Chapter 486: Expressing Feelings
Several people sat around the table again and hypothesized some possibilities.
But in the end, no one was caught alive, and the people sent to Kyoto to gather information had not returned yet. No matter how many guesses were made, nothing could be found and they only turned into sighs one after another.
"Let's rest for today," Zheng Qinghe said tiredly, clutching his still aching arm. "I'll go back to the county office tomorrow to gather some personnel and conduct a thorough investigation."
There is really no other way at the moment.
After a few people dispersed, Gu Jiayue first helped Zheng Qinghe to the guest room.
This room was prepared for him long ago.
Fortunately, he brought a groom with him when he came. The man looked honest and was waiting at the door. When he saw them coming, he hurried forward to take over from Gu Jiayue to support Zheng Qinghe.
Gu Jiayue breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for the groom taking care of her, it would have been difficult to get settled tonight.
When I turned around, I saw Jiang Luli still standing in the yard.
The moonlight fell on him, stretching his shadow very long. The cloth on his shoulders was still stained with dust from the fight, but he still stood straight, like an old pine tree in the yard.
"Master Jiang," Gu Jiayue said, her voice softer as she walked over. "Why don't you go back first? I have Hu Zi and Ye Ren guarding here, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Jiang Luli looked at her, the moonlight reflected in his eyes. "I'm afraid those men in black will come back. Hu Zi and Ye Ren might not be able to stop them. I'll just stay in the courtyard for one night. No need to make any special arrangements." He said this with a meaningful glance at the room where Zheng Qinghe was staying.
He sat down on the stone bench in the corner of the yard, his back straight, and his posture made it clear that he would not leave tonight.
How could Gu Jiayue let him sit in the yard all night? "Why don't you stay in Yuhe's room for the night? I'll let Yuhe stay with my second brother."
Jiang Luli glanced at her furrowed brows, knowing she was genuinely troubled, and nodded. "That's troublesome."
"I should be the one to thank you," Gu Jiayue said hurriedly, "Thank you for staying." Then she turned around and knocked on Gu Yuhe's door.
Gu Yuhe was still asleep in the room.
The image of the man in black swinging the knife just now kept turning around in his mind, so his eyelids were twitching violently, his palms were full of sweat, and his dark eyes were rolling around as if he was scouting the surrounding situation.
Hearing the knock on the door, he shuddered suddenly and tightened his grip on the corner of the quilt.
Could it be that those people are back again?
"Yuhe, are you asleep?" It was the voice of my second sister.
Gu Yuhe finally breathed a sigh of relief and poked his head out from under the quilt. His hair was a little messy from sleeping, and his face was still a little red from the shock. "Second sister, I'm not asleep yet! What's wrong? Are you afraid of the dark and want me to accompany you?"
He pushed the door open a tiny bit, deliberately puffed out his chest, and acted like he was fearless, no longer the timid look he had just had when he was curled up in the quilt.
"No." Gu Jiayue pushed open the door and pointed toward the courtyard. "Chief Jiang will stay in your room tonight. You can stay at Second Brother's for the night."
Gu Yuhe followed her gesture and looked at Jiang Luli in the courtyard, nodding quickly: "Okay! No problem!"
He tidied his quilt swiftly, and thoughtfully took out the washed sheets and quilt from the cabinet and put them back on the bed before standing at the door and bowing to Jiang Luli: "Master, please come in, please come in!"
After saying that, he ran away.
Students are afraid of their teachers. It seems like this is something that is engraved in their genes and cannot be changed.
"The country is long and it's getting late. Let's take a rest first." Gu Jiayue said as she was about to leave.
But his wrist was pulled.
Jiang Luli's fingertips were a little cold and had some calluses.
This action was a bit presumptuous, but he couldn't care less now.
"Gu..." He paused, his Adam's apple moving, a barely perceptible bitterness in his tone. "I'm sorry for doubting you before."
He pulled a brocade box from his bosom and opened it, revealing an exquisitely crafted hairpin. "I originally thought you were someone in disguise, trying to harm Jiayue and Taohua Village, so I tested you in so many ways. I never thought... that because of my probing, you would fall off the mountain."
Gu Jiayue was stunned. She didn't expect him to bring this up suddenly.
Actually, to be honest, he is not wrong.
Her personality had changed drastically, even her tastes had changed, and anyone who knew her would be suspicious. Besides, Jiang Luli was a meticulous person, so it was normal for him to overthink things.
"It's okay," she shook her head, her tone calm. "I don't blame you."
Jiang Luli was obviously relieved, and the guilt in his eyes faded a little.
Seeing that Gu Jiayue was about to leave, he took two quick steps and blocked her way.
"Is there anything else, Chief Jiang?" Gu Jiayue looked up at him. She had a vague premonition in her heart, but was afraid that she was wrong.
