Dead Knot

Gu Huai turned sideways subconsciously and hid behind the drooping branches again.

Although it is not a gentleman's behavior to eavesdrop on others, he is not the gentleman that those literati and poets talk about.

On the other side, hearing Mu Jingyue's question, Mu An Ning's fan-like long eyelashes trembled unconsciously.

She raised her eyes and looked at the huge tree with a trunk that looked like a winding dragon or snake and lush green branches and leaves.

She had seen this tree when she was a child; it was the sacred tree of Lingyin Temple.

According to legend, if one is sincere and makes a wish under the sacred tree, it will come true.

It is best to write your wish on a piece of paper and hang it on its branches.

Among these, the most sought-after thing is marriage.

Whether young men or women or elderly people, they all hope to be blessed by the sacred tree.

She was no exception. After getting engaged to Gu Huaizhi, she foolishly made the same wish for three years.

But in the end, it didn't go as planned.

Mu An Ning's slender hand gently stroked the paper, then she raised her eyes and smiled at Mu Jingyue who was obviously trying to pry something out of her.

"Third sister, you are joking." Her eyes were as clear as water, and she said calmly without blinking, "I don't ask for marriage."

She was obsessed with it then, but now she understands.

If you must pin your hopes on these illusory things, then instead of praying for a good marriage, you might as well pray for something for yourself and your family.

In the past, she gave all her wishes to that person, but this time she would never do that.

Mu Jingyue obviously didn't believe it. He kept looking at the paper in Mu Anning's hand, trying to see something.

How is it possible that there are women who don't seek marriage these days?

Mu Jingyue looked around at the men and women who were all making wishes, and smiled with his hand covering his mouth.

"Big sister is really different from the crowd." Her eyes were full of sarcasm: "Little sister is different from big sister. She doesn't have so many options. She only wishes to marry a man of her dreams in this life."

Even if she tried every possible means, she would still try to change her own destiny and take a different path from her aunt.

The best way is to marry a man of prominent status like Prince Gu.

Mu An Ning didn't understand why her concubine sister always scolded her. Although she was still the eldest daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, her title was ultimately empty and there was nothing worth being jealous of.

The Mu family also treated Mu Jingyue well, especially Xu.

These past few days, Xu had been coaxed by her into doing whatever she wanted, and she even treated her better than her biological daughter, Mu Wan'er.

Mu An Ning's eyes paused for a moment on Mu Jingyue's clenched hands, and then she slowly walked forward a few steps and approached the tree: "Sister, please hang up soon, mother and the princess are still waiting for us there."

After arriving at Lingyin Temple, she realized that Xu had insisted that she come today. It turned out that it was Luo's idea.

Mu Jingyue regained her composure and put on an impeccable smile: "Then sister, you have to hang this paper better."

She walked to Mu An Ning's side, raised her eyebrows slightly, and said in a coquettish voice: "I heard that if this paper falls to the ground, then your wish will not come true."

Mu An Ning's eyebrows moved, and he calmly chose a place that was within reach, and then hung the piece of paper in his hand up with the red silk.

She didn't have any special wishes, she just hoped to be able to continue living without being bound by the plot.

I also hope that my parents, whom I have never met, are living well in the underworld.

After hanging up the papers, her almond-shaped eyes paused for a moment on the red silk ribbons swaying in the wind, feeling a little disappointed.

Of course she had heard what Mu Jingyue said.

Perhaps, the red silks she had hung in the past had long been blown away by the wind.

A clear voice came from the other side, interrupting her thoughts——

"Brother Huai, Yan'er finally found you. It's almost time for lunch, and your aunt wants you to come over quickly."

Mu An Ning took a few steps to the side, looked in the direction of the sound, and met the young man's slightly panicked eyes.

It is Gu Huaizhi.

I don’t know how long he stood there and how much he listened.

Seeing that he didn't move, Luo Zhiyan put her hands on her waist unhappily and said, "Brother Huai, did you hear that? What are you looking at?"

She reached out to hold the boy's arm and said coquettishly, "Brother Huai, please go quickly."

Gu Huaizhi withdrew his gaze from the girl in the distance and took two steps back swiftly to avoid his cousin's actions.

He was unconsciously covered with a thin layer of sweat, and rubbed his brows with a guilty conscience: "I didn't see anything."

Luo Zhiyan's voice was so loud that it attracted a lot of people's attention, including...his sweetheart.

"Hmph, alright." Luo Zhiyan curled her red lips, her tone carrying some barely perceptible disappointment: "Mrs. Mu has also come to Lingyin Temple, and my aunt said that our two families will have lunch together later."

Although she didn't see Mu An Ning, she was sure that Mu An Ning must have come as well.

This guy is really haunting her. How come he wants to snatch Brother Huai from her even though he has already broken off the engagement with him?

Gu Huaizhi's eyebrows jumped, and he looked up at the place where the girl was before, but there was no one there.

Luo Zhiyan stared at the red silk and paper in his hand with curiosity: "Brother Huai, what are you holding in your hand? Let Yan'er see it."

Gu Huaizhi immediately gathered the paper and put it behind his back, frowning and looking a little impatient: "Nothing, I'll go in a minute, you go first."

