Outside the academy.
Gu Wuji yanked the reins, and the horse that had been wildly galloping moments ago instantly came to a docile stop. He dismounted, the deep blue-black cloak draped over his crimson official robe slicing through the air in a graceful arc—before settling neatly back into place.
It was not yet time for dismissal, so apart from a group of coachmen waiting for their young masters and young misses to finish class, there was no one else outside the academy. Seeing this sudden display, they had yet to react when Gu Wuji strode in with a darkened face, his manner commanding and imposing.
Behind him followed Gu Jiufei and Changshan, their expressions equally grim.
Further back, more than ten well-trained personal guards in black trailed behind them, their faces just as unreadable.
Only after they had entered did the people outside snap out of their daze, whispering among themselves, “What’s going on?”
“Isn’t that the Duke of Ding?” Someone who recognized Gu Wuji exclaimed in surprise. “Why is he here? And bringing his guards? Could something have happened inside the academy?”
A coachman tried to step forward to investigate, only to see two black-clad guards standing at the academy gates, gripping their swords. Though they said nothing, it was clear—they would not allow outsiders in, nor those inside to leave.
“This… something big must be happening,” someone murmured anxiously. For a moment, no one knew whether they should stay and wait or rush back to inform their masters of the situation.
Gu Wuji had just stepped into the academy when Xu Fu hurried over to greet him.
His forehead was damp with sweat, his azure robe already wrinkled from his hasty movements. Seeing Gu Wuji arriving with his personal guards, his heart sank, and he quickly stepped forward to salute him. “Your Grace.”
Gu Wuji’s grim expression softened slightly upon seeing Xu Fu. He halted, reaching out to support Xu Fu’s arm, speaking in his usual tone, “Bingyan, no need for such formalities.”
At these words, the tension in Xu Fu’s chest eased somewhat. He no longer insisted on decorum at such a time and promptly explained, “I only just returned to the academy when I heard about this matter. The Commandery Princess of Leping has already been taken to Madam Zhang’s place. She is unharmed.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Wuji’s expression relaxed slightly. Xu Fu added, “As for the horse farm, I’ve already sent people to investigate.”
Having said this, he observed that Gu Wuji’s face had significantly improved, and his tone also softened. “You’ve worked hard.”
The reason he had come with such a grand display today was that he feared someone had deliberately tried to harm Manman. If it was just an accident, then that was for the best—but if not, then they should not blame him for being ruthless.
Xu Fu caught sight of the shadowy chill in the man’s eyes and naturally understood his thoughts.
He, too, hoped that today’s incident was merely an accident. Otherwise… who didn’t know that the Duke of Ding treasured his beloved daughter? If someone had truly schemed against her, not only would the culprit suffer, but even the academy itself might not escape unscathed.
However, now was not the time to dwell on such things. Setting aside his thoughts, Xu Fu said warmly, “Allow me to take you to Madam Zhang’s place.”
Gu Wuji nodded, and Xu Fu immediately led the way.
Gu Wuyou was momentarily stunned when she heard that her father had arrived. It was Fu Xian who reacted first and spoke beside her, “I sent someone to inform the Gu family when the incident happened.”
At that time, the situation had been so dangerous—who knew what could have happened?
He was worried that Gu Wuyou might end up injured, and the academy’s physicians would be of no use. They would need to summon the imperial physicians from the palace… But he hadn’t expected that the one to come would actually be his uncle.
“Mm.”
It was a well-intended act.
Gu Wuyou naturally had nothing to say. She nodded at him and expressed her thanks, “I’ll go outside and take a look.” Saying this, she prepared to stand up.
Perhaps because she had been sitting for too long, her legs were a bit numb. Just as she got up, her footing faltered, and she nearly fell… Gu Yu’s hand had just started to reach out when she saw that Gu Wuyou had already been firmly supported.
Looking up, she saw that it was Li Qinyuan.
He didn’t seem to notice the gazes of others, only furrowing his brows as he asked Gu Wuyou, “Are you feeling unwell? Does anything hurt?”
The heat from the young man’s palm was scorching, like a small furnace. Even through her clothing, the warmth seeped into her skin. Gu Wuyou’s small face turned a little red. In truth, they had been even closer while horseback riding earlier, but at that time, neither of them had the mind to think of anything else, so she hadn’t felt anything unusual.
But now, being held like this, hearing his deeply concerned voice, she couldn’t help but recall what he had said earlier at the horse ranch.
That softly uttered, heat-laden “I like you,” the “Don’t be afraid” murmured close to her ear… Even though some time had passed, thinking about it still made her heartbeat quicken.
Li Qinyuan, seeing her remain silent, furrowed his sword-like brows even deeper. “I’ll go call Madam Zhang over.”
