In the end, Song Chuzhao found the side door near her courtyard and walked in obediently.
Because Gu Fengjian had neglected exercise for years, even though Song Chuzhao possessed sufficient climbing skills, her movements were not agile enough. As a result, she had gotten quite dirty while scaling the wall, and now several grayish stains marred her clothes.
Gu Fengjian looked her up and down in front of her, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately forced himself to hold it back. That expression of bearing a heavy burden filled Song Chuzhao with a twinge of sympathy for him.
Gu Fengjian pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and beckoned her closer.
Song Chuzhao intended to take it from him, but Gu Fengjian retracted his hand and used his eyes to signal her not to move. Song Chuzhao pursed her lips, feeling guilty, and could only stand obediently in front of him.
Gu Fengjian moved closer to her, lowered his head, and reached for her hand, using the white handkerchief to wipe the mud from her palm.
His movements were gentle and meticulous, slowly moving outward along her fingers. He was incredibly patient. The touch was so light that Song Chuzhao felt a slight itch instead.
This sensation made Song Chuzhao, who was never comfortable with physical closeness, feel extremely uncomfortable. She instinctively wanted to pull away. But then she thought, this was Gu Fengjian’s own body, and seeing someone else touching his hand with his face would be even more unpleasant, so she held back.
Although Gu Fengjian’s body appeared frail, his height was not lacking. He was a head taller than Song Chuzhao herself.
At this moment, Song Chuzhao lowered her gaze and saw a small head bobbing gently in front of her, looking quite docile.
Although she had a lively personality, she always preferred those who were well-behaved. She never thought she would see such a sight on her own body.
While Song Chuzhao was lost in her thoughts, her hand was cleaned, and Gu Fengjian stepped back.
Her gaze slid past his head and landed on her own hem.
There had been a light autumn rain earlier that morning, leaving the entire city damp. Song Chuzhao had worn a light blue garment when she left, and it had picked up some of the moist moss from the wall, making the stained areas look quite unsightly.
Song Chuzhao felt a sense of foreboding. Someone like Gu Fengjian, who undoubtedly loved cleanliness, would surely find her mud-covered appearance unbearable.
She couldn’t see Gu Fengjian’s expression, but she saw him staring at the dark stain on her hem and said softly, “You’re not going to scold me, are you?”
Gu Fengjian tilted his head, puzzled. “Why would I scold you?”
Song Chuzhao was startled. “You’re not going to scold me? If my mother knew I climbed the wall and got my clothes dirty, she would have beaten me.”
Gu Fengjian softened his tone, speaking with a hint of profound meaning. “Oh… So you do know climbing walls is wrong.”
Song Chuzhao: “…” I know, but my nature is hard to change.
He had a good temper and didn’t seem angry at all. by carpreads.pages.dev
Song Chuzhao said, “I snuck out. You have so many servants in your household. Thankfully, you prefer quiet, so I sent them all away, and they didn’t suspect anything. As soon as I left the courtyard, I came straight here.” Although she was experienced, it still took a lot of effort to get out of the Gu Mansion.
Song Chuzhao thought, someone like Gu Fengjian, who was pampered and meticulously cared for at home, would surely be uncomfortable in a place like the Song Mansion, this den of wolves and tigers. He would undoubtedly be subjected to the combined efforts of Song Shiwen, the Old Madam, and Third Madam Song, the three Song family demons. And if he wasn’t careful, he might even be bullied by Miao’er.
Alas, the vast world was a dangerous place, not a place for a small fish like Gu Fengjian to swim around in.
Gu Fengjian didn’t say anything. He folded the handkerchief and handed it to her.
Song Chuzhao took it and asked softly, “Have you eaten?”
Gu Fengjian looked at her steadily, then shook his head.
“I knew it!” Song Chuzhao smiled triumphantly. “I figured you wouldn’t remember to eat, and they wouldn’t leave anything for you, so I brought some for you when I left.”
She reached into her bosom and pulled out an oil paper package, holding it out with one hand, her eyes filled with hope and enthusiasm.
The package was still warm to the touch. Gu Fengjian opened it and found a half-roasted goose wrapped in layers of paper inside.
A strong aroma wafted out instantly, and some of the dripping oil inevitably stained his hand.
He was about to say that he couldn’t eat something so greasy, but before he could speak, he remembered that this was Song Chuzhao’s body, and she should be able to eat it.
Sure enough, he heard Song Chuzhao say, “I know you’re just recovering from your illness and can’t eat, so I didn’t eat it. I only had a bowl of porridge today. This roast goose is famous throughout the capital. If you were healthy, you would definitely like it. I brought it for you to try. This is a rare opportunity, you should try it!”
Her words were full of life, and even her smug expression had a charming spirit.
Gu Fengjian was usually cold and impassive, never showing his emotions. He had never seen such an expression on his face. Looking at her intently, he felt completely unfamiliar.
Gu Fengjian turned and went inside, his robe brushing against the slightly tall weeds on the ground, leaving a trail of dampness.
He placed the things on the table and turned back to look at Song Chuzhao.
Song Chuzhao seemed carefree, but she was actually a very considerate and generous person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so easygoing in front of him. She was treating him like someone who needed to be taken care of.
It reminded him of the dashing young general from back then, with his elegant demeanor, bright eyes, and delicate eyebrows. Even his riding posture was different from others, full of grace.
