Surveillance
Jiang Yufan had a good impression of the Shen family. Although the Shen family did not come from a civil service background, the decorations and layout must have been specially arranged and carefully prepared by someone. The room where Jiang Yufan and Gu Sidu lived must have been specially prepared for Gu Sidu in the past.
The arrangement here was all based on Gu Sidu's preferences, but the jewels on the dressing table were not for Jiang Yufan. Jiang Yufan thought that Lord Shen probably wanted to set this up as the bridal chamber for Gu Sidu and her daughter after their marriage, but he was unable to do so.
She became the mistress of the house for one night.
Jiang Yufan carefully admired everything in the room. When she turned back and saw the tenderness and joy in Gu Sidu's eyes, she felt a little shy. Tonight, she and Gu Sidu would spend the night in this room. They were pretending to be husband and wife, and there might be eavesdroppers in the middle of the night. At this moment, they were truly walking on a tightrope, as if treading on thin ice.
As Jiang Yufan was thinking, people came to the door. Daoyun stepped forward with her sword, but as soon as she raised it, she was immediately ushered out by the newly arrived servants.
It was a genuine invitation, not a forced departure with a knife to one's throat.
Those servants were really good at pulling people along. They smiled and said, "Miss, our mistress has prepared a room for you. You don't need to stay here. There's plenty of good food and drink in there. Go and burn incense, take a bath, and get some rest. Master Gu and Madam Gu also need to rest."
Dao Yun didn't even get to say a word before he was dragged away with a series of whimpers.
Jiang Yufan looked at Daoyun with concern and stepped forward, wanting to stop her, but Gu Sidu stopped her. Gu Sidu watched the others walk away before saying to Jiang Yufan, "Don't worry, she'll be safe."
"This must have been arranged by Lord Shen, to separate us from the others and leave us alone. Bodhisattva, it seems we'll have to do our best tonight."
Jiang Yufan nodded. As long as Daoyun was safe, that was all that mattered. The snow outside was already very heavy, and the roads were impassable. Staying at the Shen family's house was the best option. Gu Sidu closed the door, shutting out the cold air. As soon as Gu Sidu turned around, he saw Jiang Yufan standing by the window, looking at the heavy snow outside.
It gets cold standing there for too long, so Gu Sidu walked over and said, "Buddha, you can't stand there for long."
"It's not good to catch a cold."
Jiang Yufan felt warmth in her hands, this time not from a hot water bottle, but from Gu Sidu's hands. Gu Sidu smiled at Jiang Yufan, warming her hands against his chest. At this moment, Gu Sidu seemed to have forgotten the Bodhisattva Jiang Yufan revered in his heart; he seemed to have truly immersed himself in the role.
Jiang Yufan should have reminded Gu Sidu that no one was there and that they didn't need to put on this act.
But Jiang Yufan did not.
In Jiang Yufan's memory, Gu Sidu was always so kind to her, and he always wanted to hold her hand. This was not an act; Gu Sidu had always been like this, and today his dream had come true.
"Do you like watching snow?" Gu Sidu stood with Jiang Yufan.
"I can't say whether I like it or not. Ever since I was abandoned, I haven't looked up at these landscapes. I think they're all the same. But snowy days are quiet. I can hear the voice of my own heart. There are no arguments, no disputes, and I don't need to care about what other people think."
"No more of that entanglement, right?"
Gu Sidu knew who Jiang Yufan was talking about. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have understood Jiang Yufan. But he had seen Jiang Yufan like this. He watched Jiang Yufan almost die in front of him, without a sound. If he had experienced these things when he was a child, he would be like Jiang Yufan, without a smile and distant from everyone.
Gu Sidu turned Jiang Yufan's hand over. The wounds on it had almost healed because of the daily application of medicine, and the evidence of the crime was no longer visible. All the stories they had experienced had become stories, other people's oral accounts, and people could talk nonsense about them.
Thinking of this, Gu Sidu felt a pang of heartache. He stroked her hand, looked up at Jiang Yufan, and his eyes were filled with a moist luster.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, it’s alright,” Jiang Yufan shook her head. “Lord Gu, there’s no need to be sad for me. Perhaps it was because Heaven knew I didn’t want to see my parents again that it made me faint. After this heavy snow, everything is revived and everything is new.”
“Okay, once winter is over and we’ve celebrated the New Year, we’ll start all over again.” Gu Sidu suppressed his emotions. He should be happy. He had come to Jiang Yufan’s side, and from now on, he could be the one to protect her.
“Bodhisattva, although I know it’s all an act, I’ve said before that I love you, and I’m willing to do it if you agree.”
Gu Sidu had barely finished speaking when Jiang Yufan pulled him into her arms. He was greeted by Jiang Yufan's fragrance. Had the Bodhisattva finally awakened? Gu Sidu found it unbelievable, but he knew time was of the essence and he couldn't miss this opportunity. He immediately hugged Jiang Yufan's waist and closed his eyes.
"Bodhisattva, are you willing?"
"Don't speak, there are people outside," Jiang Yufan whispered in Gu Sidu's ear.
