All I Seek is You
After confirming his participation, Du Li arranged for someone to release Gu Qinglan's set of promotional photos online. Unsurprisingly, as soon as these photos were released, they sparked heated discussions among netizens.
In this age of information explosion, compared to the old faces seen every day, such fresh yet stunning new talents were more favored.
This time, the promotional photos were officially confirmed news. Unlike the previous video, which was only reposted for a few days before being deleted, these spread much more widely.
Furthermore, since Gu Qinglan had already joined the cast, the previous video no longer involved issues of infringing on his image rights. Thus, it was quickly re-uploaded to the internet by netizens who had secretly downloaded and saved it last time.
After several days of such fervent circulation, students from B University finally noticed and came forward, saying: "This is our teacher, from the History department. When he teaches public courses, the back of the classroom is always packed with auditors!"
Lu Mingxin, who still found time amidst her busy schedule to browse webpages and peek at online evaluations of Gu Qinglan, saw this and, looking further, was surprised to find that the student also said: "Not only is Teacher Gu handsome, but his lectures are also excellent. He's especially good at telling dry jokes. We all love listening to his lectures. It's a pity he doesn't teach elective courses. If he did, his classes would definitely be overbooked."
Since students had come forward, this netizen was naturally pestered by other netizens with all sorts of questions. So, this netizen shared some more amusing anecdotes from Teacher Gu's classes.
This made other netizens green with envy, all expressing that if they had known B University had such a handsome teacher, they would have worked themselves to death to get in back then!
Lu Mingxin remembered her previous secret speculation that Gu Qinglan's lectures were rigid and uninteresting, needing to rely on his looks to attract students. She suddenly felt a bit conflicted, holding her tablet, and went to find Gu Qinglan, hesitantly asking, "Qinglan… are your students very fond of you?"
It was nighttime. Gu Qinglan had been filming all day and was still somewhat tired. He sat on the sofa with his eyes slightly closed. Hearing her speak, he nodded lightly. "It's alright. The absenteeism rate for my classes is very low."
In an era where not skipping class wasn't considered a proper university experience, large public courses in humanities like ancient history were often the easiest to skip. For him to maintain an attendance rate close to one hundred percent was a small miracle in itself.
Lu Mingxin instantly fell silent: Never mind his family background and academic achievements, he was also so popular with students, and even picked up acting so quickly. The director had recently been praising him so much it was becoming a habit… Having a partner who is too outstanding is also a lot of pressure, okay?
She was silent for too long, so Gu Qinglan opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her, and noticed the conflicted expression on her face. He smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I know young girls easily admire and like their teachers. That's different from real love. I know my limits."
Apparently, he had misunderstood why Lu Mingxin was conflicted, thinking she was jealous of his students.
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything. Once he did, Lu Mingxin's expression became even more conflicted. "Our drama is already popular before it even airs. Once it's broadcast, you'll gain even more fans and admirers… If I get jealous of all of them, can I even keep up?"
Her words were excessively sour. Gu Qinglan couldn't help but laugh. He beckoned her over to sit on his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissed her lightly behind her ear, and chuckled softly, "You already have many fans and admirers now… Should I be a little jealous?"
Lu Mingxin snuggled in his embrace, listening to his deep, gentle voice. Her bones felt like they were about to melt. How could she still care about being reserved? She turned her head to chase his thin lips, saying coquettishly, "You can be jealous! You can even punish me!"
Gu Qinglan knew he definitely couldn't beat her in a contest of thick-skinnedness and could only smile. "Is that so? I only know one way to punish… spanking?"
Lu Mingxin was on the verge of tears. "Abstinent god-man, you could consider more 'naughty' ways!"
Gu Qinglan simply smiled and ignored her.
On the fourth day after Gu Qinglan joined the filming, his first scene with Lu Mingxin finally began.
In the previous three days, all the scenes he filmed were with men. In the military camp, with Mo Qi and a group of soldiers, they went from widespread friction to mutual acquaintance, and even admiration and friendship.
