“Kite! Our kite!” Ji Xinglou shouted loudly.
Ji Xuanke straightened up and turned his head to look over. Against the light, it was a bit dazzling, so he had to squint. Even though he couldn’t see clearly, he immediately recognized Gu Jianli standing in the light and shadow.
Gu Jianli, however, saw Ji Xuanke’s features clearly. Ji Xuanke was completely transformed—darker, thinner, and the elegant charm of his former self was replaced with an indescribable steadiness.
Ji Xinglou, with his short legs, ran over quickly and grabbed the kite from Ji Xuanke’s hand.
“It’s broken!” He waved his little arm, shaking the butterfly kite that had been torn by a tree branch, ruining one of its wings.
Gu Jianli hesitated for a moment before leading Ji Xinglan over. Her leg hadn’t fully healed yet, and she couldn’t walk for long periods. Coming here today had already taken a toll, and now she moved even slower.
“Third Brother,” Ji Xinglan called out sweetly.
Ji Xuanke nodded, his gaze towards the little girl softening slightly.
“Third Brother is home,” Gu Jianli said, looking at Ji Xuanke with open eyes.
“This is my home; naturally, I must come back,” Ji Xuanke replied, looking back at her.
“Of course,” Gu Jianli smiled faintly, lowering her eyes and stepping back with Ji Xinglan to clear the path. After this simple greeting, she had no desire for further conversation. However, when she lowered her eyes, she inadvertently saw Ji Xuanke’s broken finger, and her heart paused for a moment.
Naturally, she didn’t ask. Nor did she let Ji Xuanke see any hint of her thoughts.
Ji Xuanke gave her a deep look, understood her intent, and left without lingering.
Gu Jianli squatted down and said to the pouting Ji Xinglan, “This kite is broken; we can’t play with it today. I’ll make you a new one when we get back, and we can come fly it another day.”
“Wow!” Ji Xinglan’s eyes lit up, “You can make kites! That’s amazing, Lanlan can’t! Who taught you?”
Ji Xuanke’s footsteps paused slightly.
——”Nan Nan, haven’t I taught you many times already? How come you only know how to make butterfly kites?”
——She laughed, her soft and sweet voice carrying a hint of pride: “Who said I can’t? I’ll make an eagle kite for you someday!”
——”Alright, I’ll be waiting.”
Gu Jianli brushed the dust off the kite without answering Ji Xinglan, saying only, “Let’s go, time to head back.”
“Okay!” Ji Xinglan reached out to hold Gu Jianli’s hand.
Gu Jianli led Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan away in the opposite direction from Ji Xuanke. As Ji Xuanke walked to the end of the path and was about to turn, he stopped and slowly turned around, gazing at Gu Jianli’s receding figure with endless longing. His eyes slowly moved down to her leg, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Gu Jianli’s walking posture seemed normal, but Ji Xuanke could tell something was wrong—she had injured her leg.
Gu Jianli quickly rounded the moon gate, and Ji Xuanke could no longer see her silhouette.
Ji Xuanke stood still, gazing at the empty moon gate for a long time, silently taking out a jade buckle and gently rubbing it with his thumb. The image of her giving him the jade buckle floated before his eyes. It was during the Qixi Festival, with red strings tied to the vines swaying in the wind. He nervously went to the royal mansion, enduring Gu Jingyuan’s scrutiny for a long time before being granted permission to take Gu Jianli to the Qixi night market.
The lights were sparse, and lotus candles on the lake gently swayed with the waves.
They had known each other since childhood and had played together as kids. But that day was different—it was Qixi, the first time they went out together after their engagement.
In the bustling crowd, he turned his head to look at her smiling eyes, a joy beyond words filling his heart. He had long known that his family background was in decline and that he was not a match for the daughter of the Prince Wuxian. All his efforts and achievements culminated in earning the top honors in the imperial examination at fifteen, which merely gave him the courage to propose. He succeeded and finally won her.
That Qixi night passed quickly, with Gu Jingyuan’s men urging them repeatedly until Gu Jingyuan personally came to fetch Gu Jianli home.
He hid his reluctance, standing properly on the side, watching Gu Jianli get on the carriage.
Gu Jianli lifted the curtain before the window, revealing half of her face. She smiled, her voice gentle and sweet. She said, “This jade buckle was originally meant for my father, but since I ate so many of your sweets and pastries today, I will give it to you as a return gift.”
He hurriedly caught the jade buckle.
Gu Jianli quickly dropped the curtain, and he saw the slight upward curve of her lips.
Ji Xuanke heavily rubbed the jade buckle, the tassel hanging on his severed finger. It was merely a light belief in his family’s deception that made him lose her so easily, rendering his years of effort in vain. Ji Xuanke felt a tightness in his chest and a burst of pain.
Gu Jianli, accompanied by Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan, walked back, but the distance from the back hill to the Fifth Master’s courtyard was somewhat far. They had only walked halfway when Gu Jianli’s left leg started to ache again, slowing her steps.
From a distance, Gu Jianli saw Ji Yueming, who was accompanied by a maid. Ji Yueming also saw Gu Jianli, her face changing at the sight. She immediately turned around with her maid to avoid them.
Gu Jianli pretended not to see.
