Destined

After the news of Gu Jiusi's bloody purge of Black Wind Fortress spread, the entire Hope Capital City was stunned.

Black Wind Fortress had stood firm outside Hope Capital City for a long time, and no county magistrate had ever successfully eradicated the bandits. This was because everyone knew that while Black Wind Fortress appeared to be mountain bandits, they were actually a blade in the hands of the nobility of Hope Capital City. Whoever wanted to target someone else would pay a sufficient price, and Black Wind Fortress would help them destroy that person's business.

Everyone wanted to wield such a blade, so they all protected it. Of course, behind Black Wind Fortress, there was also an unspoken powerful backer. In the past, people had speculated about who this backer might be. However, shortly after Black Wind Fortress was eradicated, news spread that the Liang family had been destroyed for plotting rebellion. The matter then became self-evident.

After interrogating Shen Ming, Gu Jiusi walked out of the woodshed. Huang Long approached him and said, "Sir, many merchants have come to the County Government Office to purchase Youzhou debt."

"How many have come?" Gu Jiusi washed his hands, his voice calm. Huang Long reported the number, and after a moment of silence, Gu Jiusi had a clear understanding in his heart.

The Liang family had made their move last night, and it certainly couldn't have been done by them alone. They must have colluded with many merchants, plotting together.

Those who came today must have learned the news and rushed over to show their loyalty. Now, with the Liang family's bodies not yet cold, their properties still being inventoried, and the arrangements for the remaining family members still underway, these people, aware of the outcome and intimidated by Gu Jiusi's swift and severe methods, naturally did not dare to continue.

Gu Jiusi smiled mockingly. He lowered his head, washing his hands, and said calmly, "The families who came today must use all their assets to purchase Youzhou debt."

Huang Long was taken aback. Previously, Gu Jiusi had always adhered to a semi-voluntary principle and rarely made such forceful demands. Yet today, he was demanding that people use all their assets to purchase it?

Seeing Huang Long hesitate, Gu Jiusi looked up and asked, "Brother Huang?"

"Yes," Huang Long quickly replied, nodding. "Sir, I will go and handle it immediately."

After Huang Long left, Gu Jiusi stood by the rack, washing his hands.

He washed them over and over until they turned red and began to ache, only then did he finally stop.

After a long while, he took a deep breath and straightened up before heading to the Magistrate Office.

The merchants were all waiting for him at the Magistrate Office. When Gu Jiusi saw them, he bowed to everyone. They hurriedly stood up and flusteredly returned the gesture.

Gu Jiusi glanced at those seated today and noticed that all the previously unyielding tough nuts had come. He smiled mockingly and said, "I assume you all understand my meaning?"

"Sir..." the merchants hesitated, "donating money to Youzhou is our duty, but this amount..."

Gu Jiusi looked up. The merchant surnamed Li, seated in the foremost position, cleared his throat and said, "Sir, to be honest, no matter how hard you work, the money will still end up in the treasury of Hope Capital. Why don't we negotiate? You let us pay less, and we let you gain more. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi smiled mockingly. "How much do you think the Gu Family donated? Do you really believe the amount you're offering would catch my eye?"

At these words, everyone's expressions turned sour.

No matter how wealthy they were, they could never compare to the former richest man of Yangzhou. For someone like Gu Jiusi, who could donate his family's fortune without a second thought, trying to sway him with money was indeed far too difficult.Gu Jiusi raised his chin slightly, and Huang Long promptly closed the door, leaving only Gu Jiusi and the wealthy merchants in the room. Gu Jiusi set his teacup on the table and said calmly, "No need to overthink it. In the past, I always believed in mutual benefit and harmony for all. But since you show no appreciation, officials and merchants shall follow their separate paths. Since you joined forces with the Liang family to trouble me, you must have been prepared for the consequences."

"Your Honor..." everyone spoke up anxiously, but Gu Jiusi raised a hand to silence them. "No explanations needed. I know perfectly well what you've done. Coming from merchant backgrounds yourselves, I understand your thoughts clearly. When I asked you to purchase Youzhou debt, it wasn't to deceive or cheat you. Your distrust and caution are understandable. But harming families is my bottom line—if you have issues, bring them to me directly, not to my family."

Gu Jiusi scanned the room with a piercing gaze. "Those responsible will be punished. Other merchants won't be forced into anything. But make no mistake: either accept your penalties or join the Liang family in their fate!"

Faces stiffened throughout the room as Gu Jiusi called out, "Huang Long, bring writing materials."

