Gu Fu made a casual remark and didn’t expect the Imperial Preceptor to actually agree.
The cool and smooth strands of hair fell into Gu Fu’s hands. The usually bold Gu Fu didn’t dare to pull too hard for fear of hurting the Imperial Preceptor’s scalp.
The carriage was fully equipped, so it even had combs and silk ribbons for tying hair.
Gu Fu recalled the childhood days when she and Mu Qingyao would braid each other’s hair. Based on her memory, she made a three-strand braid for the Imperial Preceptor. However, due to her inexperience, it didn’t look very good and seemed to ruin the silky hair.
Feeling guilty, Gu Fu untied the ribbon and tried again.
She fussed with the hair three or four times along the way but still couldn’t make a decent braid. During this time, the Imperial Preceptor sat quietly with his back to Gu Fu, neither urging nor questioning her.
Seeing they were about to arrive at their destination, Gu Fu decided to comb the Imperial Preceptor’s hair smoothly, wrap the ribbon around it a few times, and tie it tightly.
“Done!” Gu Fu clapped her hands in a serious manner.
The Imperial Preceptor, who had let Gu Fu fuss with his hair, finally turned around, put his hood back on, and covered half of his face.
Wen Xi booked a private room at Yunlai Pavilion, which was in an excellent location. From time to time, colorful floats could be seen parading down the street, making it a busy area where carriages couldn’t enter and had to stop at the street’s entrance.
As Gu Fu got off the carriage, she inadvertently met the driver’s gaze. She felt that the driver was looking at her strangely, not with resentment for having been thrown off earlier, but more with… awe?
The driver struggled to turn the carriage around amidst the throngs of people. Gu Fu was about to ask the Imperial Preceptor why they only brought one driver when suddenly a man and a woman appeared, standing behind the Imperial Preceptor.
The man and woman were dressed as servants, and it was unclear where they had been hiding before suddenly appearing, which was quite startling.
Gu Fu hesitated, “Your people?”
The Imperial Preceptor nodded.
The group led their horse towards Yunlai Pavilion. They passed a bridge that was even more crowded than the streets. As Gu Fu walked onto the bridge, she suddenly heard the sound of someone falling into the water nearby, followed by exclamations from people on the shore, “Someone fell into the water!”
Gu Fu wanted to help, but the bridge was too crowded. If she pushed her way through, she might accidentally push someone else into the river. Fortunately, there were many people by the river, and the person who fell in was quickly rescued.
Gu Fu looked at the Imperial Preceptor beside her. Although he had two servants protecting him, he was still being jostled by the crowd. His hood covered his eyes, making it hard to see his expression, but his unchanged lower face suggested that he remained calm and unperturbed.
Gu Fu always fantasized about seeing the Imperial Preceptor lose his composure and fall from his lofty demeanor. However, seeing him surrounded by the crowd, she felt somewhat unhappy. So, she reached through the wide sleeve of the Imperial Preceptor’s robe, grabbed his hand, and pulled him behind her to clear a path for him.
The Imperial Preceptor looked at Gu Fu, who was shorter than him, and said, “No need.” But it was too noisy around them, and Gu Fu didn’t hear him.
She must not have heard him; after all, if she said she didn’t hear, then she didn’t hear.
They finally managed to get off the bridge after much effort. Gu Fu didn’t let go of the Imperial Preceptor’s hand and instead remarked, “No wonder Qingyao refused to go out today.”
There were indeed far more people today than yesterday.
So, she decided to keep holding his hand to avoid getting separated in the crowd.
The Imperial Preceptor didn’t say anything, but the two servants following him looked at Gu Fu with the same awe as the driver had earlier.
…
At Yunlai Pavilion.
Wen Xi had been waiting in a private room on the second floor and was surprised to see that Gu Fu had brought an extra person.
Gu Fu naturally introduced the Imperial Preceptor to Wen Xi, saying, “He’s my friend. We met on the way, so I brought him along.”
Then she turned to the Imperial Preceptor and said, “He’s the young master of the Changning Marquis household.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, a waiter knocked on the door to ask if they should start serving the food.
Gu Fu asked Wen Xi, “Is anyone else coming?”
Wen Xi shook his head, as he had only invited Gu Fu and Gu Zhu today.
