Gu Jianli fled from the storeroom in a panic. Her steps were stumbling, and she nearly tripped as she descended the steps, but fortunately, Yanzhi, who was waiting outside, caught her.
“Madam, what happened to you?”
Gu Jianli’s eyes darted evasively. She shook her head, trying to suppress the panic in her heart and calm herself down. She glanced at her dress, which had already been tidied up, and walked slowly towards her bedroom. Yanzhi followed her, both surprised and worried. When they reached the bedroom, Gu Jianli dismissed her.
The door to the bedroom closed, and Gu Jianli changed her slow steps. She lifted her skirt and crossed the threshold into the inner room, quickly diving into the canopy bed. She flopped onto the soft bedding and grabbed a pillow beside her, pressing it against her head.
Even with her face against the soft bedding, she still felt incredibly hot. She wondered if it was blushing, so improper.
How dare Ji Wujing?
How could he press her against the wall in the storeroom and then squat down…
She had thought Ji Wujing helping her detoxify was too humiliating for him, making her feel deeply guilty. But today, it seemed he felt no humiliation at all! He was clearly enjoying himself! This person was truly strange!
The door creaked open.
Gu Jianli had dismissed Yanzhi, so no other maid would come in. The person who entered could only be Ji Wujing. Hearing Ji Wujing’s approaching footsteps, Gu Jianli covered her ears with her hands. She even wished she had the ability to disappear, so she wouldn’t have to see his fox-like eyes with that strange smile!
The footsteps got closer until Ji Wujing stopped by the bed.
Gu Jianli slowly removed her hands from her ears and gripped the pillow tightly. But she guessed wrong. Ji Wujing didn’t pull the pillow off her head but instead lifted her skirt.
“Stop messing around!” Gu Jianli exclaimed in shock, sitting up and throwing the pillow at Ji Wujing.
The soft pillow hit Ji Wujing’s face, and he didn’t dodge. He caught the falling pillow and casually tossed it back onto the bed.
Gu Jianli turned her head to look at the pillow, then picked it up again and threw it at Ji Wujing’s face. Before it could hit him, the cotton stuffing started falling out. When the pillow finally hit Ji Wujing, he staggered back and collapsed, unconscious.
Gu Jianli was stunned. She sat by the bed, warily looking at Ji Wujing, and said, “Ji Zhao, are you pretending again?”
She waited but received no response. She kicked his ankle, but Ji Wujing remained motionless.
“Ji Zhao, stop pretending. I know you’re faking it again. I’m ignoring you,” Gu Jianli said, lying back down on the bed, facing the inside.
The room was silent, and Ji Wujing made no sound. Gu Jianli listened carefully, trying to hear Ji Wujing’s breathing. But she heard nothing. The unusual silence made time drag on.
Gu Jianli finally got up and walked to Ji Wujing’s side. She hesitated before squatting down and shaking his arm. “If you keep messing around, no fish for you tonight. Ji Zhao?”
Her heart sank, and she shook him harder, her tone growing anxious, “Fifth Master? Fifth Master, wake up!”
Ji Wujing’s lips curled into a slight smile. Gu Jianli was taken aback, and before she could react, Ji Wujing pulled her forcefully. He turned over, tightly hugging her in his arms, and placed a long leg over her, trapping her. His embrace was like a cage, locking Gu Jianli securely.
Gu Jianli angrily pounded Ji Wujing’s chest, scolding, “Ji Zhao, you liar! You liar! You always lie to me!”
Ji Wujing raised an eyebrow slyly, retorting, “How did I lie to you? When did I say I fainted? I didn’t even speak, so how could I have deceived you?”
Gu Jianli was at a loss for words, even though she was clearly in the right. She felt both aggrieved and frustrated. People often say, “Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope.” This wasn’t the first time Ji Wujing had tricked her by pretending to be weak, and yet she fell for it again!
“Ji Zhao, you are shameless!”
Ji Wujing chuckled, burying his face in the fragrant softness of Gu Jianli’s neck, whispering, “Gu Jianli, don’t you also like it?”
“Nonsense! You’re talking nonsense!” Gu Jianli retorted, her face flushing.
The incident in the storeroom had already left Gu Jianli feeling annoyed, and now this further added to her anger. She pounded Ji Wujing’s chest harder, but his body was as solid as a rock. Instead of pushing him away, her hand started to hurt. Frustrated, she twisted randomly.
Ji Wujing hissed in pain.
Gu Jianli paused, realizing she had twisted somewhere she shouldn’t have.
Ji Wujing, seeing the shadows under her eyes, said slowly, “Gu Jianli, I never used such force when I pinched you.”
Gu Jianli hastily explained, “I-I didn’t mean to. It’s because of you…”
Ji Wujing, unbothered, raised his hand and found her protruding spot, giving it a pinch. “This is the right pressure,” he said leisurely.
Gu Jianli fell silent, tightly grasping Ji Wujing’s wrist and glaring at him angrily.
“I’m teaching you,” Ji Wujing continued, “Try pinching with this pressure.” He paused, a smile flickering in his fox-like eyes. “Gu Jianli, do you want to bite?”
