Chapter 79 Even those who neither cry nor respect ghosts and gods have become superstitious about legends…
This is a mess.
Yu Wenxue was both amused and exasperated, unsure whether to emphasize that she had simply forgotten to add the candy, or to focus on Gu Rongting's leg. After all, he had been unsteady on his feet when he arrived, needing Lin Qingwan's support; how could he suddenly move so freely?
The only sound was the rustling of leaves. After much deliberation, Yu Wenxue decided to clear up the misunderstanding first. As she stepped forward to explain, Gu Yunshen suddenly spoke up: "Now you know."
“You don’t know,” Yu Wenxue denied.
Gu Yun Shen did not refute, and stood quietly in place.
Although he appears emotionless on the surface, a closer look reveals a subtle daze in him.
Yu Wenxue was worried that he would start having wild thoughts again, so she quickly shouted, "I'm not pregnant!"
"Not now, and never will be."
"What do you mean... he won't get pregnant?" Gu Rongting was agitated, his voice rising: "You mean, Xun Han... has a hidden illness?"
Gu Yun Shen: "..."
“It’s my fault. I’ve neglected you all these years. You didn’t get enough nutrition when you were little…sigh…” Gu Rongting said with a pained expression, “It’s alright. Your brother will find the best doctors for you and will definitely cure your hidden illness.”
A flock of crows flew overhead, cawing loudly.
Yu Wenxue tightened her outer robe: "It's so cold, why don't we gather around the stove and roast some sweet potatoes?"
Lin Qingwan covered her ears: "I agree, anyway, I can't hear what they're saying."
Gu Yun Shen then came to his senses, looked at Gu Rong Ting with a half-smile, then looked him up and down, and said with a slight parting of his thin lips: "I see that you are walking with a brisk pace, so you must be fine now?"
With a casual remark, everyone's attention was once again drawn to Gu Rongting's legs.
The few steps he took just now were firm and powerful; there was no sign of him being weak and frail.
Lin Qingwan finally realized what was happening, and her fair face turned from red to green and then to white—it was quite a sight.
Her lips trembled as she asked incredulously, "So, you've regained your memories?"
Gu Rongting's heart skipped a beat. He had kept it a secret for so long, but it couldn't be hidden any longer. He grasped Lin Qingwan's hand and stammered, "Sister Wan, I'm sorry..."
"You, you shameless!" Lin Qingwan was so angry that her eyes turned red, and she stomped her foot, about to run out.
Gu Rongting was quite strong, pulling her into his arms and not giving her a chance to escape. He honestly said, "I'm sorry, I just really enjoy your care and want to spend more time alone with you."
"That's no excuse for you to lie!" Lin Qingwan was gentle by nature, but once she became stubborn, she was incredibly persistent.
She does not accept Gu Rongting's apology, at least not now.
The scene descended into chaos. Yu Wenxue's mind went blank, and she didn't know who to comfort. In the end, she pinched herself hard and exclaimed, "It hurts..." Then she closed her eyes and collapsed into Gu Yunshen's arms.
Gu Yun Shen instinctively hugged her waist tightly and turned to find the doctor.
Immediately afterwards, I felt a pinch on my side.
Yu Wenxue opened one eye, and after confirming that Gu Yunshen had noticed, she closed it again. If she didn't faint soon, Lin Qingwan would be so angry that she would leave.
Seeing this, Lin Qingwan indeed returned and immediately took Yu Wenxue's wrist to check her pulse.
Startled by the touch, he recoiled, crying out, "Wen Xue, she..."
How's my cousin?
Lin Qingwan didn't answer, but instead glanced at Gu Yunshen.
Despite taking so much medicine, there was no sign of improvement. His pulse was extremely weak, and he was on the verge of death, with no more than six months to live.
Although she didn't say it explicitly, seeing Lin Qingwan's hesitant expression, Gu Yunshen roughly guessed what she wanted to say and suddenly tightened his grip on her arm.
The wind brushed against her face, and the strands of hair tickled her. Yu Wenxue couldn't resist any longer and jumped off Gu Yunshen's arms, clearing her throat: "I don't feel pain anymore."
Lin Qingwan's eyes reddened, and she turned her head away from her gaze: "Wenxue, I'll come to see you another day."
"Hey!" Yu Wenxue couldn't stop them, and the heart-shaped candles she had prepared were useless. She stood there blankly, trying to summon the system: "System, why haven't you appeared lately?"
[System: I'm afraid you'll get annoyed with me QAQ]
"I've bothered you so many times already, what's one more time?"
The system remains silent.
Yu Wenxue asked, "Could you check the current progress of the happy ending for the male and female leads?"
[System: The HE progress is currently 99%, just a little bit away from success. Please keep up the good work, host.]
"Does that mean if they get married and their relationship is complete, then it will be 100%?"
[System: Would you like to use the Prediction Card? You will receive one plot hint.]
Yu Wenxue thought for a moment and then declined: "I'll wait and use it later."
The plot hints were important, and she didn't want to use them so easily; good things should be used wisely.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Gu Yunshen asked, stroking the back of her head.
"I was thinking, my cousin went too far, pretending not to remember Qingwan. It's so upsetting."
