70. Fulfilling the Duties of a Counselor

That night, in the dimly lit flower hall, an occasional cool breeze swept through, carrying away the stifling heat of midsummer. Gu Fei’s slender jade fingers held a white chess piece, turning it over and over before finally placing it on the board. Across from her, You Hu smiled, his eyes bright and fixed upon her, a low chuckle escaping his lips. “Miss, are you sure you want to make this move?”

Gu Fei raised her eyebrow at his words. She was no expert at the game, having only learned the basics thanks to the eccentric Doctor Jiu, yet she would never stoop to the shame of retracting a move. “I am sure.”

You Hu laughed, lowering his head and pressing a fist to his lips. A flush crept across his porcelain cheeks, and even the corners of his narrow eyes seemed tinged with the faint blush of spring under the ambiguous lamplight. “Forgive me, then. It seems I must win another round.”

With that, he deftly placed a black piece, instantly capturing three of Gu Fei’s. She looked at the board and saw the black pieces encircling and dominating, the white pieces powerless and vanquished in the blink of an eye.

She was surprised; she hadn’t expected this scholar to possess such skill at chess.

You Hu noticed her thoughts and began sorting the pieces, saying, “I grew up alone at home, always playing chess against myself to pass the time, so I learned a little.”

Then he asked, “Would you care for another round, Miss?”

His eyes shone as he spoke, and Gu Fei saw the lingering desire in his expression. She couldn’t help but laugh, feeling lazy; playing and losing for several rounds hardly sparked her enthusiasm.

She picked up the silver scissors beside her and absentmindedly trimmed the wick, resting her chin in her palm. “No, thank you.”

You Hu sighed, sweeping his long blue sleeves as he set the pieces for another solo game, his moves slow and aimless. “Are you troubled by something, Miss?”

“Oh?” Gu Fei set down the silver scissors and glanced at him sideways, “Why don’t you tell me what you think is on my mind?”

You Hu placed a black piece with his left hand, his right hand fondling a white one. “Have you forgotten, Miss? I once said, besides spending money, I can also serve as your advisor. An advisor must naturally think as you think, and ponder what you ponder.”

His pitch-black eyes flickered in the lamplight as Gu Fei gazed at him, as if trying to pierce into the depths of his soul.

You Hu’s conduct since arriving at Qingmo Courtyard was nothing like that of a simple scholar. At this moment, Gu Fei couldn’t help but speculate about his true intentions in coming to her side.

He knew she would be suspicious, yet You Hu offered no explanation, leisurely making another move and smiling faintly. “Are you doubting me, Miss? You are the provider for me and my brother. Without you, I’d have no bowl of rice.”

Gu Fei’s gaze flickered as she looked down at the chessboard, quietly taking in the entire game. “You read the classics, so how is it you do not understand the principle of not accepting food offered in contempt?”

You Hu paid no mind to the subtle sarcasm in her words. In only a few exchanges, the outcome of the game was decided. He rested his hand on his knee, the corners of his lips arching with a deep smile, “This is hardly food offered in contempt. As your advisor, tomorrow I will fulfill my duties—solving your troubles.”

With that, he stood, straightened the creases in his scholar’s robe, bowed to Gu Fei, and turned to leave.

Gu Fei tapped her fingertips on the edge of the chessboard, surveying the game. The black and white pieces were clearly divided. Although black had the potential for a fierce attack, they huddled in one corner like a dormant beast, allowing the weaker white pieces to nibble away. It was plainly deliberate, for behind the black pieces sat a tea cup lid, surrounded and guarded by black as if they were stars encircling the moon. The black pieces had no intention of attacking the whites; instead, they occasionally allowed a piece to be taken.

Her gaze sharpened. Throughout the game, she had always played white, while You Hu played black.

A thousand tangled threads in her mind suddenly knotted together. Gu Fei let out a soft laugh.

You Hu was clearly using this method to tell her he meant no harm—at least not to her. Though their goals were not aligned, in some respects, he would aid her.

“What cunning and depth,” she murmured with a gentle smile, picking up the tea lid guarded by the black pieces, turning it in her hand before setting it down on the table with a dark, unreadable look in her eyes.

The next morning, after breakfast, Gu Fei listened to Ku Ma report the latest news from the Ink Merchants Guild, as well as the situation with Gu Zhong. She pondered for a moment and instructed, “Take the incense ink I made a few days ago, pack it in ink boxes, and deliver it to each of the ink agents at the Ink Merchants Guild.”

“If Gu Zhong comes looking for me again, tell him I have no involvement in the Gu family’s shops, so I am powerless to help with this matter.” Gu Fei added, believing Gu Zhong was clever enough to understand the hidden meaning.

Ku Ma recorded everything meticulously, and as she was about to leave, she informed Gu Fei, “That scholar, You Hu, went out early this morning. I saw him heading toward Third Miss Gu Rou’s place.”

Gu Fei arched her brow, recalling his promise last night to fulfill his duties as advisor. She smiled and added, “Then at noon, invite Second Master Gu Jiang. Tell him I wish to dine with him. Make sure he comes.”

Hearing this, Ku Ma knew Gu Fei was preparing to move against the second household. She said nothing more, called for Nightingale to attend Gu Fei, gave further instructions to Egret, and went off to arrange Gu Fei’s orders.

For a moment, Gu Fei felt suddenly idle; all her schemes were laid out, awaiting only the responses of others. She sent Nightingale to summon You Er to the small workshop and wheeled herself there at a leisurely pace.

You Er was not only tall and strong by nature but possessed an equally powerful voice. He hadn’t even reached the workshop before he began shouting, “Miss, did you call me to swing the hammer again? If you ask me, that hammer’s too small and light—doesn’t have enough force!”

Gu Fei was dividing soot when You Er’s booming voice startled her. Her hand shook, scattering soot across the floor. Her brow twitched; she grabbed the hammer nearby and tossed it at You Er’s feet, barking, “Not enough force? Unless you swing it a million times today, you won’t get to eat!”

You Er chuckled, picking up the hammer and weighing it in his hands, then asked foolishly, “Miss, why not give me another hammer? If I swing with both hands, a million times will be done in no time.”

At his words, even Nightingale beside him sensed trouble. Sure enough—

Gu Fei shot him a sidelong glance, her rosy lips curling into a cold smile. “Ten million times.”

You Er finally realized something was amiss, but with his blockhead, he couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He scratched the back of his head and turned to Nightingale, whispering as quietly as he could, “Nightingale, what’s wrong with Miss today?”

Nightingale kept silent, stealing a glance at Gu Fei’s icy expression, then wisely kept her eyes fixed on her embroidered shoes and said nothing.

Gu Fei felt the big fool was beyond saving and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at once. “Go on, then. Or do you not want to eat?”

Compared to You Hu, she clearly trusted and felt more at ease with You Er—perhaps because his foolishness made him seem utterly harmless.