Chapter 56
WHEN LIN QINGYU RETURNED to his quarters, he informed Hualu and Huantong that they would have a guest that night—the first since he’d moved in. Huantong figured that they’d be hosting Hu Ji, while Hualu thought the visitor would be a relative of Lin Qingyu’s.
“Neither of you are right,” Lin Qingyu said. “It’ll be my godbrother, Great General Gu.”
Huantong was overjoyed, while Hualu’s cheeks flushed with excitement. Everyone in Great Yu knew the war god Gu Fuzhou; he was a figure greatly respected by young men and women like them. Before Lin Qingyu could say anything else, they eagerly began preparing food and drink for the guest.
“Is the item I told you to order ready?” Lin Qingyu asked Huantong.
“Yes, Young Master,” Huantong replied. “I set it down in your study.”
Incense could still be burned for the late Lu Wancheng in the Lu residence’s ancestral hall, but the heroic Great General Gu had died for his country without anyone knowing; thus, he couldn’t enjoy offerings made to him by the living. According to Gu Fuzhou, who’d been given a chance in another life after saving a pregnant woman, the original Great General Gu—who had saved countless lives—was sure to have transmigrated into another world as well.
Nonetheless, Lin Qingyu had Huantong order a blank tablet, which he enshrined in a secret room behind the study.
Even after dinnertime, Gu Fuzhou was nowhere to be seen. Huantong stood in front of the residence’s entrance, craning his neck in anticipation of their guest, only for Yuan Yin to arrive with a message. Duke Wu had suddenly visited the general’s residence with two bottles of fine wine, wanting to drink and chat with Gu Fuzhou. The duke was Gu Fuzhou’s senior, and he’d played a key role in pressuring Xiao Cheng to recall the Tianji Guard. Thus, unable to refuse Duke Wu, Gu Fuzhou had had no choice but to delay his visit.
“The general said that you shouldn’t wait up for him in case he ends up running too late,” Yuan Yin added.
Lin Qingyu thanked him, then went to eat his evening meal before heading to his study. Gu Fuzhou had told him not to wait up, but how could he possibly fall asleep when he knew the general was coming?
When someone’s whistling broke the silence of the night, Lin Qingyu knew that a certain person had arrived. Huantong should have come to announce Gu Fuzhou’s arrival, though. What on earth was Gu Fuzhou up to now?
Walking out of the study, Lin Qingyu saw a dark figure vault over the wall with practiced ease, landing perfectly on his feet. Then Gu Fuzhou clapped his hands, saying, “Good evening, Qingyu.”
“Why come in like that?” Lin Qingyu asked expressionlessly. “I left the entrance open for you.”
“I’m visiting a widow in the dead of night. Coming in through the main entrance would be so boring. If we’re going to do something exciting, we should start off with a bang.”
“Who said we’re doing something exciting?”
Gu Fuzhou asked a question he knew the answer to. “If we’re not, why did you invite me into your quarters in the middle of the night, Imperial Physician Lin?”
Thinking of the pitiful life Gu Fuzhou had previously lived as Lu Wancheng, Lin Qingyu did his best to rein in his temper. “Because this isn’t something we can discuss at the palace,” he replied, summoning his patience. “Come here.”
Lin Qingyu’s house was much smaller than either the marquess of Nan’an’s or the general’s residence. “Didn’t I ensure that you’d come into a sizable inheritance?” Gu Fuzhou asked as he surveyed his surroundings. “You could’ve bought a house the size of the marquess’s manor.”
“And risk getting reported by the Imperial Censorate for a display of extravagance unbefitting of my rank?” Lin Qingyu retorted as they walked to his study. “There aren’t many people in my residence anyway. What would be the point of buying a big house?”
Lin Qingyu’s study consisted of two rooms. The outer chamber was full of rows of bookcases and had a desk in front of the window, which was where Lin Qingyu worked. If he got tired in the middle of reading or writing something, he could rest a bit in the inner chamber.
The moment Gu Fuzhou entered that inner chamber, he spotted the bunk bed he’d designed for himself and Lin Qingyu. After a moment of stunned silence, he laughed out loud. “Why did you bring this with you?”
“This residence happened to have too few beds,” Lin Qingyu said.
It was such a terrible lie, he didn’t bank on Gu Fuzhou believing it.
Gu Fuzhou’s present body was much longer than the bunk bed. He stroked the silk blankets on the top bunk, where Lin Qingyu had slept while Lu Wancheng spent night after night tortured by sickness. Gu Fuzhou turned to look at Lin Qingyu, a grin blossoming on his face.
The general’s pitch-black eyes shone brightly, twin pools holding Lin Qingyu’s reflection. Under his gaze, Lin Qingyu felt strangely unsettled. The faint fragrance of herbs, intertwined with the scent of ink and paper, permeated the study as Lin Qingyu cast his gaze down. “Weren’t you just having a drink with Duke Wu?” he murmured. “Why don’t I smell alcohol on you?”
Gu Fuzhou’s lips turned up in a smile. “I took a bath before coming to see you. Now you know how highly I regard you, don’t you?”
“Bathing before visiting is your way of showing that?”
“Yes.” Gu Fuzhou sounded dead serious. “It’s a sign of my utmost respect for you.”
Gu Fuzhou wanted to show Lin Qingyu his best side; he worried constantly that he didn’t look cool enough to the young physician. It was strange that his confidence faltered in front of the man he liked; he’d always seen himself as quite attractive.
A small smile graced Lin Qingyu’s face. “It’s the first time I’ve heard someone say that.”
Gu Fuzhou’s breath hitched. He’d thought he’d be fine after drinking the wine Duke Wu had offered him, but now the alcohol rushed straight to his head. Sitting on the bottom bunk, he leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his arms. “Qingyu,” he drawled, “I feel a bit drunk.”
“Shall I make you a bowl of hangover soup?” Lin Qingyu asked.