After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 55

Entering the palace?

The night he entered the palace, many people had seen his face. Anyone with an interest could find out with a simple investigation; it was not something that could be hidden from others. However, it was usually difficult for an ordinary person to so quickly associate a common folk painter like him with the Imperial Palace.

It seemed the person hidden behind Xiao Sun was likely deeply involved with the palace themselves.

The candlelight on the desk flickered, casting a dim, warm yellow glow upon Cui Jue’s face.

Cui Jue turned around to look at Gu Wanlan, who was reclining lazily on the bed. She seemed bored, twining her loose, dark hair around her fingers. She didn’t look at him, acting as if she were completely indifferent to his answer.

But Cui Jue knew better. His answer today was very important.

Cui Jue lowered his gaze and stepped forward, slowly sitting at the edge of the bed. He cupped Gu Wanlan’s cheeks with both hands, forcing her to look at him. “Wanlan.”

“What are you doing?” Gu Wanlan reacted like a cat with bristling fur, instantly shrinking back. “That’s enough! More than enough! That trick from earlier won’t work again! I’m telling you!”

Cui Jue let out a light chuckle. He traced her cheek with his thumb and said slowly, “Don’t panic, Wanlan. I just want you to look only at me, at least for this moment.”

Gu Wanlan seemed to sense his gravity; the faint flush on her face receded as she slowly raised her eyes to look at the man before her.

Cui Jue held her face, meeting her gaze without flinching. “Wanlan, you’re right. I have secrets. It’s just not convenient to explain them to you right now, but I can guarantee that what I do will never harm the Protector State Duke’s Estate, nor will it harm the state.”

His expression was so earnest and his gaze so sincere that for a moment, Gu Wanlan felt dazed, giving her the illusion that he cherished her deeply.

But, how could that be?

Gu Wanlan bit the tip of her tongue to clear her head. “And the matter of entering the palace?”

Cui Jue nodded and followed her lead smoothly. “It is true. The night Xiao Sun caused that scene, I did enter the palace.”

Gu Wanlan raised an eyebrow. No wonder when she returned to the estate that day, she found him with disheveled clothes and ragged breathing; he had likely arrived home from the palace only a step ahead of her.

“Why did you enter the palace?”

“Together with Cui Qiong.”

Gu Wanlan mused to herself; this was close enough to her previous guess. Cui Qiong was far too close to and reliant on Cui Jue, which was hard to explain solely through the identity of an “elder brother.” But if Cui Jue were actually Cui Qiong’s strategist, then everything made sense.

Thinking of this, Gu Wanlan leaned forward proactively, blinked, and asked, “Can I ask? I’m curious—what exactly is your relationship with Cui Qiong?”

She drew so close so suddenly that their noses nearly brushed. Cui Jue’s breath hitched for a second. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked down and said, “Though not recognized by the Cui family, I am actually… his elder brother.”

That… also added up.

Gu Wanlan looked at Cui Jue for a moment longer before leaning back. “Then I have no more questions for now.”

No—after guessing that Cui Jue might be Cui Qiong’s strategist, more questions actually flooded her mind. For instance, did Cui Jue have a hand in Ji Lin’s affairs? Or, was there another hidden story behind Cui Qiong’s execution of He San?

However, none of these were questions that the recently recognized daughter of a Duke should know about or probe into.

Looking at Cui Jue now, Gu Wanlan felt as if a table of delicious food had been placed before her, with chopsticks even thrust into her hand, yet she could only stare and not eat.

Was this the retribution for having secrets of her own?

The more Gu Wanlan thought about it, the more depressed she became. Looking at the handsome face still near her made her even more irritable. She extended her long legs, intending to give him a kick, only for her foot to be caught directly by Cui Jue.

Cui Jue laughed helplessly. “I have answered everything Madam asked. How have I provoked Madam again?”

With her ankle held, Gu Wanlan’s bare leg was exposed from beneath the quilt. It was quite dazzling under the candlelight, causing her face to turn a few shades redder.

