Yue Qin froze for a moment, then shook his head, though fear flickered in his eyes. "The... the lord said it wouldn’t. But... but General Luo Mei looks terrifying..." As he spoke, he couldn’t help but shudder.
Mei Lin’s lips trembled slightly, but she said nothing, her gaze shifting to the window.
The courtyard where she now lived was built by the lake, and through the window, she could see the Pavilion of the Waning Moon, where Murong Jing He would often watch performances. At that moment, a solitary figure stood on the third floor, seemingly admiring the lake and mountain scenery.
Mei Lin lowered her eyes and leaned forward to close the window.
Murong Jing He truly wanted to let Mei Lin go. He knew that nothing could ever happen between them, so even though he was reluctant, he let her go. But he hadn’t anticipated the situation with the Gentleman Gu.
When that man mentioned needing the Gentleman Gu, Murong Jing He’s first thought was, if it came down to Luo Mei or Mei Lin, who would he choose? The answer should have been obvious, but in that moment, a murderous intent rose within him. The intensity of it shocked him, making him break out in a cold sweat. He thought he must be going mad. Fortunately, the man said it would only be used as a catalyst and wouldn’t harm anyone.
He sent his men to find Mei Lin, while he himself brought Luo Mei and the mysterious man back to the capital. Just as they arrived in Zhao Jing, he received word of Mei Lin’s exact location and immediately rushed to the Old Bandit Village. He didn’t even dare to examine the true reason behind his urgency—whether it was because he wanted to see Mei Lin or because he was worried about Luo Mei. However, when he entered that familiar little courtyard and saw the woman smiling as she walked toward him, all his rational thoughts and concerns vanished in an instant. At that moment, all he wanted was to hold the woman, who had become so thin she was barely recognizable, tightly in his arms and never let go.
It was almost laughable. He had endured and secretly plotted for years, now regaining military power. He had even obtained the Tibetan King’s military seal by accident, bringing the Tibetan army and the descendants of the original Bingdao faction under his command. He had conquered Southern Yue and was riding high, yet the only place he could find a peaceful sleep was in a remote mountain village, by her side. It was truly ironic.
But now that the grand plan was coming to fruition, there was no turning back. He had long since burned all his bridges.
Murong Jing He watched as the young boy cozied up to her, watched as she lowered her head to mend his clothes, watched as she noticed his gaze and stood up to close the window. His hand, resting on the balcony railing, clenched slightly, but in the end, he did nothing.
Mei Lin didn’t take the antidote. The pockmarked doctor had warned her that for someone like her, with the Gentleman Gu inside, the antidote was akin to a death sentence. When she had asked for it back then, it was partly out of a lingering hope, but mostly to make it clear that she was no longer his servant. She thought, maybe one day, she would take the medicine.
The day after arriving at the palace, she saw the mysterious man Yue Qin had mentioned. When she saw him, she was stunned. The situation seemed absurd, beyond absurd—this man looked exactly like the one they had seen in the jade coffin underground.
“I am Wu,” the man introduced himself, speaking in a language with difficult pronunciation. But he was truly handsome. Even dressed in rough hemp clothes and straw shoes, speaking words that were hard to understand, he was still the most handsome person Mei Lin had ever seen.
Wu said that his people called him the Grand Wu. However, his people were neither from Southern Yue nor any known tribe. He didn’t speak much to begin with, and since Mei Lin couldn’t understand him, he spoke even less. Only when necessary, he would patiently repeat simple phrases until she understood.
When he met Mei Lin, he seemed very pleased, not minding her awkwardness at all. His wise eyes smiled, carrying a calming energy like that of bamboo, putting her at ease. He listened to her speak with a focused expression, then suddenly reached out to touch her neck, gently probing between her chin and throat.
Mei Lin was startled at first, but then she felt a warm energy slowly seep into her skin, wrapping around her throat. After a moment, the energy receded like water.
Wu released her, holding out his palm. What should have been a smooth, jade-like surface was now covered in a layer of black, inky substance.
Mei Lin touched her throat, which now felt incredibly comfortable, and stared blankly at his hand. It wasn’t until he smiled and withdrew his hand that she snapped back to reality.
“You…” The long-lost clarity of her voice startled even her. For a long time, she couldn’t believe it, feeling as if it were all a dream.
Wu smiled, took out a rough hemp cloth to wipe his hand clean, and gestured for Mei Lin to follow him before leading the way out.
Without realizing it, Mei Lin touched her throat again, her heart suddenly pounding. The path ahead, which had seemed so dark, now seemed to hold a glimmer of hope.
Following Wu, she was led to the ice cellar in the royal palace, where she saw Luo Mei. The cold air hit her as she entered, but she didn’t feel it. However, when she saw Luo Mei frozen in ice, she couldn’t help but shudder, quickly turning her gaze to Wu, where the eerie feeling finally eased.
Luo Mei’s body was covered with a thin layer of gauze, but it did little to conceal her graceful figure or the countless tiny holes that covered her icy skin, even marring her face.
Mei Lin dared not think further and kept her eyes on Wu’s serene face until the tension in her chest eased. Only then did she notice that Murong Jing He had silently arrived and stood behind her. The words she had intended to speak to Wu were swallowed back down as she lowered her gaze, pretending not to have seen him.
Wu didn’t seem to notice Murong Jing He’s arrival, or perhaps he had known all along that he was following them. Either way, he showed no reaction, speaking slowly, “The blood Gu fears the Gentleman Gu. Therefore, only by using the Gentleman Gu to break the ice will this young woman not be devoured. But to completely draw out the Gu from her body will take time—it cannot be accomplished overnight.”
Upon hearing the mention of drawing out the Gu, Mei Lin couldn’t help but imagine herself ending up like Luo Mei. Her face paled.
A hand suddenly reached over, resting on her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. Mei Lin frowned, intending to pull away, but Wu began speaking again, forcing her to focus. Although she didn’t want to admit it, the warmth from behind her and the loose grip around her waist distracted her, keeping her from dwelling too much on the terrifying image.
“You carry the scent of the Gentleman Gu,” Wu continued, though Mei Lin initially thought he was addressing her. But when she realized his gaze was directed behind her, she understood he was speaking to Murong Jing He. How could Murong Jing He have the scent of the Gentleman Gu? Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of concern showing in her eyes, even if she wasn’t fully aware of it.
0 Comments