Chapter 5 The Fragrance - Kissing Within Five Days

Cangwu Mountain is located in the south of the city. It has a quiet environment and beautiful scenery. One of its waterfalls is the most famous and is loved by literati.

Yu Wenxue looked at her empty purse with a pained expression. She didn't have much silver in total, and now she was even more penniless.

In order to arrive at Cangwu Mountain before Gu Rongting's carriage, she spent a fortune to rent the fastest carriage. She did not expect the price to be so expensive, which emptied most of her purse in one go.

It seems she'll have to find a way to earn some money in her spare time.

Looking at the remaining ninety-nine steps ahead, Yu Wenxue took a deep breath.

Little Snowflake, keep it up!

It took about two incense sticks' worth of time to climb from the foot of the mountain to the pavilion halfway up. It was beautiful, but you had to take out your handkerchief to wipe away sweat every now and then.

Yu Wenxue couldn't help but think to herself: No wonder Gu Rongting and Lin Qingwan have been dragging things out for so long. What man would choose to go hiking on his first date with a girl?

His meticulously designed clothes and accessories, and his perfectly crafted makeup, were all ruined by a mountain climb. No wonder he still can't get married even after a hundred chapters!

Calculating the time, there was still a little while before Gu Rongting would appear. She was exhausted and sat down on the bench to fan herself with her hand.

She was covered in sweat from climbing the mountain, and the ancient clothes were extremely cumbersome. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she rolled up her sleeves and trouser legs to cool herself down.

Fortunately, I had brought a water bag with me, otherwise, in this desolate wilderness, hot and thirsty, I would have been dried into a sweet potato before I even finished my mission.

More and more people appeared at the foot of the mountain. After a series of preparations were completed, Yu Wenxue hid to the side and waited for the rabbit to come to her.

Soon, the Lin family's carriage stopped, and Lin Qingwan got out of the carriage with the help of her maid, raising a fan to shield herself from the scorching sun.

Yu Wenxue pouted and sighed again at Gu Rongting, that straight man, who had made the fairy-like girl blush from the sun!

She kicked at the pebbles at her feet listlessly, and waited for a long time, but Gu Rongting still did not appear.

As she continued downhill, Lin Qingwan had already started heading up the mountain. There were two paths leading up the mountain, one to the east and one to the west, and she chose the eastern path.

Not far behind her was a very familiar-looking person.

How did that villain Gu Yun Shen end up following us?

The young man was dressed in black, with a cold gaze, which perfectly matched his handwriting.

Yu Wenxue shuddered.

As if sensing someone watching him from above, Gu Yun Shen slightly raised his eyelids.

It's her.

He tightened the silver needle hidden in his sleeve, slowly turned a corner, and embarked on the road to the west.

It seems there are things more interesting than killing.

Yu Wenxue immediately lowered her head to avoid his gaze.

He suddenly appeared at this time; he couldn't possibly say that he came to enjoy the spring scenery, could he?

Gu Yunshen never does anything meaningless; everything he does is purposeful.

This is the evaluation of him in the original book.

On the other side, Gu Rongting emerged from behind the mountain, holding an account book in his hand, his brows furrowed as he read. Looking up, he saw Yu Wenxue leaning over the railing, peering down.

Gu Rongting was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Cousin Wenxue, are you here for a spring outing too?"

Hearing someone call her name suddenly, Yu Wenxue almost fell off the railing.

In a moment of panic, she grabbed a nearby pillar and said with an embarrassed smile, "Yes, cousin, what a coincidence! Have you eaten yet?"

Gu Rongting quickly put away the ledger, stepped forward to support her swaying body, and said, "I ate here, were you alone?"

"I......"

Before she could answer, Gu Rongting also saw Gu Yunshen and waved down, "Xun Han is here too?"

"Looks like today's a good day, everyone's out having fun, hahaha." He seemed to remember something, his eyes lighting up as he grinned, "Cousin, did you perhaps arrange to come with Xun Han?"

You're kidding me!

You're so clever! He might very well be here to kill you, you know?

Yu Wenxue suddenly stood up and noticed the sachet at his waist. She was immediately furious and, ignoring her dizzy vision and numb legs, snatched the sachet away.

Unexpectedly, he tied the sachet in a tight knot, and she couldn't pull it away no matter how hard she tried. Instead, the knot became even tighter because of the force she exerted.

