Chapter 14
"Girl, girl."
"You're finally awake."
What caught her eye was Qiu Niang's tearful face. She held Gu Luoyan's hand and quickly called the doctor waiting on the side to come and see.
The doctor stepped forward, took the patient's pulse, and after a moment's hesitation, his expression calmed down. "Master Kuishou is fine now."
Qiu Niang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. She stroked Gu Luoyan's face, feeling distressed, and asked, "Doctor, do you know the cause of the illness?"
"Well... the pulse of the master is normal... maybe he is overworked." The doctor answered helplessly.
Qiu Niang wanted to ask more questions, but she saw Gu Luoyan sitting up, looking a little tired.
Gu Luoyan took the pillowcase handed to her by Qiu Niang and glanced at the doctor casually: "Why is Doctor Rong not here today?"
"Oh, Your Excellency, you may not know that Doctor Rong has already resigned." The doctor answered respectfully, not daring to look at Gu Luoyan's face.
"So..." Gu Luoyan didn't say anything else, but just winked at Qiu Niang beside her.
Qiu Niang understood and stood up straight. The emotion on her face faded, and she put on a solemn expression again. She extended her hand to dismiss the guest, "Then I won't disturb you, young lady. Please clear the doctor's room. I will accompany you to get the prescription."
After everyone left, the room fell silent for a moment. Gu Luoyan glanced at the red-leafed flowers on the table, then looked down at the bump on the back of her right hand. She tightened her fingertips, exerting subtle force.
Suddenly, another maid came to report that the musician from Miaoyinfang wanted to see him.
Gu Luoyan's expression changed and he called the people outside in.
The door opened. Dou Shiqiu stood at the door, moved sideways to let the person behind him in, but he stopped at the door and nodded slightly to Gu Luoyan.
The person who came in quickly closed the door again.
It was a woman who had changed into the clothes of a musician, but she could not hide the coolness between her brows.
She first bowed to Gu Luoyan on the bed, then stood up straight, took out a painted talisman from her lapel, and pasted it on the door.
Then he revealed his name: "My humble self is Guan Qing, nice to meet you, the leader."
Gu Luoyan relaxed and said, "What a handsome Taoist priest! We finally get to meet each other."
"It's just a shell, nothing more than an ordinary thing. Lord Kuishou, you must be joking." Guan Qing walked towards the bed and was about to speak again, but was gestured by Gu Luoyan to look at the red leaf flowers in the porcelain vase on the table.
"The talisman that the Taoist priest just hung on the door..." Gu Luoyan said hesitantly.
"As for the blocking curse, just tell me directly, Lord Leader." Guan Qing said.
Gu Luoyan felt relieved and then she lifted up her sleeves, revealing a part of her arm for Guan Qing to see.
"The red leaf flower is its incarnation. People in the Red Pavilion are not allowed to pick flowers. This is a taboo. I was not careful enough and was defeated by it. I'm afraid I was poisoned by a Gu." Guan Qing gently rubbed the bump on the back of Gu Luoyan's hand, but there was no reaction.
"A doctor came to see me earlier, but I knew it was in vain. I fainted yesterday, but I'm fine now when I woke up."
Guan Qing finished reading it and withdrew his hand: "Master Kuishou's guess is correct. It is indeed a sorcery. I think it is used to restrain you. It moves according to your thoughts, or it may be due to your emotional fluctuations."
"Is there a solution?"
"Forgive my incompetence, but in my opinion, I can only slay the demon and remove the magic."
Gu Luoyan fell silent, then glanced around the four corners of the room, her voice lamenting, "It's easier said than done. This Red Hall has long been its lair, and as long as the Red Hall exists, it will not perish. Fortunately, the Taoist priest gave me the peach wood sword, otherwise, Gu Ji would have been doomed."
Gu Luoyan frowned: "Come to think of it, I haven't seen that wooden sword since I woke up today."
"It's okay, sir, you should take good care of yourself." Guan Qing reached into his clothes, took out another talisman, and placed it in Gu Luoyan's palm.
"This talisman has become a magic spell. It can save a life when necessary. My lord, please do not let it leave your side..." Just as she finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.
