Resplendent – Chapter 554

Chapter 554: Flirting Then Cowering

Gu Ye fluttered her long, curled lashes, wearing an innocent expression. “What could I possibly be thinking? I do like handsome men, but those filthy cowards just now? Even if I did pick, I couldn’t bring myself to speak up!”

“If they weren’t filthy and cowardly, would you have gone for them?” Ling Juechen’s tone carried a dangerous edge.

“Stop falsely accusing me!” Gu Ye pouted her rosy, plump lips. “Brother Chen, you’ve known me for more than a year or two. Combined across two lifetimes, we’ve been close friends for nearly twenty years. If I were that kind of person, how could I have been called a ‘quirky old maid’ even at thirty in my past life?”

The thought alone made her feel wronged. In her past life, she’d merely enjoyed teasing handsome young men—satisfying herself with words and light touches, never harboring lustful intentions toward anyone. Yet, she, a pure young beauty, had been maliciously slandered as a lustful demoness, causing respectable young men to flee in terror. 

Of course, there were also those who sought to exploit her for gain, offering themselves in exchange, but she was the one who ended up scared off.

Ling Juechen seemed to recall this too, a hint of amusement flickering in his moist eyes. In her past life, a young heartthrob actor she admired had offered himself in exchange for potent potions and speed drugs, terrifying the girl so badly she hadn’t dared leave the lab for days. She had been scared out of her wits!

Hearing no response from him, Gu Ye’s eyes darted. Before the potency potion wore off, she pinned the handsome man, nearly two heads taller than her, against the tree trunk. Gripping his chin, she flashed him a flirtatious glance: “In two lifetimes, this lady has only met one man who made me want to bite. He… was far away in the heavens, yet yet close enough to touch right now!”

She didn’t realize how utterly seductive her expression, gaze, and voice were at that moment. Ling Juechen’s deep eyes grew even darker, like a star-studded night sky flickering with restless sparks.

Like a skittish little beast sensing danger, Gu Ye instantly backed down. She released his jaw, hopped back two steps, and let out a few awkward chuckles before shifting the topic: “Why is my brother taking so long? He is so slow! Shouldn’t he be back by now?”

Ling Juechen remained pinned against the tree trunk, his eyes fixed on her without blinking. 

Gu Ye licked her lips, preparing an excuse to slip away. “Um… I’ll go check. Maybe he got held up somewhere… Ha, heh…”

“They’re here…” Ling Juechen’s gaze swept over her cherry-pink lips, the depths of his eyes growing darker.

“What?” Gu Ye seemed slow to register, asking blankly.

“Someone’s coming!” Ling Juechen straightened up, smoothing the collar the girl had ruffled, and shot her a meaningful glance.

Gu Ye caught the faint rustle in the air and nodded. “Sounds like they’re coming down from the mountain. Probably His Royal Highness, or my brothers. My brothers said they’d hunt a deer back. Wonder if they’ll deliver.”

Before long, those descending from the mountain joined them. The Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the others came down with the Chu family’s Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Young Masters, each returning with a bountiful haul.

However, upon seeing the prey at the two girls’ feet—especially realizing these were all live creatures—they all wore expressions of astonishment. Chu Mubai exclaimed, “Little sister, are these all your catches? How did you manage to capture them alive? That’s incredible!”

Gu Ye naturally gave all the credit to Ling Juechen: “This is all Prince Ning’s doing. As for the fragile and delicate me… I merely helped keep an eye on the prey.”

Ling Juechen glanced at her, then cast a look at the three wild boars sprawled on the ground. The implication was clear: If you can take down three boars barehanded, maybe you’ve got the wrong idea about what ‘delicate and fragile’ means?

Gu Ye glared back, her tone fierce: So what? Got a problem with that?

Ling Juechen shrugged. How could I dare? Your Highness, you’re always ‘delicate as a breeze,’ ‘as fragile as a willow in the wind,‘ ‘helplessly tender,’ ‘unboundedly beautiful’… whatever pleases you!

Chu Mufeng, displeased by Prince Ning’s flirtatious glances toward his sister, stepped forward to block their line of sight. Clearing his throat, he said, “Your Highness, do you require assistance with these?”

As part of his duty, Chu Mufeng had only provided protection along the way and hadn’t participated in the hunt.

Ling Juechen addressed his future brother-in-law with a polite smile: “Then we’ll trouble Commander Chu.”

Before long, Gu Ming, who had gone to fetch help from the estate, returned. Everyone scrambled to lift the game and carried it back to the estate.

“Your Royal Highness, Prince Ning, aren’t you heading back to the royal retreat?” Seeing these uninvited guests trailing behind them, insisting on tagging along to the Chu family estate, Chu Mufeng shot a glance at Prince Ning, who clearly had ulterior motives. He felt a twinge of irritation over having been left alone with his sister earlier.

But resentment was all he could afford. After all, this man was an envoy from the Yan Kingdom, a distinguished guest of the Dongling Kingdom, whose martial prowess far surpassed his own. What could he possibly do against such a rogue?

Prince Ning spoke up: “I’ve heard the Chu family estate boasts unique architecture, with every step revealing a new vista. Might this prince have the honor of touring it?”

