Chapter 32: 32 Embracing Each Other


    Editor: As Studios


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao had never shared a bed with anyone, not even a female roommate. She thought she would have trouble sleeping, but within a short time, she fell asleep in theforting aura.


    While she journeyed into dreand, Xiao Ling did not fall asleep as quickly.


    He looked at Gu Jiao lying beside him, the soft glow from the snow outside shining on her face through the paper window. She was lying on her side, the half of her face marked with the birthmark was pressed beneath her.


    She was probably cold, her small face was glowing red. Her eyshes were long and her features were delicate, if not for the birthmark, she would be a beautiful and enchanting youngdy.


    For some inexplicable reason, a sense of regret shed in Xiao Ling’s heart.


    But quickly, he furrowed his brows, trying to discard this interloping emotion.


    Xiao Ling was a poised sleeper, hardly moving an inch the entire night.


    Gu Jiao was well-behaved too, aside from moving closer and closer to Xiao Ling, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and cing her small head on his shoulder, she did nothing else.


    Gu Jiao slept until dawn. When she woke up, Xiao Ling was already up, sitting by the window reading a book.


    The daylight seeped through the paper window, illuminating his handsome face like jade. Gu Jiao wasn’t sure if she was mistaken, but it seemed like he was blushing slightly.


    “You’re awake.” Xiao Ling greeted Gu Jiao formally but without ncing at her on the bed.


    “Hmm, I’m up. Good morning.” Gu Jiao rubbed her eyes and yawned softly, being freshly awake, she was slightly dazed and her voice carried a hint ofziness.


    What normal man could resist this early in the morning?


    Xiao Ling felt a rise in his chest and quickly stood up, “I’ll go get breakfast!”


    As he spoke, he left, leaving a perplexed Gu Jiao scratching her head.


    The snow had stopped overnight, and the sun now shone brightly.


    As the academy was closed today, after breakfast, the two hired a carriage and headed back to the vige.


    Passing the vige entrance, they overheard the vigers gossiping around the well: some people returning to the vige at night had slipped and fallen in the sudden snowfall, and in a neighboring vige, someone even capsized his carriage into a ditch, almost losing his life in the process.


    Xiao Ling thought about their decision to hire a carriage back to the vigest night. If not for her suggestion to spend the night at an inn, they might have been victims of an ident, too.


    At this point, Xiao Ling was at a loss for words.


    After all… this was the third time he managed to avoid cmity thanks to her.


    They got home.


    The olddy in the house had already risen and was sulking in the main room.


    Gu Jiao had thought they would be done with their business early yesterday and that they would be able to get back before the snowfall. Therefore, she left only one meal in the pot. Little did she expect that the schrs at the academy would upy Xiao Ling until the snow started falling heavily.


    Evading from the fate despite her dreams, she could only persuade Xiao Ling to stay overnight in the town.


    The olddy couldn’t kindle a fire, she had eaten cold steamed bunsst night, and again this morning, almost breaking her teeth.


    Gu Jiao was puzzled and wondered, as an old impoverishdy, how could she not know how to make a fire? Is she an old mistress from a wealthy family, or is she the Empress Dowager?


    Silently, Gu Jiao took out a pack of candied fruit and a box of osmanthus cake, “You’re allowed to have two pieces today.”


    The olddy, “No! Five pieces!”


    Gu Jiao, “Three pieces.”


    The olddy, “Deal!”


    The olddy, holding her candied fruit and osmanthus cake, turned her back and began munching eagerly.


    The word about Gu Dashun and the Liao and Zhou families being arrested had quickly spread through the vige, and even some from the neighboring vige came to witness the excitement. They weren’t aware yet of the connection between this incident and Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao, so they ran to the old Gu Family mansion for information.


    Noon arrived, and two warrant officers came to visit, looking for Gu Jiao.


    As it turned out, once the Liao and Zhou families were taken to the Yamen, under strict interrogation, they truthfully confessed the origin of the silver: it fell from the person who had a fight with the little fool, and they were ovee by greed, so they pocketed the silver and returned to the vige before the little fool came back.


    “Ah, so that’s what happened. I was wondering why I didn’t see both of you when I went back.” Gu Jiao said with an unwittingly enlightened expression.


    The officer looked at her and asked, “Why did you start to fight?”


    Gu Jiao spoke coldly, “He bumped into me! Bullied me! And insulted me!”


    Being bumped and insulted, she grabbed a sickle and chased after him, shing for several streets. Girl, you’re a hero.


    If anyone else had acted as such, the officers might have suspected something, but they had already heard from Liao and Zhou families that Gu Jiao was a simpleton. The actions of a simpleton can’t be judged bymon sense.


    Therefore, even at this stage, no one suspected that Gu Jiao was purposely waiting there to catch a thief, intentionally letting the thief escape, and leaving the silver behind for the Liao and Zhou families to covet. Even Liao and Zhou families thought that everything was an ident.


    Only Xiao Ling had a vague feeling that everything was too coincidental.


    “That person might have been a thief. What happened to him in the end?” the officer asked.


    “He ran away.” Gu Jiao shrugged.


    “Do you remember what he looked like?” the officer went on to ask.


    “He looks…um…” Gu Jiao recalled and gestured, while the other officer, an artistic officer from the Yamen, sketched the appearance of the thief, “Like this?”


    “Well…” Gu Jiao frowned.


    At that moment, Xiao Ling came out with a sketch.


    Gu Jiao’s eyes brightened, “Yes! It’s this man!”


    The officer and the artist shared an awkward nce. The illustrious Yamen artist was unexpectedly surpassed by a student, wasn’t it like having one’s rice bowl smashed?


    Once they had the sketch, the Yamen solved the case fairly quickly.


    However, the Liao and Zhou families weren’t released immediately because when the Yamen officers initially questioned them about the silver, they confidently imed it was earned from selling mountain goods.


    This was a significant amount, coupled with their lies and refusal to hand over the silver. They were found guilty of embezzlement and each fined twenty taels of silver and given thirtyshes.


    As for Gu Dashun, the shameful actions of his mother and his second aunt reflected poorly on his family’s integrity, and he too was nailed to the pir of shame.