Chapter 47

The study door stood ajar, and Rong Shu knocked gently, addressing the man seated behind the desk with a warm tone, "Are you occupied, my lord?"

Gu Changjin set down the documents in his hand and lifted his gaze to meet hers, saying,

"Not at all. How are Lady Grandmother and your parents doing since your return?"

Rong Shu nodded, smiling. "They're all doing well." As she spoke, she stepped over the threshold and entered the room.

Yingyue followed behind, carrying a square wooden chest. However, before she could enter, she heard Gu Changjin say, "Close the door."

These words effectively barred her from entering. Yingyue froze, instinctively looking to Rong Shu for guidance.

Rong Shu was also somewhat taken aback. After pondering for a moment, she nodded at Yingyue and said, "Hand me the medicine. You wait outside."

Yingyue promptly responded with a respectful murmur, her head lowered demurely as she presented the wooden case to Rong Shu's hands. With head still bowed, she then withdrew from the room.

With her departure, the study was left in complete and utter silence.

Gu Changjin rose to his feet and strolled towards Rong Shu.

She looked exceptionally radiant today, with eyebrows like brushed ink, cheeks as delicate as cherry blossom pink, and lips that needed no rouge to be luscious. Her light celadon dress, embroidered with intertwining lily motifs, accentuated her graceful figure in the moonlight.

But Gu Changjin was not in the mood to appreciate beauty. He was assessing, probing.

From the moment she entered his field of vision, no, from the instant Chang Ji mentioned her, the calm he had managed to regain over the past few days was disrupted by a tumultuous heartbeat.

Initially, his heart would race uncontrollably only when she drew near or when he caught a whiff of her scent.

Now, however, merely thinking about her, or even hearing her name, sent his heart pounding more fiercely than ever before.

The man's footsteps were light yet steady, drawing closer with each step.

He soon realized that the closer he got to her, the faster his heart beat.

Yet, not a hint of strangeness showed on Gu Changjin's face. His brows and eyes remained as still as a mountain, fixed on Rong Shu, not missing any flicker of emotion on her face.

Seeing him approach silently, Rong Shu was unsure of his intentions.

As they were still an arm's length apart, she could no longer resist the urge to lift the wooden box in front of her, saying,

"This is the Rejuvenating Pill that I brought back from the Marquis Manor. Mother was worried about your injuries not fully recovering before returning to the official residence, so she specially asked the old physician from the manor to prepare two large bottles. It's said to nourish the mind and replenish energy."

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "What did you want to talk to me about, my lord?"

A subtle scent of lily lingered around her, intertwined with a hint of sweetness.

The sweetness of malt and the fragrance of pine nuts.

This maid had been eating pine nut candies again.

Thump, thump, thump—

Almost as soon as this thought flashed through his mind, Gu Changjin's heart nearly burst out of his chest.

The man narrowed his eyes. All the abnormalities originated from her.

Those dreams only started after their marriage, and his heart began behaving strangely because of her appearance.

Gu Changjin's pitch-black, emotionless eyes seemed to be stirred by ink. His gaze fixated on her face, carrying an indescribable scrutiny.

What is there to inspect?

Inspecting her?

Rong Shu lifted her gaze to meet Gu Changjin's, asking straightforwardly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The book on the desk rustled in the breeze.

The young maiden's confusion in her eyes was genuine, and she seemed slightly startled.

Gu Changjin immediately understood – it wasn't her.

Those dreams, those heart palpitations, had been aroused by her, but not intentionally so.

He took a step back and casually swept his gaze over the tiny vermilion mole behind her left earlobe before commenting nonchalantly, "Madam has gained some weight, which is excellent."

Rong Shu: "..."

She had to admit that after returning to Qingheng Courtyard, she ate and slept well, which indeed caused her to gain some weight. But was the reason he stared at her for so long just to see if she had gained or lost weight?

Rong Shu didn't believe him for a second!

This man's thoughts were as deep as the ocean, and his lips were tighter than an oyster. If he didn't want to speak, what could she do?

The gentle smile on Rong Shu's face began to falter.

What should she do? Even if it was just for show, she didn't want to give him this Cangrong Pill anymore!

But he probably wouldn't want it anyway. He didn't drink a single drop of the ginseng soup she prepared earlier, so he definitely wouldn't touch these Cangrong Pills.

Sure enough, Gu Changjin glanced at the medicine box in her hand and said, "I'm already taking other medication. Madam can keep the Cangrong Pills for yourself."

Rong Shu hummed in response. "Then I'll return to Songsi Courtyard. Don't overwork yourself, my lord."

After giving him a casual reminder, she didn't plan on staying in the study any longer. She turned to leave, but Gu Changjin called out to her.

"Wait."

Rong Shu paused, then managed to rein in the smile that had been tugging at her lips. "Is there anything else, my lord?"

Gu Changjin gazed at her intently, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke, "Tonight, I'll be resting in the Songsi Courtyard."

...

When Gu Changjin arrived from his study late that night, Rong Shu was already asleep.

He had bathed earlier in the study, so upon returning to the main residence, he removed his outer robe and climbed straight into bed.

Lying down, he noticed several large crescent-shaped pillows, each about half a person's height, scattered across the bed. Rong Shu clutched one in her arms, while the others, whether by design or coincidence, were placed inconveniently in the middle of the bed, creating an unbridgeable divide between them.

Gu Changjin drew the canopy down and just as he settled in, a faint, sweet scent of alcohol unexpectedly tickled his nostrils.

She must have had some wine before sleeping, he realized.

This realization sparked a sudden thought in his mind—

She shouldn't be drinking.

Just as he was lost in thought, the young lady lying beside him, with her back turned to him, suddenly rolled over and opened her eyes.

Seeing him there, a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes. She sat up abruptly, propping herself on a crescent-shaped pillow as she tilted her head to study him.

Gu Changjin met her gaze.

The young girl's eyes were bright, fixed intently upon him.

After a moment, she nodded in realization, "I see, I'm dreaming again. You're that wicked-tongued Gu Yunzhi in my dreams."

"But why am I dreaming about you again? It shouldn't be, it really shouldn't."