Chapter 80 Blessing
The room was deathly silent, so quiet that it was as if you could hear each other's heartbeats.
Ruan Xingzhu gently unwrapped the pastries she had just bought. The delicate wrapping paper made a soft rustling sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet space.
She placed the pastries in front of Gu Yun'an, her voice not loud but clear enough: "These are some new pastries I bought, they're all lightly flavored, would you like some, Fourth Brother?"
Her voice carried a hint of flattery, but the man remained as still as a statue, engrossed in the book in his hands, ignoring her words and offering no response whatsoever, as if she didn't exist at all.
Ruan Xingzhu knew in her heart that Gu Yun'an was still angry about her wanting to go to the Yi residence with Gu Qingsu.
But she didn't want it to be like this either. Their relationship was far too complicated and delicate, like a tangled mess that couldn't be untangled, pulling them together. This ambiguous state was not good for either of them.
Time passed slowly in the stalemate. Ruan Xingzhu still hadn't received any response from Gu Yun'an. Helpless, she stopped pressuring him, got up on her own, went to wash up and take a shower, and prepared to go to bed.
Now that Gu Qingxu is not by her side, and Gu Yun'an ignores her, she has no one to talk to and goes to bed early.
After her bath, the steaming water vapor filled the room. Ruan Xingzhu, with a faint scent of soap on her body, lay alone on the large bed.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a warm and strong hand suddenly touched her waist, and a familiar scent entered her nose.
Even with her back to the person, Ruan Xingzhu immediately knew that it was Gu Yun'an.
Gu Yun'an has been like this lately. During the day, he is cold and indifferent to her, as if the two have nothing to do with each other. But at night, he often comes to her room.
Sometimes, he would deliberately torment her, leaving her exhausted. Other times, he would simply hold her quietly, pulling her tightly into his arms, and then slowly drift off to sleep.
At that moment, he gently kissed her ear, his warm breath spraying on her earlobe. Ruan Xingzhu blushed instantly, her body trembling slightly. She turned her back, not daring to turn around, and pretended that she was already asleep.
However, her rapid breathing ruthlessly betrayed the fact that she was still awake.
Gu Yun'an gently nibbled on her earlobe, his breath growing increasingly hot, like a burning flame.
"The pastries were delicious."
Ruan Xingzhu trembled violently, her heart filled with mixed emotions—both shy and somewhat delighted. Hearing him say that he liked the pastries she had specially chosen for him, a sweet feeling welled up inside her.
But she still dared not make a sound, as if the delicate atmosphere would shatter instantly if she moved even slightly.
However, the scalding breath enveloping her ears was unbearable, and in the end, she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
The voice, though soft, struck Gu Yun'an like an electric current. As if stimulated by something, he suddenly pulled her around to face him, and then slowly and gently sealed her lips with his.
Gu Yun'an was exceptionally gentle tonight. His movements were as soft as a breeze brushing against flower petals. He caressed her gently, as if he were savoring a rare and exquisite pastry that would break at the slightest touch, afraid that he might crush her with the slightest force.
The night was quiet and deep.
Before I knew it, a light rain began to fall from the sky. The raindrops, fine and delicate, drifted down gently, while a soft breeze blew softly, like a pair of tender hands gently caressing all things in the world.
Raindrops fell on the calm lake surface, creating only tiny ripples, as if spreading a dreamy layer of cotton frost over the lake.
The roses, having been exposed to the sun all day, are now shrouded in a light mist, like a veiled maiden, adding to their hazy beauty.
The flickering candlelight gradually dimmed and eventually went out as the drizzle quietly stopped, as if it had completed its mission for the night.
The next morning, before dawn, Gu Yun'an left home early.
Ruan Xingzhu had nothing to do to begin with, and after a night of great activity, she was exhausted and overslept, only waking up around noon.
After a rain shower, the sweltering heat seemed to be swept away, and a refreshing coolness filled the air.
During the day, although Gu Yun'an still didn't pay much attention to Ruan Xingzhu, his attitude was much better than before.
As night fell, Ruan Xingzhu tried to restrain him from some of his actions, though with little effect.
As the days passed, it was soon mid-August.
As is customary, Ruan Xingzhu would go to the temple with Gu Qingxu to pray for blessings.
However, because of her previous desire to go to the Yi residence with Gu Qingsu, Ruan Xingzhu now needs Gu Yun'an's permission to go out whenever she wants.
That day, after returning home, Gu Yun'an immediately went into his study and busied himself with various matters.
Feeling sorry for his exhaustion, Ruan Xingzhu personally brewed a pot of fragrant tea and quietly carried the teacup into the study.
When she entered, she saw Gu Yun'an sitting at his desk, looking slightly tired, with his handsome eyebrows slightly furrowed. But the moment he saw her come in, his furrowed brows quietly relaxed.
Ruan Xingzhu carried the tea, took small, delicate steps, slowly walked to his side, gently sat down, and then handed the teacup to him.
"Fourth brother, this is tea I just brewed, it can soothe your throat." She said softly, looking at him timidly with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
However, a long time passed, and Gu Yun'an neither reached out to take the teacup nor responded. Just as Ruan Xingzhu thought he didn't want it and was about to leave, a long and strong hand steadily reached out and took the teacup from her.
Gu Yun'an looked exhausted. He took a sip of tea, and the warm liquid flowed down his throat, seemingly dispelling some of his fatigue.
