Night grew darker…
As Mu Linger fell into a groggy sleep while curled up uncomfortably on the tree limb outside, she felt at ease.
Her intuition hadn’t failed her: Gu Qishao really was closeby. By the time she was truly unconscious, he emerged from the night clad in resplendent red robes. His smile was like a red lotus blossom in the darkness, blooming and radiant enough to take one’s breath away on that devastatingly beautiful face.
He stood beneath the tree, his red robes mixing with the fiery red canopy of the plant beneath the moonlight like a painting. His slight smile fixed on Mu Linger’s peaceful sleeping face on the limb as if frozen in time forever.
From a distance, this scene indeed resembled a moment in eternity.
Gu Qishao came closer and jumped soundlessly onto the branch before sitting opposite Mu Linger. Although her eyes were shut, he could tell the eyelids were swollen and puffy. Even without looking, he could guess that the girl must have been crying everyday. Hadn’t she always been like that in the past?
When she couldn’t find him, she cried…
The casual and chuckling Gu Qishao was in a rare solemn mood, his slender eyes filled with calm and deep thoughts.
He looked at Mu Linger and said, “Silly lass, it’s no use crying or being strong. After all these years, it’s about time you grew up.”
He finished with a smile, three parts doting, seven parts helpless. Then he slowly leaned forward and gave Mu Linger a soft kiss on her forehead. It was like the touch of a dragonfly brushing against the surface of water, quick and light.
This was as much as he could give.
He didn’t spare her another glance, but hopped down the tree and headed for the woods. Although his steps were very slow, he didn’t look up again. Just like that, Gu Qishao’s figure vanished into the darkness while Mu Linger slept pleasantly until daybreak. In front of the morning sun, she smiled sweetly as if having a wonderful dream.
By the time the sunlight turned piercing, Mu Linger finally woke up. The first thing she did was touch her forehead. Last night, she had a beautiful dream that Qi gege had been watching over her the entire time and even gave her a kiss.
It was so realistic that she still remembered all the details. She had even caught the scent of medicinal herbs when he leaned in close to her. That was medicine she’d mixed herself. After soaking in those baths for over two months, the scent had stuck with his body.
Actually, she had desperately wanted to open her eyes and see what Qi gege looked like as he leaned in close to kiss her. But she was afraid that if she did, she’d wake up from her dream and only see the endless darkness of the forest.
Thus, Mu Linger only felt her forehead with one hand and basked in happiness for awhile.
She took off her hair tie and tied it around a thorny thistle branch with a beautiful bow. Mu Linger knew she would come back to this place again. Then she jumped off the tree, stretched, and headed resolutely for Northern Li. Her big sis had arranged a carraige for her at the base of the mountain in the north as well as a team of shadow guards. She had to hurry north quickly to help the medical team save the sick and injured!
Once she left, Chu Xifeng exhaled in relief from his hiding spot and immediately went back to report. Yesterday, Han Yunxi had been worried that Mu Linger would do something stupid if she couldn’t get over herself. Thus, Chu Xifeng had been sent to monitor her in secret and also happened to see Gu Qishao.
“Princess, Gu Qishao headed west. This subordinate sent men to tail him from a distance. We’ll be able to know his whereabouts at any time,” Chu Xifeng said.
Han Yunxi was surprised. It’s fine if Gu Qishao avoids Mu Linger, but he actually didn’t bother to visit me or Long Feiye. Wasn’t he the one going on all day about being little Rui’er’s godfather? Is this how a godfather should act?
At this moment, Long Feiye had just finished dealing with another piece of politics and returned. Chu Xifeng immediately reported his findings, but Long Feiye wasn’t a bit interested. He only muttered an affirmative noise before going to play with little Rui’er.
Little Rui’er had been having fun with Zhao mama but immediately stopped smiling when his father drew near. His wide, clear eyes stared at his daddy, making it impossible for the intelligent Long Feiye to guess his thoughts. But since Rui’er didn’t seem to be avoiding him as much, he drew a little closer and extended his arms to pick his son up.
As expected, Rui’er burst into wails as soon as he did!
Long Feiye’s patience had its limits! Ever since little Rui’er’s birth, the baby would cry whenever he picked him up. Is he just here to make me his enemy?
“I don’t believe this!” Long Feiye held onto Rui’er and refused to let go.
Han Yunxi couldn’t bear it and ran over. “Let him go! He’s already crying like this, you’ll scare him!”
“I, Long Feiye’s son, isn’t someone so easy to scare,” Long Feiye said unhappily.
“He’s still so young! You let him go!” Han Yunxi turned fierce.
Actually, Long Feiye was more bark than bite. Seeing his son’s tear-streaked face, he felt even more pained than Han Yunxi and obediently gave him up. Little Rui’er stopped crying as soon as his mother held him. Han Yunxi teased him a bit more and he began to gurgle in happiness despite tears at the corner of his eyes.
