When the Third Master Chen returned to Osmanthus Hall, he saw several managing servant women filing out of the main hall. Noticing his return, they each curtseyed in greeting.

Why were they here at this hour?

The Third Master nodded in acknowledgment before walking into the middle courtyard. Four guards remained stationed in the front courtyard.

A maid curtseyed and lifted the purple bamboo curtain. He saw Jinchao leaning against a large bolster pillow, reading. On the kang table sat only a cup of clear tea and a candle. She was reading with such concentration that she seemed not to have heard him enter.

The Third Master Chen quietly walked to her side and bent down to see what she was reading.

“You’re always reading these things. Are you planning to take the imperial examinations someday?”

The gentle voice sounded in her ear, startling Gu Jinchao. As she turned her head, she accidentally bumped his chin with a ‘thunk.’

The Third Master let out a muffled groan, covering his chin as he stepped back.

Gu Jinchao put down her book and sat up straight, quickly pulling his hand away: “What happened? Did I hit you hard?”

His chin was slightly reddened.

Gu Jinchao reached out to massage it for him. “I didn’t know you were behind me…” She wasn’t sure who to blame. “You startled me.”

Her hand was suddenly caught by a larger one.

The Third Master smiled and told her: “I just wanted to look at you… I’m not hurt.” He had suffered plenty of injuries while practicing swordsmanship—his skin was thick and tough… but her hands were so soft. People describe skin as ‘smooth as congealed cream’—was this what they meant?

Gu Jinchao suddenly realized she was kneeling on the luohan bed, half-embraced in the Third Master’s arms. The maids in the room had noticed and silently lowered their heads.

His heartbeat against his chest was steady and strong, but Jinchao caught the scent of iron and blood.

She pushed against the Third Master’s hand, but he held her firmly, not moving an inch. He whispered to her: “Jinchao… look up at me.”

Gu Jinchao raised her head, seeing only his handsome face just inches away. Unlike other men with eyebrows extending to their temples or features sharp as knives, his eyebrows were gently curved. Especially when he smiled, he looked particularly scholarly and refined. His straight nose and well-shaped lips… he must be thirty-two this year. Men approaching thirty begin to settle, losing the impulsiveness of youth and gaining steadiness.

He was truly handsome… in a way unlike any other.

Gu Jinchao smelled the sandalwood fragrance on him. She said softly: “What is it… You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Why don’t I have the meal served first.”

“I like seeing you concerned about me,” he said with a smile. Slowly, he caressed her face, like a blind person’s deliberate, thorough exploration—needing touch to fully perceive her.

Gu Jinchao didn’t know what to say and lowered her head to look at the eight auspicious patterns woven into the luohan bed.

The Third Master released her and sat on one side of the luohan bed. He asked: “You haven’t eaten either, have you?” He beckoned Matron Sun over and told her to serve dinner.

Gu Jinchao coughed once and sat down as well. “How did you know?”

The Third Master explained: “I just saw several managing servants leaving your quarters. What were you busy with?”

She should tell him about Matron Wang since she had been Madam Jiang’s servant.

Gu Jinchao sighed: “I called them in to talk, about Matron Wang again…” She explained about Matron Wang’s private meetings with young Miss Xi and her response. “I fear that with her influence, Xi will eventually develop a narrow mindset. This child already thinks too much—she mourned for months when her rabbit died and can’t even bear to throw away worn-out shoes.”

Chen Yanyun made a sound of agreement: “You did the right thing. Someone like Matron Wang shouldn’t remain in our household. Even when Jiang was supervising her, she embezzled from the household—how else could she have acquired those two houses?” However, since she had been Jiang’s manager, and he was reluctant to punish the wet nurse who had followed him to the Chen household, he had been too lazy to bother with such trivial inner household matters.

The Third Master casually flipped through her copy of the “Book of Changes” and said to her: “She gave you such a hard time. I had planned to send her to Baoding to manage Jiang’s mountain estate. But when you punished her by assigning her to kitchen duties, I didn’t intervene. Next time you encounter someone like this, tell me directly, and I’ll handle it for you.”

Gu Jinchao’s heart jolted, and she looked at him for a long while.

The dishes were served one after another, and the Third Master drank a bowl of duck soup with radish.

The maids quietly laid out the dishes and chopsticks. Qingpu came over and carefully brightened the oil lamp.

Gu Jinchao’s thoughts were in disarray. In her previous life, before the Third Master went to Sichuan, Matron Wang had been mysteriously punished by him and sent to Baoding to manage Jiang’s estate. Later, Old Lady Chen had reassigned a new managing servant to attend to her—one who had served the Third Master in his childhood. But less than three months after Matron Wang’s reassignment… news came from Sichuan of the Third Master’s death.

Why would he concern himself with such a minor household manager before going to Sichuan?

Why specifically before his Sichuan journey?

Had he known that Matron Wang was increasingly controlling her and wanted to help? Had he known he might not return from Sichuan and arranged for a servant who had previously attended him to serve her?

Gu Jinchao wondered if she was overthinking it! Perhaps it was merely a coincidence…

But such a coincidence seemed too perfect, as the Third Master had the same intentions in this life.

Gu Jinchao recalled her relationship with the Third Master in her previous life. She had been indifferent to him, caring neither where he lived nor whether he was properly fed and clothed. The Third Master had been equally cold toward her, always polite but distant in speech and action.

