Ten days later, Gan Cai’er received an invitation to a “Lotus Appreciation Banquet” from Wei Yulan.
It was the sixth month, the season when lotus flowers were in full bloom. Du Zhong, the prefect of Danzhou, loved lotuses so much that he had specially built a lotus garden within his residence.
This time, it happened that Lu Yu from the Hanlin Academy had come to Danzhou for an inspection. Seizing the favorable timing and location, Du Zhong decided to host a grand “Lotus Appreciation Banquet.”
Though it was a grand affair, since it was held within the residence, the number of guests was still limited. Therefore, apart from the prominent figures in Dànzhōu Fǔ, it was extremely difficult for others to obtain an invitation.
Holding the invitation, Gan Cai’er twirled around with Wei Yulan several times, showering her with sweet words and endless flattery, delighting Wei Yulan so much that she wished she could pluck the stars from the sky for her.
After Gan Cai’er finished her flattery and left with the invitation, Wei Yulan calmed down and realized she had given away another two hundred taels of silver, a treasured painting of Cold Mountain, two sets of the Four Treasures of the Study, and several bolts of fine Cloud-pattern Brocade.
She couldn’t help but stomp her foot in regret. Truly, a married daughter was like spilled water—her heart was entirely devoted to her Gu Ye.
Gan Cai’er’s unreserved efforts filled Wei Yulan with deep concern. Those who loved too deeply often met unfortunate ends—she had seen such things far too often.
What Wei Yulan did not know, however, was that while Gan Cai’er was indeed doing her utmost for Lan Tingzhou, she no longer held even the slightest hope for him.
All her fantasies of love had long been buried cleanly in the blizzard of her previous life.
Freed from the entanglements of love, Gan Cai’er felt her mind had become much clearer.
Just as Gan Cai’er was racking her brains on how to persuade Lan Tingzhou to go to Dànzhōu Fǔ, he suddenly announced that he would take her there for an outing.
Gan Cai’er was taken aback—this hadn’t happened in her previous life.
Seeing Gan Cai’er stunned, Lan Tingzhou explained, “I’ve been focused on preparing for the exams recently, and you’ve taken care of all matters, big and small, at home. You’ve worked hard, my wife.”
“Since we married, I haven’t been able to spend proper time with you. Now that the exams are over and the season is pleasant, I thought I’d take you to Dànzhōu Fǔ to relax.”
Gan Cai’er did not believe Lan Tingzhou’s words.
Having been married to him for two lifetimes, she knew all too well that he would rather avoid her than willingly invite her out for leisure and enjoyment.
When something is abnormal, there must be a hidden reason!
However, Gan Cai’er didn’t care what that reason was. She knew Lan Tingzhou was a gentleman of integrity who would never harm her. Besides, this saved her the trouble of concocting a reason to coax him into going to Dànzhōu Fǔ.
This was perfect.
After agreeing, they set the departure date for Dànzhōu Fǔ five days later.
In the days that followed, Gan Cai’er busied herself preparing for the journey. She tailored several new outfits for Lan Tingzhou and herself, using up all the Cloud-pattern Brocade she had obtained from Wei Yulan.
On the day of departure, Lan Tingzhou brought Mo Yan, and Gan Cai’er brought Xiao Hong. At the break of dawn, the four of them set off in a carriage.
Qingshui Town was about three hundred li from Dànzhōu Fǔ, roughly a day and a half’s journey by carriage.
The carriage was a luxurious one Gan Cai’er had specifically procured from Wei Yulan. The interior walls were draped in brocade, the seat cushions were made of silk, and the floor was covered with thick carpets—utterly extravagant.
With new clothes and a new carriage, Gan Cai’er was particularly meticulous about this trip to Dànzhōu Fǔ, unwilling to lose face or be looked down upon.
The carriage was spacious enough to comfortably seat four or five people. However, Xiao Hong, showing good judgment, sat on the carriage shaft alongside Mo Yan, who was driving, leaving the interior to Lan Tingzhou and Gan Cai’er.
An intricately carved wooden door separated the carriage into an independent, safe, and private space.
Gan Cai’er felt restless and uneasy.
