Gu Lianqian staggered to the front of the carriage, her chest burning with a mixture of fury born from terror and the exhilaration of impending revenge.
If not for Gu Fangchen, how could she have suffered these days of relentless pursuit and that unspeakable humiliation?
But so what?
The girl's tightly pressed lips quivered slightly as cold light flickered in her eyes once more. Her expression, warped by too many conflicting emotions, had turned faintly twisted.
She had suffered so much, yet in the end, she made it here.
As long as she could prove that Gu Fangchen was not in this carriage, she could throw that despicable beast into a hell even more miserable than her own!
At the Qionglin Banquet, Gu Fangchen's actions had already offended every disciple of the Confucian sect, even slapping the face of the Sage himself.
The so-called "Demon Sect spy" charge would soon fall squarely on Gu Fangchen's head.
When that happened, losing his title as heir would be the least of it. Even if her mother called upon the Sword Pavilion to intervene, they would not be able to save Gu Fangchen's life.
Originally, if Gu Fangchen had obediently accepted his fate, perhaps her mother's soft heart might have allowed him to live out his days as a servant in the prince's residence.
But now? This was all his own doing.
At this moment, Gu Lianqian was consumed by rage. As long as Gu Fangchen's end was more tragic than hers, she could find some pitiful comfort in that.
Her pale face flushed with a feverish excitement, a sickly blush rising upon her cheeks.
Still, she had not forgotten that the person inside the carriage right now was not that hateful, detestable Gu Fangchen, but the Daoist who had saved her life.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she steadied herself before the carriage. She reached out, grasping the curtain, took a deep breath, her face faintly flushed, and softly asked,
"Daoist Not, may I... may I come in?"
For a moment, silence hung within the carriage before a man's voice, subtle and composed, replied leisurely,
"What do you want to come in for?"
Gu Lianqian sensed that the voice sounded somewhat different and felt an uneasy premonition, but with the sound muffled through the carriage's wooden walls, distortion was natural.
She didn't think much of it. Biting her lip, she spoke again in a shy but bold whisper,
"I was worried about your injuries... may I take a look? It would put my heart at ease."
Her face burned with shame. Never in her life had she spoken to any man so directly, her concern laid bare.
But what she said was not false. She had been carried here by the Daoist himself, and she had clearly seen the wounds on his arms, deep and severe. Without timely treatment, they would surely leave hidden injuries and lasting damage.
After a short pause, she felt the curtain lift beneath her fingers.
Holding her breath, heart fluttering, she looked up, only for her eyes to widen in shock. Her face froze completely.
Behind the lifted curtain appeared a familiar, devilishly handsome face, the face she despised most in the world.
Gu Fangchen, his disguise now removed, smiled with lazy mockery, clicking his tongue in amusement.
"I didn't know my dear little Lianqian was so concerned about her brother behind the scenes."
Ning Caiyong, who had just arrived, brightened in relief at the sight. Yet remembering that Gu Fangchen was supposed to have been "inside the carriage" from the beginning, she quickly suppressed her reaction and forced her face calm.
Gu Lianqian, however, stood as if struck by lightning. Her fingertips and heart turned to ice, disbelief twisting her features pale.
But Daoist Not had clearly entered this carriage...
If Gu Fangchen had been inside all along, with his spoiled temperament, there was no way he would have allowed a stranger aboard.
Then, where had Daoist Not gone?
Her eyes reddened in panic. She glared at Gu Fangchen, her teeth gritting in defiance.
"Impossible... that's impossible!"
She leapt onto the carriage, throwing aside the curtain, and demanded,
"Where did Daoist Not go?!"
The interior was empty, no one else was there.
Gu Lianqian turned and lunged at Gu Fangchen, grabbing his collar in fury. Like an angry kitten, she bared her small teeth, poised to punch him.
"Did you hide him?!"
A sharp smack! echoed.
Gu Fangchen leaned back lazily, catching her tiny, powerless fist in one hand. His lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Care to guess?"
Gu Lianqian froze in place. Her mind went blank, utterly void of thought.