This kind of shared hatred for the enemy and camaraderie among men, needless to say, had plenty of tension. In this cast full of handsome men, the filmed effect was also very eye-catching.
For example, a scene filmed yesterday was when General Du Yi finally conquered the North City fortress. The Qi soldiers stationed in the camp awaited their triumphant return. At that time, banners were flying high. At the forefront of the neat and imposing ranks was Gu Qinglan, on a black horse, dressed in white.
Seeing Mo Qi and the other soldiers from afar, he dismounted, faced their direction, raised both hands, and bowed deeply.
This bow was a sign of respect for the soldiers who had shed blood and fought the enemy at the front, and even more so, a commemoration and distant tribute to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the country in this battle.
The so-called aspiration of men to protect their homes and country meant that even if their brains were splattered and their bones scattered, they had to defend the magnificent land behind them, ensuring the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.
After this scene was filmed, even the director's eyes welled up. He took off his sunglasses, wiped the corners of his eyes, and sighed, "This detail in the script is well-written."
Compared to the grand scenes of the past few days, today was for an emotional scene. It depicted Gu Qinglan, after arriving at the military camp, rushing around and tiring himself out. His cold, which had never fully healed, flared up again after an autumn rain.
Lying on his sickbed but still concerned about military affairs, he had his wife act on his behalf and go to Mo Qi's main tent to discuss military matters.
Normally, family members accompanying the army were not allowed to interfere in such important military and state affairs. However, Lu Qingping, as the renowned General Lu's "tiger daughter from a general's gate," easily gained goodwill and trust among the soldiers.
Furthermore, Gu Qinglan, who on the day of their initial military discussion had said he wanted to recommend a good general to Mo Qi, intended to recommend none other than his own wife.
Throughout history, there were indeed many female generals who accompanied their husbands on expeditions and achieved great merits.
Although the Great Qi Dynasty had no such precedent, in this day and age, it was, after all, an empress who reigned. Moreover, Mo Qi was not one to stick to conventions. Therefore, after Gu Qinglan mentioned it, he did not reject it, only saying that he could consider Madam Gu's courage and martial skills before making a further decision.
What they were going to film today was the scene where Lu Mingxin, after attending the military affairs meeting, returned to report the military situation to Gu Qinglan, with the two of them talking in their room.
After arriving at the military camp, Lu Mingxin mostly appeared in practical attire. Today, she wore a tight-fitting black outfit, covered by a waist-cinching red robe. Her hair was tied up high with a red ribbon, giving her an even more dashing and heroic look.
After the camera started rolling, she walked in through the door and sat down by Gu Qinglan's bed.
Because he was ill, Gu Qinglan only wore a loose white robe. His black hair was not tied in a bun but loosely bound with a ribbon and draped over his shoulders. His makeup also depicted a pale and weak appearance.
When Lu Mingxin walked in, he was half-leaning against the soft cushions at the head of the bed, looking through the battle reports written by the military scribes. Hearing her approaching footsteps, he put down what he was holding, looked up at her, and before speaking, covered his lips and coughed twice. "What did General Du say today?"
Lu Mingxin raised her hand to support his shoulder, then gently patted his chest to help him catch his breath, frowning with a somewhat solemn expression. "General Du said that North City and Jinmen Pass form a pincer. Now that North City has been taken, to prevent a Western Xia counterattack, Jinmen Pass should be taken as soon as possible."
Gu Qinglan nodded after hearing this. "It should be so. General Du's concerns are not wrong."
Hearing him say so too, Lu Mingxin bit her lower lip, a worried expression appearing on her face. "But… in the battle for North City a few days ago, General Du was hit by a stray arrow in his left arm. Although it's not serious, he is injured after all. To lead troops into fierce battle again now, wouldn't it be too much of a strain?"
In the battle for North City, Mo Qi was indeed injured. But just as Lu Mingxin said, since it was only a flesh wound and didn't damage any bones or tendons, he was already moving as usual.
