Gu Jianli was momentarily dazed, slowly blinking before lowering her lashes. Her swollen lips tingled with an unusual numbness. Feeling the wetness between her lips and tongue, she pursed her lips and gently bit her soft, moist lip. Reacting a bit sluggishly, she lowered her head, lightly resting her forehead against Ji Wujing’s chest. Her hand, which was gripping Ji Wujing’s collar, slid down slowly to his waist, gripping the fabric at his side. From there, her hand slowly moved to his back, lightly hugging his waist, her whole body docile and obedient as she nestled into Ji Wujing’s embrace.
Ji Wujing looked down at her calmly, saying coldly, “Gu Jianli, what game are you playing now? Get angry, cry, hit me, or at least tilt your chin up and talk back to me.”
“No…” Gu Jianli’s voice was soft and muffled against his chest.
“Get up, don’t make me push you,” Ji Wujing said impatiently.
“No…” Gu Jianli tightened her grip around Ji Wujing’s waist, her hands clasped together, holding on firmly.
Ji Wujing paused, threatening, “If you keep clinging to uncle like this, uncle will spank you.”
Gu Jianli still didn’t move.
Ji Wujing then said, “Get up, someone is coming.”
At his words, Gu Jianli finally reacted. Ji Wujing could clearly feel her body stiffen for a moment. But Gu Jianli quickly realized Ji Wujing was trying to trick her.
Ji Wujing’s face darkened, “Gu Jianli, stop being unreasonable. Did you hear what I just said?”
Clearly, Ji Wujing was very dissatisfied with Gu Jianli’s reaction. She should have been angry, panicked, arguing with him; that would have been more fun.
Gu Jianli didn’t answer, instead, she spoke softly and gently, “I used to think that celestial couples would admire flowers in spring, gaze at the moon in autumn, write poems together, drink and travel, and see all the mountains and rivers.”
Ji Wujing looked down at her and asked, “And then?”
“And then I realized it’s not quite what I imagined.”
Ji Wujing straightened up a bit, his tone still casual, but his slightly narrowed fox-like eyes revealed a hint of seriousness. He asked, “Don’t you like it?”
Gu Jianli shook her head lightly, her voice also soft, “I do, I like it very much.”
Her hands slowly released their hold around Ji Wujing’s waist as she stepped back, leaving his embrace. She looked up at him, her face slowly breaking into a smile, and said very seriously, “I’d like it even more if uncle didn’t always try to stuff all sorts of strange things into my mouth every day.”
With that, she quickly turned, lifted her skirt, and hurriedly ran down the stone steps, leaving behind, “We’ve stayed here too long, time to go down!”
Ji Wujing ground his teeth.
Strange things?
Hmph, one day you’ll be begging uncle to stuff all sorts of strange things into your mouth.
Ji Wujing watched Gu Jianli’s rapidly retreating figure, and suddenly smiled. He quickly caught up, placing his hand on her waist, and left together with her.
Gu Jianli sneaked a glance at his expression and felt relieved.
This corner was secluded, and it would take quite a while before any servants passed by. Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing headed towards the bustling garden, encountering few people along the way.
As they rounded the moon gate, they suddenly heard someone vaguely mentioning Gu Jianli. Following the sound, they saw two figures talking under a tree.
The two people were Ji Pinglian and Ji Pingjuan.
“Even though Gu Jianli has regained her beauty, what does it matter? She still becomes a laughingstock,” Ji Pingjuan said, covering her lips with a handkerchief as she laughed. “For a woman, her family background and beauty, as well as her talent, are both important and unimportant. The most important thing is, of course, to marry well.”
Ji Pingjuan carefully observed Ji Pinglian’s expression. Unlike her elder sister, who was a legitimate princess, Ji Pingjuan was born of a concubine. As a concubine’s daughter, she managed to navigate the intricacies of relationships skillfully, accompanying her legitimate sister to the capital for the court pilgrimage by winning the favor of her stepmother and sister. On the way, Rong Guanyin had asked about Gu Jianli, and although Ji Pinglian appeared dignified and gentle, Ji Pingjuan understood that young ladies loved to compare themselves. Both were princesses; who wouldn’t want to outshine the other?
Initially, Ji Pingjuan couldn’t grasp her sister’s thoughts, but when Gu Jianli had a moment of glory welcoming the imperial carriage with her father, she secretly observed Ji Pinglian’s face and caught a fleeting look of displeasure.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Ji Pinglian said. Though she spoke thus, her eyes didn’t hold any reproach for her sister but rather showed a hint of agreement.
Ji Pingjuan felt more confident. She became even more glib.
“My dear sister is a hundred times better than Gu Jianli and would never marry someone like that, ruining her whole life in vain,” Ji Pingjuan said, covering her lips as she laughed mockingly. “That Ji Zhao grew up in the Western Depot, where the place is full of mutilated eunuchs. Eunuchs are either trampled underfoot, not even considered human, or they’re creepy and perverse old things. Ji Zhao is clearly the latter. Who knows how he abuses and humiliates Gu Jianli daily!”
Ji Pinglian glanced at Ji Pingjuan with disgust, her tone indifferent, “You know quite a lot.”
Ji Pingjuan pretended not to understand Ji Pinglian’s disdain and continued to smile apologetically, “I heard the servants gossiping.”
