BDSMST -Chapter 76 Xuan’er’s Little Scheme

After that night, the atmosphere between Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan became somewhat strange.

Whenever they were alone, they would inevitably think of that steam-filled room scented with medicinal herbs—of that burning hot palm that had firmly imprisoned her hand, and of that close, almost suffocating gaze they had shared.

It was as if an invisible thread now floated in the air—one end tied to the tip of Jiang Suisui’s heart, the other hooked onto the hem of Gu Yan’s robe. At the slightest stir of wind, the thread would tremble gently, sending ripples through both their hearts.

By unspoken agreement, neither mentioned that incident again. But once something has happened, it can never truly return to how it was before.

For instance, the way Gu Yan looked at Jiang Suisui was no longer merely filled with appreciation and respect. Occasionally, there was a depth in his gaze—an unconscious trace of probing intensity and possessiveness even he did not realize.

And Jiang Suisui could no longer face him with complete composure either. She would instinctively avoid his overly heated gaze, and her heartbeat would inexplicably quicken when she spoke to him.

Such subtle changes might be deliberately ignored or concealed by adults—but they could not escape a child’s eyes.

Gu Xuan felt that something was very off about his father and mother lately.

For example, during meals, his father would stare at his mother for long stretches of time. Only when she grew uncomfortable under his gaze and shot him a glare would he lower his head and hastily shovel food into his mouth like a child caught doing something wrong.

Or when she prepared his medicinal bath, she no longer stayed openly in the room to help as she had before. Instead, she would set everything up and leave in a hurry, her cheeks always tinged red.

The strangest incident was the day Gu Xuan asked his father about military formations in the study. While answering absentmindedly, Gu Yan held a hairpin Jiang Suisui had accidentally left on the desk, turning it over and over in his fingers. The focused, gentle expression on his face was far more serious than when he explained military strategy.

Having grown up by Jiang Suisui’s side, Gu Xuan was far more perceptive and mature than other children his age. He vaguely sensed that something between his father and mother was quietly sprouting.

To him, this was undoubtedly wonderful news.

In his heart, his father was a hero who held up the heavens, and his mother was an all-capable superwoman. They were meant to be together. Though he never said it aloud, he had once felt disappointed that they weren’t close.

Now that their relationship seemed to be improving, no one was happier than Gu Xuan.

Thus, the ten-year-old heir of Yongning Marquisate embarked on the first “major project” of his life—bringing his parents closer together.

His first plan: create opportunities for them to be alone.

That afternoon, Jiang Suisui was preparing to check on the newly planted medicinal seedlings in the freshly opened herb garden. Gu Xuan immediately trailed after her like a little tail.

“Mother, I want to go too!” he clung to her arm and whined sweetly.

“What are you going for? Have you finished your lessons?” Jiang Suisui pinched his small nose.

“I finished long ago!” Gu Xuan thumped his chest confidently. Then his eyes darted, and he turned toward Gu Yan, who was splitting firewood in the courtyard. “Father! Look, Mother is going alone to that far hillside again. It’s not safe! You should go with her!”

Gu Yan paused mid-swing. He glanced at his expectant son, then at Jiang Suisui standing not far away with a helpless look. He more or less understood the boy’s little scheme.

Setting down the axe, he dusted off the wood chips from his hands and actually nodded. “Very well. I was just thinking of surveying the terrain over there.”

Jiang Suisui: “……”

What could she say? She could only lead the two “bodyguards”—one big, one small—toward the herb garden.

The winter hillside felt somewhat desolate, but the freshly turned soil released a clean, earthy scent. Jiang Suisui crouched down to carefully inspect the medicinal seedlings that had just sprouted tender shoots.

Gu Yan did not disturb her. He stood a short distance away with his hands clasped behind his back, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Gu Xuan looked at one, then the other, growing increasingly anxious. Why weren’t they interacting at all? One only knew how to look at the ground, and the other only knew how to look at the sky!

His eyes rolled again as another plan formed in his mind.

