Chapter 18

After a night of wind, the paulownia leaves lay scattered across the ground.

Gu Duan arrived at the academy earlier than usual, his book bag slung over his shoulder. Though the air was filled with a biting chill, his body and heart felt as if they were ablaze. Wherever this fire spread, it brought a joy he had never known before. This joy made his footsteps feel as if he were walking on clouds, each step possessing a dreamlike lightness.

He waited, he hoped.

As his fellow students filed into the classroom, that plain-clothed figure he had longed for day and night entered his line of sight. He looked on with a heart drumming like a beat, greedy yet cautious. Every moment of these past few days felt like a dream he had long craved, yet so unreal.

When a pale red figure appeared within his gaze, a flicker of guilt momentarily crossed his mind. He told himself his cousin was still a child at heart; whether she had him as a cousin or her cousin Jiang Silang, it seemed to make little difference.

Suddenly, someone leaned in close, joking loudly, "Gu Duan, why is your face so red? Have you encountered some good fortune?"

"N-nothing at all." He thought his feelings for Jiang Si had been discovered, and his face turned an even deeper shade of red. When he saw it was Jiang Yi, his conscience felt even more burdened.

Jiang Yi let out a "tsk-tsk," clearly not believing him. "Look at you, all flushed and blooming with peach blossoms—I simply cannot believe you have nothing to hide."

As he spoke, he picked up a book from Gu Duan’s desk and exclaimed, "What is this?"

Gu Duan looked at the paper in Jiang Yi’s hand, completely bewildered.

Jiang Yi read aloud, "I admire you, yet you do not know. I have feelings, yet you do not sense them. Yu-ge’er. Who is Yu-ge’er? Why does this name sound so familiar?"

At the mention of "Yu-ge’er," Gu Duan instinctively glanced toward Jiang Si.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi wore an expression of sudden realization. "Fifth sister, I recall your childhood nickname is Yu-ge’er!"

In an instant, people began whispering and pointing. Everyone knew that Jiang Si had recently been seeking guidance from Gu Duan; after their initial surprise, many became deeply convinced of the note's contents.

Many gazes shifted toward Jiang Si, becoming subtle as the crowd began to gossip.

"Fifth sister, so you have long admired Young Master Gu." Jiang Si’s cousin, Jiang Si, spoke with absolute certainty, as if she wished to tear Jiang Si apart. Her eyes held excitement, pity, and a hidden hatred that only Jiang Si could perceive.

"I had no idea you cherished Young Master Gu so much, Fifth sister. If I had known, I would not have sought his guidance. Are you blaming me, Fifth sister?"

She looked toward Gu Duan. "Young Master Gu, I shall not seek your guidance in the future."

Gu Duan, panicked, rushed to explain, "Fourth Miss Jiang, please do not misunderstand. Yu-ge’er and I are like siblings; I have absolutely no romantic feelings for her."

"Why tell me this, Young Master Gu?" Jiang Si said, feigning indignation. "What you and Fifth sister have is no concern of mine! If you have something to say to her, simply say it clearly!"

Jiang Si was certain that neither she nor the original owner of the body had ever written such a thing. She looked at Jiang Si, and Jiang Si looked back at her.

Their eyes met—a silent, cutthroat battle.

Gu Duan was in deep turmoil. One was the girl he had pined for, the other his own cousin. He spoke with great difficulty, "Yu-ge’er..."

The moment he spoke, Jiang Si knew his choice.

"Cousin Duan, there is no need for you to be troubled." Jiang Si took the paper and handed it to Jiang Yu, who had appeared behind her at some point. Jiang Yu wanted to say something, but upon seeing her shake her head, he remained silent.

She scanned the crowd, her gaze finally landing on Gu Duan. "Cousin Duan, I did write this, but it was not written for you. I had been wondering where it went these past few days; so, it was left with you."

Someone asked, "Jiang the Fifth, do you truly have someone you admire? And is that person really not your cousin, Young Master Gu?"

"I do indeed have someone I admire, and that person is not my cousin Duan."

"Then who is it?"

Jiang Si lowered her eyes, appearing shy.

...

After school, Jiang Si did not seek guidance from Gu Duan.

Gu Duan watched her leave with a sense of loss and melancholy. Driven by a sudden surge of courage, he grabbed his book bag and chased after her.

"Fourth Miss Jiang, I... my cousin has already said that the person she likes is not me, so you need not feel conflicted. Regarding the lesson the master taught today, if there is anything you do not understand, I can answer your questions."

"Young Master Gu, a girl's heart is the hardest thing to fathom. Fifth sister... she must have feelings for you. What she said might be a lie; the one she truly admires is you."

"No, that’s not it!" Gu Duan shook his head desperately. "She... she might like the Heir Apparent!"

