NABC Page 48
Page 48
What kind of plaything did he treat her like? He would get close to her when he wanted to, and then leave her far away when he didn't, not even saying a word to her.
Gu Yu was pushed by her, and although he did not let go, he was taken aback when he saw that Baochai's usually cold gaze was unusually filled with a hint of shame and anger.
He thought his rudeness had angered Baochai, but now that they were about to confront each other, Gu Yu simply stopped pretending.
Leaning over to steal a glance at Baochai's profile, Gu Yu stared directly into Baochai's eyes and slowly asked:
"It's just the two of us today, Sister Bao, why can't you tell me what's on your mind? You haven't been visiting my courtyard much these days, do you perhaps dislike me?"
Baochai was stung by his gaze and finally could not suppress the turmoil in her heart. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she looked away, not daring to look at him.
"Brother Yu has important matters to attend to, and I also need to practice needlework in my spare time, so... *sobs*"
Before Baochai could finish speaking, Gu Yu silenced her with a kiss. The brief touch of their lips caused Baochai's face to flush red. However, with the corner of the wall behind her, she had nowhere to retreat and could only gasp for breath before Gu Yu finally let her go.
I want to hear the truth!
Baochai took a few deep breaths, her nose sweating, but she didn't pay attention to the fact that Gu Yu had just kissed her. She tried her best to maintain her usual composure and forced a smile, but her voice trembled uncontrollably.
"I naturally have my own things to do, anyway, the sisters at Brother Yu's place are all... mmm~"
Gu Yu felt even more annoyed as she listened to Baochai continue spouting nonsense that even she herself couldn't believe. In a fit of rage, she pressed her lips tightly against Baochai's and occasionally bit her in revenge.
Before long, Baochai's lips were as red as if painted with rouge, and coupled with the flush on her face, she was exceptionally beautiful.
The two acted like children playing house, neither willing to give in. Every time Gu Yu couldn't hear Baochai's true words, he would press his lips against hers and kiss her. After countless rounds, Baochai finally couldn't take it anymore.
After once again bottling up her emotions until she felt dizzy and overwhelmed, Baochai's mental defenses were completely broken down. Two lines of tears finally streamed down her face as she buried her face in Gu Yu's arms and sobbed softly.
"What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do... Waaaaah~"
Gu Yu patiently stroked Baochai's temples, waiting for her to continue.
"Since that day, you haven't come to see me anymore. You're always around Lin and her sister. Do you still have me in your eyes and heart?"
Gu Yu fell silent for a moment. Although he had included these sisters in his plan long ago, he seemed to have overlooked the thoughts of some people.
In his view, everyone would be his wife, so there was no need for special treatment; he would treat them all equally. Xiangling and Qingwen had already been taken by him, so there was no need for him to worry about losing them. As for Yingchun and Xichun, Gu Yu had already had intimate contact with them.
Only Baochai, this meticulous and noble mountain hermit, Jingxue, remained in a state of ambiguous attraction. Little did she know that Baochai perceived her as someone who had only flirted with half of the relationship while simultaneously flirting with the other sisters, never giving a clear answer.
Isn't this exactly Lin Daiyu's mindset before she and Baochai opened their hearts to each other in the original novel? Hearing Baochai's excited sobs, Gu Yu felt a pang of guilt. Fortunately, she realized it wasn't too late, and she could still make amends.
As Baochai's movements gradually subsided, Gu Yu could faintly feel the dampness on her chest, showing how hard Baochai had been holding back.
Cupping Baochai's face in his hands, Gu Yu gently took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Baochai, now resigned to her fate, bravely opened her beautiful eyes wide and stared at Gu Yu, awaiting her final judgment.
At this moment, she didn't care about her reputation or honor anymore; all she wanted was a word from Gu Yu. Even if she heard Gu Yu refuse her in the end, it would be better than living in constant fear.
Under her gaze, Gu Yu did not utter a single word, but instead demonstrated her will through her actions.
