His face was gaunt, his white clothes worn, his eyes dull and hollow, and a stubble of stubble grew on his chin. This was nothing like Meng'er's description of him as talented and dashing.
Yet, his momentary panic confirmed Lin Yanxi's intuition. He was the one.
"Gu Qing, we've come for Meng'er. She's very worried about you."
At the mention of Meng'er, he bristled, "What does she want with me?"
"Gu Lang. Who are these people?" A woman emerged from a small door in the alley. She looked pale and frail, dressed in a coarse linen dress, with a rose-red headscarf that added a touch of color to her complexion.
Gu Qing turned his head, the gloom in his eyes vanishing. He gently supported the woman, "My dear, these are a few friends I've recently made."
His wife?
Lin Yanxi's eyes widened as she looked at everyone present. To her surprise, everyone except herself seemed unperturbed.
The woman smiled gently, rubbed her hands on her clothes, and invited them, "Please, come in and sit for a while."
Gu Qing hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside, "Do come in and sit."
The woman warmly led them into the house and poured them tea. However, only two tea leaves floated in the cups, and the tea itself was almost transparent.
"My husband rarely brings friends home. He's not good at socializing, so please be understanding and look out for him when you're around."
Gu Qing held her hand, "My dear, don't trouble yourself. Rest. How are you feeling today?"
She nodded, her lips lacking color, "Much better."
The room was extremely simple, furnished with only a makeshift table, a few stools, a bed, and a pile of wine jars in the corner.
Lin Yanxi glanced at the wine jars and asked, "Brother Gu, do you enjoy drinking?"
Gu Qing's expression turned awkward as he mumbled an affirmative.
His wife explained for him, "Actually, my husband didn't drink before. It's my frail health that's burdened him. Since he accidentally injured his right hand, his painting and calligraphy haven't been the same. He's been feeling down, but he's promised me he'll change. As long as we work together, everything will get better."
Little did she know, Gu Qing had gone to sell paintings earlier that day just to get a jar of wine.
A hint of guilt flickered in Gu Qing's eyes. "My dear..."
She gazed into his eyes, her voice gentle yet firm, "I believe in you, Gu Lang."
Gu Qing remained silent for a while, then averted his gaze in self-reproach, "I... my outer robe is a bit dirty. Could you please tidy it up for me?"
She dutifully helped him take off his robe and placed it in a wooden bucket. "You all sit here. I'll go fetch some water."
Shen Muzhou said, "Please do."
As the woman carried the wooden tray out of the courtyard, Gu Qing's gaze turned cold. He asked indifferently, "Why are you really here? I don't owe her anything anymore!"
Lin Yanxi asked, confused, "You have a wife? So, the medicine you sought wasn't for your mother, but for your wife?"
"You lied to Meng'er."
Gu Qing retorted angrily, "I lied to her, and she cut off my hand. Isn't that enough to repay her affections?"
Shen Muzhou inquired, "Are you saying Meng'er cut off your hand?"
Seeing their confused expressions, Gu Qing asked, "Don't you know?"
"My wife was originally the illegitimate daughter of the county magistrate. My master was a painter in the magistrate's household, specializing in drawing portraits of prisoners. Later, he began teaching the magistrate's daughter painting. We were childhood sweethearts and gradually fell in love. Master Li, a wealthy man in town, took an interest in her. He was over forty."
"On the eve of her wedding, my wife eloped with me. We were caught by the county magistrate. He threatened my wife with poison, saying she could either commit suicide by taking the poison, and he'd disown her, or she could leave me and marry Master Li. She loved me deeply and chose to take her own life."
"I threatened to die at his doorstep and managed to rescue her, but the poison had already spread throughout her body. I could only sustain her life with precious medicinal herbs. Zhihai Tower knows everything. I entered Zhihai Tower as a musician to obtain the secret recipe that could cure all poisons."
"As for what happened later, you probably know. I used Meng'er's feelings for me to obtain the recipe. When I was about to leave, the楼主 investigated my identity and detained me at Zhihai Tower. Meng'er made me leave a hand before she would let me return to save my wife."
At the end, he lifted his wide sleeve, revealing a bare, incomplete forearm.
"I have already received my due punishment. Please, both you and the people of Zhihai Tower, stop bothering me!"
Lin Yanxi hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Meng'er was so beautiful, while Gu Qing's wife was plain in comparison. Love or lack thereof in this world was already decided.
Shen Muzhou remained calm throughout. After listening to his story, he asked coldly, "So you've met the楼主 of Zhihai Tower?"
Gu Qing clenched his teacup, his knuckles turning white. He emphatically nodded.
"Why are you really here? It can't be that Meng'er sent you. I have no feelings for her anymore."
His words were as cold as frost, a stark contrast to the tenderness he showed his wife earlier. Was the gentle, considerate Gu Qing, who always thought of Meng'er, truly real?