Mo Qi had led troops for many years; he naturally knew what was important and what was not. Since he said so, he must have considered that his injuries would not affect the battle, which is why he said they should seize the opportunity and conquer Jinmen Pass in one fell swoop.
Hearing her so worried about another man's injuries in front of him, Gu Qinglan only curved his lips slightly. "This is a time when manpower is crucial. If you were to volunteer to lead troops, General Du might agree to let you try."
Lu Mingxin shook her head with some disappointment. "After all, I'm just a military dependent. To rashly volunteer in front of so many generals, I'm afraid General Du wouldn't agree."
Gu Qinglan lowered his eyes slightly, as if thinking of something, then smiled gently again. "It might not work in front of everyone, but perhaps privately… Didn't you say General Du's arrow wound hasn't healed? We happen to have brought a lot of medicinal herbs. You can take some nourishing herbs to General Du. Take this opportunity to express more of your thoughts."
Lu Mingxin's eyes indeed lit up after hearing this, but then she hesitated slightly. "But… those are medicines for you."
Gu Qinglan smiled again. "I've already taken so many medicines, and I'm still like this. A little more or less doesn't matter much."
Seeing him say this, and really wanting to see Mo Qi, Lu Mingxin nodded. "Alright then. If your medicine isn't enough, write a letter and have more sent from the capital."
Gu Qinglan smiled at her again and then picked up the previous official document to continue reading. Since their marriage, Lu Mingxin and he had never talked much. They would say something if there was something to say, and if not, neither would speak.
Now that he was like this, Lu Mingxin stood up, preparing to ask the page boy to fetch some medicinal herbs from the storeroom for her to send to Mo Qi.
She stood up and walked to the door. Just as written in the script, she leaned against the doorframe and looked back at him one more time.
It would have been fine if she hadn't looked. But with this one look, she saw that in the cold and empty room, he was the only one weakly leaning against the head of the bed. That white figure seemed about to disappear into the dim twilight.
A dull ache tightened in her chest. She remembered how in her previous life, she had done just this, hurriedly taking medicinal herbs to find Mo Qi. In Mo Qi's barracks, she couldn't help but tell him more of her views on military affairs and strategy, talking until dusk before returning.
She had only been thinking about Mo Qi and her own affairs, not even sparing a thought for the fact that manpower was tight in the military camp. The page boy who attended to him had also been reassigned to inspect provisions. That entire afternoon, he had been alone in the barracks.
Let alone having someone to take care of him, if he was thirsty and wanted a cup of warm water, there was probably no one to bring it to him.
The more she thought, the more guilty and heartbroken she felt. She really couldn't bear it. She turned around, walked back to his bed, took his hand, and said, "Qinglan-gege, I'm not going… I'll stay here with you!"
The director's somewhat helpless voice came from behind. "Lu Mingxin, what are you doing?"
Lu Mingxin said, "Uh," and looked up to see Gu Qinglan looking at her with a gaze also full of helplessness. She embarrassedly realized: they were filming, and the script said that after she looked back, she should have walked straight out of the room.
She ducked her neck and looked at Gu Qinglan pitifully. "Qinglan-gege… I don't want to leave you…"
Gu Qinglan could only smile at her and coax her softly, "Be good."
The director was exasperated. "Don't show public displays of affection on set!"
Because she remembered how her past self had abandoned him when he was sick to go cozy up to Mo Qi, Lu Mingxin felt exceptionally guilty all day. After returning to her room, she hugged him and refused to let go.
Gu Qinglan had just taken a bath, and his hair tips were still damp. Afraid the water would get on her face, he tilted his head slightly and said with a smile, "Good thing it's not long hair, it dries too slowly."
Lu Mingxin still missed his long black hair. She deliberately kissed his earlobe lightly and said, "Afraid the hairdryer will damage your hair? I can help you dry it. I'll dry it for you bit by bit."
Gu Qinglan smiled slightly. "You're patient now."