Jiang Luli handed over the hairpin.
The hairpin was engraved with an orchid, the petals clearly visible. Beneath the flower, a small butterfly rested, its wings curved to the perfect angle, a remarkable amount of thought gone into its design. "Then... accept this apology."
Gu Jiayue fell in love with the hairpin at first sight, but still shook her head. "That's not necessary. I never blamed you, so it's not an apology."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Jiang Luli's hands froze in mid-air, and for the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face. His fingertips trembled slightly, as if he was panicking. "Miss Gu, I... I have another question for you."
"The country is long, but you can say whatever you want."
"Miss Gu, I have been fond of you for a long time. I wonder if you have feelings for me too?" Jiang Luli's voice was a little tense, and even a little sweat seeped out of his forehead.
He had prepared a lot of words, but now they were all stuck in his throat. It took a lot of effort to squeeze out a sentence, "Maybe the lady can give me a chance?"
Gu Jiayue's premonition came true.
In fact, he had never hidden his feelings. His love was too direct, like the moonlight in the yard, bright enough for everyone to see.
It's just that he didn't say it before, and she, as a girl, couldn't take the initiative to ask "Do you like me?"
It would be embarrassing if the meaning was misunderstood.
Now that he asked, Gu Jiayue actually breathed a sigh of relief, but it was a rather heavy sigh of relief.
"Mr. Jiang," she looked up at him with a serious expression, "First of all, thank you for liking me. It's an honor for me that someone as nice as you likes me. But I'm sorry, I have no plans to get married in this life."
"Why?" Jiang Luli frantically took a half step forward. "Are you worried about my family background? Don't worry, my parents are very open-minded. Before I came here, I told them I wanted to marry you, and not only did they not stop me, they supported me." He spoke faster, as if afraid she wouldn't believe him. "If you don't like Kyoto, if you don't like the imperial court, I'll stay with you in Taohua Village, even teaching for the rest of my life."
He tried hard to show off all his good qualities, but as he spoke, he felt that these were not worth mentioning in front of Gu Jiayue.
She didn't care about his impressive family background; she avoided his power. Although he had a huge amount of wealth, the profits from Gu Jiayue's own shops were also considerable.
She doesn't seem to have any ambitions, she just wants to teach peacefully and let her children have books to read.
"Jiangshanchang, it's not because of these things." Gu Jiayue interrupted him, her tone very firm. "Marriage will hinder my ideals and ambitions."
"What is your ideal? I'll accompany you!" Jiang Luli's voice was a little anxious.
"This road is difficult to walk on," she shook her head gently, "it's enough for me to walk alone."
"You just don't trust me?" Jiang Luli's brows knitted together, his tone a little dissatisfied. "There's nothing in this world that I, Jiang Luli, can't do!"
"Gu Jiayue," he looked into her eyes, his gaze burning, "Give me a chance to accompany you, okay?"
Faced with such straightforward and passionate words, Gu Jiayue was silent for a moment.
She knew what to say, but she felt that every word was too heavy for her to speak.
"The country is long," she took a deep breath and said word by word, "In this life, I need many like-minded friends, but I don't need a partner. No matter if they are gentle, kind, or rich, I don't need any kind of person."
"My ideal is to ensure that all children in Dagan have access to education; my ambition is to ensure equality between men and women. These things cannot be achieved overnight; they may take a lifetime. No man can support me unconditionally forever. Besides, I don't have time for romance, maintaining a relationship, or taking care of a family."
"Even if my partner supports me, my children understand me, and my family forgives me, the time I can devote to them is still pitifully small. It's not fair to them."
"So...thank you for liking me, but I don't want to."
After saying that, she pulled her hand back, turned around and walked out without looking back.
"Gu Jiayue!" Jiang Luli's voice sounded behind him, a little hoarse.
Gu Jiayue stopped but didn't look back.
"I respect your ideals and ambitions." His voice deepened, but still held a stubborn edge. "But how can you be sure my ideals and ambitions are different from yours? Whether a friend or a partner, they are all companions walking the path to your future. So, why should we worry about the identity of our companions?"
"You're right, this road is too long, so you need someone who can stay by your side even more. Don't push me away, or at least don't deny me. Give me a chance, I'm willing to stand by your side and walk with you through thick and thin!"
"No need." Gu Jiayue's voice was soft, but extremely resolute.
Jiang Luli stood there, listening to her footsteps gradually fading away. He felt like something was blocking his heart, making it feel sour and bitter.
In fact, before saying this, he had already anticipated the ending, but when he heard these two words, he still felt unwilling.
He caught up and spoke again, his voice trembling slightly, even unconsciously. "Let me ask you one last question... Have you ever felt anything different about me?"
The wind in the yard stopped, the insects stopped chirping, and only the moonlight fell quietly between the two of them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
