Destined

Upon hearing these words, Gu Jiusi fell silent without responding.

Later, when Liu Yuru recalled this moment, she realized the words carried a certain ambiguity. Yet at that time, neither of them had considered such implications—both were inexperienced in matters of the heart. Liu Yuru had merely intended to make him feel guilty toward her, while Gu Jiusi simply thought that what Liu Yuru said was indeed reasonable: whatever he had caused her to lose, he ought to strive to reclaim for her.

However... surpassing Ye Shi'an seemed far too difficult for Gu Jiusi.

He had grown up under Ye Shi'an's shadow since childhood.

In his early years, Gu Jiusi was often ill, spending most of his days drinking medicine. Although he learned quickly, reading for extended periods would easily trigger headaches. Back then, many young masters in Yangzhou studied together, and during morning recitations, he could fluently recite whatever he had read, but if he hadn't studied a passage, he couldn't utter a single word.

The tutor never asked why he hadn't read it—this was the best private school in Yangzhou with the strictest instructor, who would bluntly scold him for his lack of diligence.

Ye Shi'an, seated behind him, would always stand up whenever Gu Jiusi faltered and flawlessly continue the recitation. Consequently, whenever the tutor visited his home, he would mention this to Gu Jiusi's father.

His parents couldn't bear to scold him, but they often praised, "How is Ye Shi'an so brilliant?"

Initially, Gu Jiusi would hide under his blankets and cry. Jiang Rou, seeing his tears, would feel heartbroken and quickly comfort him, "Don't cry, my dear. It's alright if you can't compare to him. Our family doesn't rely on scholarly achievements for a living. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Jiang Rou believed she was consoling her child, but these words settled in Gu Jiusi's heart, becoming a lifelong excuse to shield his pride.

He dared not compete with Ye Shi'an, nor did he want to. After all, his parents had said that his happiness was what mattered.

Now, no matter how much Liu Yuru praised him, he still felt a trace of fear. Yet, for the first time in his life, someone had affirmed him, claiming he could surpass Ye Shi'an, and he couldn't bear to disappoint her. After struggling internally for a long while, he finally said, "I... I'll try."

With that, he hurriedly stood up and said, "You should rest now. I'm going to read a bit more."

Liu Yuru nodded, and Gu Jiusi left. Yin Hong entered to assist Liu Yuru, who rose and instructed, "Have the kitchen prepare a bowl of stewed pear soup for the young master. I noticed his voice sounded a bit hoarse—it'll help soothe his throat."

"Why are you so kind to him, Miss?" Yin Hong grumbled discontentedly, helping her to the bedside. "You're just too soft-hearted. If it weren't for him, you'd be Young Madam Ye now, not worrying about such trivial matters here. Is this a marriage? It feels more like adopting a son!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Liu Yuru lightly tapped Yin Hong's head with her round fan. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she sighed and said, "Yin Hong, from now on, don't call me 'Miss' anymore. Address me as 'Young Madam.'"

Yin Hong pouted without responding. Liu Yuru looked up at her, understanding her thoughts. "I know you're standing up for me, but one must focus on the positive. Truthfully, Gu Jiusi could have used countless ways to make my life difficult, but neither the Gu Family nor Gu Jiusi himself did so. Instead, they've continually made concessions for me. This isn't because I'm particularly capable, but because they are accommodating me. Their willingness to yield stems from their inherent kindness. To have reached this point, no one in the Gu Family is foolish. Even Gu Jiusi—when he's outside, have you ever seen him allow anyone to bully him?"Yin Hong listened quietly as Liu Yuru gazed at the gently swaying willow branches outside. "This marriage, when you think about it, was all Zhang Yue'er's doing. My father, greedy for wealth, took out all his anger on the Gu Family. Now they're throwing their weight around, but who can tolerate anyone forever? In a while, when the Gu Family sees that they've treated you well but you still hold a grudge against them, they'll naturally find ways to make life difficult for you. It's better to set these matters aside for now and live well. Since you've become the young mistress of the Gu Family, eating their rice and wearing their clothes, don't entertain too many other thoughts."

Yin Hong sighed, a trace of sorrow appearing on her face. "That makes sense, but when I think about it, I still feel sad for you. After all, Young Master Ye... is so much better than the young master..."

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, but Liu Yuru couldn't help smiling upon hearing this.

"Don't say that," she said gently. "Young Master Ye has his virtues, but the young master has his too. Setting other matters aside, let me ask you this: if what happened today had involved Ye Shi'an, do you think it would have been possible?"

If Liu Yuru had taken a knife to confront Ye Shi'an, he would likely have sent her a letter of divorce upon returning home. Would he ever have sat down to discuss matters with her so patiently?

