Chapter 503: Testing

The twenty‑fifth year of Hongwu, the twenty‑fifth day of the fourth month.

Ying Tianfu, the tea house in the southern part of the city.

Zhu Huanhuan sat in a private room on the second floor, with a pot of Longjing tea and a plate of osmanthus cake before her.

She wore a half‑worn goose‑yellow padded jacket, her hair braided into a single plait hanging behind her, sitting there quietly, cradling a book in her hands.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on her, as if she were coated with a layer of Jin.

Today is the twenty‑fifth day of the fourth month; there are twenty‑three days left until the divorce date.

She originally shouldn't have gone out.

With the grand wedding imminent, the bride should be at home embroidering her wedding dress, trying on jewelry, and listening to her mother's nagging.

But she could no longer stay, told Guanyin Nu, "Go to the bookshop and buy a few books," and then left the door with Xiao Zhu.

The bookshop is in the southern part of the city, not far from the tea house.

After buying the books, she stopped by the tea house, sitting in the old seat by the window.

She had often sat in that spot before; from the tea house window one could see the painted boats traversing the Qinhuai River and hear the hawkers' shouts along the bank.

Back then, each time she came, she could "chance upon" Gu Xian.

Now there's no need for chance encounters; the wedding date is set.

A faint smile curled at the corner of her mouth as she opened the book.

The book was newly bought, an illustrated edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

She turned two pages, engrossed, when footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Two people entered.

A young man in a stone‑blue straight robe walked up, followed by a small attendant.

The young man was in his early twenties, fair and clean‑looking, with gentle brows and eyes, holding a folding fan; he entered the tea house, glanced around, and paused when his gaze landed on Zhu Huanhuan.

He walked over, sat opposite Zhu Huanhuan, and gave a slight smile.

"Miss, we meet again," he said.

Zhu Huanhuan lifted her head, looking at the person before her.

His eyebrows, eyes, clothing, and tone of voice were all the same; even the curve of his smile's corner matched perfectly.

But it wasn't him.

She had known Gu Xian for three years.

The first time they met was at the school outside the city; she delivered books, and he stood on the podium teaching children characters, his voice modest yet clear, enunciating each word perfectly.

It was early spring, sunlight streaming through the window and falling on him.

She entered from the doorway; he lifted his head, glanced at her, smiled briefly, then bowed his head to continue teaching.

She had remembered that smile for three years.

Gentle, pure, without any mixture.

The person before her also had a gentle smile and a pure gaze.

But it was different.

She couldn't pinpoint what was different; it was simply different.

"Young Master Gu, what a coincidence," she said, closing the book, her tone light.

Gu Rui felt a sigh of relief in their heart.

She didn't recognize him.

He had spent a full eleven days imitating Gu Xian.

From his walking posture to his speaking tone, from the hand gesture of lifting a cup while drinking tea to the curve of his smile's corner, he rehearsed every detail repeatedly until he himself felt the person in the mirror was Gu Xian.

"Miss, what book did you buy today?" Gu Rui asked with a smile, voice soft, tone gentle.

Like a cup of warm water—neither hot nor cold, just right.

"The Classic of Mountains and Seas, illustrated edition," Zhu Huanhuan handed the book over.

Gu Rui took it, opened it, and read a few pages.

"The Classic of Mountains and Seas is fascinating—mythic tales, bizarre and wondrous, far more interesting than those rigid classics," he said.

He closed the book and handed it back.

"Do you enjoy reading books like this, Miss?"

"Hmm, I do."

Zhu Huanhuan took the book and placed it on the table.

"Young Master Gu, do you also like it?"

"I like it, especially the illustrations of divine beasts. When I was a child, my father bought me a copy; I've torn it up so many times yet can't bear to throw it away," Gu Rui said, smiling and nodding.

Zhu Huanhuan stared at his smile, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Young Master Gu, do you still remember our first meeting?"

Gu Rui's heartbeat missed a beat.

He certainly remembered.

Gu Xian had told him that their first meeting was at the school outside the city; she came to deliver books, and he stood on the podium teaching children characters.

He even asked precisely what color of clothing Gu Xian wore that day.

"I remember: the school outside the city, I went to deliver books, you were on the podium teaching children characters, wearing a moon‑white straight robe."

