Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 46

Gu Yi got up, smilingly said, “I will go …… now.”

She followed Eunuch Gao through the long corridor and inwardly felt apprehensive.

Could it be Xiao Yan knew something?

It shouldn’t be.

Gao Gui stopped before the door and raised his hand, “Mrs. Yi, please come in.”

Gu Yi looked solemn and gently pushed the door to enter. This room was similar to the one she had, with one hall and one bedroom.

Xiao Yan was sitting at the table in the hall, wearing only plain clothes and a long coat. He had a charcoal pot at his feet. The silver charcoal was red like fire, flickering. He was staring at her as if he was waiting for her.

Faced with such focused scrutiny, Gu Yi felt she had nowhere to hide and couldn’t help but feel even more nervous. She hid her hands behind her back and clenched them nervously, recalling what she had done in the past few days and whether she had done anything out of the ordinary.

In addition to talking to Eunuch Gao twice, the only out-of-the-ordinary thing she did was suggest exchanging the money today. But Xiao Yan couldn’t possibly know that. Could it be that —

He found the money she had hidden in the box! Was she genuinely incapable of doing anything wrong at all?

Xiao Yan saw Gu Yi, wearing a white jacket, standing awkwardly in front of the table. Her face changed several rounds of expression, looking around and increasingly nervous. He could not help but laugh secretly. She was indeed like a blank sheet of paper. Although he didn’t know what she was hiding, he could try.

Xiao Yan frowned slightly and coldly said: “Say, how do you want to defend yourself now?”

Gu Yi’s heart thumped. She smiled dryly: “I am foolish. I do not understand what you were talking about?”

Xiao Yan rested one hand on his cheek and changed his sitting position, coolly saying, “Still do not tell the truth?”

Gu Yi saw his eyes light up like a sword and became increasingly stern. She was shocked. Did he really go through my boxes? Is this what humans do?

Gu Yi couldn’t help but scowl and said, “I didn’t do it on purpose. I brought five hundred taels and wanted to bring it home. I do not intend to deceive Young Master.”

Xiao Yan’s eyes slightly drooped. It turned out to be for a mere five hundred taels — He suppressed the rising corners of his mouth. “The number is not large, but …… it still deserves to be punished.”

What’s the punishment? It’s not a money penalty, right?

Gu Yi wanted to cry but couldn’t.

Xiao Yan beckoned, “You come over.”

Gu Yi cried and slowly stepped forward, only to hear Xiao Yan say, “Stretch out your hand ……”

Gu Yi was alert and said, “Why?”

Xiao Yan caught her right hand, turned it over, and slapped it with his palm.

There was a loud, crisp snap. Gu Yi’s palm immediately turned red and burned with fiery pain.

Both people were shocked. Gu Yi did not expect Xiao Yan to hit so hard, and Xiao Yan did not expect Gu Yi to be so weak.

Gu Yi exclaimed, “Ah!” half a beat slower and sighed to the sky, “It hurts!”

Xiao Yan’s eyes flashed lightly. He had practiced martial arts and sword training for a long time, and he couldn’t control his force well. However, he couldn’t say the words to coax people, so he could only say sternly, “This will not happen again.”

Gu Yi stretched out her left hand to stroke her right. It still hurt, as if it would break a layer of skin.

Doggy Xiao, you were doing domestic violence!

She blew several breaths into her palm before she could ease the pain and said indignantly, “You have punished me, so I’ll take my leave!”

Xiao Yan, however, said, “Sit down.”

Gu Yi could only sit honestly and cupped the reddened right hand in front of her chest.

Xiao Yan got up, took a small jade porcelain bottle, grabbed her right hand, and applied the medicine. The ointment was cold, but it didn’t hurt anymore.

Xiao Yan saw the watery haze in Gu Yi’s eyes and remembered that she had hurt her leg before, lying on the bed and crying, and could not help but sigh: “You are …… too delicate. You can’t stand a little pain. It is just a little touch, a light touch, and it becomes like this –”

Then should I be as thick-skinned as you!

Gu Yi slandered him inwardly but said: “I can’t stand this flesh pain. Young Master, we should discuss everything in the future and not move our hands. A gentleman uses his mouth and not his hands.”

Xiao Yan rarely blushed and only looked down and gently rubbed his palms. He called her here tonight, not to punish her. He set aside the wound medicine and asked, “I heard you met a fortune teller at the market tonight?”

They traveled with an entourage, and when this matter reached Xiao Yan’s ears, she was not surprised and nodded, “That’s right. We’ve met a fortune-telling master.” It was an outstanding master!

Xiao Yan squeezed her right hand with one hand, “Oh, I heard that the fortune teller said that Zhao Wan was born with a phoenix life …… but said that you have the omen of an early death in your life ……”

Gu Yi felt pain when he squeezed her fingers. With a frown, she pulled her hand back. “Thank you. This ointment does work. It no longer hurts.” She added, “We can’t take what the fortune teller said as the truth. It’s just a joke.”

But it is indeed accurate! The original Beauty Gu died early!

Xiao Yan covered the porcelain bottle, “But I do not think it is interesting ……”

Gu Yi sardonically laughed twice, “Who would have thought that the one who came to fortune-telling is from the palace? I think it’s just a polite talk from the fortune teller. Maybe five out of ten girls in Qu City have a phoenix destiny, and the other five are signs of early death. Those with a phoenix destiny will happily give him money, and those who died early will give some money and let him think of ways to crack it.”