Feeling the boy's coldness, Luo Zhiyan pouted in grievance, and ran away angrily with her skirt picked up.

Although she likes Brother Huai, she also has a temper!

After Luo Zhiyan left, Gu Huaizhi stood quietly in front of the tree for a moment, his eyes following the leaves swaying in the wind.

After a while, he caught a man.

"Brother." His eyes fell on the brush in the man's hand, and his tone was a little low: "Can you lend me this brush?"

The man was a little surprised, but handed it to him without hesitation, laughing happily: "Hahaha, young master, you are so magnanimous, you actually need the help of this sacred tree?"

Gu Huaizhi smiled bitterly but said nothing.

At this moment, he might really need the help of this sacred tree.

He slowly lowered his eyes and finished writing the word "人" that the girl had not finished writing.

——I wish to find someone who shares my heart.

Now it's all done.

After thanking the young man, he stared at the paper in his hand in silence for a while, then walked around the other side of the tree.

He swept it left and right, then carefully hung the paper and red silk at the place where the girl had hung them before, and tied a tight knot with force.

So what if I fell once?

He still believes that man can conquer nature.

*

Luo looked helplessly at the young man who strode in, with a hint of reproach in her tone: "Ah Huai, why are you so late? The meal has already been served."

Gu Huai saw the girl sitting there quietly at a glance, and a smile immediately appeared in his eyes.

He apologized for the rare moment, then strode to the empty seat in front of the young lady and sat down.

Mu An Ning couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. She raised her eyes slightly to look at him, then looked away.

He and Luo Zhiyan were clearly together just now, but now only Luo Zhiyan has returned, and no one knows what Gu Huaizhi has done.

Luo and Xu were talking, while the four young men sat there in silence.

Luo Zhiyan sat on the other side of Luo's house, eating angrily, and secretly looked up to glare at Mu An Ning from time to time.

As someone of such noble status as the princess was present, Mu Jingyue lowered his eyes and dared not say much.

Gu Huaizhi wanted to talk to the girl, but he didn't know how to start. He just stared at her with his peach blossom eyes, as if he wanted to take in everything about her.

However, it didn't take long for him to notice the Begonia jade swing on her head.

It was given by Tan Wenhuai.

His mood suddenly sank, and a feeling of loss and anger intertwined in his heart.

They wouldn't have already...

No, that's not possible.

Luo saw her son's useless look and secretly lamented why he didn't wake up earlier.

There are some things that he still needs to say to the girl in person. As a mother, she can only help him to this extent.

*

The hour of Xu.

There was a silent knock on the door outside the room: "Miss Mu."

Baoqin frowned and recognized the voice as Gu Ji's, but why did he come to see the young lady so late at night?

Could it be that Prince Gu asked him to come?

Baoqin turned around and looked at the girl who was concentrating on reading and did not hear the noise. After hesitating for a while, she finally walked forward and opened the door.

She glanced at the man in black clothes outside the door, whose eyes lit up when she saw him open the door. He asked impatiently, "Gu Ji, it's so late, what's the matter?"

Gu Ji chuckled and looked inside.

Baoqin saw that he looked like a thief and asked cautiously, "What are you looking at?" She stretched out her hand towards the door, as if to close it, "If you have nothing else, then go ahead."

Gu Ji stood up straight in a hurry: "Something's going on, something's going on!" He glanced at the brightly lit room and asked tentatively: "Miss Mu, are you still awake?"

Baoqin shook her head suspiciously.

Gu Ji breathed a sigh of relief, then changed to an anxious expression: "My young master's old injury has flared up, and he has a slight fever. Miss Mu, can you come and see him?"

"If the prince is ill, he should go find a doctor. Why would he look for my young lady?" Baoqin was speechless, and even her voice became louder: "My young lady is not a doctor."

In the past, the young lady had sent plasters to Master Gu so many times, but it didn't mean that he had the young lady in his heart. But now he remembered the young lady's kindness.

Mu An Ning listened to everything the two people said and walked slowly to the door.

When Gu Ji saw the girl, he ignored the qin standing in front of the door and said in delight, "Miss Mu, my son is seriously ill, but there is no doctor on the mountain. You know something about pharmacology, can you go and take a look?"

Mu An Ning raised his eyes to look at the dark night sky, then smiled and shook his head: "It's late, I'm afraid it's inconvenient."

Gu Huaizhi was fine during the day, how come he suddenly fell ill?

However, he was a strong man who practiced martial arts for many years, so even if he was really sick, he would not die.

Baoqin gave Gu Ji a smug look, as if to say: See, my young lady will no longer care about your young master.

"Miss Mu, if the young master had not been so sick that he was dizzy and unconscious, I would not have come to look for you." Gu Ji wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly said, "Please help the young master this time."

Mu An Ning frowned slightly, and looked at Gu Ji intently: "Unconscious?"

If the patient is ill enough to lose consciousness, it should not be ignored.

Seeing the girl's expression change, Gu Ji nodded affirmatively: "Yes, she is unconscious."

He gritted his teeth and added fuel to the fire: "If Miss Mu doesn't let me take a look, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it."