Guardian of the Heart

Chapter 6: Return to the Gu Family Manor

In the faint morning light, Mu Daoist's figure had already blended into the mist like an ink-washed landscape painting. Zhu Yuandi stood at the inn's doorway, and the world in her eyes seemed to lose its color as he departed. Her heart, like a forgotten corner unknown to anyone, was both empty and slightly cold. She turned around, and behind her stood Little An and Little Shun, their eyes filled with unspoken worry and concern.

The morning in River City, with its sky resembling ink splashed clouds, gradually cleared, revealing a light shade of blue. On the streets, the morning mist drifted gently, as if the echoes of the night had not completely dissipated. Zhu Yuandi embarked on her journey back home, but her thoughts still lingered at the inn's entrance. The wheels of the carriage rolled on, slowly traversing the cobblestone road, passing through the awakened marketplace, crossing a bridge, winding through narrow alleyways, distancing herself from the city that held countless memories.

During the journey, Zhu Yuandi quietly gazed out of the window, but she wasn't seeing the scenery along the way; instead, she saw the unquenchable ripples in her heart. Mu Daoist's silhouette, like an unfinished poem, haunted her thoughts, simultaneously clear and blurry. Little An and Little Shun exchanged occasional words, but Zhu Yuandi's heart seemed to drift into another world.

The mansion in the capital city was her destination, and also the reality she couldn't escape. Despite the grandeur of the mansion, it appeared somewhat desolate in Zhu Yuandi's eyes. Her identity and her family background had become chains in the depths of her soul at this moment.

Although Zhu Yuandi's footsteps were resolute, her heart was filled with conflicts and struggles. She entered the mansion as if stepping back into a world of rules and constraints. However, her heart still lingered in that morning when she bid farewell to Mu Daoist, that moment left behind at the inn's doorstep.

In the mansion in the capital city, Zhu Yuandi's heart seemed veiled by a delicate layer of gauze, filled with an indescribable sense of confusion and desolation. The grandeur of the mansion appeared overly solemn in her eyes, and the echoing sound of her solitary footsteps reverberated in the spacious halls. Her thoughts drifted towards Gu Family Manor in the distance, a place that had once shone brightly but now lay abandoned and withered.

Zhu Yuandi decided to visit Gu Family Manor once again, not only to renovate the crumbling old buildings but also to bring in Yu Niang, the former wet nurse of Mu Daoist. Yu Niang was elderly and lived a solitary life, prompting a strong desire in Zhu Yuandi's heart to take care of Mu Daoist's caregiver. Within the gilded cage of the capital city, she yearned to do something meaningful, even if it was just a small act.

The dawn's rosy light illuminated Zhu Yuandi's departure as she set out alone without notifying anyone. The carriage passed through the long streets of the capital, exited the city gates, and embarked on the road leading to Gu Family Manor. Along the way, Zhu Yuandi gazed at the scenery outside the window, but her heart felt as though it was walking through memories of the past.

The faint echoes of Gu Family Manor's old charm became discernible as it lay quietly amidst a sea of greenery. Zhu Yuandi alighted from the carriage and entered this once glorious place. The creaking wooden doors of the old buildings seemed to narrate their stories of age and change. She walked through the dilapidated courtyards, her heart filled with complex emotions. She imagined the past glory of the Gu family, pictured Mu Daoist's childhood who recalled the scenes of laughter and playfulness within these walls.

She found Yu Niang, and the wrinkles on the old woman's face seemed to carry the weight of countless stories. Zhu Yuandi spoke to her softly, expressing her willingness to bring her into the mansion. Tears welled up in Yu Niang's eyes, a mixture of nostalgia for the past and hope for the future.