Destined

What was Ye Shi'an doing here?

Liu Yuru couldn't figure it out at all. She didn't dare act rashly—even though he was the neighbor's brother she'd grown up with, at this moment, she couldn't easily place her trust in anyone.

She watched as Ye Shi'an rode his horse around the area, then approached the edge of the woods. He inspected the surroundings and, somehow, managed to find the path they had taken earlier, following it all the way. As he pursued their trail, he used his sword to cut several alternative paths along the side. Liu Yuru followed from a distance, observing his actions, and began to form a rough guess.

Perhaps... he was helping them cover their tracks?

This thought made Liu Yuru relax slightly, but she still didn't dare let her guard down. She continued to follow Ye Shi'an from afar. When she saw him discover the cave where they were hiding, she immediately grew anxious. Just as Ye Shi'an was about to remove the thorny branches covering the cave entrance, Liu Yuru could no longer stay hidden. She quickly drew her knife, rushed over, and pressed it against Ye Shi'an's back, shouting sharply, "Don't move!"

Inside the cave, Gu Jiusi instantly opened his eyes. He rolled over, grabbed his knife, and crouched down, assessing the situation outside.

With the knife pressed against him, Ye Shi'an remained calm. He raised his hands and said quietly, "Sister Yuru, I mean no harm."

"Why are you here?" Liu Yuru asked warily.

Ye Shi'an replied calmly, "To save you."

"Why would you save us?"

Liu Yuru still refused to let her guard down. "Right now, we're wanted criminals. Aren't you afraid the Ye Family will be implicated?"

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Today it's the Gu Family—who knows if it won't be the Ye Family tomorrow?" Ye Shi'an explained. "I know the truth about the Gu Family's situation. Whether out of righteousness or conscience, I can't stand by and watch the Wang family act so recklessly. After all, Young Master Gu and I were once classmates and old friends, and you're like a sister to me from our neighboring families. If I can help, of course I will."

As she listened, Liu Yuru was already inclined to believe him. She knew Ye Shi'an's character well. But with Gu Jiusi severely injured and her being just a weak woman, if she lowered her knife, there would be no way to stop Ye Shi'an if he turned against them. Ye Shi'an sighed. "Sister Yuru, if I really meant you harm, I could have just brought the Wang family's men with me. What good would it do me to come alone?"

"Yuru," Gu Jiusi's voice came from inside the cave, "put the knife down."

Hearing Gu Jiusi's words, Liu Yuru finally felt she had support. She lowered the knife and sighed. "I'm sorry, Brother Shi'an. Times have changed—I have to be cautious."

"That's a good thing."

Ye Shi'an didn't mind. He nodded, stepped forward, and pushed aside the thorny branches at the entrance, revealing Gu Jiusi lying inside. Gu Jiusi's knife was resting by his hand. He looked at Ye Shi'an, a faint smile on his lips. "I never thought I'd see you under these circumstances."

Ye Shi'an glanced at him and said directly to Liu Yuru, "Sister Yuru, please bring my horse over. In a moment, we'll carry him onto it. The main road is just two li ahead—my servant is waiting there with a carriage. You two get on the horse first, and I'll lead it over."

"Alright."

Liu Yuru hurried to fetch the horse. Hearing this, Gu Jiusi frowned unhappily. "I can stand up on my own. I'm not dead yet—why would you need to carry me?"Ye Shi'an ignored him and reached out to help him up. Gu Jiusi glanced at Ye Shi'an's hand, sneered, and used his sword to prop himself up. Ye Shi'an remained expressionless and said calmly, "What a hero."

After speaking, Ye Shi'an turned away. Gu Jiusi struggled to mount the horse on his own. Watching him, Ye Shi'an remarked with a faint, mocking smile, "The hero may mount the horse."

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru felt a pang of anxiety. Given Gu Jiusi's injuries, how could he possibly mount the horse by himself? She quickly said, "Let me help you..."

"No need." Gu Jiusi, who had been hesitating, grabbed the reins as soon as he heard Liu Yu Ru's offer, gritted his teeth, and swung himself onto the horse.

Liu Yu Ru: "..."

There's no need to cling to pride like this—your dignity was lost long ago, really.

Not wanting to scold him in front of Ye Shi'an, Liu Yu Ru simply coughed lightly. Gu Jiusi, now seated on the horse, stretched out his hand to her and said, "I'll pull you up."

"No, no need."

