After learning about the cancellation of the engagement, Xu Qiu didn’t concern himself with it further. Afterward, he didn’t encounter Lin Qu again, which was perfectly normal; after all, for the past dozen years, he and Lin Qu had hardly spoken. Even though they lived in the same village, they rarely even saw each other.
It was only natural for things to remain this way.
Xu Qiu didn’t overthink it. He spent most of his time studying and, for the remainder, tinkered with medicinal herbs under the guidance of the old village doctor. He planned to develop some finished products for common daily ailments, such as cold medicine or painkillers. He hoped that eventually, he could open a pharmacy in town and sell these finished products directly, much like the pharmacies of his past life where people could simply pick up medicine for common conditions without needing a specialized consultation from a physician.
This approach would save time and wouldn’t require the shopkeeper to have deep medical expertise.
Simultaneously, if he could formulate more effective medicine, that would be even better. He now possessed special abilities that allowed him to grasp and perceive medicinal properties more deeply and comprehensively, and he had already found a few promising directions.
Of course, his primary goal remained studying for the imperial examinations. Xu Qiu had no intention of changing that, but since he had many immediate needs for money, Gu Chenxiao had just arrived in exile with nothing and needed to buy a pile of things, and the old doctor was all alone with only him as an apprentice, he knew expenses would be high as the weather turned cold. He needed to provide for both.
Because these were his own private matters, and he had brothers at home, even though his two older brothers wouldn’t begrudge him the money, Xu Qiu felt embarrassed to ask his family to cover these expenses. Besides, their family wasn’t wealthy. His parents worked hard to earn their living, and he couldn’t feel comfortable taking money from them to spend recklessly.
That was why he wanted to develop his own business.
If his research succeeded, it would add another source of income for his family. While they were among the better-off households in the village and had some modest savings, that level of wealth wasn’t much to boast about in town. He wasn’t young anymore, and it was time he contributed his share to the family.
That day, Xu Qiu set out as usual around midday.
He was headed to see Gu Chenxiao and Master Wen, who was teaching him to read.
In this region, exiled criminals were typically released during this time in the morning to prepare meals and rest. They would have similar breaks after laboring in the afternoon, lasting until the following morning.
Because the light was better at midday and they were sometimes released late in the afternoon, leaving the two men with cooking and other chores until it was already dark, Xu Qiu generally visited at noon.
This time, Xu Qiu saw his former fiancé, Lin Qiong, standing with Gu Chenxiao from a distance, though they quickly parted ways.
By the time Xu Qiu reached them, Lin Qiong had already left by another path.
Hearing Xu Qiu approach, Gu Chenxiao withdrew his gaze from Lin Qiong’s retreating back and smiled at Xu Qiu with a hint of embarrassment. “You’ve arrived.”
“Yes.” Xu Qiu gave a simple acknowledgment and looked in the direction Lin Qiong had left. “Do you have an interest in him?”
The story was written from Lin Qiong’s perspective, and much of the internal monologue centered on him. Thus, Xu Qiu knew that Lin Qiong had been attracted to Gu Chenxiao from the moment they first met.
This was entirely normal. Gu Chenxiao had a striking appearance: well-defined features, handsome, and born of royal blood. Raised in that environment, his entire demeanor set him apart from the people in this small place. He wasn’t just a pretty face, either; one could tell at a glance that he was no simple man. Being around him provided a sense of security.
Moreover, his identity, the exiled prince, was known to everyone in the village.
Most people might find that taboo, but for the transmigrated protagonist, this identity only fueled his curiosity and attention. Furthermore, Lin Qiong knew that this destitute prince would eventually ascend the imperial throne.
Conversely, Gu Chenxiao was not a main POV character and appeared mostly as background; he had little internal monologue. However, although he seemed cold to strangers, he was an incredibly doting partner to Lin Qiong later on.
After all, this was a pampered protagonist novel. Lin Qiong had been pampered at home, and he would be pampered just as much by Gu Chenxiao. At the same time, Lin Qiong wasn’t without his own talents; he would soon embark on his path of culinary success, leading his entire family to wealth and prosperity.
Of course, before that, Lin Qu, the character designed to contrast with him, would successfully divide the family from the Lin household, only to watch from the sidelines as the Lin family soared to success.
He would remain filled with resentment and hatred, constantly trying to cause trouble for Lin Qiong.
At that moment, due to the history between Lin Qiong and Gu Chenxiao, Xu Qiu asked casually. He didn’t have much of an emotional reaction. Whether or not Lin Qiong was still his fiancé, he didn’t care much. After all, they had spent over a decade together since childhood without him ever falling for the other person, so he wasn’t about to become paranoid over a former engagement, especially since the person in front of him wasn’t the original Lin Qiong.
