For you, I have searched the world for the finest ink.

But who could have expected that the very next day, just as Gu Fei reached the gates of Qingmo Courtyard, preparing to head to Linlang Pavilion, she saw Yue Qingbo approaching at a leisurely pace, dressed in a honey-colored, elegant robe and led by a maid she didn’t recognize.

She stopped, her gaze deepening as her eyes lingered on the unfamiliar maid.

“Ah Fei,” Yue Qingbo’s eyes lit up with delight. He left the maid behind and strode quickly to Gu Fei’s side.

There was no way to avoid him now, so Gu Fei decided to meet him with composure. She smiled. “What brings you here?”

Yue Qingbo wore a look of concern as he examined Gu Fei’s complexion carefully. Seeing her pallor, he asked, “I wanted to check on you. I came by yesterday as well but didn’t see you. Are you feeling unwell?”

Gu Fei reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, turning her face slightly as she replied softly, “It’s nothing, just a bit of fatigue.”

As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Ku Ma, who understood immediately and turned the wheelchair around, leading Yue Qingbo into Qingmo Courtyard.

Once inside, Ku Ma sent the nightingale and egret maids away. She then pulled a few gold donkey coins from her sleeve and pressed them into the hand of the maid who had guided them, smiling warmly. “Which courtyard are you from, sister? It’s really too much to trouble you with leading the way. Thank you for your effort.”

The maid was tall and fair, with delicate features. As soon as she received the gold coins, she smiled. “It’s no trouble at all. How could it be hard to serve the Fifth Young Lady? You’re too kind, madam. I’m Chunxin, a maid from the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard. I happened to be heading out when I saw the gentleman arrive, so I guided him here.”

Hearing she was from Gu Min’s courtyard, Ku Ma immediately took note. She slipped a plain silver bracelet inlaid with gold into Chunxin’s hand. “No wonder you’re so charming, Sister Chunxin. That must be the influence of the Eldest Young Master’s household.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries. With Ku Ma’s intention to foster good relations, their conversation left a favorable impression. Once Chunxin was sent off, Ku Ma turned back into the courtyard, but as she reached the entrance, a sharp “crack” sounded from inside.

Her expression shifted, and she hurried in to find Gu Fei gazing coldly at Yue Qingbo, who stood tall, one hand behind his back, his face clouded. The two were only a dozen feet apart, with shards of a broken teapot scattered on the ground between them. Tea had spilled across the earth, soaking in and leaving only the jagged remains of porcelain glinting in the sunlight.

“You should go,” Ku Ma heard Gu Fei say quietly. “Qingbo, you know that since I have taken the Gu surname, I no longer intend to use my old family name.”

“You…” Yue Qingbo’s striking features twisted with anger and disappointment, as if he had never anticipated Gu Fei’s stubbornness, or that she could so easily discard her ancestral legacy. “Ah Fei, the Mo family is a century-old lineage. Many take pride in bearing the Mo name. Listen to me—change your name back and return with me. If you don’t wish to return to the capital, I can take you to Yunli, to the Yue family. Then—”

“And then what?” Gu Fei cut him off, her lips curling into a mocking sneer, her heart growing ever colder. “Qingbo, are you asking me to become your concubine? To be shut away for life in the inner quarters, living off your meager affections, seeing you only when you remember me? And should I have children, will they always be considered lesser, born of a concubine, forever beneath others?”

Her voice grew louder, a faint flush coloring her pale face as anger took hold. “Is this what you want? Is this what you call caring for me?”

Yue Qingbo was taken aback by her questioning. He stared at Gu Fei, unaccustomed to her fierce confrontation and her expression, as if he had never truly known her.

After a long moment, he swallowed painfully and tried to explain, “Ah Fei, you know I never—”

“Whether you did or not,” Gu Fei interrupted again, her features now cold and hard, merciless. “But Qingbo, we have known each other for ten years—ten whole years. Childhood friends, mutual affection, all of that. You once promised to shield me from all suffering, from pain and displacement. So tell me, did you ever truly consider our future?”

“Our future?” Yue Qingbo was momentarily stunned. “Naturally, you would marry me.”

“As your wife? Or as your concubine?” Gu Fei pressed, relentless.

Yue Qingbo frowned, bewildered by her persistence. “If I could marry you as my wife, of course, that is what I wish.”

“So, if not, you think being my concubine is acceptable too?” Gu Fei tapped her fingers, her gaze full of scorn.

Hearing this, Yue Qingbo’s frown deepened. “The Yue family, like the Mo family, is an ancient lineage. As a son of such a house, there are compromises I must make. You should understand that, Ah Fei.”

“I do understand,” Gu Fei’s voice was calm and distant, her expression unreadable, as if a thousand mountains and rivers separated her from Yue Qingbo. “That is why, when I was left without your protection, betrayed and brought to this state, I have no complaints or resentment.”

Yue Qingbo knew what she meant. If he had taken Gu Fei under his wing, naming her as his wife, who would have dared harm her?

