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Yingchun didn't come on the second day, claiming she wasn't feeling well, so Gu Yu asked Xiangling to pass on a few words. Sure enough, she came obediently the next day.
It turned out that Gu Yu said he would go to find her if she didn't come, so Yingchun had no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils and came over on her own initiative.
However, Qingwen also found out about his affair with Yingchun. In front of the two of them, Gu Yu couldn't make a move, so he could only resort to his old trick and arrange for someone to leave Yingchun behind to get closer to them when they were being escorted away.
With Gu Yu no longer bothering her during break, Yingchun relaxed a bit, and she wasn't so resistant to Gu Yu asking her to stay later, which was a pleasant surprise.
With the 17th already approaching, Gu Yu decided to give them a day off and go to Pear Fragrance Courtyard to invite Baochai to his birthday party and visit her.
I heard that Xue Pan was beaten up again a few days ago and was carried back to recuperate. Gu Yu also wanted to meet this idiot tyrant whom he had intercepted.
Although Xue Pan was uneducated and his bullying and tyrannical behavior was ingrained in his bones, he was still somewhat genuine and better than Jia Yucun, a heartless ingrate who devoured people without spitting out their bones.
Even though Liu Xianglian later called him "Grandpa," they were still able to forgive and forget about it and become sworn brothers because they were on the same page, which shows a rare kind of naivety.
...
"Ouch...! That bastard Li Feiyu, I'll skin him alive when I find him!"
In the east wing, Aunt Xue and Baochai both looked at Xue Pan, who was crying out in pain on the kang (a heated brick bed), with heartache on their faces.
I heard that a troublemaker deliberately blocked Xue Pan's friend's way because he saw that Xue Pan and his gang were spending lavishly. But who is Xue Pan? He is proud and righteous, and he would never tolerate such humiliation of his friend.
Enraged at failing to obtain any money, the bandit attacked ruthlessly, breaking two of his ribs. Even so, he did not yield and forcefully frightened the bandit away.
Although she knew that nine out of ten of Xue Pan's words were nonsense, Aunt Xue was still heartbroken to see her only son beaten so badly and bedridden for almost half a month.
Moreover, after asking Jia Lian to go out and find out what was going on, it turned out that she had indeed been attacked and injured without causing any trouble. As a result, Aunt Xue became even more justified and took out another fifty taels of silver to offer a reward for the man named Li Feiyu.
The three chatted for a while longer, and then Aunt Xue told Xue Pan some news to cheer him up. When she heard that there was another person in the Jia family named Gu Yu, she immediately perked up.
He'd heard it so many times he was sick of it lately. A young man who had already passed the imperial examinations, and when Jia Lian mentioned that the top courtesans in brothels had to pay him to have him, he knew just how impressive he was.
Hearing that such a formidable figure lived not far from him, Xue Pan was even more eager to learn his skills in getting top courtesans to pay him off.
Although he had heard that Gu Yusheng was more beautiful than a woman, and was absolutely stunning, he dismissed the idea after a moment of contemplation.
After all, such a person was not someone he could associate with, and he was also said to be a relative of Lin Daiyu, so they were related by blood.
Moreover, he was somewhat disdainful of the idea that he was more beautiful than a woman. Baoyu was praised to be the most handsome man in the world, but he had seen several men who were more beautiful than him.
Speaking of this, he thought of Li Feiyu from that day. He had originally thought she was a stunning beauty, but it turned out she was a man. He was angry that he had been beaten, but he was also a little excited.
He used to think that Xiang Lian and Yu Ai, whom he had flirted with in the school, were good people, but after playing around with a few others outside, he realized they were just so-so.
I never expected to run into someone like this. Judging from his clothes, he doesn't seem to be from a wealthy or powerful family. If he takes him in, wouldn't that be...?
Just as he was thinking of the perfect idea, Ying'er suddenly called out from outside, "Brother Yu is here!"
Baochai's face lit up with joy, but she quickly composed herself so that Aunt Xue wouldn't notice.
Aunt Xue was quite pleased. She was a kind and generous person and felt great pity for Daiyu, who had lost her mother at a young age and was now alone in her hometown. Therefore, she welcomed them very much.
Xue Pan looked bewildered upon hearing the voices outside, still trying to recall when he had heard them before and why they sounded so familiar.
