"Milord, we have a lead on the grain transport matter."
A sword-bearing guard hurried in and whispered a few words into Gu Yujing's ear.
Gu Yujing's eyes darkened.
He turned his gaze to the prefect standing nearby, a hint of amusement curling at the corner of his lips. "Prefect, gather your yamen staff in the front hall at once. I intend to question each one of them personally."
With official duties at hand, Gu Yujing had no further interest in lingering and left without delay.
The prefect, drenched in sweat, shot a meaningful glance at the clerk before departing.
The clerk dismissed Chun Qizhe.
"Sir, our paperwork isn't finished yet…"
"Come back another day. We're busy today—no time." The clerk waved his hand impatiently and shoved him out of the room.
"What kind of people are these? Utterly devoid of decency…"
Chun Qizhe returned to the carriage, simmering with indignation.
Chun Jingshu let out a breath of relief. Her neck, which had felt as though it bore the weight of a thousand pounds, was finally free again.
She lifted her head, and her pale face came into Chun Qizhe's view.
"What's wrong? You look so pale?"
Chun Qizhe stopped his grumbling and quickly reached out to feel her forehead.
"Good, no fever—just a bit of sweat."
He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Chun Jingshu's face, his tone softening several degrees.
"Thank you, husband."
Chun Jingshu accepted the handkerchief, a pang of guilt rising within her. "I'm sorry we couldn't complete the registration. It's my fault—I was too slow today."
"You didn't do it on purpose. How could I blame you?"
Chun Qizhe took Chun Jingshu's hand in his. "Jingshu, once I pass the Autumn Imperial Examination, we'll go to the yamen and register properly."
He felt that the delay in their registration was mostly because he was still a commoner without rank. If he had official standing, who would dare treat him with such disregard?
"Alright, whatever you say, husband."
Chun Jingshu looked at his earnest face, and her heart ached with a quiet bitterness.
Three years ago, if not for him, she would have been defiled by those ruffians.
She owed him her life, and she owed him her heart.
At the time, Chun Qizhe—a man of great learning—had traveled to the provincial capital for the examinations. Through a twist of fate, he had missed the examination window. Dejected, he had wandered the countryside.
He came upon a local tyrant who was trying to force Chun Jingshu into marriage, dragging her toward a bridal sedan.
He stepped forward without hesitation, shielding her, and fought the man with reckless abandon.
In the end, the man was driven off, but Chun Qizhe was covered in blood. He spent half a month recuperating at Chun Jingshu's medical clinic.
Once his wounds healed, Chun Qizhe made his proposal: "Physician Chun, why don't we join forces and build a life together? After we marry, we'll settle in my hometown, and no one will dare bully you again."
Chun Jingshu did not agree at first, so Chun Qizhe proposed a three-year pact.
They would be husband and wife in name only, looking after each other—no marriage certificate, no official registration.
If feelings grew between them over time, they would go to the prefectural office, draft a formal marriage certificate, and register with the authorities.
If either found a true match elsewhere, they would part ways amicably.
Today, as Chun Qizhe prepared to depart for the provincial capital to sit for the examinations, he gazed at her with burning intensity. "Jingshu, the three years are up. My heart remains unchanged. Will you have me?"
Meeting his tender, water-soft gaze, she lowered her eyes and did not refuse.
Joy blazed in Chun Qizhe's eyes. He hastily wrote out a marriage certificate and placed it in Chun Jingshu's hands. "Let's take this to the authorities and register. If I pass and become the Jieyuan—Top Scholar of the Provincial Examination—you will be the Jieyuan's lady, without question. Behind every honor I earn, your merit lies. And from this day forward, I will never take another wife. In this life, only you."
Hearing those words, Chun Jingshu's heart trembled violently.
She had never been loved so fervently and sincerely before.
Back then, Gu Yujing had passed the provincial examination as Jieyuan, slept with her, and then turned his back on her.
Now, another man, brimming with talent, offered his sincere heart to her, tying her to his future, giving her a proper title, and pledging a vow of lifelong devotion—just the two of them, together until their hair turned white.
How could she not be moved?
For nine years, she had chased after Gu Yujing for three, harbored him in her heart for six, and tasted all the bitterness of love.
That bitterness, she no longer wanted.
Looking at Chun Qizhe's expectant expression, a thin mist gathered in her eyes, and she spoke softly, "Let you be the boulder, and I the creeping vine."
