“I heard that Gu Jianli has been hiding at home ever since her face was disfigured and rarely goes out. Today is her father’s birthday banquet. This is the first year Prince Wuxian has hosted such a grand feast; surely she won’t fail to show up?” Qin Shuwan said.
The young girl Zhao Yunling sitting next to her chimed in, “I’ve noticed that eldest Li has been greeting the female guests all day, but I haven’t seen Xiao Li yet. But even if she shows up, so what? She’d just be wearing a veil. She always wore a veil when she went out before.”
“Why wear a veil? It’d be better not to wear one,” Qin Shuwan said nonchalantly.
Zhao Yunling covered her mouth and laughed, “If she shows up later, why don’t you pull off her veil? Just like Tang Honghui did.”
“Don’t get me into trouble. Look how miserable Tang Honghui is now. She’s been rejected by two families and publicly scolded by the family matriarch. Luckily, she’s thick-skinned; otherwise, if she had a twisted mind, she would have either hanged herself with a white silk or become a nun.”
He Baojun and Cheng Meiya walked over arm in arm and happened to hear their conversation. Cheng Meiya spoke up, “You two are bound to be disappointed. Jianli’s face has healed completely. Her skin is now as smooth as jade without a single mark. In my opinion, she’s even more beautiful than before.”
Hearing Cheng Meiya’s voice suddenly, Qin Shuwan was taken aback. After all, she was gossiping behind someone’s back and got caught, which was a bit embarrassing. Qin Shuwan forced a smile but it was unnatural. She said, “You must be joking. How could the pockmarks on her face disappear? Those were left by smallpox.”
“It’s true! Baojun and I saw it with our own eyes!” Cheng Meiya hurriedly clarified. “She even promised to help find a good doctor to study the prescription for me!”
Qin Shuwan just smiled without saying anything, her face full of disbelief.
Cheng Meiya became anxious and said, “Not only did I see it, but Baojun, Yujun, and the third girl from the Yue family also saw it. Baojun, isn’t that right?”
“It’s true. Gu Jianli’s face has indeed healed,” He Baojun confirmed.
Qin Shuwan looked skeptically at Cheng Meiya and He Baojun in front of her. She didn’t believe it. After all, she had never heard of smallpox scars disappearing, let alone having skin smoother and more beautiful than before… it was simply impossible.
She let out a light scoff and said, “I know you two are on good terms with her, but what’s there to hide about this? If she shows up later and others don’t believe it, they could just ask her to lift her veil, wouldn’t that make her a laughing stock? Oh… I get it, you two are planning this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Zhao Yunling quickly tried to smooth things over, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Whether she’s beautiful or ugly, what does it have to do with us?”
He Baojun also pinched Cheng Meiya and persuaded, “Let’s drop this topic and go find Bilan…”
Qin Shuwan suddenly seemed to catch onto something and said in a sarcastic tone, “Oh, so it’s just you making things up, and Baojun is going along with it. Baojun, don’t let her drag you down.”
Even though Zhao Yunling and He Baojun wanted to mediate, Qin Shuwan and Cheng Meiya kept exchanging sharp words, and their argument grew louder, attracting the attention of people around them.
Qin Shuwan, feeling humiliated, snapped, “What’s the matter? You weren’t there for Jianli when she was in trouble, and now you’re rushing to flatter her? She’s not even here, so why are you buttering her up? You’re just boasting! Ordinary people can’t compare!”
Cheng Meiya was so angry that her face turned pale. She pointed at Qin Shuwan and accused her of speaking ill of others behind their backs.
“Who heard that? Yunling, did you hear it?” Qin Shuwan completely denied it.
Zhao Yunling didn’t dare to say a word.
“Stop arguing, Prince Guangxian and the people from the Xiangxi Duke’s family have arrived.” The onlookers hurriedly intervened to prevent a scene. Even after they were separated, people continued to gossip in small groups about Gu Jianli’s face. Some were friends with Long Yujun, Cheng Meiya, and He Baojun and had heard that Gu Jianli had regained her beauty. However, without seeing it firsthand, they remained skeptical. No matter how good the scar removal medicine was, it couldn’t possibly leave no traces at all, could it?
Most people completely disbelieved it.
Gu Jianli was unaware of the commotion outside because of her. She changed her shoes and headed to Gu Jingyuan’s study with Ji Wujing, while Jixia followed behind carrying the gift Gu Jianli had prepared for Gu Jingyuan. Today was busy with many people and events, and both Gu Zaili and Madam Tao were occupied with entertaining guests, while Gu Jingyuan was in the front courtyard receiving visitors.
In Gu Jingyuan’s study, against one wall was a large antique shelf filled with birthday gifts that Gu Jianli and her sister had given him over the years. Unconsciously, the shelf was nearly full. During Gu Jingyuan’s downfall, the shelf was smashed, and some of the gifts were stolen or broken and thrown away.
Gu Jingyuan had spent a lot of effort recovering the stolen items. However, some small items, such as a grasshopper woven by Gu Zaili when she was young, Gu Jianli’s first embroidered sachet, and handwritten congratulatory poems, were never found again.
Gu Jianli carefully placed the chosen ivory and jade carvings on the shelf. As for the set of clothes she had made by hand, it had already been delivered to her father’s bedroom by a maid.
Ji Wujing, who had been watching for a long time, said, “Gu Jianli, I want one too.”
“I’ll sew a skirt for you when I get back,” Gu Jianli replied absentmindedly. After speaking, she paused, suddenly realizing that Ji Wujing might be referring to a birthday gift.
