Yanzhi angrily said, "This servant girl had said she would tear their mouths, but Sister Yin Lan didn't allow it and said that as people, we should keep a low profile."
Gu Ying's lips were cold. "It's alright. Just let them talk."
Although she spoke like this, in her heart there was still some inexplicable sourness.
In the past when she heard these things, she could just casually listen and not take them seriously, but recently...she was increasingly unwilling to hear about the things in the past between the Crown Prince and Huo Qiyun.
She shrank herself into a safe shell, thinking that as long as she didn't look too deeply into it, she could pretend those things never happened...and could still live a carefree life with the Crown Prince.
But now, she also began to doubt whether all the unconditional doting and indulgence the Crown Prince had shown her were truly just to provoke Huo Qiyun?
In addition, she herself had a similar temperament to Huo Qiyun. Whenever Zhao Changxing was deliberately mysterious in front of her and occasionally deliberately brought up Huo Qiyun and Adu's past, he would smile meaningfully.
According to some people in the Fu Residence, it was said that she was Huo Young Lady's stand-in, it was not known for sure.
Her heart felt stuffy, as if pressed by a giant boulder.
"What is elder sister thinking about?"
Gu Ning's voice pulled Gu Ying's thoughts back.
Gu Ying regained her senses and saw Gu Ning sitting in a wheelchair, staring straight at her.
Yin Zhu had pushed the wheelchair over. The teenager in the wheelchair was starting to gain some weight on his face, he was delicate-looking, and after his complexion had regained its healthy, rosy color, his red lips and white teeth made him look even more adorable.
Gu Ying put aside her troubles and stroked her brother's head. "How do your legs feel today, Ning?”
Gu Ning quietly looked at his own legs. "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Gu Ying felt a little happy. "This shows that Imperial Physician Wang's medicine is indeed effective."
"Mm."
"Have you had any other discomfort in your body recently?"
"No."
"Are you satisfied with what you eat and where you live?"
"Mm."
Gu Ning's voice was indifferent.
Wanli Pavilion was not big or small, it was cozy and elegant. Gu Ying didn't mind his indifference. She personally pushed Gu Ning’s wheelchair to the pavilion in the yard.
Outside, the snow was heavy. Yin Lan and Yanzhi brought over a brazier.
Gu Ying gathered the thick cloak around her and sat on the soft cushion on the stone pier opposite, “What did elder sister do last night that she got up so late today?"
Gu Ying's face turned red from embarrassment. "Um...I didn't do anything."
The teenager saw the bite marks on Gu Ying’s neck, and his brows furrowed as he tightly clenched his small hand. "Did he bully elder sister?"
Gu Ying was utterly mortified. Talking about such matters in front of a young boy was really too embarrassing. "No...no, the Crown Prince treats elder sister very well. He had some matters to deal with in the palace last night which was why he came back late. You’re still young, stop worrying unnecessarily."
Yanzhi covered her mouth and giggled. Gu Ying quickly glared at her.
Gu Ning’s lips tightened. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I'm not lying to you. Be good and take your medicine, listen to the doctor, and when your legs can touch the ground, elder sister will find you a martial arts master to teach you martial arts, to make you as heroic and handsome as our father."
Gu Ning's expression was still indifferent. Having gone through all this, he had long lost a child’s innocence. Now he only had two wishes—first was for his legs to heal soon, and second was for him to protect his elder sister well, to let elder sister be happy.
While Gu Ying was still imagining what Gu Ning would look like when he grew up, her biggest regret in her previous life was that her brother had died at the age of ten in the year of her grand wedding. And now, as the new year was about to come, he was still alive and sitting in front of her. There was nothing that made her happier than this.
"I’m planning to write Father a letter, do you have anything you want to say to Father?"
Gu Ning spoke in an indifferent tone, "No."
Gu Ying felt a little sour in her heart when she heard this. Over the years, Ning must really hate Father for not taking care of him, but Father was also helpless.
He didn't have it easy in Huang City either. Especially later on, in the battle with the Qiang Tribe, blood flowed like a river, and he didn't manage to come back alive either.
Gu Ning didn't want to mention Gu Boqing anymore, so instead he asked, "What made elder sister unhappy just now?"
Seeing that he kept pestering her about it, Gu Ying was stunned for a moment. "Elder sister is not unhappy."
Despite his young age, the teenager possessed a sensitivity and maturity beyond his years. He stared solemnly into his elder sister's eyes and asked, "Is it because of the Crown Prince?"
Gu Ying gave a little laugh to conceal her momentary panic, “It’s nothing, he treats elder sister extremely well."
Gu Ning saw through his elder sister's sophistry. He slowly lowered his eyes and said no more.
After years of lying in bed ill, it had made him taciturn.
The siblings sat facing each other, listening to the sound of the falling snow outside. After some time, Gu Ning said, "I'm tired."