Had he been protecting her all along in her previous life? Even though they were estranged and her heart was entirely focused on Chen Xuanqing. He knew but never said anything, and before he suspected he might not return, he had made final arrangements for her.

Thinking about it now, it seemed true. Without the new managing servant, Jinchao would never have known how to survive the chaotic period in the household after the Third Master’s death. If she hadn’t accidentally caused Yu Wanxue’s miscarriage, Chen Xuanqing wouldn’t have tried to kill her. She might truly have lived out her days in the Chen household without worry.

Gu Jinchao recalled many small details.

When the railing of the luohan bed in her room had broken, he had noticed during one of his rare visits and sent someone from the outer court to replace it.

When she had committed an impropriety at Old Lady Chen’s and was scolded, the next day when she went to pay her respects, she overheard the Third Master telling his mother: “…Although she lacks proper manners, she is still young, and needs your tolerance.” When the Third Master came out, he didn’t even look at her. That day, when Jinchao spoke with Old Lady Chen again, the old lady indeed stopped scolding her and even took the initiative to teach her how to play Chinese chess.

Without her knowledge, he had been protecting her all along.

Chen Yanyun noticed she wasn’t eating and smiled: “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking? I remember you prefer strongly flavored dishes. You don’t need to make such bland food for my sake.” A plate of bean sprouts in vinegar, assorted tofu soup, steamed silverfish, and bitter gourd with sliced meat—indeed quite a light fare.

Gu Jinchao struggled to control a sour feeling in her heart and said casually: “I was just thinking about what pattern to embroider on shoe uppers and got distracted.”

The Third Master, who had spent his life navigating the imperial court’s complexities, had been burdened by her.

But if the Third Master had made arrangements in her previous life, he must have known in advance that there was danger in Sichuan. Why would he still go?

Perhaps he couldn’t refuse, or perhaps events developed beyond his expectations.

At that time, the Emperor was only seventeen and hadn’t yet taken full control of power. The only person the Third Master couldn’t refuse would be… Zhang Julian.

Chen Yanyun found her increasingly endearing: “Don’t think about these things while eating. Eat properly.” He placed some bitter gourd and meat slices in her bowl. “You’ve been eating less and less lately. If you want something else, just tell the small kitchen to prepare it. Don’t starve yourself.”

Gu Jinchao shook her head: “It’s just that my appetite isn’t good.” She felt she couldn’t eat anything, and her appetite diminished.

The Third Master thought she was eating too little and compelled her to eat a heaping bowl of rice, half a bowl of silverfish, and red bean soup.

Her stomach felt slightly bloated from it all.

After the Third Master finished bathing, he leaned against the bed as usual, reading. Jinchao went to the washroom to bathe.

When she came out, she was still considering whether to ask the Third Master about Zhang Julian. But she felt it would be inappropriate. After all, Master Zhang was the Third Master’s teacher. Even if he meant harm to the Third Master, there must be a reason—what could it be? If she abruptly asked about Zhang Julian, given the Third Master’s perceptiveness, he would likely notice something unusual about her.

Gu Jinchao thought it over and decided she should first ask Cao Ziheng about this matter, rather than alarming the Third Master.

After all, it was only her conjecture.

She gently got into bed, lying on the inner side. She looked up at him.

The candlelight illuminated his profile. The Third Master wore only his middle garment, and his shadow cast onto the interior of the stepped bed, enveloping her completely.

“Going to sleep?” he asked, and Jinchao answered yes. He rose to extinguish the light.

In the darkness, she could still hear the rustling sound as he got into bed and lay beside her, then silence. Gu Jinchao suddenly felt unable to sleep, thinking of her previous life, and how much she owed Chen Yanyun…

She lifted her quilt and slipped under his blanket. The Third Master’s body stiffened.

Then a pair of arms slowly embraced her, pulling her to sleep in front of him, as he softly asked: “What’s wrong?”

He felt that Gu Jinchao was behaving strangely today. What could have happened? Had someone given her trouble?

Gu Jinchao said: “Nothing, I just remembered something I forgot to tell you—Miss Xuan arrived today.”

The Third Master made a sound of acknowledgment: “I heard from mother that she was coming… I didn’t expect her to arrive today.” He wondered why she mentioned Miss Xuan, and after waiting a while, he heard nothing more from her.

She had crawled into his bed just to tell him this one thing.

The Third Master heard her even breathing and could only smile bitterly as he closed his eyes.

Half-asleep, Jinchao sensed that the Third Master wasn’t sleeping well, tossing and turning.

After a long while, he embraced her and kissed her, whispering: “Jinchao… are you asleep?”

Gu Jinchao immediately became alert and asked softly: “What’s wrong?”

He had thought she seemed tired lately and wanted to let her rest properly. Yet she had crawled into his blanket.

His voice grew increasingly hoarse as he turned to press against her, saying: “It’s all my fault…” His hand gently opened her outer garment, reaching the smooth Lu silk undershirt she wore, then moving upward along her slender waist.

Gu Jinchao’s body tingled involuntarily, and she twisted, trying to avoid his touch: “Third Master…” She had been sleeping!

“Hmm…” he responded, his fingers finding the tie at her back, hooking and pulling to undo it with one motion.

He bent down to kiss her, gently biting the peak.

Such actions were truly…

Gu Jinchao saw only the dark head buried against her chest, her face burning with embarrassment.