Chapter 74 Locking the Phoenix Tree (Part 7) Senior Brother, bear with it.
Logically, dodder shouldn't need to unlock the door to enter, so its action is...
Should we invite him in?
Gu Lianzhou looked up at the dusty plaque under the eaves, where the words "Library" were engraved in gold on a black background.
As his thoughts wandered, the dodder swished its tail impatiently, as if urging him to hurry up and go inside.
What lies hidden behind this door that makes it so restless and impatient...?
Gu Lianzhou frowned slightly, but his body moved before his mind, climbing the steps and stepping over the threshold.
The wooden staircase of the library creaked underfoot, raising a fine cloud of dust as it went.
As far as the eye can see, bookshelves stand tall, ancient books piled up like mountains, yellowed scrolls exuding the scent of aged ink and dust.
Gu Lianzhou's nose twitched; he caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of blood amidst the mountain of books.
He squeezed through the narrow gap between the bookshelves, and as he moved, his shoulder inevitably brushed against the protruding spines of the books on the edge of the shelf. With a "snap," a book half the thickness of his palm fell off the shelf.
His arm instinctively dropped down, catching the thick book steadily. Gu Lianzhou put it back in, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of ink seeping through the gaps between the pages.
The dodder spread wildly from underfoot, overcoming the obstructing wooden frame and swimming away into the distance.
Gu Lianzhou turned slightly, peered forward, and his gaze fell upon a hem of clothing, causing him to freeze in place.
In the narrow shadow cast by the two rows of bookshelves, a dark figure huddled on the ground.
The fabric on the man's shoulder was soaked with dark red, leaving a glaring stain on the dusty floor.
It was motionless, looking as if it were dead.
The dodder flicked its "tail," landed very lightly beside the person, and then joyfully climbed up the person's calf.
As if guided by some unseen force, Gu Lianzhou walked forward and squatted down in front of the man.
As he got closer, he could see the man more clearly; he was a young man dressed as a thief.
He was sleeping soundly with his face covered by a black cloth, only his eyes were visible. His brows were furrowed, and fine beads of cold sweat were on his exposed forehead.
His gaze swept over the bloody hole in his shoulder, and Gu Lianzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, looking helplessly at the dodder that was tightly binding him.
Is this why you brought me here?
Just to catch a thief?
Clearly, he misunderstood the meaning of dodder.
Seeing the filamentous tentacles crawling upwards more and more erratically, even burrowing under the person's veil, twisting and tearing off a corner to reveal a high, delicate nose and pale, bloodless lips.
Gu Lianzhou's breath hitched.
He watched the dodder flailing about, momentarily forgetting how to react.
The person lying on the ground looks so much like my senior brother.
No, no, no.
My senior brother has long since flown away; this person cannot be my senior brother.
He moved forward, leaned closer, and got a clear look at the man's face. His heart pounded wildly, and before he knew it, cold sweat broke out on his back.
He's my senior.
He really is my senior.
Why is my senior brother here? What's with his clothes and injuries? What happened during the days he was gone?
Countless questions swirled in his mind. He reached out to help his senior brother up, but unexpectedly saw him move his lips as if sensing something, and say in a hoarse voice, "Don't touch me."
Song Qiling frowned and tried to push the person in front of her away, but she fell down due to weakness caused by the high fever.
Seeing this, Gu Lianzhou dared not move again, obediently letting her hold his wrist and let it slide down, his fingertips trembling slightly uncontrollably.
Song Qiling slowly opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused, as if through a layer of mist. Her gaze moved slowly, from Gu Lianzhou's clothes to his face.
The figure of the man sitting with his back to the light was shrouded in a hazy halo in her blurred vision, and Song Qiling frowned in confusion.
After being in a deep sleep for a long time, she gradually lost the ability to distinguish between reality and dreams, only feeling that the man who suddenly appeared in front of her looked extremely familiar.
Her head was throbbing, as if it were simmering into a paste, and she finally found a name deep in her memory, saying uncertainly, "...Gu Lianzhou?"
Because of the fever, her throat was so dry it felt like it had been scorched by fire, and her voice was incredibly hoarse.
Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou quickly responded and subconsciously reached out to help, but halfway through his hand, he remembered his senior brother's resistance earlier and stopped abruptly, hanging in mid-air, caught in a dilemma.
Unexpectedly, the person in front of her responded. Song Qiling's mind went blank for a moment. She stared blankly at the pair of well-defined hands so close to her, and then belatedly realized that this was not a dream.
She blinked slowly, then turned her head to one side, avoiding looking at Gu Lianzhou.
A hidden sense of embarrassment spread through my heart.
Gu Lianzhou's hand remained suspended there, neither withdrawing nor moving forward.
She didn't need to look to know that he must look like that right now, with his brows slightly furrowed, his lips pursed, and his eyes filled with a cautious probing.
What a strange sight! How could he have seen me in such a disheveled state?
Unfortunately, her legs were weak and her muscles were numb at that moment, making it difficult for her to even turn over; otherwise, she would have definitely escaped through the window.
Just as I was feeling annoyed, a sudden chill ran down my forehead.
She trembled, looked at Gu Lianzhou in surprise, and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"Senior brother, you have a high fever." Gu Lianzhou withdrew his hand, and this time without thinking, he reached out and put his arm around her shoulder and back, lifting her up with a little force.
