Ji Wujing squinted slightly, glanced at Gu Jianli, and lazily withdrew his gaze. He propped himself up on his elbow and slowly sat up. Gu Jianli hurriedly got up to help him, placing two pillows behind Ji Wujing for him to lean on comfortably.
“Is this more comfortable? Do you want another pillow? I think this should be good. Um, right. Do you want breakfast now? It’s been kept warm in the pot, but it’s been a while. If you think it’s not fresh, I’ll have Jixia make you a new one. The minced meat and mushroom porridge should be fine, but the side dishes should be made fresh. Is there anything particular you want to eat? We have some dried fish; the fish stew will be ready by noon. Is that okay? Should I have Jixia prepare it now, or do you want to freshen up first? Oh… also, you didn’t bring any clothes to change into, so I brought a set of my father’s clothes for you. They were tailored just before the New Year, and my father hasn’t worn them yet. You and my father are quite different in size, so they might be a bit loose on you, but can you make do with them for now? Or… should I have Changsheng go back to the residence to get your clothes? I did tell him, but he said without your orders, he didn’t dare leave and has been standing guard outside…”
Gu Jianli spoke gently, not in one breath, pausing occasionally to give Ji Wujing time to respond. However, Ji Wujing just lazily watched her, not saying a word.
Gu Jianli’s voice gradually lowered as she noticed Ji Wujing’s silence, and she sneaked a glance at him before quickly looking away.
“Finished?” Ji Wujing curled his lips, “Anything else you want to say? Is your father trying to kick me out?”
“No, no!” Gu Jianli hastily denied, “You can stay as long as you want!”
A flicker of surprise passed through Ji Wujing’s fox-like eyes. So, it wasn’t to get rid of him immediately?
Recalling how she usually pleaded with her father, Gu Jianli steeled herself, gripping Ji Wujing’s sleeve with a soft, sweet tone, “I accidentally killed someone again…”
Her hand slowly moved up Ji Wujing’s sleeve, finally mustering the courage to rest on his wrist.
She pleaded more softly and sweetly, “I don’t want to go to prison, let alone be beheaded. Can you help me, please?”
She gently shook Ji Wujing’s wrist.
Ji Wujing looked down at Gu Jianli’s small white hand gently shaking on his wrist.
Feeling Ji Wujing’s gaze, Gu Jianli mustered all her courage to keep from pulling her hand back. The back of her hand, under his stare, gradually grew cold and uncomfortable.
Gu Jianli felt she had done her best, but Ji Wujing remained silent, seemingly unwilling to help her. Her fingertips, resting on Ji Wujing’s wrist, trembled slightly, and she was about to pull her hand back. Suddenly, Ji Wujing spoke, “Who did you just say should help you?”
“You, of course.”
Gu Jianli immediately corrected herself when she met Ji Wujing’s half-smiling eyes, “Uncle, Uncle will help me.”
Ji Wujing smiled, lazily licking his lips. He reversed his wrist, causing Gu Jianli’s hand, which was resting on his wrist, to slide down onto the silk quilt. Ji Wujing grabbed her hand, playing with her soft white fingers with interest.
Gu Jianli frowned in discomfort, but she quickly suppressed this feeling, perhaps because this wasn’t the first time Ji Wujing had handled her this way.
“Did you really kill someone?” Ji Wujing asked leisurely.
Gu Jianli’s voice lowered with guilt, “A son’s debt is repaid by the father, so you can consider it as if I did it…”
Ji Wujing understood. Suddenly, he pulled her forcefully, bringing her in front of him. Gu Jianli, startled, instinctively placed her hands on Ji Wujing’s chest to avoid falling into his embrace.
…Would he be unhappy that she was avoiding him like this? Especially when she needed his help. Gu Jianli’s hands, pressed against Ji Wujing’s chest, started to soften.
Ji Wujing leaned close to her face, staring at her eyes from a close distance, and asked, “Is Uncle good?”
Gu Jianli’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“Yes…” She nodded, but her forehead bumped into Ji Wujing’s. Feeling awkward, she quietly turned her face away.
Ji Wujing laughed softly, playing with a strand of her hair twisted around his finger. He asked slowly, “What does ‘good uncle’ spell backwards?”
Gu Jianli knew he was teasing her on purpose again. But what could she do when she had willingly come to him for help?
“Good uncle…” Gu Jianli’s cheeks reddened, her voice as soft as a mosquito.
“Good girl.” Ji Wujing, satisfied, patted her head.
Ji Wujing felt that if he teased her any longer, the young girl might cry. Finally, he released Gu Jianli, leaning back a bit and adopting a normal tone, “Take me to see.”
“What?” Gu Jianli looked up at Ji Wujing, confused.
Ji Wujing paused, noticing the blush on her face.
Gu Jianli quickly realized and stood up, saying, “Alright, I’ll take you there now.”
She helped Ji Wujing out of bed, put his shoes on for him, and as they walked out, she quietly recounted the events.
Chen Jingshan’s body was placed in the woodshed, and the servant he had brought with him was squatting nearby, terrified and having wet his pants.
When Gu Jianli helped Ji Wujing over, her father, Gu Jingyuan, happened to arrive. Seeing his petite daughter supporting the tall Ji Wujing, Gu Jingyuan felt uncomfortable. —Such a tall person leaning on Gu Jianli’s shoulder must be very heavy!