The maid reported that it was the inn owner who brought the person here.
Before he could finish his words, the door opened.
Guan Qing stepped back, and with a sharp movement of his fingertips, the talisman on the door burned itself out. Gu Luoyan covered her sleeves, slumped over the embroidered pillow, and quietly put away the talisman in her hand.
An old maid was standing outside the door. Seeing this, she apologized at first, saying that she didn't know the leader was seeing someone and that she was really disturbing him. But in fact, she strode into the house, arrogantly waiting to see Gu Luoyan suffer a setback.
Guan Qing bowed and retreated silently. Dou Shiqiu, who was standing by the door, took one last look at the two people following the old nanny, and followed Guan Qing.
The old nanny pretended to push the two people behind her and said to Gu Luoyan, "Sir, this is a boy that the owner of the inn is personally caring for. I asked this servant to send him to you with great care. I ask you to take care of him and let him learn from him. He is very precious."
The two girls were only ten years old and had not grown up yet, but it was obvious that they were two beauties in their buds.
At this time, he stood timidly in front of Gu Luoyan and saluted, but his face was arrogant. He looked at Gu Luoyan with disdain, not like two juniors at all.
"Oh, boy." Gu Luoyan looked at the two of them and said bluntly without any hesitation, "Are you so anxious to change my title of leader?"
The old nanny was secretly delighted, waiting to see Gu Luoyan make a fool of herself.
"What are your names?" she asked the two girls, her fingertips tangled with hair, absent-minded.
"My daughter Bi Yue."
"My name is Xiuhua."
The one named Bi Yue still knew some etiquette and spoke cautiously, but the one named Xiu Hua had already put on airs and didn't even look kindly at Gu Luoyan.
"She's so beautiful that she can shame the flowers and hide the moon. What a good omen." Gu Luoyan looked at the old nanny behind her and said, "I understand. Aunt, please go back. I will treat them both well."
The nanny, who hadn't laughed at all, was stunned. "Just leaving now?" She rolled her eyes and was about to say something else when she saw Gu Luoyan get off the bed, walk in front of Xiuhua, and touch the hairpin on her bun. She said calmly, "I see that Xiuhua is eager to take the top spot. So tonight's chance to perform on stage will be given to you. Please prepare well. I'm looking forward to it."
"This...Sir, they just came to your side today. It's not appropriate for them to go on stage right away..." The old nanny panicked and tried to smooth things over.
"Aunt." Gu Luoyan made a gesture to silence her: "This is where you're wrong. Gu Ji was pushed onto the big stand on the first day she entered the museum." Her eyes dimmed a little, and the past replayed itself before her eyes, but in the end, it was all wiped out in the smile on her lips.
"It's settled. I look forward to it."
·
The seats were packed and the lights were red.
The news of Gu Luoyan's performance was released, and before dark, the Hong Kong Coliseum was already packed with people.
In the compartment, Gu Luoyan and the two of them rested together and ate some snacks. When the waiter came, Gu Luoyan turned around and was disappointed for a moment. After seeing Qiu Niang taste the food, she brought the dishes one by one and arranged them, letting the two children eat first.
She specially sent a message today asking Nian Qing to come and deliver it, but no one showed up.
Maybe he is still angry with her.
Childish temper.
Back in the present, Biyue carefully took a piece of mung bean cake and ate it, without asking Gu Luoyan about it. Perhaps the sweetness in her mouth made her eyes squint in delight. Xiuhua kept watching the people outside through the small window, saying that she was about to go on stage and resolutely refused to eat.
Still a child.
Gu Luoyan picked up her tea and took a sip. She looked at the two people before her, realizing that the madam had become suspicious of her since yesterday and was desperately looking for pawns to replace her.
It's just a pity for these two kids.
How could a demon understand human emotions?
I hear the drums outside the house are already beating, time waits for no one.
She stared at Xiuhua with interest, watching her stand up stiffly, breathe heavily, and finally walk out with her hands and feet timidly.
She opened the small window and said to the girl beside her, "Biyue, let's take a good look at the performance of the leader."
