As soon as she entered the courtyard, the crisp scent of peach blossoms rushed to meet her. Gu Shuang looked up and saw the man standing under the eaves in loose robes and slow steps, seeming to already know she was coming, with deep, quiet eyes looking at her.
The lingering glow of sunset spilled onto the handsome profile of the man, making that exquisite, peerless face indistinct.
"Why have you come to see me at this time?"
"I—"
Gu Shuang's heart almost jumped to her throat. Before she could finish speaking, she saw a slender figure emerge from behind Ye Qingchi.
"Miss Gu?"
The woman's voice was gentle, like a thread of light smoke. Looking at her brows and eyes, charming and full of feeling, her slender waist swaying lightly like a willow branch, she was a thorough beauty.
Gu Shuang's breath hitched. Awkwardness and inexplicable disappointment instantly climbed onto her heart.
She recognized this young lady. She was the daughter of the Marquess of Changning, the eldest legitimate daughter, whom she had met once at a spring banquet.
However, Li Tian was several years older than her, so they had only seen each other in passing, not interacted.
At the time, she had heard of Li's exploits—that the third young lady of the Li family had disguised herself as a man to gain admission to the Ye family's Nanshan Academy in order to become classmates with the Ye heir.
But she was no silly girl who only knew love. She had studied at Nanshan Academy for three years, reading the Four Books and Five Classics extensively, and was praised by Elder Ye for her talents in classics and history.
If her true gender had not been discovered, she might have passed the imperial examinations alongside the Young Master Ye.
Later she returned to the Marquess's manor, and Elder Ye had intended for his heir to marry her, but nothing had come of it after so many years. At over twenty years of age, the third young lady Li remained unmarried, for reasons unknown.
Gu Shuang had not been concerned with the affairs of the Marquess before. Seeing Li Tian in Ye Qingchi's courtyard made her feel rather complicated.
In the face of such an outstanding woman as Li Tian, Gu Shuang was ashamed of her own inferiority. She stiffly lowered her neck and hurriedly greeted the other woman.
Li Tian's mouth hooked into a bitter smile. She tilted her head for one last look at the man beside her. "Since Fourth Miss Gu has come to see you, I will take my leave first."
Gu Shuang caught the lingering attachment in Li Tian's eyes and silently pressed her lips together.
Ye Qingchi's gaze rested only on Gu Shuang's lowered little head. He absently murmured, "Mm."
Li Tian sighed, understanding that her feelings for Ye Qingchi would ultimately be in vain. She did not wait for him to ask her to stay and gathered her skirts to leave.
After she left, only Gu Shuang and Ye Qingchi remained in the courtyard.
Ye Qingchi looked amusingly at the little girl still standing in place. "Come inside to talk," he said lightly.
Gu Shuang came back to herself and quickly trotted after him.
The furnishings in the room were simple yet elegant. She was too nervous to take a closer look. It was her first time in a man's private chambers, and she felt rather apprehensive.
Ye Qingchi sat down on a low couch and looked up at her. "If I remember correctly, today is when I send the wedding gifts. Why aren't you home at this time?"
Gu Shuang lowered her head, not daring to look at him. "I came today to tell Brother that we don't have to marry."
Ye Qingchi's brows furrowed. "You are unwilling to marry me?"
Gu Shuang hurriedly waved her hands. Looking up sincerely, she said, "It's not like that. I just feel that I am unworthy of Brother. You need not wrong yourself for my reputation... Marriage is a lifelong matter, so Brother should marry someone he loves... It would be best not to delay any further..."
After blurting out her true thoughts in one breath, Gu Shuang nervously clenched her fists and waited quietly for the man to respond.
Indeed, it was getting late.
He was already impatient to take her into his arms.
But his upbringing meant he could not touch an unmarried young lady. Otherwise, he had ways of letting her know his feelings.
He looked at her with amusement. "You came today just to tell me this?"
Gu Shuang murmured weakly, "Mm..."
Ye Qingchi's lips curled. "Then who do you think I like?"
Gu Shuang froze stiffly. She had seen him together with Third Miss Li. Who else could he like?