With that, he was about to release his hand and turn to call someone.
Before he could step away, however, Gu Wuyou tugged at his sleeve. The young girl’s face was tinged with red, and her watery eyes, filled with shy delight, looked up at him. Yet, because of her embarrassment, under his gaze, they quickly dropped. In a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, she murmured, “It’s nothing, I just didn’t stand steadily.”
Li Qinyuan was about to speak again, but Gu Yu couldn’t watch any longer. She directly pulled Gu Wuyou to her side and said dryly, “I’ll help you out.”
If she weren’t so preoccupied at the moment, she would have long scolded this unruly Seventh Young Master Li!
They were all still here, yet he was already pulling and holding onto her. If this were in private, who knew what he might do to Gu Wuyou! She shot him a fierce glare before firmly supporting Gu Wuyou out, not leaving him a chance to say another word.
Once the two sisters left, Fu Xian—who had been staring wide-eyed—finally reacted belatedly. He looked at Li Qinyuan in shock and exclaimed, “Qilang, you—”
Did he see that right? Qilang had actually reached out to help that little pepper and had even looked at her with such concern?!
And then he recalled how, back at the horse ranch, Qilang had risked his life to follow her…
A thought flashed through Fu Xian’s mind, striking like a bolt of lightning in broad daylight. He stared blankly at Li Qinyuan. “You… you wouldn’t…”
Before he could finish speaking, Li Qinyuan, focused solely on the young girl’s well-being, had already walked out. Qi Xu, who seemed to have long known something, followed him, leaving only Jing Yubai behind, watching the scene with a smile.
“Dabai…”
Fu Xian’s face turned pale as he weakly asked, “It can’t be true, right?”
He couldn’t believe it!
Jing Yubai merely smiled, saying nothing. He patted Fu Xian’s shoulder before walking out.
Ugh.
Why did everyone else know except him? Fu Xian felt like crying. It was as if two little figures were arguing in his head—one saying, “Qilang likes Little Pepper,” the other saying, “You’ll have to start calling Little Pepper ‘Sister-in-law’ now.”
No way!
Fu Xian looked as though he had been struck by lightning. Drooping his head, he followed them out. When he saw a group of people approaching in the distance, he quickly composed himself. He absolutely couldn’t let his uncle notice anything—otherwise…
With his uncle’s extreme fondness for his daughter, Qilang would be doomed.
Gu Wuyou was actually feeling fine now. Seeing Master Xu leading her father and the others over from afar, she wanted to step forward to greet them. However, after taking only a few steps, she was steadied by the approaching Gu Wuji.
The man who had been calm and composed just moments ago now furrowed his brows deeply upon seeing his precious daughter. He gave her a thorough once-over and asked, “How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Gu Wuyou shook her head. “Father, I’m fine.”
Catching sight of Gu Jiufei behind her out of the corner of her eye, her almond-shaped eyes brightened a little, and she said happily, “Jiufei, are you all right now?”
“Mm.”
Gu Jiufei nodded. He stood behind their father, also scanning her up and down. Confirming that she was unharmed, the heart that had been hanging in suspense all the way here finally settled.
His expression remained indifferent, revealing none of the urgency and anxiety he had felt earlier. Only the palm hidden behind his back was still damp with sweat.
Seeing that she was truly unhurt, Gu Wuji finally felt at ease. He released his grip and stood to the side.
The young men and women nearby quickly stepped forward to salute him and Xu Fu.
Once Gu Wuji nodded and acknowledged their greetings, Gu Wuyou spoke at the right moment, “Father, if it weren’t for Brother Li Qi today, I really would have been in trouble.” She was eager to build a good impression of Li Qinyuan in front of her father, her voice sweet and affectionate, almost coquettish, even using an intimate form of address for him.
“Oh?”
Gu Wuji turned and scanned the group of young men before finally fixing his gaze on the most handsome one among them. “You saved Leping?”
His voice was low, carrying an overwhelming presence. The powerful aura that enveloped him was the kind that only someone steeped in authority for years could possess.
For an ordinary person—even an official of Gu Wuji’s age—such scrutiny would have been difficult to bear. Yet Li Qinyuan, whether due to youthful fearlessness or a genuinely steady temperament, showed not the slightest hesitation. Instead, he took a step forward and respectfully bowed. “Yes.”
Although Gu Wuji had not been born into a military family, he had wandered the jianghu in his youth. Even after years in the court, his nature remained forthright and straightforward. Now, seeing Li Qinyuan’s demeanor, he found it quite to his liking. The cold expression on his face softened, and he even chuckled. “You’re much more straightforward than your stiff father.”
Laughing, he patted Li Qinyuan on the shoulder and said, “You saved Leping. If there’s anything you want, just say the word.”
