Zhu Qingyu's monthly cycle arrived exactly on schedule the next day, just as she had expected.
Perhaps due to the immense stress she had been under recently, it was particularly severe this time. With freezing hands and feet, and a heavy, aching pain in her abdomen, Zhu Qingyu did not even dare to get out of bed, spending the entire day lying down.
Their journey back to the capital was already halfway complete. The further north they went, the further summer faded into the distance, and the stronger the chill of autumn became.
Endless autumn rains fell one after another, casting a hazy veil over the river. The mornings and evenings grew chilly, prompting everyone on board to put on extra layers. The attending momo led the maidservants to change Zhu Qingyu's bedding to thicker autumn quilts.
Zhu Qingyu had boarded the ship empty-handed, bringing no luggage at all. Everything she used for her daily life had either been prepared in advance by Gu Zhao or bought by his men who went ashore during brief stops at ferry crossings.
Because time was tight, the servants had prioritized essential items for food, clothing, shelter, and travel, leaving almost nothing for daily entertainment.
Zhu Qingyu had nothing to do. Aside from resuming her routine of accompanying Gu Zhao for three meals a day, she spent the rest of her time lying in bed, staring blankly at the autumn rain outside the window.
After working alone in the study for another two days, Gu Zhao finally could no longer stand the autumn loneliness. Abandoning the study, he ordered his men to set up a table by the window in her cabin, brought his official documents over, and began working there. Then, he had someone carry in a chest of books for Zhu Qingyu, saying it was to relieve her boredom.
At first, Zhu Qingyu refused.
After all, during their last falling out, she had spoken without filter and already complained about how boring his books were. Too lazy to pretend anymore, she told Gu Zhao bluntly:
"I'd rather not. I don't possess your high level of literary refinement. I can't appreciate poetry or songs, nor can I enjoy the classics, histories, philosophers, or collections. Reading them will only make my head and stomach hurt more. Please don't torture me with your sages' books. Can't you just let me be?"
Even after being rejected, Gu Zhao did not get angry. Instead, he opened the chest, casually picked out a book, sat by her bed, and said:
"How could you not appreciate it? Shall I read a passage to you?"
How could someone force a recommendation like this?
This Vice Minister Gu truly did not understand the concept of agreeing to disagree. He had such high demands for his mistress; not only did she need to be as beautiful as a flower, but she also had to keep up with his literary tastes.
Zhu Qingyu reluctantly agreed:
"Oh."
Gu Zhao opened the book, picked a random passage, and read aloud:
"Only to see the two entwined like mandarin ducks playing in the water, heads together like phoenixes weaving through flowers."
To hear such a romantic and sensual sentence coming from the mouth of Vice Minister Gu, Zhu Qingyu, who had just been full of reluctance, instantly sat up straight. She looked at Gu Zhao in disbelief, suspecting he had grabbed the wrong book.
Could it be a book secretly hoarded by one of his attendants that had accidentally been dropped in his study?
That must be it. It couldn't possibly be Vice Minister Gu's own book, right?
He didn't seem like the type to read such things. Besides, she had almost rummaged through the entire bookshelf in Gu Zhao's study before and had never found a single book of this genre.
The momo, who had been leading a maidservant to prepare tea and snacks for the two of them in the cabin, reacted even more strongly than Zhu Qingyu. Quick-witted, she grabbed the blushing maidservant, who had her head bowed, and the two of them bolted out as if they had wheels of fire under their feet, professionally closing the cabin door behind them.
Zhu Qingyu also activated her empathetic charm, casually leaning back against the headboard, pretending not to notice the awkwardness, ready to give Vice Minister Gu an out so he could go change the book himself.
To her surprise, despite her being so understanding and observant, Vice Minister Gu did not appreciate the gesture and continued reading:
"Joyfully the intertwined branches grow, sweetly the lover's knot is tied; one presses red lips close, the other leans a powdered cheek..."
This was definitely no accident. Vice Minister Gu had picked it out on purpose.
Zhu Qingyu suddenly pressed her hand over Gu Zhao's hand holding the book and looked at him meaningfully.
Well, well, well, you Gu Shouming, you hid this pretty deep.
He must have secretly hidden these books before! Keeping them from her!
Exactly! Why wouldn't he let her read them? She was his mistress. Why read geographies of mountains and rivers or the Lotus Sutra? This was the kind of book she ought to be reading. He should have brought them out earlier for her to study and improve herself.
Although Vice Minister Gu was being a bit stingy by only sharing them with her now, considering that good things are worth waiting for, she magnanimously decided not to hold it against him.
Gu Zhao first looked at her hand gripping his wrist before looking up to ask:
"Can you appreciate it?"
Zhu Qingyu nodded vigorously:
"Yes, yes, yes! Absolutely. Let me see."
Although Vice Minister Gu's reading voice was rhythmic, deep, and pleasant to the ears, this kind of book was much more interesting to read secretly while hiding under a warm quilt. Reading it out loud in broad daylight ruined the mood!
Zhu Qingyu finally found a cure for her boredom. Nourished by this spiritual food, she was instantly liberated from her daily stupor. The moment she started reading, she became radiant with energy and couldn't stop. It even cured her habit of falling asleep whenever she read. From morning to night, the book never left her hands. She read so obsessively that she forgot to eat or sleep, refusing to put it down even at bedtime.
At first, Gu Zhao had been considerate of her previous extreme boredom and indulged her in reading a bit longer. But seeing her still reading by candlelight at midnight, he finally intervened, snatching the book away and hiding it behind his back:
"The candlelight is too dim at night. You'll ruin your eyes. Read it tomorrow."
Zhu Qingyu was right at a crucial part. Seeing that the landlord's beautiful concubine and the burly new farmhand were just about to hook up, how could she let it go? She stared at him eagerly, placing her hands in front of her chest and begging like a little kitten making a bow:
"Please, I'm almost done. Just a little bit more. Truly, just a little bit."
Seeing that Gu Zhao still refused to give it to her, Zhu Qingyu sat up from the bed, half-leaning on him, reaching her arm around his back to grab the book.
It was rare to see her so lively since boarding the ship. Gu Zhao stared at her in a daze, and in a moment of inattention, actually let her snatch it back.
Forget it, it's just a little bit. Let her read some more.
Clearly, Vice Minister Gu had failed to grasp the profound and expansive meaning behind the words "a little bit," "a moment," and "right away."
Zhu Qingyu's "little bit" lasted from midnight until the wee hours of the morning. It was almost time for Gu Zhao to wake up before she finally went to sleep.
While she was reading by the lamplight, Gu Zhao was so affected by her that he hardly slept the entire night. The next day, he had to get up to work with bleary eyes.
The instigator, Zhu Qingyu, fell fast asleep and didn't wake up until lunchtime. After getting up, she persisted in her efforts and continued reading until the early hours of the morning again. Looking to her side, Vice Minister Gu, who had been tormented by her into almost two days and nights of sleeplessness, was already sound asleep.
Zhu Qingyu put down the book and called out tentatively:
"Shouming."
Vice Minister Gu, who was usually a light sleeper, had no reaction at all. His breathing was even, and he was sleeping soundly.
Zhu Qingyu looked at his outer robe hanging on the rack. She climbed over Gu Zhao quietly, walked softly to the rack, and reached into the hidden pocket of his robe, pulling out the item inside to take a look:
It was a key.
