Resplendent – Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Thoughtful Arrangements

Gu Ye and her companions were brought into a small courtyard adjacent to the Qingfeng Pavilion. Though the courtyard was small, it was exquisitely designed, with lush green leaves and flourishing flowers and trees. Each guest room for resting had an ice basin placed inside.

The shopkeeper of Qingfeng Pavilion in Tong County arranged for Gu Ye to stay in the quietest private room. Outside the room, a huge parasol tree stood like a massive umbrella, blocking out the sun, making the room cool even without the ice basin.

“Miss, please rest for a while; the food will be served shortly!” Shopkeeper Lu’s arrangements were thoughtful and meticulous, and his attitude was respectful.

“How did Shopkeeper Lu know that we would arrive at this time?” Gu Ye wondered aloud, knowing that throughout the journey, Brother Chen’s people had been diligently taking care of everything. She wanted to know who this person was—no more of these anonymous good deeds like a living Lei Feng!

(Lei Feng – made into a model of altruism and dedication)

Yin Mei led a group of attendants, carrying food boxes, and walked into the courtyard from outside. He smiled upon hearing her question, “Master sent me ahead to prepare for your arrival, Miss. If you have any requests, just let me know. I will do everything possible to make sure you’re well settled.” 

Seeing that familiar, androgynously handsome face, Gu Ye broke into a big smile. “Xiao Mei, long time no see!”

Yin Mei made a pained expression and couldn’t help but protest, “Miss, could you please use a different nickname? Calling me ‘Xiao Mei makes it sound like you’re calling a little girl!”

“Change your nickname? No problem!” Gu Ye suddenly became agreeable. “You’re older than me, so how about I call you… Lao Mei?”

Lao Mei? How was that different from Xiao Mei? The excitement on Yin Mei’s face froze, and he couldn’t help but smile wryly. Miss Gu was still as mischievous as ever, always enjoying teasing him, the honest one.

“Miss, let’s have lunch first!” Yin Mei lifted the food boxes in his hand. “It’s all the dishes that the master specifically instructed to prepare—your favorites!”

Gu Ye didn’t have much of an appetite, her mind still on her shaved ice. “Mei, you just said that whatever I ask for, you’d fulfill my request.  Right now, I don’t want anything else; I just want a bowl of shaved ice, with candied strawberry flavor.”

Yin Mei’s wry smile deepened. “That, I really can’t do!  Master instructed me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t eat anything too cold.” It’s going to take over a month for this journey. If you get sick and miss the convention, how would I explain that to the master?”

“Such a buzzkill!” Gu Ye flung her sleeves and headed to the reception hall, where her grandfather and two older brothers were already seated.

Gu Xiao glanced at his granddaughter, and seeing that she looked well enough, he felt relieved. Yin Mei directed the attendants to set out the dishes. Seeing the dishes, Gu Ming smiled. “Brother Ling really put a lot of thought into this. He prepared all of your favorite dishes, sister! There’s sweet and sour pork ribs that you love!”

Gu Ye lazily sat down, speaking in a slightly sulky tone, “What I need most right now is a glass of ice water—very, very cold! As for sweet and sour pork ribs, squirrel fish, honey-glazed lotus root, garlic scallops—I have no appetite for any of them!”

Everyone present pretended not to hear her and continued to chat as they took their seats around the table. 

Yue Yuan attentively helped Gu Ye settle into her seat and quietly served her a bowl of refreshing mung bean soup, whispering, “I put two ice cubes in this bowl especially for you. Shh… Be careful not to let the Elder Master find out.” She even winked at her as she finished speaking.

Gu Ye instantly went from being a grumpy little pufferfish to a cheerful Pomeranian. She stirred the bowl with her spoon, and sure enough, she heard the sound of the ice cubes clinking against the bowl. She took a big sip, sweet and icy cold—it felt so refreshing!

Hua Hao pulled Yue Yuan aside and scolded her, “How could you put ice in Miss’s drink? If it upsets her stomach, how will you explain it to Elder Master?”

Yue Yuan lowered her voice and said, “This mung bean soup was only chilled in well water for a little while. What I put in wasn’t ice, but rock sugar! The young lady doesn’t really want ice that badly—it’s just that the more she’s forbidden from having it, the more she wants it!”

Hua Hao tapped her on the forehead with a smile, “You clever little thing! You really understand what Miss is thinking! You’ve done a great job today, and Elder Master is sure to reward you!”

Sure enough, after Gu Ye finished the mung bean soup, her mood greatly improved. She ate half a bowl of rice, nibbled on a few pieces of sweet and sour pork ribs, had five or six garlic scallops, and even ate the greens that Gu Ming picked out for her.

After the meal, Yin Mei appeared again: “Miss, it’s too hot to travel at midday. Please rest for a while, and we’ll depart at four in the afternoon. We may not make it to a town by nightfall, so we’ll likely have to stay at a farmhouse. But don’t worry, Miss—I will make sure everything is properly arranged!”

Gu Ye was quite satisfied with these arrangements and nodded approvingly, saying, “Thank you for your hard work, Mei!”

“It is my duty!” Yin Mei bowed and disappeared into the courtyard. 

Gu Ye looked around the trees, the roof, and every possible hiding spot in the courtyard but couldn’t find any trace of him. Do these shadow guards all know some kind of stealth technique? Did he just vanish into thin air?

Watching her movements from his hidden position, Yin Mei couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth: Dear Little Ancestor, if I could be discovered that easily, I wouldn’t be called a shadow guard. As the leader of the shadow guards, how could he possibly make such a rookie mistake?

Traveling in the afternoon was even more unbearable than in the morning. The entire carriage felt like a giant steamer; the windows on both sides were wide open, yet not a single breeze blew in. 

Gu Ye held an ice basin and fanned herself vigorously. Her dress made of Water Glint Silk was cooler than ordinary fabrics, but it was definitely no substitute for air conditioning. Since she couldn’t stand the heat, she almost wished she could dive headfirst into the ice basin!

Fortunately, there were people constantly replenishing ice for her along the way; otherwise, she truly felt she might have melted in the carriage from the heat. 

Pooh, pooh! While traveling, I shouldn’t mention that word—it’s bad luck!

Gu Ye handed the fan to Yue Yuan. The two of them sat in the carriage, guarding the ice basin, fanning the cool air towards her. She stuck her head out of the window, nearly getting scorched by the blazing sun. She glanced at the two young men wearing straw hats, riding their horses under the direct sunlight, and felt sorry for them.

“Brother, Brother Cheng, why don’t you both sit in the carriage behind us for a while? Don’t get heatstroke!” she called out to them loudly from the window.

Jun Qicheng vigorously fanned himself and took a gulp of water before replying loudly, “No need! It’s stifling inside the carriage; it’s better to get some fresh air out here! Brother Ming, let’s ride ahead and find a shaded spot to wait for the convoy, shall we?”

Gu Ming agreed. As Gu Ye watched the two riders gallop away, she shouted, “Be careful, and if you start feeling unwell, take a couple of Mouth Freshner pills!”

Mouth Freshener was an anti-heatstroke medicine that she had specially prepared before setting off. It was already autumn, yet it’s still so hot—was this darn weather deliberately against her? Gu Ye angrily gave the sky the middle finger.

Yue Yuan and Tang Xiaoxiao curiously looked at her gesture, exchanged glances, and, guessing that it probably wasn’t anything good, decided not to ask.