Zhu Qingyu had just taken the opportunity while selecting a book to observe carefully. Half of Gu Zhao's bookshelf was filled with ordinary books, the kind one could casually pick up to read. Another quarter held case files that were also accessible and open, which likely meant they were nothing of critical importance.
As for the remaining quarter of the space, it was occupied by several boxes equipped with locks.
Boxes with locks surely contained important items.
Although she had no concrete proof, Zhu Qingyu's intuition told her that the case files related to Zhang Shen might just be inside those locked boxes.
The keys to the boxes should be in Gu Zhao's possession.
Where could they be?
Generally speaking, the antidote is always within three steps of the poison; perhaps the keys were right there on the desk.
They could also be on Gu Zhao's person, which was the much more likely scenario.
She couldn't just rashly search Gu Zhao's body without a legitimate reason. His vigilance was incredibly high. The last time at the medical clinic, even though he was clearly asleep, he woke up the moment she got close. If she made a move, he would undoubtedly notice.
Or should she rummage through the desk first? It was such a small space, completely visible at a glance, and she could finish searching it very quickly. As long as her hands were fast enough, her movements light enough, and she didn't disturb the current layout of Gu Zhao's desk, he wouldn't find out.
Zhu Qingyu maintained her original posture and closed her eyes.
She needed to wait a little longer. Wait for him to get more used to her presence, wait for him to trust her more.
Right now, she didn't know how long they would talk outside. If Gu Zhao suddenly returned and caught her red-handed, she would lose the leniency he currently showed her, and he might even lock her up.
Being able to move freely on the ship was something extremely precious to her right now.
Not long after Zhu Qingyu closed her eyes, deliberately lightened footsteps echoed from the doorway. Someone pushed the door open, gently closed it, and then walked softly toward her, stopping right in front of her.
The person touched her fingers, slowly slipped the book out of her hand, and draped a soft blanket over her body.
Zhu Qingyu remained completely motionless, maintaining the posture of someone fast asleep.
The strange thing was, the person standing in front of her also remained motionless, seemingly observing her.
Just as Zhu Qingyu was wondering if he had discovered she was faking her sleep, a voice sighed softly:
"You, oh, you. If you're not going to read, then don't, but if you do, you should be serious about it. Falling asleep while reading Buddhist scriptures—how can you be so disrespectful to the Bodhisattva? With such insincerity, aren't you afraid the Bodhisattva might blame you?"
So he hadn't realized she was pretending to sleep. Zhu Qingyu squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, deciding to deepen the persona she had in front of him: someone who fell asleep the moment she started reading.
With this persona laying the groundwork, it would be much more convenient to find an opportunity to search for the case files in the study later.
The person in front of her still didn't leave, and a warm breath even drew closer.
Zhu Qingyu was so nervous she almost jumped up, but then a kiss, as light and soft as a feather, landed on her forehead.
As if afraid of waking her, this kiss fell gently, only to be swept away like a light breeze, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Gu Zhao straightened up and returned to the desk to work.
The study remained peaceful. The window was open, and the sun was gradually setting in the west. The sunlight filtered through the window, falling perfectly on her sleeping figure by the sill, and on him working at the desk, casting a serene and warm glow over both of them.
Outside the window, the river breeze blew gently, and the distant clouds and mountains looked vast and hazy.
Suddenly, a flock of swallows and sparrows clamored as they circled over the river. Gu Zhao stood up once again and gently closed the window, lest the noisy birds disturb someone's sweet slumber by the sunlit window.
Zhu Qingyu accompanied Gu Zhao in the study while he handled official business for several days. She didn't do a single thing to serve as a romantic companion studying by his side. Instead, she stuck to her unwavering daily routine: eating pastries, reading books, and sleeping.
A hard chair like the grand armchair was actually not suitable for sleeping. With her back unsupported, sleeping for even a short while left her with aching shoulders, a stiff neck, and a headache. Everything hurt.
During their first dinner together, Zhu Qingyu felt uncomfortable all over, subconsciously massaging her shoulders and moving her neck from time to time.
She didn't complain to Gu Zhao, fearing that if she did, he wouldn't let her stay in the study anymore.
But the next day, the layout of the study was changed.
Gu Zhao had his desk moved further inside and placed a chaise lounge by the window for her. Next to the lounge was a small tea table for pastries, and on the lounge itself were soft cushions and a small blanket.
With an environment so conducive to sleeping with a book as a pillow, the results were astonishingly good. Now, Zhu Qingyu fell asleep even faster while reading, and she slept even more soundly.
While Gu Zhao was working, people would occasionally come to report things to him.
Not wanting her to be scrutinized by others, nor wanting to disturb her good sleep, Gu Zhao had an adjacent room cleared out specifically for receiving guests.
That afternoon, the ship stopped, looking as though it was docking at a ferry crossing.
Xiong Kun reported from outside the door, listing a string of names of people who wanted to see Gu Zhao.
Once Gu Zhao left, Zhu Qingyu threw off the blanket and jumped up at once.
Although she didn't recognize a single name from that list, having so many people meant Gu Zhao couldn't possibly finish his business in just a few words. He would definitely be in the next room for quite a long time.
Zhu Qingyu ran to the desk with a clear goal, her hands moving nimbly as she searched his workspace.
First, she carefully felt through the area where the writing materials were kept. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything resembling a key.
Taking advantage of the fact that he hadn't returned yet, Zhu Qingyu set her sights on the documents on his desk.
Gu Zhao probably had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although there were many documents on his desk, every stack was categorized and neatly arranged. Zhu Qingyu had been memorizing their positions for days. Going from left to right in order, she picked up each book, gave it a hasty glance to ensure it was unrelated to Zhang Shen, and then put it back exactly as it was.
Just as she finished checking the last stack, footsteps sounded at the door. Zhu Qingyu's heart pounded wildly, and she broke out in a nervous sweat, but her hands didn't tremble. Stopping at the very last second, she neatly aligned the final stack of documents, ran to the bookshelf, casually pulled out a book, and leaned against the shelf. Slowly calming her breathing, she turned her back to him and pretended to read.
Gu Zhao walked in, saw Zhu Qingyu reading, and smiled:
"You're awake?"
Zhu Qingyu turned around, looking as though she had just woken from a dream, and nodded.
The keys weren't on the desk, which meant they were likely on Gu Zhao's person. But where could they be?
Gu Zhao stepped closer, and seeing her staring at him continuously, he smiled:
"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you still half-asleep?"
Summer clothes were thin and light, unlike the thick, layered garments of winter. If the keys really were on Gu Zhao's body, she would know just by reaching out and feeling for them.
The key was finding a legitimate reason to get close to him without making him suspicious.
Zhu Qingyu turned her head away, a blush rising to her cheeks. Her face looked as beautiful as peach blossoms, and her tone was both coy and reproachful:
"Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't looking at you at all."