Song Qiling was so startled by his sudden action that her vision went black, she felt dizzy and her internal organs were churning.
She hung her head limply, making a last-ditch effort: "If you have extraordinary abilities to get me out of the palace, then I'll call you senior brother from now on."
What kind of time is this to be talking nonsense?
Gu Lianzhou walked around to Song Qiling's side, picked her up, then suddenly remembered something and put her down again.
After being "picked up and put down" like that, Song Qiling was dizzy and her already weak body became as soft as mud. She was about to fall down when a strong yet soft rope was placed against her back, gently lifting her up.
"What is this again..." She closed her eyes in despair.
Having been separated from her junior brother for some time, she was naturally unaware that the dodder seed had already manifested.
Gu Lianzhou did not answer, but pursed his lips and deftly unfastened his outer robe.
The dark blue fabric fell down in a flurry, carrying his warm body heat and breath, completely enveloping Song Qiling's burning body.
Song Qiling instinctively tried to break free, but he held her tightly without saying a word.
"Don't move." He quickly tied the belt of his outer robe tightly until there was no sign of anything amiss from the outside, then he breathed a sigh of relief. "I went with Yu Qi and the others to the Prince's residence for the appointment with the heir. Liu Dai was also among them. He carries a medicine chest with him and can treat you."
He's oversimplifying things.
Song Qiling lowered her eyes to look at the loose-fitting clothes, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips: "Last night I broke into Prince Zhao Yu's bedroom and glimpsed his secret. I'm afraid he won't let me off easily. Right now, he's probably sending more people to search the whole mansion for my whereabouts."
Gu Lianzhou was silent for a moment after hearing this, then asked softly, "Did he see your face clearly?"
Song Qiling shook her head slowly: "I was wearing a face mask..."
"That's good." Gu Lianzhou breathed a sigh of relief and comforted her, "He doesn't know you or me, so there's nothing to be afraid of."
Song Qiling was both amused and exasperated: "But I have difficulty walking normally right now, how can I avoid attracting attention?"
Gu Lianzhou remained surprisingly calm: "You've had too much to drink, you're completely drunk, so naturally you can't walk normally."
He paused, then added, "Today, the Crown Prince is hosting a banquet in the back garden. There are quite a few people drinking and making merry. It's perfectly normal for someone to get drunk. If you trust me, Senior Brother, please leave with me."
Seeing how well he had arranged things, Song Qiling was speechless. After a moment, she nodded and said, "Okay."
Suddenly remembering something, she turned to look at the broken arrow lying on the ground. "Wait a moment."
She turned around, holding onto the bookshelf, picked up the blood-stained arrow, and stuffed it into the thick folds of the book. After doing this, she broke out in a cold sweat.
Gu Lianzhou deftly draped Song Qiling's arm over his shoulder and carried him on his back. Because his senior brother was thin, he walked steadily and moved smoothly through the crowded library.
After leaving the library and locking the door again, Gu Lianzhou helped his senior brother back the way they came. With a slight thought, he sent a wisp of dodder to explore the way.
He had been away from his seat for a long time, but the back garden had become a lively place, with some drinking and others composing poems, and no one noticed that a person had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Senior brother, bear with it." Gu Lianzhou whispered, causing Song Qiling to slump against him, her steps unsteady, looking like a drunkard who was completely out of his mind.
Song Qiling had her eyes closed, her head drooping limply, her hair disheveled, her lips pale, and her face flushed from the high fever, making her look almost like someone who was drunk.
Seeing this, Gu Lianzhou casually grabbed a half-empty pot of wine from the table, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he unceremoniously splashed some onto his senior brother's clothes.
The strong smell of alcohol immediately filled the air.
They put down the wine jug and continued on their way.
A young man from a prominent family who was passing by looked at them in surprise: "This is..."
Gu Lianzhou paused slightly, then gave a helpless smile: "Don't even mention it. The young master insisted on having a drinking contest with Brother Yu, and now look what happened, he's drunk him out."
He shook Song Qiling, "Brother Yu? Can you still walk?"
Song Qiling mumbled a few incoherent drunken words at the opportune moment, then tilted her head and collapsed completely into Gu Lianzhou's arms.
Seeing this, the young man from the noble family shook his head knowingly and smiled, "Since you're so drunk, why don't you rest in the guest room and drink some hangover soup before you leave?"
Gu Lianzhou sighed, "My family is very strict. I have to take him back first, otherwise he'll vomit on the table and lose face. Master Murong will definitely skin him alive."
Before the man could react, he helped Song Qiling stagger towards the side door.
The two walked hurriedly, and when they reached the gate of the mansion, a guard stopped them: "Who is leaving the mansion? Do you have a token?"
Gu Lianzhou raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with drunkenness and displeasure: "How dare you! You even stop the young master's distinguished guest?"
He deliberately raised his voice, "My brother is so drunk, are we going to let him stay in the house and embarrass himself?"
The guard looked troubled and hesitated, when Song Qiling suddenly gagged, startling him so much that he quickly took two steps back. Gu Lianzhou seized the opportunity to help her out, muttering, "I don't care if she vomits on you..."
The guards ultimately didn't dare to stop them anymore, and watched helplessly as the two stumbled out of the palace.
Only after he boarded the carriage that had been prepared and the curtains were drawn did Song Qiling suddenly open his eyes, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
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