He took her hand, "The creeping vine is as pliant as silk; the boulder shall not shift."
Originally, after reporting their marriage today, she had decided to give herself to Chun Qizhe.
But who would have thought that in that brief moment at the government office, she would run into Gu Yujing.
Thinking of him serving as an imperial envoy in Tongzhou from now on, Chun Jingshu's heart stirred with vague unease.
"Husband, this Lord Gu seems difficult to deal with. From now on, when we see him, let's keep our distance, alright?"
"Jingshu, rest assured, I understand."
Chun Jingshu had always carried herself with grace and possessed considerable insight—she was not one to be timid or cowardly.
Today, she had kept her head lowered, deliberately downplaying herself.
She was so beautiful that even the minor clerks stared with wide eyes; if a high-ranking official took a fancy to her, it would likely stir up more trouble.
With that thought, his fingers traced over Chun Jingshu's face, the delicate feel of her skin under his palm making his breath run hot.
He lowered his head, leaning closer.
"Master, Madam, we have arrived at the examination hall."
The coachman's voice interrupted Chun Qizhe.
He gave a light cough, his face slightly flushed. "Jingshu, I'm entering the examination hall now. Go home first, and wait for me to return in triumph."
"Mm." Chun Jingshu nodded in farewell.
After returning from the provincial capital to the small town of Jixi, life settled back into calm.
The next day, Chun Jingshu rose early and went to Mount Mei in the neighboring town to gather a medicinal herb: yellow-branch grass.
After collecting the herb, as she was preparing to head back, a skilled guard suddenly appeared before her and lunged directly at her.
She couldn't fend him off—the world spun around her, and she was hoisted onto his shoulder.
"Help!" she cried out, but the guard clamped his hand over her mouth.
Her heart pounded wildly, tense and bewildered.
She often came to Mount Mei to gather herbs, knew the area well, and had always felt safe here.
Who on earth would want to lay hands on her?
Before long, they stopped at the entrance of a villa, with a plaque reading "Yage" above the gate.
"Miss, my apologies for the offense. My master has been poisoned and urgently needs a woman to relieve him. Rest assured, my master is handsome and distinguished—you won't be at a loss…"
The guard spoke hurriedly. "Once it's done, you will be handsomely rewarded."
Hearing this, the heart Chun Jingshu had been holding eased slightly, and she tested the waters, "I am a physician. Perhaps I can cure your master's poison without needing a woman."
The guard's face lit up with joy. "That would be wonderful…"
The words barely left his lips.
A group of thugs burst out from the entrance, blocking the two of them.
The guard immediately set Chun Jingshu down and pressed a lump of gold into her hand. "Physician, my master's poison—I'll leave it to you."
With that, he alone drew the thugs away.
Chun Jingshu took the consultation fee, seized the opportunity, and entered Yage.
But what met her eyes was a scene of a beauty emerging from her bath.
A woman in crimson robes sat half-submerged in the hot spring, her garments soaked through, her coiled hair tumbling loose. Her fair, slender fingers clung to the man's lapels, wandering restlessly, reaching inward.
The man sat leaning against the edge of the pool, his breathing unsteady, grabbing the woman's hands and pinning them above her head before flipping her over and slamming her against the pool's edge.
Water splashed everywhere as the woman cried out in a delicate voice, "That hurts!"
…
Chun Jingshu's face flushed crimson.
The hot spring pool was built around a rockery, and she stood behind the rocks, peering through the gaps in the stone. She couldn't quite make out the faces of the two people, but she could feel the intimate, sensual atmosphere.
She covered her eyes, turned aside, and was about to sneak away.
Suddenly, a pebble came flying at her from the direction of her feet.
Her legs gave way, and with a loud "splash," she slipped entirely into the hot spring water.
The medicine pouch she carried was left hanging on the willow branch by the pool's edge.
Her eyes, submerged by the water, stung with a raw ache. Before she could even open them, a familiar, hoarse male voice pierced her ears: "Get out!"
Chun Jingshu shuddered, instantly snapping back to her senses.
Him again.
She had checked the almanac before leaving the house today—how could she still be this unlucky?
To run into Gu Yujing?
She had once thought she would never see Gu Yujing again in this lifetime;
She had also occasionally imagined that when the two met again, everything would have changed.
What she had never expected was to come face-to-face with him in the midst of his pleasure-seeking.