Lu Mingxin took the opportunity to place her hand on his black hair, caressing it. His hair had always been so soft that even women would be jealous. She remembered in those memories of her previous life, on the few occasions she helped him tie his hair, she would always wonder if she was holding a handful of silk.
Thinking this, she said, "Your hair still grows too slowly. If it grew fast, since you're filming a period drama anyway, you could grow it out. Then you wouldn't even need to wear a wig."
Gu Qinglan couldn't help but chuckle. "For a man to have such long hair, that would be too improper."
Lu Mingxin shook her head. "Other men might, but you're different. You'd definitely have an immortal-like air and charm a whole crowd of people."
Gu Qinglan had become numb to her compliments of this sort over the past few days and could only smile. "Why do you like to praise me so much now? I remember you clearly said before that my looks were too feminine and lacked masculinity."
Lu Mingxin, not careful for a moment, almost fell into his trap again. These words were clearly spoken by him in his previous life. She was now constantly cautious, and her acting skills had been honed considerably as a result. She hummed softly and bit his ear lightly as punishment. "You've only become bad recently, always slandering me with words I never said! I was so afraid of you when I was little, and I love you so much now, how would I dare to say bad things about you!"
Gu Qinglan lowered his eyes and just smiled without speaking.
Gu Qinglan still maintained the habit of sleeping early while on set. Not long after dinner, he read for a while and then went to bed early.
Lu Mingxin was originally a night owl. After living with him, her schedule had become much more regular. She obediently lay on the bed with him.
Under the dim light, she hugged his waist tightly, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. In those memories of her previous life, she rarely seemed to snuggle so quietly beside him. She was always thinking about too many things.
Thinking about how to gallop on the battlefield, achieve merits, thinking about standing side by side with Mo Qi on the battlefield. She liked being with her brothers, finding joy even in their roughhousing. She didn't like reading books with the quiet him, with nothing to say to each other.
Now she knew how outrageously wrong she had been. He was not a bookworm unskilled in words at all; it was just that she was unwilling to open her heart to him, so he could only remain silent.
As she thought, the familiar heartache began to rise in her chest again, and her eyes felt a little sore. She turned her head and kissed his cheek lightly, saying softly, "Qinglan-gege, I've been too bad to you."
Gu Qinglan's spirits today didn't seem as good as the past few days. He coughed lightly before smiling gently and asking, "How have you been bad to me?"
Lu Mingxin hugged him tighter and said, "Not loving you enough."
The question of whether one loved enough was originally too subjective, without a standard for assessment.
Gu Qinglan chuckled softly. "Oh? Then what do you think is enough?"
He was actually always like this. From the very beginning, when he spoke to her, it always seemed as if he had infinite patience, his tone always filled with deep indulgence and affection.
Lu Mingxin listened to his voice and said softly, "It's never enough."
She thought she wouldn't hear his response, but after a moment of silence, he also said in a low voice, "I love you too… Mingxin, with all the strength I can muster."
If any other man had said this, it would have seemed somewhat perfunctory and insincere. "All the strength" was also an immeasurable degree.
But Lu Mingxin knew that since he had said it, he would definitely do it. Because he, in his previous life, was precisely like that: he had long known there was someone else in her heart, yet he still exhausted everything he had.
His life, such world-stunning talent and grace, enough to be recorded in history, yet he sacrificed himself so silently, to fulfill her ambitions, not hesitating even if it meant eternal damnation.
So after he was gone, she could no longer live on shamelessly, enjoying everything he had exchanged for her… Of course, also because, after losing him, she realized that in the vastness of heaven and earth, in the myriad affairs of the mortal world, she had no attachment whatsoever.
She quietly wiped away the tears that had unknowingly fallen on his shoulder again, feeling that she had really had enough. Every time she thought about everything from her previous life, she couldn't control her emotions.
She simply kissed his cheek again and said softly, "Qinglan, you don't need to do anything more for me… This time, it's my turn."
This time, however, he didn't answer her. Lu Mingxin waited for a while, and hearing his low but even breathing, she knew he was already asleep.
