Chapter 29 That's Gu Yun'an's Hand
Feng Rongrong felt no heat of summer, only a chill; the air around her seemed to freeze, so heavy it was hard to breathe. Her eyes widened in terror as she stared ahead, her legs seemingly nailed to the ground, unable to move.
Her chest and abdomen heaved violently with extreme fear, and her breathing sounded particularly heavy in the eerily quiet atmosphere, like the rumble of a broken bellows. Her heart pounded wildly, as if it were about to burst out of her chest, each beat like a hammer blow to her fragile nerves.
She froze on the spot, her muscles seemingly out of her control, stiff as stone. The extreme tension left her only able to watch helplessly as the arrow, whistling through the air, hurtled towards her.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze; her mind went blank, and only endless fear spread through her.
Her body tensed suddenly, and she heard a "whoosh" sound beside her ear. Her pupils contracted sharply as the arrow flashed past her ear like lightning, creating a gust of wind that ruffled the hair at her temple.
Finally, the arrow struck the tree behind her with a thud.
The arrows lying across the tree were still trembling slightly, each one seemingly clamoring for what would happen if the arrow were to actually hit her.
Her tense muscles instantly relaxed, and Feng Rongrong, regaining her senses, collapsed to the ground in a disheveled state. She was a far cry from the poised and elegant noblewoman she usually was.
At this moment, she no longer cared about her image, gasping for breath as if she had just walked through the gates of hell. Her chest heaved violently, like a drowning person desperately trying to grasp the last breath of air.
After a moment of calm, she slowly raised her eyes and looked at Gu Qingxu, the instigator. Her eyes were filled with hatred and resentment, as if she wanted to devour Gu Qingxu alive.
She wanted to say something, but her throat was so dry, as if it had been roasted by fire, that she could barely make a sound. She could only stare resentfully at Gu Qingxu with her eyes, as if trying to see a hole through her, the hatred in her eyes burning like a tangible flame.
Looking at the arrows perched on the tree, Gu Qingxu felt no emotion. She quickly looked away and deftly tossed the bow and arrows aside.
Her eyes were filled with a deep chill, and her thin lips parted slightly, her voice sounding as if squeezed out from between her teeth: "If you dare to run around in front of me again, then the next arrow may not miss its mark."
She didn't have the patience or the inclination to argue with Feng Rongrong about trivial matters every day, as it would really lower her status.
After saying that, she turned around without looking back, gently took Ruan Xingzhu's arm, and led her away from the place, ignoring Feng Rongrong.
A gentle breeze swept by, but when it touched Feng Rongrong's face, it sent a chill through her, and her pale complexion had not yet recovered.
She stared intently at Gu Qingxu's departing figure, her heart burning with resentment. From childhood to adulthood, she had always been a role model in the eyes of others, receiving much praise. Yet now, in front of so many people, Gu Qingxu had made her look so pathetic, causing her to lose all face.
Her eyes were filled with resentment and hatred, and her clenched fists were so tight that her knuckles turned white. She was determined to make her pay the price, absolutely!
-
Not long after Ruan Xingzhu returned to the Gu residence, news of her falling into the water reached Gu Yun'an's ears.
Gu Yun'an rushed back. As soon as he entered the boudoir, he saw that Ruan Xingzhu's face was flushed, her eyes were closed, and she had already fallen into a deep sleep.
A pang of anxiety welled up inside him, and he stared intently at Ruan Xingzhu, his eyes filled with worry and concern, without even lifting his head.
"Has the imperial physician come to see me?" His voice was somewhat cold, yet carried a barely perceptible tremor.
Upon hearing this, the maidservant beside her quickly replied, "The physician said that Miss Ruan caught a chill and has a fever. However, she has already taken medicine, and the physician said she should wake up soon."
Her voice was somewhat urgent, as if she was afraid that if she was a step too slow, she would anger Gu Yun'an.
Gu Yun'an didn't speak, but simply reached out and touched Ruan Xingzhu's forehead. It was warm to the touch, not hot, but her little face was still a bit hot, so the fever should have subsided.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and the tension in his heart finally eased.
Just as he was about to wipe her face with a towel, he noticed a man's garment casually draped over a nearby chair. The garment was dark in color and plain in style, looking completely out of place in this exquisite boudoir.
A hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes as he looked up at the maid beside him. "What is this?"
"This is what the young lady was wearing when she came back," the maid said truthfully, not daring to hide anything.
Did he come back wearing that? A sudden surge of irritation welled up in Gu Yun'an's heart. Just thinking about that man's clothes being draped over Ruan Xingzhu made him feel as uncomfortable as if he had been scratched by a cat.
A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, and his tone was somewhat impatient: "Take it out and throw it away."
Seeing that Gu Yun'an was showing signs of displeasure, the maid dared not ask any more questions. She quickly grabbed her clothes and hurriedly ran out, as if she was afraid that if she was a step too slow, she would be implicated.
With the eyesore gone, Gu Yun'an turned his gaze back to Ruan Xingzhu on the bed.
Perhaps feeling the stuffiness, she became restless in bed, reaching out to pull back the blanket. When Ruan Xingzhu returned, she quickly changed her soaked clothes, putting on only an undergarment before feeling somewhat drowsy.
