Destined

Gu Jiusi listened to Gu Langhua's words and, in that moment, finally felt a trace of the past.

In this life, as long as one's parents are alive—whether frail with age or strong and healthy—there is always a sense of belonging, a pillar to lean on. Gu Langhua's death had been like the sudden collapse of Mount Tai, making Gu Jiusi feel as though everything had changed. Now that he had returned, even if they argued and bickered, deep down, he truly felt he had a support system again. It made him realize that although the outside world had changed, what he possessed—his family, his love—remained unchanged.

He felt a sudden urge to cry but found it embarrassing, so he forced a smile and said hoarsely, "I understand."

Gu Langhua patted his shoulder, glanced at Liu Yuru, and then said, "Go on, treat your wife better. Don't act like a child at your age, making Yuru take care of you."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged this, stood up, and walked out with Liu Yuru. Outside, he held her hand as they strolled through the courtyard. Liu Yuru spoke softly, sharing her thoughts on the follow-up matters.

"I was the one in charge of this grain collection trip. You should give me some compensation. After I receive it, I plan to hand over the Floral Visage business to someone else. I want to buy some land outside Hope Capital City. Didn't you take in many refugees and distribute land to them? I heard you promised to cover their basic expenses until the land yields crops? How much silver did you allocate for that? I intend to purchase the land from these people, manage it uniformly, and hire someone skilled in farming to plan the cultivation. With so many people and so much land, we need proper rules."

Gu Jiusi listened to her chattering away, clicking her abacus like a little money-grubber, and felt immensely happy. When Liu Yuru finished, she turned to look at him and saw his eyes sparkling as if filled with a galaxy of stars. Liu Yuru was taken aback and asked, "Did you hear what I said?"

"I was listening."

"What do you think?"

"Whatever you say."

"Gu Jiusi," Liu Yuru couldn't help but laugh, "I just praised you as a caring official. Can you take this seriously?"

"I understood everything," Gu Jiusi quickly replied. "Actually, you're thinking of helping me. The government can't keep giving them silver forever; we need everyone to make money together to have wealth. You're spending money to buy their land, guiding them in farming, so that next year's harvest in Hope Capital will be good, and these people will have something to rely on. Earning money yourself is secondary; solving my problem is the main thing. Your ideas are excellent, and I get it."

Liu Yuru was slightly stunned, suddenly feeling as if her inner thoughts had been laid bare, leaving her flustered and embarrassed. She cleared her throat lightly, turned her head away, and said, "I'll go to your Magistrate Office tomorrow. Let's follow the proper procedures."

After Liu Yuru and Gu Jiusi finalized their plans, she went to see Su Wan alone and had a chat with her.

Upon learning about the Liu family's situation, Su Wan was silent for a long time, lost in thought. Seeing Su Wan's expression, Liu Yuru feared she might be upset and quickly said, "Mother, don't overthink it. I've sent people to search...""It's alright." Su Wan sighed and waved her hand. "Most of my life has passed. Since we left Yangzhou, I haven't wanted to dwell on it anymore. Surviving in these chaotic times is hard enough—don't trouble yourself looking for them. What would be the point?" Su Wan smiled bitterly. "It's not as if we need to reunite and pretend to be one happy family. Your father couldn't bear to part with Zhang Yue'er and her children, so why should we subject ourselves to that humiliation again?"

Liu Yuru remained silent. Su Wan looked up at her, and she reached out to hold her hand, speaking softly, "I'm more worried about you. After all, he is your father, you..."

"It's in the past."

Liu Yuru sighed. She lifted her gaze to Su Wan and said with a bitter smile, "These things are beyond our control. At first, I was truly upset, but I'm fine now. As long as we have each other, mother and daughter, and you're here, my heart is at peace. Don't overthink it."

After comforting Su Wan, Liu Yuru stepped out of the room. An intangible restlessness weighed on her chest, but as soon as she emerged, she spotted a figure leaning sideways against a pillar, his back to her. He held a book, reading by the moonlight and the corridor lanterns.

He never learned proper decorum and lacked any sense of formality—even his stance was crooked, as if he had no bones.

Hearing Liu Yuru open the door, he turned his head and smiled at her. "Finished talking?"

As he spoke, he approached and draped a cloak over her shoulders. Liu Yuru lowered her head and murmured, "Why are you here?"