He had always been a light sleeper. To be able to sleep so soundly, he must be very tired. Her heart ached for him again. Thinking that after coming to the West, although he hadn't complained of being tired, his constitution was not good after all, and he hadn't fully recovered from his last illness. How could he not be tired?
The next morning, when Gu Qinglan woke up, his face was indeed pale.
Lu Mingxin's heart ached seeing him. She said, "Why don't you rest in the room for a day? I'll go ask the director for leave."
Gu Qinglan smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. Besides, isn't Mu Yiqing sick right now? This saves on makeup."
Could acting sick be the same as really being sick? Lu Mingxin was almost speechless with him. Unfortunately, when Gu Qinglan decided on something, even her persuasion had no effect.
After breakfast, he still went to the makeup room with Lu Mingxin on time.
The stylist also noticed his poor complexion and said with some concern, "Mr. Gu, are you sure you don't need to rest today?"
After Gu Qinglan joined the crew, some actors and staff members had once thought that someone from such a wealthy family, and a scholar at that, might be arrogant and difficult to get along with. Later, they discovered that he treated people politely and thoughtfully, not only having no airs at all but also being surprisingly easy to talk to.
Once, a young girl playing his maid accidentally broke a porcelain bowl after filming started, and the soup and water in the bowl splashed all over him.
At that time, the young girl, who had just debuted and had finally gotten a role with lines, was terrified and kept apologizing to him and others.
He showed no displeasure at all. Instead, he cleaned the stains on his clothes himself and even smiled at the young girl, saying, "Be careful when cleaning the porcelain shards, don't cut your hand."
After many such incidents, the entire crew now had a very good impression of him. Originally, someone like him, with outstanding looks, an extraordinary temperament, and yet gentle and considerate, with good upbringing, it was hard not to be popular.
When the stylist said this, several people in the makeup room turned to look at him with concern.
He smiled at everyone, waved his hand, and said, "It's fine, I just didn't sleep well last night. I'll be fine in a bit."
Hearing him insist, the stylist, like Lu Mingxin, could only help him change into his costume and do his makeup as usual.
Fortunately, the scene he was filming today was indeed Mu Yiqing inspecting the military camp with General Du Yi while ill. So, the sickliness on his face actually saved the makeup artist some powdering work.
Although Lu Mingxin was not in this shot, only Gu Qinglan and Mo Qi, walking together to inspect the camp.
This type of scene involved many extras, the scene was laid out quite extensively, and the camera had to follow their steps to capture the bustling scene of the military camp.
Lu Mingxin didn't need to appear for the time being. Logically, she could have rested on the side. However, she was worried about Gu Qinglan today and kept close to the director, ostensibly to learn, but actually to watch Gu Qinglan and make sure nothing went wrong.
Gu Qinglan, in a white robe, walked with Mo Qi, who was in red armor, looking majestic and upright. A few military scribes and adjutants followed behind them, a group of five or six people, inspecting the camp.
After North City was taken, the main force of Great Qi moved into this city. Since the enemy had already been exhausted of supplies during the siege, there was no need for large-scale destruction of the city walls and gates during the siege. Now, by repairing and reinforcing this city, it became a fairly strong stronghold.
Now Mo Qi and Gu Qinglan had come to inspect the newly repaired city gates, as well as the heavy crossbows on the city walls, and the construction of catapults and the like.
At each location, Mo Qi would say some words to boost morale and inquire about the progress of the engineering work.
Of course, he had specially brought Gu Qinglan out, definitely to discuss matters with him further. On the city wall, he said, "In Lord Mu's opinion, when would be the appropriate time for us to attack Jinmen Pass?"
Gu Qinglan smiled slightly. "It is already September. The bitterly cold season in the Western Frontier is approaching. Doesn't General Du want to drive the Western Xia people out of Jinmen Pass before winter sets in?"
The war had dragged on from spring to autumn, precisely because of Mo Qi's considerations regarding timing.
The winters in the Western Frontier had been cold since ancient times, and resources were also scarce. Once the season entered the long winter, the morale of the Western Xia soldiers would inevitably be affected.
