“Young Master Gong.”

The voice came from outside.

At this moment, Gong Shilin stood at the doorway without entering.

Instead, he asked gently toward the inside, “Miss Li, may I come in?”

Very polite.

The demeanor of a refined gentleman.

Because Li Wenshu was in the inner chamber, she could only see a shadow standing at the door.

Just as she was about to invite him in—

Li Cheng rose abruptly and strode toward the doorway.

With an aggressive posture.

“Ah Cheng…”

Li Wenshu couldn’t stop him even by calling out.

Li Cheng reached the doorway and stood directly in front of Gong Shilin, chin raised, looking down his nose at him.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Gong Shilin frowned slightly. “I came to see your elder sister.”

“No need! Besides, my elder sister doesn’t need your concern.”

“Actually, you don’t need to be so hostile toward me.”

“Well, I just happen to enjoy being hostile toward you. So what?” Li Cheng smiled with a sinister curve of his lips, advancing two steps toward him. “How about… we spar here? I guarantee my father and your father won’t come over.”

Gong Shilin was at a loss for words. “…”

“What? Are you scared?”

“I don’t want to cause trouble with you here.”

“If you’re scared, just say so. Why act cowardly?” Li Cheng’s face was full of arrogance and disdain.

He reached out his hand, about to grab Gong Shilin’s clothing.

Suddenly from inside the room—

“Ah Cheng, stop making trouble.”

This made Li Cheng’s hand pause immediately.

His eyebrows knitted together.

He gritted his teeth.

Glaring at Gong Shilin, he could only give a soft warning, “I’ll let you off this time. Next time, I’ll beat you to death.”

His eyes raised high with challenge.

Then from inside came another voice, “Young Master Gong, please come in.”

Li Cheng clenched his fists and had no choice but to step aside.

Gong Shilin walked directly past him and entered.

Leaving behind a gust of cold wind.

Inside the room was very warm, with a wave of heat rushing to meet him.

This made Gong Shilin, who had been standing outside for quite a while, shiver with warmth.

Li Cheng followed closely behind him into the room.

But he had only taken a few steps inside when Li Wenshu’s voice came out again, “Ah Cheng, you go out first.”

Li Cheng’s footsteps halted.

“Elder Sister…”

“Be good, go out first.”

Li Cheng was reluctant and unwilling. He glared once more.

Then left.

Gong Shilin didn’t enter the inner chamber but stood before the curtain, bowing slightly, and asked with concern, “Miss Li, are you feeling better?”

Li Wenshu said, “Much better, thank you for your concern, Young Master Gong.”

“If you’ve caught a cold, you must not delay treatment.”

“It’s an old ailment. Some medicine will make it better. I’m sorry to trouble you to come see me in person.”

If Left Prime Minister Gong hadn’t told him to come, he might not have come.

He said, “Since you and I are already engaged, naturally I should be concerned about you.”

Hearing these words, Li Wenshu smiled. Her hands gently gripped the bedsheet as she asked through the faintly swaying curtain, “But what if… we weren’t engaged?”

Uh!

Gong Shilin was momentarily choked up, but his expression remained calm and composed.

As if Li Wenshu wasn’t asking him at all.

He replied in an even tone, “Even if you and I weren’t engaged, I would still be concerned about you. After all, you and I… grew up together.”

Hehe.

Li Wenshu laughed.

Then she instructed the maid beside her, “You may leave first.”

The maid bowed. “Yes.”

And quietly withdrew.

Gong Shilin still stood obediently behind the curtain.

Until Li Wenshu called to him, “Gong Shilin, come in.”

Calling him by his full name!

Slightly domineering.

Gong Shilin wasn’t surprised, as if he was already accustomed to her calling him by his full name.

He pulled aside the curtain and walked in.

Li Wenshu gestured with her eyes toward the medicine on the table. “Help me get the medicine.”

“Alright.”

He complied.

And brought it to the bedside.

Li Wenshu patted the edge of the bed with her hand. “Sit.”

Gong Shilin hesitated, his gaze never meeting Li Wenshu’s.

Seeing him hesitate to sit, Li Wenshu said, “Standing like that, how will you feed me the medicine?”

Feed her the medicine?

Gong Shilin’s hand trembled.

The spoon in the bowl made a clanging sound as it hit the edge of the bowl.

But in the end, he still sat down.

Yet he continued to avert his gaze!

Not looking at the woman so close to him.

Li Wenshu said again, “Feed me the medicine.”

Everything had a commanding tone.

Gong Shilin picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful of hot medicine, raised his eyes, stared at Li Wenshu’s lips, and slowly brought the medicine over.

However—

Li Wenshu didn’t open her mouth.

She looked at Gong Shilin with an inscrutable expression.

Her beautiful brow furrowed slightly.

Seeing her delay in opening her mouth to drink the medicine, Gong Shilin’s gaze finally lifted half an inch.

Their eyes met.

The atmosphere suddenly became much heavier in this moment.

Gong Shilin’s hand remained frozen in the air.

The medicinal soup in the spoon seemed to have already cooled.

Li Wenshu looked at him calmly.

He also looked at her calmly.

Finally—

Li Wenshu asked him very seriously, “Do you truly want to marry me?”

This question was extremely rebellious.

Gong Shilin seemed never to lie in front of her.

He slowly lowered his frozen hand and said, “We grew up together. My thoughts may be unknown to others, but you couldn’t possibly not know.”

“I want you to tell me yourself.”

Tell me yourself!

After a long while—

“I don’t love you!” Gong Shilin said.

Don’t love!

These two words were solemn and forceful.

And explained everything.

Li Wenshu wasn’t disappointed or surprised, because she knew, just as Gong Shilin himself had said, they grew up together. Others might not know Gong Shilin’s thoughts, but she couldn’t possibly not know.

Gong Shilin asked her in turn, “What about you? Is Du Mubai still in your heart?”

She smiled slightly and reached out to take the bowl of medicine.

She stirred it gently with the spoon.

She said, “That person is already dead. Even if he lives in my heart, what use is it?”

Her tone was very calm.

“It seems we’re the same kind of people.” Gong Shilin said.

“No, you and I are not the same kind of people.” Li Wenshu’s hand paused. She looked up at him, a trace of mockery flashing across her face. “You can love but choose not to love, while I… cannot love.”

Gong Shilin seemed somewhat unable to understand these words.

He didn’t know what to say.

Li Wenshu continued, “Regardless, we’re already bound together. This is the fate that was predetermined for us long ago.”

“I only fear I’m wronging you.”

“There’s no wronging or not wronging. Perhaps in the future our children will also walk the same path we’re walking now.”

Gong Shilin suddenly laughed.

Full of helplessness.

At the doorway.

Li Cheng stood with his arms crossed beneath the eaves, his shoulder leaning against a pillar, occasionally turning his head to look into the room.

Thinking about his elder sister being in the same room with his mortal enemy made him angry. He couldn’t wait to drag Gong Shilin out immediately.