want to mention the name?
Gu Rong also had the same question.
He couldn’t understand why his little cousin, who had been living in Langya all this time, would suddenly ask about that unruly troublemaker from the Li family. Logically speaking, Xiao Wu shouldn’t have ever met him before. So why did she mention this name as soon as she returned?
Moreover…
Gu Rong recalled the way Xiao Wu had just spoken of Li Qinyuan. She had been entirely in the demeanor of a bashful young lady.
His brows furrowed tightly, and his gaze locked onto Gu Wuyou as he sorted through all the possibilities in his mind. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he grabbed Gu Wuyou’s arm and asked in a low, steady voice, “Did you see him at Jintai Temple just now? Did he do anything to you?!”
Gu Rong had always been a cheerful person, but now his expression was stern.
Gu Wuyou was so startled by his demeanor that she froze for a moment before hesitantly replying, “…No, I didn’t see him.”
If she had seen the Great General at the temple earlier, how could she have come back so easily? She would have surely followed him.
But Gu Rong didn’t believe her. He shifted his gaze toward Bai Lu and Hong Shuang, who were standing behind Gu Wuyou.
The two servant girls were also frightened by his reaction. Bai Lu, being the older one, quickly composed herself. She tugged at Hong Shuang and asked in a low voice, “You were with Miss just now. Did you see anyone?”
Hong Shuang snapped back to her senses and quickly shook her head. “No, just… just a few monks. No one else.”
Only then did Gu Rong’s expression relax slightly. He let out a breath, released Gu Wuyou, and, seeing her dazed little face, assumed that she had been frightened. He softened his tone and coaxed her, “Xiao Wu, don’t blame Third Brother for being so tense. Li Qinyuan has always been unruly. Third Brother was just afraid you’d be bullied by him.”
Gu Wuyou remained dazed and silent.
She wasn’t shocked by Gu Rong’s reaction but by his words—”Li Qinyuan has always been unruly. Third Brother was just afraid you’d be bullied by him.”
Did she mishear?
Was the person Third Brother talking about… the Great General? Wasn’t it just someone with the same name?
But upon reconsideration, that seemed impossible. Not to mention how noble the Li surname was, it would be too much of a coincidence for someone else to have the exact same ranking in the family as well.
Gu Rong continued speaking, “Third Brother doesn’t know where you heard that name from, but as for that person, it’s best if you stay away from him…”
He had been raised in the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, always conducting himself as a gentleman. Speaking ill of someone behind their back was something he normally wouldn’t do.
After hesitating for a moment, he merely reached out to pat Gu Wuyou’s head and sighed, “No matter what, Third Brother won’t harm you.”
Hearing these words, Gu Wuyou became even more bewildered.
She couldn’t understand why the Great General, who was respected and admired in her memories, had such a terrible reputation in her Third Brother’s eyes.
What exactly… had gone wrong?
Gu Rong wanted to say more, but the Duke’s residence had already come into view. He glanced at Gu Wuyou before suppressing his thoughts for now.
“Miss, we should get off the carriage now.” Bai Lu glanced at Gu Wuyou, who didn’t look too well, and gently tugged at her sleeve.
“…Mm.”
Gu Wuyou snapped out of her thoughts and softly responded.
No matter what, she should first go pay respects to her grandmother and the others. As for the matter concerning the Great General, she would have someone investigate it later. Although her third brother had never deceived her, she absolutely did not believe that the Great General was such a person. There must be something wrong here!
—
Main Hall.
Gu Wuyou kowtowed to Old Madam Gu, then greeted Fu Jiang and Madam Liu before standing aside to listen to the “lecture” from the old madam.
Old Madam Gu, still holding her prayer beads, maintained her usual composed demeanor—neither warm nor cold in attitude. “You must be tired from the journey. Originally, you should have dined in my courtyard tonight, but I haven’t been feeling well lately. Without you all accompanying me, eating wouldn’t be enjoyable anyway, so you might as well return to your own quarters for dinner.”
“Yes.”
Gu Wuyou responded softly. Then, as if recalling something, she added, “Grandmother prepared many medicinal herbs for me before I left. Among them is one you used to take. I will have someone send it to you later.”
She spoke in a casual manner, but the people in the room were momentarily stunned.
Not to mention Fu Jiang and Madam Liu, even Old Madam Gu, who rarely showed any fluctuations in emotion, paused in her bead-counting and lifted her gaze slightly to glance at Gu Wuyou. After a brief moment, she nodded and said in a neutral tone, “You are thoughtful.”
She seemed either tired or simply disinclined to continue speaking. After only exchanging a few words, she concluded, “Alright, now that you’ve seen everyone, you should know that your father will return tonight. As for your second sister, seventh younger sister, and ninth younger brother, they are still in the academy and likely won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“That is all. You may all go now.”
After finishing her words, she no longer paid them any attention. With the support of her attendants, she left for her inner chambers, leaving the others to bid their formal farewells before rising only after she had disappeared from view.
Gu Rong had already paid his respects to Old Madam Gu earlier and had left to attend to his work. He did not pursue the imperial examination route but instead managed the Gu family’s businesses. His duties were demanding, and he was not free of burdens.
Now, in the room, aside from the servants and attendants, only Gu Wuyou, Fu Jiang, and Madam Liu remained.
Compared to Fu Jiang’s unease when facing Gu Wuyou, Madam Liu, on the other hand, was much more affectionate. She took Gu Wuyou’s hand and sighed, “Oh, you poor child, why do you look so thin? I heard that you fell into the lake while you were in Langya. How is your health now?”