Liu Yu Ru didn't dare let him exert himself again and quickly climbed up on her own. She settled behind Gu Jiusi, holding the reins, effectively cradling him in her arms. Gu Jiusi frowned and said, "Get down and come sit in front of me."

This time, Liu Yu Ru understood what was bothering him. She thought Gu Jiusi was being utterly ridiculous and ignored him. Turning to Ye Shi'an, she said, "Brother Shi An, would it be all right if I take Jiusi ahead first, settle him in the carriage, and then come back for you?"

"That works."

Ye Shi'an nodded. It wouldn't do to leave Liu Yu Ru, a woman, alone in the woods, nor could they abandon Gu Jiusi, who was injured. The safest option was for Ye Shi'an to walk slowly on his own while Liu Yu Ru went ahead and sent a servant back for him later.

Liu Yu Ru apologized to Ye Shi'an, then urged the horse forward, leading Gu Jiusi out of the woods. Gu Jiusi's expression was sour. Only when Ye Shi'an was out of sight did he mutter, "What kind of impression does it give, you holding me like that in front of him?"

"Oh," Liu Yu Ru couldn't help but laugh, "since when do you care about propriety?"

Gu Jiusi felt a bit embarrassed by her teasing—after all, his usual demeanor showed no regard for any form of propriety. So he changed the subject and added, "And why do the two of you talk so affectionately? He never calls you by your full name. It's always 'Sister Yu Ru' instead of Liu Yu Ru, and he insists on 'Brother Shi An' instead of Ye Shi'an. Why don't you call me 'Brother Gu'?"

"We've called each other that since we were children," Liu Yu Ru explained. "If I suddenly changed it, wouldn't that seem distant and awkward?"

"What's so awkward about that?"

Gu Jiusi grumbled discontentedly, "You're married now—what's the harm in changing how you address him? And if you keep calling him 'Brother Shi An' like that, what will people think if they hear? Where would that leave my dignity?"

Liu Yu Ru listened, feeling somewhat helpless. She thought Gu Jiusi was being unreasonable, but she didn't want to argue with him about it. So she said, "All right, all right, I won't call him that anymore, okay?"

"And he can't call you that either," Gu Jiusi insisted. "He should address you as Young Madam Gu!"

"Gu Jiusi," Liu Yu Ru said, caught between laughter and tears, "why are you so fixated on these trivial matters? What's the big deal about a couple of forms of address? Why waste time worrying over them?"

"This isn't just about a couple of forms of address," Gu Jiusi declared righteously. "This is about my honor!""Alright, alright," Liu Yuru said helplessly, sighing. "I understand, stop going on about this matter. My head aches from your nagging. Don't you find it annoying to be so fussy as a grown man?"

Gu Jiusi snorted coldly and turned his head away. He probably realized he had said too much and that continuing would be unbecoming, so he fell silent.

After traveling two li with Gu Jiusi, Liu Yuru finally spotted the carriage Ye Shi'an had mentioned. A plaque hung at the front of the carriage, bearing the character "Ye." Liu Yuru approached, and the attendant recognized her. Together, they helped Gu Jiusi into the carriage. Following Liu Yuru's instructions, the attendant then rode off to find Ye Shi'an.

Inside the carriage, Liu Yuru examined Gu Jiusi's wounds. The previously bandaged injuries were now bleeding, likely torn open again when he forced himself onto the horse earlier. Liu Yuru sighed in exasperation. "When will you ever change this temper of yours? When Brother Ye..." She cut herself short upon noticing Gu Jiusi's sharp glance and quickly corrected, "When Young Master Ye lifted you up, why did you have to be so stubborn?"

"That servant recognized you just now," Gu Jiusi remarked, tilting his chin upward. Liu Yuru paused, looking puzzled. "So what?"

"You're quite familiar with the Ye Family."

Gu Jiusi's tone was sour. Liu Yuru fell silent for a long moment before slowly saying, "Jiusi, are you... jealous?"

Gu Jiusi was taken aback, then replied with an exaggerated expression of shock, "Liu Yuru, that's a truly terrifying thought. I'll stop talking nonsense, and you should stop imagining things."

Liu Yuru pressed her lips together in a smile and reached out to tap his forehead. As her fingers brushed against his skin, she realized he was burning with fever. Startled, it dawned on her that despite his lively demeanor, he was covered in wounds and running a high temperature. Seeing her silence, Gu Jiusi knew she had remembered his condition. Softening his voice, he reassured her gently, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Liu Yuru hummed in response, stroked his forehead, and moved to sit beside him. She let him lean against her and whispered, "Get some rest."

