Chapter 79

Gu Zhi paused for a moment and changed the subject, "I'm hungry. Go buy me something to eat."

"Alright, I'll have the waiter make some dishes and bring them up immediately," Ku Li was about to go out.

"I want the snacks from Xiang Su Pavilion!" Gu Zhi suddenly said.

Xiang Su Pavilion was quite far from here, on the other side of Main Street. Gu Zhi had gone there before to buy snacks for Sang Li.

Cai Na and the others had chosen a more secluded inn because they were afraid of being recognized.

"Chief, I don't know where Xiang Su Pavilion is," Ku Li said.

"You don't know where it is? Can't you go out and ask someone?" Gu Zhi said in a deep voice.

Cai Na looked at Ku Li and said, "You go. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him."

"Alright." Only then did Ku Li open the door and leave.

Gu Zhi sat on the bed without saying another word.

Cai Na sat down in the chair next to him and asked, "I heard you were bought away from Fu Hua Building before. Who bought you?"

Gu Zhi looked at her, his tone a little cold, "It's none of your business to ask about my affairs!"

Cai Na was startled. She felt that Gu Zhi seemed to have reverted to how he used to be. She tentatively asked, "Have you regained your memories?"

Gu Zhi did not speak, and Cai Na did not know if he was acquiescing or not.

"You don't have to take that attitude with me. I'm the saintess of the Miao people, and I'm destined to marry you sooner or later. It's useless even if you don't like me."

Gu Zhi still did not speak. He figured Ku Li should have walked far away by now, so he stood up, intending to leave.

Cai Na immediately blocked his way. "Where are you going?"

"The toilet. What, are you going to follow me there too?"

"......"

"Since I've agreed to go back with you all, I won't run away." Gu Zhi pushed her hand away and walked out the door.

Cai Na was still a little worried, so she followed him out.

When Gu Zhi reached the toilet entrance, he paused and glanced back. Then he opened the door and went inside.

Seeing that he had entered the toilet, Cai Na waited outside.

But after waiting for two quarters of an hour, Gu Zhi still hadn't come out.

Cai Na immediately realized something was wrong. She burst in, but there was no sign of Gu Zhi inside. She looked up and saw the window had been pried open. Annoyed, she stomped her foot and rushed back out.

...

Gu Zhi ran out, not knowing where to go. He wanted to go to Four Beauties Pavilion to see Sang Li, but Xiang Su Pavilion was close to Four Beauties Pavilion, and he was afraid of running into Ku Li.

He didn't dare wander the streets either, so he walked aimlessly until he unknowingly arrived at Qinglin Courtyard.

He looked at the closed courtyard gate, knowing they were probably all at Four Beauties Pavilion now.

Gu Zhi's eyes darkened slightly as Sang Li's figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind, from the first time they met at Fu Hua Building, to when she saved him on the street later on, gently applying medicine to his wounds.

The two of them teaching guests games together at Four Beauties Pavilion, eating hot pot together, him cooking for Sang Li, making shoes for her.

Gu Zhi sat in front of Qinglin Courtyard's gate, leaning against it with his eyes closed, looking as lonely as an untended sculpture in his red clothes.

Sister, why can't you just accept me?

After who knows how long, the sky had already darkened, with dense clouds gathering, seeming to herald a storm.

Gu Zhi opened his eyes, knowing Sang Li and the others would probably be back soon, so he immediately got up and left.

He wanted to see Sang Li, but those two Miao people were looking for him now, and he didn't want to implicate her either.

Gu Zhi hid in a corner not far away, watching until Sang Li and the others returned and entered the house.

But Sang Li was walking at the back. It was as if she sensed something, so she looked back outside. Gu Zhi immediately withdrew and hid.

Sang Li swept her gaze left and right but didn't see anyone.

Just then, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. Then came the pattering of raindrops.

"Sister Li, hurry inside! It's pouring!" Su Mo and the others called out to her.

Sang Li withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes, and turned to enter the courtyard.

Only after the courtyard door closed did Gu Zhi emerge from the corner. He stared blankly at the door for a long time, unable to leave.

The relentless rain drenched his clothes and his heart.

