Chapter 34

Gu Xiaodeng’s eyes widened a little. He grabbed Gu Jinyu’s hand and pulled it down, raising his own to smack the back of his hand in a disciplinary manner. A crisp series of slaps rang out. He’d been playing with Xiao Pei too much lately and was now using the same force he used to scold a puppy on a big dog.

“Gu Senqing, you’re about to go out on a mission. How can you still say such muddled things?” Gu Xiaodeng smacked him with a frown. “Times have changed. What’s this about following or not? No one can decide that. The Winter Hunt is still so far off. Take care of yourself first before you say anything.”

The gloom that had clung to Gu Jinyu was smacked away once more. All he could feel was that Gu Xiaodeng hadn’t immediately mentioned Su Mingya—that meant he’d won.

He wanted to hug him, but felt too dirty, so he just cupped his hands and warmed them. “When I return, I will have taken care of myself. If I haven’t come back before winter sets in, I’ll send Blossom Ashes. Try not to leave the Gu family’s grounds, best not to leave this place at all. Stay in the academy, and even visit West Prosperity Garden less.”

Gu Xiaodeng, thinking only of comforting him, agreed readily. He clenched his small fist and bumped it against Gu Jinyu’s large one.

Xiao Pei dug its way out of its little dog bed, whining and snuffling as it went to rub against them.

Gu Xiaodeng scooped it up, pinched its paw, and waved it at him. “Say goodbye to your daddy. Wish him victory from the very first flag, may he always be in high spirits, surrounded by a profusion of flowers.”

Gu Jinyu had come silently, and he left just as silently. The people within Vast Marsh Academy would occasionally gossip about him, and Gu Xiaodeng would prick up his ears to listen in secret. He heard he had gone to the southwest to manage the chaotic state of the martial world there. He heard nothing at all about factional strife.

Gu Xiaodeng scratched his head. Naturally, he wouldn’t join in others’ idle chatter. At most, he had the simple Su Xiaoyuan sticking to his side, incessantly asking him about the three meals, the Four Books, the Five Virtues, and the Six Arts.

What truly made him uncomfortable was Yue Xunzhi, who had returned right after finishing the Spring Examination. The man drifted before his eyes and, as if teasing a pet, pulled Gu Xiaodeng’s hair bun askew. Smiling cheerfully, he asked, “The senior chamber maid and the little servant concubine have such a good relationship, don’t they?”

Su Xiaoyuan was so angry his cheeks flushed red. The more they reasoned with him, the more enthusiastic he became—utterly revolting. Fortunately, he was only verbally foul now, at least not directly laying hands on them like before.

There was also Guan Yunji’s half-brother, Guan Yunxiang, who would often run over to cozy up to Su Xiaoyuan and, by extension, sneak peeks at Gu Xiaodeng. Almost every time, Guan Yunji would come over with a dark face and haul him away. Watching the two brothers—one imposing and authoritative, the other with his tail between his legs—Gu Xiaodeng actually found it amusing.

Although Guan Yunji’s face was full of disdain, Gu Xiaodeng could still sense the occasional thrill of being the elder brother that flickered across his features. He turned his head to look at Ge Dongchen, whose face was always covered by a beaming smile, and asked him: “Brother Dongchen, don’t you have a younger sister? She should be around ten by now, right? Has she come to the academy? Many girls came to the North Hall this year.”

By the time he asked this, it was already April. The three of them were gathered together. Ge Dongchen had dragged the two of them to his own room to drink and relieve their boredom—specifically, the boredom of his “failure” in the Spring Examination.

Gu Xiaodeng liked a little drink, so he came as usual.

Over the past few years, he had gradually become less willing to get drunk one-sidedly at Su Mingya’s place. But with Ge Dongchen and Guan Yunji, he could let his guard down. They would carry him back to his dwelling on their backs. Su Mingya never would; Su Mingya would only let him stay overnight in Bamboo Courtyard.

When he asked about Ge Dongchen’s sister, Guan Yunji had a subtle expression that read, “You really know how to ask.” The smile on Ge Dongchen’s face even faltered for a moment. “My Donglang… my mother dotes on her beyond measure. She can’t bear to be away from her and is rather reluctant to let her out the door.”

Gu Xiaodeng made a few noises of understanding and hurriedly roasted a slice of meat for him. “Eat, eat, eat!”