In her shame and annoyance, Gu Wanlan was about to break free when a thought struck her. Her eyes darted around, and the strength behind her intended kick vanished by eighty percent. Instead, she let her foot rest against Cui Jue’s chest.

Cui Jue looked down and smiled. “What is Madam… intending to do?”

Gu Wanlan stared at the ceiling, but her foot didn’t stop moving. She said innocently, “I’m just curious. In the future, if your dear younger brother and I fall into the water at the same time, who would you save first?”

Cui Jue steadied his breathing and leaned over her, his eyes darkening. “I still remember what Madam said just now. Madam said the affection between us hasn’t reached the depth where we can reveal everything to each other without reservation…”

Gu Wanlan grew annoyed and glared at him, immediately trying to retract her leg. “So Husband means to say that in the future, you will definitely stand on your brother’s side?”

Cui Jue gave a pull, dragging Gu Wanlan forcefully into his arms. He chuckled softly. “No, I meant to say that since it isn’t deep enough yet, I should reveal myself to Madam much more often in the future…”

Gu Wanlan was choked up, and it took a long while for her heat-clouded brain to clear.

The candlelight nearby flickered. With a hint of annoyance, Gu Wanlan bit down hard on Cui Jue’s smooth shoulder. “Did the tutor teach you to use words this way?! Cui Jue! You’re a scholar—do you have no shame?!”

Dog of a man.

He had actually dodged her question from just now.

As expected, even with a “honey trap,” that Dog Cui was still more important to him.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Gu Wanlan had finished practicing a set of spear techniques. Before she could even wash up, she received news that Gu Baozhu had come to find her and had been waiting for quite a while.

Gu Wanlan paused, set down her long spear, took a handkerchief, and casually wiped her face. “Fine, since she came so early, I’ll go see her.”

Gu Wanlan turned past the screen wall and saw a young girl in a red dress tightly clutching a stack of envelopes. She was sitting in a round-backed chair, looking extremely nervous. Drawing closer, Gu Wanlan could see the dark circles under her eyes; although the girl had carefully covered them with powder, they still showed through.

Knock, knock.

Gu Wanlan walked to the doorway and tapped several times on the frame.

The girl jumped from her chair like a startled rabbit.

Seeing it was Gu Wanlan, Gu Baozhu seemed even more nervous. The stack of envelopes in her hand was crumpled by her grip. She took a deep breath, about to speak—

But Gu Wanlan cut her off, giving instructions to the nearby maid. “Look at how cold it is. Go get a cloak for her first. Yes, and bring some light pastries. I’m a bit hungry myself.”

The breath Gu Baozhu had held in instantly deflated.

For Gu Baozhu, who had always used her status to act overbearing, seeking forgiveness from the girls she had once bullied was an incredibly difficult thing to do.

Initially, it was only because Gu Wanlan had lit a fire in her heart, and out of the indignation of losing to Gu Wanlan, she forced herself to bow her head to those girls.

But later…

“Did you use force or threats?”

Gu Wanlan’s voice drifted over calmly.

Gu Baozhu fiddled with her fingers. “I didn’t. They all did it willingly.”

Gu Wanlan paused and looked at Gu Baozhu. “Then have you come today because you still want to know why you lost that day?”

Gu Baozhu shook her head slightly. She clutched the stack of envelopes and said, “I think I mostly understand now. You wanted me to seek forgiveness from those girls not just to punish me—”

“Oh?”

Gu Wanlan raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Gu Baozhu to continue.

A flash of bewilderment crossed Gu Baozhu’s face, but it gradually turned into determination. “You wanted me to realize through this that my failure that day was because I didn’t know how to put myself in others’ shoes. You succeeded at the poetry society because the people you borrowed momentum from were poor scholars; your accusation against Cui Li was directly related to their interests. But I was different—”

“I wanted to use the matter of reputation to ruin you, but in the end, what your reputation is like doesn’t matter to the common people. Therefore, there was no way they would stand on my side to oppose someone like you, who holds power in the Protector State Duke’s Estate.”

