The girl in the corner felt her limbs go weak.
In the dead of night, the ghost-like youth in white held her tightly, gripping as if she were his enemy. Yet when he lifted the mask, his movements were unexpectedly gentle.
She remembered the words the older woman at the clinic had told her, so she threw her arms around him, buried her face in his chest, and began to sob.
The sound of weeping drifted out.
Hearing it from outside, Ji'an was furious.
"You beast in human clothing! What are you doing?!"
Cheng Bi held him tightly and soothed, "Probably she's just too happy."
"You master and servant are both despicable!"
Cheng Bi smiled. "Do you want me to break your legs?"
Ji'an stuck his neck out. "If you have the guts, cut off my head!"
Cheng Bi then made a chopping motion with his hand and struck him hard on the neck. The young assistant, who had been shouting, immediately passed out.
Shan Ming, seeing his pitiable state, took pity on him and carried him back to his bed. The others waited outside the corner room.
The crying continued for a long time.
Inside, the girl, who had been wailing, noticed that the uninvited intruder hadn't moved and was simply letting her hold him. She began to feel uneasy.
"Had enough crying?"
Gu Lanyin patted her back. "I'll settle accounts with you another time."
He lifted her chin and, with some effort, fully removed the slightly comical mask.
The room fell silent.
Gu Lanyin looked at her cross-eyed face, paused for a moment, then a smile crept to the corners of his lips. He didn't seem angry at all about the trick. His demeanor made the substitute little girl relax a bit.
"Good child, why did you come here tonight? Aren't your parents worried?" His tone was quite gentle.
The cross-eyed girl, seeing she couldn't hide it any longer, told the truth. "I'm a helper at the Emerald Tower. I was sick a few days ago, and Sister Ping'an boiled medicine for me. Earlier tonight, she came to me and asked me to help her."
"So you wore the mask and waited for me. Even the crying—did she tell you to do that?"
The cross-eyed girl looked up timidly. The youth before her had delicate features, fair skin, red lips, and a soft voice. He wasn't as bad as Sister Ping'an had said. Judging by his appearance, she thought she might as well be honest.
"Sister said if I didn't cry, you'd hit me. I—I was afraid you'd beat me, and then I wouldn't be able to work…"
"I'm not that bad. Good child, you're so obedient. I wouldn't have the heart to hurt you."
Gu Lanyin calmed her down and began to ask about He Ping'an.
The cross-eyed girl had completely forgotten the murderous look he had when he burst in moments ago. She poured out everything—when He Ping'an had come, when she left, and where she was headed.
"I see."
Gu Lanyin looked down at the mask. He smiled, but as he did, his eyes turned cold.
She had known all along that Wan Niang was here. She had watched her grow so ill she was nothing but skin and bones. She had watched in cold indifference as Wan Niang was bullied.
How could she bear to take everything from her and then walk away without a care?
Gu Lanyin left the clinic.
The next day, the entire clinic was bought out. The old doctor stared at the money—more than he could ever spend in several lifetimes—in shock. Ji'an was even more dumbfounded and couldn't speak.
Cheng Bi put an arm around Ji'an to reassure him.
"This is for your own good. That Zhang Tu, the butcher, is one old and one young here. If he loses his temper, he might beat you to death. Now that our young master, out of kindness, has bought this place, if that butcher dares to cause trouble, we can immediately have him sent to the authorities. Of course, the young master also thought you might be short-handed, so he's giving you a worker for free. She may be cross-eyed, but she's simple-minded and strong—a good hand for labor."
Ji'an looked at the dull, cross-eyed girl, but his thoughts were still on Ping'an.
Cheng Bi was sharp as a tack. He smiled and warned, "Don't you ever say He Ping'an is your fiancée again. Our young master wouldn't like it."
"What is He Ping'an to him?" the old doctor asked, genuinely curious.
Cheng Bi thought for a moment. "Sister-in-law."
"Then he, as a brother-in-law, is really meddling too much," the old doctor scoffed.
Cheng Bi immediately retorted, "You wouldn't want a fool like this to become his brother-in-law, would you?"
He wouldn't even know how he died.
*
Gu Lanyin and his party rested at the inn for a few days.
Wan Niang obediently took her medicine and recovered somewhat. On the day they were about to return to their hometown, Zhang Tu mysteriously appeared.
Zhao Wan Niang stayed in the carriage and refused to show herself. Just hearing the man's rough voice made her heart sink.
Zhang Tu had heard that his fiancée was leaving with a pretty-faced boy. It was as if a family heirloom had been stolen. Furious, he stormed over to block them. But when he actually saw the refined, jade-like youth, the luxurious carriage, the strong, sturdy servants, he felt a sudden sense of inferiority.
He told himself he might lose the fight, but he couldn't lose face. After all, he had saved her. Why would she leave without even wanting to see him?
"Wan Niang! Come out!"
Gu Lanyin gave him a once-over but before he could speak, Cheng Bi beside him cursed, "You? You're not even worthy to call our young mistress by her name! Why don't you take a piss and see yourself in it!"