163. Qingge Greets You Most Respectfully (Third Batch of the Day)

A few more days passed, and Gu Fei unexpectedly stopped going out. During this time, Master Gu visited the Xuanzhu Workshop several times. Gu Fei hosted her personally, and at the end of her visits, presented her with several ink pills.

Because of Master Gu, the number of visitors to the Xuanzhu Workshop suddenly surged. Whether these people came to curry favor with Master Gu or to flatter Gu Fei, they all obediently pulled out their silver in the end, selecting an ink pill from the ink pill catalog as a gesture of supporting the workshop's business.

Gu Fei specifically instructed Ziyuan to turn no one away.

Within three to five days, Ziyuan had brought back over a dozen ink-making orders for the Xuanzhu Workshop. Gu Fei glanced through them casually, intending to fulfill them only when she had idle time, completely unhurried.

In the meantime, the Left Supervisor sent several letters, though he did not come in person, merely sending a servant to relay that the date for the ink contest had been set and advising Gu Fei to make preparations.

Gu Fei was indifferent to whether she prepared or not. On the eve of the appointed day, she called Ziyuan to her room, and the two chatted for a long time. It was unclear what they discussed, but when Ziyuan left, a profound and subtle smile lingered on her face.

Early the next morning, Gu Fei had Nurse Ku find her an outfit: a plain white dress, bound simply at the waist with a colorful silk ribbon that accentuated her slender, willow-like waist. On her head, she wore a white gauze veil that reached down to her elbows, concealing every inch of her from head to toe so that not a single seam of skin was visible.

Once properly attired, she set out accompanied only by Nurse Ku and Nightingale. Just as she reached the courtyard gate, however, she suddenly remembered something, turned back, and said to Nurse Ku, "Nurse Ku, go and prepare some waterproof oiled paper to carry with you."

Though Nurse Ku had no idea what Gu Fei intended to do, she obeyed without hesitation, as she always did with Gu Fei's commands.

As June approached, the sun began to beat down with scorching heat. In the great capital city, there flowed a river of jade-green waves known as the Longyu River. The entire river was a tranquil, deep expanse of blue, winding like a jade belt that divided the capital into its eastern and western halves. Every night, the Longyu River was a lively spectacle of red-lacquered painted boats adorned with carved balustrades gliding back and forth, accompanied by the music of drums, zithers, and flutes, alongside enchanting courtesans and graceful dances.

Gu Fei knew of this river. When she had lived in the capital previously, she had occasionally visited it, walking only along the willow-shaded banks, never once taking a boat ride upon the water. Back then, her greatest wish had been to leisurely drift upon a boat with Le Qingbo—a wish that remained unfulfilled by the time she left the capital.

She stood on the riverbank, letting the soft willow branches brush against her clothes. Through the white gauze veil, she watched the Left Supervisor descend from a massive painted boat. He recognized Gu Fei, though he could not fathom why she was dressed in such a manner.

A boatman had already laid down a sturdy wooden plank. Nurse Ku pushed the wheelchair across the ramp. Stopping before the Left Supervisor, Gu Fei spoke from behind her veil, "I've broken out in a red rash on my face these past few days. I trust Young Master Zuo won't mind?"

The Left Supervisor suddenly recalled the ruthless methods Gu Fei had used against Gu Yuan that night. His hand, half-hidden in his sleeve, tightened, and he shook his head, saying, "It's nothing."

Gu Fei nodded, her gaze sweeping over the painted boat. It was certainly large enough. Its outer hull bore fresh red lacquer, and it featured hollowed-out balustrades and cascading pink silk drapes that swayed in the breeze. At both ends of the boat were several small partitioned rooms, presumably meant for guests to rest.

"Must we stay on this painted boat for three or four days?" she asked.

The Left Supervisor nodded. To prevent Gu Fei from feeling uneasy, he explained, "I've had this boat completely redecorated. Even staying here for three or four days, you won't feel stifled."

