Chapter 10

Gu Xiaodeng hadn’t expected to stay at Gu Jinyu’s place. It was awkward, but rather than return alone to East Forest Garden and be forgotten amid the lively bustle of his own family, he’d rather shamelessly impose on Gu Jinyu’s courtyard, just to be a bit closer to their lives.

The courtyard Gu Jinyu lived in was three times the size of his own, with three gates leading to two layered courtyards. Apart from the bedroom and servants’ quarters, all the other rooms were either studies or training chambers. Everything was arranged in a simple and understated manner. The plants and flowers in the courtyard were a conventional mix of red and green. Blue sky above, green earth below, brown tiles and grey-blue buildings—so simple it was almost monotonous.

“Today, there are honored guests. I have to go out and attend to them during the day, but I should be back by evening. Xiaodeng, just amuse yourself here,” Gu Jinyu said, leading Gu Xiaodeng into the spacious courtyard. “Feel free to explore anywhere you like. Zhu Mi knows this place inside and out. If you need anything, just ask him. If anyone is disrespectful to you, just have Zhu Mi punish them, or wait until I return tonight to stand up for you.”

“Fourth…”

“Just call me by my name,” Gu Jinyu said, turning his head to look at him. The silk ribbon under his hair bun fluttered lightly in the breeze. “Have you forgotten? On the seventh day of the seventh month, you told me we were born on the same day of the same month of the same year. In front of others, it’s all empty etiquette. Now it’s just you and me. Every part of this place is your home. No need to be overly formal or shy.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s heart softened, and he said his name. Involuntarily, he leaned closer, pulled on his sleeve, and whispered, “Why are you helping me?”

“Silly talk.” Gu Jinyu turned his hand over and gently patted the back of his hand with his own knuckles. “If nothing unexpected happens tonight, I’ll come get you for the family reunion dinner.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving Gu Xiaodeng rooted to the spot, bubbling with emotion. He couldn’t stop thinking what a thoughtful and understanding good brother he was.

Zhang Dengqing, following not far behind, took it all in. First, he gnashed his teeth, thinking Gu Jinyu was a damn hypocrite. Then, helplessly, he thought his little brother was such a good-natured, easily coaxed little fool.

Gu Xiaodeng’s morning gloom was swept away entirely. Plus, without the Restraint Pendant on him, he happily bounced around and wandered through the spacious courtyard. Most people would have taken Gu Jinyu’s “feel free to explore” as a polite figure of speech, but he naively took it to heart.

He was filled with an enthusiastic urge to explore the rooms behind every door. Each room was a small snapshot of the wider mortal world. He wanted to walk into every one of them, to look and touch, to personally feel and then imagine the past twelve years of Gu Jinyu’s life.

Raring to go, he first entered Gu Jinyu’s most frequently used and largest training chamber. Inside, naturally, there were all sorts of weapons, but the most eye-catching thing was right upon entering: in the main hall, on a vast open space, lay a sharp, pitch-black longbow.

Gu Xiaodeng looked around. There were plenty of even more eye-catching weapons and training equipment, so he asked Zhu Mi, “What’s the story behind that longbow? The other weapons are all crammed together miserably, but it occupies a huge space all by itself. Its presence is so domineering, like a landlord.”

Zhu Mi thought, what kind of comparison is that? “When Fourth Young Master participated in Changluo’s Winter Hunt last year for the first time, he brought this very bow. That’s why it holds extraordinary significance.”

Gu Xiaodeng asked what kind of event the Winter Hunt was as he walked toward the longbow, wanting to see its design up close to imagine what Gu Jinyu looked like drawing it. When he was two steps away from the longbow, his gaze froze on its lower limb. There was a reddish-brown stain the length of a middle finger, very much like a dried bloodstain.

He exclaimed in surprise, “There seems to be blood on this bow!”

Zhu Mi advised him to remain calm, “Yes, it’s from the first prey Fourth Young Master hunted.”

The heroic, dashing image in Gu Xiaodeng’s mind instantly turned into something gory and terrifying. He childishly covered his eyes and turned his back, but his curiosity was piqued. “What did he hunt?”

Zhu Mi wasn’t sure.

Gu Jinyu might have hunted a fierce beast, or perhaps even a person.

He answered honestly, “I’m not clear on that. But after the Winter Hunt, the Prince’s attention on Fourth Young Master subtly matched that of the Heir. I imagine the Prince was satisfied with his performance at the Winter Hunt. Fourth Young Master likely also considers it highly significant, which is why he placed this bow in the primary position.”

Gu Xiaodeng was a bit envious. “Just what does one have to do to earn the Prince’s approval…”

Zhu Mi remained silent for a moment before advising, “Cousin Young Master, don’t overthink it. Just do what you can within your limits.”

Gu Xiaodeng made some noncommittal noises as he retreated out. He looked at a few more similar rooms, then immediately went to explore Gu Jinyu’s largest study. Upon entering, he was astonished by the tightly packed layout of the bookshelves. He looked around, gesturing at the height of the shelves. “These shelves are way too high and dense! They’re like rows of windmills. Windmills move living water, but bookshelves hold dead books.”

