RPDPHW Chapter 31

Lin Ziyan had always preferred peace and quiet, making her courtyard a rare tranquil haven within the General’s Manor.

Currently, aside from a few serving maids, the only other residents of this courtyard are Zhong Shujin and Gu Qingyin.

At that moment, Gu Qingyin was still busy tending to Dan Wenshu, so the only one in the courtyard was Zhong Shujin.

Lin Ziyan had promised to talk to Zhong Shujin, and she wasn’t one to go back on her word. Seizing the moment while Gu Qingyin was occupied with acupuncture treatment for Dan Wenshu, she returned to her courtyard to have a proper conversation with Zhong Shujin.

“Not many people visit this place, and there aren’t many guest rooms. I had you and Qingqing share a room—hope you don’t mind?”

Lin Ziyan sat at the table, personally pouring two cups of wine. She handed one to Zhong Shujin and kept the other for herself.

“Of course not.”

Perhaps she had simply grown used to sharing a room with Gu Qingyin, because at that moment, Zhong Shujin didn’t feel there was anything to be concerned about.

Under normal circumstances, if anyone suggested sharing a room with her, she would have lost her temper. Zhong Shujin had never liked being close to others—her subordinates all knew this. Over the years, the only person who had ever been allowed to share her room and bed was Gu Qingyin.

She accepted the wine from Lin Ziyan and casually asked, “By the way, why didn’t Qingqing come back with you?”

“She’s still giving acupuncture to Shuer.” Lin Ziyan clinked glasses with Zhong Shujin and added with a smile, ** “Earlier today, you looked like you wanted to tear me apart. I never expected that in less than a day, we’d be sitting here chatting so peacefully. I suppose this means we’ve fought our way into an understanding. Come, let’s drink to that—consider it a truce.”

With that, she downed her cup in one go.

Zhong Shujin raised her cup and gave Lin Ziyan a friendly smile.

Bold and straightforward people were always more likable.

It truly was a case of “no fight, no friendship” between them. At their first meeting, jealousy had nearly burned away all of Zhong Shujin’s reasons. Fortunately, Lin Ziyan hadn’t taken that incident to heart and had even willingly taken her to see Gu Qingyin. Moreover, Lin Ziyan’s attention had been mostly focused on that Fifth Concubine rather than Gu Qingyin.

Because of this, Zhong Shujin had unknowingly let go of some of her hostility toward Lin Ziyan.

Just as she was about to drink from her cup—meant as a gesture of reconciliation—she suddenly recalled the gentle way Gu Qingyin had stopped her from drinking at the inn earlier that day.

Her hand hesitated slightly before she put the cup down.

“Apologies, I have an injury, so I shouldn’t drink. If there’s another chance in the future, I’ll gladly share a drink with you. How about that?”

Since she had declined, Lin Ziyan naturally wouldn’t force her.

Pouring herself another cup, Lin Ziyan got straight to the point.

“You want to know why I saved Qingqing. But why not ask her yourself? There are things I only know in fragments—she would have a much clearer understanding than I do.”

“If she wanted to tell me, she would have done so already.” Zhong Shujin lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with melancholy. If she hadn’t told me, it must be because she didn’t want me to know. Even if I ask, it would probably be useless. But I still want to know what she’s been through these past two years… so I came to ask you.”

Lin Ziyan didn’t answer directly. Instead, she asked, “Did you upset Qingqing?”

Zhong Shujin froze for a moment, then furrowed her brows.

“Does Qingqing still look unhappy even now?”

Perhaps sensing what Zhong Shujin was thinking, Lin Ziyan chuckled softly.

“She has always been good at hiding her emotions—I can’t really tell how she feels.”

She pointed at her own neck as a reminder.

“But I’d guess that if Qingqing was willing to bite you that hard, she must have been truly furious.”

In this entire household, the only person daring enough to bite Zhong Shujin like that was undoubtedly Gu Qingyin.

To make that fiercely protective woman resort to such a move, Lin Ziyan couldn’t help but be curious about what had happened.

Hearing this, Zhong Shujin instinctively raised her hand to touch the bite mark on her neck. The sharp, piercing pain from that moment was still fresh in her mind.

Thinking back to Gu Qingyin’s pained, restrained expression, a wave of bitterness and frustration surged in Zhong Shujin’s heart once more.

She mumbled, “Yes, I made her upset.”

As for the reason, she chose to stay silent.

Seeing this, Lin Ziyan didn’t press further. She merely sighed lightly before beginning to recount her first encounter with Gu Qingyin.

“Last autumn, Shuer was gravely ill. I searched for every doctor in the city, but none dared to treat her. Left with no other option, I posted a notice seeking skilled physicians from the martial world. But for days, no one answered my call. Just as I was beginning to lose hope, I came across Qingqing—covered in blood, barely clinging to life, and desperately evading the Tang Sect’s pursuit.”

