Ji Wujing turned back to look at Gu Jianli, meeting a pair of tear-filled eyes.
Gu Jianli tightly gripped Ji Wujing’s wrists with both hands and whispered, “I’ve been taking my medicine well, every day. If I keep it up for a while, I’ll get better. It really works…”
Ji Wujing’s gaze shifted downwards, landing on Gu Jianli’s hands gripping his wrists. The pink sleeves had slipped down, revealing a small section of her fair, white wrist.
Ji Wujing remained silent, making Gu Jianli even more anxious. Her voice became even softer and more pleading: “It really helps, I recovered slowly like this when I was a child. Please don’t use needles, it’s really scary…”
Her voice was barely audible. She lowered her eyes, and tears clinging to her eyelashes fell.
She felt aggrieved and somewhat annoyed. She usually disliked crying in front of others. No matter how unhappy she had been recently, even if her pillow was soaked with tears at night, she always maintained her pride and composure in front of others. Yet, several times now, she had cried in front of Ji Wujing.
She let go of his hands dejectedly and covered her face with her hands. Crying like this felt very humiliating.
“Alright, we won’t use needles,” Ji Wujing said.
Gu Jianli’s fingers trembled slightly, doubting if she had heard correctly. She peeked at Ji Wujing through her fingers and saw him smiling at her. Startled, she quickly closed her eyes, not daring to look anymore.
Ji Wujing found it amusing and pulled her hands away from her face. Gu Jianli quickly lowered her head, not wanting Ji Wujing to see her tear-streaked face.
Ji Wujing wiped the tears from her face with his palm. His cool palm touched her forehead, checking her temperature, which had gone down a bit.
He lowered his head and retied the half-untied belt at her waist. The long straps interlaced and tied into a bow. He tugged on the two hanging ends to make the bow’s wings symmetrical. Leisurely, he adjusted it while saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll have Ji Jingyi make you a new prescription, one that’s more effective than the needles. If he can’t come up with one, I’ll break his legs.”
Gu Jianli, somewhat in disbelief, instinctively said, “Don’t break his legs…”
“Go to sleep,” Ji Wujing said as he stood up. After a night of fussing, his body couldn’t take much more.
Gu Jianli looked towards the window. She had been in a daze all night and couldn’t tell what time it was, but it felt like dawn was approaching.
She looked up at Ji Wujing and hesitantly asked, “Really no needles?”
She still couldn’t believe Ji Wujing had changed his mind so quickly, especially since she hadn’t finished explaining her reasoning. Would he do it while she was asleep?
Ji Wujing suddenly smiled, causing him to cough lightly. He bent down, patted Gu Jianli’s head, and said, “Uncle doesn’t lie to children.”
Gu Jianli dodged his hand and lowered her head with an unnatural expression on her face.
Ji Wujing sat on the edge of the bed and said, “Still in a daze?”
Gu Jianli hurriedly climbed up from beside Ji Wujing, curling up facing inward. Her head was dizzy, but she couldn’t sleep at all. When she couldn’t sleep, her thoughts would wander. She remembered that back in her boudoir, she would occasionally hear the older women in the courtyard laughingly talk about how to handle men. She had overheard it by chance and had only caught a few sentences, thinking it was a bit inappropriate and didn’t listen further. Those few sentences she did hear had settled in the depths of her memory and suddenly resurfaced.
“Men need to be coaxed. People say women are unreasonable, but men are even more so. If you act sweet and coax them, they will pluck the stars from the sky for you.”
“Turn tough steel into soft fingers, that’s the key!”
Gu Jianli quietly reached out and touched her shoulder. It turned out she had really escaped a disaster.
The chickens kept by Nanny Lin in the backyard began to crow, signaling that dawn was indeed near.
“Fifth Master, are you asleep?” Gu Jianli asked cautiously.
“Asleep.”
Gu Jianli bit her lip and gently turned over to look at Ji Wujing’s outline in the dim light. She hesitated for a while, then her hand slowly emerged from the bright red wedding quilt, cautiously moving towards Ji Wujing’s hand. Finally, she lightly pinched his little finger with her thumb and forefinger and gave it a small shake.
Tentatively, Gu Jianli spoke, “I’ve been teaching Xinglan to write recently, is that okay?”
Ji Wujing remained silent.
Gu Jianli waited a moment and then said, “Can you discipline Xinglou a bit? He’s starting to go astray.”
Still no response from Ji Wujing.
Gathering her courage, Gu Jianli continued, “Xinglou has done many not-so-good things, but I think he’s intentionally trying to imitate you…”
Ji Wujing finally spoke hoarsely, “Xinglou imitating me and going astray means I’m bad.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Gu Jianli was so frightened that she immediately let go of his finger, and a tickle in her throat made her cough again.
Ji Wujing suddenly turned over, pulled his quilt over Gu Jianli, and then pulled her quilt aside to get in. He draped his long legs over Gu Jianli’s and placed his arm around her waist, even pulling her closer to him. They were now sharing two layers of quilts.
This overly intimate contact made Gu Jianli’s entire body stiffen. When she finally reacted, she tried to protest by slowly inching away.
With his eyes still closed, Ji Wujing frowned and pulled Gu Jianli fully into his arms, his voice cold and low, “If you keep moving, I’ll strip you naked.”
Gu Jianli didn’t dare move.