According to research, men always want to grab something when kissing, and Gu Yu was no exception. When he felt the soft and elastic touch of Baochai's plump body, Gu Yu became even more excited.
As their lips intertwined, a silver thread would occasionally be drawn out and then swallowed up again. Gu Yu, like a wild beast unaware of hunger, greedily took everything from this virgin territory until Baochai felt that her tongue had lost all feeling, and the movement between their lips gradually subsided.
Since Gu Yu had taken her first kiss, Baochai completely gave up on her feelings. It wasn't very warm in the first month of the lunar year, and Gu Yu was afraid that Baochai would catch a cold from the wind, so he could only indulge his desire to touch her outside.
Unable to resist Gu Yu's advances, Baochai could only let him be. Leaning against Gu Yu's chest, feeling the strength in his hands, Baochai let out a soft moan and began to think about the future.
"Since we are like this, what about Lin Daiyu and the others?"
"What do you mean by 'how'? You can all marry into the family together when the time comes. Anyway, Baochai should be able to understand what Old Madam Jia means. It's almost certain that Second Sister and the others will marry into the family."
Baochai, seeing that he was avoiding the main point, couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder.
"You know what I mean... Actually, my mother has always hoped that I... hoped that I would marry into the Jia family..."
"..."
Baochai softly recounted her mother's various plans and her own considerations, revealing her heart completely, which moved Gu Yu deeply.
"Isn't she just trying to use the Jia family's power to protect the Xue family's assets? Forgive my bluntness, but even if Baochai marries into the Jia family, and the Xue family is no longer coveted by outsiders, can they really be saved?"
“My family also owns several shops, so naturally we know some things. Since Uncle Xue passed away, the annual bonuses of the Xue family's shopkeepers have been decreasing. In just a few years, it has dropped from more than 400,000 taels to more than 100,000 taels, and their influence is not as great as before.”
"Knowing that his subordinates are playing tricks, Brother Xue doesn't have a good solution, does he? Even with the Jia family's protection, what's the use if the money can't be collected? If we use the Jia family's people to investigate the shops below, wouldn't that just be handing over the family business to the Jia family again?"
Baochai frowned slightly. In fact, she had thought about this problem in private, but she really had no solution. With such a big piece of meat like the Xue family in front of them, who could guarantee that the Jia family would not be tempted?
"As for relying on Lady Wang, once she really marries into the family, will Sister Bao be able to defy her mother-in-law, or will she be able to control the Jia family and work hard for the Xue family? Sister Bao should have seen this in recent days. Even someone as strong as Sister Feng can only be subservient in the Jia family. Who knows when she will be able to take power?"
Now that the matter was out in the open, Baochai spoke frankly:
"How could I not know this principle? But my mother only has this one sister to rely on now, and she doesn't even dare to go back to her own family. Isn't it all to preserve this family business and to be worthy of the ancestors of the Xue family?"
As she spoke, Baochai gazed at Gu Yu with a look of adoration in her eyes. Everyone said that she was born with a warm exterior but a cold interior, but in fact, it was the opposite. She was just being polite to outsiders and appeared proper and dignified, but in reality, she was cold and aloof.
But once someone truly enters her heart, that burning passion can melt everything. Now that she has made up her mind, she naturally holds nothing back, exposing all her vulnerability to Gu Yu, hoping he can redeem her.
Gu Yu smiled easily and briefly introduced her background to Baochai. In short, she said: "Your family is too poor for me to even consider. After you marry me, any worries about seizing the family property are just unfounded."
Chapter Twenty-Five: Thrilling Outdoor Social Death...
Baochai's eyes sparkled as she looked at Gu Yu with surprise. Although she had long anticipated that Gu Yu's family was wealthy, she had not expected that their status would be so high.
Although Gu Yu didn't elaborate, Gu Yu, having read extensively since childhood, already knew which Gu family it was. She had previously fantasized that if Gu Yu happened to be the young master of that Gu family, her mother probably wouldn't be so eager for her to marry into the Jia family anymore.
