Chapter 3

Danyang

The young man in white smiled and brushed the leaves off his shoulder.

It was such a simple action, but when he did it, it seemed as beautiful as playing the piano. It was as elegant and graceful as snow on green bamboo. It had an aura that could be seen from afar but was not blasphemed.

“Miss, this is our Young Master,” Xiao Shi said enthusiastically. “Our Young Master is very kind. I just saw a carriage fall, so he said to come over to see if he could help…”

“…” Gu Yanfei stood rooted to the ground in a daze.

She had stayed in the Bright Spirit Realm for 200 years. At the age of 18, she had drawn spiritual energy into her body. From then on, she had abstained from eating grains and no longer needed to eat. After so many years, she had long forgotten the feeling of hunger.

Earlier, she felt discomfort in her stomach and thought that she had suffered some internal injuries. Unexpectedly, she was hungry?

Was this “hunger”?

“Grumble…”

As if in answer to the question in her mind, her abdomen gave another of those gut-stirring sounds.

The young man in the carriage smiled with a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.

The ends of his eyes were slightly upturned, and a dark red mole under his right eye made his phoenix eyes even more seductive.

“Miss, do you live in Danyang City?” He bowed elegantly to Gu Yanfei. “We’re going to Danyang City, so we can give you a ride.”

Gu Yanfei asked with interest, “How did you know?”

The young man in white raised his hand and pointed to the sachet on her waist. “This is the sachet that is only produced every autumn in Danyang City’s Pint of Fragrance.”

Pint of Fragrance was the most famous perfume shop in Danyang City. Apart from selling all kinds of perfume, it also sold sachets, incense burners, and so on.

Gu Yanfei’s perfume bag was only sold in September every year.

“Young Master has good eyesight.” Gu Yanfei smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. “Please send us to the Gu Manor on Hua’an Street in Danyang City.”

“Of course.” The young master in white stroked his sleeve and smiled faintly. “Miss Gu, there’s no need to worry.”

This smile added some color to the clouds.

Xiao Shi immediately set up the horse mount. Juan Bi pursed her lips hesitantly and quietly tugged at Gu Yanfei’s sleeve.

Gu Yanfei smiled reassuringly at Juan Bi and stepped onto the horse mount.

If it were her in her previous life, in order to be a qualified daughter of the Gu family, she would be careful with her words and actions, just to obtain the approval of the Gu family. But now, after her experiences in the Bright Spirit Realm and seeing a wider and more mysterious world, she had long been reborn.

There was no need for her to care about keeping distance from men.

The carriage looked ordinary from the outside, but the interior was very tasteful. The seats were covered with fox fur mattresses, and a small carved mahogany table was fixed in the middle. A soft Persian carpet laid on the floor. There was also a tea stove, a teapot, teacups, a chessboard, and so on.

After Gu Yanfei and Juan Bi sat down, the carriage slowly moved, shaking rhythmically.

“This pastry is still warm. Miss, try it.” The young master in white nimbly took out a small plate of osmanthus rice cake from the food box beside him. He gently pushed it towards Gu Yanfei opposite him and gestured for her to help herself.

His right hand was as beautiful as he was. The knuckles of his fingers were distinct, white and slender, each one like jade. His nails were full, crystal clear, and neat.

The young master in flawless white clothes was handsome and elegant. He was well-dressed, and his handsome appearance almost seemed to be beyond the mortal world. In contrast, Gu Yanfei’s hair was messy, and her skirt was muddy. She was in a sorry state.

If it were other girls, they would probably feel ashamed of their inferiority. However, Gu Yanfei did not even hesitate under the other party’s gaze. She calmly reached out and picked up a piece of osmanthus rice cake.

A sweet smell entered her nose. The tempting fragrance of the food made her salivate involuntarily, and she felt even more hungry.

Gu Yanfei slowly bit into it. The rice cake was soft, sweet, and fragrant. Be it the sweetness or the texture, it was just right.

