RPDPHW Chapter 20

“Stop shaking! Look, you’ve written it crooked!”

At the writing desk, two women leaned close together, both squeezed into a small armchair.

“Ah, is it crooked?”

“Yes, look for yourself.”

Gu Qingyin let go of Zhong Shujin’s hand, took the writing brush from her, placed it on the inkstone, and then picked up the sheet of white paper from the table to show her.

“See? It’s crooked.”

Looking at the wobbly character on the paper, Zhong Shujin’s face flushed red, and she quickly said, “I don’t think it’s crooked!”

After Liu Sanniang left, the two had nothing to do, so Gu Qingyin brought Zhong Shujin into the study and, on a whim, started teaching her how to write.

Seeing Zhong Shujin’s reaction, Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but laugh and went along with her. “Alright, alright, it’s not crooked. Now, do you still recognize your name?”

“Mm! I do! But how do I write Qingqing’s name?”

Gu Qingyin took a fresh sheet of paper and neatly wrote the character “卿” (Qing).

Zhong Shujin took the brush from Gu Qingyin’s hand and carefully wrote the same character next to it, stroke by stroke, just as Gu Qingyin had guided her earlier.

This time, Gu Qingyin finally realized—without her holding Zhong Shujin’s hand, the characters she wrote actually looked much better.

“Look! This time it’s not crooked, right?”

The characters on the paper, though resembling those of a child just beginning to learn, carried a subtle sharpness. Just like a person’s bones, the strong and firm strokes revealed something about Zhong Shujin’s usual demeanor—decisive, unwavering, and steadfast.

It seemed that this person was someone with a strong and unyielding character.

Gu Qingyin smiled slightly.

“Mm, it’s not crooked.”

Now she truly understood what it meant to “show off one’s skill before an expert.” Zhong Shujin’s calligraphy skills were probably something she wouldn’t be able to surpass even in several years.

It was only because this person had lost her memory that she was so close to her now, letting herself be coaxed and deceived. But if one day she regained her memories, would everything that happened here no longer matter to her?

At this thought, Gu Qingyin felt a dull ache in her heart.

Zhong Shujin tilted her head, looking at Gu Qingyin with a hint of confusion. “Qingqing? Why do you look unhappy? Is it because I didn’t write well?”

Gu Qingyin was startled for a moment, then reached out to pat Zhong Shujin’s head. “No, you wrote very well.”

Even though Gu Qingyin had said this, Zhong Shujin still felt that she wasn’t entirely happy. Remembering something she had seen a few days ago, Zhong Shujin suddenly reached out, wrapped her arms around Gu Qingyin’s neck, and rubbed her cheek against hers.

“Wife, it’s my fault. I clearly wrote it crooked but refused to admit it. Next time, I won’t do that again! So please don’t be upset, okay?”

A couple of days ago, while sitting in a tree, she had unintentionally seen Brother Zhang from next door saying the same thing to Sister-in-law Zhang.

He had said, “Wife, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have wandered around the fields. I won’t dare to do it again. Please don’t be mad.”

Then, she saw that Sister-in-law Zhang, who had been very angry just moments ago, slowly put away her anger and replaced it with a smile because of that one sentence.

So, she thought that if she said the same thing, Qingqing wouldn’t be angry anymore.

The two of them were already sitting on the same chair, naturally close to each other. With Zhong Shujin’s little movement, she ended up nestled right into Gu Qingyin’s embrace.

Hearing Zhong Shujin’s words, Gu Qingyin felt an inexplicable joy in her heart—but more than that, a deep melancholy. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Zhong Shujin’s waist, resting her chin lightly on her shoulder, and sighed.

“Ah Jin, from now on, you mustn’t call me ‘wife’ anymore.”

If Zhong Shujin kept calling her that, she feared she might start taking it seriously.

Zhong Shujin furrowed her brows in confusion. “Why not?”

Thinking of the Zhang couple that Zhong Shujin had used as an example last night, Gu Qingyin patiently explained.

