Destined

Gu Jiusi walked out of the Magistrate Office with a heavy heart. His intuition told him something was amiss. For days, he had been secretly investigating the officials in Xingyang, particularly Wang Siyuan and Fu Baoyuan. Wang Siyuan consistently used Wang Houchun as a shield—without touching the core figures, it was impossible to reach Wang Siyuan himself. As for Fu Baoyuan, though merely a minor sixth-rank official, prolonged investigation had failed to uncover solid evidence of his misconduct.

While he was indeed involved in bribery and corruption, the amounts were relatively small, and... his reputation was surprisingly decent. Among the common folk, Fu Baoyuan was generally perceived as an official who, despite achieving little, had also committed no major faults over his years in office.

Lost in thought, Gu Jiusi returned home. Luo Zishang was supervising work at the river, while Liu Yuru had just come back from the docks.

Since the first batch of goods had been delivered to the Eastern Capital, the merchant fleet had begun operating smoothly. With their low prices, fast delivery, and high security, many small merchants entrusted their goods to Willow Reach Commerce to save on costs. In just half a month since its opening, their reputation had spread far and wide, and business was thriving.

Thanks to the convenience of transport and the inflow of funds, both Yingying and Ye Yun had proposed expansion to Liu Yuru. Though hesitant to open new shops rashly at this time, Liu Yuru still asked them to draft plans and began arranging fundraising.

Yingying and Ye Yun had each trained a team in their respective shops, and the business had gradually evolved into a model where Liu Yuru was responsible for raising capital and deciding its allocation, while Ye Yun and Yingying managed operations. At Floral Visage, Yingying had gained experience and started planning to expand from daily women’s products to selling soap, combs, clothing, accessories, and even fine furniture. Though Ye Yun had only recently taken charge of Immortal Fragrance, the high demand had her considering purchasing land to grow ingredients, aiming to reduce costs and increase sales.

Liu Yuru did not reject their proposals. While guiding the merchant fleet’s warehouse onto a stable track, she pondered where to find more funds.

Gu Jiusi sat in the courtyard, where a swing stood—usually a spot for the young women to play. Today, feeling troubled, he sat alone on the swing, idly scuffing his feet against the ground as he swayed gently, replaying all the events since arriving at the Yellow River in his mind.

When Liu Yuru returned and stepped onto the elevated corridor, Yin Hong suddenly tugged at her sleeve, pointing toward the courtyard below and whispering with a laugh, “Look, Madam.”

Following Yin Hong’s gesture, Liu Yuru saw Gu Jiusi gazing absently at the sky.

He had changed into his usual bright red home attire—a color he always favored—with his hair tied up in a golden crown. Sitting on the swing, his clear eyes were fixed calmly on the heavens. Liu Yuru couldn’t help but smile softly. The sunlight falling upon him seemed to warm her heart, as if assuring her that, despite everything, nothing had truly changed.

Even after all this time, his heart remained as youthful as a boy’s.

Liu Yuru walked over and sat on the edge of the corridor, resting her elbows on the railing. Raising her voice, she called out, “Young Master Gu.”Gu Jiusi recognized Liu Yuru's voice but found it strange—why would she address him as "Young Master Gu"? Puzzled, he looked up just as a handkerchief drifted down from above. Instinctively raising his hand, he caught the delicate square of silk. When he lifted his gaze, he saw the young woman smiling brightly from the elevated corridor.

Her eyes sparkled like gems under the afternoon sun, vividly alive.

Shedding her former restraint, her smile now carried a hint of boldness as she teased, "What are you doing, Young Master Gu?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi chuckled and replied clearly, "Thinking."

"About what?"

Leaning her chin on her hand, Liu Yuru chatted casually. But then she noticed Gu Jiusi pressing her handkerchief against his cheek, his peach-blossom eyes crinkling with infinite charm. His lips moved silently, forming two distinct syllables.

Though no sound escaped, Liu Yuru understood instantly.

He said—You.

Two simple words, yet when conveyed by Gu Jiusi, they made her heartbeat quicken and warmth flood her cheeks. She murmured softly, "How improper!"

With that, she stood up and hurried toward her room.

Gu Jiusi was momentarily stunned before springing to his feet and chasing after her. "Yuru, don’t be angry! Don’t go!" he called out.

