Chapter 15

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As she reached the final stroke, the tip of the brush trembled uncontrollably, leaving a fingertip-sized blotch of crimson at the end of the talisman.

Gu Yan Fei put down the brush, placed it on the brush holder, and crumpled the talisman paper into a ball without even looking at it. She tossed it carelessly into the white porcelain wastebasket beside her.

The kitten’s eyes lit up as it leaped into the air, catching the paper ball perfectly in its mouth! Landing lightly, it batted the paper ball across the floor with its tiny paws, chasing, intercepting, and pushing it around… having the time of its life.

Meanwhile, after meditating for a while with her eyes closed, Gu Yan Fei picked up her brush again, dipped it in cinnabar, and began drawing another talisman. Unfortunately, the brush tip slipped once more during the final stroke, and Gu Yan Fei failed for the hundred and first time.

The kitten sprinted over and sat obediently by her skirt. When Gu Yan Fei tossed another paper ball, it leaped into the air once again… The paper balls on the floor began to pile up, and the satisfied kitten felt as if it had an entire pond of fish to play with. It was having a blast.

By the time midnight rolled around, the kitten was exhausted, yawning repeatedly and becoming drowsy. Gu Yan Fei paid it no attention and continued drawing her talismans.

The night remained windless, stifling like a steaming pot.

The long night gradually passed, and the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn as the morning sun slowly rose.

The golden morning sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with a verdant glow as the lush plants in the courtyard reflected their greenery inside. In the vase on the desk, a few stalks of green chrysanthemums stood tall, their subtle fragrance gently permeating the air.

The room was quiet and still. Gu Yan Fei, who had stayed up all night, leaned over her desk, writing. Her posture was straight and slender, as upright as bamboo, as graceful as willow—calm, yet resilient. Outside the window, a goldfish leaped out of the pond, then splashed back into the water with a “plop,” just as her brush finally completed the last stroke.

She exhaled a long breath from her pink lips. Success!

This was the first talisman she had completed in recent days, and the first one drawn with cinnabar. Gu Yan Fei gazed at the talisman with satisfaction, her eyes narrowing as a smile curved her lips.

Her smile was like the warm sun in April, spreading from the corners of her lips to her eyes, blossoming like clusters of wisteria flowers in full bloom.

The little kitten beside her had long since fallen into a deep sleep, sprawled out with one fluffy paw covering its eyes.

In high spirits, Gu Yan Fei quietly approached the little creature, holding the wolf-hair brush still dipped in cinnabar, and carefully painted a tiny red plum blossom on the kitten’s forehead. The kitten, sensing something different in its sleep, opened its emerald green eyes and lazily yawned.

“Miss,” Juan Bi entered the inner chamber just then, curtsied, and reported, “The eldest young lady has arrived.”

Gu Yan Fei scooped up the kitten and headed toward the outer room.

Though she had stayed up all night, she had intermittently meditated for an hour or two, leaving her complexion rosy and her spirit full of energy.

“Second Sister,” Gu Yun Zhen, dressed in a lilac-colored cotton robe, gracefully approached Gu Yan Fei with a smile. “I’ve come to have breakfast with you. It will be inconvenient to eat while traveling later, and we’ll have to make do with lunch, so let’s enjoy a good breakfast.”

The maid behind Gu Yun Zhen was carrying a red lacquered food box adorned with gold.

Gu Yun Zhen’s gentle voice warmed Gu Yan Fei’s heart, and she happily agreed, “Alright.”

She knew that Gu Yun Zhen was a very kind elder sister. As the only daughter of the third branch of the Gu family, she had lost her father three years ago and now lived with her widowed mother.

In her previous life, when Gu Yan Fei had first arrived at the marquisate, unfamiliar with everything and filled with anxiety, Gu Yun Zhen had taken good care of her, offering guidance from time to time.

The two sisters sat down at the table, and Gu Yun Zhen pulled a small red bib from her sleeve, saying to the kitten in Gu Yan Fei’s arms, “Your ‘Jade-Faced Raccoon’ is so adorable. I sewed this little bib for her last night.”

“Jade-Faced Raccoon” was a poetic name for calico cats.

“Meow!” The kitten jumped from Gu Yan Fei’s arms onto the table, arching its back in a stretch, making its long fur quiver.

Gu Yan Fei smiled warmly and said, “Elder Sister, why don’t you put it on her?”

“Can I?” Gu Yun Zhen was somewhat flattered, and she carefully placed the bib, embroidered with a carp, around the kitten’s neck, moving gently to avoid scaring it. The kitten remained perfectly still, allowing Gu Yun Zhen to dress it.

“It’s so well-behaved!” Gu Yun Zhen gazed at the little furball, her heart melting with affection.

After the bib was in place, the kitten jumped back into Gu Yan Fei’s arms, rubbing affectionately against her clothes, its round eyes narrowing into crescent moons. The sight filled Gu Yun Zhen with such envy that it almost overflowed from her eyes. She gently asked, “Has the little one eaten yet?”

Qing Guang, acting spoiled, nudged Gu Yan Fei again with its head, letting out a soft “meow,” as if to say, “No.”

Gu Yun Zhen couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke the kitten’s back, her voice growing even softer and gentler. “We still have half an hour before we set off, and Qing Guang needs to eat something too—it’s still growing.”

Gu Yan Fei simply smiled without saying anything. She knew that they wouldn’t be able to leave today.

As they talked, the maids opened the food box and took out the dishes one by one: two bowls of scallion, mushroom, and lean pork porridge, a steamer of crab roe soup dumplings, and a few plates of assorted pickles, all steaming hot, clearly freshly prepared in the kitchen.

The two sisters enjoyed their breakfast happily, and the kitten wasn’t left hungry either. In fact, it had plenty of attendants—one person was doting on it by pouring warm goat milk into its bowl, another was feeding it boiled chicken, and yet another was brushing its fur.

Wherever there were people, it thrived effortlessly.

The maids doted on it wholeheartedly, almost treating it like a feline emperor. Even the servant sent by Old Madam Gu to deliver a message couldn’t help but glance at the kitten, her gaze wandering as she relayed, “Miss, Second Miss, Old Madam says we can’t leave for now. She asks that you both rest for the time being.”

“What happened?” Gu Yun Zhen’s head maid asked.

The servant woman answered truthfully, “I’m not sure exactly what’s going on. The north gate was open early this morning, but just now the authorities suddenly ordered it closed, saying no one is allowed to enter or leave. Old Madam has already sent Xu Momo to the Dan Yang prefecture office with the marquisate’s token to ask the prefect for some leniency.”

Gu Yan Fei lowered her eyes, sipping her tea, a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips behind the cup. Not only today, but they wouldn’t be able to leave tomorrow or the day after either.

Gu Yun Zhen frowned slightly and had her head maid dismiss the servant before gently comforting Gu Yan Fei, “Second Sister, it’s alright. Even if we can’t leave today, it just means we’ll spend a few more days in Dan Yang City.”

“I don’t know what’s going on these past few days. It’s already October, but the weather is still so hot and stuffy, with no wind at all. Riding in the carriage feels like sitting in a steamer, so it might be better to leave a few days later.”

A faint smile appeared on Gu Yan Fei’s lips.

Her elder sister was just like that—kind-hearted, always looking on the bright side of people and situations. But the human heart could be treacherous, and sometimes, the hearts of those called family could be even crueler and more ruthless than those of strangers.

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