The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 20

“Husband, pull me up.”

Seeing that Gu Qingjia was still frowning deeply, Liu Qingyue reached out a slender, delicate hand and called to him with a playful smile.

Gu Qingjia took three steps in two, reached her side, and grasped her fair, soft hand to pull her up. Following his strength, Liu Qingyue spun once and fell into his arms. She raised her free hand and smoothed out the furrow in his brow.

“Don’t frown at such a young age. My husband is so handsome; if you age prematurely, you’ll lose your charm.”

Her words were mere nonsense, but they managed to coax a smile out of Gu Qingjia.

“Since my lady likes my appearance so much, I must take good care of myself no matter what.” He didn’t let go of her hand, and his deep eyes remained fixed on her. At this moment, they looked exactly like a pair of lovers with eyes only for each other.

“Let go of me now, we should set off,” she said, naturally withdrawing her hand with a smile. She had grown accustomed to playing around with him like this, so she no longer blushed when she pulled away.

As she left his embrace, Gu Qingjia felt a sudden sense of emptiness. However, he didn’t linger on the feeling. No matter how intimate they were, he knew in his heart that Liu Qingyue didn’t have romantic feelings for him; it was mostly the playful heart of a child.

He followed her out of the room, went downstairs, and checked out of the inn. Now that they had someone serving them, they theoretically didn’t need to worry about much, but whether Jiang Fu was reliable remained to be seen, so they stayed slightly on guard.

The pair boarded the carriage and headed toward Jiangzhou. Knowing he wasn’t trusted, Jiang Fu drove the carriage quietly along the way. By the time dusk fell, they still hadn’t reached a relay station.

“Young Master, Madam, it’s getting dark. If we continue, I’m afraid we won’t reach the station. Should we stop and rest?” Jiang Fu had observed Gu Qingjia’s attitude, so he treated Liu Qingyue with extra respect.

“Stop then. Go find some firewood and start a fire.” Gu Qingjia wasn’t comfortable leaving Liu Qingyue alone with Jiang Fu. Furthermore, as masters, there was no reason for them to do the work while the groom sat back and enjoyed himself.

After parking the carriage securely, Jiang Fu reported in and went to gather wood. Gu Qingjia jumped down and went to help Liu Qingyue.

“Careful,” he urged instinctively. He had become accustomed to looking after her. She didn’t think much of it and waved him off.

“No need to help, I can do it myself.” Seeing her insistence, he didn’t force the matter and withdrew his hand.

“It will take Jiang Fu a while to gather wood. While no one is around, let’s practice,” he said. He truly didn’t waste a single moment.

Liu Qingyue agreed. With Jiang Fu around, there were many things they couldn’t do conveniently. While he was away, they should seize the time to practice the sword dance. Whether it was the sword or anything else, one couldn’t be lax, or one would never learn.

By now, she had mastered the movements, but she still lacked the aura of someone who could actually harm an opponent. If martial arts couldn’t hurt people, it was better not to learn it at all, lest one die at the hands of others.

Gu Qingjia watched her practice with a tree branch, stepping in occasionally to guide her. He taught her how to apply force, how to parry, and how to strike vital points. The sword dance wasn’t just for show; if she practiced well, it could kill. However, if she didn’t show results, she would just be a prime candidate for an easy target.

Currently, she was exactly that—a “prime candidate.”

Gu Qingjia knew her learning speed wasn’t slow, but their journey was fraught with danger. He naturally hoped she would gain self-preservation skills as quickly as possible. Currently, the people sent after them were just minor thugs he could easily handle, but if the enemy truly grew determined to kill them, he wasn’t sure if he could protect her perfectly. At this point, he even regretted not bringing more hidden guards.

“I think I’m doing okay. I’ll definitely be able to protect myself in the future,” she said, already imagining herself roaming the martial world once the dust settled.

“You’re still far from it. Don’t let it go to your head.” He wasn’t trying to discourage her, but with her current level, she couldn’t win even if he fought her with both hands tied.

She pouted but didn’t argue.

“Rest a while. Jiang Fu should be back soon.” He took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, his tone softening. She felt no distance from him at all, grinning as she tilted her face up to let him serve her, not finding it strange in the least.

“I just don’t know if Jiang Fu can be trusted. If he really has no ulterior motive, you can relax a bit at night.”