So, Gu Fu told the waiter, “Serve the dishes. Oh, and send someone to Jinchan Xuan to buy some pastries.”
With that, she tossed a piece of silver to the waiter.
The waiter caught the silver and promptly responded, “Got it.”
They all took their seats, and soon, a dozen dishes were brought in, along with the restaurant’s signature wine. However, Gu Fu, as usual, found the taste too mild and put it down after just one sip.
Among the four of them, excluding the servants, two were not talkative. Thus, the meal was mostly filled with the conversation between Gu Fu and Wen Xi.
Not long after, Wen Xi, under the pretext of watching the flower floats downstairs, called Gu Fu to the window and whispered, “Second Brother, I have something I need your advice on.”
Gu Fu had anticipated that Wen Xi wasn’t just inviting her for a meal, so she wasn’t surprised. “Go ahead.”
Blushing, Wen Xi said, “There’s a girl I like, but she’s been very cold to me lately. She doesn’t reply to my letters. I must have upset her. Do you know how I can get her to forgive me?”
Gu Fu was a bit puzzled, wondering why Wen Xi thought she could handle matters of romantic conflict.
What Gu Fu didn’t know was that Wen Xi’s three older brothers were all awkward and difficult, causing him to grow up without experiencing the usual care from older siblings. When he met Gu Fu, she not only helped him break free from an arranged marriage but also cleared up many confusions he had never noticed before.
Naturally, he transferred the dependence he had never entrusted to his brothers to Gu Fu. Moreover, he believed that Gu Fu, being a woman, would better understand a woman’s thoughts, which is why he sought her advice today.
Gu Fu initially wanted to say she had no idea, but seeing Wen Xi’s innocent and expectant eyes, she reluctantly asked, “What did you do to upset her?”
Wen Xi hesitated for a moment before telling Gu Fu, “She was originally from the capital. Recently, due to some issues, she had to leave. Before she left, she wrote me a letter full of longing for the capital and mentioned that as the New Year approached, while families were reuniting, she would be alone outside, feeling cold and desolate. But at that time, I was being pressured by my family to get married, so I thought it would be nice to leave the capital too. I wrote back, telling her not to worry and that I would come to find her in a while. Looking back now, I realize she was probably hoping I could help her stay. I was too foolish to see that.”
Gu Fu listened and felt this situation sounded familiar. To avoid any misunderstanding, she asked another question, “Do you know what issue forced her to leave the capital?”
This time, Wen Xi hesitated for a long time before deciding to come clean. “I’ll be frank. She’s the seventh daughter of the Earl of Lin’an’s household. She accidentally pushed your cousin into the water and was reprimanded by an imperial decree, which is why she had to leave the capital. But she told me it wasn’t intentional, so I wonder… could there have been a misunderstanding?”
The more Wen Xi spoke, the softer his voice became. He was afraid that Gu Fu would get angry and leave, so he subconsciously grabbed Gu Fu’s sleeve, looking particularly anxious.
However, Gu Fu did not get angry. She let Wen Xi hold her sleeve and asked, “Have you visited her?”
Wen Xi shook his head, looking down. “No.”
Gu Fu said, “Then you should go see her. Explanations in letters can often fall short. Talking face-to-face can better convey your feelings.”
Wen Xi lifted his head and looked at Gu Fu with wide eyes, realizing that Gu Fu was giving him advice. He immediately beamed and said, “Great!”
Gu Fu also smiled, but her smile seemed a bit more nuanced. “Remember to surprise her. It’s best to write in your letter that you don’t have time to visit her soon, then show up unexpectedly when she thinks you’ve forgotten her. She’ll be very happy.”
Wen Xi nodded eagerly. “Uh-huh, I’ll remember that.”
At this moment, the waiter from Yunlai Pavilion brought in pastries from Jinchan Xuan. Gu Fu noticed a dish she had enjoyed before, ‘A Boat of Dreams Weighing Down the Milky Way’,and immediately placed the beautifully presented flower jelly in front of the Imperial Preceptor, inviting him to try it.
Like Gu Fu, the Imperial Preceptor had never tried this before and didn’t know to spread the red bean paste on top first. He took a bite directly and found the taste to be just okay.