It was both so cute and pitiful that everyone laughed. Even Long Feiye couldn’t help cracking a smile.
He asked seriously, “Just what is the problem? When will he stop fearing me?”
Han Yunxi gave him an utterly useless answer. “I don’t know either. Maybe you can discuss it with him?”
Long Feiye scooted closer to Rui’er, who met his gaze. Father and son stared at each other for awhile but didn’t come to any conclusion. Chu Xifeng and Zhao mama could only snicker secretly from the sidelines.
In the end, Chu Xifeng walked over and asked in a low voice, “Princess, how about this subordinate brings Qishao back and have him go help Northern Li?”
“Unnecessary,” Han Yunxi replied. Gu Qishao wasn’t some compassionate figure who pitied the world. Moreover, his expertise was in medicine, not medical knowledge. He might even cause more chaos than calm in Northern Li. As long as that fellow was well, Han Yunxi was too lazy to bother with his whereabouts.
Chu Xifeng timidly backed away at that answer and didn’t say more. Yet soon enough, another shadow guard reported from the entrance, “Your Highness, a secret missive for you.”
Long Feiye was still staring at little Rui’er as he asked, “From whom?”
“It’s Gu Qishao’s,” the shadow guard replied.
Long Feiye and Han Yunxi both looked up at that. Chu Xifeng was surprised as well and quickly went to accept the missive. When Long Feiye opened it up to read the contents, his face chilled by a third. The only lines written were: Long Feiye, tell your shadows to keep their distance. Don’t follow this old man anymore or else you’ll shoulder the consequences!
Long Feiye’s eyes were cold as he let Chu Xifeng read the message. Sensing something amiss with his master’s gaze, he carefully reviewed the lines before feeling his world falling apart.
Long Feiye didn’t even ask where Gu Qishao was. He said coldly, “Who sent men to tail him?”
Chu Xifeng had shrank back so much his head was nearly burrowing into his neck. He didn’t dare answer. Before Han Yunxi could speak up, Long Feiye said, “Chu Xifeng, you’ll tail him personally. Wherever he goes, you go. Bring plenty of poison guards with you. Remember, you’ll shoulder the consequences if you lose him.”
Chu Xifeng raised his head and bared his teeth in a grin. “Yes! This subordinate obeys!”
His Highness is still biased towards his own people! I’ll definitely bring along the strongest poison guards and follow Gu Qishao everyday. See if he tries to swagger or tell us to get lost again!
It was hard to change a person’s core personality. Despite his near brush with death, Gu Qishao still had that same abominable personality. What could Han Yunxi say? She pretended to know nothing as she continued to play with her precious son.
When she looked at little Rui’er who couldn’t sit, only cry or laugh, wave his hands, or kick his little legs, Han Yunxi was almost fretful and wished he could grow up sooner. Then she’d be able to take her son with her all around the world. In reality though, she was busy beyond belief. Even if she could travel the continent with her son, she probably had no time to leave Yunning yet.
A few days ago, Ning Jing had written to say that little Tang Tang had already learned how to walk. Han Yunxi estimatd that little Rui’er wouldn’t master that until next year. Everything had gone smoothly for Ning Jing and Tang Li upon their return to the Tang Clan. Lady Tang and the elders were all too concerned with Tang Li’s wellbeing to bother with Ning Jing. More importantly, they still didn’t know that Ning Jing had lost all ability to give birth again.
Han Yunxi had her own agents in the Tang Clan, but as an outsider she couldn’t get too involved in their business. To let Ning Jing have a better future, she had to rest her hopes on Tang Li.
—
Ten days later, Mu Linger reached the main camp of the Ning Clan Troops in Northern Li. It was call Orchid Mountain Camp. Han Yunxi had already informed Ning Cheng and Gu Beiyue of her arrival ahead of time. They weren’t surprised that she’d come, but Jin Zi was completely alarmd.
Mu Linger came at the right time to bump into Gu Beiyue preparing for a trip to one of the quarantined areas. If she was even half a day late, she would have missed him. Mu Linger could be uncertain when it came to other areas, but she never hesitated when it came to saving lives. She knew when to get to the point and be prudent.
As soon as she reached camp, she declared to Gu Beiyue, “Doctor Gu, I’ll come with you!”
Although Mu Linger was no doctor and lacked Gu Beiyue’s skills in diagnosis and prescibing medicine, she was an asset to him as a pharmacist. For example, she could take care of checking presciptions to see whether they targeted the disease, check ingredients to see if they had the right mixture, quantity, and effects, and determine real from fake ingredients, etc. When it came to the ingredients themselves, Mu Linger was the professional compared to Gu Beiyue. It was also more appropriate for her to take on the task as she was a member of Medicine City.
After all, all of the materials they received this time came free of charge from Medicine City. Gu Beiyue wanted to make sure none of the clans had sabotaged the ingredients!