She turned her head to look at him and asked, “Fifth Master, when is your birthday?”
“I don’t know.”
Gu Jianli was stunned and pressed, “How can you not know?”
“I just don’t know,” Ji Wujing said, pulling out Gu Jingyuan’s chair and lazily sitting down. He casually picked up a piece of pastry from the fruit plate on the table and started eating.
“You… you haven’t celebrated your birthday in all these years?” Gu Jianli walked up to him.
Ji Wujing’s gaze fell on the half-eaten pastry in his hand, and he said casually, “No one celebrates it for me.”
“Then…” Gu Jianli started to say, but Ji Wujing stuffed the remaining half of the pastry into her mouth. He frowned and complained wearily, “Too sweet, it’s not good.”
Gu Jianli slowly ate the remaining pastry, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and said, “When we get home, I’ll try to make osmanthus cake with fish broth.”
Ji Wujing gave her a strange look.
Gu Jingyuan, having been informed by a servant, took a moment between receiving guests to return to the back courtyard. He hadn’t even entered the room yet when he called out for Gu Jianli. Hearing her father’s voice, Gu Jianli happily turned and ran to greet him, and they started talking at the door.
Ji Wujing, uninterested in their conversation, lounged alone on the armchair, casually inspecting the items on the long table and playing with the brushes on the pen holder. However, he accidentally broke one of the brushes. The crisp sound made both Gu Jianli and Gu Jingyuan turn to look at him.
Ji Wujing carelessly tossed the broken brush onto the long table and said, “It was an accident.”
Gu Jianli quickly walked over to him and asked, “Did you get your hands dirty? Let the maid bring in some hot water.”
As she spoke, she reached for Ji Wujing’s hand.
“No.” Ji Wujing nonchalantly grabbed Gu Jianli’s wrist, stopping her.
Gu Jingyuan’s eyes widened as he stared at Ji Wujing’s large hand gripping Gu Jianli’s wrist. He shouted defensively, “Let go of her, let go now!”
He rushed forward, forcefully pulling Ji Wujing’s hand away and dragging Gu Jianli to his other side. He stared at the broken brush on the desk, his heart pounding. The thought of those hands, which had killed countless people, holding his precious daughter’s wrist terrified him. What if he accidentally broke her wrist?
Ji Wujing raised his eyelids to look at him and asked, “Big Tiger Gu, you’re just past forty, and your brain’s already failing?”
Gu Jianli felt a bit confused, still not understanding why her father was suddenly angry.
Ji Wujing lazily stood up, made an exaggerated bow to Gu Jingyuan, and said slowly, “Your son-in-law wishes you a long life filled with many happy years, may you live as long as a tiger.”
“Hmph.” Gu Jingyuan snorted coldly. “Congratulations?”
“Indeed, I even brought a gift.”
“No!” Gu Jingyuan raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t even start! What’s your gift, a skull or a human skin lantern? We’ve known each other for fourteen or fifteen years. If you truly want to wish me a happy birthday, just give me back my daughter!”
“Tsk, how can you be so boring?” Ji Wujing straightened up and returned to his usual demeanor. “If I give your daughter back, I’ll have to wreck the place for fun.”
“Heh.” Gu Jingyuan gave a dry laugh. “Are you suggesting that I’ve benefited from my daughter?”
“Putting it so bluntly makes it boring.” Ji Wujing picked up another brush from the holder. This time, he deliberately broke it into pieces.
Crack, crack, crack…
He broke it into several segments.
“Stop!” Gu Jingyuan’s eyebrows twitched as if Ji Wujing were breaking not a brush, but Gu Jianli herself.
Ji Wujing sighed and said leisurely, “Yelling all the time, doesn’t your throat hurt? What’s the point of yelling? If I get mad at you, what will I do to vent on your daughter when I get home?”
“Don’t you dare!” Gu Jingyuan’s face turned pale with anger.
“Ji Zhao!” Gu Jianli glared at Ji Wujing, frantically giving him a look to stop talking.
Ji Wujing immediately plastered on a mischievous grin. He draped his arm over Gu Jingyuan’s shoulder, patting his chest to calm him, and said with a laugh, “Don’t be angry, dear father-in-law. On this happy day, you mustn’t lose your temper. I won’t bully your daughter; I’ll be her servant instead.”
The more Gu Jianli listened, the more outrageous it sounded. She hurriedly pushed Ji Wujing away, helped Gu Jingyuan to a seat, and spoke gently, “Father, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s doing it on purpose to provoke you. If you really get angry, you’ll be falling into his trap.”
Gu Jingyuan stared at Gu Jianli’s face for a long time, suddenly feeling a bit bitter.
Previously, when he and Ji Wujing had arguments, Gu Jianli always intervened to calm him down and placate Ji Wujing. But now, the situation had reversed, and his precious daughter was now calming Ji Wujing down and placating him.
The more she tried to calm someone, the closer she felt to that person…
Gu Jingyuan felt a pang of sadness, but if his daughter was happy, it was fine. Unfortunately, Ji Wujing was unreliable. He glared at Ji Wujing irritably, “When are you going to die?”
Just then, Jichun knocked on the door from outside. “My lord, His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress have personally arrived; they are already at the entrance of the alley!”
Gu Jingyuan was taken aback and stopped bickering with Ji Wujing. He quickly got up and went out to greet them.
In the garden, the guests knelt down, awaiting the arrival of the Emperor and Empress. Before they arrived, Gu Jingyuan led his two daughters through the kneeling crowd.
Many pairs of eyes discreetly glanced at the twin beauties of Anjing, scrutinizing them.