Chapter 52 Extra 12
Back to the present.
Xie Zhuo looked at her and pressed, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Ling Wei snapped out of her reverie and said calmly, "There's nothing to say."
In that situation, even if I didn't know the whereabouts of the Fourth Prince, if you chose to tell me the information, I would still use it without hesitation to achieve my goal.
The outcome will not change.
Xie Zhuo was stunned. He stared at her for a long time, his eyes churning with complex emotions, but in the end he chuckled softly.
He suddenly lowered his head and gently bit her lip, saying in a hoarse voice, "I knew it... you're this kind of person."
Without a word, he grabbed her wrist, raised it above his head, and forcefully enveloped her, his gaze burning as he declared with self-righteousness:
"Then it doesn't matter to my grandfather! Anyway, our entire Xie family has lost to you, and I've lost it all too."
"...I am your prisoner, do with me as you please."
His breath was hot, his eyes were burning, and he leaned down.
The system, which had just finished a long chat with the cat and was about to return: 0.0
Well, we still have to go.
...
Since that day, Gu Qingyan seemed to be devoted to official academic affairs... but it didn't seem so.
When people who cared about his marriage asked, Gu Qingyan would always smile gently and say frankly, "I have no intention of starting a family for the time being. My goal is to educate and guide people, just like Lord Ling." His words were sincere, as if he had already put aside his personal feelings.
He not only taught classics, history, philosophy, and literature, but also specifically suggested to Ling Wei that the course on the Six Arts of a Gentleman be reopened, and solemnly invited her to attend the ceremony.
On the archery field, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind. The arrow left the bowstring and hit the bullseye steadily with a whooshing sound, winning cheers from the crowd.
Inside the music room, he sat quietly, burning incense, his fingertips tracing the strings, producing clear and melodious music. His profile appeared exceptionally focused and gentle in the sunlight.
The people at the border, who were ignorant of music theory, simply found Master Gu's every move to be extremely beautiful and the music he played to be very moving.
Ling Wei watched and felt that the presentation was perhaps too perfect.
Didn't you see the girls next to him practically staring at him?
The system clicked its tongue in her mind: [Screen opening...]
Weiwei wasn't an expert in playing the piano, so she didn't recognize that it was the famous courtship piece "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate".
He played the piano while looking in her direction, their tender and deep gaze almost overwhelming. The officials beside them began to look at them strangely.
Ling Wei couldn't stand it anymore, so she found an excuse to pull him to a secluded place and frowned, saying, "Cousin, you...you shouldn't keep looking at me like that."
Gu Qingyan's eyes darkened slightly, then a helpless yet gentle smile appeared on his face as he whispered, "But I... can't help myself."
He took a half step forward, lowering his voice even further, with a slightly alluring huskiness: "'Now that I have seen you, how can I not be happy?' How can I remain calm when I see you?"
Ling Wei blushed at his blunt words of love and was speechless for a moment. She could only glare at him and say, "I never expected that someone as upright as my cousin would say something so...reckless!"
Gu Qingyan put on an innocent look, looked at her with clear eyes, and said sincerely, "It's my fault."
"If my cousin gets angry, I'll gladly accept any punishment."
Being gazed upon tenderly by such a handsome young man, especially since he was a cold and aloof scholar in front of others, yet he kept whispering sweet nothings to her…
Ling Wei felt she couldn't take it anymore.
She practically fled in panic.
Gu Qingyan remained where he was, watching her slightly flustered back, his eyes overflowing with tenderness, and a smile lingering on his lips.
The peaceful days were shattered by a sudden accident.
Once, when Ling Wei was inspecting the border market, a merchant dressed in Central Plains style suddenly attacked her, throwing a brightly colored poisonous insect at her.
The poisonous insect lunged straight at Ling Wei's face, but Xie Zhu reacted swiftly, slicing it in two with a flash of his sword.
Unexpectedly, the remaining force of the half-eaten insect corpse did not diminish and it still attacked Ling Wei.
In a flash, Gu Qingyan, who had been watching her closely, suddenly pulled her behind him and used his arm to block the fatal blow.
The venom spread rapidly, and Gu Qingyan fell unconscious on the spot. After that, she remained weak and in critical condition.
Ling Wei searched for renowned doctors and effective medicines, but could only barely keep him alive.
One day, Gu Qingyan was barely breathing. His servant Cheng Shu, with red eyes, handed a wooden box to Ling Wei and choked out, "My lady, this is something the young master cherishes greatly, and it's all related to you. I took it upon myself to do this... I really can't bear to see you have any regrets."
Ling Wei opened the wooden box, inside which was a high-quality jade pendant and several letters.
At the top is a letter Lin wrote to Gu Qingyan, in which she wrote:
"My son, how could I not know your intentions? I had already guessed seven or eight parts of what you were thinking by delaying the marriage proposal. However, Wei'er has lofty ambitions and is not someone who is confined to the inner quarters."
"I have a plan: Since Qingyu is willing to find a husband to uphold the family's reputation, why don't you marry into the Ling family? This will allow you to leave a bloodline for Weiwei, and in that way, I can give my sister some peace of mind in the afterlife."
At the end of the letter, she also inquired whether she needed to personally discuss the matter with Ling Wei.
Judging from the date, this letter was written before he fell into a coma. It seems that after she mentioned feeling guilty towards his aunt that day, he quietly went to clear away these obstacles.
Inside the box was also a handwritten reply from Gu Qingyan, the ink still fresh:
"Mother, you must never tell Weiwei this. I only wish for her to truly love me, not for me to be forced by circumstances or out of pity. If I cannot have her in my lifetime..."
The letter concludes with a gentle yet firm line: "I am willing to be the sail that protects her; that would be enough for me in this life."
This letter was written the day before he fell into a coma, but he never had time to send it.
Ling Wei held the letter and sat alone on the stone steps outside Gu Qingyan's courtyard for a long time, until the moon and stars were few.
The next day, she walked into the quiet ward filled with the smell of medicine, sat down by the bed, and finally spoke softly: "Gu Qingyan, if you can wake up... I will cherish your feelings."
She pressed her forehead against his, gazing at his pale yet still handsome face: "May I be like a star and you like the moon... You must hear the second half of that sentence with your own ears."
After that, Ling Wei continued to be busy with official duties, but she visited him every day.
As time goes by, spring is gradually deepening in the border region.
One day, Ling Wei was discussing the introduction of new crops with an old farmer in the field when she suddenly saw Cheng Shu running towards her, tears and smiles on his face, shouting hoarsely, "My lady! Young Master... Young Master is awake!"
The farm tools in Ling Wei's hands fell to the ground with a thud. She turned and ran towards the government office, her heart pounding, not caring about anything else.
Ling Wei stopped abruptly as she reached the corner. Before she could catch her breath, she saw Gu Qingyan slowly walking towards her, leaning against a pillar.
His plain robes were stained with dust, and he had to use his fingertips to steady himself, but his eyes, which were looking at her, still shone as brightly as if they were filled with starlight.
Their eyes met, and a thousand words were unspoken.
Ling Wei paused slightly, then stepped forward and gently hugged his thin body, burying her face in his shoulder, her voice choked with emotion: "You're finally awake."
Gu Qingyan was slightly taken aback, then slowly embraced her with his uninjured arm. Feeling the warmth and reality in his arms, a weak but extremely satisfied smile appeared on his pale lips.
He gently touched the top of her head with his chin and finished the long-awaited second half of the sentence, his voice soft yet each word clear:
"Hmm... 'Night after night, the light shines brightly.' In this life, we will stay together forever."
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