Puzzled, she asked directly, "Isn't the one Brother admires Third Miss Li?"
Ye Qingchi raised a brow. "Who said that?"
Gu Shuang licked her lips. "I...I heard it from other young ladies."
Ye Qingchi nodded comprehendingly. "Don't listen to gossip from others about such matters again. Come ask me directly."
Gu Shuang couldn't grasp his meaning. She had come to call off the engagement, so how did it become about her prying into his business?
"Brother..."
He liked hearing her call him that. Ye Qingchi beckoned her over, pleased. "Gu Shuang, come here."
Gu Shuang's heart thumped. Obediently she assumed he had something important to tell her and trotted over.
The man pointed at the medicine box on the ebony desk. "Do you see that medicine box?"
"I see it." Gu Shuang was extremely obedient, thinking if she just went along with him, he would agree to her request.
"Open it and take out the golden sore medicine."
Gu Shuang immediately did as told, taking out the golden sore medicine and white gauze.
When she turned back around, she saw the man sitting properly on the couch. His outer robe had been taken off, the white inner robe dangling off one shoulder, revealing smooth, well-proportioned muscles and a broad chest.
She was shocked and her lips parted. She quickly spun back around, her little face instantly flushing red.
"What is it?"
"Brother, why aren't you wearing clothes?!" Gu Shuang was mortified.
She had never seen a man's body before. Even though she was engaged to Fu Xingzhi, she had not seen him undressed.
"Why would I wear clothes to change bandages?"
"But but but—I—"
"It's precisely because you're my fiancée that I'm letting you help change my bandages. Otherwise, would you let your husband show his body to other women?"
Gu Shuang's head buzzed loudly. "What...husband... Brother, don't speak nonsense."
Ye Qingchi looked at the little girl's tense, awkward back. His mouth curved into a faint smile. "My wounds are very serious. If you don't come over to change the bandages, I'm afraid our wedding really won't happen. Then who knows, it might become a funeral instead of a wedding. Your days would be even harder, destined to be a young widow before you've barely married. Is that what you want?"
As soon as she entered the courtyard, the crisp scent of peach blossoms rushed to meet her. Gu Shuang looked up and saw the man standing under the eaves in loose robes and slow steps, seeming to already know she was coming, with deep, quiet eyes looking at her.
The lingering glow of sunset spilled onto the handsome profile of the man, making that exquisite, peerless face indistinct.
"Why have you come to see me at this time?"
"I—"
Gu Shuang's heart almost jumped to her throat. Before she could finish speaking, she saw a slender figure emerge from behind Ye Qingchi.
"Miss Gu?"
The woman's voice was gentle, like a thread of light smoke. Looking at her brows and eyes, charming and full of feeling, her slender waist swaying lightly like a willow branch, she was a thorough beauty.
Gu Shuang's breath hitched. Awkwardness and inexplicable disappointment instantly climbed onto her heart.
She recognized this young lady. She was the daughter of the Marquess of Changning, the eldest legitimate daughter, whom she had met once at a spring banquet.
However, Li Tian was several years older than her, so they had only seen each other in passing, not interacted.
At the time, she had heard of Li's exploits—that the third young lady of the Li family had disguised herself as a man to gain admission to the Ye family's Nanshan Academy in order to become classmates with the Ye heir.
But she was no silly girl who only knew love. She had studied at Nanshan Academy for three years, reading the Four Books and Five Classics extensively, and was praised by Elder Ye for her talents in classics and history.
If her true gender had not been discovered, she might have passed the imperial examinations alongside the Young Master Ye.
Later she returned to the Marquess's manor, and Elder Ye had intended for his heir to marry her, but nothing had come of it after so many years. At over twenty years of age, the third young lady Li remained unmarried, for reasons unknown.
Gu Shuang had not been concerned with the affairs of the Marquess before. Seeing Li Tian in Ye Qingchi's courtyard made her feel rather complicated.
In the face of such an outstanding woman as Li Tian, Gu Shuang was ashamed of her own inferiority. She stiffly lowered her neck and hurriedly greeted the other woman.