Gu Fei gave a light chuckle, pointed at the deck, and asked, "And below? Is there any risk of leaks or the boat sinking?"

The Left Supervisor cast a peculiar look at Gu Fei. He remembered this was the second time she had brought up such a concern. "Professional swimmers inspected it specially. This boat was built just this year; how could it leak? Besides, once the competition begins, I will have the boatmen row it to the center of the river, far out of anyone's reach, so no one can resort to underhanded tricks."

Though Gu Fei felt the Left Supervisor's words made sense, a lingering unease remained in her heart.

Hearing no response, the Left Supervisor assumed she was still worried and reassured her, "Rest assured, Gu girl. Even if something were to happen to me, I would certainly not let any harm come to you."

Gu Fei laughed softly, then realized that behind her veil, the Left Supervisor could not see her expression, and said, "I understand..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a crisp, oriole-like voice rang out from afar—

"Young Master Zuo, it has been a while. Qingke greets you here." Her voice arrived before her person.

Approaching the painted boat from a distance was a young woman of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light gauze gown of goose-yellow silk embroidered with sleeping crabapples. She wore her hair in a soaring cloud bun, pinned with a flying sparrow holding a South Sea pearl tassel, and matched with pearl-colored earrings. Her eyes were like autumn waters, moist and gleaming; when she gazed earnestly without speaking, she could intoxicate anyone with three parts of dizzying charm. With a delicate nose, lips that bloomed red without rouge, and a light plum blossom mark painted between her eyebrows, coupled with a naturally sweet and tender voice, she was unforgettable at first glance—possessing a peerless beauty that could topple cities and nations.

Mo Qingke, the number one beauty in the Great Yin Dynasty!

Her beauty lay not merely in her superior features, but in the aura of sanctity that radiated from her. Every flicker of her expression, every single movement, carried a natural, heavenly elegance. To call her a fairy untainted by mortal dust would be no exaggeration.

As she walked gracefully forward, she was flanked by a handsome, richly robed young man, followed closely by several personal maidservants.

The Left Supervisor had already gone forward to greet them. Gu Fei, standing near the entrance of the painted boat, watched through her white gauze as Mo Qingke drew closer step by step. On her second look, she spotted Le Qingbo walking by her side.

She wanted to laugh, expecting her heart to be consumed by monstrous resentment and hatred. Yet, upon seeing Mo Qingke once again at this moment, her heart remained as still as stagnant water, without a single ripple. Every fiber of her body was screaming and churning with feverish agitation, but her mind was chillingly, impeccably calm—rational to the point of feeling scarcely human.

Countless schemes unfurled within her mind like myriad spiderwebs, dense and intricate, each thread signifying a different outcome. In the three or four days she would spend on this painted boat, she had already devised well over a hundred ways to kill Mo Qingke without leaving a trace.

Yet, one by one, she dismissed them all.

The humiliation and hatred Mo Qingke had inflicted upon her—how could she end it so easily? She wanted to peel away her torment like a dull knife cutting flesh, taking it back piece by piece.

Killing a person was easy; making someone's life worse than death, however, was infinitely more difficult.

She knew Mo Qingke harbored the exact same intentions toward her.

Afterward, her gaze shifted to Le Qingbo. She saw him walking alongside Mo Qingke, his brows slightly furrowed, his face devoid of much smiling, yet offering a gentle, soft chuckle whenever Mo Qingke turned her head to whisper to him.

Her hands tightened around the armrests of her wheelchair. The promise made two years ago still echoed clearly in her ears. Yet, ever since she arrived in the capital, she had deliberately kept a low profile, revealing no news of herself, nor actively seeking out Le Qingbo. She wanted to see if he would truly go to any lengths to find out where she was.

If he truly cared, why would he still be ignorant of her whereabouts to this day?

Perhaps sensing Gu Fei's gaze, Le Qingbo, who had just stepped onto the boat, furrowed his brows a little deeper. He turned his head to look at Gu Fei, who was shrouded in white gauze, a look of contemplation crossing his eyes.