At the mention of the Heir Apparent, Jiang Si’s expression flickered.

Just then, a maidservant from the main household approached them and said, "Fourth Miss, the First Mistress wishes to see you. Young Master Gu, you should come as well."

Jiang Si was surprised—it was not strange for her mother to call for her, but why summon Gu Duan?

Gu Duan was also completely in the dark, filled with confusion.

When the two arrived at Qingfeng Courtyard, they found Jiang Si, Jiang Yi, and Jiang Yu already there. Mistress Xie sat in the center, with Mistress Yu to her right and Mistress Gu to her left.

Seeing that everyone had gathered, Mistress Xie asked, "What exactly has happened?"

Jiang Si stepped forward and recounted the events.

Mistress Gu’s expression shifted from red to pale as she listened.

Mistress Xie frowned and asked, "Yu-ge’er, you said you did write the note and that you do have someone you admire, so why this charade?"

Jiang Si looked at Jiang Yu, who stepped forward.

In his hand, he held the paper. "Mother, Aunts, this is not Fifth sister’s current handwriting."

He then produced another sheet of paper filled with questions and displayed it to the others. "This is Fifth sister’s handwriting."

The two scripts were somewhat similar, but clearly distinct.

Jiang Yi spoke without thinking, "Then this note must have been written by Fifth sister in the past."

"Then, if Young Master Gu has been attending class and reading books every day, how is it that only today—and through an outsider—was this note discovered?" Jiang Yu countered.

Jiang Yi was stumped and resorted to sophistry, "Perhaps Young Master Gu was careless and simply hadn't noticed it until now."

Jiang Yu shook his head. "The ink on this note is fresh; it must have been written within the last two days. Furthermore, there is a scent of dragon orchid in this ink, which should be the Dragon Fragrance Ink produced in Huangzhou. My aunt is married into a family in Huangzhou, and every year they send a batch of Dragon Fragrance Ink to the capital. I use this very same ink."

"Fourth Brother, Fifth sister has been spending time with you recently; she must have used your ink." As soon as Jiang Yi finished speaking, he realized the flaw in his logic.

The reasoning was self-contradictory, as he had just argued that the handwriting matched Jiang Si’s old style; if it had been written recently, the handwriting would naturally differ.

Regardless of that, Jiang Yu flatly denied the ink usage. "Fifth sister has never used my ink."

Just then, Jiang Si whispered, "Fourth Brother, a few days ago, Mother gifted a set of stationery to Fifth sister, which included this Dragon Fragrance Ink. As for the handwriting, it is normal for it to change over time if written by the same person."

Hearing this, Mistress Gu hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law, my Yu-ge’er has been reluctant to use the gift you sent."

She ordered someone to bring the gift over, which appeared completely untouched.

Mistress Xie personally inspected it and confirmed it was indeed the gift she had sent, as it could not be faked. Her sister’s in-laws were a prominent family in Huangzhou and owned a Dragon Fragrance Ink workshop; all ink they produced bore a specific insignia, distinguishing it from those sold on the market.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Jiang Yi began to retreat toward the door, hoping to slip away. As he reached the threshold, he was called back by Mistress Yu’s, "Fifth Son, where do you think you are going?"

Mistress Yu was not one for smiles, and her permanent scowl often made her appear cold.

"Mother, I... I still have homework to complete..."

"Tell us, what is this note really about?"

"Mother, I truly do not know. Between the handwriting and the ink, none of it has anything to do with me. You cannot simply dump this dirty water on me just because you have always disliked me."

Jiang Yi looked indifferent. As the only son of the second branch, he was highly valued by Jiang Zhuo. Jiang Zhuo had more than once hinted to Mistress Yu that she should officially register him as a legitimate son, but she had never relented. Because of this, he harbored deep resentment toward her.

Mistress Yu asked angrily, "If this was not written by the Fifth girl, then where did it come from?"

"How would I know? It fell out of Gu Duan’s book, why don't you ask him?"

"I... I don't know either," Gu Duan muttered, his mind in a state of chaos.

Mistress Xie sneered, "None of you know? Then did this note just appear out of thin air?"

"Mother, please calm your anger. Fourth Brother just said Fifth sister hasn't used his ink, but that might not be entirely true. What if she used it while he was away or not paying attention?"

"Are you implying that Fifth sister wrote this?" Mistress Xie looked at her, her gaze sharp.

She lowered her eyes, appearing as gentle and submissive as always.

"Mother, I have no such intention. I only wonder why Fifth sister would admit to it in public and then cause such a scene?"

A silence fell, and the atmosphere grew eerie.

Jiang Si spoke as if casually, "First Aunt, do you remember when I first arrived in the capital? It was Fourth sister’s birthday, and I clumsily wrote a poem for her."

Hearing this, Jiang Si’s face changed drastically.