Jiang Zhiyu had thought that Gu Huaiqiu, with his gloomy temperament, would have moved to a remote courtyard, but she hadn’t expected it to be as far-flung as this.
Not only was it tucked away in the farthest corner of the main residence, but it also faced north, allowing not a single ray of sunlight to penetrate.
Even at noon, the entire courtyard was shrouded in gloom, as cold and somber as Gu Huaiqiu’s eyes.
The stone plaque above the courtyard gate should have borne characters, but they had been chiseled away, leaving it blank.
Fudong stopped beneath the stone plaque. “The young master does not allow outsiders into the courtyard. I can only escort you this far, young mistress.”
“Thank you,” Jiang Zhiyu said with a smile, stepping past Fudong and walking into the shadowy courtyard.
Fudong curled her lips, thinking to herself, Let’s see how this shameless woman gets in.
What did it matter if First Madame had agreed? If the young master refused, the servant wouldn’t let her in.
Earlier, she had been foolish to worry about what Jiang Zhiyu might do to the young master… Ah!
Fudong’s eyes widened in shock.
She saw Jiang Zhiyu say something to the servant guarding the study, and to her surprise, the servant stepped aside to let her pass.
How could this be?
Apart from First Madame, the young master never allowed anyone into his study. That was why only First Madame could deliver his medicine.
Could it be that after just one glance yesterday, the young master had already been bewitched by this enchantress?
Then… what about her?
While Fudong was in a state of panic, Jiang Zhiyu had already entered the study.
Gu Huaiqiu was dressed in a dark green robe. Even seated in his wheelchair, his tall and slender frame was evident, though his long-term inability to walk and lack of exercise had left him somewhat gaunt.
The lighting in the study was decent. Gu Huaiqiu lowered his gaze, flipping through a book on the desk. His gloomy aura seemed to have lessened slightly, but he still paid little attention to Jiang Zhiyu, not even sparing her a glance.
Jiang Zhiyu knew that Gu Huaiqiu would not stop her from coming.
He was far more astute than First Madame and understood their current relationship and circumstances all too well. Naturally, he wouldn’t hinder her.
But from his demeanor, Jiang Zhiyu also understood that he wouldn’t care about her either.
To him, she was merely air.
Without offering a greeting or speaking, Jiang Zhiyu walked forward, placed the Ginseng Tea she was holding beside the teacup on the desk, then turned and silently walked out.
Gu Huaiqiu’s eyes flickered for a moment, but only faintly.
Outside the courtyard, Fudong, her face etched with anxiety, saw Jiang Zhiyu emerge and widened her eyes once more.
She went in and came right back out?
Indeed!
The young master wasn’t so foolish as to be swayed by beauty. He must have driven Jiang Zhiyu out as soon as he saw her!
“Thank you for your trouble today, Miss Fudong. I know the way back and won’t trouble you further.”
Fudong had just begun to feel pleased when Jiang Zhiyu’s words drifted past her ears like the wind.
By the time Fudong processed what Jiang Zhiyu had said and turned around, the woman was already gone.
Fudong didn’t understand what Jiang Zhiyu meant, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Baffled, she returned to the main courtyard.
“Where have you been all morning? I couldn’t find you anywhere. Have you been slacking off again?” As soon as she entered, First Madame snapped at her.
Fudong was startled.
As First Madame’s head maid, she had always been treated well. First Madame usually turned a blind eye to her laziness and had even mentioned sending her to the young master’s side as a concubine maid. She had never been this angry with her before.
“This servant… this servant was going to show the young mistress the way,” Fudong said with an innocent expression.
“Show the way? What way for her?” Speaking of Jiang Zhiyu, First Madame was filled with anger.
She now realized that she had been completely led by the nose by Jiang Zhiyu that morning. What annoyed her even more was that she hadn’t realized it at the time and had let her leave so easily.
Fudong looked even more bewildered. “Wasn’t it your order, madam? She said she had paid her respects to you this morning and mentioned she was going to bring Ginseng Tea to the young master. You told her to come find me to show her the way.”
“When did I ever give such an order—” Her voice abruptly cut off.
First Madame suddenly remembered that before Jiang Zhiyu left, she had mentioned she had Ginseng Tea simmering on the stove…
So that was it!
By not stopping Jiang Zhiyu at the time, she had essentially agreed. It wasn’t entirely wrong to say it was her order.
That secondhand goods! Not only was she thick-skinned, but she was also full of tricks!
First Madame was so angry she pounded the table. Fudong hurried forward and grabbed her hand anxiously. “Madam, what’s wrong? Don’t hurt yourself.”
“I… I…” First Madame didn’t know how to express her fury. “Where’s A-Qiu? Didn’t A-Qiu drive her away directly?”
Fudong shook her head. Seeing First Madame’s face turn even redder with anger, she quickly added, “But the young mistress came out of the study shortly after entering. She probably just left the Ginseng Tea and was driven out.”
This allowed First Madame to breathe a little easier.
After thinking for a moment, she asked again, “Did she say anything else?”
“She didn’t say anything, just that she knew the way back and didn’t need this servant to escort her.”
These words turned over in First Madame’s mind, and she immediately stood up, trembling with urgency. “Oh no! Quick! Have someone keep an eye on her. No, also have someone guard outside the empty courtyard. She must not be allowed to enter the empty courtyard again.”
Fudong didn’t understand why First Madame suddenly gave such an order, but seeing her as if facing a formidable enemy, she also became flustered and hurried off to relay the message.
And the next day, Jiang Zhiyu’s Ginseng Tea was once again placed on Gu Huaiqiu’s desk.
Just like the previous day, she simply left the tea and departed.
On the third day, it was the same.
First Madame was so angry her chest hurt. For the first time, she felt there were too few people in the main household—they couldn’t even keep an eye on Jiang Zhiyu.
On the fourth day, First Madame personally guarded outside the gate of the empty courtyard. She waited from early morning until noon, and then until mid-afternoon, until she was dizzy from the sun. In the end, she couldn’t hold on any longer and was helped back by Fudong.
“Madam, the young mistress probably knows you’re guarding here and doesn’t dare to come. Please rest for a while, don’t get heatstroke.”
First Madame nodded weakly. As soon as she lay down, an old servant woman rushed in with a troubled expression.
First Madame immediately sat up, a mix of panic and hope in her voice as she asked, “Jiang Zhiyu… she’s in her own courtyard, right?”
The servant woman’s face grew even more pained. She shook her head and said, “Madam, as soon as you left, the young mistress entered the empty courtyard. We don’t even know where she came from.”
The servant woman felt that this young mistress was far too clever. Forget First Madame—even if all the people in the main household banded together, they wouldn’t be a match for her.
“She… she…” First Madame was so angry she couldn’t catch her breath and fainted.
The main courtyard fell into chaos, but inside the study of the empty courtyard, it remained quiet as ever.
Jiang Zhiyu set down the Ginseng Tea, but this time, unlike the previous three occasions, she did not leave quietly. Instead, she stood by the desk, looking at the book Gu Huaiqiu was reading.
It was Records of the Grand Historian.
At this moment, the narrative was just recounting the glorious exploits of the Wei Dynasty’s great general, who swept through enemy lines like a hot knife through butter, capturing thirteen cities in succession.
However, the last two lines on the page already hinted at a decline in momentum, and the next page would likely mark the beginning of the Wei Dynasty’s downward spiral.
Jiang Zhiyu waited for Gu Huaiqiu to turn the page, but instead, Gu Huaiqiu closed the book, turned to look at her, and asked in a voice colder than his gaze, “What do you want?”