Liu Yuru dared not acknowledge him now, rushing back to her chamber. With his long strides, Gu Jiusi caught up just as she reached her door. When she tried to shut it, he leaned in and blocked it with his hand. "Wait, let me in. Don’t be upset."

Ignoring him, she persisted in closing the door. Gu Jiusi held it firm, watched her for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Liu Yuru glanced up at him.

Pressing his lips together, Gu Jiusi bent down and whispered by her ear, "So my lady isn’t cross—she’s flustered."

"Get out!"

Agitated, she pushed against him, but Gu Jiusi seized her hand, slipped inside, kicked the door shut, and pulled her into his arms.

Gazing down at her with amusement, he made Liu Yuru feel utterly vulnerable. Any further resistance would seem like playful banter, so she froze, appearing docile.

Delighted by her discomfiture, Gu Jiusi planted a loud kiss on her cheek. "Seeing you like this makes me happy," he declared.

Liu Yuru said nothing, turning her face away with a hint of defiance. Gu Jiusi brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I’m even happier to see this willful side of you nurtured."

His words highlighted the coyness in her actions, making Liu Yuru stiffen with embarrassment. She didn’t understand why she lost all composure around Gu Jiusi. Sensing her self-reproach, he tightened his arm around her waist and hurriedly reassured her, "My dear wife, don’t overthink it. Matters between men and women aren’t like business or court affairs—etiquette doesn’t apply here. If outsiders saw you like this, they might call it affectation, but between husband and wife, it’s utterly endearing.""Don't... don't say anymore." Liu Yu Ru spoke with a slight stutter, seemingly embarrassed. Gu Jiusi chuckled softly, and as Liu Yu Ru leaned against his chest, she could feel the vibration in his torso. After a moment, he let out a light sigh, his tone filled with helplessness and a hint of indulgence, "You, ah."

Just as the two were talking, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside. Gu Jiusi and Liu Yu Ru exchanged a glance, and then they heard Shen Ming's anxious voice, "Ninth Brother? Is Ninth Brother here?"

Hearing it was Shen Ming, Gu Jiusi felt a headache coming on. He raised his hand to rub his forehead and sighed. Liu Yu Ru nudged him, pursed her lips, and said, "He's calling you."

"Bad timing."

Gu Jiusi muttered under his breath. After a moment's thought, he planted another kiss on her, earning a glare of feigned anger from Liu Yu Ru. Satisfied, he released her, straightened his clothes, and opened the door to step outside. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he looked at Shen Ming and said irritably, "What is it? Couldn't you have someone announce you?"

"Do I need to announce myself when I call for you?"

Shen Ming was momentarily confused. "Isn't it usually me who announces others to you?"

That was indeed how it had been before, and the question left Gu Jiusi speechless. He grew even more displeased, snorted coldly, and said, "Hurry up and speak."

"Always so sarcastic."

Shen Ming fired back directly. Just as Gu Jiusi was about to retort, Shen Ming continued, "Qin Nan is missing."

Gu Jiusi froze for a moment, then immediately asked, "What do you mean, missing?!"

"He's an extremely methodical person," Shen Ming quickly explained. "We've been getting along well these past few days, and he usually informs me if anything comes up. Today, he went to the County Government Office as usual, then returned home. I had some matters to investigate, so I went to look into them first. When I went to his house to find him, everyone in the Qin residence was gone."

"Could they have gone out?"

Gu Jiusi frowned as he asked. Shen Ming shook his head. "It's not that. At first, I thought so too. But first, if Qin Nan had gone out, he knows I usually visit him in the afternoon—he would have at least given me a heads-up or left a message. Second, I climbed over the wall into his house and found the place in disarray. There was even uncooked rice still in the pot, which suggests the family left in a hurry. It might even be that they left without any preparation."

"Why do you say they left?"

Gu Jiusi pressed on the wording. "If the rice is still in the pot and the people are gone, shouldn't it be that they were abducted?"

"All the valuable items in the house are gone, along with some everyday luggage."

Shen Ming analyzed, "His official seal, his favorite belongings, even his wife's memorial tablet—everything important and necessary to him was taken. Since these items align perfectly with his habits, unless it was him or someone extremely familiar with him, it would be impossible to fake his departure so precisely. Besides, if someone had already decided to fake their departure, there would be no need to leave such a suspicious clue as rice in the pot."