Gu Ying immediately asked Yin Zhu to send him back to rest.
Wanli Pavilion was very quiet. There was a carved wooden window, a gray curtain, and not too much bright light in the room. Gu Ning said he only wanted Yin Zhu to serve him, no other servants.
In the past at the Gu Residence, as a child he had suffered too much grievance. Gu Ying had failed in her duty as an elder sister, so of course now she spoiled him in every way.
Yet looking at his lonely, bleak yard, she still couldn’t help feeling a nameless distress.
"Yanzhi, have some plum blossom branches cut and put into vases to be sent over."
"Yes."
"And the food that Ning likes, send those too." She carefully instructed, "The books he likes to read, bring those as well."
"Alright, Madam. Don't worry, Madam. What you have instructed, Yin Zhu has been diligently doing every day."
Gu Ying said approvingly, “Yin Zhu is really quite attentive to Ning.”
Yanzhi grinned. “Yin Zhu doesn’t like to talk either, so she’s a perfect match for young master who also doesn't talk. Yin Zhu’s martial arts skills are good too, she can help young master in his recovery, while young master who knows how to read and write can teach the illiterate Yin Zhu. Hehehe. These two are quite harmonious, they’ve never fought or blushed in anger before. After what happened with Cui Ling, young master doesn't have a good impression of maidservants, but I see that young master is very satisfied with Yin Zhu."
The corners of Gu Ying's mouth turned up. "What you just said reminds me, in the next few days I should get a tutor to come in and teach Ning and Yin Zhu how to read and write."
"Very good! Yin Zhu is too embarrassed about not knowing how read and write. Learning to read and write would be great for her!"
Seeing her so pleased, Gu Ying's brow quirked, “You should attend lessons together with them too."
“Ah? Yanzhi feels sleepy just looking at books!”
“No arguments.”
“Mistress, wuwuwu, Yanzhi's eyelids will droop when she sees books!"
"I won't budge on this. You will study together with Yin Zhu."
Yanzhi bounced in lively, then trudged out crestfallen. She was almost in tears. She didn't want to read at all!
Gu Ying paid no attention to whether she was crying or not. Previously in the Gu Estate, she didn't have the time or energy to properly teach Yanzhi. And now she finally had the free time to make sure Yanzhi and Yin Zhu learned to read and write, and gained some literacy.
Reading books won't necessarily change one's fate, but one day the knowledge might become useful. It would also make people understand propriety and become wiser, with firmer resilience inside.
Yanzhi angrily said, "This servant girl had said she would tear their mouths, but Sister Yin Lan didn't allow it and said that as people, we should keep a low profile."
Gu Ying's lips were cold. "It's alright. Just let them talk."
Although she spoke like this, in her heart there was still some inexplicable sourness.
In the past when she heard these things, she could just casually listen and not take them seriously, but recently...she was increasingly unwilling to hear about the things in the past between the Crown Prince and Huo Qiyun.
She shrank herself into a safe shell, thinking that as long as she didn't look too deeply into it, she could pretend those things never happened...and could still live a carefree life with the Crown Prince.
But now, she also began to doubt whether all the unconditional doting and indulgence the Crown Prince had shown her were truly just to provoke Huo Qiyun?
In addition, she herself had a similar temperament to Huo Qiyun. Whenever Zhao Changxing was deliberately mysterious in front of her and occasionally deliberately brought up Huo Qiyun and Adu's past, he would smile meaningfully.
According to some people in the Fu Residence, it was said that she was Huo Young Lady's stand-in, it was not known for sure.
Her heart felt stuffy, as if pressed by a giant boulder.
"What is elder sister thinking about?"
Gu Ning's voice pulled Gu Ying's thoughts back.
Gu Ying regained her senses and saw Gu Ning sitting in a wheelchair, staring straight at her.
Yin Zhu had pushed the wheelchair over. The teenager in the wheelchair was starting to gain some weight on his face, he was delicate-looking, and after his complexion had regained its healthy, rosy color, his red lips and white teeth made him look even more adorable.
Gu Ying put aside her troubles and stroked her brother's head. "How do your legs feel today, Ning?”
Gu Ning quietly looked at his own legs. "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Gu Ying felt a little happy. "This shows that Imperial Physician Wang's medicine is indeed effective."
"Mm."
"Have you had any other discomfort in your body recently?"
"No."
"Are you satisfied with what you eat and where you live?"
"Mm."
Gu Ning's voice was indifferent.
Wanli Pavilion was not big or small, it was cozy and elegant. Gu Ying didn't mind his indifference. She personally pushed Gu Ning’s wheelchair to the pavilion in the yard.
Outside, the snow was heavy. Yin Lan and Yanzhi brought over a brazier.
Gu Ying gathered the thick cloak around her and sat on the soft cushion on the stone pier opposite, “What did elder sister do last night that she got up so late today?"
