Chapter 31 Part 1

Before Gu Xiaodeng could make a sound, Gu Jinyu lowered his head to pet the puppy and changed the subject. “The Gu family won’t have similar arrangements for the time being. As for Second Sister, you know her situation. The Second Prince still hasn’t named a Princess Consort. Third Brother is still with the army in the Outer State. I don’t need any of that at all.”

Gu Xiaodeng gently squeezed Xiao Pei’s paw pad and gave a somewhat helpless smile. “So the Su family started arranging things quite early, huh?”

Gu Jinyu said flatly, “This is only the beginning.”

Gu Jinyu saw it very clearly. The Gu family’s way of raising its children was like forcefully pulling up seedlings to help them grow. The Su family was like boiling a frog in warm water—indulging them at the right times, then gradually applying pressure. The Ge family was a special, one-of-a-kind case, seemingly a form of free-range upbringing fueled by the hatred between two clans. The Guan family was the easiest to understand: a chaotic mixed upbringing, deliberately avoiding factional strife by pretending to be hedonists. But Guan Yunji, surrounded by women as he was, actually kept himself pure.

The past five years had been the time when he was most powerless. Yet they were the most relaxed and carefree years for Su Mingya, a time when whatever he wanted, he got. Before the age of seventeen, he had been able to protect Gu Xiaodeng. From now on, he would be hampered and rendered helpless by the mounting, relentless pressure of family duties.

Gu Jinyu bided his time patiently.

“Was it Dongchen or Yunji who mentioned Su Xiaoyuan to you?” He feigned nonchalance as he squeezed the puppy’s other paw. “They each have their own situations too. Dongchen was favored by a Princess from the imperial clan, but their family refused. Yunji has plenty of his own issues. Though few have proposed formal marriage for him, many have offered concubines.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s eyes widened a little. His fingertip circled around Xiao Pei’s dog nose. “Shocking. Could they, one day, just pop out a kid like you did? I mean a real kid.”

“Yunji won’t. At least not in the next four or five years.” Gu Jinyu had no need to lie to him about this, though he would obscure certain minor details. “Dongchen is another matter. That bastard… just stay away from him. When it comes to marriage among powerful, aristocratic families, regardless of gender, thirteen is not considered too young, and thirty is not considered too old. Entering officialdom is the top priority; procreation is the very last.”

“I see.”

Gu Jinyu pricked up his ears, waiting for Gu Xiaodeng to ask him—about others, or about himself. He could both answer and offer protection. In short, he was the only reliable one. He spared no effort in trying to reinforce this point.

Gu Xiaodeng stroked Xiao Pei’s head, thought for a moment, then simply asked him, “So, Senqing, do you have someone you like? Someone you want to spend your life with, or even just a year with? You used to seem quite concerned about your own marriage.”

Gu Jinyu froze, then became alert. “Did I?”

“Weren’t you afraid I would ruin your prospects for marriage back then?” Gu Xiaodeng spread his hands, miming the pose of falling into the water from five years ago. “Even though you say you don’t need it now, when it’s time to seek a match later, what kind of girl will you ask for?”

Gu Jinyu stared at him without moving. After a long while, he squeezed out a cautious probe with great difficulty. “Perhaps… it might not necessarily be a young lady I speak of…”

“You’re not going to prefer men, are you? Wouldn’t that ruin your reputation? Better not. You really should stick to proper ways in this matter, finish what you started and do it right,” Gu Xiaodeng said with a self-deprecating smile. He lowered his head, a little forlorn. “I’ve been forced into this, but you absolutely must not end up like me.”

Gu Jinyu’s fingertips trembled. He felt a stab of panic, like being pricked by a needle. Then he heard Gu Xiaodeng laugh as he petted the dog. “Forget it, that’s wrong. You wouldn’t do that. You’re the top-tier Fourth Young Master Gu. You built yourself up from nothing, like raising a tall tower on flat ground. You still have Father King and Mother Consort above, helping shape your future, right? You wouldn’t do that.”