“We’re different from Brother Zhang and Sister-in-law Zhang. They are husband and wife, so Brother Zhang can call her ‘wife.’ But we’re not. At most, we could be considered sisters. So, you can call me ‘sister,’ but you can’t call me ‘wife.’ That… is a term reserved for married couples, not something we can casually use.”

But Zhong Shujin only grew more puzzled. “But Brother Zhang and Sister-in-law Zhang live together. When Brother Zhang got hurt, Sister-in-law Zhang took care of him. I also live with you, and when I got hurt, you took care of me. So how are we any different from them? Why can he call her ‘wife,’ but I can’t call you that?”

Gu Qingyin hadn’t expected Zhong Shujin to be so articulate, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.

She thought for a while before finally giving an explanation.

“We’re not the same. Look, they have a child, Pillar, while we don’t. Also… married couples do things that only married couples do.”

“But we don’t have that, so people like us can’t be considered a married couple—we can only be sisters.”

Zhong Shujin slightly pulled away from Gu Qingyin, staring straight into her eyes. It wasn’t until Gu Qingyin couldn’t hold back her question that Zhong Shujin cupped her cheeks, leaned in, and planted a light kiss on her lips.

As Gu Qingyin stared at her in shock, Zhong Shujin slowly pulled away from those lips and, with a hint of shyness, said, “I know, Third Madam already told me. What we’re doing is something only married couples should do.”

Gu Qingyin’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap from her throat. Her arms tightened slightly as she wrapped them firmly around Zhong Shujin’s waist. She gazed at Zhong Shujin’s lips, but when she spoke, her voice came out hoarse and shaky.

“Did Third Madam also tell you what else married couples do besides this?”

“Mm.” Zhong Shujin pressed her forehead against Gu Qingyin’s, their noses brushing affectionately as she whispered, “She said that married couples also take off their clothes and sleep together. We’ve already done that, so that means we’re married!”

Hearing this, Gu Qingyin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

At this moment, she couldn’t even say what she truly felt inside. She only knew that the slight sense of disappointment in her heart had managed to suppress the wild racing of her pulse.

She understood—this person, in the end, didn’t truly understand love. The only reason she was doing these things and calling her “wife” was because she had been tricked by Liu Sanniang.

“Fool.”

In the end, all Gu Qingyin could do was sigh softly.

This foolish girl was naive, but Gu Qingyin couldn’t afford to be foolish along with her.

“Gu Qingyin! Get out here, now!”

She hadn’t been able to enjoy her peace for long before Liu Sanniang’s voice rang out from outside, interrupting the restless thoughts in her mind.

“Great! Sanniang is back again!”

Unlike last time, when she had been somewhat annoyed by Liu Sanniang, Zhong Shujin was now excited upon hearing her voice.

She quickly jumped off Gu Qingyin and grabbed her hand.

“Let’s hurry and go see what’s going on! Sanniang sounds really anxious!”

Gu Qingyin glanced at their intertwined hands, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She followed behind her and gently advised,

“Don’t rush. Walk slowly, or you might fall.”

Hearing this, Zhong Shujin obediently slowed her pace.

By the time Gu Qingyin led Zhong Shujin outside, Liu Sanniang had already carried Leng Shaoying into the temporarily vacant room used for treating patients.

Seeing the pale-faced stranger lying on the bed, Gu Qingyin frowned slightly.

“Who is this? And why is she in my room?”

“She drank the poison you just created!” Liu Sanniang clutched Gu Qingyin’s sleeve tightly, her voice filled with urgency. “Help me! Don’t let anything happen to her—I’m begging you!”

Perhaps it was Liu Sanniang’s rare display of panic that surprised her, but Gu Qingyin didn’t press further. Instead, she sat down beside the bed and began checking Leng Shaoying’s pulse.

“So, this is the old acquaintance you spoke of?”

Gu Qingyin lifted Leng Shaoying’s eyelids for a quick check and casually asked,

“Mm, but don’t worry, she won’t cause you any trouble. Once she recovers, I’ll take her away immediately!”