Just say the word?
Li Qinyuan glanced subtly at Gu Wuyou standing beside him. The young girl’s face was flushed, but her gaze was fixed on him, clear and unreserved. He smiled. If he were to say that he wanted to marry this little girl, he’d probably be beaten to death by the Duke of Ding.
Moreover… he couldn’t bear to let her suffer with him.
So he merely smiled and replied, “Nothing for now.”
Gu Wuji raised an eyebrow. He had met many people but rarely encountered a youth like this. “Nothing for now? So, something in the future?”
Without waiting for a reply, he took the silence as tacit agreement.
Laughing heartily, whether because he liked Li Qinyuan’s temperament or because he had now twice saved his children, Gu Wuji patted his shoulder again and said, “Fine. If you ever do want something, just come and tell me.”
With that, he led Gu Wuyou inside. As they passed by Fu Xian, he suddenly spoke, “I heard from Changshan that you were the one who sent someone to deliver the message to our house?”
Fu Xian had always been bold, even daring to defy his own father. Yet, when it came to this uncle of his… he was absolutely terrified. Now, under Gu Wuji’s gaze, he didn’t even dare to look directly at him. Lowering his head, he answered in a small voice, “Yes.”
“Mm.”
Gu Wuji nodded. “You did well this time.” Then, after a pause, he added, “Come over for a meal when you have time. Your aunt probably misses you too.”
Fu Xian’s fear immediately gave way to delight. Ignoring his earlier trepidation, he hastily responded, “Yes!”
Gu Wuji said no more and continued walking forward, but Gu Wuyou was puzzled. “Father, aren’t we going home?”
“We’re not going back just yet,” Gu Wuji replied warmly as he walked, but he didn’t explain the reason. There was no need for Manman to know about those filthy matters—he would take care of everything for her.
Behind him, Gu Jiufei cast a faint glance at Li Qinyuan but said nothing before walking straight inside.
Apart from the personal guards that Gu Wuji had brought, who remained stationed in the courtyard, the rest of the group prepared to enter. However, Gu Yu’s expression didn’t look good… She sat there for a moment as if on pins and needles before suddenly standing up and saying in a tense voice, “Uncle, I need to step out for a bit.”
Gu Wuji had always doted on this niece of his. Seeing that she had grown close to Manman, his affection for her only deepened. Naturally, he was understanding and said gently, “Go ahead.”
Gu Wuyou also asked, “Ah Yu, are you all right?”
Gu Yu shook her head, her voice low. “I’m fine. I’ll be back soon.”
After saying this, she bowed to Gu Wuji and left. As she walked away, she glanced at Gu Wuyou, her expression wavering as if she were struggling with something…
Neither Li Qinyuan nor Jing Yubai noticed this fleeting look. However, Gu Jiufei did.
His gaze flickered slightly. Noticing that his sister and father hadn’t picked up on it, he pressed his lips together briefly before standing up as well.
As he walked out, he happened to brush past Li Qinyuan, who was just entering. Gu Jiufei said nothing, merely nodding in greeting before following Gu Yu out of the courtyard.
Li Qinyuan’s steps faltered slightly. He turned his head to glance at the departing siblings, about to follow when Jing Yubai reached out and stopped him.
Fu Xian and Qi Xu had already gone ahead, leaving only the two of them standing by the doorway.
“Qilang.”
Jing Yubai seemed to know exactly what he was about to do and spoke in a low voice, “You’ve already drawn enough attention. If you go now, you’ll only make the Duke of Ding more suspicious.”
Li Qinyuan halted mid-step.
He didn’t say anything, merely watching as Gu Jiufei followed Gu Yu at a measured distance until they disappeared beyond the courtyard. Only after a long moment did he finally speak. His face, partially obscured by the dim lighting, made it hard to read his expression, but his voice was deep. “Mm.”
Fearing he had overstepped, Jing Yubai hesitated for a moment before trying to explain, “Qilang, I’m just worried that—”
Before he could finish, Li Qinyuan suddenly chuckled.
Turning around, he patted Jing Yubai’s shoulder and smiled. “I know you’re worried about me. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
He knew he wasn’t strong enough yet. He didn’t even have the right to stand openly by her side.
Even when he wanted to do something for her, he couldn’t do it too obviously.
But—
As he glanced toward the inner room, he saw the young girl talking to Gu Wuji. Her eyes curved into a bright smile, carefree and untroubled. Perhaps sensing something, she suddenly lifted her head and looked in his direction.
For a fleeting moment, the girl in her red riding attire, dressed in a foreign-style outfit, beamed at him from within the dimly lit room, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
He smiled, too.
His mood was light, without a trace of gloom.
But he would work hard—
He would strive so that one day, he could marry her home in grand glory.