Gu Jianli was really angry. She refused to eat lunch and crawled into bed under the guise of taking a nap. With an injury on her leg, she couldn’t lie on her side. Though lying on her back, she turned her head stubbornly toward the inside, pressing herself tightly against the wall.
Gu Zaili personally brought her some food. She mumbled, “Sister, I’m not hungry right now. I’m very sleepy and want to sleep.”
She wrapped herself in the quilt, wishing she could hide her entire head.
Gu Zaili was a bit surprised, as Gu Jianli, though occasionally willful, had never refused food. She wanted to ask her sister if something was bothering her, but seeing her current state, she knew it wasn’t the right time. She decided to hold back her questions for now. Maybe she was overthinking, and her sister was just in pain because of her leg.
She said, “Alright, I’ll have Jixia keep the food warm in the pot. When you get hungry, call Jixia to bring it to you.”
“Got it, sister,” Gu Jianli replied sullenly.
Gu Zaili frowned and left.
Not long after, Ji Wujing entered the room. He crossed his arms and walked lazily to the bedside, looking down humorously at Gu Jianli’s half-exposed face.
“Gu Jianli.”
Gu Jianli pretended to be asleep.
Ji Wujing tugged at her ear, but she stubbornly remained still, giving no reaction. Ji Wujing let go, stood by the bed for a while, then turned to lower the curtain at the window. He came back, took off his boots, and got into bed, pulling down the bed canopy to block the light. The interior of the bed became dim.
Feeling Ji Wujing’s proximity, Gu Jianli was determined not to respond, no matter what he did. She feigned sleep completely. However, the teasing she expected did not come. Ji Wujing simply lay down beside her lazily, his forehead against her shoulder, casually placing his hand on her waist, and then closed his eyes for a nap.
Gu Jianli didn’t dare to relax, staying alert in case Ji Wujing suddenly became mischievous. She waited and waited until she grew sleepy and slowly fell asleep.
Gu Jianli woke up from hunger. Turning her head at the scent, she saw Ji Wujing sitting by the window, eating. The table before him was full of dishes. He was leisurely drinking bone soup.
Gu Jianli watched quietly for a long time before slowly speaking, “You’re drinking my soup again.”
Ji Wujing didn’t lift his head. He took another sip of the bone soup and then said slowly, “Actually, fractures heal in early, middle, and late stages. You’re just at the beginning stage of your leg fracture. Overeating is a mistake; you should be eating legumes and vegetables. So your uncle is reluctantly helping you with it.”
At this point, he finally looked up at Gu Jianli, smiling and said seriously, “You know your uncle likes fish. I’m really doing you a favor.”
Gu Jianli pressed her lips together, watching him silently for a while. She slowly sat up, put on her shoes, and, supporting herself against the wall and furniture, slowly moved to sit opposite Ji Wujing. She silently told herself, “I won’t talk to you,” and then served herself two fried dumplings. She couldn’t starve herself out of anger with him.
Ji Wujing looked at her somewhat surprised. He served a small bowl of bone soup and placed it in front of her, changing his tune, “A little bit is fine.”
Gu Jianli took a piece of plain cake to eat, ignoring both the bone soup and the person serving it.
Ji Wujing leaned over and snatched the plain cake from her hand. His movements were swift, leaving Gu Jianli with her mouth slightly open, just about to take a bite, with her cherry lips still parted and the cake already gone from her hand. She looked at Ji Wujing, watching him longingly as he slowly broke the cake into small pieces and ate them.
Gu Jianli held back her frustration and lowered her head to eat her plain rice.
Ji Wujing put down his chopsticks, leaned his elbows on the table, and his upper body slightly forward, his voice husky, “Gu Jianli, if you keep being picky, your uncle will feed you mouth-to-mouth.”
Gu Jianli’s hand shook, and the rice fell from her chopsticks back into her bowl.
The overly intimate scene in the small wardrobe flashed before her eyes, making her tongue and teeth itch. Silently, she took the bone soup Ji Wujing had served her and drank it all in one go.
She placed the bowl heavily on the table, struggled to stand up, and, supporting herself against the wall, walked to the door to get her crutch and left the room. The snow was falling harder, covering the ground in a layer of white.
Ji Wujing followed her out, leaning lazily against the side door, and asked, “Gu Jianli, where are you going?”
“To visit my aunt.”
Ji Wujing grabbed Gu Jianli’s slender arm. She turned back, looking at him unhappily and said angrily, “You’re meddling too much!”
“Sister!” Gu Chuan came running from a distance. He stood by Gu Jianli’s side, glancing warily at Ji Wujing, and asked, “Sister, is he bullying you?”
Gu Jianli was slightly stunned. It was this moment of hesitation that let the anger rise in Gu Chuan’s eyes as he watched her expression closely. He pointed at Ji Wujing and said angrily, “You are not allowed to bully my sister!”
Ji Wujing just smiled without speaking.
Gu Chuan, however, was infuriated by Ji Wujing’s indifferent attitude. He fumed, “I know you’re powerful, but I will grow up! If you bully my sister again, I’ll kill you once I grow up and learn the skills!”
Ji Wujing’s smile slowly faded from his eyes.
“Gu Chuan!” Gu Jianli was startled and immediately put on a stern expression, saying seriously, “You are not allowed to talk to your brother-in-law like that!”