Yin Hong was taken aback. Liu Yuru smiled and said, "The young master may seem fierce, but his temper is far better than Young Master Ye's. Look at the young master's skills—if he had truly wanted to fight his way out, would he really have been unable to escape? He only held back because he didn't want to harm the servants in the courtyard. And what's more, the young master is much smarter than either of us realizes. Think about it—how long did it take him to memorize the Analects? Probably less than a quarter of an hour. Even Young Master Ye doesn't have that kind of memory. He just doesn't apply himself," Liu Yuru fanned herself lightly. "If he did, I'm afraid he'd be even smarter than Young Master Ye."

He's much smarter than Ye Shi'an.

Gu Jiusi, who had returned to fetch something, froze at the doorway. He stood there dumbfounded, listening to these words. Munan, standing beside him, looked puzzled and whispered, "Young master?"

Gu Jiusi raised his hand, signaling for silence. He peeked through the window crack and saw the soft glow of lamplight inside. The woman sat on the bed, her smile serene and gentle, like a spring night breeze brushing against his cheeks and lingering in his eyes.

He watched quietly for a while before straightening up. He beckoned to Munan and led him back to the study.

He lit a lamp and opened a book. As he quietly flipped through the pages, it suddenly struck him—this time, he genuinely, not reluctantly, wanted to make it up to Liu Yuru.

She was a good woman.

He thought to himself that he ought to ensure she lived well.

By the time Liu Yuru woke the next day, it was already Mao hour (5-7 a.m.).

After getting up, Liu Yuru asked Yin Hong beside her, "Did the young master not return to the room last night?"

Yin Hong, while fixing a hairpin for Liu Yuru, replied, "The young master slept in the study last night."

"Is he awake?"

"No," Yin Hong suppressed a laugh. "Munan has been waiting outside the door since early morning. He said he couldn't wake him and asked you to go over."

Liu Yuru nodded and entered the study.

Inside, Gu Jiusi lay on the bed, the covers pulled over his head. His breathing was deep and steady, and he appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Munan stood nearby, looking troubled. "Young mistress, I've tried several times, but the young master doesn't hear me..."

"It's alright," Liu Yuru smiled faintly. "Bring a basin of water."So on that morning, Gu Jiusi learned what it meant to be jolted into sudden awareness.

When he was awakened by the splash of water, his mind was still in a daze. As soon as he lifted his gaze, he was met with Liu Yu Ru's smiling face.

"Husband, did you sleep well?"

Gu Jiusi instinctively wanted to curse, but then he recalled the image of the young woman sitting by the bed, gently fanning him the night before. He swallowed his anger, his expression shifting through a myriad of emotions.

Everyone around them trembled with fear. Gu Jiusi took a deep breath and slowly said, "Not bad."

As he spoke, he stood up, took a towel from nearby, wiped his face, and then changed into a plain-colored long gown. He tied a headband with the characters for "diligence" written on it around his forehead and declared with full confidence, "Liu Yu Ru, I will definitely surpass Ye Shi'an in the exams!"

Liu Yu Ru was slightly taken aback but quickly responded, "If my husband has such determination, that would be wonderful!"

"Liu Yu Ru," Gu Jiusi looked at her seriously, "once I surpass Ye Shi'an in the exams and secure an Imperial decree bestowing an honorific title on a woman for you, will we then be free of any debts to each other? You can seek your happiness, and I can seek mine?"

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru smiled faintly, twirling her fan as she replied, "Naturally."

Gu Jiusi took a deep breath, patted her shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, I will help you regain everything you've lost!"

With these words, Gu Jiusi strode out of the room, filled with lofty aspirations.

He first washed up, then had his meal. Since his tutor's schedule was fixed and he had woken up late, he had to rush to class while hastily eating.

Liu Yu Ru followed behind him, keeping track of the time.

After two hours of Confucian studies in the morning, Gu Jiusi finally caught a brief moment to catch his breath. Liu Yu Ru quickly had the meal served, placing food into his bowl as she urged, "Husband, eat quickly. You still have classes in the afternoon. Before that, you need to do some homework, or you won't have time tonight. Hurry, don't go hungry."

Forced to finish his lunch quickly, Gu Jiusi began his homework. Soon, the afternoon tutor arrived...

By the end of the day, when Gu Jiusi returned to his room after finishing his assignments, he was completely exhausted and could barely walk. Liu Yu Ru supported him, her spirits undimmed as she said, "Husband, hang in there a little longer. You still have one chapter of the Analects to memorize."

"I can't memorize anymore..." Gu Jiusi was on the verge of tears. "Liu Yu Ru, just let me sleep. I really can't take it anymore. I can't memorize..."

"Gu Jiusi, snap out of it!" Liu Yu Ru shouted angrily. Gu Jiusi jolted awake instantly, straightening his posture.

"Can you memorize it?" Liu Yu Ru looked at him intently. A wave of fear, born of hunger, surged within him, and Gu Jiusi nodded frantically, "Yes!"

Gu Jiusi fell asleep while memorizing his texts.

Liu Yu Ru heard a "thud" as Gu Jiusi's head hit the table. She watched him sleep, his appearance resembling that of a child. His long eyelashes trembled slightly in the night.

"Roasted lamb leg..." he murmured softly.

