Resplendent – Chapter 555

Chapter 555: Discovered

Ling Juechen’s hand had already grasped the date, but upon hearing this, he let go. He raised an eyebrow. “How about… I find you a stone to stand on?”

The orchard was clearly well-maintained by the estate staff. After searching everywhere, not a single stone suitable for stepping on could be found. Gu Ye gazed at his tall frame and broad shoulders, her eyes sparkling.

Ling Juechen looked at her in puzzlement: What is this little girl scheming now?

“Brother Chen, you still owe me a promise, don’t you?” Gu Ye said slowly.

Ling Juechen felt even more surprised and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Gu Ye nodded slowly, then sauntered over to him, tugging at his sleeve. “Brother Chen, could you squat down?”

“Squat down?” Ling Juechen’s mind clicked into place: This little minx plans to use him as a stepping stone! He obediently crouched down.

Gu Ye giggled as she lifted her skirt, placing one leg over each of his shoulders. Patting his head, she commanded, “Alright, you can stand up now!”

Ling Juechen wore a look of resignation, though secretly delighted. Holding onto her calves, he warned, “Hold on tight—I’m standing up!”

Gu Ye grabbed both his ears, signaling she was steady and ready for takeoff!

“Whoa! So high! The view is amazing!” Gu Ye exclaimed happily, then directed, “A little to the left… there… right there!”

With a gentle reach, she plucked the large date from the branch. Wiping it on her clothes, she took a big bite. Mmm, sweet and crisp! It tasted absolutely delicious.

She popped the half-eaten date into Ling Juechen’s mouth and continued directing, “Come on, head right—there’s an even bigger one over there. We’ll pick plenty to make honey-glazed glutinous rice dates for you when we get back. You’ll love them!”

You’re the one who loves them! Ling Juechen considered himself indifferent to sweets, but he never refused anything the little girl cooked up.

He carried her without complaint, heading in the direction she pointed. At her current height, she could reach most of the fruit on the trees. She picked with such enthusiasm that her little basket soon overflowed, yet she couldn’t bear to put it down.

“Brother Chen, over there! That persimmon looks so strange, like an eagle…” Gu Ye’s clear voice echoed through the orchard.

The setting sun had dyed the sky crimson, draping the orchard in a golden veil. The little girl riding on the handsome man’s shoulders wore a smile brighter than the sunset clouds… This moment seemed frozen in time, becoming eternal.

“You… you two!!” The Duke had taken a rare break from his duties to reunite with his wife and daughter at the estate. Hearing from his beloved wife that their daughter had gone to pick fruit on the back mountain and hadn’t returned for quite some time, he came looking for her. Little did he expect to witness this scene!

“Father?” Gu Ye, straddling Ling Juechen’s shoulders with one hand tugging his ear while reaching for persimmons with the other, turned at the sound. She spotted her father, trembling with rage. Oh no, Father saw us! I hope his heart is strong enough—he better not have a stroke from the shock!

“Unacceptable! Absolutely outrageous!!” The Duke gasped violently, nostrils flaring like a bull poised to charge.

Gu Ye quickly dismounted from Brother Chen’s shoulders, sliding down his straight back. She lowered her head, adopting the demeanor of a wronged little wife, and wisely admitted her fault: “Father, please don’t be angry. It’s all my fault…”

“Your Highness, Prince Ning, do you not owe me an explanation?” Unexpectedly, the Duke spared his anger from his own daughter and found another scapegoat instead. “To seduce a young, innocent maiden—what a clever scheme you’ve devised, Prince Ning!”

The thought alone filled the Duke with horror and disgust! Prince Ning had cleared the misunderstanding and withdrawn his request for the marriage alliance to the Emperor. His daughter would not be forced into a distant marriage, and the Duke still harbored some gratitude toward him. 

Little did he know, the prince hadn’t abandoned his scheme at all. He had merely changed tactics. He intended to deceive his daughter into winning her heart, making her willingly consent to the marriage.

No wonder, no wonder Prince Ning had been appearing in their sights so often lately! The Duke finally understood who had sent that other group of men to the western estate! Damn it!

“Father?” Seeing her father’s fury directed entirely at Brother Chen, Gu Ye called out softly.

The Duke gazed at her with profound sorrow, speaking earnestly, “My daughter! One must not judge a person by their appearance alone. Character is what truly matters!”

Gu Ye shifted her gaze to Brother Chen’s face, her expression speaking volumes: Could it be that the esteemed War God of Yan Kingdom, the idol of all martial generals—His Highness Prince Ning—lacked integrity?

“Think, child! If he truly cared for you, how could he be here… in such a compromising position, engaging in private exchanges that tarnish your reputation?” The Duke, seething with indignation, pointed at Ling Juechen, as if he wanted to peel away his skin to reveal his ugly true face to his daughter.

“Your Excellency, you misunderstood…” Ling Juechen attempted to explain, but was cut off.