Perhaps he was, but he only existed for his wife.
Lin Yanxi's voice was tinged with disappointment, "Meng'er doesn't seem to remember cutting off your hand. She thinks the楼主 did it, and afraid you were in danger, she went to great lengths to ask us to rescue you."
Gu Qing looked at them in surprise, then quickly regained his composure. "The楼主 must have given her something to confuse her memory."
Given that the楼主 of Zhihai Tower possessed all sorts of rare treasures, this was not surprising.
Although this matter was explained, Lin Yanxi still wanted to ask, "So, everything you did before was a lie to her? You were just using her from beginning to end?"
Gu Qing's gaze met theirs for a long moment. He lowered his eyes and sighed.
"Then tell her I'm dead."
Shen Muzhou asked, "Besides gifts, how else can one meet the楼主 of Zhihai Tower?"
At the mention of this topic, Gu Qing's expression softened slightly. "Everyone thinks the楼主 lives on the fourth floor and goes to great lengths to find the entrance, but in reality, Zhihai Tower is built downwards. You can't tell how many floors it has from the outside."
He got up and walked towards the mountain of wine jars. With one hand, he fumbled to pull out the bottommost jar and retrieved a moldy, worn-out piece of paper.
"Zhihai Tower is not just a building that extends downwards; its entire construction is based on formations, like a maze. This is a map showing the楼主's location. Only those who can break the formation can meet him. Bringing gifts is just a pretense."
As Shen Muzhou reached for the map, Gu Qing flinched and pulled it back. After a moment's pause, he said, "If I give you this map, I'll have nothing more to do with Zhihai Tower or Ghost City. You just need to tell Meng'er that I died on the day I left her, with no remains, so she can give up and live well."
"But Meng'er is still waiting for you to redeem her," Shen Muzhou said.
Shen Yu, standing nearby, chimed in, "If it's a matter of money, I can help you."
Lin Yanxi glanced at Shen Yu, thinking he was truly a prodigal spender.
Her eyes were deep, her demeanor unusually calm. She reached out and snatched the map back.
"It's a deal. From now on, Meng'er will no longer remember you."
He didn't love Meng'er; she could see that clearly. She had once asked how to determine if someone truly loved another. When one is deeply in love, it's hard to see clearly. But if you've seen how he loves someone else, you'll understand what it looks like when he doesn't.
For Meng'er, Gu Qing was the hope of her life. He was her lover, her anchor. When he no longer loved her, Meng'er should live for herself. He could be her hope, but not her everything.
Shen Muzhou gazed at her intently. Her fair, delicate face with its round, almond-shaped eyes was veiled with a layer of cold indifference. It was somehow incongruous, yet it made people want to look more closely, to understand her thoughts.
After taking the map, she and Shen Muzhou examined it together. Shen Muzhou then shifted his gaze, analyzing, "We were on this level before, just two rooms beyond. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother were confined here. This map is accurate."
He deliberately concealed their true identities.
Fortunately, this trip was not without its rewards. He carefully folded the map and tucked it into his sleeve.
Before leaving, Shen Yu asked Gu Qing again, "Are you sure there's nothing you need us to relay to Meng'er?"
Gu Qing paused, gazing at them blankly, then his eyes fell on the figure busy in the courtyard. He slowly shook his head.
The group bid farewell to Gu Qing's wife and departed. Lin Yanxi glanced back at him. He remained in the same posture, sitting on the chair, looking dejected and somewhat dispirited.
Seeing her looking back, Shen Muzhou asked, "What is it?"
Lin Yanxi turned her gaze forward and continued walking, whispering, "Meng'er spoke of his every good quality, how gentle and considerate he was, always thinking of her. It just goes to show, when someone wants to deceive you, even love can be faked."
Shen Yu looked at the young girl. She looked so cute, not very old, yet she spoke with such world-weary sentiments.
Shen Muzhou patiently reasoned, "Perhaps he himself is unsure whether he loves Meng'er. It's not entirely an act."
She pondered Shen Muzhou's words for a long time, finding some truth in them.
Whenever Gu Qing mentioned Meng'er, there was a hint of resentment. He hated that she had broken his arm, yet in the end, he wished to die the day he left her. He wanted Meng'er to believe he was dead. This seemed cold and heartless, yet he also wished for Meng'er to live well.
He was devoted to his wife. Even in dire straits, he would exchange his paintings for wine, and he lied to that woman about no longer drinking.
Following such a man, his wife's life would not be easy.
She suddenly exclaimed with indignation, "In the end, I think he only loves himself!"
Shen Muzhou smiled faintly at her indignant expression.
She walked ahead, and the others hurried to catch up, almost bumping into Lin Yanxi. Shen Muzhou quickly shielded her within his cloak.
The leader shouted, "Quick, quick, to the tea stall ahead! They're giving tea to the refugees. If we're late, we won't get any!"