Ji Wujing didn’t open his eyes, but the image of Gu Jianli crying floated in his mind. After a pause, he lazily said, “It’s cold. Warm me up, will you?”
Gu Jianli hesitated for a moment, then tentatively placed her hand on Ji Wujing’s waist. Even through the layer of sleepwear, she could feel the coldness emanating from his body. Ji Wujing’s body always seemed cold. Was he very cold? Had he used her as a warm heater because she had a fever?
Gu Jianli thought that tomorrow she would ask Jixia to check the storeroom and find some hand warmers and foot warmers for Ji Wujing. They could be placed in his bed at night to keep him warm.
The medicine finally took effect, and with her eyelids heavy, Gu Jianli fell asleep in Ji Wujing’s arms in a somewhat awkward position.
By morning, the two patients in the room were still sleeping soundly, unaffected by the heavy snow and raging north wind outside the window.
Jixia tiptoed in several times. Each time, she saw her mistress sleeping in Ji Wujing’s arms, her expression changing subtly, filled with both shock and fear.
Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing slept until late afternoon the next day. When Gu Jianli woke up, she was groggy. She opened her eyes in a daze, staring at Ji Wujing’s close-up face for a long time without reacting.
Her chest felt a bit chilly. When she looked down, she saw that her collar was partly open, revealing a large area of her collarbone. She instinctively raised her hand to adjust it.
The sound disturbed the sleeping Ji Wujing, who made a sleepy nasal sound.
Gu Jianli paused her movements and looked up at Ji Wujing.
Ji Wujing’s face was pale, devoid of any blood color, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Was he exhausted from last night’s turmoil? His health was already so poor…
Gu Jianli’s hand slowly loosened from her chest.
The whole world said Ji Wujing was not a good person, and everyone feared him, including Gu Jianli. But compared to those ugly faces who took pleasure in her misfortune, Ji Wujing had not treated her that badly and had even helped her.
Carefully, Gu Jianli raised her hand and lightly touched Ji Wujing’s face with her fingertips. His face was so cold. She placed her palm on his face to warm him up.
Although she was determined to leave the Marquis of Guangping’s residence, the underhanded tactics of the Marquis had nothing to do with Ji Wujing. She was already married to Ji Wujing and was his wife. She should not detest or resist his touch; it would be too pretentious.
Since he did not have long to live, she would stay with him until his death. After he died, she would observe mourning for him for three years, as dictated by the rites.
This had nothing to do with love. Above love, there was conscience.
Yes, just three years. No more. Gu Jianli thought. She was supposed to get up, but as she thought about it, she drifted back to sleep.
While Gu Jianli was dozing off in Ji Wujing’s arms, Ji Xuanke was trudging through the thick snow, returning home a day early. This time, he was picking up relatives from the Zhao family, to whom the Old Madam’s sister was married. The Zhao family’s population had dwindled; three years ago, all the male members had died on the battlefield. After the three-year mourning period ended, the Old Madam and the Old Marquis decided to bring the sister’s family to Anjing for better care. Now, with the New Year approaching, they were bringing the Zhao family’s women to the residence to celebrate together. They were slowly sorting out housing, planning to move them out once the weather warmed up.
Ye Yunyue was a cousin from the Zhao family.
Back when the Old Madam saw how obedient and charming she was, she wanted to strengthen family ties through marriage and betrothed her to Ji Wujing when she was still a child.
“You’re back?” The Second Madam’s hand shook as she held the tea, and she quickly set down the cup, hastening to meet him.
The world was a blanket of white. Ji Xuanke wore a crane cloak over a stone-blue robe with dark cloud patterns, tied with a jade belt, and a jade buckle hung at his waist. That was a gift from Gu Jianli. He walked to the side, keeping some distance from the Zhao family’s women. Surrounded by the chirping women, his tall and slender figure stood out even more.
He had the unmatched elegance of youth, combined with an extraordinary handsomeness. He was as beautiful as jade and exuded a refined grace.
The First Madam and Nanny Song, who served the Old Madam, warmly received the Zhao family, guiding them towards the Old Madam’s main residence.
Ji Xuanke paused, slightly inclined his head towards Old Madam Zhao, and explained a couple of things. Old Madam Zhao nodded repeatedly. Ji Xuanke stepped aside, waiting until the Zhao family women followed the First Madam away before he moved towards the Second Madam’s residence.
The Second Madam stood under the eaves, watching her impressive son stride towards her, unable to suppress a satisfied smile. Her greatest achievement in life was having such an outstanding son.
But as Ji Xuanke approached, a trace of worry flashed in the Second Madam’s eyes.
“Mother, why are you standing outside?” Ji Xuanke stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at his mother with a smile. His smile, coupled with his refined features, brought a warmth like the gentle sun of April.
The Second Madam took two steps back, hurriedly saying, “In such cold weather, my son has worked hard. Come inside quickly to warm up!”
Ji Xuanke stepped forward, just setting foot on the first step when the jade buckle at his waist suddenly fell, landing in the snow. Ji Xuanke bent down, picked up the jade buckle, and carefully brushed off the snow with his thumb. As he gazed at the jade buckle, his eyes softened. He said, “Luckily, it didn’t break, or Nan Nan would be upset again.”
The term “Nan Nan” struck a chord of unease in the Second Madam’s heart. She looked at her son, opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Ji Xuanke had already come up the steps: “Mother?”
The Second Madam came back to her senses, smiling awkwardly and lowering her head.