Gu Jianli took a deep breath and said sternly, “Ji Zhao, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll really get angry.”
“Oh? So you’re not angry now? Are you pretending to be angry to deceive Uncle? Such a naughty child.”
Gu Jianli’s chest heaved with anger. Just as she was about to call him “Ji Dog,” Ji Wujing silenced her with a kiss. He kissed her wantonly, while Gu Jianli felt wronged and close to tears, pushing him with all her might.
He’s dirty!
As if sensing her thoughts, Ji Wujing suddenly stopped. He moved close to her ear, licking her earlobe, his voice low and hoarse, “Not dirty, it’s all been swallowed by Uncle.”
For the rest of the day, Gu Jianli avoided Ji Wujing, heading to the backyard to play with Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan. It wasn’t until evening, when Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou went to sleep, that Gu Jianli headed to the front yard.
Jixia stopped at the entrance to Baohulu Gate, saying, “Madam, I watched as you instructed. Miss Luo has packed her things and left Xuanjing Sect. She left alone, while Doctor Ji remained at Xuanjing Sect.”
Gu Jianli nodded. The wind was strong, and she pulled her furry cloak tighter, gazing thoughtfully at the full moon in the sky.
Jixia, aware of the argument between Luo Muge and Gu Jianli the previous day and how Gu Jianli cried for a long time after Luo Muge left until Ji Wujing came back to console her, felt uncertain. Luo Muge had wronged her mistress and deserved retaliation, but…
“Madam, what are you planning to do?” Jixia asked cautiously.
Gu Jianli stood in silence for a while, then shook her head, telling Jixia to rest. She wasn’t one to be easily manipulated. Some things she could generously overlook, but certain excessive bullying needed to be repaid.
However, Luo Muge was Ji Wujing’s junior sister.
“Jixia,” Gu Jianli called out.
Jixia, who had already walked some distance away, heard her and quickly returned.
With her eyes downcast, Gu Jianli instructed, “Tomorrow, when we go to the palace to celebrate my father’s birthday, inform Steward Zhou to secretly have someone monitor Luo Muge and at least keep track of her whereabouts.”
“Yes! I will take care of it!” Jixia’s eyes sparkled with determination.
Gu Jianli walked into the inner room and saw that Ji Wujing had not yet rested. He was sitting by the window at the desk Gu Jianli usually used, writing something.
Standing still at the doorway, Gu Jianli watched Ji Wujing for a long time, feeling something strange. It took her quite a while to realize what felt odd. Slowly, she removed her cloak and hung it on the clothes rack.
Ji Wujing only put down his pen after finishing the last character, looking up at Gu Jianli, he asked, “What kind of expression is that?”
As she walked toward him, Gu Jianli replied honestly, “It’s the first time I’ve seen you holding a pen. It’s a bit unusual.”
Ji Wujing chuckled, “Gu Jianli, what do you mean by that? Did you think Uncle couldn’t read or write?”
“That’s not what I meant.” Gu Jianli reached his side and glanced at the still-wet characters on the paper. “Is this… a prescription?”
She looked at Ji Wujing in astonishment. “You can write prescriptions?”
Ji Wujing snorted again, tapping the table impatiently with his knuckles. “Go get the medicine tomorrow and drink a bowl every night.”
It took Gu Jianli a moment to realize the medicine was for her. She asked, “Medicine for me? What kind of medicine? What’s wrong with me?”
Ji Wujing’s gaze shifted to her lower abdomen. “It’s to regulate your irregular menstruation.”
“You! You!” Gu Jianli stepped back, glaring at Ji Wujing, unable to say anything more than a flustered “you.”
Ji Wujing grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap, placing his hand on her lower abdomen. He sighed theatrically, saying slowly, “Sometimes it comes every few months, sometimes twice a month. How can you have a daughter with such irregularity?”
Gu Jianli blinked slowly, quietly watching the side of Ji Wujing’s face, her eyes lingering on the teardrop mole under his left eye.
Ji Wujing raised his eyes to look at her, saying, “Gu Jianli, I want a daughter who looks like you.”
Gu Jianli remained silent.
Ji Wujing buried his face in her chest again, sighing with exaggerated frustration, “I want a daughter.”
Gu Jianli suddenly found Ji Wujing’s actions familiar, very much like Ji Xinglan clinging to her and whining for candy. Blinking, she looked at Ji Wujing, who had his head buried in her chest, and a strange feeling arose in her heart. She felt a bit sorry for Ji Wujing. Awkwardly but gently, she placed her hand on his shoulder, a familiar action from comforting Ji Xinglan, yet unfamiliar when done to Ji Wujing.
She patted Ji Wujing’s shoulder lightly, murmuring, “Okay…”
Ji Wujing’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
The next morning, Gu Jianli got up early to prepare for her trip to the palace to celebrate her father’s birthday, dressing up carefully. Ji Wujing, having gained many benefits the previous day, did not act willfully. When Gu Jianli called him to get up, he complied without delay.