Without Su Xiaoyu here, the true judging gaze came from Baili Mingxiang herself. She knew that this was a rare chance. Even if she couldn't treat him, staying by his side was good enough. Even if she couldn't stay by his side, looking at him from a distance would let her die without regrets.
But she couldn't!
She didn't want her feelings to betray the pure, clean trust in her heart, or the simplicity of her secret love. She looked at Gu Beiyue, only to see the man staring back.
Gu Beiyue, do you understand? Do you really?
A child's intuition was the most accurate one. A child's gaze was the most venomous one. Thus, Su Xiaoyu could tell. But what about Gu Beiyue? If she couldn't hide it from him, if he really harbored similar feelings as her, then why didn't he understand her? Why was he sending her to Celestial Mountain.
This shouldn't be!
In fact, this was a way to hurt her. Baili Mingxiang stepped forward and bowed. "Esteemed wangfei, Doctor Gu, Mingxiang is not talented. I'm afraid that I won't be able to learn the needle technique and ask that the two of you find another representative."
She refused!
Han Yunxi didn't get to speak before Gu Beiyue said, "It's fine. This one guarantees that I'll be able to teach you within two days. I've had discussions with His Highness Duke of Qin already, you're most suited to the task."
Baili Mingxiang was startled by the news. This is His Highness Duke of Qin's idea?
Han Yunxi was astonished. "The two of you discussed this already?"
"His Highness Duke of Qin originally wanted esteemed wangfei to return to the peak, but unfortunately...esteemed wangfei may have to accompany us to Medical City," Gu Beiyue said.
Han Yunxi might harbor suspicions if it was anyone else but Gu Beiyue who said such words. As it were, she never suspected him.
"Esteemed wangfei, Miss Mingxiang really is the best choice," Gu Beiyue added. That was Han Yunxi's first choice as well. For one thing, Baili Mingxiang had learned many needle techniques from Gu Beiyue. Her innate talents were good, as was her foundation. For another, she was originally Long Feiye's trusted agent. In these circumstances when spies were afoot, who were they to find if not members of the Baili Clan? They were the least likely to betray Long Feiye. With him so heavily injured, they couldn't afford a hint of error, much less take any risks. If Han Yunxi was supposed to find another person who could learn the technique within such a short amount of time that was also completely loyal to Long Feiye, it'd be impossible.
Of course, Mu Linger was another option, but she was controlling much of the work at Pill Fiend Pharmacy. Moreover, she dreaded Long Feiye like nobody else, so she'd never accept the task. They didn't have the right to force her, either.
"Mingxiang, you may not follow my orders, but what about His Highness's? Are you going to defy those? Do I need to get your father over here?" Han Yunxi teased.
Baili Mingxiang was speechless. Left at a loss, she could only hide her restless, perturbed heart. Since she didn't speak, Gu Beiyue assumed that she agreed. "Miss Mingxiang, rest early. Find me first thing tomorrow to learn the needle technique."
"Alright," Baili Mingxiang then turned to Han Yunxi. "Since esteemed wangfei trusts me so much, Mingxiang won't disappoint you."
Han Yunxi nodded as she muttered to herself. "He's seriously injured this time, so I only hope he recovers quickly…"
Before Baili Mingxiang left the room, she asked, "Esteemed wangfei, any news of Little Yu'er?"
Although all Su Xiaoyu did was spy on her endlessly and burn her with satire, it was still strange to see the estate so quiet with her missing for so long. Han Yunxi could only sigh. "They're still looking. Don't worry and rest well, just focus on studying the needle technique tomorrow."
After Baili Mingxiang left, only Gu Qishao, Gu Beiyue, and Chu Xifeng were left in the room with Han Yunxi, who asked, "Doctor Gu, just how did you get poisoned?"
Gu Beiyue took out a poisoned needle. "It was a needle. It didn't seem like their aim was to kill me, but to lure esteemed wangfei off the mountain."
Han Yunxi immediately looked towards Chu Xifeng, who hastily reported, "There are two possibilities. Either a high level expert slipped past our guard or we have a spy in the estate! No matter which one's right, that person has to be in league with the spy on Celestial Mountain. They knew that His Highness Duke of Qin was heavily injured and forcefully found a way to bring esteemed wangfei down the mountain, then instigated Carefree City to surround wangfei."
His words more or less matched up to Han Yunxi's own guesses.
"Could it be the same people who kidnapped Su Xiaoyu? Why did they take her?" Han Yunxi didn't understand.
Little Yu'er had been missing for a long time. If they wanted to use her as a hostage to blackmail them, they should've made a move much earlier, right? Chu Xifeng didn't reply, but said instead, "Esteemed wangfei, right now we're in the light while our enemies lurk in the shadows. It's better to be prudent about such matters. His Highness definitely has a way to deal with any hidden spies, but it's more important to focus on Medical City right now. This subordinate will increase the guards to protect you on the way there."
Gu Qishao finally broke his silence all night to snort. "Don't waste your breath!"
Chu Xifeng could't accept that and glared at him. Before they could break into an argument, Gu Beiyue broke them apart. "Everyone, it's getting late. Let's all retire to rest. Esteemed wangfei must be exhausted after her carriage ride, hurry and go back."