Leaning back in his chair and twirling a brush, Gu Jiusi looked at each person in turn. "Write letters home. You'll all be staying here tonight. You'll be free to leave only when the compensation is fully paid."

No one dared speak, understanding that Gu Jiusi had reached his limit of tolerance. He could endure their mockery and suspicion, but he would never tolerate any harm coming to his family because of him.

As Huang Long distributed paper and brushes, the merchants exchanged uneasy glances. Gu Jiusi opened recent case files above them and remarked mildly, "Take your time writing. I'll keep working here with you."

As county magistrate, Gu Jiusi handled everything in Wangdu County—from financial matters and capital cases down to missing chickens and lost dogs. His days were overwhelmingly busy, but his rapid reading speed allowed him to scan dozens of petitions at once, categorizing them by urgency and preparing appropriate responses.

Watching his demeanor, the merchants finally gritted their teeth and wrote their letters.

After sending the letters, they awaited their families' efforts to raise silver. Where silver fell short, they offered grain, cloth, horses, or even future military supply contracts as collateral.

Gu Jiusi worked late into the night. When Liu Yuru noticed his absence, she sent someone to inquire. Yin Hong returned with information from Munan and reported the situation. After listening quietly, Liu Yuru asked, "Did Munan mention anything unusual about the young master?"

Yin Hong thought for a moment. "Munan said the young master washed his hands for a very long time today—until they turned red."

Liu Yuru paused, then sighed softly. "So it's come to this. He must be deeply troubled inside."

The late autumn night carried a chill. After some thought, Liu Yuru had some sweet soup prepared before donning her cloak, taking a lantern, and carrying the soup to the County Government Office.

The night felt different from usual—people moved about with hurried urgency, all seemingly preoccupied with pressing matters. Liu Yuru glanced around but said nothing.Arriving at the County Government Office, Liu Yu Ru did not go in to fetch Gu Jiusi. She simply stood at the entrance, quietly waiting.

By midnight, she had dozed off in the carriage. Only then did Gu Jiusi finish seeing off the last merchant and emerge from his work. As he stepped out, he noticed Liu Yu Ru's carriage parked nearby, the plaque bearing the character "Gu" swaying gently in the breeze at the front.

Gu Jiusi smiled and hurried over to the carriage. Yin Hong, yawning, spotted him and quickly said, "Young master..."

Gu Jiusi raised his hand to stop her, then lifted the curtain to see Liu Yu Ru fast asleep inside.

He pressed his lips together in a soft smile and gestured to those around him, whispering, "Let's go. Don't wake her."

After giving the order, he climbed into the carriage quietly, sat beside Liu Yu Ru, and gently laid her head on his lap.

Liu Yu Ru, half-asleep, faintly opened her eyes but, feeling comfortable, paid it no mind.

Gu Jiusi sat in his seat, draped his outer robe over her, and combed through her hair with his fingers. As the carriage clattered homeward, he gazed at her, feeling as if even the moonlight was filled with tenderness and affection.

How did these feelings come about?

Reflecting on it, even he found it hard to pinpoint the exact moment or boundary where this emotion had quietly transformed. From initially feeling responsible and thinking she was a good girl, it had evolved into sharing life and death, and then to this day.

The warmth in leisurely times, the possessiveness in critical moments—his feelings for this woman had reached the pinnacle of love.

He found everything about her perfect and didn't want to let go of any part of her. He loved her deeply, adored her immensely, and selfishly wished to keep her all to himself by his side.

Gu Jiusi stared at her profile, utterly captivated, feeling as if her features, when fully revealed, were like exquisitely carved jade or a fairy painted with a brush.

Before he knew it, they had arrived home. Only when the carriage stopped did Gu Jiusi snap out of his reverie, blushing slightly at the thought. He was grateful Liu Yu Ru was asleep; if she had been awake and realized he had been staring at her the whole way, she would surely have teased him relentlessly.

Carefully, he lifted her horizontally and carried her toward the bedroom.

The movement finally roused Liu Yu Ru. She opened her eyes drowsily and looked at Gu Jiusi, saying, "Husband?"

"Sleep," Gu Jiusi replied, knowing what she was about to ask. He smiled and said, "We're home. I'll carry you in."

Liu Yu Ru murmured in agreement. Though exhausted, she wanted to say more, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and mumbled, "I made sweet soup for you and went to pick you up."

"I know," Gu Jiusi said, his heart melting at her struggle to speak. He praised softly, "Thank you, my lady."

"Don't be upset," Liu Yu Ru whispered. "I brought you some fragrant balm. Remember to apply it to your hands."

