Ji Wujing bent down, leaning closer to Gu Jianli’s face. He stared into her bright, autumn-water-like eyes and said unhurriedly, “Hmm, Gu Jianli, Ji Zhao remembers.”
He was so close that he was almost touching Gu Jianli’s face.
Gu Jianli smelled the scent of fish.
She lightly pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to back away. Her hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. She said, “You’ve been in a deep sleep these past days. The mansion made this engagement decision without your consent. You knew nothing about it beforehand, so you’re not willing…”
“I am willing.” Ji Wujing interrupted Gu Jianli. He slowly curved one side of his mouth into a smile. “Waking up to find a beauty by my side, why wouldn’t I be willing?”
Gu Jianli was stunned. The words she had prepared instantly vanished from her mind, and she stammered, “Be-because the mansion didn’t ask for your opinion…”
Ji Wujing let out a mocking laugh.
“I, Ji Zhao, have a notorious reputation. No one in the capital dares to marry me. But I am obsessed with beauty and only want the most beautiful woman in the world.” His bent index finger slowly slid across Gu Jianli’s soft, snow-white cheek as he asked with a smile, “Are you beautiful?”
Her cheek tingled where his finger had slid. Finally, Gu Jianli saw the mischief in Ji Wujing’s eyes.
He was doing it on purpose!
Gu Jianli’s chest rose and fell slightly as she suppressed her anger. She said earnestly, “My sister and I are known as the Twin Jades of Anjing, and it is said that our looks surpass those of the daughters in the capital, so I should be considered beautiful.”
“Heh…” Ji Wujing laughed deeply. He lowered his head slightly, his forehead touching Gu Jianli’s brow. As he laughed softly, Gu Jianli could feel the slight tremor on her forehead.
Gu Jianli’s face suddenly turned red.
Ji Wujing stepped back a bit and patted Gu Jianli’s head, smiling as he said, “Little girl, are you even fourteen yet? Or thirteen?”
“I’ve come of age!”
“Oh?” Ji Wujing’s gaze swept over Gu Jianli’s slender waist.
“Just yesterday!” Gu Jianli’s dark eyes shifted slightly to one side, glancing at the window from the corner of her eye. The sky was bright, and the pale morning light shone through the side of the hanging curtain.
She corrected herself, “…The day before yesterday.”
Ji Wujing just smiled without speaking. He changed to a more comfortable position, with one long leg bent and the other stretched out, his long hand resting casually on his knee.
Gu Jianli looked at his dangling long hand, thinking that this large hand could easily twist her neck off…
She secretly glanced at Ji Wujing’s expression, mustering up the courage to tentatively ask, “Fifth Master, do you have any plans? If you are dissatisfied with this marriage, perhaps you could write a timely divorce letter. Or maybe… hmm, just make do with it?”
The hand hidden in her sleeve clenched even tighter.
Ji Wujing watched Gu Jianli, clearly terrified yet pretending to be calm, much like a child imitating an adult. It was so amusing that he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Gu Jianli’s brows knitted together bit by bit. The rumors about Fifth Master Ji being not only cruel and ruthless but also eccentric were evidently true.
However, Gu Jianli hadn’t finished speaking. She braced herself and continued, “But the mansion might not allow me to stay…”
Gu Jianli couldn’t make her intentions too obvious. She thought that with just this remark, Ji Wujing would understand that the Guangping Marquis Mansion already regarded him as dead.
Wasn’t it said that Fifth Master Ji held grudges? Perhaps he would remember this slight.
Gu Jianli had considered that if Ji Wujing woke up, she would anger him so that he would dismiss her and send her back home. But after seeing the entire Guangping Marquis Mansion, both old and young, rushing to visit Ji Wujing last night, and even the imperial physician coming from the palace to treat him in the middle of the night, Gu Jianli changed her mind. She thought she might use Ji Wujing’s influence to clear her father’s name.
Ji Wujing naturally understood Gu Jianli’s implied meaning. In fact, he had already guessed it without her saying a word. Nonetheless, he still found it amusing to watch her trying to act clever in earnest.
Suddenly, Ji Wujing asked, “Do you know what your father usually calls me?”
Gu Jianli’s heart skipped a beat. She had indeed heard her father talk about Ji Wujing. On that day, her father had been furious, cursing Ji Wujing as a “madman.”
She decided to pretend she didn’t know.
“Brother,” Ji Wujing provided the answer himself.
Gu Jianli breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Ji Wujing and her father had no enmity; any conflict would have been troublesome.
“So,” Ji Wujing smiled brightly, “you should call me uncle. Come on, say it for me.”
Gu Jianli’s eyes met Ji Wujing’s sly, fox-like gaze. Once again, she saw the mischief in his eyes.
He was doing it on purpose again!
Ji Wujing made a surprised sound, “Huh,” and said, “Your father actually allowed you to marry this madman? Was he caught, or has he lost his mind?”
“My father was injured in prison and hasn’t woken up yet…” Gu Jianli’s eyes darkened instantly.
Ji Wujing casually responded with an “Oh” and asked offhandedly, “What crime did that stubborn old man commit?”
“Com-com… My father is innocent!” Gu Jianli defended.
Ji Wujing smiled nonchalantly, a hint of excitement flickering in his fox-like eyes. He said slowly, “When that old man wakes up and finds out his daughter married me, he might just die of anger.”