At the beginning of the year, the King of Western Xia had taken advantage of spring, when many Western Xia people had survived the harsh winter and their stored supplies were depleted, to incite his soldiers to go east to burn, kill, and plunder the rich resources of Great Qi. That was why he had led a group of elite soldiers and fierce generals to capture North City and Jinmen Pass, which originally belonged to Great Qi, in one fell swoop.
The King of Western Xia was not without ambition. He had originally planned to advance eastward all the way to the vicinity of Chang'an. Unfortunately, he encountered a famous general like Mo Qi, who stubbornly blocked them here for several months, unable to advance.
Now it was autumn again, the time for hunting and storing winter supplies. The Western Xia people had plundered a lot of cattle, sheep, gold, silver, and provisions throughout the spring and summer.
Even if the King of Western Xia still wanted to advance eastward, some short-sighted Western Xia soldiers, concerned only with their own interests, were definitely thinking that since the enemy was formidable, it would be better to temporarily retreat for the winter and fight again next year.
Therefore, the battle at Jinmen Pass against the Western Xia army was imminent and could not afford to fail.
Mo Qi stopped. They were currently on the city wall of North City. Looking up, they could see the vast yellow sand in the distance, and the sparse green grass on the Gobi Desert, already turning a withered yellow.
Mo Qi also smiled. "Unfortunately, the Western Frontier is not the Northern Frontier. There isn't abundant water and grass. Otherwise, using fire attack would be good."
The wind was strong on the city wall. Gu Qinglan couldn't help but cover his lips and cough lightly before continuing, "Even without borrowing the advantages of weather and terrain, a fire attack can still be used."
Mo Qi's eyes lit up, and he pressed, "Then what brilliant strategy does Lord Mu have?"
Gu Qinglan smiled, his pale, thin lips curving. "Hasn't General Du ordered the construction of many catapults overnight?"
Seeing his plan seen through by him, Mo Qi laughed heartily. "Lord Mu truly knows me!"
Gu Qinglan smiled again, then coughed a few more times. This time, however, his coughing was somewhat urgent, and even his figure swayed a few times.
Mo Qi quickly took a step forward, supported his shoulder, and asked with some worry, "Is Lord Mu alright?"
This was all originally in the script. Next, Gu Qinglan should have straightened up, leaning on his shoulder, and said, "Thank you for your concern, General. I am fine."
But he continued to cough lightly, just shaking his head, with no further action. Then his coughing grew heavier, and he actually coughed up a mouthful of blood, which landed on his white robe like scattered plum blossoms in the snow.
Supporting his body, Mo Qi's face was full of worry. "Lord Mu… what is this…"
Gu Qinglan supported himself on Mo Qi's shoulder and stood up straight again, a faint smile on his pale, thin lips. "It's just a cold. Thank you for your concern, General."
Mo Qi clearly disagreed with his dismissive attitude towards his own health. He shook his head, bent down, and picked him up. "Lord Mu, the enemy is at hand. The commander cannot fall, no matter what."
Being picked up by him, Gu Qinglan first showed a somewhat stunned expression. Then, to reduce the weight on Mo Qi's arms, he proactively put his arms around Mo Qi's neck and chuckled lightly, "It was my negligence, to be underestimated by General Du."
Mo Qi still frowned with some worry. "Never mind anything else, allow this subordinate to escort Lord Mu back to the barracks to rest."
After speaking, he carried Gu Qinglan and strode towards the bottom of the city wall. The camera followed his resolute back until his figure, carrying Gu Qinglan, disappeared.
After this scene was filmed, not only did Wei Jingguo say, "Good."
Lu Mingxin clearly saw that the eyes of the few female staff members in the crew were starting to shine.
In fact, Wei Jingguo's assistant, a young girl who had just graduated, even wiped the corner of her eye with her hand. "So exciting."
Wei Jingguo laughed heartily. "Deep brotherly affection, this card is indeed well played."