Gu Chenxiao answered honestly, “I wouldn’t call it an interest, but perhaps a slight liking.” Discussing romantic matters so directly wasn’t typical, but Xu Qiu asked so casually that Gu Chenxiao answered in kind.
Having spent over two months together, he knew Xu Qiu wasn’t the type to gossip.
As he spoke, he recalled the young ge’er who always seemed to smile with such happiness and sunshine, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. It was clear he had been nurtured and pampered by his family with utmost care. He had once seen Lin Qiong interacting with his family; his parents loved him dearly, and what was rare was that the young ge’er had a kind heart and cherished his parents’ love just as much.
Gu Chenxiao’s own mother had died young, and he had suffered greatly in the palace as a child; his imperial father hadn’t cared for him at all, leaving him with a deep yearning for family affection.
He was grown now and exiled here; of course, he wouldn’t pray for the Emperor to love him like a father. But seeing someone so happy and fulfilled, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing, hoping that the other person would always remain simple and happy.
He was like a ray of light, drawing all his attention.
At the mention of him, Gu Chenxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Who is he? Judging by his age, he must be reaching the age to marry, right?”
Xu Qiu hesitated, then replied, “He is my former fiancé. Our parents arranged the engagement when we were children, but it was recently canceled. We just haven’t made it public yet.”
The fact of the engagement couldn’t be hidden; the entire village was watching the Lin family’s drama, and Gu Chenxiao would eventually find out if he continued to interact with Lin Qiong.
Besides, there was truly nothing to hide.
Gu Chenxiao choked. He had been talking about his interest in someone right in front of their fiancé.
Even if Xu Qiu said “former” fiancé.
And it hadn’t been canceled long ago.
He hurried to explain, “That’s not what I meant. I just thought he had a pleasant personality. We’ve only met a few times and haven’t really spoken.”
Xu Qiu waved his hand. “It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. We’ve already called off the engagement; it’s perfectly fine if you like him.”
If only you wouldn’t target me for being his former fiancé after you fall in love with him, that would be even better.
Xu Qiu sighed internally. It seemed he should look for someone else who could teach him how to read as soon as possible.
The two walked together into the house, where Master Wen was preparing food. Xu Qiu put down the basket he was carrying. “My mother picked some vegetables and stewed some meat.”
Gu Chenxiao thanked him.
He and Master Wen grew some of their own vegetables, but they hadn’t been there long, and it took time for things to grow. The people in charge of them distributed a reasonable amount of food every month, but it wasn’t enough for two grown men, so Xu Qiu often brought them supplies.
Nothing precious, really. If they were willing to spend money, they could buy plenty from the villagers.
Of course, Gu Chenxiao and Master Wen didn’t have much silver, so they had to save where they could.
With the stew Xu Qiu brought, Gu Chenxiao and his companion didn’t have to cook another dish. They steamed some rice, and Master Wen came over to discuss reading problems with Xu Qiu.
By the time they were done teaching, the meal was ready.
Xu Qiu knew they weren’t well-off, so he didn’t stay for dinner and headed back. His mother had already prepared a meal at home.
When he arrived, his two older brothers had already returned. The village wasn’t terribly far from town, and although the gambling den provided meals, they weren’t great, so his brothers typically chose to come home to eat because his mother, Lady Li, was a truly excellent cook. Their father, however, did not work at the gambling den but was at the Xu family headquarters and rarely made it back for lunch like this.
“You’re back! Hurry and bring the bowls over. I was just thinking of asking your brother to go get you,” Lady Li said with a smile as she saw him return.
Xu Qiu replied with a cheeky grin, “How could that be? With you making so many delicious things today, Mother, of course I had to hurry back.”
When his father returned last night, he had bought half a lamb, and his mother had prepared it for lunch.
Smelling the fragrance, Xu Qiu couldn’t hold back. He quickly brought the dishes to the table, and his two brothers did the same, constantly sneaking bites in the kitchen until their mother smacked the backs of their hands.
“Hurry up and bring the food out to eat!” Lady Li chided her two sons while sneaking bites, her face unable to hide a smile.
In an instant, the table was filled to the brim: dip-sauce lamb, cumin lamb, lamb stew, and a variety of green vegetables. The whole family sat down and began to eat.
Before long, the room was filled with the three brothers praising Lady Li’s cooking.
Lady Li couldn’t stop smiling. “Hurry and eat! There are lamb chops left over; we’ll roast them tonight.”
“Great!” Xu Qiu felt there was simply nothing more blissful than this.