Ge Dongchen posed theatrically, hand over his heart like a beauty clasping her heart. “It’s still our little brother Shanqing who cares for me.”

Guan Yunji: “Ugh!”

Gu Xiaodeng laughed. He always felt that when Ge and Guan were together in private, there was a lot of comedy. They seemed more like two ordinary friends who knew each other inside and out. He then roasted a slice for him as well. “Little Brother Guan, you eat too.”

Guan Yunji: “Hmph.”

Ge Dongchen clicked his tongue.

After three rounds of wine, Gu Xiaodeng’s tolerance was no match for theirs. Slightly tipsy and swaying, he sprawled over the table and looked at them blearily. “Brother Dongchen, you’re so capable—no need to be anxious. As long as the green hills remain, there’ll be no lack of firewood. You didn’t perform well this Spring Exam, but there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. And you, Brother Yunji, a proud child of heaven, your face looks more and more like the King of Hell. With such a huge temper, be careful it becomes a habit. Your brows will knot up, and you’ll turn into a little old man…”

Guan Yunji waved his hand in feigned disgust. “Get away, get away. No good words ever come out of your mouth.”

“Should I hold back a few ivory tusks then?” Gu Xiaodeng’s laugh was crooked. “Wish you cultivate yourself soon, regulate your family, get a noble title for your wife and children, enjoy superior honor, and never suffer anything beneath you. Alright? Did that strike a chord in your heart?”

Guan Yunji’s face darkened again. “Shut your dog mouth. Drink your wine and talk less.”

Ge Dongchen fed Gu Xiaodeng two more cups. He drained them in one go, his eyes growing hazier. With flowing, limpid eyes, he complained to him: “Sir Black, you still despise me this much. You’ve despised me since I was twelve. Hmph hmph.”

“What’s this ‘Sir Black’ supposed to be?”

“‘Top-Shelf Guan,’ ‘Guan Shut-Off-the-Lights’—a swarthy, black-faced, foul-looking eldest young master. Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Guan Yunji was so incensed by that laugh that smoke practically poured from his seven orifices. Ge Dongchen leaned in front of him and asked, “What about me? Do I have a nickname?”

“You are…” Gu Xiaodeng drank another cup, rubbed his nose looking at him. With his reddened nose tip, he was utterly adorable. “Sticky Candy. Can’t be shaken off. Loves to laugh. Clingy. Sweet. A sugar figure this big.”

Ge Dongchen beamed with pride. “Good nickname. I like it.”

Guan Yunji, however, was indignant. “Mine won’t do! Gu Xiaodeng, I’m warning you, change it right now!”

“What a temper.” Gu Xiaodeng pursed his lips, stood up shakily, and swayed. “Not playing with you. I’m going to find Young Master Su and play.”

Ge Dongchen snorted. “Your Young Master Su has a little servant concubine now. He doesn’t want a senior chamber maid like you anymore.”

Gu Xiaodeng was so drunk he was reeling, but he still twitched a couple of times at these words. Shaking, he pointed a finger at him.

“I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? Don’t believe me? Think about it yourself. How long has it been since he last came to see you?” Ge Dongchen pulled him back to sit at the wine table. “We don’t want him. Come on, Brother will drink a couple more cups with you. You’ll sleep soundly tonight.”

Gu Xiaodeng sniffled, his eyes reddening around the rims. He sullenly downed two cups. “I’m going to go play with Xiao Pei.”

Ge Dongchen cleared his throat and let out a couple of woofs by his ear.

Guan Yunji watched, speechless, the wine cup in his hand clutched and squeezed repeatedly. Before long, he saw Gu Xiaodeng get drunk into oblivion by that wicked dog. His eyes closed, and he went limp, collapsing softly. Ge Dongchen held him, turning into a cradle and rocking him for a while. Soon, Gu Xiaodeng was both drunk and deep in slumber, unawakened no matter how he was handled.

Only then did Ge Dongchen hold him and give him light pecks.

Guan Yunji watched as Gu Xiaodeng, this piece of clear, bright white jade, was rubbed until he flushed. He watched as Ge Dongchen undid this white jade’s outer garment, layer by layer, gathering him into his arms and licking and playing without leaving a trace. After playing for a short while, he pulled out some light gauze bandages he’d prepared earlier from his robes. Layer after layer, he wrapped them around Gu Xiaodeng’s waist and calves, as if dressing him in some improper garment. The sight made one want to drink water.