She savored the taste in her mouth as if she were eating a rare delicacy.

The young man in white picked up the teapot beside him and poured two cups of flower tea.

Gu Yanfei took another bite of the rice cake and caught a glimpse of the sword at his waist when he raised his elbow.

It was a short sword with a simple scabbard and a hilt carved from Hetian jade.

Taking the teacup from the other party, Gu Yanfei took a sip and asked, “May I know your name?”

“My surname is Chu.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man in white looked uncomfortable. He tilted his head to cover his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed softly.

“Cough…”

Outside the carriage, Xiao Shi heard the cough and hurriedly lifted the curtains in front of the carriage. He asked worriedly, “Young Master…”

He had only said two words when he stopped abruptly. He was shocked to see Miss Gu holding his Young Master’s left hand. His dumbfounded look was no different from Juan Bi’s.

The coughing subsided.

Gu Yanfei calmly pressed twice on the acupuncture point below Young Master Chu’s left thumb. His skin was like a piece of fine suet jade, and it was slightly cold.

In just a few breaths, Young Master Chu stopped coughing and his breathing clearly stabilized.

“It’s fine now.” Gu Yanfei smiled and retracted her hand.

Since she had taken action, the effect was immediate. He would not have a coughing fit again for a month.

“I didn’t expect you to know acupuncture.” Young Master Chu cleared his throat. The smile on his face was like a spring breeze. “If there’s nothing else you wish to do on the way, do you want to play chess with me?”

Since playing chess wouldn’t affect her eating, Gu Yanfei nodded readily.

Within moments, the car was filled with the crisp sound of chess pieces being placed.

Gu Yanfei held a black chess piece while Young Master Chu held a white chess piece. The two of them were very decisive when playing chess. They placed chess pieces one after another without thinking for too long.

The black and white pieces were engaged in a bloodless battle on the chessboard, each expanding their territory…

The carriage arrived at Danyang City before the sun set.

“Young Master, we’ve arrived at Danyang City!” Xiao Shi raised his voice and shouted energetically.

All kinds of noises mixed together on the official road. Conversation, shouting, hoofbeats, the wind… It was very noisy.

...

Juan Bi eagerly lifted the curtains and looked out. She saw the familiar city gate ahead. The words “Danyang City” were written above the gate, slightly mottled by the wind and rain.

It was currently dusk, and the commoners were all rushing to enter the city before nightfall. There were two long queues at the city gate that were more than a thousand feet long. The queues advanced slowly.

There were seven or eight bailiffs guarding the city gate. They were ordering the commoners who had entered the city to check them one by one. They searched the carriages, searched the commoners, and checked the goods. The surrounding atmosphere was tense and oppressive.

After waiting for half an hour, their carriage finally arrived at the city gate.

Outside the carriage, a rough and rude male voice shouted impatiently, “Who’s in the carriage? Get out of the carriage!”

“Sir, the person in the carriage is our Young Master…”

The coachman answered politely, but before he could finish, a bailiff rudely opened the carriage door and let the cool evening air in.

There was no cover in the carriage. The fat bailiff saw Gu Yanfei and Young Master Chu in the carriage at a glance. His gaze swept past the two girls and fixed on Young Master Chu, sizing him up.

Xiao Shi could not stop him in time and said in defeat, “Officer, we’re good citizens. You…”

“Xiao Shi!” Young Master Chu interrupted Xiao Shi calmly. Xiao Shi could only shut his mouth and purse his lips tightly. It was obvious that he was not convinced.

“Officer, my apologies.” Then, Young Master Chu politely cupped his hands at the bailiff. “I’ve been suffering from a cold these past few days. I can’t take the wind… Cough.”

...

As he spoke, he turned his face slightly to the side, put his fist to his lips, and coughed violently. His pale cheeks were a rouge-like scarlet, and he looked frail and sick.

Gu Yanfei raised her eyebrows in amusement and looked at him.

He was quite the actor…