After Gu Yi finished, she felt skeptical herself. Maybe that older man was a charlatan.

Xiao Yan saw that she was not taking it seriously, and he felt it was odd. Gu Yi seemed to have always taken life and death too lightly. Although it was the fortune teller’s nonsense, it was strange for Gu Yi to not care at all. The two of them were silent momentarily, each with their own thoughts.

Xiao Yan stood up and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s rest.”

Gu Yi blinked uncertainly. Xiao Yan leaned over, kissed her lips, and said with satisfaction, “It is the sweet flavor of fried chestnuts.”

Gu Yi: ……

Gu Yi still boldly sent Tao Jia to exchange money the next day. First, the money was now clear in front of Xiao Yan. Secondly, it was indeed more convenient to cash it into bills. Her palms have been beaten, so how can she not change it? Even if Xiao Yan knew, it wasn’t a big deal.

Everything is fine as long as her lie isn’t exposed on this trip to Fuzhou!

Gu Yi finally saw Fuzhou’s shadow after traveling in the carriage for half a month.

Fuzhou has two counties under its jurisdiction, and the state government is in the largest city, Fucheng. However, Fucheng is far smaller than Qu City. It is not big, and the population is only half of Qu City.

When entering the city, Gu Yi lifted the carriage curtains and looked out. What came to her eyes was the yellow soil of the city walls, and even the copper-painted city gates were gray. Most pedestrians were dressed in coarse cloth, sparsely, less lively than in Qu City. It looked like that Fuzhou was a poor and remote area. It makes sense for Father Gu to choose this place.

Even though the caravan was loaded with supplies, the horses’ hooves were dripping through the city gate like rain.

Gu Changtong did not dare go directly to the city gate. The Emperor came to Fuzhou on patrol and was on a private visit, so he did not dare take a group of people outside the gate and worship openly. He only dared to stay in the residence to wait for the guests.

When the sun shone above the head, the city guard hurriedly rushed back to the mansion. His cheeks flushed, his forehead sweating, and he said breathlessly: “Emperor –Emperor — is entering the city! In half a minute, he’ll arrive at the gate!”

Gu Changtong immediately got up, shaking his robes, lifting the collar, and glancing at the silk belt on the waist to check if it was proper, “Call Mrs. Gu and A Zhao to come!”

In a few moments, Mrs. Gu came out in a brown dress and covered with a jacket from the inner courtyard. A young boy with a crown followed her. His stature was upright and looked only eleven or twelve years old, but his expression was very solemn. He was wearing a moonlight-white robe and a blue sash. When he saw Gu Changtong, he bowed and said, “Greetings, Father.”

Gu Changtong’s eyes showed a satisfied look, “A Zhao, recently, you’ve made some progress in your studies. When you see the guests later, you should be careful with your manners.”

Gu Zhao revealed a rare childish smile, “Sister is also coming back.”

Mrs. Gu smiled and patted his hair, “No fooling around. The Emperor—your brother-in-law—is also here. Don’t tease your sister like you did when you were a child.”

Gu Zhao nodded sophisticatedly, “A Zhao respects Mother’s teachings.”

While speaking, horses neighing was already sounded outside the mansion gate. Gu Changtong collected his smile, straightened his face, and walked outside at a brisk pace. Crossing the door, he saw a young man in indigo robes alighting the carriage. He didn’t wear a crown, only tie his hair with black silk. His face was dazzling like a jade; his pair of dark brown glazed eyes shone, but the eyebrows and eyelashes were as dark as the crow feather, so heroic. Draped in a black fur coat, he smiled lightly, “Officer Gu.” His voice was as clear as a falling jade.

Although Gu Changtong never had the honor of meeting the Emperor, he was confident that the person before him was the Emperor sitting high on the throne. He bowed, “Fuzhou Gu Changtong pays his respects to Young Master.”

Xiao Yan approached and reached out to help him up. “Officer Gu, there’s no need to be polite.”

Gu Changtong rose, hung his head, and said, “Young Master, you have come from afar. Our humble home is cleaned up like new and has several rooms for you and your wife. The mansion has prepared a welcoming banquet with home-cooked dishes. I hope you will not mind.”

Xiao Yan carefully looked at Gu Changtong and saw that his hair was gray at the temples, but his eyes were still as bright as starbursts, an eloquent minister. “Minister Gu has taken the trouble.” He turned his head to look at Eunuch Gao and asked, “Steward Gao, where is Mrs. Yi’s carriage?”

Gao Gui glanced back and said, “It’s the third one. I will go and summon her.”

Gu Changtong’s heartbeat accelerated. Finally, he could see Xiao Yi!

His eyes couldn’t help but follow ‘Steward Gao’ and saw him stop by the third carriage and say something. The curtain was lifted, and the first one to get out of the carriage was a little girl dressed as a maid with a round face and a double bun. Then he saw Gu Yi, clad in a red cloak with a circle of fine white fluff around her neck. Her face looked better than when she was at home, and she seemed to have grown taller.

As soon as Gu Yi got out of the carriage, she saw a middle-aged man not far from the opposite side looking eagerly toward her. He was smiling but somewhat timid as if he dared not go forward. Her heart thumped, and she did not doubt it was Father Gu, Gu Changtong. Because their eyes were both round almond eyes, smiling with a curved brow, adorable.