At this moment, she felt like she was going to vomit blood.

Gu Rongting thought she had fainted from exhaustion, and hurriedly tried to help her, but was too embarrassed to touch her arm, so he paced around in circles.

In the end, he did nothing but watch Yu Wenxue lean against the pillar, panting, her face full of worry.

Wenxue, are you alright?

"Did you skip breakfast?"

"I heard you're in poor health, so you should drink plenty of hot water every day."

"There are some pastries in the carriage. I'll have someone get them for you right away." With that, he turned to head down the mountain.

"You, you come back here!"

If he goes down the mountain now, Lin Qingwan will definitely see his sachet, and Lin Qingwan will feel extremely wronged. Wouldn't that mean his mission for today has failed?

If they take the other path, they will inevitably run into Gu Yun Shen, and they might not even know how they died.

Since she was going to die either way, Yu Wenxue clenched her fists and decided to go all the way. She grabbed a wooden stick from the side, silently apologized, and struck him on the back of the head with it.

If you can't solve the problem, solve the people who created it.

Gu Rongting immediately fainted and fell to the ground, becoming silent.

Yu Wenxue used the hairpin in her hair to untie the knotted string, sweat beading on her forehead as she worked, and finally managed to remove the sachet.

Lin Qingwan was, after all, a pampered young lady raised in her boudoir, and her pace up the mountain was very slow, which gave her ample time.

She gets angry whenever she sees this sachet, wishing it would disappear as far away as possible, and throws it forcefully behind her.

The throw hit Gu Yunshen right in the face, who had just arrived.

...

A deathly silence.

Their eyes met, one gloomy, the other bewildered, and neither spoke first.

Just then, a soft female voice exclaimed, "Brother Ting!"

Lin Qingwan quickly stepped forward, her eyes immediately reddening, tears streaming down her face, and she trembled as she checked Gu Rongting's breath with her hand.

Gu Rongting seemed to be asleep, emitting a soft snoring sound.

Seeing that he was alright, Lin Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Yu Wenxue, who was standing there in a daze, and Gu Yunshen, who was watching the show.

"What just happened? Why did Brother Ting suddenly faint?" Lin Qingwan's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them.

She recognized him; he was the second young master of the Gu family. He had grown up in the villa since childhood and later learned martial arts at Jingshan Temple. He had only returned to the capital a few days ago.

As for this girl, she had never seen her before.

I had long heard that the Marquis's mansion kept many young and beautiful cousins, but looking at this one, with skin as smooth as jade and a face like a fairy, she was exceptionally beautiful; I was afraid she was...

Lin Qingwan didn't want to speculate too much about others, but she couldn't help but take a few more glances at beautiful people and things.

[System: Danger! Detected emotional fluctuations in the female lead towards the host, misunderstandings are deepening.]

No way!

Yu Wenxue was startled and almost bit her tongue. She answered first, "The Marquis was so hungry that he didn't eat breakfast in order to rush up the mountain to see Miss Lin that he fainted."

Feeling guilty, he didn't forget to kick the stick off the ground.

Gu Yun Shen noticed her little gesture, and for some reason, he gave a short laugh.

Yu Wenxue gave him a long, sullen look.

Did he see everything?

"You're saying he fainted from hunger because he wanted to see me?" Lin Qingwan was anxious. Not hearing Gu Yunshen's laughter, she hurriedly called to the guards who were following her, "Quick, help Brother Ting up!"

Several guards rushed forward and carried Gu Rongting, who had fallen to the ground, away.

Yu Wenxue nodded frantically: "The Marquis remembered the cherry cake that Miss Lin made last time, and prepared pastries in the carriage early this morning, waiting for Miss Lin to taste them together. I didn't expect... sigh!"

She clutched her chest, feigning emotion: "I imagine the Marquis will be very pleased to see Miss Lin when he wakes up!"

"May I ask who you are, young lady?" Lin Qingwan asked hesitantly, fiddling with her handkerchief.

"I am the great-granddaughter of the aunt of the old lady of the Marquis's mansion."

Lin Qingwan: "..."

The identity was too long, and Yu Wenxue had to recite it several times before she could remember it. Afraid that Lin Qingwan would misunderstand, she mustered up her courage and moved closer to Gu Yunshen, lip-reading to indicate to her, "I came with the Second Young Master."