“Don’t always listen to gossiping servants,” Ji Pinglian rebuked sternly. “What you said today was excessive and highly improper. Don’t do it again.”
“Yes. I won’t dare anymore,” Ji Pingjuan apologized with a smile, but inside, she sneered.
Who are you fooling?
Ji Pingjuan understood her pretentious sister better than anyone. On the surface, she appeared polite and dignified, but deep down, she couldn’t stand seeing others do well. Although her elder sister criticized her outwardly, she secretly enjoyed hearing such things. Ji Pingjuan knew that what she said wasn’t entirely true, with some exaggeration, but it was just a way to flatter her legitimate sister.
After Ji Pinglian and Ji Pingjuan walked away, Gu Jianli finally let go of Ji Wujing’s hand. She carefully examined his expression and spoke softly, “A concubine’s daughter trying to please her legitimate sister, saying all sorts of nonsense. Don’t take it seriously.”
“Did you stop me because you were afraid I’d kill someone?” Ji Wujing asked, his face extremely grim. His slightly narrowed fox-like eyes harbored a rarely seen violent shadow.
Gu Jianli shook her head, feeling somewhat bewildered. For the first time, she didn’t know what to do, feeling hesitant and uncertain.
Ji Wujing turned to scrutinize her dazed expression, sneering casually, “Gu Jianli, why does everyone think marrying me makes you a laughingstock, a wasted life? If you had married my nephew instead of me, would they have praised you as a celestial couple? Like you just described…admiring flowers and gazing at the moon?”
His tone carried a hint of impatient irritation as he continued, “What’s so great about flowers and the moon? Flowers and grass are ugly compared to you. The moon isn’t as white as your backside.”
Gu Jianli was stunned, her intended words choked back by his comment.
“You’re talking nonsense again!” Gu Jianli met Ji Wujing’s gaze, trying to ignore his crude words, and continued, “Then do you want to divorce me and let me marry someone else?”
“No.” Ji Wujing responded with just one word, without even thinking.
“Well, there you have it,” Gu Jianli frowned. “Didn’t you once say that life should be lived freely? That we shouldn’t care about others’ opinions and that our own happiness is what’s important?”
Gu Jianli paused.
“There are all kinds of people in this world, good and bad. And the bad ones aren’t few. Who cares what they say?” Gu Jianli reached for Ji Wujing’s hand. “Alright, let’s go to the garden. Today is my father’s birthday, it’s best to avoid causing trouble.”
Ji Wujing glanced at Gu Jianli’s hand and listlessly walked forward with her.
After walking six or seven steps, Gu Jianli suddenly stopped.
Ji Wujing turned to her with a sour expression, “What’s wrong now?”
“No, I’m angry, still angry,” Gu Jianli shook her head in frustration. “How could she say such things about you? How could she call you a creepy, perverse, and disgusting old man?”
With each adjective she listed, she ticked off a finger, becoming increasingly furious by the end.
Ji Wujing was stunned, looking rather surprised at Gu Jianli’s angry demeanor. He said slowly, “She’s quite right. I am a creepy, perverse, and disgusting old man. Tsk, didn’t you call me that too? If not out loud, then in your heart.”
Now it was Gu Jianli’s turn to be stunned. Had she called him that? She furrowed her brows, unhappy, “It doesn’t matter, it’s not okay for her to say it!”
Gu Jianli shook off Ji Wujing’s hand and stormed off angrily.
“Heh,” Ji Wujing chuckled lowly behind her. He took a few long strides to catch up with the fuming girl, his tone half mocking, half amused, “Gu Jianli, aren’t you the most magnanimous one? Last time, that… what’s her name again, I don’t remember, anyway, you didn’t care about her.”
Though Ji Wujing’s words were vague, Gu Jianli understood he was talking about Tang Honghui.
Gu Jianli kept walking, “If you truly don’t care and don’t retaliate, that’s magnanimity. But if you’re angry and still don’t retaliate, that’s not magnanimity, that’s tolerance. It’s like stabbing yourself in the heart, looking for trouble.”
Jixia came up with a food box filled with fruits, sweets, and pastries, noticing Gu Jianli’s upset expression and immediately waited by the roadside for her. As Gu Jianli approached, she spoke first, “Go to my sister and borrow a few servants, ones that look fierce.”
Jixia didn’t ask any questions and immediately went to handle it.
As noon approached, the sun was shining brightly, making it feel more like spring than winter. Most of the ladies had come out of the various flower halls to admire the rare flower pots in the garden.
Ji Pinglian and Ji Pingjuan were sitting with a large circle of ladies from the capital, playing touhu. It was Ji Pingjuan’s turn. She was aiming with a short arrow.
When Gu Jianli approached, the gathered girls made room for her to walk inside.
“Miss Ji Pingjuan,” Gu Jianli called out.
Ji Pingjuan’s short arrow fell from her hand, landing far from the pot. She glanced regretfully at the arrow lying on the ground before turning to look at Gu Jianli. Her face displayed an innocent, sweet smile, “Oh, it’s the Princess Shengyi. What a pity, I made a fool of myself with that throw and soiled the princess’s eyes!”
Gu Jianli’s smile was faint, not reaching her eyes, “No, that throw didn’t soil my eyes. Instead, your words soiled my ears.”
Ji Pingjuan’s smile froze instantly.