Yu Wenxue became angrier the more she thought about it. No wonder the favorability rating was still at 99 after all this time. She reasonably suspected that Gu Rongting's brain had been ripped out. Otherwise, how could someone be so stupid?
Gu Yun Shen didn't answer, but gently placed his palm on her chest. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I'm fine." Yu Wenxue held his hand. "Really."
Gu Yun Shen smiled calmly: "If you feel unwell, you must speak up."
Don't worry.
In a corner unnoticed by Yu Wenxue, Gu Yunshen quietly clenched his fist.
*
Half a month had passed since Gu Rongting pretended to have amnesia, and he still hadn't managed to see Lin Qingwan. Left with no other option, he had to swallow his pride and ask Yu Wenxue for help.
Yu Wenxue agreed and punished Gu Rongting by making him write a love poem for Lin Qingwan every day.
This is understandable; anyone would be angry if deceived by their beloved. If she wanted to reconcile, she had to show some sincerity and cater to his preferences.
With winter fast approaching, Yu Wenxue wrapped herself in a cloak, twirled around in front of the mirror a few times, and touched her face: "Why can't I lose weight?"
Gu Yun Shen hugged her from behind, nuzzling her neck: "Winter is coming soon, you should gain some weight."
“That’s true.” Yu Wenxue didn’t dwell on such a trivial matter, picked up the envelope on the table and handed it to him: “A letter from Wei Heng.”
Gu Yunshen's smile faded, and he gave it a meaningful glance before not taking it.
Yu Wenxue patted his shoulder: "He asked us if we wanted to go back, saying that there are so many children now that he can't manage them all by himself."
After saying that, seeing that Gu Yun Shen looked listless, she added a few more words: "So he got engaged to a local girl and doesn't plan to go back to the capital. He invited us to visit next year."
Gu Yun Shen then took the letter, read it quickly, and tossed it back onto the table: "Hmm."
Yu Wenxue kissed his chin: "Do you still remember Chen Rourou? The one who followed you to disguise herself as a man and join the army."
"I don't remember."
"She bravely chased after love right there in the street, you really don't remember?"
Gu Yunshen pressed down on her unruly hand and said with a smile, "Miss Yu, I don't need to leave an impression on every woman."
Unable to move while trapped, Yu Wenxue blinked and continued, "I heard she defeated a group of men and became their leader. Now she's been promoted to school guard."
"Did Wei Heng say this too?" Gu Yunshen asked.
Yu Wenxue shook her head and took out another letter from under her dressing case: "It's from Fan Zhuo."
"..."
Gu Yun Shen turned his face away and remained silent.
Yu Wenxue knew he was being awkward again, so she put her arm around his waist and smiled sweetly: "Fan Zhuo sent a lot of local specialties to thank us for helping him deliver the letter. Now that Chen Rourou has reconciled with her family and they are no longer stopping her from joining the army, who knows, maybe in a few years we'll have a female general!"
"You seem to care a lot about them."
"Can you smell anything?" Yu Wenxue leaned closer to him and sniffed everywhere. "I smell a sour vinegar smell..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was lifted onto the table.
Gu Yun Shen forcefully kissed away the rest of her words, ignoring her feeble resistance, almost as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Enveloped in his warm breath, Yu Wenxue couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
Only when the soft flesh at the base of her thighs sank in did she withdraw her lips and tongue, patting her burning face: "It's getting late, Atao is still waiting for me outside."
The softness in his arms suddenly left. Gu Yun Shen paused for a moment, suppressed his desire, and said softly, "Mm."
Yu Wenxue invited Atao to help Lin Qingwan distribute porridge.
As winter approaches, life becomes increasingly difficult for many impoverished people. Lin Qingwan is personally funding the distribution of porridge on the main street in the east of the city.
Atao is three months pregnant and has started experiencing morning sickness. She has lost a lot of weight and looks extremely haggard.
Yu Wenxue asked Lin Qingwan to take a look.
After Lin Qingwan helped with her treatment, Atao's complexion improved significantly, so she also came to help.
After a busy morning, the group finally had some free time and gathered together to chat.
Lin Qingwan habitually checked Yu Wenxue's pulse and then prescribed some oddly shaped pills for her to take.
The medicine wasn't too bitter today, and it wasn't unpleasant to take. Yu Wenxue held a cup of hot milk tea, blew on it, and asked, "Qingwan, do you distribute porridge every year around this time?"
Lin Qingwan put away the bottles and jars of medicine and smiled slightly: "This is my first time too. I just wanted to do some good deeds."
"Doing good deeds brings blessings." Atao patted her belly: "Good people are rewarded. The people outside are very grateful to you."
In addition to distributing porridge, Lin Qingwan also prepared a lot of food and quilts needed for the winter and built a Ji'an Hall to take in the elderly living alone and homeless children. Because of this, she had no heart to devote herself to love and threw Gu Rongting to the back of her mind.
Seeing that Lin Qingwan looked a little pale, Yu Wenxue worried that it was because of Gu Rongting, and suggested, "There's still some time before dark, so let's go eat hot pot, it's my treat."
A fleeting hesitation crossed Lin Qingwan's face.
