CG - Chapter 18
Chapter 18
After dinner, Wei Jinzhi first took Wu Gu to her room to rest. Mr. Wei sat on the sofa, continuing to watch television, while Mrs. Wei was in her room, calling family members one by one to share the good news. When Wei Jinzhi came out, Mr. Wei beckoned for her to come sit beside him. He had only listened during dinner without offering an opinion, waiting for a chance to speak with Wei Jinzhi alone.
"Your mother just told me she thinks that little girl has ill intentions and wants you to stay away from her." After speaking, he glanced at Wei Jinzhi's expression and chuckled. "If she were truly approaching you with ulterior motives, you wouldn't have gone to Huaishan with her, nor would you have brought her back here to care for her." His daughter wasn't a fool, after all. "Was she the one who cured your Yin Qi?"
Wei Jinzhi nodded. "That's why she was injured."
Mr. Wei had only asked casually, not truly believing Wu Gu had been the one to cure Wei Jinzhi. But when he saw his daughter nod, his eyes filled with astonishment. "She's so young, yet so capable."
A look of pride crossed Wei Jinzhi's face, but she said, "Dad, please wait until I've handled this matter before you tell Mom."
Mr. Wei nodded, trusting in his daughter's abilities. Noticing the happy, lovestruck expression on her face, he asked, "Do you like that little girl?"
Wei Jinzhi suddenly grew serious. "Yes, Dad."
Mr. Wei glanced toward the upstairs bedroom and lowered his voice. "Then you'd better figure out how to handle your mother. Ever since you were little, she's thought anyone who got close to you had bad intentions. If I hadn't persuaded and held her back, you wouldn't have even been able to go to school. If your mother finds out about this…" He suddenly shivered. "She'll raise hell."
Wei Jinzhi started to laugh. "Then you'll have to keep this a secret for me for the time being, too."
Seeing his daughter's rosy complexion and healthy glow, Mr. Wei said, "It's not that I'm against you finding a girl, but isn't she a bit too young? It's natural for young people to be drawn to beauty, but I'm afraid she's just caught up in the novelty of it all and is only with you on a whim. I worry that once she's a little older and more mature, she'll lose interest in you." Like any father, he was afraid of his daughter being the one to get hurt.
Wei Jinzhi couldn't help but laugh. "Dad, nothing's even started yet. You're getting way ahead of yourself." She stood up. "I actually have something to discuss with her. You can just stay here and watch TV." She glanced upstairs, then looked back and whispered, "Remember to keep it a secret."
Wu Gu was lying in bed, receiving concerned messages from her roommates. The moment Wei Jinzhi entered, she put down her phone and flashed a brilliant smile. Wei Jinzhi froze for a second, torn between wanting Wu Gu by her side and not wanting her in danger. She sat down on the edge of the bed and delivered her rehearsed speech. "Wu Gu, am I the most dangerous situation you've ever encountered in your entire life?"
Wu Gu thought for a moment. There had been more dangerous situations before, but Lao Wu had been with her then. So, she nodded. Wei Jinzhi asked another question. "Have you ever envisioned your future?"
"Does graduating and finding a job count?"
Wei Jinzhi said softly, "It does. You must have imagined that after graduation, you'd have a good job, a partner who understands and cherishes you, and that you'd build a warm little home together."
Wu Gu had occasionally had such fantasies, but she thought Wei Jinzhi was acting a little strange tonight. She asked, "Sister Wei, what's wrong?"
Wei Jinzhi looked at her and decided to speak more plainly. "Wu Gu, I shouldn't be an accident in your life. You shouldn't have to face dangers you were never meant to face. You were right—Ma Zhenshan definitely has more tricks up his sleeve. He's more trouble than I imagined, and I don't want you to be in danger. I've found an apartment for you near your university, and I'll hire a woman to take care of your meals. From now on, please don't get involved in my affairs anymore."
Those few sentences made Wu Gu feel awful. Her heart ached with a sense of grievance, and she wanted to cry, but more than that, she was angry. She said, "How can you be like this? The moment I help you break the curse, you want to draw a line between us. You're just casting me aside now that you don't need me! Why should I listen to you?"
Wei Jinzhi reached out to wipe away Wu Gu's tears, but the other girl dodged her hand. She lowered her arm, her own heart aching. "I'm afraid something will happen to you. Have you forgotten that your master told you not to meddle in other people's business? You need to be good."
"My master told me not to meddle because he was afraid I'd get entangled in karma. I've already broken your curse, so that karma is already attached to me. What's the point of telling me not to get involved now?"
Wei Jinzhi didn't understand this concept of karma, but she understood that Wu Gu could no longer remain uninvolved. She took Wu Gu's hand, feeling both a little relieved and a little regretful. She said, "I'm very worried that Ma Zhenshan has other powerful tricks that could hurt you. This injury to your foot already makes me feel terribly guilty."