Guan Yunji drank another half-pot of wine. Once Ge Dongchen gradually crossed the line, his face darkened, and he threw a punch at him, his voice full of hate and anger. “Have you had enough playing?!”

Ge Dongchen, satisfied, pursed his lips and let go. Gu Xiaodeng was then scooped into Guan Yunji’s arms. He clutched Gu Xiaodeng tightly for a long time, not daring to kiss him, nor wanting to bite him anymore, simply holding him in this angry state.

“Speaking of this, the more you play, the less it’s enough. Sooner or later, I’ll play him to death.” Ge Dongchen straightened his clothes and laughed. “Kneading him is like kneading dough. Oh, I forgot—Sir Black never touches spring water, never handled raw rice or flour.”

“You only dare to spout wild nonsense when he’s unconscious.” Guan Yunji covered the back of Gu Xiaodeng’s head and sneered. “If you’ve got the guts, openly compete with Su Mingya for him. Have you seen the way Su Mingya kisses him? He isn’t like a dead pig the way he is now. Back then, he’d eagerly offer his mouth up himself, opening wide. And you?”

Ge Dongchen, unmoved, smilingly reached out and grasped Gu Xiaodeng’s calf. Wheat color met white in sharp contrast. His thumb stroked it lovingly. “What’s that Su guy worth? Have you seen how your cousin plays? Plays really rough. If Second Sister Gu were the Second Princess Consort now, she might still be able to suppress him. But the way he is—even I would retreat three paces. Our Shanqing is so innocent and pure. How many rounds can he endure?”

Guan Yunji stiffened, staring vacantly at the spot where Gu Xiaodeng was being stroked. Like white jade, he was deathly afraid it would be squeezed and shattered. Ge Dongchen’s hand reached up to Gu Xiaodeng’s knee. Only then did Guan Yunji come back to his senses. Frowning, he freed his right hand. The Butterfly Wing Blade hidden in his sleeve slipped out like a feather, sharp and swift. Ge Dongchen dodged quickly, but a shallow line was still drawn on his hand.

Pearls of blood dripped onto the texture of Gu Xiaodeng’s skin, winding their way down sentimentally. Both of them watched, holding their breath. Before Ge Dongchen could stir with restless desire, Guan Yunji pulled Gu Xiaodeng into his arms. With a stern face, he used the Butterfly Wing Blade to cut off the chaotic mess of bandages on him.

He was careful, so the process was slow and dawdling.

Ge Dongchen poured a cup of leftover wine and sipped it slowly. “Let’s not mock each other. If I hadn’t included you, could you have enjoyed even these dregs of soup?”

Guan Yunji weighed Gu Xiaodeng in his arms. Hearing this, his emotions churned restlessly again. “You fcking dare mouth off one more time?! You wanted to play but were afraid you couldn’t hold back and would go too far, weren’t you?! If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on you the whole time, could you still be strutting around here now?!”

Guan Yunji was utterly sick of him. “Get lost. I’m taking him back. A whole pile of annoying matters are still waiting behind us. Have you no fcking ambition, just fixating on him like this?”

“It’s precisely because I’m annoyed that I think of him.” Ge Dongchen grabbed hold of Gu Xiaodeng’s warm little hand, lowering his head to kiss the back of it. “He really is a fascinating treasure. Just thinking of him makes me feel comfortable, and kissing him is even more delightful. Pity the Imperial Family, the Su, and the Gu are all untouchable. Ah, if only I’d known back then, I would’ve taken him as a servant concubine early on. He’d be thoroughly played with by now.”

“Shameless.”

“With the state of affairs between the An and Guan families, you don’t even have the opportunity to be shameless.”

Guan Yunji: “…”

“So, let’s give him a cup next time.” Ge Dongchen stroked Gu Xiaodeng’s sleeping face. “Before your cousin discovers him, let’s play a few more rounds.”

After a little drinking, Gu Xiaodeng could sleep a long while. When he woke, he felt refreshed and invigorated. While hugging Xiao Pei and madly rubbing the dog’s head, he even thought about when the next drinking party with his friends might be.