Li Tian's mouth hooked into a bitter smile. She tilted her head for one last look at the man beside her. "Since Fourth Miss Gu has come to see you, I will take my leave first."
Gu Shuang caught the lingering attachment in Li Tian's eyes and silently pressed her lips together.
Ye Qingchi's gaze rested only on Gu Shuang's lowered little head. He absently murmured, "Mm."
Li Tian sighed, understanding that her feelings for Ye Qingchi would ultimately be in vain. She did not wait for him to ask her to stay and gathered her skirts to leave.
After she left, only Gu Shuang and Ye Qingchi remained in the courtyard.
Ye Qingchi looked amusingly at the little girl still standing in place. "Come inside to talk," he said lightly.
Gu Shuang came back to herself and quickly trotted after him.
The furnishings in the room were simple yet elegant. She was too nervous to take a closer look. It was her first time in a man's private chambers, and she felt rather apprehensive.
Ye Qingchi sat down on a low couch and looked up at her. "If I remember correctly, today is when I send the wedding gifts. Why aren't you home at this time?"
Gu Shuang lowered her head, not daring to look at him. "I came today to tell Brother that we don't have to marry."
Ye Qingchi's brows furrowed. "You are unwilling to marry me?"
Gu Shuang hurriedly waved her hands. Looking up sincerely, she said, "It's not like that. I just feel that I am unworthy of Brother. You need not wrong yourself for my reputation... Marriage is a lifelong matter, so Brother should marry someone he loves... It would be best not to delay any further..."
After blurting out her true thoughts in one breath, Gu Shuang nervously clenched her fists and waited quietly for the man to respond.
Indeed, it was getting late.
He was already impatient to take her into his arms.
But his upbringing meant he could not touch an unmarried young lady. Otherwise, he had ways of letting her know his feelings.
He looked at her with amusement. "You came today just to tell me this?"
Gu Shuang murmured weakly, "Mm..."
Ye Qingchi's lips curled. "Then who do you think I like?"
Gu Shuang froze stiffly. She had seen him together with Third Miss Li. Who else could he like?
Puzzled, she asked directly, "Isn't the one Brother admires Third Miss Li?"
Ye Qingchi raised a brow. "Who said that?"
Gu Shuang licked her lips. "I...I heard it from other young ladies."
Ye Qingchi nodded comprehendingly. "Don't listen to gossip from others about such matters again. Come ask me directly."
Gu Shuang couldn't grasp his meaning. She had come to call off the engagement, so how did it become about her prying into his business?
"Brother..."
He liked hearing her call him that. Ye Qingchi beckoned her over, pleased. "Gu Shuang, come here."
Gu Shuang's heart thumped. Obediently she assumed he had something important to tell her and trotted over.
The man pointed at the medicine box on the ebony desk. "Do you see that medicine box?"
"I see it." Gu Shuang was extremely obedient, thinking if she just went along with him, he would agree to her request.
"Open it and take out the golden sore medicine."
Gu Shuang immediately did as told, taking out the golden sore medicine and white gauze.
When she turned back around, she saw the man sitting properly on the couch. His outer robe had been taken off, the white inner robe dangling off one shoulder, revealing smooth, well-proportioned muscles and a broad chest.
She was shocked and her lips parted. She quickly spun back around, her little face instantly flushing red.
"What is it?"
"Brother, why aren't you wearing clothes?!" Gu Shuang was mortified.
She had never seen a man's body before. Even though she was engaged to Fu Xingzhi, she had not seen him undressed.
"Why would I wear clothes to change bandages?"
"But but but—I—"
"It's precisely because you're my fiancée that I'm letting you help change my bandages. Otherwise, would you let your husband show his body to other women?"
Gu Shuang's head buzzed loudly. "What...husband... Brother, don't speak nonsense."
Ye Qingchi looked at the little girl's tense, awkward back. His mouth curved into a faint smile. "My wounds are very serious. If you don't come over to change the bandages, I'm afraid our wedding really won't happen. Then who knows, it might become a funeral instead of a wedding. Your days would be even harder, destined to be a young widow before you've barely married. Is that what you want?"