He touched a bookshelf. It was heavy and icy cold. Imagining Gu Jinyu buried in his books, he couldn’t help but shiver. “Brother Zhu, will I eventually need to read a whole room full of books too?”

“No need.”

Gu Xiaodeng smiled at that, but as he walked through the cramped bookshelves, he sighed a little dejectedly. “It’s not that there’s no need, it’s that they think I won’t have any use for it, right? Jinyu studies and practices martial arts, I learn to sing and dance. Sigh.”

Zhu Mi comforted him with a blank expression, “You are also a promising seed for learning. No need to sell yourself short.”

“I thank you for that.”

Gu Xiaodeng swung his arms cheerfully as he passed through several rows of bookshelves. He reached a desk so wide you could do somersaults on it and looked around curiously. Then, on a wall in a visual blind spot, he saw two paintings.

He walked up to the two paintings and looked up at them for a long time, mesmerized.

One painting depicted distant mountains; the other, a verdant forest. In the paintings, the mountain and sky were clear and spacious, and in the verdant forest, a myriad of birds flew low. The painting skill was of a middling grade, but the artistic conception was top-notch.

Seeing him in a daze for quite a while, Zhu Mi took the initiative to explain. “These paintings were done by Fourth Young Master himself. But his talent in this skill was mediocre, so he later distanced himself from pigments and scrolls.”

Gu Xiaodeng found this hard to believe. He pointed at the forest painting, shocked. “He’s never seen a great forest, but he could paint this well! And you call this mediocre talent?”

Zhu Mi asked in return, “You’ve seen a great forest?”

“Yep! There are many great rivers in the Eastern Border. When you take a boat through the gorges, both shores are green mountains. As far as the mountains stretch, the forests are just as vast.” Gu Xiaodeng animatedly recounted his past experiences traveling as a merchant. He tilted his head to look at Zhang Dengqing not far away, his eyes curved into smiling crescents. “I’d cling to the bow and watch both shores. Great white gulls and little sparrows would fly over the water in a line. The green mountains seemed to reach the edge of the sky, and the river water seemed like it would flow to the ends of the sea.”

Zhu Mi fell silent. Zhang Dengqing was even more silent.

After exploring the large study, Gu Xiaodeng returned to his resting room to stay. The courtyard was deep and secluded, so he couldn’t hear the lively celebrations for his eldest sister and brother’s birthdays outside. But that didn’t stop him from being happy. Today was a day without body training or the Restraint Pendant. That alone was enough for him.

Even better was that Gu Jinyu said he’d take him to the family reunion dinner tonight. He was so excited, he felt like he was walking on clouds. His mind conjured up several possibilities for their first reunion. He waited with anticipation until dusk, when Gu Jinyu returned.

Gu Xiaodeng looked at him with sparkling eyes. Gu Jinyu carried a three-tiered food box. He placed it in front of him with an air of openness and ease. His expression was both apologetic and helpless. “Xiaodeng, I’m sorry. It looks like the family reunion dinner will have to wait for another time.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s eyes dimmed slightly. He poked his fingers together and muttered, “Why is that?”

“Well, about that…”

Gu Jinyu didn’t finish his sentence. He waved a hand, dismissing all the servants and maids. Then, he personally opened the food box. Gu Xiaodeng assumed he was going to take out something delicious to comfort him. Instead, he saw him take out a bowl full of meat from the first tier, stand up, and place it on the windowsill.

After just a moment, with a gust of wind, the enormous Blossom Ashes, the Gyrfalcon, flew onto the windowsill and pecked at the meat with great relish.

Gu Jinyu raised a hand to stroke the back of Blossom Ashes’s neck. In the rustling autumn wind, the man and his falcon looked like a living painting.

Gu Xiaodeng felt he seemed a bit tired, like he was petting the small animal to perk himself up. So he obediently waited for him to rest.

Gu Jinyu stroked the falcon for a while, then turned back. He saw the last rays of the setting sun melting into Gu Xiaodeng’s vibrant eyes. He had spent the whole day handling matters outside, smiling so much his face was tired, yet he still subconsciously gave him a soft smile.

“Xiaodeng, I’ll only tell you. Don’t spread it around.” He sat down across from Gu Xiaodeng, smiling lightly as he lowered his voice. “Today, the mansion received royal guests traveling incognito. The Crown Princess and the Second Prince both came. Royal Father and the others are busy tending to the esteemed guests, so there was no way they could have a meal with us younger ones.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s mouth rounded in surprise. “The Crown Princess and the Prince are both here? Right here in West Prosperity Garden? Then doesn’t that mean I’m really close to them? This feeling is so surreal…”

Gu Jinyu nodded, thinking to himself that there would be closer times, but that was still too early.

He opened the second tier of the food box. “So tonight, for this family reunion dinner, you’ll just have to make do with me.”

“It’s not a hardship, nor making do. I’m especially happy to be eating with you. I actually have so many things I want to talk to you about.”

“What sort of things?”

“Jinyu, this morning I saw your paintings. You paint so well!”

Gu Jinyu’s hand paused.