Resplendent – Chapter 415

Chapter 415: Bursting into Tears

Standing next to his sister, Chu Mushan gently nudged her. Only then did Gu Ye realize that the voice calling ‘Bao’er’ was calling her. 

Oh my goodness! Her scalp tingled. She really couldn’t handle this childhood nickname!

She shuffled forward in small, careful steps, squeezing into the spot within the Duchess’s line of sight at the bedside. The word ‘Mother’ stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

The Duchess saw her and immediately sat up, tears streaming freely down her face, yet she couldn’t bring herself to blink. It was as if the moment she blinked, her daughter would vanish again.

“Bao’er… my Bao’er…” she murmured, her delicate fingers clutching at the fabric over her chest. Her crimson lips parted slightly, her breathing grew rapid, as if she might faint from happiness in the very next moment.

Chu Bufan quickly supported her chest gently, guiding her slowly: “Come, follow me. Take deep breaths… inhale… exhale… Don’t get too agitated. Our daughter is right in front of you. She won’t run away! Take care of your body; there will be plenty of time later to spend with her. You mustn’t faint. Don’t scare our daughter.”

“Yes, yes! I mustn’t scare our Bao’er! Bao’er, don’t be afraid, Mother is fine. I’m just… so happy, really…” The Duchess looked timidly at Gu Ye.

That careful, almost humbly trembling caution, nearly bowing to the ground, made Gu Ye’s eyes overflow with tears. The long-held word ‘Mother’ finally burst out of her mouth. She felt her body seized by some force, uncontrollably throwing herself into the Duchess’s arms, crying like a child wronged and lost in the outside world.

Lady Jun held her daughter’s fragile, small body tightly, tears streaming down as if they were free, gently patting her back with the carefulness of soothing a child to sleep, choking on her words as she murmured: “Bao’er… my poor daughter, Mother has finally found you! From now on, we will never be apart again…”

Gu Ye cried for a while, and as her consciousness returned, she suddenly felt extremely embarrassed.

She sniffled, lifted her head from the Duchess’s embrace, and with eyes as red and bright as a little rabbit’s, looked at her: “Mm! No one can separate us anymore. Mother, you have to take care of your body, so we can go shopping, go on outings, and have fun together!”

“All right! My body… the court physician said most of my ailments were from worry. Now that our Bao’er has returned, more than half of my heart’s burden is gone. I’ll recover quickly! Don’t worry, child!” Lady Jun gently patted her daughter’s ponytail.

Seeing her daughter completely unadorned, so simple and pure, she hurriedly instructed the maid beside her, “Go, bring me that coral-and-feather hairpin. Its bright colors will suit the little girl perfectly.”

The coral was a fiery red, set against sky-blue glass jade, exquisitely crafted. Lady Jun cast a sidelong glance at her husband, smiling: “Your father bought this for me on my birthday last year. I couldn’t possibly wear such bright colors outside, can I? He just loves to spend money recklessly.” 

Gu Ye stretched her head forward and cooperatively let the Duchess slide the hairpin into her hair, teasing with a smile: “Well, it depends on who the money is spent on. Buying jewelry for my mother, no matter how expensive, I wouldn’t feel a thing. Right, Father?”

“Yes, exactly! Only our daughter truly understands me!” Chu Bufan’s voice trembled with excitement. His daughter had called him ‘Father’!  The very first time she had ever called him that!  He was overwhelmed, so excited and thrilled. What was he to do?

“Of course! They say a daughter is a parent’s closest little cozy jacket. How could we not know what’s on our hearts?” Gu Ye playfully scrunched her nose and made a cute little face. The Duke and Duchess couldn’t stop smiling.

“Aunt, it’s time for your goat milk. The physician said this milk is very nourishing; you should drink plenty to strengthen your body, so you’ll have the energy to spoil your little cousin!” Jun Miao took the goat milk from the maid and, as usual, personally served it to the Duchess.

Lady Jun held Gu Ye tightly with one hand, her face full of smiles as she said, “This is your cousin Miao’er. See that little round-faced one? That’s Li’er, a year older than you. And that’s Fang’er, both very filial and obedient girls. Take this goat milk, for example. It’s nourishing, yes, but too gamey and hard to drink. Miao’er somehow learned that adding almonds removes the gamey taste. Otherwise, I really couldn’t have drunk it!”

“Oh? Cousin Miao’er is amazing!” Gu Ye’s gaze flicked around the room, stopping on two brightly blooming plants. Her eyes narrowed slightly.  She had found the culprit responsible for her mother’s prolonged illness! She just didn’t know if someone had done it on purpose.

Jun Miao smiled modestly and said, “Oh, it’s nothing! I just happened to see it in a book.”

“Cousin Miao’er must have read quite a few books, right? Unlike me, I can barely recognize a few characters. Those classical texts with all the ‘zhi, hu, zhe’ nonsense, I can’t be bothered to read. Which book did Cousin Miao’er see it in? Could you lend it to me?”

From the moment she entered, Gu Ye had sensed the hostility in this young girl. Although she hid it well, it couldn’t escape her perception. 

“Uh… I usually read all sorts of books, so I’m not sure which one it was. Once we get back to the courtyard, I’ll look properly…” Jun Miao’s hand holding the goat milk trembled slightly, then steadied as she continued to feed Lady Jun.

Lady Jun today drank quickly, finishing the bowl of goat milk in just a few sips. She gently patted her daughter’s hand and said, “You cousins are close in age, so you’ll surely get along. A young girl should have a few like-minded friends her own age.”

“Don’t worry, Aunt, we’ll definitely take good care of our cousin!” Jun Li said, curiously studying Gu Ye, especially interested in her pharmacist’s robe. “Cousin, are you a pharmacist? Are you here to participate in this Great Pharmacists Convention? Do you feel confident about the assessment? Is our family about to produce a respected pharmacist?” 

Gu Ye smiled at her kindly, but before she could answer, Jun Miao spoke first: “Cousin is participating in the assessment at the beginner level. It will probably take many years before she becomes someone universally respected. But she’s young. There’s plenty of time ahead! No need to stress.”

Gu Ye smiled again. She felt absolutely no pressure, okay?

Not wanting her daughter to feel any mental burden, Lady Jun hurried to reassure her: “Your cousin is right! Whether you become a pharmacist or not doesn’t matter to our family. What matters is that you enjoy it and try your best. Don’t push yourself too hard.” 

Chief Physician Zhang, who was quietly standing nearby, stroked his graying beard, a faint smile in his eyes: How could Miss Gu worry about failing the assessment? With her skills in pharmacology, she could easily contend with even the top-level pharmacists, not to mention earn respect at the lower levels.

But… When did Miss Gu become part of the Chu family? It was truly astonishing! Looking closely, the young girl really did resemble the Duchess. 

Did this mean Gu Ye would no longer return to Yan City? And did that mean he would have more opportunities to discuss medical arts with her?