Or rather, she was desperately trying not to think.
Because if she thought about it at all, her mind would plunge into a bottomless abyss.
She dared not guess.
A gravelly old voice called out from outside,
"Little girl, who are you looking for?"
Gu Lianqian turned her head and saw Old Ding sitting at the front of the carriage, one leg bent as he grinned toothlessly.
"If you're looking for a Daoist, he just walked off. Didn't come into this carriage at all."
Her heart, flickering like a candle in the wind, flared with hope once again.
Releasing Gu Fangchen, she quickly asked,
"Senior, where did he go?"
Ding Xingfeng glanced at Gu Fangchen, who only shrugged innocently and spread his hands.
Heartless brat, the old man thought with a smirk, even more ruthless than I was in my youth. He snorted, annoyed.
"How should I know? His legs are his own, he goes where he pleases."
It was an answer that said nothing, yet to Gu Lianqian, it was enough.
"Thank you, Senior."
She bit her lip, shot Gu Fangchen a hateful glare, then climbed down from the carriage. Wiping the tears from her face, she turned to leave.
Daoist Not must have had his reasons for leaving without a word. She would go find the Sword Pavilion disciples and ask them.
Besides, whatever trick Gu Fangchen had used, showing himself now meant he had completely distanced himself from the Qionglin Banquet scandal.
She hadn't completed the task her father entrusted her with and had brought only disaster upon herself.
Her lips pressed tight as her vision dimmed. Her body swayed, and darkness overtook her.
Ning Caiyong, just approaching, caught her before she fell. Seeing the bandages on her daughter's body, her heart ached. She turned to Qingjian.
"Xiyin Attendant, please tend to my daughter's wounds."
Qingjian looked toward Gu Fangchen.
He snorted coldly, tugging open his collar to reveal faint red marks along his neck.
"She just tried to strangle me!"
The marks indeed resembled scratches from a small cat.
But Gu Fangchen had always been one for unreasonable theatrics.
Ning Caiyong sighed helplessly. She knew at once that her petty, jealous son was sulking because she had tended to Lianqian first.
She scolded softly,
"Don't be willful. Such a small wound, ignore it long enough, and it'll heal itself."
Yet even as she spoke, she passed Gu Lianqian to Xuexiang and stepped forward to examine Gu Fangchen's injuries herself.
Turning his head slightly, Gu Fangchen revealed the wounds on his neck, along with the ferocious gashes trailing from his arm to his shoulder, hidden beneath his clothes.
They were deliberately preserved superficial wounds, the inner injuries already healed with medicine.
But without them, how would Ning Caiyong know the hardship he had endured these past days?
As expected, she froze, then panicked. Flustered, she fumbled for the healing salves she carried.
"Chen'er! How did you get hurt like this?!"
Regret flooded her face. Her earlier words about "small wounds" now felt like daggers in her chest.
Lifting his arm, she rolled up his sleeve, and the sight made her tremble. The torn flesh beneath looked as though her own heart had been carved out.
The beautiful woman looked up at Gu Fangchen, her voice trembling.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know your injuries were this severe. It's all my fault."
Gu Fangchen lowered his eyes. He knew this little act was unnecessary, even excessive, influenced perhaps by fragments of the body's former self.
But how could anyone resist basking in such unconditional affection?
He said pitifully,
"Mother, it hurts so much..."
Ning Caiyong cradled his hand tenderly, her heart aching with fury.
"Let Mother see, which heartless beast did this to my Chen'er?"
Gu Fangchen's eyes flickered.
A graceful figure descended from the sky in the distance. The moment the man saw the scene before him, his pupils contracted sharply, and his hand went for his sword.
Gu Fangchen instantly raised a hand and pointed, his voice breaking in dramatic grievance.
"Mother! It's your brother who wants to kill me!"
Ning Caiyong froze. Turning her head, her gaze met her brother Ning Songjun's cold, murderous eyes.
Then her eyes lowered, to the sword in his hand aimed at Gu Fangchen.
Ning Songjun's expression stiffened instantly.