Gu Jiusi was taken aback, realizing that the incident from this morning had reached her ears.

He was deeply moved, never expecting that such a small detail would allow her to guess what was in his heart.

Holding the young woman, he suddenly felt his eyes sting. Growing from youth to adulthood is always a process of shedding sharp edges. Some people become smooth and kind, while others are forcibly broken, left bleeding and scarred.He responded in a hoarse voice, then carried Liu Yu Ru to the bed. After lying down for a while, Liu Yu Ru gradually recovered. By this time, Gu Jiusi had already washed up and asked someone to bring in foot-washing water.

He placed the foot-washing water in front of Liu Yu Ru. She took off her shoes and socks herself, but Gu Jiusi noticed she was still drowsy. He rolled up his sleeves, walked over to her, reached his hands into the water, and began massaging her feet.

Liu Yu Ru jolted awake and instinctively tried to pull her feet back. Gu Jiusi grabbed her ankles firmly and saw her fair feet glistening with water droplets under the lamplight, like morning lotus leaves with dewdrops trembling on the verge of falling.

For a moment, he felt dazzled, staring dumbfounded at the small feet he held in his hands, his heartbeat suddenly quickening.

He couldn't look away. He had never thought that someone could possess such magic through mere feet, making him feel as if he had fallen into some kind of illusion, with strange sensations rising within him.

Gu Jiusi stared at those feet, his gaze burning like fire against Liu Yu Ru's skin. Liu Yu Ru blushed and stammered, "Hus... husband..."

Hearing this address, Gu Jiusi suddenly snapped back to reality.

He looked up at Liu Yu Ru but didn't dare say much. He suddenly realized he couldn't look at Liu Yu Ru anymore - wherever his eyes landed felt peculiar.

Her lips appeared translucent and moist, as if inviting a taste.

Her slender neck, with skin that seemed to flow with light under the lamp, made him want to follow that light with his lips lingering along the way.

And further down were even more captivating curves - the valley between her breasts and the winding river of her waist.

Gu Jiusi took a deep breath, forcing himself to lower his head and fix his gaze on the water. He feared Liu Yu Ru might notice his unusual state, thinking how right her assessment of him had been.

He truly was too reckless.

How could he have such thoughts?

Keeping his head down, afraid that the indecent thoughts in his eyes might be discovered and displease Liu Yu Ru, he pretended to be calm. With a smile, he pulled Liu Yu Ru's feet back into the water and said gently, "Are you shy?"

"Call Yin Hong..." Liu Yu Ru said with a flushed face, her heart racing. She felt this Gu Jiusi before her was somewhat different from before, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly how. It made her both afraid and somewhat...

Inexplicably fond.

And this fondness was buried so deep in her heart that she hadn't even noticed it herself. This fondness wasn't mere appreciation or simple liking between people, but more like an instinct buried in human blood and bones - that of woman for man, and man for woman - something everyone knew but never spoke of.

She only felt some indescribable sensation throughout her body, a feeling that frightened her greatly, making her voice tremble uncontrollably.

Gu Jiusi heard the tremor in her voice. After pausing for a moment, he finally said, "I sent her to bed. Let me do it."

As he spoke, he smiled - a smile devoid of any suggestive meaning, filled only with warmth: "You waited for me and made me soup, so let me wash your feet and wipe your hands, alright?"

Seeing Gu Jiusi's smile, the strange feeling in Liu Yu Ru's heart dissipated somewhat. Since Gu Jiusi was already washing her feet with his hands, saying more would seem affected. So she simply said, "Then tomorrow morning I'll make osmanthus cakes for you and help you dress."

"Good," Gu Jiusi responded with a smile. "You treat me well, and I'll treat you well too."

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru felt both reassured and happy in her heart.As a businesswoman, she had never believed in stories of getting something for nothing.

Deep down, she felt that all gifts came with hidden costs—only clearly marked exchanges could put her mind at ease.

She looked down at the man sitting on a small stool washing her feet.

He didn't look handsome at all in this state, completely different from his usual image as either a dashing young master or an imposing official. He was just quietly and clumsily massaging her feet, appearing almost inexplicably honest, yet this made her feel particularly steady and secure.

Liu Yuru watched him quietly, and Gu Jiusi noticed her gaze.

His eyes remained fixed on her feet as he tried hard not to do anything inappropriate that might annoy her, yet he couldn't completely suppress his impulses. So while wiping her feet, he couldn't help applying more pressure.

His calloused fingers rubbed against the delicate skin of her instep, and for some reason, Liu Yuru felt a strange sensation.

