After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 26

Halfway up the mountain, Cui Jue stopped at a slightly wider patch of level ground. The mountain wind was fierce, causing the robes of the three travelers to rustle loudly. He swept a glance toward Gu Lehuan, who was trailing not far behind. His expression was unreadable. After a long silence, he spoke in his usual gentle tone, “This area is relatively spacious. Shall we rest for a moment?”

Gu Lehuan appeared exhausted. Gasping for air, she prepared to step onto the clearing. “I… I can’t go on. It’s too high…”

“Ah!”

Just as she reached the top, her foot slipped. She lurched forward, accidentally knocking over the book chest strapped to Cui Jue’s back.

Clatter!

Ink sticks, inkstones, brushes, and a spare outer robe tumbled directly down the stone steps.

“Lehuan!” Qi Rong had not expected her daughter to act so recklessly. She rushed up the steps and scolded sharply, “Apologize to Master Cui this instant!”

“Master Cui, it’s all my fault for being careless. How about this? I shall pay you three times the value for the damaged items. What do you think?” Though her words were an apology, Gu Lehuan’s expression showed no remorse; she simply bent over to smooth out her ruffled skirts.

“There is no need.” Cui Jue knelt to pick up a brush that had fallen beside him. He gently wiped the dust away with a handkerchief before placing it back in the chest. Then, he shouldered the chest and began walking back down the stairs, step by step.

Gu Lehuan watched his retreating back and suddenly stood up. “Cui Jue! You accepted our invitation today. Do you intend to break your word and leave just because of a minor setback?!”

Cui Jue’s downward movement halted. He did not turn around. Instead, he looked at a shattered inkstone lying on the steps and lowered his eyelashes. “Second Miss Gu, the incense at Hanshan Temple is sparse. Those who come here are mostly the impoverished from the surrounding areas.”

He stepped down and picked up the broken pieces. “As such, let us not needlessly add hardship to their path of survival.”

Gu Lehuan’s face flushed with embarrassment. Cui Jue’s words were a clear rebuke of her selfishness—she hadn’t considered that the scattered items might obstruct or injure other pilgrims.

“Go and rest. It was my fault, so I will do it!” She bit her lip, gathered her skirts, and ran down to help.

Qi Rong watched Cui Jue from above. Seeing him remain calm and focused as he meticulously retrieved his belongings, a smile touched her lips. Perhaps her daughter had truly found a good husband. He was composed in the face of trouble, attentive to detail, and possessed a rare, compassionate heart. Qi Rong grew more satisfied the more she looked at him. She hurried down to join them. “I will help as well.”

The three worked for a long time and found nearly everything, yet Cui Jue’s personal seal and his spare robe were still missing. Cui Jue glanced at the nearby woods. “The seal may have rolled into the forest. Why don’t you two rest for a moment…”

“It’s fine. We’ll help you look. Many hands make light work.” Gu Lehuan wiped the sweat from her brow and walked straight into the trees. Cui Jue did not stop her.

The forest was dense, the canopy blocking out the sun and leaving the interior in dim twilight. It took a moment for Gu Lehuan’s eyes to adjust. Just as she turned to speak to Cui Jue, she caught sight of his expression.

His gaze was cold and piercing, his face half-hidden in the shadows. Where was the gentle scholar from before? He looked like a cold-blooded executioner about to draw his sword!

Gu Lehuan trembled, about to scream, but Cui Jue moved first. He clamped a hand over her mouth, his voice as sharp as a blade. “Silence! Someone is coming!”

As if to confirm his words, the sudden neighing of horses pierced the sky.

After seeing off the Prince of Huai, the Autumn Mountain Villa returned to its usual tranquility. Gu Wanlan had reached an agreement with the Prince: he would release Tianquan, and she would use her influence to find clues regarding the new Commander, Flying Kite.

She smirked inwardly; the Prince was likely satisfied with his “empty-handed” manipulation, using the innocent Tianquan to force Ji Lin into his service. He had no idea that Flying Kite was her as well.

With that settled, she ordered Vice General Qiu to lock the gates so she could change back into her identity as the Eldest Miss. However, as she reached the Gu Manor, Tianxuan ran out in a panic, nearly tripping. Gu Wanlan caught her. “What has happened?”

“Miss! Something has gone wrong at Hanshan Temple!”

Gu Wanlan’s mind went blank for a second. “Get on!” She pulled Tianxuan onto her horse. “Hold on tight! Jia!”

As they raced, Tianxuan screamed over the wind. “Captain Deng reported that they went to the temple to protect the Madam as ordered, but when they arrived, the guards at the foot of the mountain were all dead! The carriage was empty—the Madam, the Second Miss, and Master Cui are all gone!”

Gu Wanlan’s jaw tightened. “If they haven’t found bodies, there is still hope!”

When she arrived at the temple, she found the guards escorting a disheveled Gu Lehuan out of the woods.

“Sister! I thought I’d never see you again!” Lehuan sobbed, throwing herself at Gu Wanlan. Then, she turned pale with terror. “Sister! Go save Cui Jue! He led them away to protect us! Go save him!”

“He isn’t with you?!” Gu Wanlan’s expression shifted. Looking past Lehuan, she saw a group carrying the unconscious Qi Rong, but Cui Jue was nowhere to be seen. A surge of blood rushed to her head. She had seen the corpses at the mountain’s base; those attackers were ruthless.

How did a frail painter dare to face them alone? “Which direction!”

“West! He went West!”

Gu Wanlan knelt, picked up a blood-stained longsword, and looked at Lehuan. “Take the Madam back. Comfort her and ensure this does not disturb the Protector Duke. Can you do that?”

“I can! Sister, I can!” Lehuan nodded frantically through her tears.

“Good.” Gu Wanlan pressed a hand on Lehuan’s head. “I will bring him back. Be at peace.” She vaulted onto her horse and galloped into the woods.

The sun was setting, making the forest increasingly dark, but this did not hinder Gu Wanlan. Using the speed of her horse, she quickly bypassed the other guards and delved deep into the western woods.

Crossing a small creek, she spotted a trail of chaotic footprints. Abandoning her horse, she tore off her cumbersome skirt hem, wrapped the fabric around her palms to grip the sword tightly, and followed the trail on foot. She moved silently.

When she finally pushed through a patch of tall grass, the sight nearly made her eyes burst. A man in black was raising a heavy saber, poised to strike down a man sitting on the ground—who was wearing Cui Jue’s clothes.

“You seek death!”

Infuriated, Gu Wanlan threw her sword like a spear. It pierced the assassin’s chest with a sickening thud.

The man stared at her in disbelief as he collapsed. “This… this move…” He saw she was a woman and gasped, “How could it be…” He died before he could finish.

Gu Wanlan wiped the blood from her face and reached out to the man on the ground. “Cui Jue, can you stand? Give me your hand.”

The person hesitated, then placed his hand in hers. Gu Wanlan instantly felt something was wrong.

With her left hand, she jerked the person up and slammed him against a tree. Her right hand held the bloodied sword to his throat. “You aren’t Cui Jue! Why are you wearing his clothes?! Where is he?!” Her voice trembled slightly.

In the dim light, the man slowly lifted his head. From beneath his matted hair, he revealed a pair of enchanting, heterochromatic eyes.

Gu Wanlan’s pupils constricted. She gasped, “Ah Sun?!”