Gu Xuan ran back to Jiang Suisui and pointed at a medicinal seedling he didn’t recognize. “Mother, what’s this? It looks so strange.”

“This is called huangjing—polygonatum,” Jiang Suisui explained patiently. “It’s a good herb for replenishing qi.”

Gu Xuan immediately scampered over to Gu Yan and tugged at his sleeve. “Father, look! Mother says it’s called huangjing and it replenishes qi! You fought so hard in the wars—you definitely need to replenish your qi! When it grows up, have Mother give it all to you!”

The innocent remark instantly made the air feel a little delicate.

Gu Yan looked at his son’s eager face—practically screaming Praise me!—and for once didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He cleared his throat to hide his awkwardness, but his gaze drifted uncontrollably toward Jiang Suisui.

Her cheeks warmed again. She shot Gu Xuan a mock glare. “You certainly talk a lot!”

Though she scolded him lightly, a faint sweetness stirred in her heart.

From then on, Gu Xuan’s “grand matchmaking project” flourished in every small detail.

At the dinner table, he would attentively pick up a bite of Jiang Suisui’s favorite dish for her, then immediately place the same dish into Gu Yan’s bowl, chattering all the while: “Father, this is delicious! Eat more! Mother makes this best!”

In the evenings, when father and son read together in the study, he would deliberately take a book and stand outside Jiang Suisui’s door, loudly declaring, “Mother, Father says his eyes get cold from reading at night! Can you bring him a cup of hot tea?”

As a result, every night, a pot of warm chrysanthemum tea would appear on Gu Yan’s desk.

Both Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan were fully aware of their son’s clumsy yet adorable schemes. Neither exposed him. Instead, they tacitly indulged and cooperated.

Because they realized that with this little “middleman” between them, the distance born of unfamiliarity and awkwardness was slowly being dissolved.

They could now stroll together naturally, discuss matters of the estate without tension, and even exchange smiles at the dinner table because of one of Gu Xuan’s childish remarks.

This home, thanks to its small but earnest glue, was beginning to feel more and more like a true family.

That evening, Gu Yan was in the study handling letters sent from the capital by Steward Fu. Alongside the estate’s account books were also confidential reports concerning movements at court.

Gu Xuan held a copy of Illustrated Military Formations and edged closer. Pointing at a complicated diagram, he asked, “Father, this ‘Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation’—the book says its variations are endless, and the life gate and death gate keep shifting. How do you break it?”

Gu Yan set aside the letter in his hand and explained patiently, “The key to any formation lies in its ‘formation eye.’ The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation may look complex, but its formation eye remains fixed. Once you locate it and strike with thunderous force, the entire formation will collapse on its own…”

He spoke clearly and simply despite the depth of the subject. Gu Xuan listened, utterly absorbed.

When Jiang Suisui entered carrying tea, this was the scene she saw:

Under the lamplight, a tall man sat with a small child in his arms. The man’s deep voice intertwined with the boy’s crisp questions. Their heads were close together, their shadows stretched long against the wall—warm and harmonious.

In that moment, Jiang Suisui’s heart filled with an indescribable tenderness.

She lightened her steps and set the teapot gently on the table.

Gu Yan looked up at her, his explanation faltering. His eyes were brimming with unspoken softness.

“Mother, you’re here!” Gu Xuan beamed. “Father’s teaching me how to break formations! He’s amazing!”

“Is that so?” Jiang Suisui smiled and ruffled his hair. “Then you two continue. I just came to bring you some tea.”

She didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she naturally took a seat nearby, picked up a book, and began flipping through it quietly.

She did not join their discussion, yet her presence made the entire study feel fuller—warmer.

Gu Yan glanced at her serene profile, and something inside him melted completely. Turning back to his son, he continued explaining the formation, his voice softer than before.

He thought that perhaps this—this quiet warmth, this gentle companionship—was exactly the kind of home he had envisioned when he laid down his armor and returned to the countryside.