She remembered that Gu Yun Shen was deaf in his left ear, so he probably wouldn't have heard what she said.

"I see." Lin Qingwan smiled slightly, lowered her head and hummed in agreement, a blush creeping onto her fair cheeks. After taking a few steps, she turned back to say goodbye to the two, "Well then, Second Young Master, Miss, I'll take Brother Ting back first."

[Congratulations, host! The misunderstanding has been cleared up, and the progress of the female lead feeling sorry for the male lead has been achieved. Happy Ending progress: 10/100]

[Please note the hidden mission's time limit: five days remaining]

Yu Wenxue's eyes widened instantly.

Only five days left...

How can I get them to kiss within five days?

*

The pavilion quickly returned to tranquility.

Damn, these side quests are way too hard!

Yu Wenxue cursed the system a thousand times in her mind. Before she could even recover her annoyed expression, she met Gu Yunshen's slightly indifferent gaze.

I almost forgot about this giant Buddha statue.

The heat gradually subsided, replaced by a gentle mountain breeze, neither too hot nor too cold, just right.

She then noticed that Gu Yun Shen wasn't carrying a sword today; he was wearing a narrow-sleeved black robe, and a white glint was visible on his wrist, which didn't look like an undergarment, but rather...

bandage.

I remember the last time he encountered a snake, he also had a white cloth strip tied around his wrist. Could it be that he was injured then?

Yu Wenxue then looked at his calf, which had been bitten by a snake. It was long and straight, and even though it was covered by his clothes, the firm and smooth lines could still be vaguely seen.

"You're looking at me again," Gu Yun Shen said calmly.

Caught red-handed, Yu Wenxue coughed lightly, neither answering his question nor explaining what she had just said to Lin Qingwan, and said, "Second Young Master, you've come for a spring outing too?"

Gu Yun Shen looked her up and down, noticing her smooth calves out of the corner of his eye, then casually looked away.

He stepped forward, holding the sachet in his hand, and said, "Spring is a beautiful day."

A chilling aura swept over her, and Yu Wenxue lowered her rolled-up sleeves and trouser legs.

Sure enough, it gets cold after staying in the mountains for a while.

"So, you came up the mountain just for this?" Gu Yunshen shook the sachet in his hand, took a light sniff, then frowned and threw it aside.

He saw it!

Yu Wenxue subconsciously stepped back, leaned against a pillar, and gave a dry laugh: "I haven't been sleeping well lately. I heard that someone made a calming sachet for the Marquis, so I thought I'd borrow it to try it out."

Yeah, right.

Her sleep quality is incredibly good.

When people are embarrassed, they pretend to be busy. She opened the kettle and used drinking water to cover up her embarrassment.

Gu Yunshen said knowingly, "I see. I thought you had feelings for my brother."

"Cough cough..." Yu Wenxue choked on her water when she heard this.

You ruthless villain, do you even know what intentional means?

But she only dared to say this in her heart, forcing a weak smile: "I don't like someone like the Marquis."

Anyone who gets involved with Gu Rongting will likely be resented by Gu Yunshen.

Yu Wenxue racked her brains and came up with a flawless answer: "I am greedy for life and afraid of death, lazy and greedy. Anyone who wants to marry me must have strong martial arts skills to protect me and a lot of money to ensure that I live a worry-free life for the rest of my days."

"The most important thing is to be good-looking."

Gu Yun Shen didn't expose her little trick, and watched her with a leisurely air.

Yu Wenxue counted on her fingers, her tone becoming more serious, and continued, "The Marquis is a civil official, he can't lift a finger, he's only good at writing, and the power of managing the household is in the hands of the old lady, so he probably doesn't even know how much his salary is."

She spoke faster and faster: "Besides, he has to get up to read at Chenshi (7-9 AM), while I sleep soundly until the end of the day, so it's not appropriate for me to read."

Meeting Gu Yun Shen's teasing gaze, Yu Wen Xue paused for a moment: "Besides, he's not good-looking."

Actually, it didn't fit her aesthetic; she preferred someone with a more refined appearance.

Gu Yun Shen nodded in sudden realization, his smile widening, his chest even trembling slightly.

"So, you think I'm doing this because of this?"

A note from the author:

Daughter: Breathing [starry eyes]

Xiao Gu: He always stares at me [wearing sunglasses]