“At that moment, I was beside myself in frustration, scolding my subordinates for failing to find a capable healer. Out of nowhere, she appeared, grabbed my sleeve, and told me she could help. At first, I didn’t believe her—how could someone struggling to even stay alive possibly save Shuer?”

“But for some reason, perhaps out of sheer desperation, I decided to take a gamble. I brought her back, hid her from the Tang Sect’s men, and in return, she willingly treated Shuer. She slept for two days straight, and when she finally woke up, she actually managed to pull Shuer back from the brink of death.”

“After that, she stayed here for a while. She didn’t refuse—she needed time to recover from her injuries, and at the same time, she helped nurse Shuer back to health.”

“But Qingqing has no past grudges with the Tang Sect. Why would they suddenly hunt her down?”

Hearing Zhong Shujin’s confused question, Lin Ziyan smiled faintly.

“That’s true—she has no feud with the Tang Sect. But your Bloodflame Sect? You and the Tang Sect have been at odds for a long time. There are some things I can’t say, but if you truly wish to know, you should ask Qingqing yourself.”

Zhong Shujin’s body stiffened. Lin Ziyan’s words stirred up old memories, making her recall past events.

Indeed, the Tang Sect and the Bloodflame Sect had a deep-seated rivalry. Ever since last autumn, tensions between the two have only escalated further.

The Tang Sect had long coveted the venomous flora in the restricted forest near the Bloodflame Sect’s territory. Last autumn, they sent people to steal medicinal herbs, only for those thieves to be slaughtered on the spot by Bloodflame Sect members.

The two factions had already been hostile towards each other for years, but after the deaths of those Tang Sect disciples, the enmity between them had intensified significantly.

At the time, Madame Liu Sanniang had even sent a warning—reliable intelligence suggested that the Tang Sect was preparing to launch an attack against the Bloodflame Sect.

In response, the sect had remained on high alert for a long time. Yet, the Tang Sect never made a move. Cold Shaoying, believing that Liu Sanniang had deceived them, even stormed off in anger to confront her.

Liu Sanniang had been falsely accused of quite some time before the truth surfaced—the Tang Sect had suffered an internal crisis. Someone had infiltrated their stronghold and stolen one of their secret manuals. As a result, their best fighters had been sent out in pursuit of the thief, delaying their planned attack on the Bloodflame Sect.

A war that had seemed inevitable was thus averted.

Now, in hindsight—given Gu Qingyin’s extensive knowledge of the Tang Sect’s poisons and terrain—it seemed highly likely that the thief who had stolen their secret manual… was none other than Gu Qingyin herself.

And Gu Qingyin—just a solitary wandering physician—why would she risk her life to provoke the Tang Sect?

The answer was self-evident.

Zhong Shujin’s eyes stung slightly. She blinked hard, lowering her head to hide the moisture in her gaze, and murmured, “I understand.”

Seeing her like this, Lin Ziyan said no more. Instead, she casually recounted some amusing incidents from when Gu Qingyin had stayed at the manor. After some time, she got up, saying she would go check on Gu Qingyin.

To her surprise, Zhong Shujin spoke up on her own. “I’ll go with you.”

Since Lin Ziyan had hinted at that matter earlier, Zhong Shujin had become even more withdrawn than before.

She remained silent the entire way, clearly lost in thought.

For now, Lin Ziyan couldn’t quite guess what was weighing so heavily on her mind.

When they reached Dan Wenshu’s residence, just before entering, Lin Ziyan finally couldn’t hold back and said,

“What she has done for you was never mine to speak of. Today, I spoke out of turn—I just couldn’t help it. As her friend, I should despise you for how you’ve wronged her. But if not for you, I would never have met her here in the first place. If not for you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to see her again this time, even if it was just by chance. It was she who saved Shuer, but without you, she wouldn’t have come here at all. So, in a way, I should also thank you.”

“I know I have no right to meddle in your relationship. But I’ll say just one thing—now that fate has brought you two back together, don’t let her down again. “The past two years… have been unbearably difficult for her.”

Without waiting for Zhong Shujin’s response, Lin Ziyan stepped forward and pushed open the door.

Zhong Shujin pressed her lips together and silently followed behind her.

And now, she had learned something new.

It wasn’t that Qingqing came here by chance—Lin Ziyan was the one who happened to be here.

This should have been something to be happy about. But finding out at this moment only made Zhong Shujin’s heartache even more.

How much more was there that she didn’t know?

In these past two years, just how many things had Qingqing quietly done for her?

By this time, Dan Wenshu had already gone to rest.

After drinking the three doses of medicine brewed from the Fire Venom Ganoderma, her complexion looked significantly better than before.

Lin Ziyan was pleased.