Wu Gu wiped her tears with her free hand and said angrily, "You should worry about yourself. I can even break a curse laid by a Ghost King; I don't need you to worry about me." With that, she turned her head to the side, refusing to look at Wei Jinzhi.
Wei Jinzhi sighed, scooted closer, and pulled her into an embrace. "Are you angry?"
Wu Gu started crying again. "How can you be like this? Trying to kick me out now that you've used me. If Ma Zhenshan killed you, I'd be sad too, you know? I've helped you so much, and you still don't trust me at all."
Wei Jinzhi was clearly doing this for Wu Gu's own good, wanting her to be safe, yet these accusations made her reflect on her own apparent heartlessness. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How did their conversations always end up going in the wrong direction? She was about to be led completely astray by Wu Gu. She coaxed, "Let's not be angry for now, okay? Let's talk."
"If you're going to say those things again, then I don't want to talk."
"Can we talk about how to deal with Ma Zhenshan?"
Wu Gu said, "Summer break starts in a month. You can come home with me. There's bound to be a solution among the things Master left behind. And even if there isn't, I can ask Granny. She's lived for so many years; there's nothing she hasn't seen."
"Mm. In the next few months, Ma Zhenshan will definitely find all sorts of excuses to come after me. If I hire too many helpers, it will inevitably alert him. All things considered, it's safest to stay here. You shouldn't go to school for the time being, either. I'd be worried."
Wu Gu tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Wei Jinzhi. She asked, "Is that all?"
Wei Jinzhi suddenly felt her confidence waver. She shook her head. "That's about it. You should get some rest. I'll go warm some milk for you."
Wu Gu was not satisfied. "Are you still trying to break up our partnership?"
Wei Jinzhi said helplessly, "No, no, we won't. If I try again, you'll probably start crying and throwing a fit."
Wu Gu scoffed. "I would not. Master said a person must have integrity. If you try to break up our partnership again, I really will ignore you."
The thought of Wu Gu actually ignoring her was more than Wei Jinzhi could bear. Forget it, she thought. I'll just do my best and leave the rest to fate. "So, may I go warm your milk now?"
Wu Gu pouted. "Mm."
Wei Jinzhi couldn't resist pinching her cheek. Her gaze shifted and happened to land on Wu Gu's moist, alluring lips. She hastily let go and left the room. At nineteen, Wu Gu was just barely an adult. This inexplicable feeling of guilt was giving Wei Jinzhi a headache. While warming the milk, she wondered again if it was a deliberate arrangement by the heavens that Wu Gu had been born the same year she was cursed. Perhaps they were destined to meet, and Wu Gu was destined to be the one to break her curse.
Zhou Mao made a trip to Huaishan. He wandered around the mountain but couldn't find the earth vein, nor could he detect anything unusual. After a fruitless search, he went to Huaishang Palace to question the Daoist master there. After Zhou Mao announced his affiliation, Daoist Sun—the old Daoist—came out to greet him. Ma Zhenshan was quite famous in the Tianshi Association, whereas Daoist Sun only held some prestige in the Huaishan area.
Zhou Mao asked, "Daoist Sun, my master ordered me to come and inquire whether anything unusual occurred on Huaishan yesterday."
Daoist Sun narrowed his eyes, staring at him. "Did Ma Zhenshan send you to compensate Huaishang Palace for its losses?"
Zhou Mao was confused. "What?"
"Aren't you here to offer compensation for those three people who came into the mountains yesterday and caused a ruckus?" Daoist Sun eyed Zhou Mao, his tone unfriendly. "Three grown adults, what are they doing playing at mountain exploration? They even activated my Huaishan's great formation, causing the earth vein to become unstable and fluctuate intensely. If this old Daoist hadn't noticed early and gone into the mountains to check, the three of them would have nearly escaped."
Hearing this, Zhou Mao realized the stories matched up. He asked again, "But I heard from the people at the foot of the mountain that you personally escorted them down."
"Oh," Daoist Sun said casually. "That's because the uninjured woman said she would pay to have Huaishang Palace renovated. When this old Daoist heard that, I thought it was a wonderful idea, so I escorted them down the mountain." He then asked, "So are you here to offer compensation or not? Do you have any idea how much of Huaishan's spiritual energy was lost due to the earth vein's fluctuation, and how great the impact is on my Huaishang Palace?"
Zhou Mao shook his head, thinking the man was greedy and trying to extort him. "Didn't Miss Wei already agree to renovate Huaishang Palace?"
"That's not the same thing. Renovation is renovation, and compensation is compensation. If you're not here to offer compensation, then please leave. This old Daoist is very busy drawing talismans every day. I won't see you out."
After Zhou Mao left, the old Daoist grinned, amazed by his own acting. It was as if he had discovered a new way to make money. However, he also thought that the next time the 'little friend' came to Huaishang Palace, he very much wanted to teach her his sect's techniques. The world was a complex place, and people's hearts were treacherous. She was young and a girl; strengthening her abilities was the best course of action.