"I noticed you didn't bring an outer garment," Gu Jiusi said with a laugh. "And I missed you, so I came to wait. What if you felt cold when you stepped out?"

"It's just a short walk."

"Even a short walk—I wanted to wait for you."

Liu Yuru fell silent, warmth from the cloak enveloping her and seeping straight into her heart. Gu Jiusi's hand enveloped hers as they walked along the corridor. Suddenly, the path felt neither cold nor lonely.

They returned to their room together. Liu Yuru bathed first, and Gu Jiusi entered the Purification Chamber to wash up. Listening to the sound of water and watching his silhouette against the screen, she dried her hair before the mirror. After hesitating a moment, she carefully took out her lip rouge and applied it to her lips.

Having done this, she seemed to regret it immediately and hastily wiped it off. Still, a faint, unnatural rosy tint remained on her lips. Gazing at her reflection, she pressed her lips together, softly clicked her tongue, and then went to bed. Before lying down, she went to the cabinet, found a white silk handkerchief, and placed it on the bed. Then she extinguished the lamp, lay down, and pulled the covers over herself.

Feeling nervous, she stared up at the mosquito net, her mind replaying the images from the booklet Su Wan had shown her before the wedding. Her face burned with a mix of anxiety and an indescribable joy. She thought of Gu Jiusi, how he might treat her, and what the future held. The more she pondered, the more she felt she was being too wanton, silently chiding herself. Just then, she heard Gu Jiusi rise from the water.

Gu Jiusi emerged from the Purification Chamber wearing thin inner robes and drying his hair, only to find that Liu Yuru had already put out the light. He paused, surprised she had retired so early. Treading carefully through the bedroom, he moved quietly, afraid of waking her.Liu Yu Ru lay stiffly on the bed, her heart racing wildly. She wondered when Gu Jiusi would come to bed and whether he would laugh at her when he did.

She felt Gu Jiusi approaching and tensed up, unbearably nervous. To her surprise, halfway through his movements, Gu Jiusi suddenly sat down!

Liu Yu Ru cracked her eyes open slightly and saw Gu Jiusi sitting there drying his hair in the dim light.

Alright then, he intended to wait until his hair was dry before coming to bed.

So Liu Yu Ru kept her eyes open, staring at Gu Jiusi, waiting for him to come to bed.

She watched as Gu Jiusi sat there drying his hair, pausing occasionally as if lost in thought, then resuming before pausing again as if remembering something.

At first, Liu Yu Ru felt somewhat anxious, but as she continued watching, she grew drowsy. After a while, she drifted into a heavy sleep.

By the time Gu Jiusi came to bed, she was already sound asleep. Gu Jiusi, worried she might catch a chill, had waited until his hair was completely dry before joining her. Once in bed, he felt something extra beneath him but didn't think much of it. He reached down, pulled out the object tucked underneath, and tossed it aside.

He thought to himself that Liu Yu Ru must have been exhausted to fall asleep without noticing the extra item in bed.

His heart ached with tenderness for her. He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and contentedly held her as they slept.

The next morning, Liu Yu Ru woke first. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up abruptly, reaching for the white cloth she had placed beneath her.

Her attention was then drawn to the white silk on the floor. Gu Jiusi drowsily opened his eyes and mumbled, "It's so early. Let's sleep a little longer."

"I... I need to check the accounts."

Liu Yu Ru felt awkward, the courage from the previous night having vanished. She hurriedly got up, climbed over Gu Jiusi, and moved to pick up the white silk from the floor to hide it. But just as she bent down to retrieve it, someone else snatched it up first. Gu Jiusi held the white silk, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Liu Yu Ru. "What is this?"

Liu Yu Ru's face instantly flushed red. "How... how would I know?" she whispered.

"Then why were you so frantic to hide it?"

"I wasn't!" Liu Yu Ru quickly denied, turning away. "I'm going to wash up..."

Before she could finish, Gu Jiusi suddenly remembered the object he had pulled out during the night. It seemed he had finally realized what it was. He grabbed Liu Yu Ru's arm urgently. "Hey, don't go!"

Liu Yu Ru stood with her back to him, visibly tense. Gu Jiusi wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered softly in her ear, "Yu Ru, were you trying to have a baby with me last night?"