The reason Jiang Yufan was able to hug Gu Sidu like this wasn't because she had suddenly become perceptive, but simply because she was quick-witted and nimble-fingered. Jiang Yufan didn't know what Gu Sidu was thinking at that moment; she just wanted to get out of her immediate predicament, so she accepted Gu Sidu's embrace and tacitly allowed Gu Sidu to rub her cheek against her ear.
Jiang Yufan said, "Husband, it's cold here, let's close the window."
That one word, "husband," made Gu Sidu's lips curl into a smile. He immediately closed the window, picked up Jiang Yufan, and carried her to the bed. He thought that if the Bodhisattva could, he could make it real; he would go back and make up for all the wedding ceremonies.
It wasn't until Jiang Yufan was placed on the bed and saw Gu Sidu's reddened eyes that she understood where Gu Sidu's thoughts had wandered. She was now below, Gu Sidu above, tightly held in his arms, unable to move.
"Gu Sidu, the people outside have already left," Jiang Yufan said.
"Really? What if they come again?" They were just watching from the window, and it wasn't completely dark yet. Until dawn, they could be under constant surveillance.
Although Gu Sidu's eyes were burning with emotion, his mind was clear. He had seen the people outside, but he was just pretending not to know. He couldn't bear to let go of Jiang Yufan.
The Bodhisattva hadn't yet answered his question about whether he was willing. He wanted to know if the Bodhisattva would dislike him, and to what extent he would have to go before the Bodhisattva would reject him. After all, it was just an act; it was forgivable for him to gain some benefits for himself, wasn't it?
Gu Sidu pressed close to Jiang Yufan's body and whispered in her ear, "Bodhisattva, it seems we're bound to be lying in the same bed tonight."
"Okay, I know. Get up first." Jiang Yufan could already feel the heat emanating from Gu Sidu.
“It’s not just about lying down; you also need to make some noise,” Gu Sidu continued.
"Don't push your luck." Jiang Yufan lightly punched Gu Sidu, and that punch made Gu Sidu groan, the sound of which was not restrained at all, leaving room for imagination.
With that push, the sound was heard, and the figure outside turned and left, while the two people on the bed remained motionless.
Sure enough, someone was watching them to see if they were truly being affectionate.
Gu Sidu's words made sense, but Jiang Yufan still felt the acting was too realistic, revealing too much of Gu Sidu's own selfish motives. Jiang Yufan blushed with embarrassment. She certainly wouldn't cause any trouble.
“You did this on purpose,” Jiang Yufan could only say. “I never expected that Lord Gu would be such a person who takes advantage of others in their time of need.”
"Why doesn't the Bodhisattva believe me?" Gu Sidu was already satisfied with his unexpected success and had scared the Bodhisattva enough. He turned over and lay down next to Jiang Yufan, now keeping a distance.
Was the Bodhisattva afraid just now?
"Nervous, but not afraid," Jiang Yufan said truthfully.
“But I did have that thought just now, but I stopped myself,” Gu Sidu confessed to Jiang Yufan. “If I say that, will you be afraid of me?”
This reminded Jiang Yufan of a few days ago when she too harbored evil intentions and wanted to strangle her younger brother. Humans are inherently capable of both good and evil, existing in the blink of an eye. She turned to look at Gu Sidu: "The important thing is your choice. You chose to respect me."
"So, I am on the same path as the Bodhisattva."
Jiang Yufan felt that Gu Sidu's gaze that night was so dazzling that it blocked out the moon hanging high in the sky.
That night, Jiang Yufan watched Gu Sidu rock the bed, making some noise. The bell tied to the headboard swayed, and the figures outside seemed content. After everyone had left, Jiang Yufan lay on the inner bed, looking at Gu Sidu, who was an inch away from her. Behind Gu Sidu, she slowly raised the corners of her mouth.
Gu Sidu is a very good person.
The next morning, as the drama was nearing its end, the two of them finished washing up and were tidying up in the room when Daoyun came in with a bad expression. She stared at them as soon as she entered. Jiang Yufan didn't understand what she was looking at, so she asked, "What's wrong?"
"Buddha's daughter, what did you do last night?"
“I didn’t do anything,” Jiang Yufan was bewildered by the question. “I just slept under the covers last night.”
"Yes, you were sleeping under the covers. What about Gu Sidu? Did he come near you? Did he touch you? Did he make advances on you?" Daoyun became more and more frustrated as she spoke, her fists clenched tightly. "I should have been guarding the door last night."
"The snow was so heavy last night, you were going to freeze to death if you stood guard at the door." Jiang Yufan looked at Daoyun and realized that there must be some rumors going around.
"What did you hear?" Jiang Yufan asked.
"Rumors are circulating outside that you and Lord Gu spent the night together, the bed shook, and the candle was blown out by the wind at dawn. They also say that the Gu family is about to have a new member."
Jiang Yufan didn't expect Daoyun to relay the words directly. She regretted it as soon as she heard them. She waved her hand to tell Daoyun to stop talking, but just then, Gu Sidu came in from outside with the morning side dishes.
As soon as Gu Sidu entered, he saw Daoyun: "Good morning, Miss Daoyun, let's have breakfast together."
Jiang Yufan only saw a flash of cold light. She didn't dare to blink. She watched as Dao Yun's sword came to Gu Sidu's neck.
Oh no, this is hard to explain.
Jiang Yufan sighed, needing to think carefully about how to bring it up.
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