She turned slightly and noticed Gu Qingyin sitting by the bedside, silently gazing at Zhong Shujin, who was standing by the door. Neither of them spoke a word.

Feeling helpless, Lin Ziyan leaned close to Gu Qingyin’s ear and whispered, “Your sect leader has come to take you home.”

At those words, Gu Qingyin, who had been expressionless, suddenly started to smile.

“Then I’ll head back first. Stay there and watch over her carefully. If anything seems wrong during the night, send someone to call me.”

With that, she rose and walked toward the door.

Stopping in front of Zhong Shujin, she extended a hand toward her and said, “Let’s go.”

Zhong Shujin was momentarily stunned before a smile slowly spread across her face. She reached out, placing her hand over the one before her, and held it tightly.

“Mm.”

The crescent moon hung high in the sky. With no clouds to obscure it, tonight’s moonlight was much brighter than the night before.

On the way back, the two hands that had been tightly clasped together remained firmly intertwined.

“Listen to me, the Tang Sect holds grudges. Next time, don’t ever enter their territory alone again…”

“Also, I heard that the Poison Doctor accidentally killed the top disciple of the Songshan Sect’s leader. That sect leader is a hypocrite—he acts all righteous, but he’s nothing more than a sanctimonious fraud. Now, he’s been spreading all sorts of slander about you in the martial world. Don’t go near their territory, or he might try to cause trouble for you…”

“Oh, and about the Divine Healers’ Sect—they seem to be quite displeased with you. Those old relics act all noble, as if they’re dedicated to saving lives, but in the end, they’re still caught up in worldly affairs. Be careful not to clash with them directly. Many in the martial world hold them in high regard. But if you do run into them by bad luck, don’t be afraid. Didn’t you save the fifth young lady of Feiyun Manor? Just mention Feiyun Manor’s name, and those Divine Healers won’t dare to touch you…”

Zhong Shujin kept rambling the entire way, and Gu Qingyin quietly listened.

When they returned to the room, Gu Qingyin fumbled in the dark to light the oil lamp, while Zhong Shujin continued chattering behind her.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot—there are also those wandering martial artists in the jianghu. Don’t underestimate them. Some of them can be easily bribed. If someone instigates them against you, you must be on guard…”

“Ajin.”

Gu Qingyin turned around and stared steadily at Zhong Shujin. “Why are you suddenly reminding me of all these things?”

Caught under Gu Qingyin’s gaze, Zhong Shujin suddenly felt guilty.

She bit her lower lip lightly and clenched her fists tightly before saying in a low voice,

“I… I’m leaving tomorrow… If I don’t say it tonight, I might never get the chance to say it again…”

There were some things she had to remind Gu Qingyin about—otherwise, she wouldn’t be at ease.

Even though leaving Gu Qingyin made her uneasy, she had no choice.

At this moment, Zhong Shujin’s heart was heavy with sorrow. The journey they had just taken reminded her of that New Year’s Eve night. That night, on the way back, they had also held hands tightly, stepping through the silver frost, returning to that little herb cottage.

But after that night, she turned away without hesitation and left Gu Qingyin behind.

This time, even though she hesitated, she still had to choose to leave.

“Leave? So you’re just going to abandon me here and leave on your own?”

Gu Qingyin’s voice was noticeably louder than before.

“Mm… Thank you for curing my poison this time, but I have my own matters to attend to. I won’t be staying to help you treat Fifth Madam. After I leave, you must be careful. If you want to go out, make sure you bring Ziyan with you. If—”

Before Zhong Shujin could finish, Gu Qingyin suddenly pushed her against the wall behind her.

“So what you mean is, once you’ve said everything you need to, you’ll be able to leave me behind without a second thought?”

Gu Qingyin gritted her teeth, barely holding back her anger.

Zhong Shujin didn’t resist. She caught Gu Qingyin’s eyes quietly. No matter how much pain and heartache she felt, she didn’t waver in her decision.

“They were right. You’d be much safer without me. After today, we can only meet again if fate allows it.”

She paused, then added in a muffled voice,

“Qingqing… please, don’t do so much for me anymore. I’m not worth it.”

“Not worth it?”

Gu Qingyin let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. Fine! Zhong Shujin, you’re truly something!”

She had never expected anything in return for everything she had done.

But those three words—”not worth it”—chilled Gu Qingyin’s heart to the core.

She grabbed Zhong Shujin’s chin harshly, said nothing, and a bit down fiercely.

Were thin lips truly a sign of a heartless person?

Gu Qingyin refused to believe it!

The sudden kiss startled Zhong Shujin, her eyes widening in shock.

The pain in her lips she could endure.

But the fury in Gu Qingyin’s eyes pierced her heart with an unbearable, dull ache.

This was the first time she had ever seen such overwhelming anger in Gu Qingyin’s gaze.