Gu Qiang’s eyes became wet, but Gu Huaian didn’t seem to notice that. He continued, “If you are bullied in Gu Family, do tell me. I will back you up.”
Gu Huaian took a pouch out of his clothes. It was bulging and there apparently was much money inside. He gave it to Gu Qiang and told her, “Take it. If you don’t have yummy food in Gu Family, buy some outside. Don’t starve yourself.”
Gu Qiang smiled, returned the pouch, and said, “Brother, I’ve become thinner because I was too busy instead of lacking food. Anyway, I’ve got the prescription and will have more leisure. Remember what I told you. Don’t travel far. Do you hear me?”
Gu Huaian couldn’t help asking, “Why do you remind me of it each time you come here? Is it very serious?”
Gu Qiang took over the prescription from Gu Huaian with a smile and put it in her pocket carefully. Then she stood up and answered, “Yes, it is very serious. You must look out for Shen Zhongbai, and…”
Gu Qiang turned around to glance at Gusu Liang, who was talking with a servant nearby, and lowered her voice, “You also need to be on guard against the Ninth Duke. He is untrustworthy.”
She bit the apple peeled by Gu Huaian and went out.
Gu Huaian was surprised. He caught up and wanted to ask more, but he didn’t think it was the right time, so he just told her, “Take care. The Ninth Duke will prepare everything you need. Just do it.”
Gu Qiang nodded and pressed his hand hard. She seemed to be reluctant to part from her brother, but she had to leave.
Gusu Liang caught up with her and took her to the Xiaoyao Mountain.
It was not the first time for Gu Qiang to be here. The palace situated in the mountains, which was also close to the capital, proved that Shen Qianshan’s power was far beyond the imagination.
Sitting in the main hall, Gu Qiang took out the prescription and read it carefully with the candlelight. As expected, the simple solution to the plague was to decoct Suxin Grass and drink the extract for three days.
After reading it, Gu Qiang burned the prescription with the candlelight at once. As soon as she did it, Shen Qianshan walked out of the side hall in a white robe with a faint fragrance of pear blossom.
The Xiaoyao Mountain looked magnificent at night. The palace on the mountainside was ablaze with light and looked like a castle in the air and even like a jade belt, which looked so fascinating in the distance.
Shen Qianshan owned a mansion in the capital, and many people thought he was always there. But actually, he spent all of his time in the Xiaoyao Mountain.
Seeing Gu Qiang burn the prescription, Shen Qianshan sat beside her and asked, “Are you ready?”
“For what?” Gu Qiang asked. Since meeting Gusu Liang, she had always felt she was led by Shen Qianshan as if she was his chessman. She had to do whatever he demanded. But was everything done for the sake of her?
There was no doubt that Shen Qianshan had done a lot for her, but his too much unconditional help made her uneasy.
“I’ve heard of what Liu Shichu did. He donated food, but he didn’t mention your help and gave the credit to Gu Zhihua. You did it in vain.” Shen Qianshan said slowly and calmly. It seemed that he didn’t find it too terrible.
That was because he didn’t know how important the chance was to Gu Qiang. To get the chance, she went to Liu Family at risk and saved Madam Ru from water. People who didn’t experience it had no idea how difficult it was.
“Yes.” Gu Qiang just responded with one word though she felt terrible.
“I don’t know what kind of chance you want, but that one has obviously gone. You need another one.” Shen Qianshan said.
Gu Qiang turned around to look at him. He sat on a chair lazily as usual. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, which smelt good and also made her sleepy.
“What chance?” Gu Qiang asked.
She told herself that though the man had helped her many times, she couldn’t believe him so easily. However, she couldn’t help asking at last. Just as he said, she was in desperate need of the chance.
Shen Qianshan took a sip of tea, turned around, and saw Gu Qiang in her eyes, while saying, “I’ll take you to the palace tomorrow. You’ve got the prescription, which is the result of your brother’s study on many infected people. You just need to cure the Empress Dowager with it.”
Cure the Empress Dowager? It was indeed a chance, but what if she failed?
