Eleanor's servant in front of Gabriel was scared out of his wits, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Gabriel stood still in front of the closed door, his expression hidden in the shadows, hard to see clearly. The herb package he held in his hand swayed slightly in the cold wind blowing down the corridor. The thin string holding it trembled as if tightened by some force, ready to snap at any moment.
The Buddhist seal on his wrist shook lightly. Gabriel clenched the seal into his palm, his knuckles turning slightly white from the grip.
Inside the guest room, Eleanor met Miguel's unblinking gaze. He stared at her silently for a long while before suddenly saying,
"Miguel."
Miguel made a soft "hmm" sound from his nose. His hands rested loosely on the table, looking like a well-behaved dog leaning on the table and gazing up at his owner when seen from the guest room door from afar.
Miguel's eyes looked up at Eleanor without blinking. There seemed to be something hidden and restless deep in his gaze, ready to break through and come out.
Eleanor watched him for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Under her lowered eyelids slowly appeared the expression that had forever been untouchable to him since she and Gabriel first stepped into the hall.
Eleanor's lips parted slightly.
Miguel suddenly raised his hand to stop her and turned his gaze away. He took out a box of bright green ointment from his pocket, still smiling on his face.
"You have that fragile body that can't take a hit. Even a slap hurts you more. In the past, you always had a medicine attendant who remembered to prepare ointment for you wherever you went. Now that you've been married to Gabriel for five years, you don't even have a medicine attendant? Why did you marry him? To torment yourself?"
This green ointment was Eleanor's usual pain-relieving ointment. It worked well and healed scars quickly. The most important thing was that it had no side effects.
Before Eleanor married Gabriel, she always had a medicine attendant carrying various ointments wherever she went. That attendant was specially arranged by her brother, Han Chen, while he was abroad.
Miguel spent every day with her then. He knew her habits and fragile body well. Sometimes when they went to more upscale places where medicine attendants could not follow, he would bring several boxes of ointment just in case Eleanor got hurt.
Later, this habit formed unconsciously. Even now, if he reached into his pocket, he could still find two bottles of ointment.
But ever since Eleanor entered the Gu residence, medicine attendants and ointments had not been used. Because whether it was her status as Mrs. Gu or the name of that woman who sometimes appeared in Gabriel's mouth, made Eleanor feel she needed to stay alert. Her fragile body always reminded her of her true position.
So looking at Miguel, who seemed like he did five years ago, opening the small ointment jar ready to apply it to her.
Eleanor was silent for a moment and said in a faint voice, "Miguel, I'm married."
Miguel paused. His slender, fair fingers stopped at the jar's lid. His voice was low, like a whisper, "I know... you're married..." Then he went to scoop ointment out to apply.
Eleanor moved her hand away and did not let him touch her, saying again, "Miguel, I'm married."
This time Miguel did not move. His hand with ointment stayed quietly where Eleanor had moved her hand away.
A few seconds later, he suddenly laughed loudly, tears at the corners of his eyes.
She's married. He knew.
It's been five years. Who in Anhai City doesn't know she's married and became Mrs. Gu?
But... but... he couldn't control himself.
Back then between the two of them, Eleanor was the one who played the wildest. She dared to do anything and dragged him into everything.
She pulled him into the wild nightlife of Anhai City's bars, taught him to drink, to gamble, took him to nightclubs, to steal the top spot, and to fight with guns on the streets. They lived the glamorous but wild life of Huajie's restaurants and entertainment.
Miguel felt he was a bumpkin following Eleanor. Though born in one of the four major families, he was nothing in front of her and understood nothing.
A young noble with pride but blank like a white paper was slowly colored by her reckless brilliance, becoming dazzled and intoxicated.
In the end, he dived headfirst in. But she... she left alone at that time?
Married? Ha!
She dragged him into that flashy world. He stayed with her in wild debauchery for five years. But then... how did she suddenly become someone else's wife?
Was it because he didn't stay long enough? Or didn't party hard enough? That made her think those things were less exciting than marrying that Gu?
Eleanor quietly watched Miguel laugh wildly.
He laughed for a long time before slowly stopping. He raised his hand to wipe the tears at the corner of his eye. His eyes were red at the edges, staring at Eleanor. A sneer suddenly appeared on his face, not knowing who he was mocking.