"Gu Jiusi!" Liu Yu Ru felt as though she had never blushed so fiercely in her entire life. She could clearly feel the burning heat on her cheeks. "I have important things to do! I need to earn money! Don't stop me!"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi only held her tighter, refusing to let go no matter how she struggled or pushed against him. Instead, he laughed heartily, kissed her, and said happily, "Don't rush. I'm preparing for it."

"Get away from me!"

Hearing him say she was rushing only made her more flustered and angry. Gu Jiusi felt her struggling desperately and knew he shouldn't tease her any further. After giving her one last kiss, he quickly added, "Wear something pretty tomorrow, alright?"Liu Yu Ru stomped on his foot, and Gu Jiusi finally released his grip. She hurriedly ran out, while Gu Jiusi hopped on one foot. Seeing Liu Yu Ru peek half her face from the doorway, her eyes filled with concern, she cautiously asked, "Are... are you alright?"

Gu Jiusi promptly collapsed to the ground, wailing with a pained expression, "My leg is broken."

Realizing he was fine, Liu Yu Ru felt relieved, turned, and walked out. She called for someone next door, freshened up, and then went about her tasks. First, she headed to Floral Visage. Yun Yun had already returned to Wangdu ahead of her and had begun sorting out Floral Visage's accounts. As soon as Liu Yu Ru arrived, she gathered everyone together.

Liu Yu Ru first inquired about Floral Visage's recent situation, then brought up the agreements she had made with various merchants along the way. But as soon as she started, "When I was in Cangzhou..." Yun Yun abruptly interrupted her, speaking gently, "Madam, I've already distributed the gifts you prepared in Cangzhou to everyone."

Liu Yu Ru paused, understanding that Yun Yun didn't want her to continue. She smiled and shifted the topic, saying softly, "That's good. I've been thinking of everyone while I was away. It's a blessing to return safely. Tomorrow evening, I'll reserve a table at Eastern Arrival Tavern for us all to have a meal together."

The topic was hastily brushed aside. After everyone dispersed, Liu Yu Ru kept Yun Yun back alone. She took a sip of tea, looked up at Yun Yun, and asked, "Why did you stop me from speaking earlier?"

Yun Yun replied quietly, "Madam, after I returned, I obtained some of the counterfeit products circulating outside through certain channels."

As she spoke, Yun Yun took out a box of rouge. Liu Yu Ru took it from her and listened as Yun Yun continued, "But I discovered that these aren't counterfeits."

Liu Yu Ru's hand stilled. She looked up at Yun Yun, who remained silent before adding softly, "The formula of this rouge is identical to our authentic product."

Liu Yu Ru grasped Yun Yun's implication. Rouge formulas were extremely difficult to replicate—even the slightest variation would affect the color and texture. After a moment of silence, Liu Yu Ru finally said, "Do you think it's someone from our own team doing this outside?"

"Yes," Yun Yun stated decisively. "I'm still investigating the specifics, but I've narrowed it down to a few workers involved in making the rouge."

Holding her tea, Liu Yu Ru couldn't help but smile at Yun Yun's words. "I understand what you mean. Each step of our rouge production is handled by separate individuals, each knowing only one part of the formula. Only the original two rouge makers know roughly half the formula each. Those two are Gu Family veterans, and you're hesitant to point fingers, aren't you?"

Yun Yun said nothing. Liu Yu Ru set down her teacup and remarked calmly, "The key issue here isn't about saving face. It's that these two are the core of our rouge production. If you remove them, what will we do in the future?"

"But we can't let this continue," Yun Yun murmured, pushing the account books forward and whispering, "Lately, our shop's business has declined sharply. With such products flooding the market, we can't maintain our prices or protect our reputation."

Scarcity drives value. Their strategy had always been to position rouge as a status symbol—how could they allow products of the same caliber to saturate the market?Liu Yu Ru listened to Yun Yun's words without speaking, lost in thought. After a while, she said slowly, "You may leave first. I need to think about this."

Yun Yun acknowledged the instruction and withdrew without further comment.

After resting briefly, Liu Yu Ru went to the Magistrate Office to find the registrar. When her merchant fleet had departed previously, she had signed an agreement with the government stipulating she would receive ten percent of the profits. Now that her grain and silver transactions had nearly doubled the original amount, she came to claim her payment according to the contract. The registrar verified the documents with her, then took the contract to find Gu Jiusi.

