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Gu Jiao returned to Bishui Alley an hour later. To keep up appearances, she had even bought something on the way——several sticks of candied hawthorns.

Carrying the candied hawthorns, she reached her doorstep when, unexpectedly, she heard hushed voices coming from within the alley.

“Go on in.”

It was Little Jing Kong’s voice.

“I don’t dare.”

This time it was… a young man’s voice. It sounded somewhat familiar to Gu Jiao, though she couldn’t quite remember it immediately.

Little Jing Kong sighed in an old-soul manner, “If you’ve made a mistake, you have to face it bravely.”

The young man hesitated. “But my hair still hasn’t grown back.”

“JiaoJiao! You’re back! Why so late?”

Grandma Zhou came out from Aunt Sun’s house. She spotted Gu Jiao at once, dangling candied hawthorns in hand.

The voices in the alley cut off instantly, followed by hurried footsteps as the young man ran away.

“I went to buy some candied hawthorns.” Gu Jiao said, bending down to hand one stick to Grandma Zhou’s little grandson.

The boy lifted his eyes to his grandmother, his gaze full of longing.

Grandma Zhou looked a bit embarrassed, but Gu Jiao added, “Take it. Tomorrow Xiaobao will come and play with you.”

Hearing this, Grandma Zhou smiled, accepted the candied hawthorn, and had her grandson give his thanks.

After bidding farewell to them, Gu Jiao turned to see Little Jing Kong hopping out of the alley.

“JiaoJiao!” He bounced happily toward her and leaned in for a loving hug.

Though already over six years old, he still looked like a five-year-old, and when he acted cute, it felt perfectly natural.

His big eyes blinked rapidly when he saw the candied hawthorns in Gu Jiao’s hand. “Wow! JiaoJiao, you bought candied hawthorns!”

Gu Jiao could only nod. Otherwise, if she told him she had been out on a date with his “bad brother-in-law,” he would get jealous.

“Do you have school tomorrow?” Gu Jiao asked.

“Tomorrow’s a holiday!” Little Jing Kong replied.

“Then it’s fine to sleep a little later tonight.” Gu Jiao said, letting him choose a stick.

He picked the second largest, leaving the biggest one for Gu Xiaobao. Clearly, he doted on his little brother.

As Gu Jiao took his hand and led him home, she asked, “By the way, who were you talking to just now?”

Holding her hand in one and his candied hawthorn in the other, he licked it once before answering, “Big Brother Chenglin.”

Gu Chenglin?

Gu Jiao finally remembered who that was.

The youngest son raised in the most crooked way by Concubine Ling, who had always believed it was Yao shi who killed his mother. Because of this, he constantly bullied Gu Yan.

In the end, it was none other than Concubine Ling herself, whom he trusted most, that stabbed him cruelly. Since then, he had become utterly disheartened and once even considered shaving his head and becoming a monk.

Little Jing Kong had been halfway through shaving his head when Old Marquis returned. At that point, Gu Chenglin tucked his tail between his legs and scurried back into the worldly life.

“Huh? I remember his hair had already grown back.”

After all, Gu Chengfeng had bought quite a bit of hair-growth tonic from her.

Little Jing Kong said, “It did grow back, but during the New Year he played with firecrackers and blew it all off again.”

Gu Jiao shot straight to the point: “Was it really firecrackers, or was it your black gunpowder balls?”

Little Jing Kong blinked innocently. “My gunpowder ball.”

Gu Jiao: “…”

Little Jing Kong added pitifully, “But I fixed it! When I saw that his hair was blown into a mess, I just went ahead and shaved him again!”

And so… it never grew back.

Taking another lick of his candied hawthorn, Little Jing Kong suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! I just remembered, I haven’t fed Little Nine yet. I’m going to feed Little Nine!”

Then he tilted his head up, gazed at Gu Jiao with sparkling eyes, and chirped sweetly, “JiaoJiao, you’re so beautiful today! I’m utterly captivated by your beauty, my heart is blooming with joy!”

Gu Jiao: Well, mystery solved. Clearly it was him who taught Xiaobao this flowery talk.

“Hold it right there.” Gu Jiao stopped Little Jing Kong as he tried to bolt into the house.

Little Jing Kong’s eyes darted around mischievously before he turned back with the most charming, well-behaved smile. “JiaoJiao, is there something else?”

See? Who could possibly bring themselves to scold such an adorable, clever, and sensible child?

Gu Jiao thought for a moment, then asked, “What did he come here for today?”

……

The next morning, Gu Changqing and Gu Chengfeng rose very early.

Gu Chengfeng had returned too late the previous night, by which time Gu Changqing was already resting. It wasn’t until this morning that he managed to confirm with his elder brother the marriage arrangement that Yuan Tong had mentioned.

“Elder brother, are you really going to marry the Yuan Family’s daughter?” He asked Gu Changqing.

Gu Changqing had just finished practicing horse stance, his handsome face dripping with sweat. He took the towel handed over by a servant boy and wiped his forehead and neck before replying, “What of it? Do you have an objection?”

Gu Chengfeng snorted. “What objection could I possibly have? I’m not your father.”

Gu Changqing cast him a cold look.

He shrank his neck under that gaze, then gave an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject, “Elder brother, didn’t we agree to go to Bishui Alley today? That girl has been back and resting for two days already.”

The implication being, they could finally go and pay her a visit.

Gu Changqing raised an eyebrow, and a faintly smug expression appeared on his face. “I already saw JiaoJiao yesterday.”

Gu Chengfeng’s eyes widened. “What? Didn’t we agree to go today? And you actually went behind my back——”

Gu Changqing said calmly, “Who told you to refuse Grandfather when he asked you to go into the palace? When he and I came out of the palace, we happened to run into her paying a visit to Duke An.”

Gu Chengfeng looked as though he had just lost a fortune, looking utterly pissed!

What made it worse was that his elder brother’s tone was full of deliberate boasting.

Really!

Elder brother, are you actually this childish?!

Gu Changqing gave his younger brother a sidelong glance, then walked off with an air of superiority.

Gu Chengfeng ground his teeth and stormed back to his own courtyard.

As he was packing things up, Gu Chenglin came over.

“Why are you up so early today? Going to school?” Gu Chengfeng asked.

Gu Chenglin scratched his head. “Today’s a holiday.”

“Oh, then Gu Yan is off too.” Gu Chengfeng muttered as he opened the cabinet and stuffed another box into his bundle. “Not sure if the Imperial Academy has a break.”

“They do.” Gu Chenglin replied.

Gu Chengfeng forgot to ask how he knew, and shoved another item into the bundle. “In a while, I’m going out with elder brother. You stay home and study.”

“Mm.” Gu Chenglin lowered his head.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Chengfeng sensed something unusual in his younger brother’s mood.

Gu Chenglin hesitated, then said, “…Nothing. I’ll go study.”

“How odd.” Gu Chengfeng frowned as he watched Gu Chenglin leave, then finished packing his brocade box and headed for the front gate to meet his elder brother.

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"

Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasn't finished his lines yet though…

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