"What are you thinking, Eleanor? Do you really think the 'Qiu' in 'Yue Qiu' is your 'Qiu'? I gave that name to please you?"
He laughed wildly again.
After laughing enough, he suddenly bent down, resting his hands on the table before Eleanor. Looking down at her with narrowed eyes,
"Eleanor, my name also has a 'Qiu' in it. Can't I 'Yue Qiu' for myself? Can't I do it for me?"
Eleanor met his slightly red eyes. Her expression was still very calm. "That's better."
Miguel laughed again. His shoulders twitched slightly. Those hidden restless things in his eyes were shattered by her ruthless few words.
After a long time, he slowly stood up, straightened his back, and raised the last pride and dignity of the second young master of the Mo family. Looking down at Eleanor,
"Alright, Eleanor, ha, you love to play everything and dare to do everything. I've never been able to beat you…"
He laughed quietly again for a while, then bent down to look at her and said, "... but remember, if one day you've had enough playing and don't want that Gu anymore, come find me. I will introduce you to even more exciting and fun things to make you happier than before."
Eleanor looked at him and after a moment, said, "Okay."
Miguel left.
Before leaving, he told her he was no longer in Anhai City. He was going out to find better fun.
Eleanor came out from the back garden and found Gabriel's carriage already returned.
The servant at the guest room door also shakily told her that the master had stood there for a long time.
Eleanor nodded with no change in expression.
As for Gabriel seeing her meeting Miguel?
Ha. What could it matter if he saw?
First, even if he saw, Gabriel didn't love her, so he would not react in any real way.
Second, these years after becoming Mrs. Gu, though some edges were smoothed, her rebellious nature remained. Even if she had to suffer, she would only accept it if she wanted to. If things were not big, she still followed her own wishes.
As for what others said, as long as they didn't come before her or cause trouble, she didn't care.
She wanted to meet whoever, she could meet.
Besides, this was only the guest room, specially for receiving guests. There was nothing wrong.
She was not a person without limits.
In this, Gabriel never cared about her, and she did not need to think too much about him.
Eleanor entered the house but didn't see Gabriel.
Before she could ask, the housekeeper lowered his head and said,
"The master was just called away by Mister Jing from the Jiang family. It should be an urgent matter."
Eleanor nodded, not asking about the trip to Shencheng to find the white moonlight. After dinner, she sat in the garden for a while and then went to bed.
Gabriel handled the urgent matter until late at night and came back with strong smell of alcohol.
Eleanor was woken by the sound of his opening the room door. She got up and saw Gabriel walking unsteadily through the doorway. His dark eyes fixed on her deeply from the moment he pushed the door open.
His appearance looked not much different from normal. His brows and eyes were still cold and stern. His aura was still hard to approach. Even his clothes were neat without a wrinkle. Those eyes, even drunk, showed no emotion.
But Eleanor, after five years with him, knew this was deep drunkenness.
Eleanor frowned. Gabriel was a very disciplined man. Since she met him, she had only seen him drunk twice before. Including this time, this was the third.
What urgent matter at the marshal's mansion could make such a deep man lose control like this?
The male servant supporting Gabriel to the door dared not look inside or step further.
Eleanor stood up, put on a coat, and took Gabriel from the servant.
"You can leave now."
The servants bowed their heads deeply and quickly left without looking at Eleanor.
Gabriel's tall body immediately enclosed her. His arms lowered to hold Eleanor tightly in his embrace.
Maybe because of blurred drunk vision, he mistook her for that white moonlight. He instinctively raised his arms to slowly wrap around her soft slender body, then tightened bit by bit.
"Do you still remember your identity?"
The cold aura on him mixed with strong alcohol wrapped Eleanor tightly. The smell was not unpleasant but seemed to turn the air around into wine, intoxicating.
Eleanor smelled it. The alcohol craving inside her and another restless feeling were both awakened.
But who was he talking to? To her or to that white moonlight?
Remember her identity?
She had always remembered clearly.
So who was he looking at now?
It was already late at night.
The night was deep and silent.
Mature adults held close, even their warm breath was clearly heard.
Eleanor did not respond and was too lazy to answer this meaningless drunk question.
But Gabriel seemed to hold on to this question, his posture and words showing a rare stubborn dominance.
"Do you still know your identity?"