"Wenxue, I've been experiencing bloating lately, so I shouldn't eat hot pot. I was just thinking of having Qingwan give me a massage," Atao said first.
Yu Wenxue nodded: "Then health is the most important thing."
Lin Qingwan regained her composure and then said, "The massage will take a long time, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll come find you again tomorrow."
Atao agreed, "Yes, my husband will come back to pick me up later."
Yu Wenxue's lips drooped slightly, her eyes darkened, but she quickly composed herself and smiled, "Then I'll head back now."
After Yu Wenxue left, Atao clutched her chest and looked at Lin Qingwan with pleading eyes: "Is this method really feasible?"
Lin Qingwan shook her head: "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
The two passed through the back door of Ji'an Hall and walked into the alley at the end of the street.
*
Yu Wenxue walked aimlessly down the street, holding a candied hawthorn in her hand.
Her intuition told her that Lin Qingwan and Atao were hiding something from her.
But since they didn't say anything, she didn't press them for details, but she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, and an indescribable sense of loss welled up inside her.
A group of elderly people, who looked very healthy, walked towards us side by side.
"There's such a good thing as giving out money so readily? I'll call my wife to come too."
"That young master comes to hand out money every day, as long as you're over eighty and in good health... You old woman aren't even eighty yet, are you?"
"They're only a few years apart, who would tell if you didn't tell them?"
"Never mind! I heard that young master was praying for his ailing wife, so anyone who's old and healthy can throw money in..."
Yu Wenxue paused, then turned and followed the elderly people.
"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
The white-bearded old man at the head of the group raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Young lady, you can't earn this money; you're still too young!"
"I'm not trying to make money, I'm just a little curious," Yu Wenxue said honestly, suspecting that she was involved in the matter.
The elderly people looked at each other and smiled, assuming she was just being childish. They patiently explained, "Go south for two miles, and you'll find a natural fountain with a century-old banyan tree in the center. Legend has it that throwing copper coins into the fountain can bring blessings and good health to your family."
"Winter is almost here, and the coins in the fountain have long been collected. But then a handsome young man came along and asked us old folks, half-buried in the ground, to throw in some coins. He'd give us two coins, and the rest we could keep..."
Yu Wenxue lowered her eyes and remained silent, already understanding the situation quite well.
To confirm her suspicions, she followed several elderly people to the fountain.
The area was crowded with passersby, mostly elderly people, holding coins and competing to see who could throw them the farthest.
The old man who had spoken earlier saw that Yu Wenxue was still following along and kindly said, "It is said that the farther the coin is thrown, the faster the wish will be fulfilled."
“Some wealthy local officials would come here to pray for blessings and compete to see who could throw more money, but a lot of the money was eventually snatched away by beggars, and later no one threw any more money... I didn’t expect that the person who threw money this time was a young man who looked very young.”
The old man sighed and said regretfully, "I hope his wife can recover soon."
Her breathing seemed to stop at that moment, and Yu Wenxue was rooted to the spot as if she were nailed there, unable to calm down for a long time.
"Do you know what the young master who gave you the money's surname is?" She didn't realize that her voice was already trembling slightly.
The old man thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'm too old to remember clearly, but I do remember that he was very handsome, and his attendant seemed to be holding a cat?"
Yu Wenxue took a few steps back in a daze, staring blankly at the large group of elderly people.
Looking around, they were full of energy, with rosy complexions, showing no signs of old age.
A person who disrespects ghosts and gods has actually started to believe in legends.
The late autumn sun was exceptionally warm, but Yu Wenxue found it somewhat dazzling.
Her vision was blurry, and tears were swirling in her eyes. She didn't know how she got back. She was like a lost soul, and she didn't even react when Wen Yu rushed into her arms.
She lifted her skirt and ran faster and faster, bypassing the long corridor and running straight to the backyard.
She wanted to hug Gu Yunshen.
The sunlight followed her running figure, stretching her shadow infinitely long.
At the corner, Gu Yunshen stood tall and elegant, his figure as graceful as jade.
He frowned almost imperceptibly and pulled Yu Wenxue's wrist: "Why are you crying?"
Their eyes met, and Yu Wenxue remained silent, afraid that speaking would expose her utter defeat. She rushed towards him without hesitation.
Gu Yun Shen fell silent, gently stroking her back. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were back so early. I didn't have time to pick you up."
Yu Wenxue nestled in his arms, nuzzling him like a kitten, wiping away the tears on her face.
Gu Yun Shen likes cleanliness, but all principles are meaningless in front of her. Without the slightest hesitation, he let her move and pulled her closer to his arms.
"No, thank you..." Yu Wenxue's voice was trembling with sobs, and her words were incoherent and illogical.
Gu Yunshen's gaze darkened.
Yu Wenxue wiped away her tears: "No one bullied me."
She was simply controlled by her emotions and couldn't suppress her feelings.
Gu Yunshen didn't believe her denial, so he took her hand and led her into the study. Yu Wenxue let him lead her, and the moment the door closed, she stood on tiptoe, cupped his face, and kissed him.
Author's note: Love is a superstition of perfect timing and circumstance.
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