Chapter 327 Returning Home

Gu Huaizhi settled Su Wan in properly. He watched her eat a bowl of rice, coaxed her into drinking a bowl of soup, and only then made his way to the east wing.

Mother Gu and Gu Baozhu were keeping vigil at the bedside. A single oil lamp burned on the table, its warm glow unable to dispel the heavy atmosphere that lingered in the room.

Gu Huaizhi stood at the entrance of the inner chamber, his eyes quietly fixed on the man lying in bed. His gaze was so dark it seemed to absorb all light.

“Big Brother.” Gu Baozhu caught sight of Gu Huaizhi and called out crisply before throwing herself into his arms. Tears streamed down her face. “He—he saved me and Mother.”

Gu Huaizhi held the little girl in his arms and gently wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks with his thumb. He asked softly, “Are you hurt?”

Gu Baozhu shook her head. Now that she had someone to rely on, she burst into tears with a loud “wah!”

“So many people came, and they all had bows and arrows, and weapons that could hurt people. I was so scared… and so useless. I got Mother hurt, and I got him hurt too.”

Gu Huaizhi gently pried open her hand that was clutching his sleeve. Her fair palm had a patch of skin scraped off, with a thin scab of dried blood forming over it.

“Are there any other injuries?” Gu Huaizhi pressed lightly on the wound in her palm. Gu Baozhu gasped from the pain, drawing in a sharp breath and letting her tears fall even faster, utterly aggrieved.

But Gu Huaizhi showed no sympathy. “Now you feel the pain? Then why didn’t you ask the doctor to treat it? There’s still grit inside. If it isn’t cleaned out, the wound won’t heal properly. It’ll hurt even more.”

Gu Baozhu pouted, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Doctor Chen, please take care of her wound,” Gu Huaizhi said, giving her a light push in Doctor Chen’s direction.

Gu Baozhu trudged over, looking pitiful and aggrieved.

Doctor Chen understood what Gu Huaizhi meant. “It’s my duty. There’s no such thing as troublesome or not.”

He then called to Gu Baozhu, “Little girl, there’s no medicine for wounds here. Come with me to the pharmacy.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Gu Baozhu sniffled, her eyes still red as she followed Doctor Chen out.

Gu Huaizhi waited until the door closed, then slowly walked over to the bedside.

Mother Gu wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and asked with concern, “Why have you come back? Is Jingyun all right?”

“The matter has temporarily come to an end. Jingyun is doing well,” Gu Huaizhi replied, taking a seat beside Mother Gu. He looked at her reddened eyes, then glanced at Gu Qingsong, and a hint of understanding rose in his heart. “Are you planning to forgive him?”

“There’s no deep hatred between your father and me. It’s just that our fate as husband and wife came to an end. What happened to your second brother has always been a thorn in my heart. But today, he saved Baozhu, and from the bottom of my heart, I’m grateful to him. I no longer resent him.”

Mother Gu never cared much about her own life—her children meant more to her than anything. “Baozhu cares about him a lot. The door of this home won’t be shut to him. If he wants to come, let him come.”

She never thought about reconciliation. Back when they got married, the two of them slowly adapted to each other. It was a quiet, steady companionship, not some grand, sweeping love story of life and death.

Nearly ten years had passed in between. She was no longer the woman she once was, and he was no longer the same Gu Qingsong. The two of them had become strangers.

“Feelings grow through time spent together. No matter how deep the bond once was, if you’re apart for too long, it fades. Even if there’s still a trace of affection left, it’s for the person in memory—for who he used to be.”

Mother Gu’s heart had changed. She had come to terms with everything, and felt calm inside. She gently touched her own face. “Not just me. Even to your father, I’m a stranger now.”

Since she was young, she had often heard her grandmother say: “At home, obey your father; after marriage, obey your husband; when your husband dies, obey your son.”

A woman who knows how to manage a household well is one her man will cherish. No one likes a rude and unreasonable shrew.

She had fallen for Gu Qingsong at first sight and took her grandmother’s words to heart, striving to be a gentle and virtuous woman.