Gu Qiang sat there silently, clenching her teeth. Shen Qianshan looked at her with a smile and said, “Take it easy. I’ll be there for you.”
He stood up, walked, and then turned to Gusu Liang, “Prepare a great room for Qiang. She’ll stay the night here and set off tomorrow morning.”
Gu Qiang wanted to decline, but Shen Qianshan returned to his room, leaving her no chance.
Gusu Liang walked over, took her hand, and said, “Don’t worry. There are many vacant rooms here. I will arrange an isolated room for you so that you won’t feel embarrassed.”
She held Gu Qiang’s hand and walked through a long corridor which was built above water. Water lilies were growing in the water, but the color couldn’t be seen clearly because it was dark.
The moonlight was as cool as water and made Gu Qiang feel cold. She tightened her clothes and went to a room at the end of the corridor after Gusu Liang.
Gusu Liang opened the door and a fragrance greeted their noses. Gusu Liang smiled embarrassedly and explained, “Maybe the room needs to be aired because it has been vacant for a long time.”
Gu Qiang sat on the soft bed, looked at Gusu Liang’s back, and asked, “Was it a woman’s room?”
The pink bed curtain, the dressing glass before the window, and the gorgeous jewelry in the dresser drawer showed the room was once occupied by an elegant woman.
Unexpectedly, the Xiaoyao Mountain had such a function, which was, elegantly speaking, to keep a mistress in the love nest.
Gusu Liang was going to draw down the curtain and light the room. Surprised by what Gu Qiang asked, she turned around and answered smilingly, “Yes, a girl once lived here.”
Gu Qiang became curious, but she managed to control her curiosity. This was not what she should know. What the girl looked like or who stayed with Shen Qianshan had nothing to do with her.
When she was lying on the bed, she could constantly smell the fragrance as if a pretty woman were lying beside her.
It was pretty good, but Gu Qiang didn’t like the feeling. She felt she was shadowed by another one.
After everything necessary was ready in the room, Gusu Liang told Gu Qiang, “My Lady, please have a good rest. It’s unknown how long you will stay in the palace. If you need something, I can return home to fetch it.”
Gu Qiang turned around on the bed and felt sleepy. She told Gusu Liang, “You just need to prepare some clothes for me.”
Gusu Liang nodded and left slowly. When she closed the door, Gu Qiang’s heart became peaceful slowly.
She seemed to be asleep, but she was still conscious. She heard the sound of footsteps outside the window after some time.
The footsteps were light and sounded like a woman’s footsteps.
Gu Qiang calmed down instantly. She opened her eyes, sneaked to the window, and listened quietly. The footsteps had stopped suddenly in an unknown position.
Gu Qiang was confused. Why would Shen Qianshan’s woman drop by at night and try to scare her? Was it because she was living in that woman’s room?
When Gu Qiang wondered if she misheard, the footsteps came again. As she expected, they belonged to a woman. The woman approached the window slowly and opened it.
Gu Qiang stood still next to the window for fear that she would make a noise and thus scare the person away. She wanted to know what the person wanted to do.
Then a delicate hand was put on the window. With the moonlight, Gu Qiang could see it was a woman’s fair hand.
The woman continued. After putting her hand on the window, she tried to prop herself up against something. It seemed that she wanted to jump in.
At this moment, Gu Qiang pulled back the curtains and appeared before the woman.
A scream broke the silent night and echoed in the spacious Xiaoyao Mountain for a long time.
The woman didn’t expect that Gu Qiang would appear suddenly. In the extreme quietness, Gu Qiang’s ghastly white face scared the climbing woman to scream. Then the woman rolled her eyes and collapsed heavily.
Gu Qiang climbed out of the window, stood before the woman, and looked down at her coldly.
That was a girl aged seventeen or eighteen. She looked more mature than Gu Qiang, but still she was a girl, whose pretty face was as cold as the moonlight.
Now the girl was lying on the ground. Obviously, she passed out in shock.
When Gu Qiang decided to return to her sleep, a group of people rushed over.
Of course, the group was headed by Shen Qianshan. He was wearing a white night robe, which was loosely tied. His hair was slightly messy but looked attractive.