As soon as they saw someone follow Aunt Xue and Ying'er in, the two women looked at each other and were both stunned.
Aunt Xue hadn't noticed anything amiss and warmly introduced the two of them: "This is your brother from the Xue family, named Xue Pan. You can just call him 'brother'."
"This is Lin Daiyu's brother, named Gu Yu. My son, you must get close to him and learn some good things from him in the future, so that this family fortune will not be wasted..."
Xue Pan's mouth was wide open, and he was about to shout when he suddenly realized what was happening and his face turned pale.
This is Gu Yu! She's been living around Pear Fragrance Courtyard for a long time. If she were to reveal that she was trying to flirt with men, or even flirt with 'acquaintances', her own mother would probably beat her up and make her pay for it!
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow, not expecting that the person she had run into at the inn that day was actually Xue Pan, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't impossible.
Seeing Xue Pan shudder and break out in a cold sweat, Gu Yu's expression turned somewhat strange, and she guessed what he was thinking.
Under Xue Pan's terrified gaze, Gu Yu smiled and bowed to him, saying, "Greetings, Brother Xue."
Xue Panhai breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the matter with Gu Yu was over. His face regained color, and he greeted her warmly.
Aunt Xue wanted Xue Pan and Gu Yu to get along well, so she made an excuse to leave first, leaving the young people to talk.
It can only be said that Xue Pan's reputation as a domineering fool is well-deserved; even his flattery goes awry.
When she heard Xue Pan praise Gu Yu for being even more beautiful than the courtesan and say that he would have to charge her extra money to see the courtesan in the future, Baochai, who was sitting next to her, finally couldn't hold back anymore. She made an excuse to let him recover from his injury and quickly led Gu Yu out.
Just a few steps outside, Baochai turned around, intending to cover for her brother, when she saw Gu Yu staring at her with a smile. Meanwhile, that damned Ying'er was standing almost ten steps away, looking completely indifferent. Baochai panicked and didn't know what to say.
Gu Yu stared at Baochai's lowered head, his eyes filled with amazement. He scoffed at Bao Yu's comparison of Baochai to Yang Guifei, saying that Yang Guifei was not as beautiful as this shy and drooping Baochai.
Although he was somewhat tempted, he dared not make any advances and simply accompanied Baochai on her stroll.
Although Pear Fragrance Courtyard wasn't small, the two tacitly avoided mentioning going outside. They silently circled around several times before Ying'er finally couldn't help but call out.
"Miss, how long are you going to walk like this?"
Baochai came to her senses and blushed again, feeling that she had never been so embarrassed before.
"Brother Yu, why don't you come inside and sit for a while..."
Before she could finish speaking, Baochai stopped abruptly, so embarrassed that she wished she could turn back time.
What was she thinking, inviting a stranger into her room as a virgin? What if Gu Yu thought she was a promiscuous woman?
Before she could think of a topic to change the subject, Gu Yu's eyes lit up, and she seized the opportunity to agree.
"In that case, I shall respectfully comply."
Baochai opened her mouth, looked at Gu Yu's smiling face, but there was nothing impolite about it. However, the slight eagerness in his eyes made her dare not meet his gaze.
Although it was still a hundred steps to her room, Baochai felt as if she had taken only one step. However, after entering her room, she finally calmed down, instructed Ying'er to make tea, and then started chatting with Gu Yu.
"Speaking of which, I haven't congratulated Yu on getting into high school yet. I haven't been feeling well these past few days, and I've had to take care of my older brother..."
As she spoke, Baochai's voice gradually lowered. She had clearly seen that Gu Yu and his brother definitely had some connection, and judging from her brother's expression, she had probably guessed it as well.
Although the fault lay with her brother, she herself had broken her ribs and was bedridden, and she didn't know the specifics of the situation. She didn't know whether it was better to apologize or to question him.
Seeing that Gu Yu was pretending not to hear clearly, Baochai stopped talking about the topic and formally thanked Gu Yu for sending her various prescriptions every day over the years.
It doesn't just care for your feet; it also takes care of your face, bath, hair... all sorts of strange and wonderful things from head to toe.
"...You've really gone to so much trouble. It's so kind of you to go to such lengths, and even Ying'er has benefited from it. I don't know how to thank you enough."
"It's my duty, it's my duty."
