The woman before him had eyes that sparkled with life, her face bright with an easy smile.
Gu Jingan realized then that her health had fully returned. Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy rose, and she looked radiant, brimming with a renewed vitality. Her attire today was simple: her long hair gathered into a loose knot, held by a pair of jade hairpins. Matching tassels swayed gently with her movements, the beads clinking together with a crisp, melodious ting-tang.
A beauty set against a wall of moonlit blossoms was a sight to behold, though it was a pity her posture lacked any semblance of decorum.
The wind blowing against his wine-flushed skin had already given Gu Jingan a headache; seeing her like this only made it throb harder. They had been married for barely a month, and truth be told, he was gradually growing used to Xie Yuechan’s presence. Yet, her poised and generous manner often left him bewildered. Was this the true version of her?
Or were those past rumors of her scandalous behavior—and the way she had clung to him so shamelessly the day she fell into the water—the truth? Thinking of that day, Gu Jingan felt a prickling sensation crawl across his back like a swarm of ants. He quickly averted his gaze and made a hurried excuse to leave.
Though the wine had clouded his mind, he was lucid enough to remember to snatch the plate of dorayaki she had left for him.
He returned to his study to read, practice his calligraphy, and bathe. It wasn’t until he had soaked in the tub that his head finally cleared. At the banquet earlier, the guests had been so focused on exchanging toasts that they had barely touched the food; as a result, he’d felt too self-conscious to eat his fill. Now, his stomach was beginning to grumble.
He hesitated, his eyes drifting to the dorayaki he had brought back. After a brief internal struggle, he succumbed to temptation, walked over, and picked one up.
It’s late, he rationalized. The main kitchens are surely locked by now. Since I’ve already brought them back, it would be a waste of food not to eat them.
He took a light bite. The outer sponge was so soft it practically crumbled, forcing him to eat with careful precision. The snowy-white filling was incredibly dense yet smooth, sweet without being cloying, and carried a rich, milky fragrance. This, he assumed, was the “cream” she had mentioned.
Gu Jingan had never tasted such a pastry before. It was novel in appearance and bold in flavor; he truly wondered how she had come up with it.
He finished one in two bites. While he was still chewing, his hand reached instinctively for the next. Though he had intended to eat only two to stave off the hunger, he blinked, and they were all gone.
He was no longer hungry, yet he found himself wanting more.
Finding a smudge of white cream on his fingertip, he glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then quickly licked it clean. Overcome with a sudden wave of bashful shame, he hurried to bed.
Tingfeng Residence
Lady Zhu sat at the sandalwood table in the main hall with her head maid, the two of them working on embroidery at opposite ends.
Every noble household had its own seamstresses, and the Gu estate was no exception, but Lady Zhu insisted on personally sewing anything that Gu Jun or Gu Jue wore close to their skin. To the outside world, Lady Zhu was the quintessential devoted wife and mother; Gu Jun, in turn, was the attentive husband everyone envied. In their ten-odd years of marriage, they had lived in perfect, respectful harmony.
As Lady Zhu focused on her stitches, the sound of hurried, cheerful footsteps approached from outside.
“Mother!”
It was her two children. Her younger son, Gu Cong, was a lively boy of five or six who remained deeply attached to her. He lunged straight into her arms, followed closely by her well-behaved eldest daughter.
“Be careful! Where are your manners?” Lady Zhu gasped, startled. She quickly swept her needles and thread off the table, checking to make sure he hadn’t been pricked.
“Mother, the cakes are delicious! You must try one too!”
Gu Cong thrust the half-eaten dorayaki toward Lady Zhu’s lips. Without thinking, she followed her son’s motion and took a small bite.
She froze mid-chew, the lingering softness of the pastry blooming across her palate. She had never tasted anything quite so fragrant and sweet; it certainly wasn’t the work of the estate’s kitchens. The snacks usually served at the Gu residence were either dry and difficult to swallow or so cloying they became unbearable after two bites.
“Mother, what do you think? Is it good?!”
Gu Yuanhui’s eyes were shining with excitement. Though she remained mindful of her manners in her mother’s presence, she couldn’t help but tug eagerly at Lady Zhu’s sleeve.
Lady Zhu stroked her children’s hair and smiled. “It’s wonderful.”
She was moved by their filial piety; the fact that they thought of her while enjoying treats elsewhere made her happier than the snack itself ever could.
“Where did you buy these? They truly are delicious. I’ll have Simei go out tomorrow to buy more; they would be perfect for entertaining guests.”
She was thoroughly impressed by the flavor—it left a pleasant aftertaste that was sweet without being heavy. Truly a rare find.
“Mother, these were sent over from Third Uncle’s courtyard. They said Third Aunt made them herself.”
Xie Yuechan?
For a moment, Lady Zhu doubted her own ears. Her voice rose an octave in disbelief. “You said Xie Yue… that your Third Aunt made these?”
Remembering how she had just lavished the pastry with praise while unaware of its origin, she sat stunned, mouth slightly agape, unsure of how to react.
As a daughter of a noble house who had the rules of decorum etched into her soul, she naturally looked down on Xie Yuechan with disdain. When Xie Yuechan first requested to set up a private kitchen, Lady Zhu had merely scoffed. She only permitted it because it didn’t draw from the family’s communal funds.
She hadn’t expected Xie Yuechan to deliver such a shock.
After the initial surprise, a cynical thought occurred to her: the woman must have found a maid with extraordinary culinary skills and was lying about doing the cooking herself, hoping to win back the Third Master’s heart through his stomach.
Well, it’s certainly a more clever scheme than her old ones, Lady Zhu thought.
Meanwhile, the Princess Consort had accepted her share of the dorayaki without much fanfare, though she did offer a surprised remark:
“Your Madam actually knows how to bake?”
She had then sent a maid back with a large, round watermelon as a return gift. In this season, watermelon was a rare and precious luxury.
Xie Yuechan didn’t want it to go to waste, so she ordered the servants to lower it into the well to keep it chilled, planning to decide how to serve it the next morning.
The maids, having tasted the various “experimental” snacks Xie Yuechan had produced, were already clamoring for more. Xie Yuechan couldn’t help but marvel at how good food was truly the ultimate motivator. She tossed aside her novel and began enthusiastically describing even more bread recipes to them.
“Based on what you’re saying, Madam, are there really so many pastries in the world we’ve never even heard of?”
Xie Yuechan waved her silk fan and gave a light laugh. “Countless. Next time, I’ll make you some meat-floss bread.”
It was nearly nine in the evening, but Luoxue Residence was still bustling with life.
Linglong stood guard outside Gu Jingan’s study, her posture perfect and her eyes downcast, ready to serve him at a moment’s notice. Yet, her mind had long since drifted over the wall to the main courtyard.
She felt a twinge of envy toward the maids serving the Third Madam.
Before Xie Yuechan had married into the family, Luoxue Residence had never known such relaxed, cheerful moments. It wasn’t that the Third Master was a bad master, but the young man lacked the vibrant energy that should have belonged to someone his age.
Now, with a new person in the courtyard, every corner overflowed with vitality. Even the Third Master seemed to be changing.
Linglong had long since discarded her initial prejudices against the Third Madam. She only hoped that the rest of the household—especially the Third Master—would soon do the same.