The rain grew heavier and heavier, leaving Gu Zhi extremely bedraggled. He finally left Qinglin Courtyard dejectedly.

He wanted to find a place to take shelter from the rain. After walking for a while, he came upon a dilapidated temple.

There were faint flickering candlelights inside the dilapidated temple, so he immediately ran in.

But upon entering, he discovered many people sitting inside.

Gu Zhi was startled and glanced over the people in the dilapidated temple, realizing they were almost all beggars.

The group of beggars looked him up and down, but no one spoke.

Gu Zhi also didn't speak, only moving further inside, hoping to take temporary shelter from the rain.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? This is our turf! If you want to get out of the rain, go somewhere else!" A man stood up and pointed at Gu Zhi.

Gu Zhi looked at him pitifully, "I have nowhere else to go. Can I stay here for one night?"

"You can stay if you pay up!" the man shouted. "I...I don't have any money." The bag of silver Xia Miaomiao had given him was taken by the people at Fu Hua Building.

"No money, get lost!" the man said unceremoniously.

At this time, an elderly man hobbling on a cane came forward and looked Gu Zhi up and down. "Looking at your clothes, they don't seem too shabby. Give us your clothes and we'll let you stay here one night."

Gu Zhi lowered his eyes and looked at his own clothes. They were soaked and he suddenly felt a chill. Shivering, he said, "Alright, I'll give them to you."

The elderly man had someone bring tattered beggar clothes to exchange with Gu Zhi's clothes.

Gu Zhi quickly changed into them and very sensibly curled up in the corner without saying another word.

The elderly man looked Gu Zhi over once more but didn't say anything else either, lying down on the haystack and closing his eyes.

Later that night, Gu Zhi developed a high fever, becoming delirious and muttering in his sleep.

Outside, thunder rumbled incessantly. Sang Li also had a nightmare that Gu Zhi was in trouble. She jolted awake from the dream and couldn't fall back asleep.

Seeing how pitiful Gu Zhi was, the elderly man immediately used wet cold clothes to apply compresses to his forehead and wrists. He also had the others take off their clothes to pile on top of Gu Zhi.

They spent most of the night this way before Gu Zhi's fever finally receded near dawn.

"Whew, finally his temperature has gone down. He really wore me out!" the elderly man sighed.

"Old Shui, why'd you go through so much trouble to help him?" the man who had told Gu Zhi to scram was a little unhappy.

"You saw his attire and dressing. He doesn't seem like an ordinary person."

"If he's not ordinary, how did he end up taking shelter in a dilapidated temple?" the man scoffed.

Old Shui shook his head and smiled. "People will have their down moments, but some won't stay down for long."

Hearing Old Shui say this, the man didn't argue further.

When Gu Zhi woke up, it was already noon. He reflexively moved his sore limbs and slowly sat up, only to find himself covered in many layers of clothes.

"Kid, you're awake?" Old Shui's voice came over.

Gu Zhi looked over upon hearing him and saw that aside from Old Shui, everyone else was gone. He looked outside and saw that the previous night's storm had long passed, and it was sunny again today.

"You can call me Uncle Shui. We saved your life last night!"

Gu Zhi removed the clothes piled on him and got to his feet. He walked over to Old Shui. "Thank you, Uncle Shui."

Seeing Gu Zhi politely thank him even when starving, Old Shui laughed and asked him, "Why did you come to this dilapidated temple? Don't you have family?"

"No."

"You're all alone?"

"Mm."

"What did you do before this?"

"I..." Gu Zhi didn't know how to answer. He lowered his eyes. "I didn't do anything, and I don't know how to do anything." "If you don't mind, you can follow us," Uncle Shui said with a smile: "Begging along with us, you can at least get a meal to eat."

Gu Zhi hesitated for a moment and seriously thought about Uncle Shui's words. If he pretended to be a beggar, those two Miao Territory people would probably have a hard time finding him.

He didn't want to go to Miao Territory. He didn't want to leave Lan City. Here he could at least catch a glimpse of his sister occasionally. He didn't want to be too far away from her.

"Okay, I'll follow you guys."