Gu Yu smiled reservedly, but the sudden stillness in the room startled him, and his face stiffened.
"What's wrong with me these past few days? I haven't been thinking before I speak... I hope she's not angry with me and will never speak to me again."
Baochai was still taken aback by Gu Yu's bold words and was momentarily stunned. Ying'er, who was serving her, reacted more quickly, but her face also turned red, and she glared at him reproachfully.
Seeing that Baochai hadn't spoken yet, Gu Yu, to avoid being blacklisted, took the initiative to say goodbye.
As long as I wasn't kicked out in person, then I wasn't disliked, and I can shamelessly come back next time... Thinking of this, Gu Yu walked with a gust of wind and ran back in a flash.
……
Chapter 45 Almost Did Something Go Wrong
As the 21st approached, Xiangling and Qingwen changed their attitudes again.
The two women not only used the excuse of having their periods to stop sleeping in the same bed with him, but they also refused to actually be carried into his room on his birthday.
Gu Yu was stunned for a moment. After thinking about it, he found an opportunity the next day to send Qingwen away first, then picked up Xiangling and threw her onto the bed, determined to make her obedient and tell him everything.
Although Xiangling was fuller than Qingwen, she was still considered petite and not even plump. Gu Yu was on top of her, holding her tightly in his arms, making it impossible for her to move.
Although she had looked at Xiangling many times, Gu Yu still stared at the mole between her eyebrows with great interest.
Although it is a mole, its surface is incredibly smooth, as if it were made by a divine hand, perfectly flawless.
Perhaps because the space between her eyebrows is connected to the Niwan Palace, Xiangling's reaction is always stronger than other places when Gu Yu stamps her eyebrows, which makes him very happy.
Seeing that Xiangling had turned into a cloud, and all the bones in her body had gone limp, making him feel as if he were sitting on a ball of cotton, Gu Yu stopped and continued to ask questions.
Xiangling took a few quick breaths, looking at Gu Yu with a mixture of shyness and worry, and said, "Wang Mama taught us before... but Master forcibly dragged us away, which already broke the rules, but a couple of days ago..."
What happened the other day?
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow, thinking hard but unable to come up with anything. Xiang Ling snuggled closer to Gu Yu, her voice low as she continued:
"A couple of days ago, Qingwen and I were discharged from the hospital to play with the maids. We happened to run into some old women on the back of the street telling stories. They said that two years ago, a young master from a wealthy family surnamed Wang in the capital was seduced by a maid next to him when he was only ten years old. After the affair was exposed, all the maids in the courtyard were beaten to death."
"That young master died of premature ejaculation at such a young age. The old women all said that those shameless vixens wanted to become concubines and took advantage of the young master's ignorance to do whatever they wanted."
"Sir, you're almost three years younger than me, what if..."
Xiangling looked up at Gu Yu with worry, as if she was afraid that he would also be gone.
Gu Yu laughed in exasperation, then snorted twice and deliberately said, "If that's the case, then I'll just kill you and Qingwen first, then everything will be fine."
Xiangling shrank back, but stubbornly looked at Gu Yu and said:
“I’m not afraid even if you beat us both to death, sir! But if you find another girl in the future, please take good care of your health. At most, just like I was a while ago, that’s enough. Your health is the most important thing.”
As she spoke, Xiangling thought about being beaten to death and never being able to serve Gu Yu or be loved by him again, and tears slowly welled up in her eyes.
Gu Yu was stunned. Looking at the overflowing affection in Silly Xiangling's eyes, she was deeply moved. She could no longer maintain her feigned anger and lowered her head to stop Xiangling from saying anything more, leaving only a sob.
Xiangling was naturally innocent, gentle, and virtuous. She was also born intelligent and quick-witted, and she remembered what Wang Mama had taught them after only one or two lessons.
However, Xiangling was abused by kidnappers since childhood, and was beaten and scolded at the slightest provocation. At this time, Gu Yu seemed to be a god descending to earth to save her from her suffering.
Although she was supposed to be Gu Yu's maid, her life was better than that of many rich young ladies. She only had to worry about Gu Yu, and her heart was tied to Gu Yu from then on.
So when Gu Yu grabbed her and wouldn't let her leave after warming the bed that day, even though Wang's mother's words were still imprinted in her mind, she really didn't know how to refuse Gu Yu, so she could only half-heartedly go along with it.
