Chapter 136: You Don’t Bear the Surname Su, but Gu

A slender figure dressed in moon-white robes slowly strolled out from inside.

Su Wan had imagined many ways in which Gu Huaizhi might emerge from the examination courtyard. No matter where he was or what the situation, he always appeared as dignified and serene as the clear sky after a rain, standing at the doorway like a solitary and lofty snow pine.

His gaze swept distantly over the crowd, sharp and perceptive. Whatever he saw seemed to soften his entire demeanor, turning it as gentle and calm as water, with a kind of indescribable tenderness.

Gu Huaizhi spotted Su Wan in the crowd at a glance. Sunlight reflected in his eyes, and a warm glow gradually spilled out from them.

His steps were steady as he walked towards Su Wan.

Mo Yuan, seeing that his master had arrived, was just about to step forward to greet him.

“Don’t go. The master doesn’t need us to greet him!” Mo Chen grabbed Mo Yuan’s hand, pulling him in the opposite direction from Su Wan, only to be yanked back by Mo Yuan.

Mo Yuan’s face was cold. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

You’re the one being ridiculous!

You’re the one who’s clueless!

Mo Chen pouted towards Mo Yuan’s back, gesturing for him to look for himself.

Mo Yuan turned his head to see Gu Huaizhi brushing past them, moving through the crowd, and heading straight towards his target—Su Wan.

“Do you think we’re being an eyesore? Are we unnecessary?”

Mo Chen pulled Mo Yuan away from the crowd. “If the mistress catches on and exposes the master’s identity, you’ll be in for a beating!”

Mo Yuan didn’t fully agree, feeling that this wasn’t quite right.

The master clearly cares deeply for the mistress; he’s planning to spend his life with her. The mistress has a strong personality and won’t tolerate deceit. If he keeps deceiving her, and his identity is exposed later, there will be serious consequences.

Gu Huaizhi was completely unaware of his subordinates’ concerns for him. The moment he stepped out of the examination courtyard and saw Su Wan waiting in the crowd with an eager anticipation posture, he felt a rare sense of joy.

“Why did you come?” Gu Huaizhi’s gaze fell on Su Wan’s face, noticing she seemed slimmer than before. “Have you been busy lately? You’ve lost weight.”

“A girl looks better with a slimmer figure; skirts look prettier that way.” Su Wan’s finger touched his chin, feeling the slight stubble that had grown, which was a bit prickly. “You’ve lost quite a bit of weight yourself. You’ve been inside for so many days, using your mind, not eating well, and not sleeping well.”

She tugged on a corner of Gu Huaizhi’s sleeve, and walked towards the carriage with light steps. “I brought you something to eat. Hurry and have some before it gets cold and loses its flavor.”

With a smile radiating across Su Wan’s face, all of Gu Huaizhi’s weariness seemed to dissipate. He followed her onto the carriage.

“Autumn is dry, so I made yam and fish congee. It’s good for nourishing the spleen and moistening dryness.” Su Wan opened the food container and carefully held a bowl of congee in both hands, offering it to Gu Huaizhi. “Try it and see if you like the taste.”

Seeing her eager expression, Gu Huaizhi couldn’t help but smile. “To be honest, your cooking skills are quite good.”

Su Wan’s lips curled up in a small, proud smile as she pushed the bowl of congee a little closer, signaling him to eat it quickly.

Gu Huaizhi took the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and tasted it.

The yam was sweet and crisp, the fish slices tender, and the congee was cooked to a smooth and soft consistency. The flavor was excellent, clearing away the heaviness in his stomach, so he couldn’t help but eat a few more bites.

“There’s also sweet soup and buns. Don’t just focus on the congee,” Su Wan said as she arranged the food on the small table. “Today, you’ll eat lightly to balance your stomach. Tomorrow, I’ll make you something more substantial.”

“Alright.” Gu Huaizhi ate half a bowl of congee, one bun, and a couple of spoonfuls of sweet soup.

Su Wan hadn’t had breakfast, so she ate the remaining three buns and finished the sweet soup.

Gu Huaizhi’s gaze subtly lingered on the now-empty bowl of sweet soup, his eyes unintentionally drifting over to Su Wan. She didn’t seem to think there was anything unusual about the two of them sharing a bowl of food, as she was now sipping water from a bamboo tube.