Gu Baozhu had thought it would be difficult to expose her own ugliness to Gu Wanlan. To her surprise, perhaps because she had grown used to admitting her mistakes over these past few days, she spoke quite smoothly today.

“Gu Wanlan, I’ve realized your good intentions!”

Meeting the fervent gaze Gu Baozhu sent her way, Gu Wanlan instinctively stepped back, feeling a bit of guilt in her heart.

…She hadn’t actually thought that much.

Heaven knows, she truly was just being malicious and wanted to give the girl a bit of a hard time. She didn’t expect her to learn so much.

Seeing the maid approaching with a cloak, Gu Wanlan hurriedly ushered her to put it on Gu Baozhu.

Seeing the girl wrapped in the cloak and her lips looking less pale, Gu Wanlan feigned a serious cough. “Since you know all this, why come to me?”

Gu Baozhu’s body stiffened. Her knuckles were white from gripping the envelopes too hard. “It’s… it’s…”

Gu Wanlan understood. She turned and ordered the surrounding maids to withdraw.

Gu Baozhu breathed a sigh of relief but still didn’t dare look Gu Wanlan in the eye. Her voice was like a mosquito’s hum. “I… I don’t know who to tell… but for some reason… I feel I can only tell you… only you might understand me…”

Gu Wanlan’s eyelid twitched violently.

Could this young miss have committed some other crime?!

Secrets! She didn’t want to get involved in anyone else’s secrets right now!

Gu Wanlan was about to beat a hasty retreat, but Gu Baozhu was faster. She lunged forward and grabbed Gu Wanlan’s hands in a tight grip.

Then, her eyes sparkling, she leaned in, clearly releasing a long-suppressed excitement. She spoke rapidly, “Gu Wanlan! I’ve been thinking day and night about that day. Tell me—if I disguised myself as a man to be a legal advocate and argued for those victims in court, would that work?!”

Gu Wanlan nearly fell over backwards. Fortunately, Gu Baozhu was quick to catch her.

Gu Baozhu also knew her idea was quite earth-shattering, so she only dared to whisper it to Gu Wanlan. In her eyes, Gu Wanlan seemed to be someone who feared nothing and respected no taboos.

However, Gu Wanlan’s reaction was so large. As expected, even for someone like Gu Wanlan, was such a thing too absurd?

Gu Baozhu couldn’t help but purse her lips, her heart feeling as if it were being seared in a frying pan.

Gu Wanlan rubbed her brow and let out a helpless sigh. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not going to stop you. Do it if you want to.”

“Really… you think it’s okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? You’re not going out to commit murder or robbery.” Gu Wanlan shrugged. “But let’s be clear—I won’t help you. Don’t think that just because of our ‘friendship’ I’ll clean up your messes in the future. We don’t have that kind of friendship.”

Gu Baozhu tried to suppress it, but the corners of her mouth still turned up uncontrollably. “I know. As long as you also think it’s okay, that’s enough.”

Regardless of who it was, she just wanted someone to say “it’s okay.”

It seemed as long as one person thought it was feasible, she would have the courage to do it.

Gu Baozhu clutched her cloak, secretly overjoyed. Only when she was about to leave did she suddenly remember she had something else to give Gu Wanlan.

“This is?” Gu Wanlan looked suspiciously at the invitation in her hand.

“It’s an invitation to Princess Xihe’s banquet tomorrow! Invitations to her banquets are extremely hard to get. Since you’re interested in the inner chambers of high-ranking families, why not go see for yourself? This is my exchange!” Gu Baozhu puffed out her chest with some pride. “Oh, and as for those twists and turns, you needn’t worry. I will go with you that day.”

“Oh? How coincidental.” Gu Wanlan toyed with the invitation, a meaningful smile appearing on her face.

This was truly an unexpected boon.

Since the person behind Xiao Sun could extend their influence into the palace, she might be able to try her luck at a banquet hosted by a Princess.