But she quickly laughed at herself and dismissed the ridiculous idea. How could someone as pampered as Gu Yu be living in another mansion and studying hard outside?
Now that her dream has come true, half the weight has been lifted from Baochai's heart, but—
Baochai hesitated for a moment, but for the sake of her life's most important matter, she still asked:
"Although I know you are deeply in love with Xiangling and the others, and I would be willing to marry you as a concubine, my mother would definitely object if she knew. My sister Lin and I..."
Although the Xue family is showing signs of decline, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. As the descendant of Ziwei Sheren, if she were to go back and tell Aunt Xue that she wanted to become a concubine, she would probably be beaten to death.
But even she herself wouldn't believe that she should be his principal wife. Daiyu's father was the Salt Commissioner, a trusted confidant of the Emperor. Considering the close relationship between Lin Daiyu and him, even if Lin Daiyu were to become his concubine, Lin Ruhai could still come back and beat Gu Yu to death.
Gu Yu chuckled and said that he already had an idea, but he didn't tell Baochai the specific details, since his revised plan still involved the current emperor.
Looking at Baochai's face so close to his, still flushed, Gu Yu couldn't help but lean in for a kiss. Baochai's almond-shaped eyes were full of shyness, but she couldn't resist his advances.
Just as the two were about to start arguing again, the sound of maids laughing and talking suddenly came from the corridor behind them, and they gradually walked towards them.
Baochai was startled and quickly opened her eyes, trying to escape. In her panic, she didn't realize that there was only one straight path after leaving the corner of the wall, and she couldn't escape the maids' gazes at all.
Seeing that this corner was almost a blind spot if it were pushed a little further in, Gu Yu pulled Baochai closer and squeezed her in, signaling her to be quiet.
Baochai heard the laughter getting closer and closer, so she could only close her eyes and bury her head in Gu Yu's arms, her heart pounding, praying that no one would find out.
If these maids saw her and Gu Yu embracing in the corner, even if it was just the first time, tomorrow it would be rumored that she and Gu Yu had been having an affair for a long time, and she would be too ashamed to live.
As the group of maids nearly brushed past her, Baochai's heart leaped into her throat, and she held her breath, waiting for their next reaction.
Fortunately, the maids were just chatting and laughing on the way, and they had things to do, so they didn't pay attention to their surroundings and walked past without looking back.
Seeing that the group had gone far away, Baochai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her body suddenly felt hot and she broke out in a layer of fragrant sweat, which made Gu Yu unable to help but take a few deep breaths close to her collar.
"Sister Bao smells wonderful; I must smell her fragrance to my heart's content tomorrow."
What he said was absolutely true. In fact, the sisters all used the same prescription, but each of them had a slightly different fragrance. Not only did Baochai and Daiyu take their own medicine, but even Yingchun and Xichun had distinct differences, which really piqued Gu Yu's curiosity.
Seeing his listless appearance, as if he hadn't taken the recent close call to heart at all, Baochai couldn't help but give him a light slap. Distracted by this, the ambiguous atmosphere between the two vanished, and they quickly tidied themselves up and headed towards Baochai's courtyard.
Before even entering the courtyard, Gu Yu could hear Jia Huan, Ying'er, and Caixia's voices inside. As soon as Gu Yu entered, before she could even greet them, she heard Ying'er say, somewhat disapprovingly:
"It's clearly a 'one,' why are you saying it's a 'six'?"
"It's a six! It's a six! Do you think I wouldn't know it when I rolled it? Don't try to get away with the money I owe you!"
"you!"
Seeing that Jia Huan was anxious, Baochai, although knowing that Ying'er would never lie, still said to Ying'er:
"The older they get, the less disciplined they become. Do you think Brother Huan, a grown man, would cheat you? Put the money down now."