Over the past three months, Gu Jianli had learned many things, especially patience. But when it came to her father, she couldn’t bear it.
Halfway suppressing her anger, she glared at Ji Wujing with a hint of annoyance, softly saying, “You should address my father as ‘father-in-law.'”
Ji Wujing laughed carelessly and said, “That’s too troublesome. I might as well return his daughter.”
Gu Jianli was momentarily stunned, a bit confused. Her mouth opened slightly, her eyes showing a mix of shock and panic.
Ji Wujing was reminded of a fawn lost in the woods, playing with it while holding a bow, pushing it into a state of panic. Pushing too hard all at once wouldn’t be fun.
Ji Wujing extended his hand to Gu Jianli.
Gu Jianli looked a bit bewildered.
“The water is getting cold,” Ji Wujing said.
Gu Jianli blinked slowly, her panic shifting from one form to another. She quickly lowered her head, looking away. A blush crept up her cheeks. She stood up, glancing down at her toes, frowning slightly before adjusting her feet. She then supported Ji Wujing by his forearm, helping him down from the bed.
As Ji Wujing got off the bed, most of his weight leaned on Gu Jianli. Just as he was about to take a step, he heard Gu Jianli softly say, “Wait a moment…”
Ji Wujing glanced at her.
“My-my legs are numb…”
She had squatted for too long, and now her legs were tingling and unable to move.
Gu Jianli kept her head down, waiting for the numbness in her legs to pass. Ji Wujing raised his eyebrows, watching her side profile with interest from a close distance.
With her eyes lowered, Gu Jianli looked obedient and gentle. However, in her hidden eyes, her dark pupils darted around, impatient with how slow time seemed to move and how the numbness in her legs wouldn’t fade quickly. She was annoyed by Ji Wujing staring at her, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.
This man’s eyes are really annoying!
Gu Jianli waited until the numbness in her legs subsided before she said seriously, “Alright.” She then, with a stoic expression, helped Ji Wujing into the western room.
The western room was not large, and the entire place was filled with steam. As soon as Gu Jianli stepped inside, her cheeks flushed even more.
Ji Wujing let go of Gu Jianli and placed his hand on the edge of the bath barrel, using it to support himself as he stood.
Gu Jianli took small steps to Ji Wujing’s front, head lowered, and began to untie the belt of his snow-colored nightwear. Her fingers, slender and white, struggled with the knot at Ji Wujing’s waist.
The first attempt failed, causing her fingers to tremble slightly. As a result, it became even harder to untie.
Gu Jianli felt a bit embarrassed. Ji Wujing, with a hint of amusement, watched her as if enjoying a show, making no move to help. Even though Gu Jianli didn’t look at Ji Wujing, she knew he was watching her because his gaze felt like a cold, creeping snake.
Gu Jianli complained softly, “There isn’t even a servant in Fifth Master’s courtyard.”
“There are, but since you came, Changsheng can’t enter the inner residence. So, this task falls to you.”
Gu Jianli gently bit her lip, her hands freezing in place. In her nervousness, she had accidentally tied Ji Wujing’s belt into a dead knot.
Suddenly, she turned and walked to a cabinet on the side. Squatting down, she rummaged through it and finally found a pair of scissors. With a “snip,” she cut open Ji Wujing’s belt.
The front of his robe slipped off, revealing Ji Wujing’s chest. Gu Jianli quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to look. She closed her eyes, placing her hands on Ji Wujing’s waist, feeling for the belt. She soon found the two straps and fumbled to untie them.
Ji Wujing quietly extended his hand, his slender finger slipping into the belt and gently lifting it to prevent Gu Jianli from tying another dead knot.
Hearing Ji Wujing’s pants drop to the floor, Gu Jianli kept her eyes closed and quickly turned around to avoid seeing anything inappropriate.
Ji Wujing thought of saying something but, seeing Gu Jianli’s tense shoulders, decided against it. He placed his hand on her shoulder, using her for support as he stepped into the bath.
When Ji Wujing’s hand rested on her shoulder, Gu Jianli felt as if a thousand pounds weighed down on her. But as soon as he let go, she felt a sense of relief. Hearing the sound of water behind her, her cheeks blushed even more. She took small steps forward and sat in a chair facing away from Ji Wujing.
Time dragged on painfully.
Gu Jianli kept her head down, looking at her broken thumbnail, the area around it bruised. She slightly opened her mouth and gently sucked on the wound.
The sound of the water behind her unsettled her. She desperately tried to think of other things to distract herself. She wondered how her father was doing now—had he improved? She also worried if those who had kicked them while they were down had continued to bully her stepmother and brother…
As she thought, Gu Jianli’s eyelashes trembled and then slowly closed. After a sleepless night and so many events, the warm steam in the small bathroom lulled her to sleep. Unknowingly, she dozed off, leaning against the back of the chair.
When Ji Wujing, dressed in clean snow-colored nightwear, walked over to Gu Jianli, he didn’t wake her.
As she slept, Gu Jianli’s light pink lips were slightly parted, and her long eyelashes cast crescent-shaped shadows on her cheeks. Her skin, already pale and smooth, appeared even more delicate with the light moisture from the steam, giving her a serene and ethereal look.