Gu Jinyu was speechless. He watched Xiaodeng pick up the whimpering Xiao Pei and wave goodbye to him with both his own hand and the puppy’s paw. “Forget it, let’s not talk about such gloomy things. Let’s set up a little bed for Xiao Pei together. Aren’t you busy again tomorrow? Go bathe and get some early sleep.”

“…Okay.”

So the two busied themselves building the little dog bed. Gu Jinyu claimed it was too late at night and wanted to stay over. Gu Xiaodeng had no objections. After they finished the task, seeing him still lounging around, he had to push him forward.

Gu Xiaodeng shoveled him toward the door like moving a small hill, heard him say “sweet dreams,” and then, cautiously, “Shanqing, you… have no need to be sad over Su Mingya.”

Gu Xiaodeng burst out laughing at that. He nodded in agreement. “Alright, alright. I appreciate the concern from our Xiao Pei’s father. Although he’s a single young dad who’s never liked anyone, he’s penetratingly perceptive and insightful amidst the rough. Thank you so much. Now go rest! Look at how exhausted you seem.”

Gu Xiaodeng saw him into the house. When he came out, he patted his own cheeks and urged himself to get some early sleep for the sake of his health. But that night, his sleep was uneasy. Countless thoughts haunted his consciousness, clinging on like stubborn ghosts. He woke up in the middle of the night, helpless, and rather vexedly smoothed out his long hair.

In the deep silence of the night, thoughts could swing between the extremes of sharpest clarity and utter chaos. Just the act of smoothing his hair, just feeling that sleek, silky softness as the strands slipped through his fingers, sent a shock through him.

His hair wasn’t naturally this soft and smooth. When he was still living among commoners, Zhang Dengqing and he would tie up each other’s hair in a topknot. Back then, their hair was somewhat coarse.

Now, after years of meticulous daily care, his long hair was like silk satin.

It wasn’t just his hair. His whole body had undergone various strict maintenance regimens. In five years, there was a world of difference between him now and the happy yet bewildered version of himself who had first entered the Gu Residence.

What would Zhang Dengqing be like now, in the military camp?

Though every month or two over these years, he would receive his sworn brother’s home letters, delivered by the two large talons of Blossom Ashes, and he would send letters back as well, he still couldn’t see him with his own eyes.

Gu Xiaodeng missed him again.

Late at night, the hour was late and the frost and dew were heavy. Gu Xiaodeng threw on a piece of clothing. He crept along silently, cat-like, careful not to disturb Gu Jinyu staying next door, or Xiao Pei in the puppy bed.

If he could, he didn’t want to wake anyone.

He didn’t even want to wake himself.

He crouched down in front of the newly built little dog bed, watching the black-and-white Xiao Pei snoring deeply. He reached out his hand, making stroking gestures in the empty air. Just doing that made him feel much better.

He watched the puppy for a long time, then looked up outside the window. The moonlight was hazy, the night deep. He saw the gyrfalcon, Blossom Ashes, gripping the eagle’s nest below the eaves with its large talons. He didn’t know if it was awake. It craned its bird neck slightly toward him.

Looking at the one bird and one beast, Gu Xiaodeng smiled. He gradually felt that obtaining happiness from animals was far simpler and longer-lasting than getting it from people.

Having a little puppy to keep him company made the sky seem brighter again.

The next day, before dawn, Gu Jinyu got up. Gu Xiaodeng knew he had to return to West Prosperity Garden before the others woke up. Otherwise, he would be scolded by Gu Yan or An Ruoyi for coming to East Forest Garden.

The sky was still gloomy and gray. Gu Jinyu seemed to hesitate outside his door, circling a few times before leaving.

Gu Xiaodeng hadn’t slept all night. He had spread out his little notebook and quietly written a pile of Records of Observations. During the day, he busied himself around the puppy, not wanting to step even half a pace past the threshold. Only when the setting sun stained the sky at dusk did he reluctantly put the dog down.