She wasn’t wrong, though they now had hidden guards protecting them in the shadows, so Gu Qingjia could actually get some rest.

“Don’t worry. Even if he has ill intentions, I will protect you.” He knew she wasn’t afraid. She was like a newborn fawn—not fearful of the outside world, but finding it all very novel. It was this very mindset that made him worry even more.

“I’ll protect you too,” she chirped back playfully.

It was the first time Gu Qingjia had ever heard someone say they would protect him, even if it was just a joke. He gave her a deep, silent look. She didn’t notice; she was always quite relaxed around him.

“I didn’t feel it while dancing, but I am actually quite tired now. You should sit and rest too; you’ve been accompanying me the whole time.”

Their travel conditions were much better this time. The carriage was well-stocked, showing that Jiang Fu had been diligent. Gu Qingjia sat beside her and watched as she took out some packed snacks.

“I think the pastries from this shop are quite good. Want some?” Her appetite was as good as ever. Watching her eat even gave him an appetite.

“If you like them so much, why didn’t you buy more?” He felt the small box she packed wasn’t nearly enough for her, yet she was willing to share with him.

“You don’t understand. These pastries shouldn’t be kept overnight; they won’t taste good. If there’s a chance to come back or find them elsewhere, I’ll just buy them then.”

She was a foodie, but she had self-control. She knew that eating too much of something at once made it easy to get sick of it. By eating just enough to satisfy a craving without getting bored, she ensured she’d want them again later. She didn’t tell him this, though—there was no need. Even though they were close, she had her own little thoughts. She didn’t want him to know everything about her. She needed privacy, a part of her that even a partner couldn’t understand.

Unaware of her inner monologue, he simply felt he truly didn’t understand. Although he was of noble birth, his childhood had been miserable. He had never cared much for food; instead, he was always cautious about what he put into his mouth.

“These pastries aren’t rare; they must be available elsewhere. I’ll buy them for you every day. Even when we return to the capital, you won’t lack for food. If you think the flavor is wrong, I can even hire the pastry chef to come to our estate.”

Gu Qingjia was always generous toward her. If an outsider heard this, they would truly think the two were deeply in love. She smiled and shook her head.

“No need. These are good, but there are even better ones in the capital. Besides, the chef at our estate is already skilled enough.” She wasn’t greedy. No matter how casual her attitude, she still knew where the boundaries were with someone of his status.

“Jiang Fu has been gone a long time. Nothing happened to him, right?” She changed the subject.

“He’s back.” Gu Qingjia had excellent hearing. Though Jiang Fu was still a distance away, he could hear the footsteps. Hearing this, she stopped talking and went back to munching her snacks.

She knew she shouldn’t reveal too many of her preferences, as it could give enemies an opening. But eating was the most important thing in the world. Even assassins had to eat. If they wanted to poison the food, they’d do it regardless of whether she liked the dish or not. Since Gu Qingjia never restricted her, she didn’t deprive herself of this small hobby.

When Jiang Fu returned, he saw the two sitting together in perfect harmony.

“Young Master, Madam, I apologize for being late.” He placed the firewood and two wild pheasants on the ground and bowed. “I thought you must be hungry after the journey, so I caught two pheasants on the way.”

Since he brought back plenty of wood and food, Gu Qingjia had no reason to make things difficult for him. “Fine. Start the fire, clean the pheasants, and get them on the spit.”

Gu Qingjia watched his expressions for any suspicious movements. Jiang Fu seemed oblivious to the scrutiny, honestly starting the fire before taking the pheasants to the river to clean them.

“Do you think he’s just composed, or does he really intend to serve us?” she whispered once he was out of earshot. They didn’t know Young Master Jiang’s goal yet, so they couldn’t move against his man.

“Hard to say. Let’s just keep observing. You keep your guard up too; don’t let him fool you.”

Gu Qingjia held a reserved opinion on the man. If he truly turned out to be useful, he didn’t mind keeping him. She nodded in agreement; it was always better to be safe than sorry. She didn’t know that with the hidden guards now present, she was protected even if she let her guard down. However, given how dangerous the road was, no amount of protection could make Gu Qingjia feel entirely at ease.

At times, Gu Qingjia truly felt like a worried old father. She turned to look at him by the firelight; his handsome face was still very easy on the eyes.

“I wonder if roast chicken tastes good without any seasoning?” she mused aloud.

Predictably, she had voiced exactly what he expected.