By the end of September, autumn had deepened across the imperial capital.
The rear courtyard of the Gu family old residence was no longer lush as it had been in midsummer.
The once verdant vegetable plots were mostly empty now.
The remaining half was planted with cold-resistant cabbages and radishes. Judging by their growth, they were nearly ready for harvest as well.
At the center of the garden, the pond was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the lofty, vast sky and the old, crooked tree with its leaves turning yellow.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of red tore through this tranquil autumn scene.
Jiang Xinyue, dressed in a fiery red high-waisted ruqun, quietly landed beside the pond.
She lowered her head slightly and cast a sidelong glance at the old man sitting on a folding stool, leisurely fishing.
"Gu Litong, you called me here. What is it?"
Her tone was highly impatient.
Gu Litong did not turn around or answer immediately. He merely pointed at the empty seat beside him and the brand-new fishing gear next to it.
Jiang Xinyue snorted coldly.
"I don't have time to waste. Say what you have to say, and spit out whatever crap you've got."
Gu Litong slowly turned his head, his deep wrinkles bunching together.
"We're old classmates, at least give me that much face?"
"Face?"
Jiang Xinyue looked as though she had heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Zhao Funing died, but you didn't."
"From that day onward, you, Gu Litong, have had no face left with me."
Her words were like a needle, piercing Gu Litong's heart with perfect accuracy.
He instinctively clutched his chest, his hunched back collapsing even further.
A deathly silence settled over the pondside.
Only after a long while did he rasp, "You really haven't changed at