Ying'er gave the money to Jia Huan with a wronged expression, and wanted to mutter a few words, but she saw Gu Yu smiling at her from the side, and then she saw Baochai's expression. She couldn't help but be happy and stopped worrying about Jia Huan's shamelessness.
"Young Master Yu is here! It's been so long since you've come to play. My little Pan has been talking about you several times and wants to invite you out to play."
As she spoke, she hurriedly went to serve tea again with a smile. Baochai heard that she almost let something slip, but she glanced at Jia Huan and Caixia beside her, afraid that they had overheard. Seeing that the two of them did not react, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As for her own shyness, Baochai, who had just witnessed many grand occasions, said it was nothing to worry about.
Jia Huan took the money with great pride. When he saw Gu Yu arrive, he quickly greeted him. After all, Gu Yu had taught him for a period of time and could be considered half a teacher.
Gu Yu returned a smile, unable to form a clear opinion of Jia Huan. Although he had become more proper with her during that period, he couldn't withstand Aunt Zhao's daily teachings, and looking at him today, it was clear that his inherent nature was hard to change.
However, he was no saint and did not need to enlighten all people. He had helped Jia Huan before, explaining some proper principles of being a person when teaching him to read. Seeing that Jia Huan had relapsed into his old ways, Gu Yu was too lazy to teach him anymore.
Jia Huan had renege on his promise, and no one dared to continue the conversation. After a short while, Aunt Xue returned from Lady Wang's place. Seeing that she couldn't say much more to Baochai, Gu Yu took the opportunity to say goodbye, and she and Jia Huan went their separate ways.
Having received guidance from Gu Yu, Jia Lian was feeling troubled and lost in thought, worried that he might have fallen for her trick before. Just then, Feng Jie, who had finished her work a short while earlier, came to discuss the matter with him:
"The 21st is Sister Xue's birthday, how are you doing?"
Jia Lian, already annoyed, rolled his eyes and said, "I know what to do! You've handled so many big birthdays, and now you're at a loss?"
Sister Feng said, "There are certain rules for preparing a grand birthday feast. But this birthday isn't quite a big one, nor is it a small one, so I'm discussing it with you."
Upon hearing this, Jia Lian lowered his head and thought for a while before saying, "You're confused today. There's a set ratio, and Lin Daiyu is an example. Just treat Lin Daiyu the same way you treated her in previous years, and treat Xue Daiyu the same way now."
Upon hearing this, Sister Feng sneered, "Do you think I don't even know this? I had already decided to do so as well. But yesterday I heard the old lady say that she asked about everyone's age and birthday. She heard that Sister Xue is fifteen years old this year. Although it's not her exact birthday, it's still her coming-of-age ceremony. The old lady said she would celebrate her birthday. I suppose if she really does, it will be different from previous years when she celebrated with Sister Lin."
Jia Lian said, "In that case, give her more than Lin Daiyu."
Sister Feng said, "That's what I was thinking too, which is why I'm trying to appease you. If I added anything without permission, you'll blame me for not telling you clearly."
Seeing her feigned grievance, Jia Lian was greatly satisfied with his chauvinistic tendencies. Remembering the goodness of his wife, he laughed and said, "Fine, fine, I won't accept this empty gesture. It's enough that you don't interrogate me; I'd rather not blame you!"
The young couple bickered for half a day. Fengjie secretly observed the layout of the outer study and, not seeing anything she shouldn't have, nodded to herself. She rarely comforted Jia Lian and told him to be more tolerant these next few days.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Shocking! A girl was actually coerced into doing this.
Because she admired Baochai's poise and elegance, Grandmother Jia specially gave twenty taels of silver to Fengjie to prepare the banquet.
Twenty taels of silver is hardly enough for a family like theirs to host a celebration. However, the presence of Grandmother Jia's name already demonstrates the importance attached to Baochai's coming-of-age birthday.