Su Wan, her cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of water, looked at him in confusion.

Is something wrong?

Gu Huaizhi’s jaw tightened slightly as he suppressed the subtle emotions stirring within him. “Are we returning to the countryside today?”

“If you’re tired, we can go back tomorrow,” Su Wan said after swallowing the water, as she placed the empty bowl back into the food container. “I bought a house in the prefectural city and turned it into a workshop. I haven’t bought any bedding or anything yet, so we’ll have to stay at an inn.”

Only then did Gu Huaizhi realize that she had been so busy with the workshop that she had worn herself thin.

In a calm voice, he replied, “We’ll go back today.”

Su Wan nodded, then after a moment of thought, she asked him, “I need to hire people to work in the workshop. Can you help me find a medicine apprentice who understands medical principles?”

Gu Huaizhi wanted to say no, but when he opened his mouth, he found himself saying, “Give me some time.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you!” Su Wan cheerfully praised, “You’re amazing, knowing so many people.”

“Not really,” Gu Huaizhi responded, his back straight against the carriage wall as he slightly closed his eyes to rest. “I’ll give you an update tomorrow.”

Su Wan tilted her head to observe Gu Huaizhi. A beam of sunlight filtered through the carriage’s curtain, casting a shadow on his brow, highlighting the deep and defined lines of his features. The shadow under his eyes made him look even more weary.

He looked extremely tired, and Su Wan thought about suggesting they stay in the prefectural city for a day. That way, she could personally oversee things and avoid another trip later, while Gu Huaizhi could get some proper rest.

Before she could voice her thoughts, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt. From outside, Qi Third’s urgent and angry voice called out, “Young lady, there’s a problem with the medicine we sent to Guangren Hall!”

Su Wan’s expression turned serious as she lifted the curtain and looked at Qi Third, who was sitting astride his horse. “What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly what’s going on. Some other medical halls, pharmacies, and common folk who bought wound medicine from Guangren Hall have complained that it didn’t work, and some even experienced festering wounds. They’re accusing Guangren Hall of selling fake medicine and demanding an explanation from Shopkeeper Qian.

The medicine apprentice at Guangren Hall somehow heard about this and found out we’re staying at the house on Xuanwu Street. They came over to ask you to come and give the people an explanation.”

Qi Third’s face was extremely grim. “When Shopkeeper Qian sold the medicine, he promised the buyers that if it was fake, he would compensate them tenfold.”

Now, it’s unclear whether the people who bought the medicine are intentionally causing trouble to get compensation, or if Guangren Hall actually pulled some trick and sold fake medicine to the public.

Su Wan’s expression darkened. She gave Qi Third a few quick instructions, then ordered the driver, “To Guangren Hall!”

Regardless of which situation it is, they’ll know once they get to the scene.

Su Wan let down the curtain and sat back down on the bench, only to meet Gu Huaizhi’s deep, dark eyes, which held a trace of concern.

He asked, “Is there a problem with the medicine?”

“Yes, I’m going to check it out,” Su Wan replied, gritting her teeth, unable to suppress a cold smile. “If Guangren Hall is playing tricks, I swear I won’t let them get away with it. If I don’t make sure they rot in prison for the rest of their lives, I might as well not be named Su.”

“You were never really named Su in the first place,” Gu Huaizhi calmly reminded her. “You’re of the Gu family.”

Su Wan: “…”

She rubbed her now-warm ears, unable to retort with, “We’re just a plastic couple, why take it so seriously?”

The carriage stopped in front of Guangren Hall, and Su Wan quickly jumped down.

A crowd had gathered at the entrance of Guangren Hall, all angrily denouncing Shopkeeper Qian.

Shopkeeper Qian, standing at the door, was at his wit’s end. He couldn’t fathom why the medicine had been ineffective and had even worsened the wounds. Sweat was pouring down his face from the stress. “Please, calm down! Yelling at me or hitting me won’t solve the problem. I promised you all before that if the medicine was fake, I’d compensate you tenfold.”

He swiftly shifted the blame onto Su Wan, saying, “I’ve already sent someone to fetch Doctor Su. She developed this medicine, and she will ensure you all receive a fair explanation.”