When Gu Jianli woke up, her back was still faintly aching. She frowned and, without opening her eyes, first reached out to the side. Finding it empty, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The side was empty; Ji Wujing was not there. She felt a bit bewildered.
Ji Wujing was a heavy sleeper and often stayed asleep long after Gu Jianli had gotten up. Seeing him rise first was unusual for her. Quickly shaking off her drowsiness, Gu Jianli called for a maid to help her wash and dress, eager to head to the Xuanjing Sect.
Just as she finished getting ready, Hongzan approached and reported, “Madam, a doctor from the palace has come to see the Fifth Master.”
A doctor from the palace would visit Ji Wujing every month for a check-up. Gu Jianli instructed Hongzan to lead the doctor to the side hall to wait as usual.
She hurriedly made her way to the Xuanjing Sect with Jixia. The Xuanjing Sect was quiet, not a soul in sight. Relying on her memory, she followed the winding corridors and found the room where they had met Doctor Luo the previous day. As expected, Ji Wujing was there, along with Doctor Luo and Ji Jingyi. Ji Wujing was reclining in a rocking chair, lazily swaying it back and forth, the chair creaking with every motion. Doctor Luo and Ji Jingyi sat around a square table, working with silver needles and preparing medicine.
“The antidote…”
“I took it,” Ji Wujing replied casually.
Gu Jianli felt relieved. She walked up to Ji Wujing and asked softly, “Why did you get up so early?”
“Got up when I felt like it,” he answered.
Gu Jianli, accustomed to Ji Wujing’s indifferent and impatient tone, felt a burst of joy in her heart. She asked gently, “Do you feel any discomfort?”
She carefully observed Ji Wujing’s expression but didn’t see much improvement compared to the day before.
Ji Wujing glanced at her and didn’t respond.
Gu Jianli frowned slightly, thinking how odd it was that he paid so little attention to his own condition. Fortunately, she had come to understand him better and wouldn’t get angry over his attitude. Instead of pressing him further, she turned to the table and asked, “Thank you, Mr. Luo and Mr. Ji. How is the Fifth Master’s health? Are there any precautions after taking the antidote? When will he fully recover?”
Doctor Luo chuckled dryly, his tone strange, “Nothing much to worry about, just eat and drink well. As for when he’ll fully recover, well…”
Gu Jianli didn’t know how to respond, so she nodded and thanked him again. As she glanced over the medical book spread on the table, she saw the words “smallpox.” Startled, she asked, “What are you researching?”
Ji Jingyi smiled and said, “It’s impressive that the Fifth Master persuaded Doctor Luo to personally work on a way to remove the pockmarks left by smallpox.”
Gu Jianli was taken aback, a mix of surprise and joy in her eyes. Wasn’t it said that Doctor Luo didn’t treat people?
Ji Jingyi continued with a smile, “Who would have thought the Fifth Master and Doctor Luo were old acquaintances? When we went to great lengths to invite Doctor Luo, the Fifth Master didn’t mention it, making Ge’er and me worry for a long time. If we had known about their relationship, we wouldn’t have been so troubled.”
Doctor Luo laughed dryly, shaking his head without speaking, his eyes showing a strange look.
Ji Wujing, with a nonchalant gaze, looked at Gu Jianli, his eyes pausing on her slightly curled eyelashes for a moment. Then he stood up and said lazily, “Let’s go.”
Gu Jianli thanked Doctor Luo and Ji Jingyi again before leaving with Ji Wujing. On the way back, her lips curled into a smile, her heart filled with joy.
“Why are you so happy?” Ji Wujing squinted at her and asked leisurely.
“I’m happy because the poison in Uncle’s body can be cured,” Gu Jianli replied cheerfully.
Ji Wujing, however, didn’t seem pleased. He looked listless and asked, “Aren’t you happy that Old Luo personally made medicine for you?”
Gu Jianli frowned slightly and, after thinking for a moment, asked, “No one has ever been able to remove the marks left by smallpox. Can he really do it?”
Ji Wujing sneered impatiently, “If Old Luo can’t make it, then all the medicine in the world wouldn’t help you.”
Gu Jianli studied Ji Wujing’s expression carefully, not understanding why he was unhappy. Suddenly, she remembered what Ji Jingyi had said—it was Ji Wujing who had asked Doctor Luo to make the medicine.
Was he upset because she didn’t thank him?
Gu Jianli gently tightened her grip on Ji Wujing’s sleeve and smiled at him, her eyes curving, “I was so happy that Uncle’s poison could be cured that I forgot to thank you for remembering my concern. Why would Doctor Luo help so easily?”
Ji Wujing gazed into the distance, ignoring her.
Seeing no other way, Gu Jianli changed the topic, “By the way, the palace doctor who comes to check your pulse has arrived. It’s a good opportunity for him to take a look at you. Even though Doctor Luo is highly skilled, he doesn’t explain things clearly. Having the palace doctor check again wouldn’t hurt.”
Ji Wujing continued to ignore her.
Gu Jianli fell silent, accompanying him back home. As soon as they returned, Nanny Lin hurried over with a worried expression, “The young master is throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat.”
Gu Jianli listened carefully and could faintly hear Ji Xinglou shouting about wanting to go out and play from the backyard.
“Today is a temple fair. You should take the two of them to enjoy it,” Ji Wujing suddenly said.
After a pause, Ji Wujing added, “Today is Xinglou’s birthday.”
Gu Jianli was surprised; she hadn’t known. She asked, “Aren’t you coming with us?”
“No, I’m too lazy,” Ji Wujing replied.