Gu Jiusi didn't reply. As he rested against Liu Yuru, he couldn't quite describe what he was feeling. He simply found the woman beside him utterly incredible. She appeared so delicate—a well-bred young lady who would tremble holding a knife—yet she had saved him from countless pursuers, dragged him through the water for so long, and now sat here, letting him lean on her slender shoulders, giving him the illusion that as long as she was there, the world would remain peaceful.

His heart was unusually calm. He had once thought he couldn't withstand such storms, but now that they had truly arrived, he realized everything was far better than he had imagined.

The two sat quietly together until Ye Shi'an arrived with the servant. Ye Shi'an quickly boarded the carriage and instructed the servant to drive toward the nearest city.

"Do you have official travel documents?" Ye Shi'an asked first.

Liu Yuru replied, "We have two new ones."

"That's good," Ye Shi'an nodded. "Later, just say you're my friends who fell ill suddenly due to the unfamiliar environment. I'll handle everything else."Speaking, Ye Shi'an took out a bundle and a box, saying, "Change your clothes first, then apply makeup. Your wanted notices have already been issued, so make more alterations."

After speaking, Ye Shi'an stepped out of the carriage, leaving Gu Jiusi and her inside. Liu Yu Ru felt somewhat embarrassed. Gu Jiusi reached for a strip of cloth nearby, tied it over his eyes, and said, "Go ahead and change. I won't look."

Liu Yu Ru remained silent. The idea of changing clothes in front of a man—even with his eyes covered—made her feel awkward. But there was no time to waste, so she gritted her teeth and began to change.

Gu Jiusi listened to the faint rustling sounds beside him. For some reason, his hearing seemed unusually sharp; he could even discern the approximate weight of the clothes as they fell to the ground. Feeling a sudden warmth in the carriage, he turned his head and casually remarked, "Haven't you finished changing yet?"

At his words, Liu Yu Ru flustered and replied awkwardly, "Mm..."

"You women are so troublesome."

His complaint eased some of her embarrassment, replacing it with irritation. As she fastened her belt, she retorted sarcastically, "I’d like to see how fast you are later."

With that, she reached up, untied the cloth from his eyes, and tossed the clothes to him, saying, "Change by yourself."

After speaking, Liu Yu Ru turned her back to him. If Ye Shi'an and the servant hadn’t been outside, and if there had been room for a third person, she would have stepped out. Gu Jiusi chuckled and began removing his clothes, teasing, "Don’t you peek at me."

"Shameless."

Gu Jiusi changed quickly and soon called out to Liu Yu Ru, "Done."

Hearing the noise inside, Ye Shi'an asked, "May I come in now?"

"Come in," Gu Jiusi replied casually.

Ye Shi'an lifted the curtain and entered. By then, Liu Yu Ru was sitting properly, while Gu Jiusi, injured, couldn’t sit upright and leaned lazily against her.

Liu Yu Ru felt awkward and nudged him. Gu Jiusi lifted his eyelids and grumbled, "I’m injured."

Reluctantly, Liu Yu Ru forced a smile at Ye Shi'an and explained, "He... he’s injured."

Ye Shi'an nodded, paying no mind to the topic, and said, "Yesterday, I heard the Gu Family was in trouble and rushed over, but there wasn’t much I could do. I stayed hidden and later saw the two of you enter the lake, so I followed downstream to find you."

"Did you see anyone from the Wang family?" Liu Yu Ru asked urgently.

Ye Shi'an replied, "This morning, they conducted searches along the way. Fortunately, after last night, the soldiers were exhausted and mostly went through the motions without thorough checks, just making a show along the river."

Gu Jiusi and Liu Yu Ru breathed a sigh of relief. After a long silence, Gu Jiusi finally asked, "Do you know about my father...?"

Ye Shi'an shook his head. "I haven’t heard any news about your father."

Gu Jiusi said nothing more. Liu Yu Ru reached out and held his hand, comforting him, "No news is the best news right now."

Gu Jiusi lowered his gaze and softly acknowledged.Ye Shi'an glanced at the two of them, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Though it may be presumptuous, I still wish to ask... why has the Gu Family suddenly encountered such a calamity?"

