freenovelworld Chapter 697 I don't have time. Go find my father. Can't you see Jiayou is still sick?
Chapter 697 I don't have time. Go find my father. Can't you see Jiayou is still sick?
Lin Jiayou leaned against the headboard, his face still somewhat pale. He smiled weakly and obediently opened his mouth.
"Qingchen, thank you for your hard work. I could have done it myself."
"You were injured because of me, so it's only right that I take care of you," Gu Qingchen said matter-of-factly, completely forgetting that the injury on his foot was much more serious than Gu Qingchen's minor abrasion.
After feeding him the soup, she picked up a book and said, "You're probably bored lying here, so I'll read to you to cheer you up."
Lin Jiayou nodded with a smile, looking at her tenderly, letting her run around him like a little spinning top.
As the two were talking, Gu Lanxin walked in carrying a food box.
"Jiayou, Qingchen." She smiled gently and placed the food box on the table. "I made some light snacks; you should be able to eat them."
"Sister Lan, you're so good to him," Gu Qingchen teased.
Gu Lanxin blushed slightly, gave her a reproachful look, and then turned her gaze to Lin Jiayou with a hint of concern.
Lin Jiayou nodded to her in return. Their eyes met briefly across Gu Qingchen before they looked away, everything appearing perfectly polite.
Gu Qingchen didn't think much of it...
One day, Gu Qingchen came to change Lin Jiayou's dressing as usual.
The abrasions on his shoulder had scabbed over, and she was about to bandage them when she caught a glimpse of a hideous old scar on his chest beneath his open shirt, like a centipede coiled there.
"How did this happen?" Gu Qingchen stopped what he was doing.
Lin Jiayou subconsciously tugged at his clothes, a hint of unease flashing across his face, before he smiled wryly and said, "It's all in the past, let's not talk about it."
The more he acted this way, the more Gu Qingchen pressed for answers.
"Say it quickly!"
Lin Jiayou then sighed "casually" and slowly recounted a past event.
"Back then, you entrusted a security escort agency to take me to Chengdu. The escort saw that I was alone and had no money, so he had evil intentions."
"They abandoned me halfway, intending to rob and kill me... If I hadn't been lucky enough to escape at the cost of my life, and hadn't been rescued by a benefactor, you probably would never have seen me again."
A surge of anger welled up in Gu Qingchen's head.
"What? I gave them so much silver, and they personally promised to deliver you safely! They even sent someone to say you had arrived! Those bastards!"
She was trembling with anger, and suddenly stood up. "No way! I'm going to find them and settle the score!"
"Qingchen!" Lin Jiayou grabbed her arm. "Don't be impulsive! Your foot injury hasn't healed yet. Besides, so many years have passed..."
"That won't do! I can't swallow this!"
Lin Jiayou patted her hand reassuringly, "There are plenty of ways to deal with them, no need to rush."
His words calmed Gu Qingchen down a bit.
Just then, Qian Zhenyun walked in.
He didn't look at Lin Jiayou, but said directly to Gu Qingchen, "His Highness the Crown Prince wants to check a batch of military equipment accounts. There are a few things I can't match, so I wanted to ask you about them."
Gu Qingchen was annoyed and waved his hand impatiently: "I don't have time. Go find my father. Can't you see Jiayou is still sick?"
"It concerns military affairs." Qian Zhenyun only said these six words.
Gu Qingchen's impatience froze.
She finally sat down and took the account book that Qian Zhenyun handed her.
When her gaze fell upon those familiar entries and numbers, her entire aura changed.
The charming and impatient girl from before was gone, replaced by a sharp-eyed and clear-thinking daughter of a military family.
"The leather loss on this batch of saddles is incorrect, it's 50% too high. And the quantity of arrows in this batch doesn't match the quantity purchased, there's a difference of 300." She pointed to the ledger, pointing out the problems one by one, decisively and accurately.
Qian Zhenyun listened quietly, nodding occasionally and taking notes of what she said.
After checking the accounts, he got up to take his leave.
Before leaving, he took out a small porcelain bottle and a roll of paper from his pocket and placed them on the table.
"My dad's new blood-activating ointment is better than medicinal wine. This diagram was also drawn by him; it teaches you how to massage and rehabilitate to prevent chronic illness."
After saying that, he turned and left without saying another word.
Gu Qingchen stared blankly at the two items.
She unfolded the roll of paper, on which a detailed diagram of the ankle was drawn in charcoal, with each acupoint marked, and the number of massages and the angle of movement written in small print next to it.
Everyone told her not to act impulsively and to consider the bigger picture, but only Qian Zhenyun silently cared about whether she was hurt from the fall.
My chest felt like it had been gently bumped by something.
However, before this slight ripple could dissipate, it was interrupted by Lin Jiayou's delighted voice.
"Qingchen, come and see."
She turned around and saw Lin Jiayou take something out of the blanket.
It was a small wooden carving, fiery red all over, depicting a galloping horse with its hooves raised. The spirit in its eyes and brows was that of her beloved horse "Chiyan," which she had lost.
"I couldn't sleep, so I tried carving one." Lin Jiayou handed the little wooden horse to her. "That way, it can always be with you."
Gu Qingchen took the small wooden horse, and his fingertips touched the warm wood, his eyes instantly reddening.
The slight unease that had arisen because of Qian Zhenyun was instantly washed away.
The commotion surrounding the autumn hunt had barely subsided when a gold-embossed invitation was delivered to the Duke of Zhenguo's residence.
The invitation came from the Third Prince's residence, ostensibly to host an autumn poetry gathering, and extended invitations to talented men and ladies from prominent families throughout the capital.
The letter specifically invited Gu Qingchen and Lin Jiayou, who had "risen to fame" during the hunting expedition in Xishan.
Gu Qingchen had never been interested in those pretentious and affected writings, but her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Jiayou's name.
This is a good opportunity.
This is a great opportunity for the entire capital to witness Jiayou's talent.
She decided to go almost without hesitation.
"Nonsense!"
In Gu Junze's study, the Duke of Zhenguo slammed the gold-embossed invitation card onto the table with a dull thud.
"Do you even know what the relationship is between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince? This isn't a poetry gathering; it's a recruitment drive, a 'choose sides' exercise!"
Gu Junze looked at his simple-minded daughter, feeling both angry and helpless.
"Father, you're overthinking it." Gu Qingchen curled his lip dismissively. "Lin Jiayou is just a scholar. What connection could he possibly have with the imperial court? The Third Prince invited him because he values his talent."
"Talent?" Gu Junze sneered. "Qingchen, when will you ever use your brain to judge people?"
"Everyone in the capital knows about Lin Jiayou's relationship with the Yong Prince's Mansion. When did Lin Jingchuan ever say he wouldn't care about him? It's already conspicuous enough that he's staying at our house."
"I'm telling you, you can go, but remember this: watch your mouth and keep a close eye on the person next to you!"
Gu Qingchen replied "I know" aloud, but in his heart he felt that his father was overthinking things.
In her eyes, Lin Jiayou was a piece of unpolished jade that had been covered in dust.
What she had to do was to personally wipe away the dust and let it shine.