Gu Jianli, wanting Ji Wujing to get closer to the two children, softened her tone and pleaded, “Come on, Xinglou and Xinglan would love to have both of us accompany them.”
“No.” Ji Wujing refused.
Thinking of the palace doctor waiting to check Ji Wujing’s pulse, Gu Jianli relented, “Then I’ll take the two of them first. Once you’re done with the doctor, you can join us, alright? Is that okay?”
Only then did Ji Wujing reluctantly agree.
As she watched Ji Wujing head to the side hall, Gu Jianli silently mouthed, “Grumpy face!”
She turned joyfully, looking up at the clear sky and clouds, the dappled sunlight dancing in her eyes, her joy almost overflowing.
Gu Jianli went to the backyard to find Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou. Upon telling them about the temple fair, the two little ones were overjoyed, obediently changing their clothes and following Gu Jianli out. Jixia and Changsheng accompanied them.
The temple fair was bustling with activity. Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou had a great time, and Gu Jianli’s smile never faded. Poor Jixia and Changsheng, trailing behind, carried the many things they had just bought.
Gu Jianli walked up to a small jewelry stall, her gaze falling on a dark-colored earring. The silver earring, polished to a deep, dark hue, had no intricate patterns, just simple and plain.
“Madam, this earring looks rather odd, not very pretty,” Jixia commented.
Gu Jianli pursed her lips, her gaze on the earring softening. She asked Jixia to pay for it and then carefully wrapped the earring in a cloth and put it away herself.
“Mother, I want that!” Ji Xinglan pointed at some colorful lanterns in the distance.
“Alright.”
Gu Jianli held Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou by the hand. Ji Xinglou grumbled, “I don’t need you to hold my hand. I can walk by myself!”
“No, you can’t. There are too many people at the temple fair, and you might get lost or run into kidnappers. If you don’t listen, we’ll have to go home early,” Gu Jianli tightened her grip on Ji Xinglou’s small hand.
“Brother, listen to her!” Ji Xinglan urged quickly.
Ji Xinglou muttered a few more complaints but eventually stopped running around and obediently let Gu Jianli hold his hand. He secretly glanced at her hand.
Ji Lan, in disguise and accompanied by a young eunuch, was on a private inspection tour. Nothing revealed the state of the people’s livelihood better than the monthly temple fair. He wandered around the bustling streets, stopping at a tea house, ordering tea, and observing the passersby and vendors outside while listening to a storyteller recount the latest news from the capital.
By chance, he glimpsed a graceful yet dignified figure in the crowd. His casual glance noted that the woman was not of common origin. Seeing her with two children, he guessed she was a lady from an official’s family. Amidst the poorly dressed crowd, her presence was conspicuous and strangely familiar.
The woman stopped with the two children at a lantern stall, bending down to hand each child a lantern before turning around.
Even though Gu Jianli wore a veil, Ji Lan recognized her at once.
For a moment, Ji Lan’s gaze shifted to Ji Xinglou’s face. He stared at the boy’s face for a long time before suddenly asking, “Does that child look like Ji Zhao to you?”
Xiao Liuzi craned his neck, scrutinizing for a while, then said, “The nose and mouth are similar, but the eyes and brows are different.”
“Is that so?” Ji Lan’s tone was enigmatic.
Xiao Liuzi smiled, “A child’s features aren’t fully developed yet. But no one in the world has eyes like Fifth Master Ji. It’s a pity his son didn’t inherit them.”
“Why do I think this child looks somewhat like me?” Ji Lan mused.
Xiao Liuzi was taken aback, carefully considering Ji Lan’s words before cautiously replying, “Fifth Master Ji and Your Majesty share the same ancestry; it’s natural they have some similar features…”
As Gu Jianli and the children walked closer, they changed direction and headed toward another shop.
Ji Lan withdrew his gaze, took a sip of tea, and stared into the swirling tea leaves for a long time before speaking, “Ji Zhao’s talents are too valuable to be wasted. I wonder how his health is. I should visit him personally.”
“Yes, I will make the arrangements,” Xiao Liuzi quickly responded.
In the evening, Ji Wujing finally came to pick up Gu Jianli and the children. Sitting in the carriage, he watched as Gu Jianli approached with the two children, all three of them wearing bright, joyful smiles.
Once in the carriage, Gu Jianli hurriedly handed over the gifts Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan had picked out for Ji Wujing, saying, “Look, they chose these for you.”
Two pairs of bright eyes looked expectantly at Ji Wujing.
A jade belt and a folding fan.
“Look at the lovely gifts they bought for you,” Gu Jianli said, furiously giving him meaningful looks.
Ji Wujing glanced at Gu Jianli, then reluctantly said, “They’re quite nice.”
Gu Jianli ruffled Ji Xinglan’s hair and laughed with the two children.
Holding one end of the folding fan, Ji Wujing poked Gu Jianli’s shoulder, drawling, “These two little ones know to give me gifts. What about you?”
Gu Jianli squeezed the cloth hidden in her sleeve, feeling a bit guilty as she said, “It’s clearly their birthday. You should be the one giving them gifts. How can you ask us for presents?”
Though her tone carried a hint of complaint, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but lift.
“Gu Jianli—” Ji Wujing put on a stern face.
“I bought them, I bought you a lot of supplements!” Gu Jianli hurriedly grabbed a box of ginseng from beside her to show Ji Wujing.
Ji Wujing snorted, closing his eyes and leaning against the carriage wall, looking completely uninterested.
Gu Jianli smiled as she packed up the box, gazing at the ancient ginseng inside. Suddenly, she remembered something. Ji Wujing had known Doctor Luo for a long time; why hadn’t he sought a cure earlier?