Neither of them spoke. After a long pause, Liu Yu Ru answered him, "We have a feud with the Wang family and received advance news that His Majesty intends to move against Prince Liang. We planned to leave, but the Wang family—perhaps because they learned of this or for other reasons—came for us last night."

"We were supposed to leave today."

Ye Shi'an was taken aback. After a moment of contemplation, he said thoughtfully, "Lord Jiang is deeply entangled with Prince Liang's faction. His Majesty has not held court for three months, which means he has already set his sights on Prince Liang. But Prince Liang is no easy opponent. He has been secretly amassing troops, merely waiting for an excuse."

As Liu Yu Ru listened, Ye Shi'an continued, "So, the Wang family is taking revenge on the Gu Family because Lord Jiang has fallen from power?"

"You could see it that way," Gu Jiusi said calmly. "But what if we think further ahead?"

Gu Jiusi looked up at Ye Shi'an. "Looking further into the future, if His Majesty intends to deal with Prince Liang and Prince Liang rebels, given Prince Liang's current strength and the situation where military governors and feudal lords maintain their own armies, who do you think will win?"

Ye Shi'an dared not answer. His education forbade him from uttering such treasonous words. Yet Gu Jiusi spoke bluntly, "Prince Liang will win. Everyone will watch as Prince Liang marches into the Eastern Capital. And then what?"

"Prince Liang has no just cause for his actions. He is a treacherous rebel whom all may rightfully oppose."

Liu Yu Ru spoke up, lifting her gaze to Ye Shi'an. "From that point on, the world will descend into chaos, with no court or order left."

Gu Jiusi picked up a cup of water from the side, took a sip, and waited for Ye Shi'an to digest these words. Then he looked at Ye Shi'an and said plainly, "When that time comes, what do you think Wang Shanquan will do?"

If Ye Shi'an still failed to understand now, all the praise he had received over the years would have been in vain.

He now clearly grasped Wang Shanquan's intentions. Was it merely revenge against the Gu Family? If it were just revenge, why would he sacrifice one of his own sons?

He was preparing to declare himself king, and the Gu Family was the blood with which he would sharpen his blade. Once he subdued the Gu Family, he would raise his sword against everyone else. Who would dare to defy him? Who would dare to resist?

Those who had to pay would pay; those who had to submit would submit.

And what could they do about it?

For a moment, Ye Shi'an could think of no other solution. His mind went blank as he followed Gu Jiusi's train of thought.

It was a chaotic era, entirely different from the peace of the past decade. In such turmoil, what could a mere scholar like him accomplish?

"Then..." Ye Shi'an murmured unconsciously, "What should the Ye Family do?"

"Leave."

Gu Jiusi spoke. Ye Shi'an looked up at him, somewhat bewildered. "Leave?"

"Do not stay in Yangzhou," Gu Jiusi said calmly. "Any of the thirteen provinces will do, but not Yangzhou."

Ye Shi'an fell silent, quickly understanding Gu Jiusi's meaning.

Even in a time of chaos, the circumstances in the thirteen provinces would likely be similar, as war requires funds. Yet few would go to the extremes Wang Shanquan had. After all, other border provinces had annual salt taxes, but Yangzhou's revenue had always been sent to the Eastern Capital.But that wasn't the worst part. The most tragic aspect was that while Yangzhou had abundant wealth and grain, it lacked strong military forces. Once chaos erupted, it would become the primary target of attack.

Ye Shi'an took a deep breath, looked up at the two people across from him, and said, "I understand now. Thank you for your guidance, Brother Gu."

"It's hardly guidance," Gu Jiusi said lightly. "You saved my life, and I'm merely repaying the favor."

As they spoke, the group arrived at the city gate. Ye Shi'an lifted the carriage curtain and went down to negotiate with the guards. The guards casually glanced inside at Liu Yu Ru and Gu Jiusi. Liu Yu Ru had added a mole to her face and changed her attire, making her nearly unrecognizable compared to the portrait. Ye Shi'an also gave them some silver, so they didn't inspect too carefully and quickly let them pass.

After entering the city, Ye Shi'an settled Gu Jiusi and Liu Yu Ru in a small courtyard and went to fetch a physician.

When the physician arrived and saw Gu Jiusi's injuries, he worked anxiously through most of the night.

After the wounds were treated, the physician said to Liu Yu Ru, "If his high fever doesn't subside, he'll be in danger. If it breaks, then he'll be out of the woods."

