Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Returning to the Consort's Mansion But Lihua did not simply walk away. After passing through the small gate, he slowed his pace, waiting for Gan Qiongying to chase after him. Yet, in the end, he stopped and stood by the moon gate for a long time, never hearing footsteps behind him. In the blink of an eye, the sky seemed to be covered by a large cloth, turning dark. San Jiu, who was by Lihua's side, couldn't help but step forward and say to him, "Master, the night wind is cold. Let's go inside first." Lihua turned around, moonlight falling upon him, as if his entire body had turned cold. In truth, the night wasn't particularly cold, but his health was poor. Standing there motionless, his upper body was still somewhat fine, but the leg that was already injured had grown so cold it had lost all sensation. He stood behind the small gate, hiding his figure to the side, watching as Gan Qiongying, after he left, didn't even continue her meal but immediately went to the side hall with Manyue. So eager, was she? Lihua clenched his teeth, hearing San Jiu's persuasion, and knew that Gan Qiongying would not come after him. He withdrew the hand that had been leaning against the wall from the small gate, a sharp pain shooting through his fingernail. Only then did he lower his head and realize that, at some point, one of his nails had torn open. Now, that finger was covered in dried blood, tinged with blue and purple, ugly and filthy. He looked up at the moonlight, his face reflecting a cold clarity, remembering that previous night—just like this, waiting in a corner, hoping to be noticed. Yet, just like this time, he only saw Gan Qiongying's back as she abandoned him to seek out someone else. Were those two so important? Was it because they were twins? Lihua touched his face with his ugly, dirty hand, trembling violently. In the end, he clenched it fiercely, and the torn nail began to bleed again. But this sharp pain, at least, brought Lihua some temporary clarity. "Prepare the carriage. To... return to the Consort's Mansion," Lihua ordered San Jiu in a low, hoarse voice. San Jiu seemed to hesitate, but having followed Lihua for many years, he knew that while Lihua appeared gentle and composed, once he made a decision, he would not allow anyone to question it. Thus, San Jiu only hesitated for a moment before swallowing his words of persuasion and replying, "Yes!" Lihua left by carriage, but Gan Qiongying was still unaware. When Gan Qiongying entered the side hall, she paid no attention to the two men, only catching a faint, lingering fragrance, which only added to her irritation. She went straight to sit in the chair at the center of the side hall. Perhaps she should have said something to those two—after all, they were subordinates she intended to use. At the very least, she should have greeted them, not been so cold. But she was in no mood for it now. After sitting down, she stared at the ground by her feet, frowning slightly as she continued to think about Lihua. In truth, she didn't quite understand. She had never once summoned any of the young masters from the rear courtyard, spending every day sleeping with Lihua, almost constantly revolving around him, never paying attention to anyone else. Why was Lihua angry? So angry that his gaze was terrifying... The more she thought, the more confused her mind became. Soon, Gan Qiongying stopped thinking about it, planning to go back at night, hold Lihua, and coax him properly. After all, Lihua had grown accustomed to her embrace—he couldn't sleep without her. Gan Qiongying took a deep breath and looked up at the pair of twins who had been standing in the hall. Though they had identical faces, based on Duan Rong's memories, Gan Qiongying could easily distinguish between them. Gu Qing lived up to his name—aloof and self-possessed, elegant as jade, his shoulders and back always held straight. Yet around his neck lay a faint ring of scars, as if left by something that had once tightly constricted it. Gu Ming wore a perpetual smile, his eyes curved like crescents. Slightly taller than Gu Qing and broader in the shoulders, he appeared bright and cheerful, the corners of his mouth ever upturned. But upon closer inspection, his smile lacked soul—simply put, he was a boy with a fake grin. Strangely, his neck also bore faint, healed scars. When the two saw Gan Qiongying finally lift her head to look at them, they immediately knelt and performed a deep bow. "Greetings, Princess." Having only eaten the dishes earlier, she felt somewhat thirsty. When it came to thoughtfulness, Manyue was second to none—she promptly poured tea and placed it by Gan Qiongying's hand before withdrawing on her own and closing the hall doors. Gan Qiongying picked up the teacup and blew on it, only to hear a thud—the two had knelt on the floor in unison. Judging by the sound, their knees must have shattered. "Princess," Gu Qing said, looking at Gan Qiongying, "we received a message at noon today. Matters at home have been settled." His voice was calm and unhurried. "My brother and I are ready to depart for Zhangzhou at any time." Beside him, Gu Ming had now set aside his smile, his expression grave. "For the life-saving grace you showed us back then, we brothers could never repay you even with ten thousand deaths. After we leave, we hope the Princess will look after our family a little." After speaking, they kowtowed with a resounding thump. When they raised their heads again, their eyes held the same unwavering determination. Gan Qiongying couldn't help but frown. She raised a hand, signaling them to rise first, then took a sip of tea to quench her thirst. After drinking her fill, she began to swiftly recall the plot based on Duan Rong's memories. These two were originally young masters of the Gu clan. In Jinchuan, twins were considered inauspicious, but in Nánzhào, at the very least, they wouldn't abandon one at birth. Moreover, as they weren't of royal blood, there was no risk of a future succession dispute caused by an identical brother. Among the common folk, twins were treated with greater tolerance. These two also enjoyed considerable repute among the young masters of prominent clans, known as the Twin Talents of Yindu. With their looks and talents, they should have had boundless prospects if they had entered officialdom. Yet they were born into the intricately entangled power struggles of the Imperial City. Their clan head, who served as Minister of Rites, was falsely accused of colluding with foreign officials, stealing confidential letters, and betraying the state. From accusation to sentencing for execution, it took only a few days. Once the clan head was imprisoned, it was as if a great mansion had collapsed—everyone in the family was implicated. Even though they knew this was undoubtedly the work of schemers in the shadows, and that the other party aimed to exterminate their entire clan by pinning irreversible charges on them, there was no way to turn the tide. When such a large clan suddenly met with disaster, all the women were conscripted into official prostitution, while the two of them were exiled to the harsh, frigid borderlands. However, their exceptional looks stirred wicked thoughts in a human trafficker, who bribed the escorting officials heavily to swap them out, replacing their identities with two similar-looking slaves. They were sold to Zhangzhou. With their outstanding appearances and status as twins, they quickly became the main draw of Zhangzhou's largest male brothel. Countless people longed to catch a glimpse of their style. As young masters of a noble clan, they naturally refused to endure such humiliation, but their parents were still alive, their sisters suffering, and dozens of immediate family members were all awaiting rescue. They dared not die.