Ji Wujing’s pupils suddenly contracted, and a fleeting panic flashed across his face. He quickly concealed all signs of distress, masking them with a shadowy facade.
Gu Jianli smiled, her eyes curving, and said, “Actually, I know you are very good to me. You have always been good to me, caring for and looking after me in your own way. Even though sometimes you deliberately act stern, you never truly harm me. You also care about Xinglan and Xinglou. You ignore them because you want them to get used to not having your protection, to your absence. That way, when you are gone, they won’t be sad or suddenly lose their support…”
“You think being good to you is because uncle is in a good mood. As for caring? Ha, what is that?” Ji Wujing doubled back, placing his hands on the edge of the tub, leaning down and drawing closer.
His expression was cold, his fox-like eyes were cold too, devoid of warmth, even carrying a hint of mockery. He neither needed others’ care nor wanted to care for others. Living was just that simple; nothing and no one mattered to him. If they ever did, they were already dead.
Gu Jianli was bewildered, unable to understand why Ji Wujing’s attitude had suddenly turned so cold. Just moments ago, when she teased him, he had silently tolerated it without truly getting angry.
Ji Wujing’s palm slowly caressed Gu Jianli’s face as he gazed at her. He sincerely felt that the woman in his hand was too beautiful, and such beauty only highlighted his own darkness and ugliness. His hand slid down, gradually gripping Gu Jianli’s neck.
Is there really such a beautiful thing in this world? So beautiful that it makes one want to destroy it.
Gu Jianli suddenly felt horrified. She hadn’t felt this sinister and oppressive aura from Ji Wujing for a long time, as if everything had returned to their first meeting, with his unpredictable moods and her intense fear of him.
Why was this happening?
Was it because she hit and scolded him today? Or… was it because her recent words had exposed him? How peculiar a person he was to suddenly get angry over this.
“Fifth Master?” Gu Jianli tentatively gripped Ji Wujing’s wrists with her hands.
Her hands were wet, dripping onto Ji Wujing’s wrists, drawing his gaze downward to her water-stained hands and her indistinct body beneath the water.
Gu Jianli’s crying and shouting echoed in his ears—“Am I your pet cat or dog that you keep teasing me like this? Do you want to put me in a cage or tie me up with a rope?”
Indeed, what a good idea. For the past two months with her leg broken, she had been very obedient, not running around. When he woke up, she would be lying obediently by his side, no longer disappearing suddenly. Not like before, always arguing to go back to her parental home or entering the palace, only to break her leg. Never listening.
Ji Wujing darkly thought that if Gu Jianli were also poisoned and died with him, the endless dark ghost realm wouldn’t be so lonely.
“Gu Jianli—” Ji Wujing’s voice was hoarse, “You say you will stay with me until death because you know I won’t live long. If I live longer, you wouldn’t be willing to be trapped here with me for a lifetime.”
Gu Jianli was stunned.
Yes, when her father brought her home, she thought it over for a long time. Remembering Ji Wujing’s help, with a heart full of gratitude, she was willing to stay with him during his short remaining life. It was also because she knew his fate wasn’t in his hands that she tolerated more, staying with him, comforting him. Not getting angry or upset, not being overly concerned about anything.
But what if one day Ji Wujing was cured? If what she thought would be a few years turned into decades, would she really be willing to stay at the Marquis of Guangping’s residence forever, unable to return home?
The thought of not being able to return home had just surfaced when the faces of her father, sister, Madam Tao, and Xiao Chuan appeared before her eyes. Gu Jianli suddenly felt a deep fear.
Gu Jianli had never considered this before.
She hesitated.
Her slight hesitation caused the last trace of warmth hidden in Ji Wujing’s eyes to fade away.
Ji Wujing yanked her up, accompanied by the sound of splashing water. The water from the bath splashed out, soaking his loose snow-white robes.
Gu Jianli let go of Ji Wujing’s wrist and supported herself on the edge of the bath, feeling panicked.
Ji Wujing’s hand that was gripping her neck shifted to grasp the nape of her neck, forcing her closer and kissing her with a bite-like ferocity.
Gu Jianli was terrified, pushing him away frantically, but this only caused Ji Wujing to step into the bath, his grip even more unyielding.
Why should he be good to her? What made her worthy of his kindness? What did her joy and tears matter? Once in his grasp, she was his to keep, unable to escape unless he destroyed her.
Destroy her, let her decay along with him—this dark voice echoed in Ji Wujing’s mind.
Some people are so heavily armored, impervious to anything, their only fear being having their armor torn away. Being seen through makes them feel extremely unsafe, like a soldier on the battlefield stripped of his armor, left vulnerable.
What made him feel even more insecure was realizing how much he cared about her.
Unable to let go, then destroy.
Destroy her, let her decay along with him—the voice grew louder, and Ji Wujing’s breathing grew heavier.
One hand confined Gu Jianli while the other moved over her body. The soft, moist skin under his hand sent a tingling sensation through his palm. The long-desired gentleness was now in his grasp, and it seemed laughable that he had let her go for so long.
