tallest building

Chapter 123 Caught in the Act

"Mother!" The door opened, and Gong Chang'an rushed in like an arrow.

Gong Xu was taken aback and loosened his grip, allowing Wen Mingqian to escape.

"You...cough...aren't you at Grandma's? What are you doing here so late?" Gong Xu said awkwardly.

“Father, I have written an article.” Gong Chang’an concealed the small dagger back into his sleeve without making a sound. “I will show it to my teacher in a few days, but I am not confident in it. I would like to ask you to give me some pointers first.”

"Uh, well... let's talk about it tomorrow!" Gong Xu had no interest in giving pointers on the article; all he wanted to do now was reconcile with Wen Mingqian.

But at this moment, Zhang Ma and the others returned. Upon seeing the situation, Zhang Ma immediately understood and said, "Madam, the gold-embroidered satin is missing from the storeroom in the backyard. Should we search for it tonight or wait until tomorrow?"

"That gold-embroidered satin was meant to be used to make clothes for the old lady after autumn. How could it be gone?" Wen Mingqian said as he walked out. "Where is the person in charge of the storeroom?"

Gong Xu stared in disbelief as Wen Mingqian led the group out, opening his mouth but unable to utter a single word.

"Father, why don't you take a look at the article for me?" Gong Chang'an said to him with a helpless expression.

"I've had a drink today, let's do it another day!" Gong Xu suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon and walked out dejectedly.

Gong Chang'an followed behind him without making a sound. At this time, Gong Xu was alone, and the night was dark.

Gong Chang'an spotted a fist-sized pebble beside the lotus pond, secretly exerted force with his foot, and kicked it precisely where Gong Xu was going to land.

Gong Xu was walking along when he suddenly slipped and fell into the lotus pond with a splash.

Gong Chang'an watched coldly as he thrashed about in the water for several moments before shouting, "Something's wrong! Master has fallen into the pond! Someone come quick!"

When Yunying heard from the servant that Gong Xu had gone to Wen Mingqian's courtyard, she rushed over. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw everyone pulling Gong Xu, who was soaking wet, out of the pond.

"Master, what's wrong?" Yunying rushed forward.

Gong Xu had no time to answer her question. He gasped for breath and said, "Be gentle, everyone. I can't put my right foot on the ground. I'm afraid I've twisted it."

The crowd came over with lanterns and lifted up his trouser legs. For a moment, they couldn't see anything, but he himself felt excruciating pain.

"Quickly! Bring the bench and carry the master to my room," Yunying ordered. "Also, go and fetch a doctor."

After a flurry of activity, Gong Xu was carried into Yun Ying's room, where Yun Ying cleaned him up and changed his clothes.

By the time the doctor arrived, Gong Xu's ankle was swollen to the size of his calf.

"Thank goodness, no bones are broken," the doctor said after a careful examination. "But it is a sprained tendon, and you will need to rest for a while. You must be very careful with this foot injury; it supports the whole body and is the hardest to heal. If it is not treated properly, it could leave you with a lifelong problem."

After explaining, he wrote out a prescription and left behind some external liniment for bruises and sprains.

Yunying opened the cabinet, paid the doctor the consultation fee, and then ordered someone to take her back.

It was already past midnight, and Wen Mingqian only sent Zhang Ma to check on things and say a few perfunctory words.

Gong Xu felt even more pain in his heart than in his legs. He understood that Wen Mingqian's heart had truly turned cold. He had hurt her too deeply, so how could he expect her to come back to him so easily?
"Master, you should at least get some sleep," Yunying said softly. "A nap will ease the pain."

"Yunying, if someone hurts you, would you still forgive them?" Gong Xu couldn't sleep, so he probed Yunying with these words. In reality, he was treating Yunying as a substitute for Wen Mingqian, because he knew he wouldn't get an answer if he asked Wen Mingqian.

"That depends on who it is and how deep the injury is," Yunying said calmly. "If it's my parents, who have raised me, I can tolerate them hurting me. Apart from that, if someone has done me a great favor, I will just consider it as repaying their kindness, and that will be the end of it."

If we were brothers, I could tolerate much out of blood ties. But if he doesn't consider me a brother, then this bond is broken. Though we are brothers and sisters in name, we are no different from strangers in two lifetimes.

As for everything else, it all depends on one's conscience. Good relationships are built gradually, and goodwill is cultivated over time.

"And what about between husband and wife?" Gong Xu asked.

"Husband and wife are naturally destined by fate. Two people who were originally unrelated become the closest couple in the world. It is said that a night of marriage brings a hundred days of kindness, and that young couples become companions in old age."

Although I haven't had much formal education, I know the saying: in this world, the closest and most distant relatives are husband and wife. If their hearts are in one place, they can stay together even through fire and water. But if discord arises, even sleeping in the same bed, they will still harbor their own secrets.

If one party hurts the other, and the hurt is deep, how easy is it to reconcile and return to normalcy?

"Is it really impossible to go back to how things were before? Even if we try our best to make amends, it won't work?" Gong Xu was unwilling to give up.

"Even the best medicine for knife wounds is not as good as not being injured at all." Yunying lowered her head and did not look at Gong Xu. "Saying that we've made up is just that the one who was wronged continues to suffer."

Gong Xu, having been hit where it hurt, stopped asking questions and slumped onto his pillow, falling asleep in a daze.

Actually, there's no need to ask Yunying; he knows the answer himself, but he's just been unwilling to think about it deeply.

Wen Mingqian hadn't hidden anything from him before, but he didn't like that.

Today, Wen Mingqian is seen as a virtuous wife and loving mother. She is gentle and compliant, manages the household well, is filial to her elders, and is beautiful and intelligent.

But her heart was far away from him; no matter how he expressed himself, she remained indifferent and lukewarm.

Yunying knew she wouldn't be able to sleep well that night, so she simply didn't take off her clothes.

Because of his foot injury, Gong Xu was always in a semi-conscious state.

In his dream, Wen Mingqian always walked ahead of him at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. The two of them were three or four steps apart, seemingly close enough, but unable to reach each other when they reached out their hands.

Gong Xu wanted to walk faster to catch up with her, but his legs just wouldn't budge.

He wanted to call out to Wen Mingqian, but for some reason his voice was hoarse and he couldn't make a sound.

He was frantic in his dream, but there was nothing he could do.

Yunying listened to Gong Xu's ramblings, gently turned over, and covered her ears.

It wasn't until Gong Xu suddenly kicked his leg and hit the sore spot, crying out in pain and waking up, that she got up and asked, "What's wrong, Master? Would you like some tea?"

"What time is it now? Why isn't it dawn yet?" Gong Xu asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"It's still early, only four in the morning," Yunying said softly. "Master, you should sleep a little longer! Take your medicine after breakfast when it's light, and the pain should lessen."

Helpless, Gong Xu could only drink a sip of tea and lie back down.

But his heart always felt like it was being weighed down by a stone, and every beat seemed to be a struggle.