Ji Wujing looked at the headless corpse on the ground and clicked his tongue in disdain. He lifted his eyelids to glance at Gu Jingyuan with a look of contempt, “This wound is hideous.”
Gu Jingyuan responded coldly, “As long as it’s dead, what’s the big deal?”
Ji Wujing lazily remarked, “This wound is so ugly that it doesn’t even resemble my handiwork. If this body were to be taken back to Xuanjing Sect, the juniors there would mock me for declining in skill.”
Gu Jingyuan was speechless. Killing didn’t need to be so elaborate. Ji Wujing had killed many, as had Gu Jingyuan. However, unlike Ji Wujing, Gu Jingyuan’s killings occurred on the battlefield with sweeping strikes from a long sword.
The words of Ji Wujing left Gu Jianli trembling with fear. Was there really an art to killing?
Ji Wujing glanced at Gu Jianli unintentionally and noticed that her previously adorable blush had vanished, leaving her face pale.
Was she scared by the corpse?
Ji Wujing suddenly remembered how dazed and foolish she looked after killing someone the last time.
“It’s too ugly, don’t look anymore, let’s go,” Ji Wujing said.
Gu Jianli, desperate to leave, quickly nodded and hurriedly supported Ji Wujing as they left the woodshed.
Changsheng was accustomed to following Ji Wujing like a shadow, always keeping a certain distance. When Ji Wujing entered a room, he waited outside. As Ji Wujing and Gu Jianli exited the woodshed and passed by Changsheng, Ji Wujing casually pointed at him and ordered, “Record the kill under your name.”
He then muttered, “Too ugly.”
It was an insult to his reputation.
“Yes!” Changsheng replied.
Gu Jianli was too frightened to speak. But in the next moment, she suddenly remembered something crucial. Worried, she asked, “But what about that servant…”
Changsheng patted his chest and said, “Madam, rest assured, I’ll handle it! In the hands of Xuanjing Sect, a living person can keep secrets even better than a dead one.”
Gu Jianli was stunned. She felt increasingly that Xuanjing Sect was truly terrifying!
When Gu Jianli helped Ji Wujing back to the room, Jixia had already laid out the meal. Ji Wujing hadn’t eaten breakfast, but now it was almost time for lunch, so he ended up eating both meals together.
Jixia had prepared the fish by cutting it into sections early in the morning, intending to stew it for lunch. While Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing were in the woodshed, she quickly stewed the fish.
After eating, Ji Wujing began to feel drowsy again. Not only drowsy but extremely fatigued, a consequence of his two deliberate episodes of coughing up blood that had left his body weak.
Gu Jianli helped Ji Wujing onto the bed to rest.
“I’ll call you when the meal is ready,” Gu Jianli said.
Ji Wujing responded with a soft “Hmm.”
Concerned about disturbing Ji Wujing, Gu Jianli adjusted the charcoal in the brazier to keep the room warm, then quietly left. She was worried about Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou, so she went to the next room and found that Gu Chuan was playing with them. In front of the two children, Gu Chuan acted like a little adult, competently taking care of them.
Gu Jianli thought for a moment and went to her sister’s room to check on the medicine. As expected, her sister’s medicine drawer was almost empty. She gave Jixia some silver and instructed her to go to the pharmacy to get some restorative medicine for her sister. Every evening, they would brew a bowl for her sister to drink. Although Gu Jianli had never given birth, she knew that even a minor postpartum recovery required good care.
Knowing that Ji Wujing would want a bath to relax when he woke up, she instructed Changsheng to prepare hot water at the right time.
Finally, she went to Madam Tao’s room to help sew spring clothes. The New Year had passed, and the warmer weather was approaching.
Ji Wujing slept through the afternoon and woke up on his own before Gu Jianli came to call him. As she had anticipated, he immediately wanted to take a bath upon waking.
The courtyard they were living in now was much larger than the previous one, but it was still a farmhouse and lacked a proper bathroom. They had repurposed a room as a communal bathing area for the family.
Gu Jianli had Changsheng prepare the bath water and helped Ji Wujing out of the room. The cold wind of the winter night felt particularly harsh. As they entered the steamy bathing room, the warmth was a welcome relief.
“What’s that smell?” Ji Wujing asked.
“Changsheng added some medicinal herbs to the water. He said you’ve used it before.”
Ji Wujing glanced at the bathwater and said nothing more. He began to undress.
Gu Jianli hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to help.
“No need.” Ji Wujing pushed her hand away, “You can leave.”
Noticing Ji Wujing’s lethargic expression, Gu Jianli understood that he often became suddenly listless and disinterested. After all, he was a moody person. Relieved that she didn’t have to help him undress, she quickly said, “Alright, I’ll check if Jixia has prepared dinner.”
Ji Wujing said nothing and continued undressing.
“I’ve put clean clothes on the table.”
He still didn’t respond, and by the time she finished speaking, he had already undressed and stepped into the bath.
Gu Jianli hurriedly left.
Ji Wujing soaked in the bath for a long time before feeling more refreshed. He glanced at the clothes Gu Jingyuan had provided and sneered.
Who would want to wear that old man’s clothes?
He went to the wardrobe, accurately finding the section where Gu Jianli’s clothes were kept, and pulled out one of her robes.