Feeling somewhat ashamed, she whispered, "Is that enough?"

"Hmm?" Gu Jiusi looked up, and Liu Yuru saw his flushed face, his eyes slightly misty, with an indescribable allure in his usually captivating eyes and brows.

Liu Yuru was momentarily stunned, but Gu Jiusi smiled, neatly spread the towel on his lap, lifted her feet to press them dry, and wiped them clean.

"Done."

He released her feet, but whether intentionally or not, his fingers trailed along her calf down to her ankle, causing Liu Yuru to shiver slightly.

Feeling even more embarrassed and annoyed, she quickly got into bed, turning her back to Gu Jiusi, and fell asleep.

Gu Jiusi poured out the water and returned to the bathroom. He stayed there for a long time, seemingly taking another shower before coming out.

Lying in bed, Liu Yuru stared into the pitch-black night and suddenly couldn't help but wonder:

Actually, she and Gu Jiusi... should be considered husband and wife, right?

In Gu Jiusi's heart, she should be his wife—he wouldn't still be thinking about letting her go, would he?

She really wanted to ask, but didn't quite dare. She was afraid that if she asked, Gu Jiusi would give the same answer as before.

Back then, she couldn't bear hearing that answer, and now she could bear it even less. If after all she had given, Gu Jiusi still said the same thing, she would probably...

Probably be very sad.

Liu Yuru thought this, lowered her eyes, wrapped herself in the blanket, sighed, and decided to stop thinking about it.

Gu Jiusi emerged from the bathroom, seeming somewhat tired. He lay down in bed and pulled Liu Yuru into his arms.

He carried the chill of moisture on him, feeling slightly cold. Liu Yuru pursed her lips, thought for a moment, then turned around and actively reached out to hold Gu Jiusi.

"Jiusi," she asked softly, "you won't abandon me, will you?"

"I can't abandon you," Gu Jiusi sighed at her words, gently brushing her hair aside as he said tenderly, "Boss Liu, you're a living person—not a cat or dog, nor a child. You don't depend on me, so how could there be any talk of abandoning or not abandoning?"

"What you should ask is whether I can leave you or not."

"Then..." Liu Yuru stammered, "can you... leave..."

She didn't dare ask further.She was both shy and afraid. Gu Jiusi waited for her to speak, but when she remained silent for a long time, he chuckled softly. His voice was like jewels falling on silk—elegant yet slightly husky, stirring a restless itch in one’s heart.

His fingers interlaced with hers, their hands clasped tightly together. He leaned in, his forehead gently touching hers, their breaths mingling as they drew close.

"I can’t live without you."

He gazed into her eyes, his beautiful orbs filled with helplessness, adoration, joy, and a tenderness so profound it seemed capable of drowning one in its depths.

He leaned closer, whispering softly by her ear, "You are my life. I can’t live without you."

His words, warm and breathy, brushed against her ear. Liu Yu Ru’s heart raced wildly. Suddenly, she felt grateful she had asked this question while lying in bed—had she been standing, her legs would surely have given way.

Gu Jiusi, it seemed, was born with an innate charm and roguishness. Even his simplest words could melt one’s bones.

She couldn’t tell if it was her own weakness or his irresistible allure.

She simply wrapped her arms around Gu Jiusi’s neck, her face flushed, saying nothing. Seeing her like this, Gu Jiusi knew she was shy and chuckled again.

Truthfully, he too felt too embarrassed to say more. He simply drew her into his embrace, holding her tightly.

At first, he had only wanted to be closer to her, to hold her, to convey through this gesture the unspoken depths of his feelings.

But as he felt her warmth and presence, he suddenly realized—she was not just his life; she could also be the death of him, at any moment.

So he pulled back slightly, subtly creating a distance between them. He lowered his head and kissed Liu Yu Ru gently, whispering softly, "Sleep now."

With that, he turned onto his side, his back facing Liu Yu Ru.

Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned. It took her a moment to process what Gu Jiusi had just said.

Her heart swelled with joy. Even with his back turned to her, she felt an overwhelming happiness.

Like an affectionate kitten eager to please, she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Jiusi, you’re so good to me."

She nuzzled her face against his back. In the darkness, Gu Jiusi felt the curves and softness of the person behind him, listening as her breathing gradually deepened.

He couldn’t sleep.

He stared fixedly at the wardrobe ahead as if it were his mortal enemy. Only one thought consumed his mind—

Why was he suffering like this?

Why couldn’t he be braver, more determined, and take one more step forward?!