That night, the two of them stayed in the side courtyard of the Gu Family’s old mansion.
The next morning, when Ji Wei opened her eyes, Gu Moqian was already up.
Ji Wei glanced at the dim light outside the window and drowsily asked, "You’re up so early?"
"We need to greet many relatives and friends who’ve traveled from far away, and also pick up Great-Grandma from the temple. Dad and I will handle it, you can sleep a little longer," Gu Moqian said, raising his hand to gently touch her head.
"You don’t need me to help?"
"No need, just don’t sleep until noon, that’s all I ask."
Ji Wei pouted, "I’m not pregnant. Why would I sleep that much?"
"You will be very soon," Gu Moqian replied with a serious expression.
Now that she thought about it, they never used any protection. Could it really be possible?
Should she make some time to buy a pregnancy test kit?
While Ji Wei was still lost in her own thoughts, Gu Moqian had already slipped one arm into his suit jacket.
Seeing this, Ji Wei quickly got up to help him with his injured arm and adjusted the front of his jacket for him.
"I’m off. Later in the morning, Uncle Gu will take you to the front hall. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, just ask him," Gu Moqian instructed her one last time.
Gu Moqian leaned down and left a light kiss on her soft lips before turning to leave.
Still preoccupied with the gift she’d prepared for Great-Grandma, Ji Wei decided to wash up and get dressed, then stepped out of the room.
"Uncle Gu, are you sure this is fine?"
Under the persimmon tree, Ji Wei was getting ready to climb the wooden ladder with a basket in hand, while Uncle Gu was bracing the ladder firmly for her with all his strength.
"No problem, Young Mistress. Go on and climb up," Uncle Gu said confidently.
Though Uncle Gu was already over seventy, he looked spirited and robust. It should be fine.
Ji Wei quickly climbed to the top of the ladder. Looking up, she was greeted by large, ripe, red persimmons hanging above her. She couldn’t help but beam with joy and started plucking them one by one and placing them in the basket.
Before long, the basket was full.
"Uncle Gu, I’m coming down now," Ji Wei called out, turning to look down.
"Alright, alright. Come down, I’ve got it steady down here!"
Ji Wei began moving her feet down the ladder.
Maybe it was because of the morning dew, but the ladder was slippery.
Suddenly, Ji Wei lost her footing and fell backward!
Ji Wei let out a startled cry as her body plummeted downward.
She braced herself for a hard fall, but to her surprise, she landed in a man’s arms.
"Are you alright?" The man’s voice was clear and pleasant to the ear.
Ji Wei raised her head and was met with a pair of unfamiliar eyes. She quickly stepped out of the man’s hold and backed away a few steps.
"I’m fine, thank you," she said.
Ji Wei clutched the basket tightly to her chest. Luckily, she’d instinctively protected it while falling, so her efforts weren’t wasted.
"Young Mistress, are you okay? That was so dangerous just now! If something had happened to you, how could I ever face the Young Master with this old face of mine?" Uncle Gu ran over, his face full of worry and reproach.
"Uncle Gu, I’m fine, thanks to this gentleman," Ji Wei reassured him.
Hearing Ji Wei mention someone else, Uncle Gu finally looked over. When he saw the man in a casual knit sweater standing nearby, his face lit up with joy. "Young Master Jin, you’re back! It’s been years since we’ve seen you. How is the Lady?"
Young Master Jin? The Lady?
Ji Wei was utterly confused as she listened to the conversation.