In front of everyone, Sister Feng cried out that she had been wronged, and with a heartbroken expression, she joked:
"When an old ancestor celebrates his children's birthday, no matter what, who would dare to object? And what kind of banquet or play is this? If you're happy and want it to be lively, you can't help but spend a few taels of silver yourself. You painstakingly find this moldy twenty taels of silver to host the event, and you expect me to pay for it too."
"So what if you really can't produce anything? Gold, silver, round, flat—the bottom of the box is overflowing. You're just extorting us. Look around, aren't we all your children? Do you think only Brother Bao will be there to take you to Mount Wutai in the future? Keep all that for yourself. We may not be worthy to use it now, but don't make us suffer. Is this enough for wine? Enough for a show?"
Seeing that her words were so exaggerated, the sisters in the room all laughed, and even Grandmother Jia couldn't stop laughing.
The group chatted and laughed for a while longer. When it was time for the evening, Baochai, Daiyu, and the others to gather together. Grandmother Jia took the opportunity to ask Baochai what she liked to eat and what kind of opera she liked to listen to.
Baochai had half her attention on Grandmother Jia and the other half on Gu Yu, who had come along with her. When Grandmother Jia asked about it, she simply went along with her thoughts and made Grandmother Jia happy again.
Gu Yu had just confessed his feelings to Baochai yesterday, and it felt like three autumns had passed since they last met. He noticed that Baochai was dressed much more beautifully than before. Her brocade long gown, with its cinnamon pink and light silver accents, made her skin appear even fairer and more beautiful, which made Gu Yu unable to resist taking a few more glances.
When Baochai turned to talk to Grandmother Jia, Gu Yu occasionally caught a glimpse of Baochai's exposed neck from his angle, and it was as if he could smell the fragrance in his nose. For a moment, he forgot to check on Lin Daiyu's condition.
Daiyu wrinkled her nose and saw that Gu Yu was staring at Baochai in a daze again. A hint of jealousy rose in her heart. Putting aside the fact that his gaze towards her was even more excessive on ordinary days, shouldn't she be angry if he looked at other girls like that in front of her?
Everyone agreed that on that day, they would set up a few tables of food and drink in Grandmother Jia's main room, and build a small stage so that the young actors from Pear Fragrance Courtyard could put on a few good plays.
After everyone had left, Gu Yu invited the sisters to play in his courtyard the next day, but his eyes kept glancing at Baochai. Fortunately, it was dark, and the slight blush on Baochai's face was concealed.
Xi Chun looked up at Gu Yu and smiled:
"We're used to eating at Brother Yu's place tomorrow, but what about Sister Bao's banquet in a few days?"
The sisters all felt the same way. The food at Gu Yu's place was too delicious. If they didn't try their best to restrain themselves and didn't eat it every day, they probably wouldn't be able to eat their usual meals.
"It's alright, it's just a few tables of food and drink. I can have Sister Feng handle it. But Sister Bao's birthday is not to be taken lightly, so we should naturally do our part."
Daiyu pouted and couldn't help but sneer:
"I've never seen my cousin Yu be so polite on the birthdays of my other sisters."
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow, noticing the sarcasm in her words, and said:
"When have I ever forgotten you? Not to mention Lin Daiyu's birthday, I even remember Zijuan and Xueyan who are by her side."
Upon hearing this, Daiyu gasped softly, her face turning bright red. Seeing the expressions on her sisters' faces, she felt even more ashamed. She glared at Gu Yu in embarrassment and anger before covering her face and fleeing.
The sisters couldn't stand such explicit words and took their leave one after another. Although Baochai envied Daiyu for being almost publicly sworn to by Gu Yu, she didn't feel too anxious about it because of Gu Yu's guarantee yesterday.
Seeing that the party had ended, Gu Yu wanted to go back and punish Daiyu for leaving without saying goodbye. But before he had gone a few steps, Xichun ran back to Gu Yu with a red face.
It has been more than half a year since Zhi Neng'er ran away. Since Xi Chun and she have been friends for many years, Gu Yu did not hide it from Xi Chun and told her where Zhi Neng'er had gone.