“Misunderstood?” The Duke repeated the word, turning to Gu Ye. “Daughter, you hear that! After the truth comes out, he tries to shift blame. A man so lacking in responsibility is utterly unacceptable!”

After scolding his daughter, he glared furiously at Ling Juechen and roared, “What misunderstanding? I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be a misunderstanding? Don’t tell me you’re claiming my daughter seduced you? My daughter is only thirteen, pure and innocent, as blank as a sheet of paper when it comes to matters of the heart. If you hadn’t dared to lay a finger on our Ye’er, how could she possibly have let her guard down around you?”

Before Ling Juechen could respond, he turned to Gu Ye beside him and declared, “Daughter! You must never treat other men as you treat your own brothers. Never trust anyone so easily. Thankfully, it was only me who caught you today. Had it been someone else, if you refused to marry him, you’d be drowned in a sea of spit…”

“You! Is that exactly what you had in mind? Let me tell you this! Even if a lady’s reputation from our Duke’s household were ruined, and she remains unmarried, her brothers and I would rather support her for life than let her marry a hypocrite like you!” The Duke’s words rang out with unwavering conviction, leaving no room for rebuttal.

Seeing Brother Chen’s helpless expression as her father berated him, Gu Ye suppressed a smile and chimed in with playful banter: “Father, how could your daughter ever be unmarriageable? How could you curse your own daughter like that? Watch out, I’ll tell Mother, and tonight you’ll be kneeling on the washboard!”

Hearing this, the Duke grew flustered and explained, “How could I be cursing you? I meant, what if you were unmarriageable…”

“There’s no ‘what if’! Your daughter’s prospects are excellent!” Gu Ye stubbornly tugged at his arm, swaying back and forth as she pouted, her girlish charm fully on display.

“It’s not—” The Duke felt like he’d been led down the wrong path. Why were they discussing marriage prospects now? The real issue was how to fend off ‘foreign intruders’—how to stop that big wolf from devouring his daughter whole, bones and all.

The Duke patted his daughter’s shoulder soothingly, then turned his gaze to Ling Juechen’s face, his expression hardening into a fierce glare once more. “Prince Ning, save your breath! I will never marry my daughter off to Yan Kingdom! Please leave, Prince Ning. You are not welcome here!”

When Prince Ning, the Fourth Prince of Yan Kingdom, and the Crown Prince of Dongling were all humiliatingly swept out the door, the Fourth Prince still had no clue what had transpired.

“Hey, cousin, what did you do to make the Duke so furious? It looks like he treats you like a mortal enemy. Did you… dig up his ancestors’ graves?” The Fourth Prince waved his fan, half-shading his face as he looked at Ling Juechen.

Indeed, father-in-law and brothers-in-law were the most difficult creatures to deal with. Still, witnessing that scene—if it had been his own daughter being carried over another man’s shoulder like that—he would have lost his temper too. The fact that the Duke hadn’t snapped and broken his legs was already a sign of respect for his status.

“Nothing much. He just caught me stealing someone’s precious treasure!” Ling Juechen gave a rare self-deprecating chuckle. 

Glancing back at the estate, he wondered what predicament the little girl might face. With how much the Duke and Duchess doted on her, they probably wouldn’t scold her too harshly. At most… they’d nag her until she was annoyed?

Going in now would only add fuel to the fire. He’d better wait until nightfall to comfort the girl.

At that moment, Gu Ye hung her little head, biting her finger. Upon hearing her husband describe the scene he witnessed, Lady Jun’s face drained of color. Their daughter straddling an adult man’s shoulders like that—even between husband and wife, such intimacy was unheard of! If anyone had seen it, it would be far worse than mere private lessons!

Their daughter was so innocent; it must have been Prince Ning who seduced her! Lady Jun and her husband truly lived up to being husband and wife—both equally protective of their own, shifting all blame onto others.

“Mother—” Seeing Lady Jun’s deathly pale face, Gu Ye felt a pang of guilt. She had indeed been too carried away today, frightening her mother like this. Her mother had only just recovered; if this fright caused her harm, it would be her fault.

“Actually, there’s nothing between me and Prince Ning. It’s just… When I was picking fruit, I’m too short to reach, so I asked him for a hand. It’s not as sleazy or serious as you’re imagining!” Gu Ye scratched her ear awkwardly, offering a stiff explanation.

Lady Jun’s eyes reddened as she looked at her husband. “See! Our Bao’er has no concept of romantic feelings between men and women. It must be Prince Ning! He has ulterior motives, deliberately leading our daughter astray! That Prince Ning is over a decade older than our child. He hasn’t married yet at his age, he must have some peculiar inclinations, and our Bao’er just happened to catch his eye… What are we to do? He won’t give up!”

“Well… being unmarried in one’s twenties doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong… Didn’t my eldest brother remain single too? Perhaps he’s just like our eldest brother. He simply hasn’t found a girl who catches his eye yet?” Gu Ye responded firmly, unable to tolerate hearing anyone speak ill of Brother Chen like that, not even her own parents.