Since her return a few months ago, she had hardly seen Ji Yueming. The first two months, Gu Jianli stayed in the courtyard due to her leg injury and rarely came out. Later, when she could walk, she occasionally encountered Ji Yueming, but each time, Ji Yueming would turn away as if Gu Jianli were a plague.
When Gu Jianli’s family fell into ruin and she married in, Ji Yueming targeted her several times. The people of the Guangping Marquis’ residence turned a blind eye, even tacitly allowing it. But times had changed. The first madam now feared that Gu Jianli would seek revenge on Ji Yueming, repeatedly admonishing Ji Yueming not to provoke Gu Jianli and to keep a low profile. She even hastily arranged a marriage for Ji Yueming, who would soon be married off.
Gu Jianli never intended to do anything to Ji Yueming. If truth be told, Gu Jianli found Ji Yueming more likable than the others in the Guangping Marquis’ residence. Nowadays, everyone in the residence fawned over Gu Jianli, which she found ironic. Only Ji Yueming, though avoiding her, didn’t hide her disdain for Gu Jianli, which at least was genuine.
After walking a while longer, still not reaching their destination, Gu Jianli’s left leg hurt even more. She looked into the distance, frowning slightly.
Ji Xinglan looked up and asked, “Is your leg hurting again? Let’s rest for a bit.”
“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt. We can just walk slowly.”
“Lanlan will lead you!” Ji Xinglan raised her small hand to hold Gu Jianli’s hand. Her sleeve slid down, revealing half of her small arm. Ji Xinglan exclaimed, “Oh no! My bracelet is missing!”
“Are you sure you were wearing it today?” Gu Jianli asked.
“Yes, yes! I was wearing it. Before we left, I even asked my brother which one looked better! Right, brother?” Ji Xinglou nodded.
“Lanlan, don’t worry. We’ll go back and look for it. We’ll definitely find it,” Gu Jianli comforted her.
Ji Xinglou snorted and rolled his eyes. “You? Can you even walk properly? Forget it, I’ll go back and find it myself!”
Gu Jianli couldn’t help but laugh, “Yes, yes, Xinglou will definitely find his sister’s bracelet.”
Ji Xinglou gave Gu Jianli a look that said “isn’t that obvious?” and dashed back like a gust of wind. The hill behind the Guangping Marquis’s mansion wasn’t very high. Before he had run halfway, he spotted Ji Xinglan’s silver bracelet. He picked it up, blew the dust off it, and clenched it tightly as he ran back.
Although Ji Xinglou was small, his frequent mischief and running away had made him a fast runner. He hadn’t run far before he collided head-on with Ji Yueming, knocking her down.
Ji Yueming had been hiding on the side, reluctant to face Gu Jianli, and now that she was knocked over by Ji Xinglou, her pent-up anger flared up.
“You little brat!” Ji Yueming grabbed Ji Xinglou by the ear.
Ji Xinglou glared at her angrily, his eyes burning with fury.
“What are you glaring at?” Ji Yueming sneered, “You little bastard without a mother! Your father never cares about you either!”
“Miss, please don’t say that…” a maid whispered in an attempt to calm her down.
“Ha, why shouldn’t I? Soon I’ll be married off as a burden to the family anyway. What do I have to fear? Besides, am I wrong? This little bastard is a child of rape.” She twisted Ji Xinglou’s ear hard. “Don’t you understand? Let me tell you what a child of rape is. It means your creepy father raped your mother and forced her to give birth to you two little bastards, and then he killed your mother!”
Suddenly, Ji Xinglou struggled and bit Ji Yueming’s hand hard, making her scream in pain.
“It’s broken, it’s broken! He bit my hand off!”
The maid was terrified and quickly pulled Ji Xinglou away. Just as Ji Xinglou was about to charge again, he heard Ji Xinglan’s childish voice calling, “Brother, brother…”
Ji Xinglou spat out the blood in his mouth and pointed fiercely at Ji Yueming, “If you do that again, I’ll kill you!”
Ji Yueming shuddered, frightened by the murderous intent in Ji Xinglou’s childish eyes.
Ji Xinglou ignored Ji Yueming and ran towards Ji Xinglan.
Ji Xinglan stretched her neck to look around and asked blankly, “What’s wrong with big sister? She sounds so pitiful.”
“She fell down.”
“Oh, what about Lanlan’s bracelet?”
Ji Xinglou took off the silver bracelet from his wrist and put it on Ji Xinglan.
Ji Xinglan shook her wrist and smiled happily. She took her brother’s hand and said, “Let’s go back, mother is waiting for us.”
Ji Xinglou silently let his sister lead him.
When they reached Gu Jianli, Ji Xinglan let go of her brother’s hand, moved to the other side of Ji Xinglou, and held both her brother and Gu Jianli’s hands. She then noticed that Ji Xinglou’s ears were red and almost purple.
“Huh? Brother, why are your ears so red?”
Ji Xinglou rubbed his ears carelessly and muttered, “Mosquito bite!”
“Let me see.” Gu Jianli, sensing something was off in Ji Xinglou’s voice, stopped and bent down to look.
Ji Xinglou fiercely slapped Gu Jianli’s hand away and turned to run back.
“Brother…”
Gu Jianli asked, “Lanlan, did you see anyone else when you went back to find your brother?”
“Yes, I saw big sister. She was crying and screaming, it was really scary!”