“I don’t acknowledge him as my brother-in-law!” Gu Chuan’s face turned red with anger, “There’s no good person in the Guangping Marquis Mansion! Look how they bully people! Sister, don’t go back. Come home with us. When I grow up, I’ll take care of you, so you don’t have to suffer by marrying anyone!”
Gu Jianli felt a warmth in her heart, remembering Gu Chuan’s mischievous ways from the past. But she hardened her resolve, kept a stern face, and said, “Gu Chuan, I’m telling you again, you can’t talk to your brother-in-law like that. It’s very rude and ill-mannered!”
Gu Chuan fell silent, but his red eyes were full of defiance and unwillingness.
Gu Jianli softened her tone slightly and said, “Your brother-in-law wasn’t bullying me. He was just worried about me slipping in the snow.”
Gu Jianli softened her tone slightly, saying, “Your brother-in-law wasn’t bullying me. He was just worried about me slipping in the snow.”
Gu Chuan’s sincere eyes filled with doubt, still half-believing.
Gu Jianli patted Gu Chuan’s shoulder gently and said, “Lately, your brother-in-law has been taking care of your sister every day, hasn’t he? Chuan’er, don’t say such rebellious things anymore. It makes your sister sad.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you, sister…”
Gu Jianli smiled and said, “Don’t play outside anymore. Go finish your homework so Father won’t scold you when he comes back tonight.”
Gu Chuan nodded and ran off. Before turning, he gave Ji Wujing a warning glare.
“He’s just a child and doesn’t understand. Don’t hold it against him,” Gu Jianli said.
Ji Wujing laughed and teased, “You’re just afraid I’ll get angry and twist the little brat’s neck, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t think that…” Gu Jianli’s voice trailed off.
Ji Wujing glanced at her and sighed, “Gu Jianli, you know I’m worried about you slipping, right?”
Gu Jianli looked up in surprise, meeting Ji Wujing’s gaze.
Ji Wujing’s hand slowly moved down from her forearm, taking her hand and leading her back inside.
“I really need to see my aunt.”
“Wait.” Ji Wujing placed her hand against the door, patted the back of her hand, and said, “Hold on tight. If you fall, you’ll get a spanking.”
He went back inside and came out pushing a wheelchair.
Gu Jianli sat down a bit awkwardly. It was freezing, and her leg couldn’t get cold. Ji Wujing grabbed a thin blanket, shaking it out with a teasing tone, “See, your uncle is so good to our little Jianli. Come on, give me some praise.”
Gu Jianli had never seen anyone so blatantly ask for compliments. She pressed her lips together and ignored him.
As Ji Wujing draped the blanket over her legs, a past scene flashed before his eyes. Every time he went out, Gu Jianli would squat in front of him, carefully draping a thin blanket over his legs. He used to think she looked silly and annoying.
Ji Wujing’s hands paused.
Back then, he found her annoying. Does she now find him annoying for doing the same?
Ji Wujing’s face darkened almost instantly. He yanked the blanket off her legs and threw it aside.
“What’s wrong? You just dirtied the blanket!” Gu Jianli asked, confused.
“Go by yourself,” Ji Wujing said, turning to walk back inside.
Gu Jianli looked at his retreating back in bewilderment. She wheeled herself forward a bit, bent down to pick up the blanket from the ground, carefully dusted off the snow, and neatly draped it over her legs again. She then wheeled herself toward the back courtyard.
“Fine, I’ll go by myself.” Gu Jianli thought. She had intended to go alone anyway.
The next morning, the sky was clear and bright, with the warm sunlight glistening off the snow-covered mountains. Li Yunwan left, taking advantage of the good weather.
Gu Jianli sat in her wheelchair nearby, smiling as she watched her aunt. Her aunt also wore a smile, calm and graceful. No one could tell that she had just lost a child the day before.
Thinking about her aunt leaving in the harsh cold, Gu Jianli felt a pang of sadness. But she knew her aunt had her own dignity to maintain. As the younger generation, there were many things she couldn’t interfere with. All she could do was prepare a thick cotton cloak and a few hand warmers for her aunt’s carriage.
“These are for you,” Li Yunwan said, taking off two intricately carved silver bracelets from her wrist and handing them to them. “I left the palace in a hurry and didn’t bring anything with me. These bracelets are the only things I have from the Li clan, so I’m leaving them with you as a keepsake.”
Gu Jianli held back her tears, forcing a smile.
Gu Jingyuan arranged for people to escort her aunt, and the family watched as her carriage departed, though Gu Jingyuan himself did not come.
In the following days, Gu Jianli’s attitude toward Ji Wujing remained cold, and she tried to avoid him as much as possible. Before long, the rest of the family noticed something was amiss.
One afternoon when Ji Wujing was not around, Gu Jianli took the initiative to find Gu Zaili.
“Sister…” Gu Jianli began, her face flushing with embarrassment.
“Tell me, what’s wrong?”
Gu Jianli hesitated for a moment before whispering, “I have something I want to ask you…”
“What is it?”
Gu Jianli bit her lip and leaned closer to Gu Zaili’s ear, whispering, “I… I want to know what it’s like to consummate a marriage…”
Gu Zaili was startled, looking at her blushing sister in surprise. “You…”
When Gu Jianli returned, she had a scroll of erotic paintings hidden in her sleeve.
Her heart pounding, she opened it, determined to understand if consummating a marriage really involved such intimate actions.
On the first page, she saw a woman sitting with her legs wide open on a chair, while another person knelt before her, leaning in…
Ji Wujing silently approached her from behind, bending down.
