Gu Jianli turned her head to look at Lizi, who was smiling foolishly without any expression of surprise. Gu Jianli couldn’t tell if Lizi was simply slow-witted or if she was just accustomed to Ji Xinglou’s actions.
“Madam, why have you come over?” Nanny Lin stood at the small kitchen’s doorway, with little Ji Xinglan peeking around the corner, tugging at her clothes.
There were really too few servants, not enough to go around.
Gu Jianli walked over gracefully, speaking as she went, “I plan to cook a few dishes myself.”
Nanny Lin welcomed her in with a cheerful face. “Today is the Little New Year, Madam has just arrived, and Fifth Master has woken up. I was thinking of preparing a few special dishes. I’ve already made two.”
Gu Jianli walked into the small kitchen and casually patted Ji Xinglan on the head. Her eyes scanned the kitchen and saw Ji Xinglou standing on a small stool, washing his hands in a wooden basin on the stove. The little hen with a broken neck was placed to the side.
“Are you planning to make chicken soup?” Gu Jianli asked.
“Yes, planning to make some chicken soup,” Nanny Lin replied as she walked over and picked up the little hen.
Ji Xinglou jumped down from the stool and ran out like a little bull calf. As he reached the door, he bumped into Ji Xinglan. Gu Jianli quickly pulled Ji Xinglan aside, or she would have been knocked over.
Ji Xinglou didn’t look back, running off like a little calf.
Watching Ji Xinglou’s retreating figure, Gu Jianli asked, “Does Xinglou often do these things?”
Nanny Lin was momentarily stunned before realizing Gu Jianli was referring to Ji Xinglou killing the chicken. She smiled and said, “Sixth Brother has been brave since he was young, just like Fifth Master.”
Brave? But Gu Jianli had just seen Ji Xinglou’s slender fingers trembling slightly as he washed his hands, just like… just like she had after killing Zhao Fengxian yesterday.
Nanny Lin suddenly realized she had misspoken, sneaking a glance at Gu Jianli’s expression before hastily adding, “Not exactly like Fifth Master, after all, they’ve lived together.”
Nanny Lin then turned back to her work.
Gu Jianli pondered for a while before understanding Nanny Lin’s implied meaning. After all, the status of these two children was unclear, and Nanny Lin dared not speak carelessly. Although Ji Wujing had once claimed he found these two children by the roadside, everyone said he would never be so kind; they must be his illegitimate children, or even his love children.
However, Gu Jianli didn’t care whether these two children were Ji Wujing’s biological children. She didn’t plan to spend her whole life in the Guangping Marquis Mansion. She would eventually leave and go back home to stay with her sister.
Gu Jianli lowered her eyes and saw Ji Xinglan looking up at her with a smiling face, blinking her eyes. Gu Jianli smiled, picked her up, and softly said, “Xinglan, it’s smoky in the kitchen. Why don’t you go play with Lizi?”
“Okay!” Ji Xinglan nodded, saliva dripping from her pink little mouth. She quickly wiped it off with her small hands, making them sticky. She looked at Gu Jianli’s face carefully, afraid of seeing disgust in her eyes.
Gu Jianli smiled, carefully wiping her little hands with a handkerchief, and gently said, “Next time, don’t wipe it off yourself; use a handkerchief.”
After cleaning her hands, Gu Jianli looked into the girl’s clear eyes. She handed the little girl to Lizi, instructing her to take good care of her.
As soon as Gu Jianli turned around, she heard Ji Xinglan let out a small “hmm” sound, as if she wanted to call her but was too timid. Gu Jianli turned back, and Ji Xinglan stretched out her little arms, wrapping them around Gu Jianli’s neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
The little girl was soft all over, and Gu Jianli’s heart suddenly softened as well.
While frying fish in the kitchen, Gu Jianli thought to herself that if she were content with this marriage, she would definitely care more about these two children. But now, as she longed to leave day and night, how could she be willing to take on more responsibilities?
She had woken up late, and by the time she finished in the kitchen, it was already quite late. Lifting her skirt, Gu Jianli hurried to the front yard. Just as she turned the corner at Baohulu Gate, she saw Ji Wujing sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed by Changsheng. He had been bedridden for so long that it was rare for him to leave the house. The winter afternoon sunlight fell on him, highlighting his frail, pale appearance. He was only wearing thin, snow-white sleepwear, with a thin blanket draped over his legs. His slender ankles, exposed to the cold winter wind, had turned slightly red.
Gu Jianli hurried over, squatting down in front of him, pulling his pant legs down to cover his ankles as she said, “Why are you wearing so little? You’ll catch a cold.”
Ji Wujing didn’t respond.
Gu Jianli looked up at him and saw his listless expression.
She stood up and turned to Changsheng, saying, “Next time, remember to dress Fifth Master more warmly before coming out.”
“Yes, yes, I forgot…” Changsheng nodded quickly. He looked at Ji Wujing in confusion, slowly realizing that Fifth Master’s health was no longer what it used to be.
Gu Jianli bent down, pulled the thin blanket off Ji Wujing’s legs, draped it over his shoulders, and tucked the edges behind him.
Ji Wujing lifted his eyelids to look at her, his tone indifferent, “I won’t freeze to death.”
Gu Jianli felt a sense of embarrassment at being exposed. She didn’t show it on her face, pretending not to hear Ji Wujing’s words, and said, “Lunch is ready, let’s go back inside. After eating, with a warm stomach, you can come out and enjoy the sun again.”
Ji Wujing asked slowly, “Is there fish?”
“Yes. There are fried fish, fish soup, and sweet and sour fish.”