Liu Yu Ru chuckled softly, thinking that the time she had locked him up had left too deep an impression on him.

She gently nudged him and said softly, "Husband, time to get up."

"Liu Yu Ru..." Gu Jiusi mumbled drowsily, "I'm sorry..."

Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned. As she gazed at the man before her, who seemed like a child, her heart was instantly filled with tenderness.She suddenly felt that marrying into the Gu Family and marrying this man might not be such a bad thing after all. Though Gu Jiusi was indeed a good-for-nothing, compared to Ye Shi'an, he had at least one advantage.

He had a heart.

After knowing Ye Shi'an for so many years, to him, she was probably just the "Yu Ru little sister" from a friendly aristocratic family, wasn't she?

She lightly tapped Gu Jiusi with her fan and said softly, "Wake up."

The fan hit Gu Jiusi hard enough to hurt. He hissed in pain, covering his head as he looked up and complained, "What are you doing?"

"Get up and go to bed."

Gu Jiusi rubbed the spot she had hit, displeased. "I haven't finished memorizing yet."

"No more memorizing." Liu Yu Ru stood up. "You're on break. Go to sleep."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi's eyes instantly lit up. He happily got up and followed Liu Yu Ru, saying, "You said it yourself. I'm not slacking off."

Liu Yu Ru glanced at him with a smile, and seeing his sparkling eyes, she couldn't resist poking his forehead, chiding, "Look at you, so easily pleased."

"Hey, don't keep hitting my head! If you make me stupid, you won't be able to become an Imperial Order Lady!"

Liu Yu Ru ignored him and motioned for him to walk ahead. Gu Jiusi paused for a moment, hesitating before saying, "I'll still sleep in the study."

"Hmm?" Liu Yu Ru raised an eyebrow but quickly understood his meaning. He was still thinking that they might separate one day, so he wanted to avoid taking advantage of her as much as possible. She sighed. "Husband, if you sleep apart from me in the first month of our marriage, it will reflect poorly on my reputation."

Gu Jiusi frowned at her words, thinking it over seriously before saying, "Then I'll sleep on the floor."

Liu Yu Ru: "..."

As if she was eager to have him in her bed.

"Fine."

Liu Yu Ru said indifferently, "The floor is plenty big. Sleep however you like."

That night, Gu Jiusi happily made a bed on the floor. As he lay there with a blissful expression, Liu Yu Ru, for some reason, suddenly felt a strong urge to hit him.

She didn't hold back.

Perhaps in front of Gu Jiusi, she no longer felt the need to hide anything.

So she grabbed a pillow from beside her and hurled it fiercely at Gu Jiusi.

The pillow hit Gu Jiusi squarely in the face, but he remained motionless, as if playing dead.

Liu Yu Ru snorted coldly, lay down on the bed, and pulled up the covers.

Only when Gu Jiusi heard she had fallen asleep did he cautiously pull the pillow off his face.

He sighed and stared at the ceiling.

A woman's mood was truly as unpredictable as the weather. His future days, he could imagine, would be difficult indeed.

In the days that followed, Gu Jiusi repeated the miserable routine of studying, studying, and more studying. Drifting through life in a daze, he would cry and complain daily about not wanting to study anymore. Liu Yu Ru would encourage him, "You must work hard, husband. You have to outperform Ye Shi'an in the exams."

Outperform Ye Shi'an.

Outperform Ye Shi'an.

Outperform Ye Shi'an.

This phrase echoed in his mind every day, and Gu Jiusi began to pay close attention to Ye Shi'an's academic results.

A few days later, the provincial exam results were posted. All the scholars rushed to check, and though Gu Jiusi hadn't taken the exam, he was more anxious than those who had. He woke up early and sent Munan to gather news. Liu Yu Ru watched him fidget restlessly, unsure what he was so nervous about.Around noon, Munan finally returned. Seeing him approach from afar, Gu Jiusi rushed to the gate to meet him. Munan ran over, panting heavily. Gu Jiusi urgently asked, "How did it go? How did Ye Shi'an do in the exam?"

"To-top scorer..." Munan gasped for breath.

Gu Jiusi's face turned pale. Afraid he hadn't made himself clear, Munan repeated, "First place! Top scorer in the provincial civil service examination!"

Hearing this, all the accumulated stress from waking early and staying up late over the past ten-plus days, all the daily worries, exploded in this moment. Gu Jiusi could no longer hold on - his eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot.

Everyone nearby surged forward, shouting, "Young master! What's wrong, young master?"

In his dazed state, Gu Jiusi felt utterly heartbroken.

What was wrong with him?

He was dying.

First place!!

First in the provincial exam, and in the future Ye Shi'an might also rank first in the metropolitan exam, first in the palace exam - first, first, always first.

Even if he exhausted every ounce of his energy, he'd probably never catch up...

Author's note: Gu Jiusi: "Ye Shi'an is probably my destined nemesis"

Ye Shi'an: "What did I do wrong?"