As it turned out, the food became less appealing once no one was competing for it. Yu He quickly felt full and reluctantly put down her chopsticks. She stood up, leaning on the table, and turned to Gardener Li, who had long since finished eating: “Foster father, are you done? Let me help you inside.”
Gardener Li looked at her in surprise. He wasn’t at the point of needing her assistance to walk. His gaze swept over Gui, who was still sitting calmly with a faint smile that made Gardener Li uncomfortable. He decisively reached out to Yu He, indicating she should help him inside. He understood the girl didn’t want to face Gui, so he decided to oblige her.
Yu He smiled at Gui: “Master Gui, please take your time. I’m going to help the elder rest.” She didn’t ask if he had eaten enough, what his plans were for the night, or offer him water or tea. She had decided that since she was upset, why should she take care of him meticulously?
Gui nodded and stood up, making a gesture of invitation: “Please, go ahead.”
He said “you” formally. The crescent moon cast a faint light, and Yu He couldn’t see his face half-hidden in shadow. She smiled coldly and walked past him with her head held high, supporting Gardener Li into the room. She lit the lamp, poured water, soaked Gardener Li’s feet in hot water, and massaged his knees. Then she mended his clothes and socks. Through her busy work, Yu He’s chaotic emotions finally calmed down.
She put down her needlework and gazed at the oil lamp, lost in thought. What was so special about him? He was just someone who had disappeared for years and suddenly returned. She should listen calmly to what he had to say and watch coolly to see what he would do. It wasn’t worth getting so worked up about, nor was it worth hiding from him in here. He probably thought he was so impressive that she was too scared to face him.
With this in mind, Yu He turned to Gardener Li: “Foster father, I’m going out.”
Gardener Li nodded indifferently, not concerned with what she was going to do.
By now, the moon had risen high in the sky, and the stars shone even brighter. Even without lamps, the courtyard was illuminated. Gui was still sitting by the stone table, which had been cleared of leftovers. There was now a pot of tea and two cups. He was leisurely drinking tea, quietly watching Yu He as she stood at a distance.
It must have been Tao, that meddlesome girl, but this was fine. Yu He gracefully walked to Gui and sat down, pouring herself a cup of now-cold tea. She took a small sip and said softly: “I thought you had left.”
Gui glanced at her and smiled wryly: “Where could I go in this darkness? I’ll have to stay here tonight.”
Yu He wanted to say she didn’t have the authority to let someone stay without Mudan and Jiang Changyang’s permission. But after considering it, she didn’t voice this petty thought. She sighed softly and prepared to stand up: “I was careless. I’ll have someone prepare a room for you.” She had given him a chance to explain, but if he didn’t want to, so be it.
A warm hand suddenly gripped her wrist. Yu He trembled, as if burned, and reflexively tried to shake it off, but couldn’t. Gui held on tighter, his voice slightly trembling: “Yu He…”
Yu He tried to pry his hand off, angrily saying: “What are you doing? Let go! Do you want people to see?”
A flood of grievances washed over her with his grip. Back then, he had seemed interested but was indifferent, deliberately provoking her without making any promises. Whenever she was utterly disappointed and wanted to forget him, he would tease her again. When she finally let go of her reservations and tried to get closer, he would distance himself. If Mudan hadn’t forced him, he probably wouldn’t have made that promise. And after making that promise, he disappeared for years without a word, then suddenly returned saying nothing and dared to grab her hand. What did he take her for? The person she had waited three years for turned out to be like this!
The more Yu He thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Tears streamed down her face as she shouted: “I said let go! Are you deaf?” But Gui just held onto her hand. Without thinking, Yu He lowered her head and bit his hand hard, using all her strength as if trying to bite off a chunk of his flesh. If she couldn’t eat his flesh and drink his blood, how could she make up for the years of torment she had endured?
With the taste of blood in her mouth, Yu He heard Gui draw a sharp breath, then fall silent. He remained motionless, allowing her to continue biting without a sound. Realizing something was wrong, Yu He loosened her bite and looked up at Gui. He stood quietly beside her, watching her with a calm expression as if she had bitten a chicken leg rather than his hand.
Looking at her confused expression, he said with a mix of joy, satisfaction, and nervousness: “I missed you. I’ve been thinking about you all this time.” Her hateful bite showed that her love was as deep as her hatred.