He liked her gentleness and attentiveness, liked how obedient she was, how completely she relied on him.

Whenever he encountered loud and aggressive women in the village arguing, he would frown deeply and steer clear from afar.

And now, she had become the very image of what he disliked. If the two of them were to start over based on the feelings of the past, how would that be any different from merely settling?

Besides, at her age, she no longer valued romance and affection.

“Whatever you decide is fine,” Gu Huaizhi said, understanding his mother’s meaning. They could keep in contact, look after each other if needed—this man was their father, but he was no longer her husband.

Mother Gu gazed at Gu Qingsong’s face. He looked even thinner than before, the contours of his features sharper and more rugged. The scar across the bridge of his nose added to his masculine presence and hinted at the hardships he had endured.

When the doctor had stopped the bleeding and bandaged him, they had seen his body covered in scars. His achievements had been bought with near-death experiences.

To give it all up now would be too great a shame.

“When your father recovers, try to persuade him to return to Xiliang,” Mother Gu said sincerely.

Gu Huaizhi responded with a quiet “Mm” and stayed by her side, waiting with her for him to wake.

During this period, Gu Huaizhi had been working nonstop, barely getting any sleep. The room was so quiet that, leaning against the bedpost, he dozed off with his eyes closed.

Mother Gu fetched a cloak and gently draped it over him. When she saw the dark shadows under Gu Huaizhi’s eyes, her heart ached for him. Yet apart from feeling pained, she could do nothing to ease his burden.

After the chaos of today’s battle, Mother Gu was both physically and emotionally exhausted. Unable to hold on any longer, she eventually fell asleep, slumped over at the bedside.

When Doctor Chen brought Gu Baozhu back, he saw the scene and quietly urged her to return to her room to sleep. The two of them withdrew silently.

Bang, bang, bang—

The night watch sounded.

Gu Qingsong’s brow furrowed. His eyelids twitched a few times, then slowly opened.

The light in the room stung his eyes, and he shut them uncomfortably. After a while, he slowly opened them again.

His eyes were filled with confusion. The bed curtains were unfamiliar—this wasn’t where he usually stayed.

When he tried to move his body and sit up, a sharp pain from the wound in his chest contorted his facial muscles. In that instant, his memories came flooding back.

Gu Qingsong turned his head and saw Mother Gu and Gu Huaizhi at the bedside. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, but it was soon followed by a sense of inevitability.

He couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. It was a rare moment of quiet, with the whole family gathered together.

After moving in next door, he had struggled to find a way to break the ice between himself and the mother of his child.

Every morning, Gu Baozhu would sit by the window doing embroidery, and he would sit on the wall to watch her, hoping to gradually dissolve the distance between them.

He had thought of a plan: he would deliberately tear the sleeve of his clothing, then ask Gu Baozhu to help mend it—as a first step toward reconciliation.

He had cut the sleeve days ago, but Gu Qingsong never found the courage to approach her, afraid that the closer he tried to get, the more she would push him away.

It had taken him a great deal of resolve to finally decide that he would speak to Gu Baozhu the next day. But that very night, the Gu Residence was attacked. After that, they moved away, and he never had the chance again.

Gu Qingsong had considered finding another house and moving next door once more. But then he thought—what if she truly wanted to draw a clear line between them? Would his persistence only bring her more distress?

Unable to settle his thoughts, he had decided to try one last time. If her attitude remained firm and she still refused to forgive him, then he would return to his hometown and relocate his second son’s remains to the Gu family’s ancestral tomb.

He hadn’t expected to arrive just in time to save the mother and daughter. In the instant he collapsed, he had felt a strange sense of relief.

“You… you’re awake?” Mother Gu opened her eyes and met Gu Qingsong’s gaze. She froze for a moment, then quickly asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Gu Qingsong shook his head. His lips moved, and in a hoarse voice, he said, “I’m fine. Don’t burden yourself with guilt. Jingyun’s identity is no ordinary one, and danger follows those around him. Once I recover and things have stabilized for Jingyun, I won’t bother you anymore. I plan to return to my hometown.”