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Thick black smoke seeped out through the cracks of the tightly shut doors and windows, and the firelight turned the night as bright as day. Amid the flickering flames, a figure could vaguely be seen lying facedown on the kang table by the western window.

Gu Jiuque's eyelid twitched—that was Bai Yuesheng!

He had already rejected Bai Yuesheng's confession and personally seen him out. How could he come back and burn down the Gu Family Ancestral Residence?

"Why do you have such a grudge against my family's house..." Watching the flames in the Western Wing grow fiercer and fiercer, Gu Jiuque felt a surge of frustration. His experience surviving two fires had taught him that if a blaze spread this far and was not put out in time, it could very well consume the entire place.

Gu Jiuque looked again at Bai Yuesheng, who was lying facedown on the kang table by the western window, seemingly unconscious. Whether Bai Yuesheng had started this fire or not, Gu Jiuque could not simply stand by and let anything happen to him at the Gu Residence.

With a grim expression, Gu Jiuque took off his coat and plunged it into the white porcelain vat in the middle of the courtyard. A bowl lotus grew in the vat, its flowers and leaves slender and delicate, while several koi darted between the lotus leaves.

As Gu Jiuque pulled out the dripping coat, he also scooped out a red carp. The fish flicked its tail, spraying water as it flew past his eyes before landing on the ground with a slap. Gu Jiuque casually picked up the lively carp and tossed it back into the vat. Just as he was about to throw on the coat and rush into the bedroom, an unbearable heat flared between his brows again.

Gu Jiuque let out a soft hiss, his eyes stinging sharply. The next second, the tightly shut Western Wing slowly became transparent before his eyes. Every furnishing in the bedroom became clearly visible to him, including Bai Yuesheng, who lay facedown on the kang table by the western window. He looked unconscious, but his eyes were remarkably clear.

A dark green beer bottle had toppled over on the kang table and was knocked to the floor by Bai Yuesheng's arm. The bottle shattered, and the remaining liquor splashed everywhere. Several flames immediately sprang up in the air, nearly burning Bai Yuesheng. Startled, he hurriedly scooted farther inward and feebly slapped at the window with both hands.

Although there was more than a fifty percent chance that Bai Yuesheng was putting on a pathetic act, perhaps even deliberately trying to get hurt, Gu Jiuque could not ignore him. He put on the soaking-wet coat and was about to rush into the Western Wing to save him when an unbearable scorching sensation flared between his brows once more.

Gu Jiuque suddenly realized that the Jade Celestial Pivot seemed to be warning him.

The first time was when he had been repeatedly practicing calligraphy and painting restoration in the mounting room. The Jade Celestial Pivot had heated up between his brows, warning him that the Western Wing was on fire. The second time was when he had intended to put on the wet coat and charge into the inferno to save someone. The Jade Celestial Pivot had allowed him to "see" just how dangerous the fire inside was, as well as how calculating Bai Yuesheng was in pretending to be unconscious and calling for help. The third time was now... Clearly, the Jade Celestial Pivot did not want Gu Jiuque to charge directly into the fire to save him.

—It was probably afraid that Gu Jiuque would repeat the same mistake.

Sure enough, once Gu Jiuque understood this, the scene before him changed again. Layer upon layer of lines appeared over the now-transparent Western Wing. Straight and curved lines spread continuously, like a 3D computer model, vividly outlining a 3D structural diagram of the Western Wing before Gu Jiuque. Yet every area touched by the fire had turned into dotted lines, while the beams and doorframe flickered without stop.

The instant Gu Jiuque focused on them, a sharp crack rang out. The beams and doorframe of the Western Wing crashed down amid a burst of flames. Fire tongues exploded, sparks scattered, and the surging heat distorted the air before him. If Gu Jiuque had just blindly rushed inside in his wet clothes, he would likely have been struck head-on by the falling beam or doorframe again.

Gu Jiuque made a swift decision. He lifted the huanghuali rocking chair beneath the camphor tree and smashed it hard into the tightly shut window.

With a crash, the glass shattered. Thick black smoke billowed out of the open window, making Gu Jiuque cough violently. A scorching wave of heat hit him head-on. Gu Jiuque grabbed Bai Yuesheng by the arm and forcibly dragged him out.

Shards of glass on the windowsill cut Bai Yuesheng's skin, making him yelp in pain.

Bai Yuesheng instinctively shielded his head and face as he screamed, "Gu Jiuque, what are you doing?"

Gu Jiuque explained gently, "It was an emergency. You didn't want to burn to death in there, did you?"

Perhaps Gu Jiuque's attitude gave Bai Yuesheng courage. Bai Yuesheng said pitifully, "Gu Jiuque, it hurts so much! I can't move anymore. Could you carry me on your back?"

Gu Jiuque did not dare turn his back on Bai Yuesheng, nor could he leave him alone in the burning courtyard. Looking at Bai Yuesheng, who had fallen to the ground with half his body covered in blood, he could only bend down and scoop him up in his arms.

Held in Gu Jiuque's arms, Bai Yuesheng felt indignant and became even more unreasonable. "Why didn't you just rush in and carry me out? What's the use of holding me now? I'm already hurt! I lost so much blood, and it hurts so much! Is my face ruined? Will I be disfigured?"

Feeling a burning pain on one side of his face, Bai Yuesheng was frightened and alarmed. Furious, he kept struggling and pounding at Gu Jiuque's chest. The next second, Bai Yuesheng asked in surprise, "Gu Jiuque, where's the jade you were wearing around your neck?"

Gu Jiuque sneered inwardly but said, "I don't know. Maybe I dropped it somewhere."

"How can that be?" Bai Yuesheng blurted out anxiously.

Gu Jiuque remained impassive. "You seem very concerned about that jade?"

Bai Yuesheng stammered, "Of course I am. It's your family heirloom. If anything happened to it, I couldn't afford to compensate you."

Gu Jiuque said, "You should first think about how you're going to compensate my family for the damages!"

Gu Jiuque said, "You started this fire, didn't you?"

Bai Yuesheng cried out, "How could I have? I was drunk. I don't know anything!"

Gu Jiuque said in "surprise," "You were drinking too?"

Without waiting for Bai Yuesheng to answer, Gu Jiuque added, "Breaking into a private residence, getting drunk and causing trouble, deliberate arson—do you want to go to prison?"

Bai Yuesheng's heart tightened. But seeing how casually Gu Jiuque said it, he did not take it too seriously and said pitifully, "Stop trying to scare me. I almost got burned to death in your house."