"What about the people you had watching them?"

"Gone." Shen Ming's voice grew somber. "When I arrived, I found signs of a struggle not far from his residence. The guards assigned to watch him have disappeared without a trace."Gu Jiusi remained silent, and Shen Ming continued, "So the most likely scenario is that he encountered something and suddenly decided to leave with his entire family. Our men were either taken out by his people or by that other group we discovered earlier."

Gu Jiusi said nothing, quietly pondering the situation. Shen Ming grew anxious. "Ninth Brother, what should we do?"

"He has an elderly mother and many servants—they would likely travel separately," Gu Jiusi said slowly. "His mother is old and can't move quickly, so she's probably still in the city. He must have left Yingyang City. Head west toward the Eastern Capital and south toward Yizhou to pursue him."

"Understood."

Shen Ming accepted the order and hurried off. Gu Jiusi stood at the door as Liu Yu Ru emerged from inside, looking puzzled. "What's going on with Lord Qin?"

After a moment of silence, Gu Jiusi replied, "You should rest first. I need to go find a few people."

With that, he headed straight for the riverbank.

Luo Zishang was supervising the work on the riverbank when he saw Gu Jiusi approaching. He smiled and said, "Lord Gu."

"Lord Qin has disappeared," Gu Jiusi stated bluntly, observing Luo Zishang's reaction. Luo Zishang was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean, disappeared?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi studied Luo Zishang's expression and concluded that he genuinely seemed unaware of the matter.

He turned and left immediately, making his way to the Magistrate Office. There, he found Li Yuchang and said, "Lord Li, Lord Qin has disappeared. I would like to see Lord Fu."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuchang frowned. "Your wife is involved in this case. It's not appropriate for you to see him."

"Lord Li," Gu Jiusi looked up at Li Yuchang, "Lord Qin's disappearance may be related to Lord Fu. Please allow me to see him, at least to figure out how Lord Qin vanished. You are known for your impartiality and fairness in handling cases—surely you wouldn't want to judge this matter without clarity."

Li Yuchang fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, "I'll go ask."

Gu Jiusi was momentarily irritated by this stubbornness, but he also recognized it as one of Li Yuchang's admirable qualities. Taking a deep breath, he gestured and said, "Please proceed."

Li Yuchang nodded and led the way to find Fu Baoyuan.

Gu Jiusi followed Li Yuchang to the prison cells and waited outside. Shortly after Li Yuchang entered, he came out and calmly stated, "He says he doesn't know."

"Doesn't know?" Gu Jiusi was stunned.

Li Yuchang nodded. "He refuses to talk."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi understood that Li Yuchang had failed to extract any information. He immediately moved toward the cell, saying, "Let me take a look."

Li Yuchang raised his hand to stop him. Blocked like this, Gu Jiusi flared up in anger. "Are your brains filled with lead?! At a time like this, we need to try every method to get him to talk. Why did Qin Nan run? It's because he's holding something important! If you stop me now and Qin Nan ends up dead on the road, how are we supposed to handle this case?!"

Li Yuchang said nothing in response to this outburst. When Gu Jiusi charged into the cell again, he no longer tried to stop him.Gu Jiusi rushed all the way to the prison cell and saw Fu Baoyuan lying on the bed. He still wore his usual cheerful expression, propping his head up with one hand while holding chopsticks in the other, leisurely tapping his bowl and humming folk tunes. Compared to his usual ingratiating manner, he now carried an air of carefree elegance.

Gu Jiusi looked at Fu Baoyuan and said, "Qin Nan has escaped. You know this, don't you?"

Fu Baoyuan ignored him, continuing to hum his tune. Gu Jiusi fell silent, pursed his lips, then continued, "Last time, when my men went to make arrests, was it you who sent someone to deliver the duty schedule?"

"What a fine day it is, yet whose courtyard truly holds joy and delight?"

"Lord Fu!" Gu Jiusi raised his voice. "If you don't reveal Lord Qin's whereabouts now, it might be too late!"

Hearing this, Fu Baoyuan chuckled softly. He turned over, facing away from Gu Jiusi, and remained silent.

Seeing his attitude, Gu Jiusi thought for a moment before continuing, "I don't know whether you're good or evil, nor do I understand what Lord Qin intends to do. I can't comprehend why you're obstructing the Yellow River repairs, but I simply want to complete this task properly."