Can I refuse? Chu Mufeng stared at Ling Juechen with a stony expression. Ultimately, he had no choice but to concede under the Crown Prince’s mediation. Fuming inwardly, he growled, “It’s our ‘honor’ to catch Prince Ning’s eye!” The word honor was spat out through gritted teeth.

“Commander Chu is too kind!” Prince Ning, one hand behind his back, strolled leisurely behind the young girl, heading toward the nearby estate.

Chu Mufeng gritted his teeth: Who said I was being polite?! You’re the one being utterly impolite!

“We caught quite a few rabbits today. Have the kitchen prepare all the rabbit heads. I’m going to feast on spicy rabbit heads tonight!” Gu Ye skipped excitedly into the estate. 

Prince Ning’s gaze followed her every step. 

Chu Mufeng tried several times to deliberately block his view, but he avoided every attempt.

Lady Jun, who came out upon hearing the news, was stunned to see the ground covered with wild boars, roe deer, deer, pheasants, and rabbits. This… this is far too much! Could the children have hunted every creature in the nearby mountains?

Seeing the Crown Prince, Prince Ning, and the Fourth Prince of Yan Kingdom, her expression darkened slightly, yet she received them with utmost courtesy. 

Prince Ning had once proposed to the Emperor that his daughter be given in marriage, a matter that remained an unresolved knot in her heart. 

(Ling Juechen let out a long howl to the heavens: I won’t take the blame for this!)

“Keep the  small wild boar. Have the men from Qingfeng Pavilion carry away the rest. As for these hares, pheasants, and such, anything we can’t eat, let them take it all! Don’t let them go bad and go to waste.” Gu Ye instructed Yin Hong. 

After receiving his orders, Yin Hong spurred his horse toward the capital.

“If we can’t eat it all, we could cure it into bacon or air-dry it. Why give it away to Qingfeng Pavilion?” Chu Mubai muttered under his breath.

Gu Ye glared at him. “Do you still want to host banquets at Qingfeng Pavilion to save face and show off? Do you still want to order takeout from Qingfeng? Do you still want to receive southern fruits delivered by Qingfeng?”

“Yes, yes, yes! I just got confused earlier. Is that okay?” Chu Mubai recalled the envy, admiration, and flattery from his friends when he hosted banquets for them at Qingfeng. That feeling… was truly satisfying! 

Which powerful family in the capital could host banquets at Qingfeng Pavilion without advance reservations like they did? They were riding on his sister’s coattails!

Not to mention those exotic southern fruits—he’d never even seen them before, let alone tasted them. The power of merchants was not to be underestimated!

Gu Ye gave him a look that said, ‘That’s more like it.’ She held a stake in Qingfeng; the more prosperous the restaurant became, the more silver she’d receive at year’s end. 

With the pharmaceutical factory about to break ground, silver was precisely what she lacked most!

After feasting on the sumptuous wild game, Prince Ning and the Fourth Prince showed no signs of leaving. The Crown Prince, enduring the unwelcoming stares of the Chu brothers, had no choice but to stay and keep them company.

Ignoring the undercurrents between them, Gu Ye finished her meal with her mother, then snuggled up beside her for an afternoon nap. She awoke refreshed and in high spirits.

Gu Ye noticed the butterfly on the handkerchief her mother was embroidering, its wings seeming to quiver as if ready to take flight. She pestered her to teach her how to embroider a pouch. Moments later, however, several needle pricks appeared on her fingertips, prompting the concerned Lady Jun to put a stop to it. Resting her chin on her hand in boredom while watching her mother sew her little dress, she couldn’t help asking, “Mother, is there anything fun to do around here?”

“I knew you couldn’t sit still. There’s a garden west of the estate with shady trees, winding streams, and delicate bridges. It’s quite exquisite. Oh, and the hillside behind the estate is an orchard! The fruit is ripe now. You should go take a look…“ Lady Jun tapped her little nose. ”Go explore. You’re here to relax for a few days. Don’t hold back.”

Would Gu Ye ever deny herself a good time? Absolutely not! The moment she heard about the orchard on the back mountain, she grabbed a small basket and headed there with great enthusiasm.

She set foot on the path leading to the back mountain alone. Birds chirped in the treetops, and the cool autumn breeze gently lifted her skirt and hair. The wind carried the sweet scent of fruit, utterly intoxicating.

The orchard on the back mountain bore apples, pears, persimmons, jujubes, and late-ripening peaches. This season was their prime: apples blushed crimson, pears gleamed golden yellow, persimmons hung like orange lanterns, and jujubes weighed heavily on the branches…

She plucked a large pear from a branch, wiped it with her handkerchief, and took a bite—oh, how sweet! The juicy nectar flowed through her mouth, warming her heart.

After just two bites, she spotted another date, a beautiful, egg-sized red gem, peeking in and out among the leaves as if playing hide-and-seek with her. She stood on tiptoe, straining to reach it. Alas, her legs were too short, her height insufficient—she simply couldn’t grasp it. She jumped to snatch it, but it always slipped through her fingers.

“Need some help?” a smiling voice came from behind her.

Without turning, she knew exactly who possessed such a melodious voice. Seeing a long arm reaching out to take over, she quickly stopped him: “No! Brother Chen, haven’t you heard that the fruits of your own labor taste the sweetest?”