"It was early spring, the sunlight was fine, streaming through the window and falling on me."

"You said you were thinking then how this miss could be so beautiful."

Gu Rui smiled as he finished reciting the passage he had memorized for many days.

Every word matched exactly what Gu Xian had said.

Zhu Huanhuan looked at him, fell silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Young Master Gu, you have a great memory."

Gu Rui felt completely relieved.

"Miss, you flatter me."

The two exchanged a few more words, talked about the books they had recently read, and discussed the European children at the school outside the city.

Zhu Huanhuan didn't speak much; most of the conversation was Gu Rui's. She occasionally nodded and smiled.

Xiao Zhu stood at the doorway of the elegant room, watching this "Young Master Gu," and always felt something was off.

But she couldn't put it into words.

Half an hour later, Zhu Huanhuan stood up.

"Young Master Gu, it's getting late; I should be going back."

Gu Rui also stood, clasped his hands and said, "Miss, take care on your way."

Zhu Huanhuan nodded and went down the stairs with Xiao Zhu.

Reaching the stairwell, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and gave Gu Rui a glance.

"Young Master Gu, on the eighteenth of next month, you'll be coming, right?"

Gu Rui was startled, then smiled and said, "Definitely..."

Zhu Huanhuan turned and walked down the stairs.

Her steps were light, and her skirt swayed gently with each step.

Gu Rui stood by the window, watching Zhu Huanhuan leave the teahouse, board the carriage, and disappear around the corner.

He let out a long sigh.

It became...

She didn't recognize him.

He turned, whispered to the young servant behind him, "Send a message to my father, saying everything is going smoothly."

The servant replied with a nod and hurried down.

In the carriage, Zhu Huanhuan leaned against the wall of the compartment, eyes closed.

Xiao Zhu sat opposite, unable to hold back, and asked, "Princess, why does that Young Master Gu seem different from usual?"

Zhu Huanhuan opened her eyes and looked at Xiao Zhu.

"What's different?"

"I can't say, it's just... not like usual, the way she smiles, the way she talks, it's like... like she's acting."

A faint smile curled at Zhu Huanhuan's mouth.

"You noticed it too?"

Xiao Zhu was startled and said, "Princess, you already knew?"

Zhu Huanhuan gave no reply, turned her head toward the street scene outside the window.

One telephone pole after another flashed past the window, the porcelain jars atop them glinting with white glaze in the sunlight.

Of course she had known long ago.

It wasn't just today; she had known it several days earlier.

That night, her father emerged from the study, his complexion unwell; although he still smiled at her, she could see he had something on his mind.

She went to bring tea to her father and heard him say a sentence to Wang Gui.

"As for Gu Mingcheng, keep the Brocade Guard watching him."

Gu Mingcheng, the head of the Gu family, Gu Xian's elder uncle.

She didn't know what Gu Mingcheng had done to upset her father, but she knew her father's men had been keeping an eye on the Gu family.

Later she secretly asked Wang Gui.

Wang Gui refused to answer; after she pressed him several times, he vaguely mentioned, "Someone wants Li Dai Tao Jiang."

Li Dai Tao Jiang...

She recalled that, as a child, she had studied at Dabentang, where the teacher had mentioned the term.

It comes from the *Yuefu Poetry Collection*, originally meaning to replace a peach tree with a plum tree, later used as a metaphor for substituting the false for the genuine, passing off inferior for superior.

Someone wants to use a fake to replace Gu Xian in order to marry her.

No need to think to know who it is.

Gu Xian has a younger male cousin named Gu Rui, who looks very much like Gu Xian.

She had seen him once in Jinling, glanced from afar, and at the time found it strange how someone could look so much like Gu Xian.

Now it's no longer strange.

Today in the teahouse, she instantly recognized that it wasn't Gu Xian.

It's not that he looks different; it's that his smile is off.

When Gu Xian smiles, his eyes curve slightly, the corners of his mouth lift, but his gaze is steady, looking straight into yours without averting.

This person's smile is also pleasant, but his gaze is drifting, as if performing a play.

She played along to finish his act.

She wants to see what they actually intend to do.

The carriage stopped at the gate of Wu Wang Fu.