Just as Liu Sanniang finished speaking, before Gu Qingyin could feel at ease, she suddenly heard a sharp hiss of pain from behind her.

Turning her head, she saw Zhong Shujin clutching her head in distress, staring intently at the unconscious Leng Shaoying.

Gu Qingyin’s heart sank.

“Sanniang, take A’Jin outside for now. Don’t worry, I’ll handle things here—nothing will happen.”

Liu Sanniang hesitated, glancing at the bed with concern. Though she didn’t want to leave, she was more worried that Zhong Shujin staying would distract Gu Qingyin. So, without further hesitation, she pulled Zhong Shujin out of the room.

This year, winter had arrived exceptionally early.

The weather had been clear in the morning, yet now, snowflakes were drifting down in a gentle, endless flurry.

Liu Sanniang sat on the steps outside the room, gazing blankly at the falling snow.

Zhong Shujin sat beside her, resting her chin on her knees, and murmured with a troubled expression,

“Sanniang, why do I feel like I’ve seen that girl before? Do I know her?”

Liu Sanniang let out a small sigh and replied, “No, you don’t know her.”

Right now, to Liu Sanniang, Gu Qingyin was the one in charge. If Leng Shaoying was to survive, it all depended on Gu Qingyin. She knew Gu Qingyin didn’t want Zhong Shujin to remember the past so soon, so naturally, she wouldn’t be the one to stir up trouble by saying too much.

“Oh, Sanniang, why aren’t you smiling today? Are you scared?”

Liu Sanniang let out a bitter smile. “Yes, I am. I’m terrified.”

“Don’t be afraid! Our Qingqing is amazing—I’m sure that girl will be fine!”

Hearing this little fool’s words of comfort, Liu Sanniang actually felt a little more at ease.

“Yes, your Qingqing is the best. She definitely won’t let anything happen to her, right?”

“Mm!” Zhong Shujin nodded enthusiastically. Then, after a brief pause, she asked with some confusion, “By the way, Sanniang, why does my calling Qingqing ‘wife’ make her unhappy? Didn’t you say we…”

Just like that, Liu Sanniang and Zhong Shujin sat on the steps, chatting as time passed.

It wasn’t until nightfall that Gu Qingyin finally emerged from the room.

“How is she?”

Liu Sanniang looked at Gu Qingyin anxiously, hoping for good news.

“Fortunately, I had a backup plan. Since it was my own poison, I was able to neutralize it. The toxins in her body have been partially cleared, but we’ll have to wait and see if she wakes up to know for sure if she’s out of danger.”

Liu Sanniang let out a long sigh of relief, finally relaxing a little compared to before.

“I’ll go check on her.”

After Liu Sanniang left, Gu Qingyin stepped forward and gently touched Zhong Shujin’s cold cheek.

“Are you cold?”

Zhong Shujin shrank back slightly. “I think… a little.”

“It’s snowing.”

Gu Qingyin glanced at the snowflakes drifting beyond the eaves and sighed softly. Then, she took Zhong Shujin’s hand and led her back to their room.

“Silly girl, you’re cold and didn’t even think to put on more clothes.”

Zhong Shujin rubbed her nose sheepishly. “Sanniang seemed really scared, so I just wanted to keep her company.”

“How thoughtful of you.”

Gu Qingyin draped a newly sewn coat over Zhong Shujin’s shoulders. Watching her brighten up instantly, she found herself momentarily dazed.

Once properly dressed, Zhong Shujin immediately pulled out a thick cloak from the wardrobe and wrapped it around Gu Qingyin.

“Qingqing, it’s cold—you should wear this too!”

Gu Qingyin let her fasten the cloak, staring at her in silence.

After tying the cloak’s straps, Zhong Shujin finally sensed the gloom in Gu Qingyin’s mood.

She hesitated, her lips parting slightly. “Qingqing, what’s wrong?”

The next moment, she was pulled into a firm embrace.

“A’Jin.” The voice by her ear trembled slightly. “Don’t leave me.”