Only then did a hint of interest appear in Ji Wujing’s eyes.
Everyone in the house seemed to fear Ji Wujing. During lunch, Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan sat next to each other in a corner, their backs straight, eating quickly and silently, not daring to look up at Ji Wujing.
…Gu Jianli was afraid too.
Ji Wujing focused on eating the fish, paying no attention to the expressions of the others at the table.
Ji Xinglan observed Ji Wujing’s expression and quietly passed a piece of mushroom from her bowl to Gu Jianli’s. Gu Jianli was startled, looking up to meet Ji Xinglan’s pleading eyes.
Does she not like mushrooms?
Gu Jianli glanced at Ji Wujing and gave Ji Xinglan a small, reassuring smile.
Ji Xinglou didn’t like mushrooms either… but he forced himself to swallow it without chewing.
Gu Jianli wanted to mention a few things about Ji Xinglou to Ji Wujing, but seeing Ji Wujing so engrossed in eating fish, she decided to find another opportunity to talk. Besides, it wasn’t appropriate to discuss it in front of the child.
After lunch, the dishes were cleared away, and Nanny Lin took Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan away. Gu Jianli searched through Ji Wujing’s wardrobe, intending to dress him warmly and take him outside to enjoy the sun.
Almost all the clothes in Ji Wujing’s wardrobe were white or red. Remembering his pale complexion, Gu Jianli chose a red outfit for him.
Ji Wujing’s gaze lingered on the red clothes in her hand for a moment but said nothing, allowing Gu Jianli to dress him with a furrowed brow.
As Gu Jianli pushed Ji Wujing to the door, snow began to fall outside. Gu Jianli looked at the slowly falling snow, feeling a bit disappointed.
Ji Wujing turned the wheelchair and went outside.
Gu Jianli was startled and quickly followed, saying, “It’s snowing. Let’s wait until it’s sunny tomorrow to go out.”
Ji Wujing didn’t respond. He wheeled himself into the courtyard. Gu Jianli stopped persuading him and followed behind. When she tried to help push, Ji Wujing raised his hand to stop her.
The snow fell quickly, soon turning from light flakes to heavy snow. Ji Wujing wheeled himself to a withered sycamore tree. A gust of wind blew, dislodging the last two withered leaves from the branches. The snowflakes fell, covering one shoulder of Ji Wujing’s red robe.
Black hair and red clothes, cold yet strikingly beautiful.
In the white expanse of the world, his red figure hinted at the carefree arrogance of his younger days.
When Gu Jianli was young, her sister had told her that no one could rival Ji Wujing’s beauty. Back then, Gu Jianli didn’t understand how a man’s appearance could be so exceptional. When she first saw Ji Wujing, she was shocked by his beauty, which seemed almost unearthly. Today she realized that the sickly, withered Ji Wujing she saw now was nothing compared to his former glory. Gu Jianli suddenly became very curious about how splendid Fifth Master must have been in his prime.
The fishy taste couldn’t mask the metallic tang in Ji Wujing’s chest and abdomen. His right hand formed a loose fist as he coughed lightly into it. Unable to suppress the coughs, he caught specks of bright red blood in the folded handkerchief.
From a distance, Gu Jianli watched him, feeling a sudden sense of pity and sorrow.
At sixteen, Ji Wujing joined Xuanjing Sect, and two years later, he became its leader. During the five years he led Xuanjing Sect, his actions shook the entire Great Ji Dynasty, earning him widespread fame and unparalleled glory.
However, due to an accident, he withered like the sycamore tree in the snow and had been confined to a dark room for four years.
Gu Jianli lifted her skirt and ran towards him, the snow crunching under her feet.
“Fifth…”
The snow-covered path was slippery, and Gu Jianli slipped in front of Ji Wujing, barely catching herself on the wheelchair’s armrest. Her chin hit Ji Wujing’s knee, and her teeth cut her lip, causing a few drops of blood to seep from her pale pink lips. The pain twisted her features.
Ji Wujing chuckled softly, leaned over, and stared closely at Gu Jianli’s face.
Gu Jianli, embarrassed, muttered, “What’s so funny? It’s just slippery snow.”
She tried to stand up, but Ji Wujing suddenly reached out, his cold fingers brushing her lips and picking up a bit of blood.
Gu Jianli was startled and blurted out, “What are you doing?”
Ji Wujing casually smiled, licked the blood off his finger, and lazily said, “Just tasting if your blood is sweet.”
“You…” Gu Jianli bit her lip and stepped back.
Annoyed, she said, “I’m done with you,” and turned to leave. She had only taken a couple of steps when she saw Ji Yueming and a maid entering the courtyard from behind the screen wall.
Gu Jianli composed herself, hiding her emotions.
Ji Yueming removed her furry hood and knelt, greeting, “Fifth Uncle, Fifth Aunt.”
Ji Wujing’s cold gaze glanced at her hood.
No one responded to Ji Yueming, so she spoke up, “I came to find Fifth Aunt. A friend asked me to deliver a letter to her.”
Ji Yueming took a letter from her sleeve.
Gu Jianli noticed the intertwined lotus pattern on the envelope and didn’t take it. She asked, “Who is it from?”
Ji Yueming lightly smiled, “It’s from someone who admires Fifth Aunt.”
How could she make Ji Wujing dislike Gu Jianli without implicating Ji Xuanke? By ruining her reputation, making it seem like she was involved with someone else.
Ji Yueming smiled and said, “By the way, today is the Little New Year. Grandmother asked me to invite you to dinner tonight.”
She took a step closer to Gu Jianli and lowered her voice, “Fifth Aunt, there might be someone you know well at dinner tonight.”