"I have come here to place myself under the protection of the Gu family head," Lu Youqing said, lifting her gaze to meet the elegant, dignified woman before her.
Gu Lanxi looked at the woman standing neither servile nor arrogant before her and let out a soft laugh. "On the strength of that rough sketch alone?" she asked, her tone edged with sharpness.
"On the strength of that rough sketch," Lu Youqing replied calmly, unshaken, her expression still one of quiet confidence.
"That is nothing more than a draft," Gu Lanxi said, changing her line of questioning. "There are no detailed steps, no decomposed diagrams. How can I be certain you can truly build such a thing? What if you're trying to deceive me? And besides, that object is not particularly important to me—why should I go out of my way to help you?"
"I do not have the detailed drawings," Lu Youqing admitted frankly. "But they exist in my husband's mind. Why doesn't the family head take a gamble? If in the end we fail to make it, we will submit to whatever punishment you decide. Surely Miss Gu, who has taken full control of the Gu family's vast holdings, does not lack the courage for such a wager?"
She then smiled faintly. "The sketch I presented is merely my knock on the door—a way to let the family head know of our existence. What we are capable of goes far beyond that."
Gu Lanxi lifted a hand to her forehead and laughed softly again, this time with genuine amusement. There was even a trace of appreciation in the way she looked at Lu Youqing—subtle, but unmistakable.
From their very first meeting, she had known Lu Youqing was no ordinary village woman. Her bearing was refined, her posture elegant, and she carried an unmistakable scholarly air.
After their exchange, Gu Lanxi realized she was even more perceptive than expected. Lu Youqing understood that borrowing money could only solve a temporary crisis. She clearly grasped the truth that possessing wealth without protection invites disaster. Without a powerful backer, even if they escaped this danger, another would surely follow. Since she was seeking help, why not eliminate the problem at its root?
Throughout the negotiation, Lu Youqing remained composed—neither obsequious nor timid, never retreating, always steady and deliberate.
Such composure could only come from deep confidence and solid conviction.
Moreover, she knew how to read Gu Lanxi's mind, deliberately using provocation to stir her interest while keeping her own true hand concealed, arousing curiosity.
"You are very clever," Gu Lanxi finally said, narrowing her long phoenix eyes as she studied Lu Youqing.
"These are only small tricks," Lu Youqing replied modestly. "They cannot compare to the Gu family head's discerning eye."
At that moment, a woman dressed in dark, fitted clothing hurried in and whispered something into Gu Lanxi's ear.
After hearing it, Gu Lanxi's eyes brightened noticeably, and the sternness in her expression eased.
"It's late," she said. "Miss Lu, you should rest here tonight. Wait for news tomorrow."
She instructed someone to escort Lu Youqing and her companion to the guest rooms, then rose and followed the woman who had just entered, her steps carrying an unmistakable urgency.
Li Nanqiao had remained silent behind Lu Youqing the entire time, afraid of saying something wrong. While Lu Youqing spoke with the seemingly noble and imposing Gu family head, Li Nanqiao had been so tense that her back was slick with sweat.
Once the maid led them to the guest room and took her leave, Li Nanqiao crouched in front of Lu Youqing and asked anxiously, "Madam, what did the Gu family head mean just now? Is the master going to be saved?"
Lu Youqing sat on the stool, feeling utterly exhausted. Propping her forehead with one hand, she said softly, "Your master should be able to return tomorrow. We'll just wait for the news."
It was no wonder Gu Lanxi had managed to take over the Gu family's empire intact amid so many rivals—her presence, her acuity, were truly extraordinary. Every word spoken to her required careful consideration.
At that very moment, Gu Lanxi—whom Lu Youqing had just praised inwardly—accepted a bowl of medicine from a maid. She blew gently on it, testing the temperature, before bringing the spoon to the man's lips.
The man looked at her with mild helplessness, but seeing the fatigue in her eyes, he obediently drank it.
The room was silent, save for the crisp sound of the spoon tapping against the bowl.
She fed him spoonful by spoonful, and he drank without protest, until the bitter medicine was finished.
"That's enough, Lanxi," the man said gently, reaching out to grasp her wrist and smiling faintly. "It was just a fever. You don't need to be so careful."
Only then did Gu Lanxi gesture for the attendants to withdraw. One by one, they bowed and left, until only the two of them remained.
She rose, removed her outer robe, and lay down carefully beside him.
"You're still dressed so formally—did someone come earlier?" the man asked, noticing her attire. It was clearly not how she would dress at rest.
"Yes. Someone came to seek my help," Gu Lanxi replied, recounting everything that had just happened.
Beneath the covers, her slender hand slid until it touched his tightly clenched fist. She gently pried his fingers open and massaged his hand softly. "Don't be angry. Such people aren't worth it."
Feeling the faint tickle of her touch, he turned his hand over and enclosed hers in his palm, sighing quietly. "The court pays salaries to raise a pack of parasites who trample the law at will. I've long known this—yet it still pains me."
She understood better than anyone how rotten the foundations of the court had become. No matter how much she hated it, there was little she could do.
"It's all right," Gu Lanxi said softly, resting against his shoulder. "I've already agreed to help her. Since we've seen this happen, we should help if we can."
"Tomorrow morning, have Zhuifeng take my token and order the yamen to solve the case within a deadline," the man said coldly. "They are not to frame innocent civilians."
"By the way," he added, "what was that drawing she sent?"
Gu Lanxi slipped out of bed, walked to the desk, and handed him the envelope Lu Youqing had brought.
His long fingers, calloused and rough, took the sketch. He frowned as he studied it for a long while before saying in disbelief, "She's sure this can be made?"
"I asked her. She doesn't seem like an ordinary commoner—she was extremely confident. We might as well trust her once," Gu Lanxi said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she returned to the bed with a faint smile. "I knew you'd be interested."
"If this truly can be made, it could ease the suffering of the people. I'm becoming more and more interested in those two."
"Then when you've recovered in a few days, I'll go with you to Qinghe Village," Gu Lanxi coaxed gently. "Weren't you curious about how that watermelon was grown?"
The man lowered his head and chuckled softly, his chest rising and falling with the sound.
He had lost his mother at a young age and grown up amid danger and intrigue in that treacherous family, surrounded by schemes and hidden blades. He had been forced to learn self-preservation, encasing himself in a hard shell, hiding his true self behind a cold, ruthless mask.
People feared him, hated him, were wary of him—but no one had ever cherished him.
And now there was this woman.
She embraced him with boundless warmth and gentleness, cared for him, comforted him…
His dark, fathomless eyes were fixed on her tender, affectionate face. As he gazed at her, an indescribable emotion welled up within him. The coldness and rigidity that once defined him had long since melted under her tenderness, and the heart that had once been hard as ice was now quietly, profoundly warm.
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Currently at chapter 180 for advance chapters
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