Page 291

Recalling his past self, Gu Changjin truly hadn't appreciated his blessings.

He found her slow and too gentle in her actions. If not for the fear of making her cry, he would have demanded she return the medicine to Chang Ji.

But later on, when he was injured outside, he would rather endure the pain than let Chang Ji tend to his wounds.

All so that he could return with his injuries, justified in staying at Songsi Courtyard, silently observing her as she concentrated on dressing his wounds.

Thus, every time he was hurt, the pain that lingered in his heart was replaced by anticipation.

Back then, she had been so absorbed that she didn't notice his hidden gaze.

This time, however, Rong Shu seemed more perceptive than before.

Noticing his stare, she put down the medicine bottle and met his eyes directly.

"When you used to apply medicine on me, you always lowered your eyelids to hide the tears in your eyes," Gu Changjin's lips curved into a faint smile.

That was a memory from their past life. Rong Shu had tended to his wounds countless times.

She wasn't one to shed tears easily, but every time she saw the injuries on his body, her eyes would redden, and she would have to hold back fiercely to prevent tears from falling as she applied medicine.

After dressing his wounds, she didn't dare look at him, turning away instead to put away the medicine, afraid that he might catch sight of the moisture in her eyes.

"How did you know?" Rong Shu couldn't help asking. "I always thought I disguised it well."

Gu Changjin smiled; this woman was the least capable of hiding her feelings.

When she returned after putting away the medicine, there were no tears in her eyes, but her lips were pressed tightly together. Upon closer inspection, one could see the faint marks of her teeth on her lips.

"When you were applying the medicine, I never took my eyes off you," Gu Changjin said. "At that moment, if you had just lifted your eyelashes slightly, the one hurriedly averting their gaze to conceal their emotions would've been me, not you."

Rong Shu looked at him.

The man's shirt was open, revealing collarbones like a continuous range of mountains or a narrow, shallow lake. His black hair hung messily over his shoulder, making his skin appear even whiter and the gruesome scar on his chest all the more glaring.

Yet, this scar also accentuated the vulnerability in his beauty to the utmost.

Rong Shu's gaze fell on his slender waist, where a loose belt hung loosely.

She reached out and gently drew the belt around his waist, tucking his clothes securely in place. "In the past, when I applied medicine to your wounds, no matter how severe they were, you insisted on undressing and dressing yourself. But later..."

She paused, securing the belt under her palm, then lifted her gaze to meet his. "Even for minor injuries, you had me dress you."

Gu Changjin acknowledged with a soft "Mm." "I did it on purpose."

Indeed, it was deliberate.

She had always been curious. Despite his injuries not being severe and not involving his arms, he would lie motionless on the bed, patiently waiting for her to bathe him and dress him.

Rong Shu recalled the time when she had inadvertently lifted her gaze and found his dark, intense eyes fixed upon her.

She hadn't given it much thought, assuming that perhaps she had hurt him. She hastily asked if he was in pain, but he merely turned his head slightly and dismissed her concern with a "It's alright."

Since Rong Shu's rebirth, she had seldom dwelled on her past three years in Wutong Lane.

Now, as she revisited those memories, she noticed many subtle clues.

The unappetizing longevity noodles, the small ice sculptures hanging outside the latticed window, and Gu Yunzhi, who had coaxed her to drink, allowed her to vent her frustration by tugging at his clothes, all while urging her to wait just a little longer.

For those three years, he had concealed his affection for her so profoundly that she believed her feelings were one-sided. Whenever she caught a glimpse of his unusual behavior, she dismissed it without further contemplation.

Yet, in truth, when she had fallen for him, he was also responding to her, albeit discreetly and with great care, in his own way.

Those dusty, hazy memories buried deep within her mind suddenly became crystal clear as the veil of confusion lifted. She realized from the beginning, her feelings were never unrequited.

The clues he left behind, if she had paid closer attention and examined them meticulously, would have revealed the depth of his hidden sentiments.

Rong Shu's eyes grew moist again; she knew she couldn't remain in the cottage any longer. He always seemed to grasp her emotions.

So, she stood up and said, "I'll fetch some food from the kitchen."

Gu Changjin didn't stop her. He watched her go, then gazed at the door as it slowly closed.

By the time she returned, he had already fallen into a wearisome slumber.

Rong Shu stood by the bamboo bed, observing him for a long while.

The next day after their arrival at Dragon Yin Mountain, an unexpected cold snap struck, with icicles hanging from the thatched cottage's eaves, measuring half a zhang in length. Baoshan sent over several braziers to provide warmth.

In the following days, Gu Changjin's injuries visibly improved each passing day.

By the third day after he regained consciousness, he was able to get out of bed. On the sixth day, Daoist Qing Miao entered and informed them, "Someone is attempting to navigate the Maze Formation. One of them I recognize; he was the coachman driving Miss Shen's carriage that day."

Rong Shu looked at Gu Changjin. "It's Chang Ji."

Aside from Chang Ji, Heng Ping had also come. Both men were travel-worn, their clothes dusted with snowflakes.

Chang Ji's eyes were so red they resembled those of a rabbit.

When the avalanche struck, he had instinctively positioned himself in front of the carriage window, fearing that the snow tide would injure Rong Shu. The snow surge naturally hit him first, with sharp stones and twigs scraping his face and neck, leaving countless tiny wounds. Even now, the scabs on his injuries had yet to fall off.

Upon waking up and seeing Yingyue and Ying Que, he assumed that Rong Shu was unharmed too.

To his surprise, the two maidens soon broke down in tears, telling him that their carriage had been found at the bottom of the cliff. Inside, there was a female corpse, disfigured beyond recognition, dressed in the young lady's clothing and adorned with her jewelry.

"But we refuse to believe it's Miss Rong Shu! We're all alive; how could anything have happened to her?" Ying Que choked back tears. "I'm going to find her!"

The three of them searched the cliff edge frenziedly until Heng Ping arrived and followed the markings left by Gu Changjin, leading them to the snowy forest outside Qingyan Temple.

Upon seeing Rong Shu, Chang Ji couldn't help but turn his head away to wipe his eyes, his shoulders subtly rising.