The thought filled him with bitter regret, and his smile was more painful than tears. “Ah Fei, you have every right to blame me, but believe me—no matter your status, I will always treat you as before.”

A slight breeze stirred the tranquil lake of her heart, sending ripples across its surface. Gu Fei’s gaze fell to the broken porcelain at her feet, and she remained silent.

The sun climbed higher, its scorching heat like a furnace. One seated, one standing, their garments fluttering in the breeze, they formed an everlasting tableau.

Ku Ma sighed inwardly. From the first moment she had seen Yue Qingbo, she had known he was not suited to Gu Fei—not for lack of affection, but because their temperaments and ways were too different. Sooner or later, such a pairing would unravel.

“Miss, the sun is fierce. Let’s move to the shade,” Ku Ma said softly. Seeing no objection from Gu Fei, she pushed her wheelchair under the gallery eaves.

“Give me time,” Gu Fei said quietly, her face turning icy as she faced away from Yue Qingbo, her voice weary and unmistakably tired. “In three days, I’ll give you my answer.”

Yue Qingbo’s face lit with hope, and he stepped forward. “Ah Fei, do you truly mean to consider returning with me?”

Gu Fei paused, looking up with a gentle, yielding smile, almost fragile in her compromise. “You know how passionate I am about ink-making. In these months in Yizhou, I haven’t found a single ink pill that satisfies me. It’s still best to return to the capital.”

Yue Qingbo nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, finally relaxing. “No matter—you love ink, and I promise, I’ll seek out the finest ink in the world for you.”

Gu Fei smiled faintly, knowing such words were meant only to please a woman in a moment of tenderness, and felt little moved by them. She simply let the words wash over her, not taking them to heart. “Is that for the future?”

She lowered her head with a soft laugh, her features radiant, her large, glossy eyes shining brighter than most. She teased, “I thought you could show me something wonderful right now.”

That made Yue Qingbo’s heart melt, as if all their earlier tension had been mere illusion. He sat beside her wheelchair, his eyes smiling. “What a greedy girl you are! Are you making things difficult for me?”

Gu Fei smiled sweetly at him. “It’s been months since I’ve seen good ink. How can I not be restless?”

Yue Qingbo’s smile faded a little as he reached out to touch her hair, saying nothing.

For a while, neither spoke. Gu Fei asked Ku Ma to bring some food as she absentmindedly fed the koi, with Yue Qingbo watching her movements by her side.

It truly seemed a perfect spring day, as if they were a pair of immortals captured in a painting—an ideal couple if ever there was one.

No one knew how long You Hu had been standing in the shadows by the gate, watching the pair. From their initial confrontation to the tender intimacy that followed, the atmosphere between them left no room for anyone else.

At noon, Yue Qingbo left of his own accord. Before departing, he lingered over Gu Fei, studying her intently. Yet as soon as he turned away, Gu Fei’s face became cold as ice.

She paused for a moment. “Send You Hu in.”

“Miss has finally remembered me,” You Hu entered slowly, carrying a scroll, his scholar’s robes elegant and refined, a picture of cultured grace. “I thought you’d forgotten all about me, wrapped up in your honeyed bliss.”

Gu Fei shot him a frosty glance, her lips rimed with a thin, crystalline chill. “Say another word of nonsense and you can leave Qingmo Courtyard for good.”

You Hu set down the scroll and smoothed out the creases in his sleeves, his mood clearly soured.

Gu Fei cared nothing for the feelings of a scholar-advisor. She simply issued her command. “Find out the true whereabouts of that batch of ink pills. In three days, we’ll act. I don’t believe Mo Yan can guard against thieves forever; even the tightest nets have holes.”

Receiving his orders, You Hu said nothing, but his displeasure was evident as he turned and strode out.

Three days passed swiftly. During that time, Yue Qingbo visited the Gu residence daily, quickly drawing attention in Yizhou. But given his status, no one dared speak of it, and even the main house of the Gu family remained silent, showing no reaction.

Gu Fei had long since made up her mind. When the day came and Yue Qingbo came to ask her decision, Gu Fei smiled and agreed, saying that once the Yizhou Ink Merchants’ Grand Ceremony was over, she would return with him to the capital, leaving all arrangements in his hands.

Yue Qingbo was overjoyed, wishing only that Mo Geyi would hurry and conclude his business in Yizhou so he could take Gu Fei away.

After that, Gu Fei suggested that, since her actions in Yizhou had been reckless, causing some trouble for both the Gu family and the lesser Mo family, and now that the two houses were about to become in-laws, she wished to make amends by offering the formula for ink pills as compensation—if both families were willing to accept it.

Yue Qingbo agreed without hesitation, vowing he would help persuade both families, and said they should choose an auspicious day to gather and resolve everything.

Gu Fei smiled at him, but inside, her heart was barren, overgrown with weeds, battered by a howling wind—a desolate wasteland.

In the end, she had used their relationship, resorting to manipulation, all for her own ends.

ps:
If the third update isn’t posted by 10 p.m. tonight, it will definitely be up by 11. Those who have meetings at night are truly suffering.