Xiao Pei had recently grown rapidly, expanding like a ball of dough puffing into a steamed bun. It was always itching to bite this and chomp on that. Gu Xiaodeng just found it adorable and searched everywhere for good things for Xiao Pei to gnaw on. The joy of playing with the dog grew day by day. Although he occasionally grumbled about the puppy’s bad habits, what wrong could a puppy possibly have? It was consistently simple, loyal without a single stray thought. You could see its nature clearly at a glance, count the time it spent with you on the fingers of one hand.

The more Gu Xiaodeng raised it, the fonder he became. He specially compiled a growth record for Xiao Pei, sketching it out until mid-May, when a servant from Bamboo Courtyard arrived.

“Has Young Master Su returned?” Gu Xiaodeng, in a rare moment of urgency, received the servant’s confirmation. He hurriedly put Xiao Pei down and happily rushed off to Bamboo Courtyard. He hadn’t seen him for so long. In a few more days, it would be the fifteenth of May. He knew Su Mingya had rushed back to celebrate his birthday with him.

When he reached the entrance of Bamboo Courtyard, he happily jogged through the flower vines, shouting twice as he ran. The servants tried to warn him but were too late.

Gu Xiaodeng ran to the bottom of the Jade Steps just as Su Mingya emerged from the inner hall. He leaped up the steps and threw himself into his arms. “Young Master Su! I’ve missed you so much.”

Su Mingya lowered his head and made a sound of acknowledgment. His hand stroked from the back of his neck down to his tailbone, hugging him twice before asking, “Why do you smell of beasts?”

“Oh, oh, I recently adopted a little dog.” Gu Xiaodeng hurriedly pushed him away and hopped a few steps back, happily patting the invisible dog fur on his body. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Young Master Su doesn’t have the Asthma Affliction anymore. Otherwise, a dog owner like me wouldn’t dare come near you…”

“Yo, Shanqing likes raising dogs, does he?”

A voice suddenly came from the inner hall. Gu Xiaodeng froze and looked up to see Yue Xunzhi, the most detestable person in the entire academy, sitting inside. He was speaking with a roguish grin. “Young Master Su also likes raising dogs, right?”

The dimple on Gu Xiaodeng’s cheek vanished. With extreme politeness, he said, “What a coincidence, meeting Young Master Yue here.”

“No coincidence here. I came shamelessly and uninvited. Not like Shanqing, who was ushered in by Young Master Su’s grand sedan chair carried by four.” Yue Xunzhi smiled at Su Mingya. “Young Master Su has such self-restraint, not bothering to quibble with a nobody like me.”

Su Mingya led Gu Xiaodeng into the inner hall. They sat down together, and Su Mingya stated plainly, “Any visitor is a guest. If you have free time in the future, Xunzhi, you might as well come directly to the Su family.”

“Excellent. I’ve always wanted to build a good relationship with Young Master Su. Many thanks for your favor then.” Yue Xunzhi was completely at home, raising the teacup on the table in a toast. After drinking, he directly bypassed the left-side seat and sat down on the right-side seat, not far from Gu Xiaodeng.

“There’s another person surnamed Su in the academy. Why isn’t Su Xiaoyuan here?”

“On the way.”

“Oh~” Yue Xunzhi’s eyes rolled over to Gu Xiaodeng. “Speaking of which, Shanqing, I still owe you an apology. I was reckless in the past and inadvertently offended you, considering you were Young Master Su’s honored guest.”

Gu Xiaodeng straightened his back. With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he leaned closer to Su Mingya. “No need. Better not to bring up the past. Besides, Young Master Yue suffered quite a bit back then too.”

“Indeed, such a huge suffering.” Yue Xunzhi sighed as he rolled up his sleeve, directly showing off a section of his brawny arm. Pointing at a faint, barely visible scar, he cried grievance: “Just think, this arm of mine was broken back then. And Shanqing? I never did find out what your left hand’s injury looked like. I wonder if I could see it today? That way, I could assess the compensation based on the severity of your injury.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s eyelashes fluttered. A silence fell over the room. He was quiet for a few moments, then raised his left hand and, round by round, unwound the sleeve cuff. Under Yue Xunzhi’s half-smiling, half-mocking gaze, he rolled up his left sleeve.

Yue Xunzhi let out a whistle. “Truly delicate skin and tender flesh, so white it glows… Young Master Su, what great fortune.”