The Bewitching Little Maid

"Xiao Yan, I heard you've reached the Innate Realm?"

Gu Tianqing was the first to break the silence.

He glanced at Gu Yan, searching for a conversational opening.

Gu Yan nodded in response. "Yes, I had a sudden epiphany. You could say I found my way back from going astray."

"Mhm."

The topic ended there.

After a brief silence,

Gu Tianming spoke unhurriedly, "I heard Yingying had a fight with you recently?"

"Tianqing, you should really learn a thing or two from me about family relations. Xiao Yan and I never let things get that tense."

"You're too harsh in how you raise Yingying."

Those words struck a nerve.

Gu Tianqing snorted coldly, visibly irritated. "We usually get along just fine. If you're going to say things like that, Tianming, then I might as well call you out too."

"Oh?"

"Back when we were kids, Xiao Yan was such a good kid. It's your coddling that spoiled him rotten."

"Excuse me?"

"I said what I said. It's the truth."

Gu Tianxiang cleared his throat and joined in, trying to diffuse the tension. "No need to get worked up. If we're talking about parenting, my Yunrou turned out perfectly—graceful, sensible, and refined. Ah..."

"Hmph."

"Tianxiang, what does Yunrou's excellence have to do with you? You're never even home."

Gu Tianming and Gu Tianqing both scoffed.

"Seriously?"

As the three brothers bickered,

Gu Tianlong maintained a stern expression, though the tension in his brow eased slightly.

Gu Yan could only sigh inwardly. Was it a Gu family tradition to bottle up their feelings instead of speaking their minds?

He glanced around at the lively, harmonious scene before him.

At least things here were settled.

Which meant...

It was time for his next move.

With that in mind,

Gu Yan cut in, "Dad, I’ll leave you to your chat. I’m going to mingle with people my age."

"Go on, go on. See how considerate my son is? Even tells me before leaving."

Oh, now he’s bragging?

Gu Yan slipped away quietly.

Leng Qingqiu had been keeping an eye on Gu Yan the whole time. The moment he left, an inexplicable emptiness settled over her.

It was as if his absence left her feeling unmoored, unsafe.

Where was he going?

Was he looking for someone? Or did he leave because he felt left out?

She wanted to follow, but given the situation, she couldn’t just walk away.

That jerk. Couldn’t he at least tell her before leaving?

......

......

Just as Leng Qingqiu suspected, Gu Yan was indeed seeking someone out.

Or, to be more precise, he was about to bring closure to a certain matter.

Unlike the brightly lit, bustling Gu family estate where guests strolled leisurely,

a small, dimly lit room deep inside the manor stood in stark contrast.

Xuehua sat huddled inside, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her carefully applied makeup was now a smudged mess from her tears.

Slumped on the floor, she stared blankly at a photograph in her hands—a picture of her and Gu Zihua.

It’s over.

Everything’s over.

There’s no way Master Zihua will ever love me now. He won’t even see me again.

Then—

Creak—

The door swung open.

"Well, well, little maid. Did you get what you wanted?"

A light, mocking voice drifted into Xuehua’s ears.

She turned her dazed gaze toward the sound.

There stood Gu Yan, watching her with an unreadable smile.

Xuehua bit her lip, struggling to speak, but all that came out was a choked sob.

"...Are you here to mock me?"

"Master Zihua and I can never be together now!"

"He’s fallen for someone else!"

"Are you happy now?"

Gu Yan remained unfazed by her breakdown.

He stepped forward, crouching down until his eyes were slightly above her broken gaze. A faint smirk played on his lips.

"On the contrary."

His voice carried an odd weight. "I’m here to help you."

"Help me?"

"How? There’s no way Master Zihua will ever love me now."

Xuehua let out a bitter laugh, looking down at her disheveled state.

"I put on makeup, wore a new dress, begged the master and mistress for three days of freedom..."

"But the moment that woman appeared—"

Before she could finish,

Gu Yan interrupted, "Do you really think she’s the reason you failed?"

"...W-what?"

Xuehua froze, staring at him in confusion.

The room was dark, and with Gu Yan backlit by the faint light from the doorway, his figure seemed shrouded in shadows.

All Xuehua could clearly see were his eyes—piercing, unsettling.

"Think back, Xuehua. What did the person you love actually do to you? What did he say?"

Gu Yan reached out, pressing a fingertip to her forehead.

In an instant—

Buzz—

Memories of Gu Zihua’s cruel words flooded her mind.

The way he accused her of being tainted, of being played by Gu Yan.

Xuehua clutched her head, screaming, "Stop!"

"Don’t make me remember!"

But Gu Yan only continued, his voice smooth and coaxing.

"Just a simple little game, and the man you love showed his true colors."

"I could explain things to him. Gu Zihua might even forgive you once he knows the truth."

"But tell me... would that really be love?"

Xuehua’s face paled. She lifted her head slightly, her eyes flickering with turmoil.

Gu Yan withdrew his hand, pressing it to his own chest with a pained, pitying expression.

"Xuehua... I feel sorry for you. And it breaks my heart."

"...Why...?"

Xuehua was baffled. Shouldn’t he be gloating?

Gu Yan took a deep breath, as if steadying himself, and sighed.

"Because I truly believed in your love."

"I was even planning to convince Grandfather and Grandmother to accept your relationship during this gathering, using my refusal of the family head position as leverage."

"After all, you’ve served them for so many years. I thought you deserved to be treated as family."

"But now..."

Xuehua’s mind reeled.

What?

If that’s true... then she had misunderstood Master Gu Yan?

And she had thrown away her dream with her own hands...

Gu Yan dragged his fingertips across his dry eyes, his tone shifting from sorrow to indignation.

"But I never expected Gu Zihua to be like this."

"Xuehua, think about it. If things were really as he claimed, wouldn’t that mean you endured all that suffering... for his sake?"

"But... Gu Zihua didn’t accept your devotion, because he found someone better to replace you."

"Xuehua... I truly feel it wasn’t worth it for you."

"So..."

At this point, Gu Yan’s real intention finally surfaced. He extended his fingertip.

Gurgle~~!

Black tendrils formed from claw-like cells slithered out from his fingertip.

With an inexplicable look in his eyes, he whispered, each word dripping with temptation: "That’s why I’m here to help you win Gu Zihua’s heart back, Xuehua."

"Seize your future with him."

Xuehua stared blankly at the black tendrils on Gu Yan’s fingertip.

Thump! Thump!

Her heartbeat quickened. Gu Yan’s words and the tendrils seemed to cast a spell over her, relentlessly luring her to reach out and touch them.

Xuehua seemed to understand that if she touched those tendrils, the outcome would be disastrous for her.

But...

If it meant she could truly be with the one she loved,

even if only as briefly as a candle’s flame... she still wanted to try.

And so, her trembling fingertip inched toward the black tendrils.

She would reclaim Gu Zihua’s heart!

Meanwhile, Gu Yan no longer bothered to hide his true reaction.

The corners of his lips curled slightly, and the sorrow in his eyes vanished completely, replaced only by...

a stillness as cold and lifeless as stagnant water.

Goodbye, dear brother. After all...

you two picked the wrong side from the very beginning.