Feng Huan had waited for him all day. Finally, with some unease, he asked, “Gongzi, are you going out?”

“Yes.” Gu Xiaodeng stretched lazily. “I’ll change into everyday clothes and go out for a stroll…”

“Someone from the Bamboo Courtyard has arrived.”

Gu Xiaodeng’s stretch stopped halfway. He was all too familiar with the Su family servants from the Bamboo Courtyard. Those two were practically all-rounders, skilled in various things. What Gu Xiaodeng experienced most often was their superb Disguise Technique.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He invited the servant in and asked him directly, “Are you here to give me a disguise?”

The servant replied, “Yes.”

Gu Xiaodeng patted his thighs lightly. Although he wasn’t exactly allowed to leave the Gu Residence on his own, it shouldn’t have reached the point where he needed to completely change his appearance and sneak around just to go out. It was just a trip to the Star-Picking Tower. What were they afraid of? That someone would discover the entanglement between the Young Master of the Su family and the Shanqing of the Gu family, dragging him down into notoriety too?

Gu Xiaodeng laughed out loud. He turned and walked into the inner room, just to scare them a little. “I’m not going out. I’m hungry. Feng Huan, can you cook taro congee tonight?”

Feng Huan’s spine went numb. The Su family servant also panicked. He fell to his knees with a thump. “Young Master Gu! Please, have mercy! Spare my life!”

Gu Xiaodeng halted his steps. He turned back to look. Somehow, he suddenly recalled four years ago. When he was ambushed and beaten by several people in the corridor of the Student Courtyard, he had asked the bookboy who those thugs were, and the bookboy had knelt down and begged him just like this.

He stood there in a daze for a moment, then saw this Su family servant—familiar to the point of almost being a friend—bang his head on the ground repeatedly. Gu Xiaodeng had to rush in front of the man and pull him up. First, he stammered out an apology. “I’m sorry, I was just scaring you. Do the disguise if you must. I quite like it.”

Only then did the panicked, pale face of the servant regain some color. He busied himself with ushering Gu Xiaodeng to get disguised. After fixing him up as if there was no time to waste, he rushed him out to the Star-Picking Tower.

Gu Xiaodeng had a small box of candy tucked in his arms. The tip of his tongue held a tuneless little song. He was too lazy to look out the carriage window at Changluo, bustling in the sunset.

The servant was anxious like anything, making Gu Xiaodeng think Su Mingya was waiting for him. But when he climbed to the Bright Candle Room at the very top of the Star-Picking Tower, all he saw was a room full of sunset.

“Please wait a moment. The Young Master is still tied up at the moment. Would you like some taro congee? I’ll have someone arrange it right away.”

It had only been a little over a month since they’d last met, but the servant’s attitude was strange, more respectful than ever. It actually made Gu Xiaodeng revert to the awkwardness he’d felt many years ago.

“No need. I’m not hungry.” He walked to the familiar window sill and gazed out at the majestic Su Residence under the twilight. “I’ll just wait for him.”

“The Young Master may be a little late. Won’t you eat something?”

“Alright, just arrange whatever you want.” Gu Xiaodeng sat down by the window, resting both arms on the sill and his chin on his forearms. He watched the sky gradually darken.

The servant hurriedly went down to make the arrangements, not daring to say another word. He just stood guard at the door, anxious with worry, fearing this carefree young master, who did things on a whim, would turn around and run off.

The servant turned from time to time to check inside. Luckily, that Gu Shanqing was leaning obediently against the window, casually swinging his legs. Other than not being as chatty as before, nothing else had changed. Even just looking at his silhouette made one feel at ease.

Night fell thick and fast. By the hour of Hai, the servant finally saw his own master arrive. To avoid being caught in the crossfire again, the servant hurriedly went up to report in advance. “Master, Young Master Gu arrived at the hour of You.”

“Hm.”