Gu Jianli had never been treated like this by Ji Wujing before. She was frightened, sobbing. The taste of blood filled her mouth as she incoherently begged, “Let go,” among other pleas for mercy. But all her cries were swallowed by Ji Wujing.
As Gu Jianli struggled, water splashed everywhere, soaking Ji Wujing’s loose snow-white robes. Droplets of water splashed onto his face, slowly rolling down his expressionless cheeks and into his collar. His narrowed fox-like eyes held no warmth, only a destructive intent.
Taking advantage of Ji Wujing untying his belt, Gu Jianli hurriedly turned, trying to escape from the confining bath. But as soon as she turned, Ji Wujing grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Her long black hair clung to his chest, wet and sticky.
Ji Wujing leaned close to her ear, his tone sinister, “Gu Jianli, have I spoiled you too much? To the point that you dare pity me?”
“Don’t treat me like this!” Gu Jianli’s tone was firm.
She heard Ji Wujing chuckle softly near her ear.
He grabbed her slender waist, pulling her hips close, pressing tightly against her.
The heat and hardness against her made Gu Jianli panic in an instant. Along with the panic came bewilderment. Forcing herself to calm down, she used the slipperiness of the water to turn around, facing Ji Wujing, looking into his eyes.
Ji Wujing was already soaked, his snow-white nightclothes loose and wet, hanging off him and revealing his equally wet chest. His face was expressionless, but there was a dark red glint in his eyes.
Looking into his eyes, Gu Jianli asked seriously, “What do you want to do? Hit me?”
Ji Wujing stared into her eyes, returning her gaze. He oddly curled his lips into a smile, his expression inscrutable. How could he forget, this child didn’t even know what he wanted to do to her.
Ji Wujing suddenly laughed.
Gu Jianli did not relax because of his laugh; instead, she found it sinister and ghostly. She quietly retreated a bit.
Ji Wujing’s hand on her slender waist gradually moved down.
“Don’t do this…” Gu Jianli didn’t know what he was going to do, but she instinctively felt panicked and embarrassed.
Ji Wujing’s fingers moved downward along the seam, the pads of his fingers circling around the entrance.
It was very small.
A strange sensation shot up, exploding in Gu Jianli’s head, and the unfamiliar shame made her face flush instantly. “Don’t… I don’t like it…”
She babbled incoherently, not even knowing what she was saying.
For some reason, tears started to fall.
Ji Wujing frowned, not wanting to see those eyes that understood nothing. He pushed her, making her turn around so he wouldn’t have to see her eyes. Her soft, long hair hung down her back, the ends floating gently on the water’s surface.
Ji Wujing pulled Gu Jianli’s hand, forcing her to hold him from behind.
Gu Jianli’s body stiffened; this time she understood what Ji Wujing intended to do. After a brief hesitation, she did not resist.
Ji Wujing looked down, watching her hair floating on the water. He lifted a strand and placed it in her palm, making her move her hand around it.
When Ji Wujing let go of Gu Jianli, her palm was dirty, even her hair was dirty, sticky and tangled. She fell back into the water, staring at her hair, crying in grievance. “Ji Zhao, you…”
She looked up at Ji Wujing with tear-filled eyes, but saw his face pale as paper.
Ji Wujing coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the already cold water red.
“What’s wrong!” Gu Jianli panicked, trying to help him.
Ji Wujing pushed her away again, saying, “Stay away from me!”
From that day on, Ji Wujing’s health deteriorated. Ji Jingyi brought Luo Muge to see him every other day, but Ji Wujing’s condition showed no improvement. He began to cough up blood intermittently, unable to walk for long, becoming sleepy and listless, much like when Gu Jianli first married him and he had just woken up.
He also started to ignore Gu Jianli.
Two months passed, and by early June, Ji Wujing’s condition had not improved but worsened.
Gu Jianli sat by the bedside, looking at the sleeping Ji Wujing, mumbling to herself, “Did I anger you? But I don’t think I did anything wrong…”
Gu Jianli had pondered for two months, unable to understand Ji Wujing’s sudden violence that day.
Ji Xinglan came running in with a kite, and Gu Jianli raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Ji Xinglan nodded obediently. Gu Jianli tucked the blanket around Ji Wujing and quietly walked out. She could walk now, but walking for too long still caused pain.
She had promised Ji Xinglan to fly kites with her today.
Gu Jianli took Ji Xinglan to the hillside behind the Marquis of Guangping’s residence to fly a kite, with Ji Xinglou silently following them.
“When will Daddy get better?” Ji Xinglan asked in her soft, childish voice.
Gu Jianli shook the thin string in her hand, staring blankly at the butterfly kite floating in the sky. She spoke gently, “Your daddy will get better very soon.”
A sudden gust of wind blew, causing the butterfly kite to wobble. Gu Jianli quickly pulled the string back, but it snapped.
“My kite!” Ji Xinglan jumped anxiously.
“Don’t worry.” Gu Jianli patted Ji Xinglan’s head. “We’ll just go down the hill and pick it up.”
Gu Jianli didn’t dare to walk too quickly. She led the two children down the path slowly, just in time to see Ji Xuanke bending down to pick up the butterfly kite.