Gu Ying's face turned red from embarrassment. "Um...I didn't do anything."
The teenager saw the bite marks on Gu Ying’s neck, and his brows furrowed as he tightly clenched his small hand. "Did he bully elder sister?"
Gu Ying was utterly mortified. Talking about such matters in front of a young boy was really too embarrassing. "No...no, the Crown Prince treats elder sister very well. He had some matters to deal with in the palace last night which was why he came back late. You’re still young, stop worrying unnecessarily."
Yanzhi covered her mouth and giggled. Gu Ying quickly glared at her.
Gu Ning’s lips tightened. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I'm not lying to you. Be good and take your medicine, listen to the doctor, and when your legs can touch the ground, elder sister will find you a martial arts master to teach you martial arts, to make you as heroic and handsome as our father."
Gu Ning's expression was still indifferent. Having gone through all this, he had long lost a child’s innocence. Now he only had two wishes—first was for his legs to heal soon, and second was for him to protect his elder sister well, to let elder sister be happy.
While Gu Ying was still imagining what Gu Ning would look like when he grew up, her biggest regret in her previous life was that her brother had died at the age of ten in the year of her grand wedding. And now, as the new year was about to come, he was still alive and sitting in front of her. There was nothing that made her happier than this.
"I’m planning to write Father a letter, do you have anything you want to say to Father?"
Gu Ning spoke in an indifferent tone, "No."
Gu Ying felt a little sour in her heart when she heard this. Over the years, Ning must really hate Father for not taking care of him, but Father was also helpless.
He didn't have it easy in Huang City either. Especially later on, in the battle with the Qiang Tribe, blood flowed like a river, and he didn't manage to come back alive either.
Gu Ning didn't want to mention Gu Boqing anymore, so instead he asked, "What made elder sister unhappy just now?"
Seeing that he kept pestering her about it, Gu Ying was stunned for a moment. "Elder sister is not unhappy."
Despite his young age, the teenager possessed a sensitivity and maturity beyond his years. He stared solemnly into his elder sister's eyes and asked, "Is it because of the Crown Prince?"
Gu Ying gave a little laugh to conceal her momentary panic, “It’s nothing, he treats elder sister extremely well."
Gu Ning saw through his elder sister's sophistry. He slowly lowered his eyes and said no more.
After years of lying in bed ill, it had made him taciturn.
The siblings sat facing each other, listening to the sound of the falling snow outside. After some time, Gu Ning said, "I'm tired."
Gu Ying immediately asked Yin Zhu to send him back to rest.
Wanli Pavilion was very quiet. There was a carved wooden window, a gray curtain, and not too much bright light in the room. Gu Ning said he only wanted Yin Zhu to serve him, no other servants.
In the past at the Gu Residence, as a child he had suffered too much grievance. Gu Ying had failed in her duty as an elder sister, so of course now she spoiled him in every way.
Yet looking at his lonely, bleak yard, she still couldn’t help feeling a nameless distress.
"Yanzhi, have some plum blossom branches cut and put into vases to be sent over."
"Yes."
"And the food that Ning likes, send those too." She carefully instructed, "The books he likes to read, bring those as well."
"Alright, Madam. Don't worry, Madam. What you have instructed, Yin Zhu has been diligently doing every day."
Gu Ying said approvingly, “Yin Zhu is really quite attentive to Ning.”
Yanzhi grinned. “Yin Zhu doesn’t like to talk either, so she’s a perfect match for young master who also doesn't talk. Yin Zhu’s martial arts skills are good too, she can help young master in his recovery, while young master who knows how to read and write can teach the illiterate Yin Zhu. Hehehe. These two are quite harmonious, they’ve never fought or blushed in anger before. After what happened with Cui Ling, young master doesn't have a good impression of maidservants, but I see that young master is very satisfied with Yin Zhu."
The corners of Gu Ying's mouth turned up. "What you just said reminds me, in the next few days I should get a tutor to come in and teach Ning and Yin Zhu how to read and write."
"Very good! Yin Zhu is too embarrassed about not knowing how read and write. Learning to read and write would be great for her!"
Seeing her so pleased, Gu Ying's brow quirked, “You should attend lessons together with them too."
“Ah? Yanzhi feels sleepy just looking at books!”
“No arguments.”
“Mistress, wuwuwu, Yanzhi's eyelids will droop when she sees books!"
"I won't budge on this. You will study together with Yin Zhu."
Yanzhi bounced in lively, then trudged out crestfallen. She was almost in tears. She didn't want to read at all!
Gu Ying paid no attention to whether she was crying or not. Previously in the Gu Estate, she didn't have the time or energy to properly teach Yanzhi. And now she finally had the free time to make sure Yanzhi and Yin Zhu learned to read and write, and gained some literacy.
Reading books won't necessarily change one's fate, but one day the knowledge might become useful. It would also make people understand propriety and become wiser, with firmer resilience inside.