Gu Fei felt her chest heave violently, as though her heart might leap right out of her body.

Would he still be able to recognize her in this guise?

In reality, however—

Mo Qingke also noticed Gu Fei. She merely glanced at Gu Fei, then cast a sideways look at Le Qingbo before asking the Left Supervisor, "Young Master Zuo, who is this?"

The Left Supervisor did not want Gu Fei to have any contact with Mo Qingke. He casually waved a hand and said, "Just an apprentice who wanted to come onto the boat to observe Miss Mo's ink-making. Entrusted by a friend, I had no choice." With that, he even spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

Nurse Ku breathed a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief. If the Left Supervisor had not spoken thus, she would have stepped forward herself to conceal Gu Fei's identity. Though the two would inevitably meet, this was not the right time.

Mo Qingke withdrew her gaze. She gently tugged at Le Qingbo's sleeve, tilted her head slightly to reveal the graceful curve of her neck, and asked in a low voice, "Qingbo, let's go."

Le Qingbo gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, not casting another glance at Gu Fei, dismissing his fleeting sense of familiarity as an illusion, and followed Mo Qingke deeper into the boat.

Once the two of them had walked far away, Gu Fei relaxed her entire body. It felt as though she had exhausted every ounce of her strength; even the clothes across her spine were soaked through with sweat.

He had not recognized her. In the end, he still had not recognized her.

Gu Fei did not know whether she should feel grateful or heartbroken. The childhood sweetheart she had grown up with, the man who had promised her eternity through all lifetimes, was now accompanying her enemy, failing to recognize her even when standing face-to-face.

Nurse Ku could sense Gu Fei's emotional turmoil to some extent. She said to the Left Supervisor, who was waiting nearby, "Young Master Zuo, my young lady needs to apply medicine to her face. Is there a room available?"

The Left Supervisor was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Yes, it has been prepared already. This way, please."

After leading them into a small room, the Left Supervisor wanted to wait outside, but Mo Qingke needed his attention inside the main boat. Thus, he exchanged a brief word with Gu Fei through the door before turning away.

The small room was fully equipped with all necessities. Nurse Ku shut the door tightly, and Nightingale hurriedly removed the white veil from Gu Fei's head. At the very first glance, Nightingale froze. "Mistress, why are your eyes so red?"

Gu Fei was unaware of it. Nurse Ku came over to look, gasped in shock, and hurriedly fetched a bronze mirror for Gu Fei to see for herself.

In the small bronze mirror, her fair face remained utterly expressionless, save for her pupils, which were suffused with a blood-red hue like ink stained with fresh blood. It became the sole color on her face, resembling a solitary dot of cinnabar on white paper—desolate and distant, suffused with a silent grief.

She cast the mirror aside and instructed, "Prop the wooden window open a bit, and step outside."

Nightingale wanted to say something, but Nurse Ku pulled her back, making her swallow her words resentfully. Obediently, Nightingale propped the wooden window open by a crack and went outside with Nurse Ku. The two did not go far, standing guard just beyond the door.

Gu Fei turned her wheelchair closer to the wooden window. Through the narrow gap, she watched the deep blue, shimmering ripples of the water. Her black pupils transformed into vast, desolate stretches of desert, devoid of any remaining attachments.

Thus, she sat motionless from sunrise to midday, frozen like a statue.

The Left Supervisor came by several times, but Nurse Ku turned him away each time under the pretext that Gu Fei was suffering from seasickness.

On the painted boat, laughter and merriment had already erupted, as the ink contest was scheduled to begin in the afternoon.

This time, Mo Qingke had also brought her seventh sister, Mo Jingxiu, along, fully intending to have her spend some time with the Left Supervisor first. Annoyed beyond endurance by the disruption, the Left Supervisor finally found release when Gu Fei emerged from her room around lunchtime.

The very first thing she said upon seeing him was, "Young Master Zuo, how about I help you defeat Mo Qingke and utterly ruin her reputation?"