In her previous life, if she had such an opportunity to be alone with Lan Tingzhou, she would have certainly caused trouble. She had always enjoyed seeing Lan Tingzhou maintain his cool and composed demeanor, yet be helpless against her antics, ultimately forced to compromise.
Back then, she had thought it was a sign of Lan Tingzhou’s uncontrollable affection for her. Now, looking back, perhaps his flushed face represented more humiliation or embarrassment?
She could never act like that again.
Gan Cai’er consciously and diligently pressed herself against the carriage wall, staying as far away from Lan Tingzhou as possible, as if trying to turn herself into a painting plastered onto the carriage.
The carriage was unusually quiet.
Lan Tingzhou glanced at her silently. This version of Gan Cai’er made him deeply uncomfortable.
Ever since he had known Gan Cai’er, she had always been chattering away like a noisy mountain sparrow, rarely quiet for even a moment. If he ignored her, she would come up with countless tricks until he responded.
Why was she so quiet today?
Lan Tingzhou glanced at her once, then again, feeling an inexplicable irritation, as if a small flame were smoldering inside him.
When she was noisy, he was annoyed; when she fell silent, he was even more annoyed.
Meanwhile, Gan Cai’er kept her head lowered, eyes fixed on her nose, nose on her heart, sitting upright and proper, not daring to overstep even half a step. Through her actions, she made it clear she would not provoke him.
Sitting on the carriage shaft, Xiao Hong sensed something amiss. She poked Mo Yan and whispered gossipily, “Doesn’t something seem off?”
“What’s off?” Mo Yan was completely clueless.
“Don’t you think it’s too quiet?” Xiao Hong gestured toward the carriage with her chin.
Mo Yan paused his whip-wielding hand, tilted his head to listen for a moment, and said, “Could it be that Young Mistress has knocked the Young Master unconscious or gagged him?”
“Smack!” Xiao Hong raised her hand and gave Mo Yan’s head a hard slap. “What nonsense are you talking about! How could my Young Lady ever do anything to harm Gu Ye?”
Mo Yan curled his lip, feeling unconvinced. Hadn’t Young Mistress drugged the Young Master plenty of times before?
However, prompted by Xiao Hong, Mo Yan thought for a moment and also sensed something unusual. He whispered back, “There is something off.”
“In the past, Young Mistress would come to the study two or three times a day, whether she had business or not. But in recent months, she hardly ever comes anymore.”
“That’s because Gu Ye was preparing for the exam, and Young Lady was afraid of disturbing his studies,” Xiao Hong defended Gan Cai’er.
“Whether Young Mistress coming to the study affected the Young Master’s studies or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that during the time she didn’t come, the Young Master’s face grew colder day by day, and his temper worsened. Mo Yun and I had to tread carefully, hardly daring to breathe.”
Xiao Hong scratched her head, seemingly puzzled. “But before a big exam, shouldn’t one conserve energy and build up vitality?”
“Huh?!” Mo Yan’s eyes widened in shock.
Was “conserving energy” supposed to mean that?!
“Yes, that’s exactly what Young Lady said. That’s why she restrained herself from going to see Gu Ye.”
“Xiao Hong, shut up!” Gan Cai’er finally couldn’t take it anymore and snapped.
Xiao Hong and Mo Yan thought they were whispering quietly, but in reality, their gossip could be heard clearly inside the carriage.
Gan Cai’er’s unusual behavior of no longer going to the study to find Lan Tingzhou had naturally prompted Xiao Hong to inquire about it, and at the time, she had casually made up such an excuse. Who would have thought Xiao Hong would be so indiscreet, blurting out everything without a second thought!
Lan Tingzhou would probably think once again that she still harbored improper intentions toward him!!
Now, she truly felt like she had fallen into the Yellow River and couldn’t wash herself clean.
Gan Cai’er wished she could sew Xiao Hong’s mouth shut and then find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Lan Tingzhou’s gaze was calm: “Your husband doesn’t require such nourishment.”
Gan Cai’er’s face suddenly flushed crimson, her cheeks tinged with pink like the dazzling sunset of a summer evening.
Lan Tingzhou’s fingers curled slightly.
This vitality seemed to have accumulated a bit too much.