Gu Wuyou nodded and gently withdrew her hand. “Thank you for your concern, Third Aunt. I am fine.”
She still wasn’t very used to such close interactions with others.
Madam Liu, seeing her reaction, felt that this was more in line with the Gu Wuyou she knew. A moment ago, Gu Wuyou’s sudden show of concern had been rather unsettling.
Thinking about it, Madam Liu glanced at Fu Jiang, who stood hesitantly to the side, seemingly debating whether to step forward and speak. Raising her eyebrows slightly, she continued to smile at Gu Wuyou and said, “Your third brother recently went on a sea voyage and brought back many rare items from overseas. You should come and take a look later to see if there’s anything you like.”
Gu Wuyou nodded but remained silent.
Noticing that she didn’t want to continue the conversation, Bai Lu stepped forward and interjected, “Madam, Third Madam, our Miss has traveled a long way and is tired. I will accompany her back to rest now.”
Madam Liu naturally agreed.
Fu Jiang also added, “Go quickly then. I’ve already had the floor heating prepared, and the bed curtains and brocade quilts have all been replaced with new ones…” Her words carried genuine concern, and she seemed to want to say more. But thinking of Gu Wuyou’s past reactions, she hesitated, fearing she might be annoying, and quickly fell silent.
Though Gu Wuyou had lived an extra lifetime, she still wasn’t good at dealing with people.
In her past life, she had always been like this—awkward in conversations and unable to navigate social situations, unknowingly offending people time and time again. She had also resented Fu Jiang for taking her mother’s place and would often make things difficult for her.
But in truth, Fu Jiang hadn’t done anything wrong.
Her mother had passed away early, leaving only her as her bloodline. Although there were many cousins in the family, there were no direct male heirs from the main branch. Because of this, Grandmother disregarded Father’s wishes and brought her into the household.
Moreover—
Fu Jiang had actually been quite good to her.
All these years, no matter how much she acted out or caused trouble, Fu Jiang never mistreated her. Even when she lied and shifted the blame onto Fu Jiang, the woman never said a word.
Gu Wuyou couldn’t help but wonder—if the Great General were here at this moment, how would he handle such a situation? He would certainly do better than she did, never allowing things to become so awkward. But she simply couldn’t help it…
Even though her relationship with her stepmother had improved considerably by the end of her past life, they still felt awkward and uneasy when left alone together.
She sighed lightly in her heart.
She missed the Great General. The more she encountered such situations, the more she couldn’t help but think of him.
“Miss?” Bai Lu called to her softly from the side.
Gu Wuyou snapped back to reality. After a moment of thought, she pursed her lips and softly said to Fu Jiang, “…Thank you.”
As soon as the words left her lips, she didn’t wait to see the stunned expressions in the room. She simply turned and left with her two maids.
“What just…?”
Madam Liu watched Gu Wuyou’s departing figure. After the girl stepped past the hanging curtain, she muttered in confusion, “What was that about?”
Fu Jiang was even more astonished than her. But after a moment, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift. Perhaps realizing that such an expression lacked the dignity of a household matron in front of the servants, she quickly tried to press her lips back down. But the joy in her heart was so overwhelming that she couldn’t completely hide it.
Making an excuse to leave, she walked outside, but once she was out, she couldn’t suppress her excitement. She grabbed her personal maid, Qing Dai, and asked eagerly, “Did you hear that just now?”
Qing Dai chuckled. “I heard it. Fifth Miss just thanked you.”
Fu Jiang’s face was full of delight, her voice brimming with unconcealed happiness. “Make sure the kitchen prepares more of her favorite dishes. She loves sweet things, especially that sweet and sour pork. Make sure the kitchen doesn’t forget.”
Qing Dai quickly nodded, then hesitated before asking, “Madam, will you take Ninth Young Master to dine with the Duke and Fifth Miss today?”
In the past, such a question wouldn’t even be raised—everyone knew that Fifth Miss disliked their Madam and, by extension, didn’t like Ninth Young Master either.
But today…
Gu Wuyou’s attitude made Qing Dai wonder.
“You and the Duke haven’t dined together in nearly a month,” she added. Let alone anything else.
Fu Jiang shook her head, her voice softening. “No… Let them have their time together. It’s rare for them to meet, and I don’t want to upset them again.”
After all, it had been difficult enough just to get Gu Wuyou to show her some courtesy. She didn’t want to ruin this hard-earned progress.
On the other side—
Hong Shuang was also asking, “Miss, why were you so polite to her today?” She frowned, looking puzzled. After a moment, she blinked and lowered her voice. “Miss, is this a new way of messing with people?”
Gu Wuyou shot her a helpless glance. “No.”
“Then—”
Hong Shuang wanted to continue, but Bai Lu cut her off. More rational and composed, Bai Lu calmly reasoned, “Miss is making the right choice. She is the household matron, and if Miss is to continue living in the Gu family, she will inevitably have to interact with the noblewomen of the capital. Getting along with her isn’t a bad idea.”
“Mm.”
Gu Wuyou nodded, as if accepting Bai Lu’s explanation.
Otherwise, what could she say? That she was actually over thirty years old now and no longer the childish girl who threw tantrums when she didn’t get her sweets?
Even though she still couldn’t see Fu Jiang as her mother, she wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for her anymore.
However, there was still one more thing…
She fingered the scented sachet at her waist, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, “Hong Shuang, go and help me inquire about the Seventh Young Master of the Duke of Wei’s residence later.”
She needed to find out what exactly was going on with the Great General—why Third Brother had spoken about him in such a way.