Resplendent – Chapter 383

Chapter 383: Trapped by Sudden Rain

It seemed as if the heavens heard Grandpa Gu’s heartfelt wishes, sympathizing with his love for his grandchild. The next day, the sky was thick with dark clouds. After a gust of wind, heavy rain poured down.

The old captain, with years of seafaring experience, had already chosen a dock and anchored the ship securely by the shore. The sails were fully lowered, and the heavy anchor was cast down. The strong wind rocked the ship, causing the people inside the cabin to sway as if they were walking on a suspension bridge. Luckily, Hua Hao, who gets seasick, had already switched to traveling by land; otherwise, she would have suffered greatly.

Gu Ye was dizzy and felt slightly nauseous from the rocking. Yin Mei knocked on the door of the VIP cabin. “Miss, I’ve found a passable inn at the dock. Please, allow me to escort you ashore.”

“Yes, yes! Let’s get off the ship quickly!” Gu Ye, feeling dizzy, grabbed the small black cat and walked out. “I finally understand Hua Hao’s seasickness!”

Shitian lay helplessly in its mistress’s arms, its pink tongue sticking out, and its golden eyes spinning as if caught in a daze. Even the little creature was feeling dizzy.

Gu Ye and Yue Yuan donned raincoats and helped each other off the ship. Seeing her grandfather and brothers already waiting on the shore, Gu Ye wobbled quickly toward them. Yin Mei, who was holding an umbrella for her, pointed toward the carriage at the shore. “Miss, there’s still some distance to the inn. Please take the carriage.”

“How many carriages are there?” Gu Ye asked as she steadied herself beside her grandfather. Even on solid ground, she felt as if it were still rocking. The rain washed away the heat, and she couldn’t resist reaching out beyond the umbrella to feel the refreshing rain.

“We only managed to rent two carriages on such short notice.  Please, you board first. Elder Master and the two young masters will take the other carriage.” This temporary dock was too rudimentary, primarily used for fishing boats, and there was no branch point established here by the Hidden Soul Palace. Otherwise, preparations would have been more thorough.

Gu Ye nodded and exchanged a few words with her grandfather. With the wind howling and rain pouring, they had to shout to be heard. Gu Xiao nudged his granddaughter, urging her to quickly board the carriage to avoid catching a cold.

Gu Ye climbed into the carriage and removed her raincoat. She turned her head and noticed that Yue Yuan’s clothes were mostly soaked. Looking down at herself, she saw that her Water Glint Silk garment remained dry, with a faint sheen flowing gently, like a still water surface. That was the advantage of the clothing—it was cool, breathable, and water-proof. In the summer, no matter how much you sweat, there would be no embarrassing sweat stains.

In the rain, the road became slippery and muddy, and it took quite some time to reach the inn Yin Mei had chosen. The inn was a small courtyard, and all three upper rooms had been reserved by Yin Mei. Though the inn appeared simple, it was neatly kept inside.

Gu Ye and Yue Yuan entered one of the rooms. Yue Yuan quickly changed into a dry dress and took a cloth to dry her mistress’s rain-dampened hair.

Looking out at the torrential rain, falling like beads and curtains, Gu Ye sighed softly, “I wonder where Hua Hao and the others are now. I hope they aren’t trapped by this rain.”

Yue Yuan, combing her lady’s smooth, black hair, smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Isn’t Yin Hong with her?  As a shadow guard, he shouldn’t be any less capable.”

Because of her seasickness, Hua Hao had to travel by land. Concerned for her well-being, Gu Ye assigned Yin Hong to protect her. When she left the ship, she looked as if she had been gravely ill, and Tang Xiaoxiao volunteered to accompany and care for her. Three people in one carriage—if they were trapped in heavy rain, it would truly be a situation where neither heaven nor earth could help!

Gu Ye leaned against the window, pushing it open just a crack. A cool breeze and a few droplets of rain slipped through, bringing a refreshing chill that made her close her eyes in contentment.

Yue Yuan wanted to close the window a few times but stopped, seeing how her lady seemed like a fish longing for water, enjoying the cool breeze on her face. She felt reluctant to interrupt—her lady had suffered so much along the journey; she deserved this bit of comfort.

“Relax! Your lady isn’t some fragile Lin Daiyu; she’s not as delicate as you think!” Gu Ye, sensing Yue Yuan’s concern, spoke gently. By her head, a small black cat lay curled up, purring contentedly.

Yue Yuan sat next to her mistress, looking out at the heavy rain, and sighed, “I hope once this rain passes, the weather will cool down a bit.”

“It probably will—’an autumn rain brings a chill,’ after all! . I wonder if Brother Chen managed to send Xiao Bai to deliver any letters. With such wind and rain, I hope nothing happens to him.” Gu Ye rested her chin in her hand, her eyes revealing both worry and longing for someone

Ever since she returned from the border, Xiao Bai would visit her every so often, bringing letters from Ling Juechen. Some letters expressed his deep affection, others described his recent life, and some recounted interesting people and events he encountered…

Brother Chen had already returned to Shengjing. Brother Chen received a reward from the old emperor. Brother Chen was being pressured by the old general to marry… These near-diary-like letters were all carefully stored by Gu Ye. Whenever she missed him, she would take them out to read. Reading his letters made it feel as if he were right beside her, never far away.

Gu Ye’s responses, however, were a bit more casual, and thinking about it even made her feel a little embarrassed. After returning, she had thrown herself completely into the development of the cowpox vaccine, ignoring everything else. During the rare moments she could spare, she would hurriedly jot down a few words. The content was often scattered, jumping from one thought to another. Sometimes, while writing, it would turn into a mini-essay discussing and sharing vaccine research. Would Brother Chen feel she was just brushing him off?

Probably not! Ever since she realized that Brother Chen was the ‘cold, expressionless ice cube’ from her past life, sharing this secret had made her feel even closer to him. In her past life, she had been a workaholic, completely absorbed in her tasks, ignoring everything else. Brother Chen should understand, right?

Who would have thought that the guy who always wore a stern expression in her past life actually liked someone as plain-looking as her? As one of the top martial artists, surrounded by women with stunning figures and alluring beauty, he actually chose someone as simple and plain as herself—it was truly hard to believe.

Thinking back on it now, in her past life, she had nothing going for her except her pharmaceutical skills. Average looks, average body, a reserved personality, and a bit stubborn and rigid—yet someone actually liked her! It had to be said that the cold Ice Cube had some truly unique taste!

Suddenly, the sound of an argument outside, carried through the curtain of rain, interrupted Gu Ye’s thoughts. The mistress and her maid craned their necks, curiously trying to see outside. The heavy rain obscured their view.

“I’ll go see what’s happening!” Yue Yuan grabbed the oiled-paper umbrella by the door and stepped outside. Gu Ye couldn’t help but shake her head—life on the ship had been dull, and Yue Yuan must have been feeling quite restless.

Not long after, Yue Yuan returned, damp from the rain. “It’s the family of a county magistrate returning to the capital to report on duty. Like us, they’re stranded at the dock due to the rain. The nearby inns are all full, and they’ve come to ask if we can spare a room or two for them to rest.”