·
Xiuhua stood behind the curtain, wearing a dance dress that was one size too small and barefoot. Her heart was already beating fast just by hearing the voices behind the curtain.
The music played in unison and cheers were heard from the crowd.
Xiuhua took a deep breath and ran onto the stage from behind the curtain with trembling steps. However, the stage was covered with water, and her foot slipped and she fell on her back.
The music continued like flowing water, imitating the falling rain in the sky with countless water droplets dripping.
Xiuhua struggled to stand up, her makeup smudged, and a cacophony of noises began to rise from below. Finally, she raised her dancing fan, waved it, nodded her steps, but the music didn't stop at all.
The noise around was getting louder and louder, and Xiuhua heard a lot of doubts.
She bit her lower lip, shivering from the cold. She continued dancing stiffly, her head suddenly buzzing, and she couldn't remember any of the movements or steps.
Even the music in the back had become quieter, and I didn’t know how to dance along.
There was a chorus of sighs and some people began shouting obscenities. Xiuhua didn't dare move, fearing she would fall back into the water. Someone below threw a wine glass at her.
It broke at her feet, causing her to tremble.
Waves of discontent rolled in. More and more people threw fruits and vegetables onto the stage, onto Xiuhua, not caring that she was a girl, and pelted her with both strength and severity, while the surrounding area was filled with insults.
Xiuhua finally burst into tears. She hugged her body, too frightened to move.
Then a blanket wrapped around her from above. She heard a voice beside her ear saying, "So what's so good about this leader?"
Xiuhua was pushed, and when she turned around to look, Gu Luoyan had already walked towards the center of the water platform.
She saw the woman put her finger to her lips and looked around.
The flood of insults suddenly stopped.
Gu Luoyan turned sideways and nodded to Dou Shiqiu, who was standing in the middle of the musicians.
The string music started again, and she knelt in the water, closing her eyes as if dead.
The next moment, she opened the folding fan in her hand and swung in the water, creating ripples.
The water platform wet her hair, but she was still so beautiful.
She twirled her fingertips, caressing her wet dance costume and caressing her body.
The faintly visible texture almost drove the crowd in the audience crazy. She covered her face with a fan, then opened it again, with the most alluring smile on her face.
The graceful beauty is like a fish swimming in the water, or like the water by the river.
Gu Luoyan danced with the fan, spinning it, picking up a corner of the gauze sleeve, and pleasing countless people's hearts in her unique way.
She accidentally lost her footing and fell, but she deliberately kept her body close to the water, making the mistake even more heartbreaking.
She slid on the water platform, as if stepping on the stars and the moon, and the splashing water made the people below the stage blush.
A woman is nothing more than a piece of clothing, and she is the most glamorous piece of clothing. No matter how beautiful the clothing is, it can never cover up the ugly heart hidden beneath it.
A mere shell is the most mundane thing, but it is also the only thing that Gu Luoyan can rely on.
She walked towards the front of the stage, she knew what people wanted to see most.
It's just this body.
The folding fan was thrown to the audience, causing a scramble.
You see, they were so tragically fooled by beauty. As long as Gu Luoyan gave the order, her followers would raze the Hong Kong Coliseum for her, and she would become the reward for the bravest.
Gu Luoyan finally looked up at a room on the upper floor.
My mother must be watching this right now.
Gu Luoyan lifted her hair, a smile on her lips. She looked at the room and said, "Sir, who am I?"
The situation became very hot in an instant, and the name "Gu Luoyan" was mentioned one after another.
·
There was a person in the audience walking against the crowd.
Nian Qing had a gloomy face and kept pushing people away to walk out.
At this moment, I just want to smash the water platform.
A water dance, seductive and posing.
Only she, Gu Luoyan, can do this.
It was so cold that my lips turned purple.
Silent and heartless.
Nianqing was speechless, just feeling anxious and annoyed.
My heart was in a mess and my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making it very dry and hoarse.
The wine glass on the table shattered into countless pieces. She stepped on it and it bled without even crying out in pain.
His body was covered in bruises and all, yet he was still dancing with that broken fan in a flamboyant manner.
Serves you right.
Gu Luoyan is the worst person.
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