Fu Baoyuan's singing ceased. Gu Jiusi clenched his fist: "I want to repair the Yellow River, and I want to restore Yongzhou. In this process, I won't let a single villain escape, but I won't wrong any innocent person either. Lord Fu, if you have grievances, you can speak them. There's no need to indirectly put Lord Qin at risk—you can trust me."

"You're just a young man," Fu Baoyuan said calmly, staring at the dark prison wall. "Why come to Yongzhou to stir up trouble? Just go through the motions, build some political achievements, take your share of money, and return to the Eastern Capital. At such a young age, you're already a third-rank Minister of Revenue. As long as you don't make mistakes, you'll inevitably reach whatever position you desire someday. Why be so impatient for merit and advancement?"

"Because I am an official."

Gu Jiusi looked at him earnestly: "In this position, I eat food provided by the people, I receive a salary given by the people. How could I neglect my duties while only seeking personal advancement? Since His Majesty sent me to repair the Yellow River, I must complete the task properly. I cannot let Yangzhou's substantial funds go to waste, nor do I want the court to receive reports of Yellow River floods year after year. This land should be fertile fields, these people should live in peace and prosperity. If I can make it happen, why wouldn't I?"

"Lord Gu," Fu Baoyuan sighed softly, "the people and officials of Yongzhou don't even care about these matters, you..."

"I care."

Gu Jiusi declared resolutely, each word ringing clear: "As long as I, Gu Jiusi, live in Great Xia, I will protect the people for as long as I breathe."

Fu Baoyuan fell silent, gazing at the pitch-black prison wall as if lost in thought. Seeing his silence, Gu Jiusi continued: "Lord Fu, I know you don't trust me. But even if you don't trust me, consider your family. I know you've made arrangements and aren't afraid yourself, but even if you're not scared—are they?"

"You're counting on Lord Qin to do something for you now. But if you're not actually wronged, Lord Qin cannot save you. If you are truly innocent, are you not afraid something might happen to him while he travels through dangerous terrain to seek justice for you alone?""Before," Gu Jiusi took a deep breath, "someone was already targeting him. I had Shen Ming guard him, but now that he's gone, we can't protect him. How can a civil official like him protect himself?"

Fu Baoyuan listened to Gu Jiusi's words and after a long while, he sighed. After another long pause, he slowly said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but that he is unwilling. Since you've already guessed what he intends to do, go find him."

Gu Jiusi was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized that Fu Baoyuan had revealed Qin Nan's whereabouts. Just as Gu Jiusi was about to speak, Fu Baoyuan continued, "He can't climb mountains."

If he couldn't climb mountains yet was heading to the Eastern Capital - where all routes except the main road required mountain climbing - then Qin Nan must have taken the main road. And to shake off pursuers, he would definitely need to leave discreetly...

As Gu Jiusi was calculating this, Fu Baoyuan watched him ponder before giving a bitter smile: "When you leave, have someone bring me a jar of wine."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged this and turned to leave. Just as he was stepping through the doorway, he suddenly heard Fu Baoyuan speak again: "When I first came to Xingyang, I was about your age."

Gu Jiusi paused in his steps, then heard Fu Baoyuan say with a laugh: "In the blink of an eye, I've become old bones. If I didn't see you, I'd have forgotten what I was like in my youth."

Listening to Fu Baoyuan's words, Gu Jiusi turned back. He saw Fu Baoyuan sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, wearing official robes, his round face bearing a weathered smile.

In that moment, Gu Jiusi had an illusion - as if he was seeing Fu Baoyuan in his twenties, young and spirited, sitting cross-legged before him with determined and earnest expression. Just like himself now, filled with aspirations to save the world and its people, his bones and heart overflowing with passion.

He had sworn to heaven, made blood oaths, promised the people he would never fail them, and poured boundless passion into these mountains and rivers.

Everything these young people had done, he had done too.

But cold ice chills hot blood, and bitter winds freeze bones.

Life is the cruelest blade - silently, imperceptibly, it can transform a person beyond recognition.

Gu Jiusi stared blankly at Fu Baoyuan, who seemed to see right through him. Waving his hand like an elder, Fu Baoyuan said: "Go now. I'll be waiting for your wine."