Her clothes were already loose, and now, due to her movements, large areas of her skin were exposed to the air. Perhaps because her body was hot, the skin on her neck was flushed, with a strange blush, as if it had been ravaged.
His eyes were filled with her delicate features, and his throat suddenly went dry, feeling a surge of heat rush to his head. His long eyelashes concealed the desire that had instantly welled up in his eyes, and he took a deep breath, trying to suppress the restlessness within him.
The next moment, he pulled the blanket back from her and gently covered her with it, covering her exposed skin.
Before he could lower his hand, the blanket was pulled back again. Gu Yun'an's eyes showed a hint of helplessness, and his brows furrowed slightly. He simply grabbed her wrist to prevent her from pulling the blanket back again.
With her wrist held, the unconscious Ruan Xingzhu struggled slightly, but unable to break free, she raised her other arm, intending to pull back the covers. Gu Yun'an, seeing this, restrained that arm as well.
With both hands restrained, the little girl seemed somewhat dissatisfied, her brows furrowing slightly. She appeared as if she was about to kick the blanket, but Gu Yun'an frowned and couldn't help but say in a low voice, "If you move again, I'll tie both your legs up too."
Gu Yun'an was wondering if she could hear him when the little girl on the bed actually stopped moving and obediently fell asleep without moving.
A look of surprise crossed his eyes, and just as he was about to let go and pull his hand back, it was grabbed instead. Looking down, he saw that the person who had been struggling just moments before was now holding his hands tightly.
It must be because she was a few degrees colder than him, and she wouldn't let him lift the blanket, that the little girl hugged the only source of cold.
A smile involuntarily appeared in his eyes as he tried to pull his hand away, but the more he tried, the tighter the little girl clung to him.
He couldn't help but frown slightly; how could this little girl be so torturous? When he turned to look at her, he noticed that her small mouth was slightly open, and she was exhaling softly.
Because of the fever, her already full lips were now flushed with a rosy hue, as if they had just been ravaged. Her pink tongue was faintly visible, causing Gu Yun'an's Adam's apple to bob and his breathing to quicken.
The taste of that night seemed to linger in his heart again, and a strong impulse kept clamoring within him, as if an invisible hand was plucking at his heartstrings.
His head drooped slightly, almost uncontrollably. Her small face grew larger, her lips almost touching his, her breath tickling his face.
Just as he was about to lose control and put it in his mouth, a soft, weak voice called out, "Fourth Brother..."
Gu Yun'an's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stopped abruptly. His gaze shifted to her eyes, and he saw Ruan Xingzhu looking at him with a puzzled and confused expression.
He couldn't help but scoff at himself inwardly. The little girl was still sick; what was he doing? He quickly suppressed the lust in his eyes, his gaze regaining some clarity, and deliberately moved the hand that Ruan Xingzhu was holding.
Feeling the movement, Ruan Xingzhu finally understood what the cold, icy thing in her dream was.
Only then did she realize why Gu Yun'an was so close to her; it turned out she had been holding him tightly. Ruan Xingzhu loosened her grip, blinked, and her eyes showed a hint of panic and shyness.
"I didn't know it was my fourth brother's hand." She explained why she was holding onto him so tightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"It's alright." Gu Yun'an pretended to be calm and withdrew his hand, which was still warm, carrying the warmth of Ruan Xingzhu.
He then reached out his other hand and placed it on her forehead, asking with concern, "How are you feeling?"
"I feel much better..." After taking a nap, Ruan Xingzhu felt less dizzy and said softly, her voice still a little weak.
As she spoke, Ruan Xingzhu suddenly remembered that Gu Qingxu had just brought her back to the Gu residence when Cheng Shi summoned him away. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry appeared in her eyes. Cheng Shi must have heard about what happened today, which was why she summoned Gu Qingxu.
Thinking of this, Ruan Xingzhu propped herself up. "Fourth brother, fifth sister stood up for me today. She's been summoned by the madam now. Could you go and put in a good word for her?"
She was so excited that she forgot she was only wearing an undergarment. As she got up, the blanket slipped off.
Gu Yun'an had his eyes completely taken in those delicate collarbones. He had seen them earlier, but she was asleep and unaware of it. Now that she was awake, she seemed to have no attempt to hide them from him.
Gu Yun'an's expression tightened, and the palpitations he had just managed to suppress returned. He even forgot that Ruan Xingzhu was talking to him, and just stared blankly at the softness below her collarbone, his mind in a state of confusion.
Having waited a long time for Gu Yun'an's reply, Ruan Xingzhu hesitated for a moment: "Fourth Brother..." she called softly, her voice tinged with doubt.
A twitch appeared on Gu Yun'an's brow, and he snapped back to reality. On his way back, he had heard rumors about Gu Qingsu's glorious deeds, and he was probably being questioned by Madam Cheng right now.
He glanced at Ruan Xingzhu, who still looked worried about Gu Qingsu, then stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Then you should rest well, I'll go take a look." The voice was kept as steady as possible, but it still sounded slightly unnatural.
Ruan Xingzhu obediently responded, and only after Gu Yun'an left did she notice the skin exposed on her chest. Her chest rose and fell slightly, and her face, which was already blushing, turned even redder.
Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly as she tried to convince herself that he was just her older brother, that Gu Yun'an only saw her as a younger sister and had no other intentions, and that she had no reason to be ashamed.
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