Qin He tightened her grip on the chopsticks, her gaze falling on Gu Qichen's hand.
His fingers were long and slender, exquisitely beautiful, with skin as pale and cold as jade, marked with taut lines. These were hands that could have been professional hand models, yet now they were dotted with over a dozen red marks.
Qin He knew cooking and could tell from the marks that they were from hot oil splashes.
Such oil burns were painful.
A corner of her heart suddenly softened.
Lowering her gaze, Qin He pursed her lips and said, "Let me see your hand."
Gu Qichen hadn't taken the oil burn injuries seriously, but seeing Qin He's expression, he unconsciously raised his hand and offered it.
Qin He looked at it and sighed, "You don't have to go to such lengths. It's alright if we don't have it later; we're going back in a couple of days."
Gu Qichen smiled, "It's okay. It was due to my own carelessness, not because of what you wanted to eat."
Qin He pursed her lips, "Do you have any ointment at home? Get some and apply it."
She lowered her eyes and ate her noodles in silence. Qin He could feel Gu Qichen's meticulous care over these past few days.
There were even moments when she suddenly understood why she had loved this man so deeply before.
However, she would not fall a second time where she had already stumbled once.
Qin He thought to herself that Gu Qichen's kindness now was merely out of some regret.
Even though she had lost her memories, she and Gu Qichen had been together for two years. These two years had proven that their life together hadn't been good. This man might be a good friend, but as a husband, she couldn't agree.
After finishing the noodles, the maid came to clear away the bowls.
Qin He got out of bed herself, put on her slippers, and brushed her teeth. Upon returning, she discussed tomorrow's matters with Gu Qichen.
"We need to set off early tomorrow to finalize the matter with that Master Liu quickly. We'll have to bring him back with us; we've already wasted three or four days. I wonder if the West District Joint Department has stopped construction," Qin He frowned. "Even a single day's halt in the West District construction site incurs immense losses."
Gu Qichen nodded, "I investigated Liu Xing'an during the days you were ill. He is indeed not greedy and has no particular vices. Yu Jing and Di Shishi bought him some gifts, both artistic and financially valuable, but he refused them all. It seems he's firmly decided not to take this job."
Qin He frowned, "Doesn't he want anything at all? No one living in this world can be completely without desires, can they? He's truly ascended to godhood."
Gu Qichen suddenly looked up, "Liu Xing'an should have a bigger matter that is currently preoccupying him, which is why he cannot accept the invitation from the West District."
"What matter?" Qin He was surprised.
"Liu Xing'an has a wife he loves very dearly. They have been childhood sweethearts who have come this far. However, I heard his wife is now gravely ill. Perhaps it is because of this that he is unwilling to leave here."
Qin He paused slightly, "Do you know what illness it is?"
Gu Qichen shook his head, "Liu Xing'an is very secretive about it. I learned about it from Solivensen."
Qin He's eyes flickered. If it were a terminal illness, she might not be able to help, but if it wasn't, perhaps she could try!
"Let's visit him first tomorrow and talk to him then."
After they had discussed and settled things, when evening arrived and Qin He's health had greatly improved, she went downstairs for dinner and saw Yu Jing and Di Shishi returning.
These past few days, they had been going out together to buy gifts. Among them were some items that Gu Qichen had shipped from Qingcheng. To make Qin He more comfortable, even the carpets were woven textiles from Qingcheng.
Qin He then realized that in just three days, everything in this house had been transformed to suit her preferences.
She pretended not to notice and didn't ask anything. After dinner, she returned to her room.
The next morning, the four of them had breakfast and drove to Solivensen's castle.
Before they left, Gu Qichen had already called Solivensen. The castle's servants would let them in, but whether the Master would see them was uncertain.
They entered the Vinson family's castle. This Vinson family castle was a century old, its mottled, ancient walls built from massive stones, exuding a sense of historical depth. The car stopped in the plaza, and the four of them got out and entered the hall.
The Vinson family butler, having received word, was dressed in a suit and quickly came out to greet them. Qin He stood to the side, listening to Gu Qichen converse with the butler. The butler indicated that they were welcome to explore freely.
However, Master Liu Xing'an had been in seclusion for the past few days.
When Qin He asked about the Master's residence, the butler looked troubled and didn't answer.
Qin He and Gu Qichen exchanged glances. At this point, they could only sit and wait.
But waiting passively wasn't a solution. Qin He called Di Shishi over and whispered a few words in her ear, instructing her and Yu Jing to go and do something.
About half an hour later, the two returned.
"The surroundings are all manors and flower gardens; there are no residential areas."
Qin He and Gu Qichen exchanged a look. "It seems Master Liu Xing'an lives in this castle."
The castle had five floors in total. The top two floors were decorative towers and attics. The remaining three floors were below, and they were currently on the first floor.
The second floor was usually where the owner resided—
Qin He pondered, then walked out of the castle.
Standing in front of the main gate of the castle, tilting her head back to look up, Qin He's gaze fell on a room in the corner of the third floor. The window of that room, though styled consistently with the other windows, had a few small wooden ornaments visible.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
Gu Qichen stood beside her and followed her gaze. "That should be it. But what's the use of knowing which room it is? Liu Xing'an won't let us go up, and we can't barge in."
Qin He let out a laugh. "He won't allow us to go up, but he didn't say we can't smash his windows, did he?"
Gu Qichen raised an eyebrow. "You're going to—"
A smile played on Qin He's lips, a slightly mischievous one. Her plump lips parted, revealing a row of pearly white teeth, her small fangs gleaming like cold light.
She ran to the roadside, picked up a handful of pebbles from a pile of stones in the flowerbed, and hurled them towards the third-floor window.
One stone hit the windowpane with a crack!
Not too hard, but not too soft either. It made the glass emit a loud noise, as if on the verge of shattering.
Qin He threw a few more. She didn't use enough force to actually break the glass, but the glass kept crackling, as if it would shatter at any moment!