“Bah!” Yu He heard herself curse inelegantly. Did he miss her? Had been thinking of her? What did he take her for? This liar! Did he think enduring one bite would erase all their grievances? Dream on! She disgustedly flung his hand away and said coldly: “But I don’t care anymore.”
She said she didn’t care. This time, Gui didn’t hold her back. He just stood there, frowning slightly, staring at her.
Yu He smiled: “I thought you were dead. Why else would there be no news for three years? If you were alive and still cared about me, how could you bear to let me worry so much? So, just now, in the room,” she pointed to Gardener Li’s small house, “I realized that perhaps your one-year promise was made under duress.”
“It wasn’t,” Gui said unhappily. “No one could force me to do such a thing. I was sincere. The reason it took so long was because…”
“I know, you had your difficulties,” Yu He interjected with a smile. “May I ask if you’ve achieved your revenge?”
“I have,” Gui’s frown deepened, his eyes fixed on Yu He. Three years was neither long nor short, but enough to change many things. He had changed, he knew, but to what extent, he was unsure. As for this once lively and spirited girl, he used to know what she was thinking, but now he didn’t. To each other, they had become like half-strangers.
“Congratulations then,” Yu He smiled casually, her demeanor becoming more relaxed. She waved her hand lazily at him, stopping him from continuing. “I know why you’ve come back. It’s for your past promise, right? No need to say more, and don’t feel guilty or anything. At first, I was waiting for you, but not anymore. I just don’t want to humble myself to serve some inexplicable man. I’m doing well now, so you can rest easy and do whatever you want. I’ll explain things to the mistress.”
What did she take him for? Gui couldn’t help but laugh coldly, suppressing his anger: “What kind of person do you think I am?”
Yu He’s face darkened. She looked up at him coldly: “And what kind of person do you think I am? I may be a servant, but you’re not my master.” So he couldn’t summon her at will or dismiss her as he pleased. If she treated him sincerely, he should treat her the same way.
Gui was taken aback and fell silent, looking at her.
Yu He turned to look at the crescent moon in the sky, her eyes stinging and burning. She had waited for three years, never imagining it would end up like this. Go, just go, she thought desperately, yet feeling she hadn’t done anything wrong. This man could casually abandon her for three years without a word, then leisurely come looking for her, assuming she still cared for him. What if something else happened in the future? Would he leave her behind again? How many three-year periods did she have in her life?
Suddenly, Gui moved. He quickly undid his belt and took off his outer robe. Yu He instinctively wanted to scream but held back. She looked at him coldly and sneered: “What are you doing? Be careful, or I’ll call someone to throw you out.”
“I understand what you mean. You think I didn’t take you to heart, that I wronged you. You’re angry that I didn’t send any word for three years, that I mistreated you. I admit, that I lied initially. The place I was going to, just the round trip would take at least half a year, let alone whether I could return alive,” Gui slowly removed his inner garment, exposing his muscular back to Yu He. “Look closely. I nearly lost my life.”
There was a large, horrific scar on his back, stretching from his shoulder to his waist. Yu He covered her mouth, her heart racing wildly. She steadied herself and asked: “So, from the beginning, you never intended to come back for me?”
Gui slowly put his clothes back on, his back to her as he said in a low voice: “Yes. In a year, you would have forgotten about me. If you couldn’t wait any longer, you’d naturally give up. Given the master and mistress’s character, they wouldn’t mistreat you.”
A cup shattered against his body as Yu He shouted: “Then why did you come back? Are you looking to die?”
Gui turned and smiled at her: “Because despite everything, I managed to survive, so I came back for you. I only planned to look around and see…” He paused, then stepped forward to hold her hand. “If you were still waiting for me, I would marry you and cherish you for a lifetime, no matter what. If you had already married someone else, I’d let you believe I was dead…”
“Who do you think you are? I wasn’t waiting for you. I don’t care,” Yu He kicked at him hard.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll wait for you,” Gui smiled brightly. “Tomorrow, I’ll talk to the mistress about returning as a manager. If three years isn’t enough, I’ll wait thirty years.” Seeing Yu He’s expression softened slightly, he quickly added: “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to send word. At first, it was too dangerous, and I didn’t know if I’d survive. There was no point in sending you a message then. Later, no messenger could travel faster than I could myself.”
“What does it matter to me!” Yu He freed one hand and grabbed the pot of cold tea, pouring it over his head without mercy.
(The End)