Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Ji Hanyi stared blankly into Gu Yan’s solemn eyes.
It was as though he had carefully considered every word he was saying to her.
Ji Hanyi knew how diligently Gu Yan had once studied. He had ranked first in every annual examination at the Imperial Academy and had been appointed to remain there. A brilliant future lay ahead of him, so why would he follow her to Wei County?
Ji Hanyi hurriedly shook her head. “Please don’t do this, Cousin. I don’t need you to accompany me, and I’ve never considered marrying again.”
“I don’t believe I’ll ever marry for the rest of my life.”
Gu Yan stiffened slightly. The sky darkened, and a patter of rain suddenly began to fall.
His expression did not change as he said quietly, “Cousin Yi, you don’t have to think you’re burdening me, nor do you owe me anything in return. Everything I do is of my own free will.”
“I’ve already spoken to my mother about this, and she has agreed.”
“If Cousin Yi spends the rest of her life there, then I’ll remain there and keep you company for the rest of mine. Even if you never marry, I’ll be content as long as I can offer you some measure of protection.”
Ji Hanyi stared at Gu Yan.
His voice was deep and unwavering, as though through every twist and turn, there had always been such a figure standing quietly at her side.
At that moment, Ji Hanyi was moved.
But she did not love Gu Yan. She could not make him any promises about the future, much less ruin his prospects.
She was a woman. Spending her entire life in Wei County would be no great hardship for her. But for Gu Yan, who had once had such a promising future, being trapped there for the rest of his life was another matter entirely.
His devotion touched her, but she could not accept it.
Ji Hanyi straightened slightly and looked at him with utmost seriousness. “Cousin Yan, even if you say that, I still can’t accept it.”
“I would feel that I’d wronged you. I’d be afraid to face you, and I’d feel guilty whenever I saw you.”
“I don’t want things between Cousin Yan and me to become like that.”
Gu Yan pressed his lips together, then smiled faintly. “Cousin Yi, you don’t need to think that way. This was my mother’s decision.”
“My mother is grateful for what your father did for me all those years ago. Without him, I could never have entered the Imperial Academy, much less secured an official post at such a young age.”
“Mother told me to protect Cousin Yi and never forget the kindness we owe your family.”
Ji Hanyi looked at Gu Yan in even greater astonishment, unable to believe a single word of it.
Gu Yan saw the disbelief in her eyes and smiled again. “The next time Cousin Yi returns to the Gu Residence to visit Grandmother, my mother will explain it to you herself. She was the one who proposed this, and Grandmother knows about it as well.”
Ji Hanyi’s eyes widened in shock.
She could just barely believe that her maternal grandmother knew, but she truly could not believe that Eldest Maternal Aunt had agreed. As for Eldest Maternal Aunt being the one to suggest it, Ji Hanyi could hardly even imagine such a thing.
Gu Yan had not expected her to believe him right away. Smiling, he said, “I brought some fish from Yuzhen Restaurant. It used to be your favorite. I had the kitchen warm it up just now, so it should be ready.”
With that, Gu Yan rose and smiled down at Ji Hanyi. “Since it’s raining, let’s light some candles and eat fish with your mother while we listen to the rain.”
Looking at the smile on Gu Yan’s face, Ji Hanyi rose almost unconsciously and followed him.
Gu Yan turned his head to look down at her and said with another smile, “Cousin Yi, do you remember that Mid-Autumn Festival when you came back with your mother and father? You got hungry in the middle of the night and secretly slipped into the kitchen, only for me to catch you there. All the food in the kitchen had already gone cold, so I sent someone out to buy more. We hid behind the kitchen to eat, and one of the dishes was fish. I picked out the bones for you before every bite.”
Ji Hanyi remembered now. She had been especially greedy for food as a child, yet overeating often gave her a stomachache, so her mother never allowed her to eat too much at night. Unable to endure the hunger, she would sneak out. One night, craving the snow-skin mung bean cakes she’d had earlier, she went looking for them in the kitchen.
She hadn’t expected Gu Yan to catch her in the act.
The childhood memory made Ji Hanyi laugh. “I remember that by the time we finished eating, the whole household was searching for us.”
“Cousin Yan even had his palm struck by Eldest Uncle.”
Gu Yan smiled. “My father was frantic too. Twenty strokes of the ruler – my whole hand swelled up.”
“Still, it was a blessing in disguise. At least I finally had an excuse not to get up at the crack of dawn to practice calligraphy.”
Ji Hanyi hadn’t expected Gu Yan to have used the incident as an opportunity to shirk his lessons. Her guilt eased, and she covered her lips as she laughed, her eyes curving into crescents. Her smile was much more carefree now.
As Gu Yan watched her smile, he recalled what Ji Hanyi had looked like at six or seven – innocent and a little chubby, like a round ball of snow. But she had changed. Now, so many people had their eyes on her.
Someone from the Xie Family had come to see her this morning, apparently having changed their minds once again.
Then there was that powerful figure from the Shen Family.
Who else would there be in the future?
Gu Yan pursed his lips. More than ever, he hoped he and Ji Hanyi could leave this place soon.
Everything he had done in pursuit of an official career had been for her. If she wasn’t there, what use would any rank or achievement be?
In the upper story of a building just beyond the wall, Shen Si gazed down at the scene below, his eyes dark and brooding.
He watched Ji Hanyi and Gu Yan talk and smile. They stood so close that their clothes nearly brushed against each other.
Gu Yan could come and go freely here, and Ji Hanyi never found his presence abrupt. The two of them seemed so natural and relaxed together, while Shen Si had only ever glimpsed this different side of Ji Hanyi through other people.
The pair gradually disappeared from his sight. The heavy, blue-black curtain of rain drenched everything in dampness, making even their retreating figures seem to merge into one.
Shen Si’s expression darkened. Watching Gu Yan tilt his head slightly toward Ji Hanyi, he slowly uttered, “Gu Yan.”
He had specifically ordered someone to investigate Gu Yan. The man’s background was spotless, and he had always ranked at the top of every assessment at the Imperial Academy.
With his results, he could have first taken an official post outside the capital. After serving for seven or eight years, he should have had no trouble returning to secure a position in one of the Six Ministries. Yet at the time, he had insisted on remaining in the capital as an Erudite of the Imperial Academy.
In truth, that had not been the best choice for his future.
Shen Si had heard that Gu Yan had recently grown close to the Director of the Imperial Academy, who had even introduced him to a Section Director at the Ministry of Personnel. Apparently, Gu Yan now wanted to be posted to the provinces – specifically to Wei County – and would accept even an insignificant position as a Ninth-Rank Registrar.
Given his abilities, such a post was unquestionably beneath him.
But Shen Si knew perfectly well why he had chosen to do this.
The scene just now had truly stung Shen Si’s eyes. Whenever Ji Hanyi was with him, he had never once seen her express her emotions with such carefree ease.
He had already restrained himself considerably in front of her, yet he still couldn’t understand why he could never make her draw close to him naturally.
Or had she been rejecting him all along?
Shen Si drew a deep breath and glanced once more at the three figures reflected in the window. Unable to watch any longer, he turned and descended the stairs.
He wanted to see Ji Hanyi.
He couldn’t bear to let her remain with another man for even a moment longer – especially when she looked so happy.