They were shocked to learn just two days ago that the young master was too young to share a room with anyone, and Gu Yu still wanted to bring the two of them together.
After discussing it, Qingwen felt that she couldn't act recklessly for Gu Yu's health, so she decided to find an excuse to postpone it for now.
Gu Yu was both amused and exasperated. He held Xiang Ling's tongue in his mouth and played with it until she couldn't breathe. Then he let her go for the time being, turned over, and held Xiang Ling on top of him.
"Don't worry, I have a royal physician in my family. He has been taking medicine to treat his illness since he was a child, and he stays healthy every day. Holding it in for too long will only harm his health!"
"Really...really? Master, don't lie to me. Qingwen and I are yours forever, and we'll never leave you. There's no need to rush these next two years..."
Xiangling nestled against Gu Yu's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and finally became certain that he wasn't lying. She felt both shy and happy.
"Of course, I still want to live to be a hundred years old and spend a few more years with you all. How could I do something like draining the pond to catch all the fish?"
Gu Yu rolled her eyes in annoyance, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Xiang Ling, thinking about how she was about to give herself away, felt a little shy and tried to get up. Gu Yu tightened her grip on her arm, and one hand reached down…
The next second, Gu Yu was defeated by the thick winter clothes and reluctantly gave up. He then kissed Xiang Ling's soft and delicate face and told her to go and call Qing Wen.
Knowing she had made a mistake, Xiangling was eager to redeem herself and completed the task very diligently, so that Qingwen didn't notice anything amiss until she stopped in the room.
In the afternoon, someone came to say that someone was looking for Gu Yu. After Gu Yu went out, Xue Yan, who had come to visit, was surprised to find that Qing Wen and Xiang Ling's lips looked as if they had been painted with fresh rouge, and were extremely bright. She hurriedly begged for some.
No matter how embarrassed Qingwen and the others were in the courtyard, Gu Yu looked quite nervous when he saw the unremarkable man in front of him.
This was the first time he had ever used the Gu family's manpower to do something like this.
Previously, he would only instruct his subordinates to do some business, production and transportation work, but now he wants to send people to infiltrate Ningguo Mansion.
Although the prestige of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes has gradually declined, the Ningguo Mansion still has the foundation of the Duke's Mansion. If any mishap occurs, he doesn't know if the Gu family's reputation can be preserved.
"Don't worry, young master. The brothers waited for three days and finally caught up with the three of them. They even signed some kind of document. When the two of them threw down a bucket of manure and were about to leave, we followed them. As you instructed, we've already managed to get a few maids and servants in through them."
After taking the two receipts handed over by the man, Gu Yu looked at them carefully and saw that they were receipts stating that Jia Rui owed Jia Rong and Jia Qiang fifty taels of silver each.
Having heard how they used both kindness and threats to get Jia Rong and the others to willingly lead the people inside, Gu Yu greatly admired their reliability and said:
“Well done. Go back to the accounting office and get fifty taels of silver to buy wine for the brothers to warm them up. They’ve been squatting in the freezing cold for several nights, they’ve really suffered! As for the five hundred taels of silver I gave you, you can divide the rest among yourselves.”
The man chuckled. They had only quoted them three hundred taels of silver because they thought the two were spineless. They were very grateful to Gu Yu for being so generous.
After all, although they were raised by the Gu family from a young age and had a very high standard of living, they hadn't moved around much in the past ten years.
A few years ago, I went to Yangzhou, hoping to make some extra money, but I ended up ruining my employer's life!
In their grief and anger, they were also somewhat fearful. They thought that the young master would rebuke them and no longer want them, leaving them with no choice but to commit suicide to join the old patriarchs.
Unexpectedly, after meeting them, Gu Yu did not blame them much and still made them obey Lin Hai's orders, only taking away a few people.
The situation in Yangzhou has stabilized this year, and they couldn't wait any longer, so they followed the route taken by the Imperial College to return to their home.
This was the first time Gu Yu had ordered them to do something. They had been holding their breath for a long time and wanted to make amends to the master. They took turns guarding the place 24 hours a day, vowing to complete the young master's task perfectly.
Even when it snowed at night, they persevered with the thought of atonement.
Unexpectedly, the young master cared about them so much, not mentioning the oversight from back then at all. He not only gave them a reward but also paid for their wine.