The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled patterns of light on the blue brick floor.
When Gu Zhixing opened his eyes, the faint morning light had just begun to spill across the windowsill.
He turned to the side and saw the silhouette of Shen Jintang curled up under the thin blanket, her breathing even and long.
He carefully propped himself up, afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams.
The bed creaked slightly, and Shen Jintang's brows furrowed slightly. Gu Zhixing immediately held his breath until her face relaxed again.
He quietly lifted the covers, stepping barefoot onto the cool floor, even taking his robes outside before putting them on.
In the days since Shen Jintang woke up, they seemed to be living a peaceful and happy life in this small courtyard. They no longer cared about the affairs of the court, nor did they have any national or family feuds. They just lived happily like this.
"very nice."
Gu Zhixing had thought more than once, how wonderful it would be if life could continue like this?
He smiled slightly, walked towards the kitchen, and skillfully started a fire.
As the firewood crackled, he subconsciously glanced back at the direction of the bedroom, making sure he hadn't disturbed Shen Jintang before continuing.
The water in the water tank was only half full. He picked up the wooden bucket and walked to the well in the yard. The sound of the well turning was especially clear in the early morning.
He slowed his movements, letting the bucket gently sink into the well, afraid that the creaking sound would pierce the morning mist and disturb Chen Jintang's sweet dreams.
As the rice porridge bubbled and steamed in the pot, Gu Zhixing squatted in front of the stove, gently fanning the fire with a palm-leaf fan.
The firelight reflected on his focused face, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He would occasionally look up towards the bedroom, calculating the approximate time when Shen Jintang would wake up.
In the bedroom, Shen Jintang was already awake.
She heard Gu Zhixing's deliberately light footsteps, the slight clatter of the bucket against the well wall, and could even imagine him walking on tiptoe.
Although I can no longer see, my other senses have become more acute.
She knew that Gu Zhixing wanted to take care of her, so she was happy to do so. After all, the most important thing now was to maintain a good mood so that her eyes could heal faster.
When the aroma of rice mixed with the faint scent of osmanthus wafted in, Shen Jintang knew it was time to get up.
She groped her way to sit up, her fingers touching the neatly folded clothes beside her pillow—something Gu Zhixing would prepare for her every night.
The fabric still smelled of sunshine, presumably because he had sun-dried it yesterday.
"Jin Tang, you're awake?"
Gu Zhixing's voice came from outside the door, as gentle as a breeze brushing across the water.
He could always sense her movements immediately, as if there was an invisible thread connecting them.
"Um."
Shen Jintang responded and ran her fingers along the edge of the bed in search of a bamboo cane.
Before she could even touch it, a pair of warm hands had already gently grasped her wrist.
"Slow down." Gu Zhixing helped her stand up and let go of her hand after she was steady. "I've already prepared the water; it's in that copper basin on the shelf."
Shen Jintang nodded and followed her memory toward the washstand.
As soon as her fingers touched the edge of the copper basin, she sensed that the water temperature was just right—neither too hot nor too cold, exactly the temperature she preferred.
The soft, fluffy cloth draped over the basin exudes the warmth of the sunlight.
"Watch out for the threshold." Gu Zhixing's reminder was always just right.
He stood a step away, his eyes following her every move, ready to step forward at any moment yet deliberately keeping his distance, leaving her room to be independent.
After washing up, Shen Jintang followed the aroma of porridge to the kitchen.
A low table was set up under the old locust tree in the courtyard; this was where they ate.
The morning breeze rustled through the leaves, and occasionally a few leaves drifted down onto the table.
After Gu Zhixing helped her sit down, he hurriedly returned to the kitchen to bring her breakfast.
"Be careful, it's hot." He placed the bowl of porridge next to Shen Jintang and adjusted its position to make sure she could reach it. "I let it cool for a while, it should be just right to eat now."
Shen Jintang picked up the bowl, the steam rising from it onto her face.
The rice porridge was cooked to a perfect consistency, with the faint fragrance of osmanthus wafting through the air.
She sipped the rice slowly, savoring its sweet aroma as the grains melted on her tongue.
“I have to go out to do some work today,” Gu Zhixing said apologetically as he sat opposite her. “I will definitely come back at noon to change your dressing.”
Shen Jintang's fingers unconsciously stroked the back of her head; the wound had actually healed almost completely.
"It's alright." She put down the bowl. "I can change it myself."
“No.” Gu Zhixing’s voice suddenly turned serious. “The doctor said to change the dressing on time.”
He paused, then softened his tone, "I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?"
Shen Jintang heard the sound of him putting down his bowl and chopsticks, followed by the rustling sound of clothes rubbing together.
Gu Zhixing squatted down beside her, and she felt his breath brush against the back of her hand.
"Jin Tang, I..." His voice suddenly became very soft, with a hint of hesitation, "I'll bring back osmanthus cake tonight."
Shen Jintang couldn't help but laugh.
She was all too familiar with this tone. Whenever Gu Zhixing felt that his tone was too harsh and wanted to apologize but was too embarrassed to say it directly, he would use this tentative tone with a hint of excitement.
She reached out and touched his cheek precisely.
“Okay.” Her fingers traced his brow bone. “I want the one from East Street, fresh out of the oven.”
Gu Zhixing pressed his face against her palm and gently rubbed it: "Yeah, buy freshly cooked, still hot."
He stood up, but hesitated to leave. "The medicine is in the second drawer of the cabinet, the one in the white porcelain bottle. I've already boiled the water and poured it into the kettle. When you want some..."
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