Zhou Mao returned and reported what he had found to Ma Zhenshan. Although Ma Zhenshan was anxious, he knew he had to wait for another opportunity. With Wu Gu recovering at the Changshan Villa, Wei Jinzhi was going out even less. He slowly combed his hair with his fingers, again and again, his gaze growing increasingly venomous. He would let Wei Jinzhi enjoy her peace for a few more days. If all else failed, there was still the option of forcibly snatching her living soul. There was no rush; he had plenty of methods.
Wu Gu stayed at the Changshan Villa for the better part of a month, feeling utterly content. With final exams approaching, most of the semester's classes had already concluded. Since she didn't have to go to the university, her days consisted of eating and sleeping. When the weather was nice, Wei Jinzhi would push her outside for a stroll; when the weather was bad, she would study diligently at home to protect her scholarship.
Hearing her talk about her desire for the scholarship money, Wei Jinzhi asked, "Are you short on funds?"
Wu Gu saw Wei Jinzhi looking at her with an expression that screamed, Just ask me, I'm very rich, and said seriously, "Don't you dare undermine my determination to work hard and persevere."
Wei Jinzhi shrugged. "Alright, then."
That evening after dinner, Wu Gu's academic advisor called to check on her leg injury and inform her about the exam schedule. Before hanging up, he asked a strange question. "Who is taking care of you right now?"
"A sister."
"I don't recall you ever mentioning you had a sister before."
"Oh, we only met recently. Is something wrong, advisor?"
"It's nothing. I just think that since you only just met, you shouldn't impose on someone for too long. You could come back to the university. Liu Ningyu and the others can help take care of you. Besides, exams are coming up soon, and it's not as safe out there as it is on campus."
"Okay, advisor. I'll come back in a couple of days."
After she hung up, Wei Jinzhi asked, "Your advisor wants you to go back to the university?"
"He's probably worried I'll get mixed up with bad people. He can be a bit of a nag, but he's looked out for me ever since my first year."
She was more or less right, though the advisor was specifically afraid she had joined some sort of superstitious cult. The issue had started with Zhao Shu. Her roommates' fondness for Wu Gu had led to her feeling isolated, and after the scare Wu Gu had given her, she had decided she wanted to change dorms. When she told the advisor, he refused and kept asking for her reasons. She gave every excuse she could think of—poor health, a preference for quiet, not getting along with her roommates—but the advisor dismissed them all. Finally, she told him that Wu Gu had a paper talisman posted on her wall, and it scared her at night.
She just wanted to change rooms as quickly as possible and didn't think much of mentioning the talisman. The problem was that the advisor had always been particularly concerned about Wu Gu. He worried about her being all alone with no family to look after her, having come from a small town to a big metropolis like North City to study. He figured she was simple-minded and easily deceived, which led to the contents of that evening's phone call.
A few days before final exams began, Wu Gu returned to the university. The car stopped at the school gate, and Wei Jinzhi left Wu Yong in the car, getting out to push Wu Gu's wheelchair onto campus herself. She had recently hired a private trainer and had been working out at home, wanting to be useful when it mattered.
Liu Ningyu and Cao Zhenzhen were waiting downstairs at the dormitory. When they saw Wu Gu approaching in a wheelchair, they both pretended to wipe away tears. "Oh, you poor thing. Your leg is so fragile, breaking just like that."
Cao Zhenzhen was the first to spot Wei Jinzhi. "Wow," she exclaimed. "Wu Gu, where did you meet such a beautiful woman?"
Liu Ningyu looked up and was also stunned. "Wu Gu, we're all classmates here. It's not very nice of you to keep her to yourself."
Wu Gu rolled her eyes at both of them and said to Wei Jinzhi, "Sister Wei, don't pay any attention to them."
Cao Zhenzhen caught on quickly. "Hello, Sister Wei. My name is Cao Zhenzhen."
"Sister Wei, I'm Liu Ningyu."
Wei Jinzhi greeted them politely. The smile hadn't yet faded from her face when Wu Gu looked up and saw it, suddenly feeling a sense of crisis. Her gentle, beautiful Sister Wei was simply too captivating. Wei Jinzhi looked down at her and patted her on the head. Wu Gu's eyes curved into crescents as she beamed back at Wei Jinzhi.
Wei Jinzhi helped Wu Gu upstairs while Liu Ningyu and Cao Zhenzhen followed behind with the wheelchair and crutches. Once inside the dorm, Wei Jinzhi took special note of Wu Gu's living environment but didn't linger. Before she left, she repeated her instructions one more time, still feeling uneasy. Wu Gu pressed her lips together and watched her with pleading eyes, not wanting her to go. She's so young, Wei Jinzhi thought, yet she's already quite the little temptress.
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