Liu Yu Ru was stunned. After a long pause, she asked, "What if it doesn't break?"

The physician remained silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "Prepare for the worst."

Liu Yu Ru stood frozen. Ye Shi'an, reacting quickly, hurriedly paid the physician with silver and had a servant see him out.

After the physician left, Ye Shi'an said, "Sister Yu Ru, fortune favors the good. There's no need to worry too much."

Liu Yu Ru couldn't fully process Ye Shi'an's words at that moment, but reason compelled her to steel herself. She nodded at him and made to enter the room, but Ye Shi'an stopped her, saying, "You should go rest. You're not in much better shape than he is. If you keep pushing yourself like this, something bad will happen."

"I'm fine," Liu Yu Ru shook her head and moved toward the inner room. "I can manage."

"Liu Yu Ru," Ye Shi'an finally spoke up, "why have you always been so stubborn since we were young?"

Liu Yu Ru turned to look at him, surprised by his unusually forward words. Ye Shi'an sighed and continued, "I've noticed since we were kids—you're determined to do whatever you set your mind to. I've always admired that, but you need to know your limits. Pushing yourself like this won't help either of you. My servant and I are here. We'll take care of him for now. Please go get some proper rest, alright?"

Liu Yu Ru knew he was right. After struggling with herself for a moment, she finally said, "Let me check on him one more time. Just one look, and then I'll go rest."

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Ye Shi'an watched as she lifted the curtain and entered the room.

Gu Jiusi lay with his eyes closed, seeming utterly exhausted. Now that they were in a safe place, he no longer had the energy to maintain his facade, and his strength rapidly faded.

Liu Yu Ru sat beside him. He murmured softly, "Go rest. I'll be fine. Don't wear yourself out."

"I'll be better soon..." His voice was hoarse. "I'll be fine by morning, and then we'll go find my father... I'm worried about him wandering around alone..."

"Alright," Liu Yu Ru replied gently, brushing the hair from his forehead. "You'll be better tomorrow, and I'll take you to find your father."

Gu Jiusi didn't respond. Liu Yu Ru watched him quietly for a while, but still feeling uneasy, she went to the adjacent room, gathered the quilts, and settled down to rest in the outer chamber.Ye Shi'an watched her holding the quilt, momentarily stunned. After a pause, he said somewhat awkwardly, "Sister Yu Ru, I'll take care of Young Master Gu tonight."

Since he would also be in the room, it might be inconvenient for her to sleep there.

However, Liu Yu Ru shook her head and said, "I'll just sleep in the outer chamber. It's fine."

Then she added helplessly, "If I can't hear his voice, I won't be able to rest easy."

Ye Shi'an remained silent for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

Liu Yu Ru was sleeping outside when Ye Shi'an sent the servant away, moved a stool, and kept watch beside her. In the early hours of the morning, Liu Yu Ru was awakened by Gu Jiusi's delirious murmuring. She hurriedly opened her eyes and rushed into the inner room in a fluster, only to find Ye Shi'an changing the cloth on his forehead. Ye Shi'an shook his head at Liu Yu Ru and whispered, "Go back to sleep. It's nothing serious—he's just dreaming."

Still dazed from just waking up, Liu Yu Ru gazed at Gu Jiusi on the bed and heard him cry out in panic, "Father... Father, run... Liu Yu Ru... Liu Yu Ru, you run! Hurry!"

Liu Yu Ru became more alert. She walked over, knelt halfway by the bed, and took Gu Jiusi's hand.

"It's all right," she said, not knowing why she felt a pang of heartache. Her voice carried a sigh as she comforted him, "Jiusi, I'm here. It's all right now."

Ye Shi'an watched quietly.

Somehow, as he looked at the two before him, he felt as if they had formed their own little world, fearless in the face of any storm. Holding the cloth in his hand, he gazed at the young woman and suddenly felt a twinge of envy.

This was a kind of bond he had never encountered in his life, yet one he had always yearned for.

To have someone who would stand by you through life and death, never abandoning you, sharing both hardship and fortune.

A faint sense of regret welled up in him. After a long while, Gu Jiusi gradually calmed down. Ye Shi'an heard Liu Yu Ru say, "Brother Ye, you should go rest now. I've slept enough—I'll take care of him."

As she spoke, she leaned against the bedside, holding his hand, and said gently, "If I'm not here, he can't sleep peacefully."