When Gu Jiusi heard it was Liu Yu Ru's contract, he didn't avoid the matter. After carefully reviewing the contents, he finally noticed her handwriting.

Her writing seemed somewhat awkward, different from before—as if she was deliberately trying to erase her previous style and adopt a new way of writing.

Gu Jiusi understood her intention and couldn't help but smile. He lowered his head to countersign his name, checked the time, and handed it back to the registrar, saying, "Ask Manager Liu to wait a moment. I have something to discuss with her."

The registrar was momentarily surprised but complied, relaying Gu Jiusi's message before escorting Liu Yu Ru to the main hall. Gu Jiusi quickly finished reviewing several documents on his desk, calculated that it was nearly break time, promptly removed his official robe, changed into regular clothes, and went to find Liu Yu Ru.

Seeing Gu Jiusi enter wearing everyday attire, Liu Yu Ru couldn't help but remark, "Aren't you still on duty?"

"Done for the day," Gu Jiusi said cheerfully. "My work is finished, and it's time to leave. I'll go home with you."

Liu Yu Ru felt somewhat helpless, finally realizing that Gu Jiusi simply wanted to accompany her home.

As they walked together, Gu Jiusi noticed her subdued mood and asked, "What's wrong? You look so unhappy. Does my coming home with you bother you that much?"

"Not exactly," Liu Yu Ru sighed and recounted the shop affairs. She said with a headache, "These two employees—I can neither dismiss them nor keep them. If I drive them away, who will handle the Rouge matters in the future? But if they stay, with everyone following their example without any discipline, how can I manage properly?"

Gu Jiusi listened quietly, tapping his fan without speaking. Seeing Liu Yu Ru's thoroughly troubled expression, he chuckled softly and said, "Don't worry. I actually think this is quite good."

"How is this good?" Liu Yu Ru looked up, somewhat confused. Gu Jiusi smiled and explained, "You're just too clever. You've progressed so smoothly at such a young age—how can you grow without stumbling a few times? You're always calculating profits and thinking about making money, focusing only on external matters. Have you considered the saying 'the mightiest dam can be destroyed by the smallest ant hole'? Actually, Floral Visage was bound to encounter such issues sooner or later. Having problems early lets you learn important lessons sooner, which is a good thing."Liu Yu Ru listened to Gu Jiusi's words as he analyzed: "When you handle matters, you always trust those you employ without suspicion. You personally adhere to keeping your word and assume everyone is like you. But setting standards for yourself is one thing, while judging others is another. Whenever money is involved, you must remember that the other party is human. When you open a shop and hire two assistants, you must guard against risks—the most crucial elements cannot be entrusted to them. If you do, you either need a method to control them, such as having them check each other, or you must tightly bind the key figures. Now, these two rouge makers are the most critical people in your rouge shop, yet you've neither secured them with benefits nor implemented control measures. Treating key personnel as ordinary assistants—isn't today's outcome inevitable?"

Liu Yu Ru nodded and responded, "You're right."

With that, she sighed, looked up at Gu Jiusi, her eyes carrying a hint of plea: "Then what do you think I should do now?"

Hearing her seek his help, with her glistening eyes gazing at him, Gu Jiusi felt his heart flutter, wishing he could offer her dozens of brilliant solutions just to have her look at him like that every day.

But he restrained himself and said with a smile, "The solution should come from you. This matter isn't particularly difficult. As your business grows, there will be plenty of situations requiring your thought—use this as practice. Just consider: everyone is human, with personal desires. Why did this incident happen? What are your key requirements now, and how can you achieve what you want?"

Liu Yu Ru, upon hearing his questions, understood that Gu Jiusi was guiding her. She fell silent, and Gu Jiusi, watching her serious expression, thought she looked utterly beautiful.

That night, Liu Yu Ru didn't sleep. She sat in the study, repeatedly checking the accounts. Gu Jiusi dared not disturb her; he took a book, sat in the room flipping through it while waiting for her.

He saw Liu Yu Ru staring blankly at the candle flame. By midnight, he couldn't bear it any longer and rose to squat beside her, saying playfully, "I say, madam, if you don't sleep soon, don't blame me for being impolite."

Liu Yu Ru chuckled softly. Feeling sorry for Gu Jiusi staying up, she stood and returned to bed with him.