Gu Fu, imitating Mu Qingyao, spread the red bean paste with a spoon and urged the Imperial Preceptor to try another bite.
The Imperial Preceptor complied, and Gu Fu asked, “How is it?”
The Imperial Preceptor remained as calm as ever. “It’s alright.”
Alright then.
Not getting the reaction she wanted, Gu Fu felt a bit disappointed but also unsurprised.
After finishing the meal, the group dispersed. The crowd outside was overwhelming, making Gu Zhu feel very uncomfortable. She wanted to return to her small courtyard to relax. Moreover, Wen Xi had to accompany his family to the palace in the evening, so he couldn’t stay out too long.
The Imperial Preceptor, as he had mentioned, returned to Qitian Tower after seeing Gu Fu back to the manor.
There was a banquet in the palace that night, and the entire Changning Marquis family had to attend, including the Imperial Preceptor.
The servants at Qitian Tower had prepared hot water for the Imperial Preceptor’s bath. He undressed and casually untied the small braid that Gu Fu had made for him.
Warm bathwater soaked into his skin, with his silver-white hair floating on the surface.
Reflecting on his recent outing, the Imperial Preceptor felt foolish. How could he have thought that his restful sleep that night was connected to Gu Fu? Gu Fu was a person, not a medicine, and couldn’t possibly cure his insomnia.
After his bath, he changed into fresh clothes. Seeing that it was still early, he initially planned to review the reports from the secret archives. But for some reason, he didn’t and instead went back to bed.
He ended up sleeping through the entire afternoon and evening, even missing the Lantern Festival banquet.
Upon waking up and seeing the morning light outside his window, his usually expressionless face showed a rare trace of surprise.
He summoned a young attendant and learned that he had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down. In the evening, when the palace sent someone to urge him to come, the emperor, upon hearing that he was finally sleeping well, not only refrained from waking him but also ordered the roads around Qitian Tower to be sealed off to avoid any noise from the float parade disturbing him.
The Imperial Preceptor listened quietly for a while before giving an order: “Send someone to Gu’s residence in Quyu Alley and invite Marquis Gu over.”
The young attendant responded and left.
Before long, Gu Fu arrived, dressed in men’s clothing. It was her first time visiting Qitian Tower in broad daylight. She stood by the railing, enjoying the breeze, when the Imperial Preceptor asked, “Do you have something that others don’t?”
Gu Fu didn’t understand, and habitually joked, “A sense of righteousness.”
The Imperial Preceptor was speechless, thinking he shouldn’t have asked.
Seeing his reaction, Gu Fu cleared her throat and asked seriously, “What do you need me for?”
She had heard from Gu Qizheng that the Imperial Preceptor didn’t attend the banquet last night, and the emperor had even sealed off the streets around Qitian Tower, which sounded quite alarming.
The Imperial Preceptor didn’t tell Gu Fu that being with her cured his insomnia. Instead, he said, “After curfew, come to me.”
Gu Fu raised an eyebrow. “Every day?”
The Imperial Preceptor nodded. “Every day.”
“Why?” Gu Fu asked.
The Imperial Preceptor replied, “I’ll tell you later.”
He needed more time to further confirm Gu Fu’s effect on his insomnia.
Gu Fu didn’t press for the reason and instead asked another question, “Is there a reward?”
The Imperial Preceptor said, “You name it.”
As long as it wasn’t too excessive, he could grant whatever Gu Fu sought for the Gu family.
Unexpectedly, Gu Fu slapped her thigh and said, “Listen to me play the konghou. I recently learned it.”
“Is that all?” The Imperial Preceptor was surprised by the simplicity of her request.
“It’s not like you asked me for anything major,” Gu Fu leaned against the railing, sighing. “And for some reason, every time I play the konghou, Qingyao always says she’s busy and can’t stay to listen. My eldest and third brothers avoid me, my fourth sister rarely pays attention to me, my fifth sibling is too young to sit still, and although my grandmother listened a few times, she stopped seeing me when I brought the konghou. I guess my family doesn’t like konghou music.”
The Imperial Preceptor paused slightly while drinking his tea, then set down the cup and looked at Gu Fu.
Gu Fu felt a bit itchy under his beautiful gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
The Imperial Preceptor lowered his eyes and said calmly, “I don’t think it’s the konghou’s problem.”
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