Han Yunxi was truly tired. There was still a heap of things to do tomorrow. She and Gu Beiyue were both set to leave, while General Baili needed to prepare for war. South Ning's commander-in-chief's estate needed to be properly dealt with before their departure. They couldn't very well be stabbed in the back while fighting in the front lines! Fortunately, General Baili's sons were quite capable. Within a short amount of time, they had used their military strength to cow the five prominent clans. Han Yunxi didn't return to Leisurely Cloud Pavilion, but Long Feiye's quarters instead.
Aside from her wedding night, she'd never spent a day here. Now she came because she missed the scent of him in the rooms, hoping that it'd bring her good dreams. And yet, despite her exhaustion, she didn't feel sleepy. After Zhao mama lit the lamps, Han Yunxi dismissed her to wander the empty rooms alone. It was built to be an exact replica of the original back in Tianning's capital city. Han Yunxi didn't know whether this was because Long Feiye felt nostalgic and liked his old living habits, or because he was simply too lazy to built something entirely new. When they brought her to these rooms on the wedding day, she'd spent the afternoon wandering through them as well. But her mood then and her feelings now were completely different.
Back then, all she felt was fear and timidity mixed with curiosity. Now she only missed him. Perhaps it was because Long Feiye hadn't had time to settle into these rooms, but she didn't find his familiar scent. Even the large bed with its luxurious silk covers lacked his familiar, comforting warmth. She rolled herself up beneath the covers and couldn't fall asleep no matter how she tried. She only laughed that she had trouble sleeping in "someone else's bed!"
But she never had such problems before. Even if it was a carriage, on horseback, or in his embrace, she could still be dead to the world. It was obvious that she couldn't sleep without a certain "someone else" instead!
Since she wasn't a speck sleepy, she simply gave up and laid there staring at the ceiling. Has Long Feiye ever had sleepless nights in this bed? Has he ever stared at the ceiling like now? What does he look like when he sleeps? What's his usual sleeping position? Lying on his back, his side, or his stomach? Does he prefer the left side or the right side of the bed?
Han Yunxi was now thinking all sorts of jumbled thoughts. She first tried the right side of the bed to lie on her side, then the left side to lie on her back.
How great it'd be if he was here!
After tossing and turning her fill, she finally got off the bed completely. Really, she desperately missed him.
Night turned people sensitive. She came to the study and discovered that the chair behind the table was facing the window. Nobody would carelessly move things around here, so it was likely Long Feiye had left his chair like them on purpose. But why would he sit with his back to the table? What's there to look at outside the window?
Without a thought, she turned the chair around before sitting down and raising a brush to write a letter. Thousands of thoughts and words surged through her head and towards her pen tip, but in the end she only wrote six words.
Long Feiye, I miss you.
She folded up the paper multiple times before slipping it into an envelope. For the sender, she wrote a simple "Xi" and opened the window to whistle for the messenger hawk. But as soon as she noticed the scene behind her, she gave a start. Then her vision grew damp as tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. The scene before her cleared away all her years of suffering, grievances, and inferiority. For the first time ever, she felt that her love for him...wasn't petty or low at all!
After remaining dazed for a while just staring, Han Yunxi restored the chair to its previous position and sat in it again. Looking outside, she could perfectly see her own window at Leisurely Cloud Pavilion. Even without lamplight, it was still a clear sight beneath the light of the moon. For countless nights, she'd stood there staring at the lanterns in his quarters while spacing out. She always thought she was the first to fall in love with him, but she never expected that he had been watching and protecting her from unseen corners all this time.
"Long Feiye...you fool!" Han Yunxi smiled bitterly.
Only now did she realize why he'd made every inch of earth and blade of grass identical to the original Duke of Qin's estate. He'd rebuilt his own quarters and another Leisurely Cloud Pavilion, just so...just so he could have this perfect vantage point again, the secret corner where he could peer at her unknown.
Long Feiye, between you and me, just who's the one that yields?
Perhaps it's both of us. Perhaps we're both willing to bow towards the other and let them lead. Han Yunxi began to write again, this time adding another sentence beneath her first line.
Long Feiye, you're such a fool.
Then she called for a messenger hawk and had it delivered. She spent the rest of the night sitting in that chair while staring at Leisurely Cloud Pavilion's window. Somehow or another, she fell asleep. Just like her, Long Feiye had spent countless nights in this very chair, staring at that figure in the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion's window until he too, went to sleep.
At this point, Lil Thing secretly slipped out of the poison storage system. Han Yunxi felt it vaguely in her sleep, but didn't protest; she knew it had been a long time since Lil Thing had returned to South Ning. It must be on its way to look for Gu Beiyue.
If Gu Beiyue didn't know anything about poisons, she would have suspected him of being part of the Poison Sect too. Why did Lil Thing like him so much? Still, he was truly a likeable person. He had a clean, calm temperament and a warm and peaceful personality. With him, there were no great joys or sorrows, but one would still feel very comfortable. He was like bathing in the sunshine during winter days, a sensation that could inexplicably carry one for a lifetime…