Song Chuzhao followed him inside. Noticing that he wasn’t saying anything but kept looking at her, she said coldly, “What are you staring at me for? What do you want to say?”
“You look like someone I know.” A flicker of hesitation crossed Gu Fengjian’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and said, “I thought the Song family had a third son.”
“My father has three children, but only one son.” Song Chuzhao laughed and pointed at herself. “There is no third son, only a third daughter. Someone must have tricked you!”
“Someone did tell me that.” Gu Fengjian looked regretful. “When I was traveling and studying, I went to the border. One day, there was a sudden downpour, and a lot of mud and rocks rolled down from the mountain. My horse was startled, and I fell off. I slipped and fell into a ravine. She saved me. She said she was the third son of the Song family and asked me for a token so she could go back and send a message for me.”
Song Chuzhao said righteously, “He* must be a liar!”
TN: he/she/it is the same ta sound in Chinese
Her tone was exactly the same as that arrogant fellow from back then.
“Yes. That liar—” Gu Fengjian also raised his voice, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes as he looked at her. “That liar left me alone on the spot, threw two pieces of clothing on me, and then rode away with my horse, saying she would go and call for help.”
He paused and said deliberately, “But after a long time, I was rescued by another passerby, and she never showed up.”
Song Chuzhao was still filled with righteous indignation, ready to join him in cursing the damned liar, but she suddenly paused when she heard this.
She vaguely remembered something like that happening.
At the time, she was so angry that she had ran out of the camp and met a young man on the way. After returning, she got sick from the rain. Perhaps because she rarely got sick, the illness was severe, and she had a high fever for half a month before she recovered. After she recovered from her illness, she didn’t remember much about that night. She didn’t know if she had actually sent a message for him.
She finally knew where the broken jade pendant came from.
Not only did she cheat someone out of something and not do anything, but she also broke their thing.
Song Chuzhao’s words suddenly got stuck in her throat, and then cold sweat broke out.
She straightened her back and used her peripheral vision to observe Gu Fengjian’s expression, afraid that he would see through her.
She couldn’t admit it. She absolutely couldn’t admit it now.
Song Chuzhao’s voice was loud and firm as she refuted, “She… she’s a liar! That’s why she used the Song family name. My Song family would never have someone like that!”
Gu Fengjian said, “I wrote her a letter later.”
“The border is a chaotic place. Letters that aren’t from the court are rarely delivered…” Song Chuzhao’s voice changed, and she spoke again with a strong voice, “No! She’s not from my Song family. The letter you sent, naturally, wouldn’t have been delivered!”
Gu Fengjian’s expression twisted strangely, as if he was suppressing his anger. He said calmly, “Oh…”
Song Chuzhao had just breathed a sigh of relief when Gu Fengjian said again, “Speaking of which, you and her seem to have some resemblance.”
Song Chuzhao panicked for a moment, but quickly calmed down. She thought quickly and said, “I look like my mother. That person must have been similar to someone in my Song family, so she dared to use the Song family name to deceive people!”
Gu Fengjian nodded silently, as if accepting her explanation.
Song Chuzhao berated herself mercilessly, determined to prove her innocence: “That person is truly shameless! I refuse to be associated with her!”
“…” Gu Fengjian remained silent for a long time before saying, “Forget it, it’s not that serious. Perhaps she has other difficulties.” He hesitated to continue, unsure what else she might say.
Song Chuzhao, however, suddenly said with emotion, “You’re such a kind person.”
Gu Fengjian: “…”
Gu Fengjian coughed, sat down at the table, and asked, “Is there anything I need to be aware of about you?”
He touched the teapot, finding it cold, so he did not pour her any water.
Song Chuzhao also sat down beside him with a confident air, saying, “I returned in a hurry, escorted by two soldiers. I didn’t bring any servants with me. They left after delivering me here. You should not trust any of the servants assigned to this room.”
Gu Fengjian said, “I know.”
Seeing his indifferent expression, Song Chuzhao feared he might not take it seriously, so she reminded him again: “Keep your distance from the maidservant. Don’t entrust her with anything important. She’s not trustworthy.”
Gu Fengjian looked at her sideways and asked, “Did she bully you?”
“She wouldn’t dare bully me, of course. It’s just that she occasionally does things that are annoying…” Song Chuzhao said, “She’s just a servant. I don’t want to bother with her.”
Gu Fengjian said nothing and opened the oil paper package on the table again.
After finishing her words, Song Chuzhao added another reminder: “The elders of the Song family are not close to me. They often speak with sarcasm. Don’t take it to heart. You can’t fight them now… If they bully you, tell me, and I’ll secretly get revenge for you!”
Gu Fengjian: “Mm.”
Song Chuzhao thought for a moment and said, “Actually, there’s nothing much you need to be aware of about me. I just returned to the capital and don’t have any acquaintances. You can just act naturally. What about the Gu family?”
Gu Fengjian said, “Nothing much. I don’t like to talk much and spend most of my time reading in my room.”
Song Chuzhao looked pained.
Gu Fengjian continued, “It’s fine if you want to go out for a walk. The doctor told me to go out more often. They won’t suspect anything.”
Song Chuzhao immediately felt relieved.
Gu Fengjian smiled slightly.