He then put the teacup aside and focused intently on the documents spread out on the table.
However, when he glanced at Ruan Xingzhu beside him out of the corner of his eye, he found that she had no intention of leaving.
In the past, even when delivering things, she would just drop them off and leave, but today she sat quietly to the side waiting, which was quite unusual.
"Is something the matter?" Seeing her hesitant and reluctant to speak, Gu Yun'an asked calmly.
Ruan Xingzhu was already hesitant about whether to speak her mind, fearing that her words would cause Gu Yun'an to misunderstand and make him angry.
But now that Gu Yun'an has already asked, I should try my best too.
She instinctively clenched her small hands tightly into her own, her fingers turning slightly white from the force. Hesitantly, she whispered, "Fourth Brother..."
"I want to go to Nanshan Temple with my fifth sister tomorrow to pray for blessings."
As she spoke, she cautiously looked at him with her almond-shaped eyes, her gaze filled with nervousness and anticipation.
Her slender fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, as if afraid that Gu Yun'an would refuse her request without a second thought.
Gu Yun'an's gaze slowly fell on the teacup she brought, he pursed his thin lips slightly, and then shifted his gaze to her nervous little face, a trace of pity finally welling up in his heart.
Since Gu Qingsu got married, Ruan Xingzhu's life has lost much of its joy, and he doesn't even have anyone around to amuse him. In addition, she is always intentionally or unintentionally afraid of him getting close, so he doesn't want to invite trouble during the day.
He lowered his eyes slightly, looking at her quietly, as if he had been thinking for a long time. After a while, he softly uttered two words: "Go."
His voice was deep and powerful, slowly spreading through the quiet study. Upon hearing those two words, Ruan Xingzhu's eyes suddenly lit up, as if the whole world had been illuminated, her eyes filled with joy. She instinctively reached out her hands, wanting to hug his arm and act coquettishly as she always did.
But just as she stretched out her arm, she suddenly remembered the ambiguous relationship between herself and Gu Yun'an, and with a start, she wanted to silently pull it back.
But halfway through pulling her arm back, she was suddenly gripped tightly by a warm, large hand. She looked down, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Should I send someone to escort you?" Gu Yun'an asked calmly, holding her slightly cold hand.
Ruan Xingzhu was surprised that Gu Yun'an would offer to send someone to escort her. Her heart stirred slightly, but she quickly said the arrangement she had already planned: "No need, Fifth Sister said she will come back to pick me up tomorrow."
Then Ruan Xingzhu added, "Tomorrow I will pray for a peace charm for my fourth brother."
Seeing that Gu Qingxu had already arranged things properly, Gu Yun'an didn't ask any more questions. He took her second half of the sentence as her way of trying to please him and just gave a soft "hmm".
Ruan Xingzhu sat quietly with Gu Yun'an for a while longer, but gradually, sleepiness washed over her like a tide. Unable to resist it any longer, she parted ways with Gu Yun'an and went to rest on her own.
The candlelight in the study burned until midnight before finally going out. When Gu Yun'an returned to his room after finishing his business, Ruan Xingzhu was already wrapped in a blanket, fast asleep.
Gu Yun'an tiptoed to the bedside, and looking at her sleeping peacefully, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly. He sat down by the bed, gazing at her quietly, his eyes full of tenderness and doting affection.
Then, he gently kissed her between the eyebrows, and then he lay down and held her in his arms. Accompanied by the moonlight streaming through the window, they drifted off to sleep together.
The candlelight went out, and the whole world seemed to fall asleep.
Only the bright moon hanging in the sky still emitted a soft light, which, like a light veil, gradually filtered through the window and into the room.
Gu Qingxu got up very early so that he could come find Ruan Xingzhu as soon as possible.
As soon as dawn broke, she rushed to the Gu residence.
After exchanging only a few pleasantries with Cheng Shi, he pulled Ruan Xingzhu onto the carriage bound for the temple.
The carriage moved slowly forward. Once there was no one else in the carriage, Gu Qingxu took Ruan Xingzhu's hand and asked anxiously, "Did anything happen to you when you went back that day?"
Ruan Xingzhu naturally knew that she was referring to the time she went to the Yi residence with Gu Yun'an, but was stopped by Gu Yun'an and forcibly brought up the events of that day.
Her thoughts instantly drifted back to that day. After he took her back that day, Gu Yun'an was extremely cold to her during the day, but at night, he became crazy and passionate. Those scenes flashed through her mind like a story, as if they had happened just yesterday.
But seeing Gu Qingxu's worried and anxious expression, she really didn't want her friend to worry too much about her, so she downplayed the issue and said, "It's nothing."
Gu Qingxu was somewhat skeptical. After all, her fourth brother had looked so cold and aloof that day; just thinking about it terrified her. "Really?"
Ruan Xingzhu felt a little flustered when asked the question, but she still tried to remain calm and insisted, "It's true."
As she spoke, not wanting Gu Qingxu to develop a prejudice against Gu Yun'an because of this, she added, "Fourth Brother is very good to me, Fifth Sister should know that."
Ruan Xingzhu wasn't entirely lying; Gu Yun'an had indeed treated her very well before, but that was in the past. As for what happened afterward, only she knew the complex feelings involved.
Seeing Ruan Xingzhu's insistence, Gu Qingxu didn't want to ruin their precious time together, so she didn't press the matter further.
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