"Plan thoroughly before acting, what is there to fear? Just take it slow." Gu Youyou said.
Although she wasn’t quite clear about the promotion system of their State Preceptor and the underlying unspoken rules, she was, after all, someone who had fought in the business world.
In her past life, she battled with her second uncle’s family for power and profit. Hadn’t she experienced enough of those domestic schemes? Back then she was young, and her grandfather taught her to be patient and to hide her capabilities. She had played the role of the shrinking turtle for many years, but she wasn’t simply hiding and doing nothing. Behind the scenes, she had been making a lot of moves, enough to strike them a deadly blow in the end.
Therefore, in Gu Youyou’s eyes, she was not afraid to endure; she was the best at it.
So when Lin Qianqing mentioned that her aunt might try to trip her up, she was even a bit excited.
Gu Youyou’s indifferent attitude actually helped Jin Zijin relax a bit. Reaching across the table, he lightly tapped her forehead and said, "You, I really don’t know what’s going on in your head, how are you different from ordinary women?"
Since he put it that way, Gu Youyou spoke frankly, lowering her voice, "You can completely treat me like a man." After saying this, she felt that it was somewhat inappropriate and added, "Or as an ally, at any rate, I am not the kind of woman in the inner quarters who needs your protection."
Having said this, she felt maybe she had spoken too boldly because people in this feudal society had no bottom line; killing someone was just a matter of doing it. The methods of the modern world could not be used in a place where identity and fists mattered more than reason, otherwise, the saying ’the scholar meets the soldier, and all reason is lost’ wouldn’t have been passed down through the ages.
With a troubled frown and acting coy for a while, her expression changed, and a large blob of ink fell from the tip of her pen without her noticing.
Jin Zijin smiled, took the pen from her hand, and hung it on the penholder.
"Ah...? Oh no..." Gu Youyou, seeing the large blot of black ink staining the paper, cried out in dismay, "I’ve written for so long, what a pity. But it’s alright, I remember everything; I’ll just write another one."
She took out a fresh sheet of unused paper, but Jin Zijin pressed down on her hand.
"Stop writing, let’s talk," he said.
Youyou blinked her eyes. It was the first time they sat across the table to talk; they usually discussed matters while tucked in bed.
A single man and a single woman lying in bed, purely chatting—it was astonishing they had maintained this for so long.
Both had the potential to become saints.
"Hmm, are you going to tell me about what you’re working on?" Gu Youyou said, "Don’t speak yet, let me talk first. After I’m done, then you can decide how much to tell me and how much to keep to yourself."
Jin Zijin was just that kind of person—with a guarded mind, he would only reveal a bit if you pried a bit. Overly cautious and somewhat chauvinistic. Ah well, nobody is perfect. If he didn’t even have these little faults, then he would really be a saint.
"Go ahead!" Jin Zijin gestured for her to proceed.
"Well, hey, first I want to ask you, how much do you believe in what I said about my past and present lives?" Gu Youyou leaned over the table, stretching her neck to look at him.
"You want to talk about the past?" Jin Zijin frowned.
He had told her not to bring it up again; that secret would be best kept inside, not to be spoken of or mentioned.
"It’s just the two of us, no need to be afraid!" Gu Youyou knew what he was worried about.
Jin Zijin swept his sleeves, extinguishing the light, and scooped Gu Youyou into the inner room, tossing her onto the bed.