Chapter 502: Playing the Victim
Marquis Dongping scooped up his wife, his eyes full of desire, and said, “I think our son’s suggestion is not bad. Shall we have another one?”
“You old lecher!” The Marchioness scolded him with a laugh.
“Old? You’ll find out soon enough whether your husband is old or not!” Marquis Dongping kicked open the bedroom door, followed by sounds of heavy breathing and the creaking of the bed…
On the way back from the estate, Gu Ye couldn’t help but sigh at how fortunate Marchioness Dongping was. At least her husband genuinely cared about her, wasn’t easily swayed by the old madam to turn against her, and even allowed her to relax and laze about at the estate.
If it were her, she wouldn’t want to be trapped in a complicated and treacherous inner household, letting endless palace scheming extinguish her ambitions…
Ling Juechen nudged Gu Ming aside and came to Gu Ye’s side. Seeming to read her thoughts, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. Our house is much quieter than the Dongping Manor. There’s no old madam pressing down from above, and my grandfather doesn’t interfere in anything. You’re the boss in the family; you can do whatever you like in the inner courtyard. I have a few estates with good scenery, so you can arrange them however you wish. Later, whether you want to live in the manor or at an estate, I’ll accompany you wherever you go!”
Words like these, and conditions like these, would make anyone consider it a perfectly suitable match. Gu Ye had already heard of Brother Chen’s background: he lost his father at a young age, and his mother, immersed in memories of her late husband, lived in seclusion at a nunnery. He grew up under his grandfather on the frontier, fought alongside him in battles from his teens, and was acclaimed as a War God before he even turned twenty…
No! She couldn’t get lost in his sweet talk. She was still angry and had no intention of forgiving him! So, she just shot him a cold glance and urged her horse to gallop away.
Ling Juechen, like an old bird protecting its chick, kept warning her to be careful. The recent rain had made the roads muddy and treacherous. He stayed close at her side, promising to protect her immediately if any danger appeared.
Gu Ye was annoyed to death by him, yet no matter what, she couldn’t shake him off. Her riding skills were far inferior to his!
While racing along, they reached the city gate in less than twenty minutes. By now, dusk was approaching, and the streets were filled with citizens hurrying home.
Knowing that her riding skills were mediocre and fearing collisions, Gu Ye gently eased the reins to slow Xueyun’s pace. The crowd leaving the city was substantial, and moving against the flow naturally slowed them down.
The more she tried to avoid trouble, the more trouble found her. Determined to lose that clingy annoyance, Gu Ye rode cautiously at the front, mounted on Xueyun, whose pure white coat was flawless. She was dressed in the silken garments of the Han family’s young master—top-quality material and craftsmanship.
Behind her followed five or six tall, burly ‘guards.’ Even in plain clothes, their imposing presence couldn’t be concealed. To outsiders, it appeared that a naive young master was being escorted by bodyguards on a leisurely ride to the outskirts. And so… Gu Ye encountered a ‘staged accident.’
She rode slowly through the crowd when, about two meters ahead, an elderly man with graying hair suddenly appeared. It looked as if someone had jostled him, causing him to lunge directly toward her horse’s hooves. The distance was calculated perfectly, close enough to look like he was struck by the horse, but far enough that Xueyun wouldn’t actually step on him.
Not only was Gu Ye caught off guard—her horse looked utterly bewildered as well. Its right front hoof, mid-stride, froze in the air, the gentle horse eyes full of innocence: it had nothing to do with this! Its hoof hadn’t even touched the ground. How could it possibly have hit him?
“Grandpa! You can’t die! You’re my only family, Grandpa—” A girl of about thirteen or fourteen, with dry yellow hair and patched-up clothes, flung herself at the old man, wailing and wiping away her tears in exaggerated grief.
Gu Ye bared her teeth—Miss, you’re being way too dramatic! Didn’t you see your grandfather struggling to hold himself together? And Miss, could you make your crying a bit more convincing? Crying on one hand while sneaking peeks at me with the other; what exactly are you trying to do?
Amused, she watched the pair of grandfather and granddaughter, silently critiquing their performance.
The little girl wailed a few more times, then noticed Gu Ye hadn’t dismounted or shown any intention of intervening, and began to falter in her act.
She lifted her tear-streaked little face and looked at Gu Ye ‘in righteous indignation’: “Sir, you hit someone. Don’t you owe an explanation? You rich people, do you even consider the lives of commoners to be lives?”
Gu Ye shot a glance at Sixth Brother, who seemed ready to step in and argue, then swung herself off her horse, crouched down in front of the grandfather and granddaughter, and reached to check the old man’s pulse.
The little girl immediately blocked her, demanding, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I know a bit of medicine and acupuncture,” Gu Ye said seriously. “I’m just checking the old gentleman’s pulse.”
“Don’t pretend to be kind! You sons of rich and powerful families never care about us commoners!” The girl’s face was full of righteous anger, and every word she spoke seemed designed to stir the surrounding villagers’ resentment of the wealthy.
“This elderly gentleman looks to be in great pain, and his injuries seem serious! By the way, you must have heard of Jimin Pharmacy, right? The owner of Jimin has business dealings with my family, and Elder Doctor Liang, who practices in the West District, is highly skilled. If you don’t trust me, I can have someone carry this elder there for treatment,” Gu Ye said with a slight smile.
The people around couldn’t help but think: What an extraordinarily handsome young master!
At the mention of Jimin Pharmacy, the little girl’s eyes darted back and forth. Jimin Pharmacy, known for selling affordable medicine for children, held great credibility among the common folk. Moreover, following Gu Ye’s advice, they set aside two days every month for free clinics, earning high praise from the people.
Sure enough, as soon as Gu Ye finished speaking, some of the previously indignant onlookers said, “This Young Master is right! Elder Doctor Liang is skilled and virtuous. Quickly send the old gentleman there before it worsens!”
“No, my grandfather is badly injured. He can’t be moved…” The little girl subtly pinched the flesh on her grandfather’s waist. Gu Ye noticed the motion immediately.
The old man, sensing the cue, convulsed slightly and spat a mouthful of blood. “He’s dead.” Gu Ye checked his pulse and heartbeat—they were indeed gone. She was certain he wouldn’t actually die, yet both breathing and pulse had vanished.
What was going on?
“Grandpa! Grandpa! You can’t die! Don’t leave me all alone! Grandpa…” The girl wailed miserably, wiping her face with her sleeve as tears streamed down.
Seeing how well the two of them were working together, Gu Ye wanted to see how their performance would continue, so she played along and said, “My condolences, Miss.”
“It’s you! You killed my grandfather!” The little girl’s fierce glare looked surprisingly convincing.
Gu Ye shrugged and spread her hands, saying, “The matter has come to this. Once someone dies, they cannot be brought back. So tell me, do you want this settled publicly or privately?”
Peek-Aboo 
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