Gu Jiusi knew she wouldn't sleep well until she figured it out and sighed, "Fine, you win. Let me ask you: do you think Floral Visage should keep them now?"

"Naturally, yes," Liu Yu Ru whispered with a sigh. "I can't find replacements for them at the moment."

After all, they were people the Gu Family had nurtured for over a decade—how easy would it be to find substitutes?

Gu Jiusi continued, "Keep both, or just one?"

Liu Yu Ru paused, then replied, "One is enough."

"Isn't that sufficient?"

Gu Jiusi sighed: "If you only plan to keep one, set a bait to let them decide who stays, then establish rules—block their escape route to ensure the remaining one can't cause trouble and the departing one can't sabotage you. How to do it specifically depends on their personalities. Get some sleep first and think about it tomorrow."

Liu Yu Ru responded softly to Gu Jiusi's advice.Yet her mind was filled with Gu Jiusi's words, and gradually, a plan began to form.

By the next day, she entered Floral Visage and inquired about the specifics from Yun Yun. She then summoned the more experienced of the two individuals.

That person was Wang Mei, whom everyone called Aunt Mei. The other, who made rouge, was Song Xiang, originally Wang Mei's apprentice and always obedient to her. Yun Yun said that the matter of selling Floral Visage formulas outside was mainly led by Wang Mei, with Song Xiang assisting—Wang Mei found the channels, while Song Xiang was responsible for developing the formulas. Song Xiang had a naturally keen sense of smell and sight, and some of Floral Visage's formulas that hadn't passed through their hands were ones Song Xiang had deduced.

However, all of this was mostly Yun Yun's speculation based on their personalities, but Liu Yu Ru estimated it was likely close to the truth. She invited Wang Mei over and, while drinking tea, said, "I had intended to discuss this matter with Aunt Mei before I left, but I departed in a hurry. Now that I'm bringing it up, it seems a bit late."

Wang Mei sat to the side, appearing somewhat uneasy. "What does the proprietor wish to speak with me about?"

"You and Sister Xiang came to me when I had nothing, and together we built Floral Visage from the ground up. Floral Visage’s success today owes much to both of you, yet I haven’t given you the treatment you deserve. That’s my fault."

Upon hearing Liu Yu Ru’s words, Wang Mei quickly replied, "You jest, Madam. The old master brought us here from Yangzhou, settled us, and gave us a livelihood. We couldn’t be more grateful. Whatever you give us is only right."

"Don’t say that. I believe in rewarding merit and punishing faults. If I’ve overlooked anything before, I hope you’ll forgive me," Liu Yu Ru said with a smile. "Now that Floral Visage is growing larger, during my trip to Cangzhou, I secured agreements with merchants along the way, ensuring a steady supply of goods from Floral Visage. I’ve also built good relations with the officials in Cangzhou, Qingzhou, and Yangzhou. From now on, anyone caught selling counterfeit Floral Visage products in these areas will be arrested. We no longer need to worry about business issues and can focus more on developing these products. I think it’s time we brought some order to the chaos—like an army, we need structure and someone to oversee the team working on development. This person will be key to our success and, naturally, will receive higher compensation."

Wang Mei’s expression shifted repeatedly as she listened to Liu Yu Ru. By the end, her eyes brightened, as if she understood Liu Yu Ru’s meaning. She cautiously asked, "What are you suggesting?"

"So," Liu Yu Ru said with a smile, "what do you think of Sister Xiang?"

Wang Mei’s face changed dramatically. Liu Yu Ru took a sip of tea and said gently, "I’ve heard that Sister Xiang has a keen sense for colors and scents. No matter the formula, she can identify it with just a touch and a sniff. As your apprentice, I’m considering promoting her one level, increasing her monthly pay by ten taels of silver, and giving her an additional one percent of the shop’s profits. You should be happy for her, shouldn’t you?"

Wang Mei remained silent, her expression sour. Pretending not to notice, Liu Yu Ru smiled and looked outside. "Once the world stabilizes, given the merits I’ve earned for Lord Fan, Floral Visage could become a royal merchant. Then we’d have nothing to worry about. Sister Xiang wouldn’t just be a Rouge master—she might even earn an official rank. As her master, Aunt Mei, you could proudly tell others she’s your apprentice."

Turning to Wang Mei, Liu Yu Ru asked as if seeking her opinion, "Aunt Mei, what do you think of my idea? Is it appropriate?"