—Gu Li had already entered the gate, only to find that there was a gate within a gate in the courtyard, and the gate was connected to the porch, like a cave within a cave and a mountain outside a mountain.
After passing through three gates and three dark corridors, the view suddenly opened up, revealing two poplar trees leaning against the courtyard. A gentle breeze rustled the willows, creating a soothing sound that was truly delightful.
Gu Li stared at the two poplar trees in a daze. His gaze then focused on the old swing tied to the poplar tree, which swayed in the wind. He smiled slightly, his eyes filled with reminiscence.
"I didn't expect it to still be here after all this time!" Gu Li walked over, wiped the dust off, and exclaimed.
I still vividly remember the romantic scene of us playing the zither and dancing together under the tree, and the beautiful women on the swings, their skirts swaying in the breeze.
"Things have changed, and the people in my memory have probably changed long ago."
Suddenly, a sigh came from the room. Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Li hurriedly looked up and saw an old woman with white hair, drooping eyebrows, and a cane slowly walking out of the room with her head down and back bent. It was the Second Granny that Yan Moxue had called her.
Gu Li looked at her with some confusion, about to ask a question, when his gaze fixed on the faint beauty mark between her eyebrows, and the laughter of the youngest girl in his memory rang in his ears...
"Second brother, don't you recognize me?" The old woman's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes even welled up with tears.
Gu Li looked at her, and suddenly his hands trembled slightly. He blurted out instinctively, "Second Sister..."
Second Aunt smiled slightly, her wrinkles deepening, her kind face showing signs of age. "It's been a long time since I've heard that title. As people get older, they forget they were once young..."
Gu Li walked step by step to his second aunt, his heavy steps making him wonder if he had sandbags strapped to his legs. Finally, he dragged his weary feet to her side, looked at her face, and asked incredulously, "Is it really...is it you, second aunt...?"
Second Aunt's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she nodded. "It's me, Second Brother..."
As he spoke, he raised his aged hand and stroked Gu Li's handsome face, choking back tears as he said, "I guessed back then that you, Second Brother, were no ordinary person. Now that I see you again, I understand. Apart from your silver hair, there is no trace of the vicissitudes of time on your face."
Gu Li smiled but didn't say anything.
The second aunt withdrew her hand and said embarrassedly, "In your eyes, have I... become an ugly monster?"
Gu Li shook his head, took his second aunt's hand and said, "In my eyes and heart, my second sister will always be that cheerful and playful little girl."
Second Sister smiled innocently, "Second Brother, you're still the same, you always know how to make me happy."
Gu Li smiled gently. He should have guessed long ago that humans and demons were different, especially since their reunion had already taken place after—
"Fifty years have passed. I never thought we would meet again," the second aunt said with emotion.
Gu Li nodded. "Yes, it's been fifty years..."
Second Sister looked at Gu Li shyly and asked, "Second Brother, has Eldest Brother always been with you?"
Gu Li paused for a moment, then nodded irritably, thinking of the rigid ancient saying, "Yeah, still as rigid as before."
"He always had an unapproachable air about him." Second Aunt smiled, as if she had remembered something.
Gu Li smiled slightly, a rare occurrence for him. "They're not unapproachable, they're just arrogant and conceited!"
Second Aunt smiled but didn't say anything.
Gu Li looked into the room and asked apologetically, "Second Aunt, is Eldest Sister... alright?"
Second Aunt's expression changed slightly, and she nodded. "Eldest Sister is alright, she's inside. You can go in now." Gu Li's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, and he nodded and hurriedly went into the room.
Seeing Gu Li's anxious expression, the second aunt sighed, "Your heart still belongs to your eldest sister, but unfortunately, the person she cherishes in her heart is still your unattainable eldest brother..."
Gu Li jogged into the room, and the faint aroma of tea calmed his restless heart. The aroma was similar to that of Gu Yan's tea, giving him a feeling of being in the Thousand Absolutes Mountain, which made him inexplicably unhappy.
But before he could even feel resentment, a reproachful voice suddenly spoke up, "Xiaoxue, how many times have I told you, a girl should walk slowly, one step at a time, to maintain a ladylike image. Moreover, in everything you do, you should never be hasty or forceful..."
The voice was slightly hoarse, and the person in question mistook Gu Li for Yan Muxue.
Gu Li quietly walked over and looked at the old figure sitting in a wheelchair by the window. Her eyes instantly reddened. She saw the old woman squinting at the light, slowly embroidering mandarin ducks stitch by stitch...
Gu Li's throat moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
“Your second aunt has calculated it for you. The benefactor in your life has arrived, and this benefactor is your destined spouse…” The aunt held it up to the light, looked at it again, and thought the mandarin ducks were extremely well-made. She smiled and said, “It’s almost done. Once the mandarin ducks are finished, our Xiaoxue can get married!”
When Gu Li saw those slender, aged hands, he choked up and couldn't speak. He remembered how many clothes those hands had mended. Whether it was for himself, for Gu Yan, for his second aunt, or…
Thinking of that last person, Gu Li felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason, and he wanted to banish the memory from his mind—
Not hearing anyone behind her, the old woman asked curiously, "You always complain to me about not wanting to get married, why aren't you saying anything today?"
The old woman lowered her head and began embroidering mandarin ducks again with great care, saying with a sigh, "Actually, I don't want you to get married either, but if you end up like the three of us sisters, wasting your youth on one or two people who never come along, what will you do when you get old and can't walk anymore, with no one to take care of you?"
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