Resplendent – Chapter 569

Chapter 569: The Sharp Tongue

Chu Musong looked up, a hint of surprise in his voice. “Little Sister, what are you doing up there?”

Gu Ye gave a nervous chuckle. “The view is better up here. You can take in the entire scenery of Anguo Temple. Don’t believe me? Why don’t you come up and see for yourself, Fourth Brother?”

Chu Musong gathered his strength and lightly stepped across the rockery, landing where Ling Juechen had stood. Scanning the surroundings, he couldn’t help but nod. “You really know how to pick a spot, Sister. The view from here is truly splendid…”

“Is it? Let me see too!” Before Chu Mubai could finish speaking, he leaped up.

Gu Ye gasped in alarm, shrieking, “Fifth Brother, there’s no room for three up here… I’m going to fall! You’re pushing me off—”

Princess Anya watched from below, her heart pounding. She shouted at Chu Mubai, “Chu Xiaobai, you blockhead! Get down this instant!”

The flat area on the rockery was already small—barely enough for two people. Adding a third made it extremely cramped. Add to that Chu Mubai’s imposing frame, which took up considerable space. When he climbed up, he accidentally bumped into Fourth Brother. Then, as Chu Musong steadied himself, he inadvertently brushed against Gu Ye…

And so, amidst the cries of Ning Dongchen and Anya, Gu Ye tumbled headfirst off the top of the rockery… Fortunately, this time Yin Mei didn’t let her down. He appeared just in time, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her to safety. 

Why the collar? She was the future mistress of the family. To protect his own skin, he avoided any physical contact with her.

Gu Ye was furious. Her almond-shaped eyes blazed at Yin Mei: Damn you, Xiao Mei! Are you trying to strangle a chick? This is a blatant insult, a contemptuous jab at my height. Just you wait—this lady will absolutely have Brother Chen replace you!

Princess Anya saw the dark robes on Yin Mei and recalled how she’d been ‘toyed with’ by that black-clad figure moments ago. Her teeth nearly ground to dust, and she almost picked up her whip to explode in fury.

“Surnamed Chu! Who is he?” Princess Anya voiced the question on everyone’s lips.

Chu Xiaowu looked utterly clueless. “How should I know? You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?”

Princess Anya shot him a disdainful glance over her shoulder, her expression one of pitying amusement. Only then did Chu Mubai realize that the ‘Surnamed Chu’ wasn’t actually referring to him!

Tch! Who told that stubborn and arrogant witch to be so vague? There were three people with the surname Chu here! Chu Mubai glared back defiantly.

Gu Ye froze for a moment. Seeing Princess Anya glaring at her, she realized she was addressing her. She pointed at Yin Mei and introduced him grandly, “This is my personal bodyguard. He only appears when I’m in danger!”

The Chu brothers knew full well he was a shadow guard, but… where had their sister found such a highly skilled one? They were curious. And besides, a shadow guard who looked… ridiculously handsome? That was downright unsettling!!

Princess Anya gritted her teeth, stomping heavily over to Yin Mei. She scrutinized him from head to toe, her anger spilling over. “I know he’s your secret guard. Explain why your guard is wearing clothes almost identical to that black-clad man earlier?”

“Really?” Gu Ye feigned ignorance, glancing at Yin Mei before scrutinizing his attire. “Shadow guards need to blend into shadows, so black is standard. Clothing coincidences happen! Besides, while the overall style is similar, the details differ slightly. Look, my guard’s collar, cuffs, and hem are embroidered with flamboyant red designs. That man earlier didn’t have that!”

Yin Mei glanced down at the ornamentation on his own clothes. It was just plain embroidery—how could it possibly be worthy of the word flamboyant?

“Alright, you may go now!” Gu Ye clasped her hands behind her back, waving repeatedly at the shadowy figure to signal him to leave quickly.

Seeing the man vanish without a trace, Chu Musong’s brows furrowed slightly. He asked casually, “That shadow guard’s skills are impressive. Where did you find such talent, Sister?”

“Indeed, indeed!” Chu Mubai chimed in. “Typically, loyal shadow guards are trained from childhood. Anyone who can afford to keep one must have considerable connections!”

Gu Ye grinned awkwardly. “Heh! I just saved someone once, refused their payment, and asked for a shadow guard instead. You all know, back when I was in Yan City, I had no real connections. I feared Gu Pharmaceutical might attract unwanted attention, endangering me as the founder. How could I manage without protection?”

Chu Mubai declared bluntly, “Sister, you’re something else! No need for reservations at Qingfeng, fresh fruits and ingredients are often delivered, a helping hand with the pharmaceutical factory… and you even got such a great shadow guard! I’m so jealous I’m tempted to switch careers and become a pharmacist myself!”

Princess Anya couldn’t resist taking a jab, “There are countless physicians and pharmacists in the world. Why don’t they get such preferential treatment? If you became a pharmacist, you’d probably starve to death!”

“Don’t underestimate me!” Chu Mubai knew he wasn’t cut out for it, so after firing back, he fell silent.

Princess Anya snorted coldly and turned to Gu Ye: “Well! Since you enjoy such privileges at Qingfeng, why didn’t you invite this princess to dine there?”

Chu Mubai interrupted again, “Why should my little sister treat you to a meal? Are you that close with her? Are you deep friends? Stop pretending to be friends when you’re not! And having my sister treat you to Qingfeng Pavilion? How bold can you be?”

“Chu Xiaowu, are you looking for trouble?” Princess Anya trembled with rage. 

No wonder—Chu Mubai’s words were infuriating. How could he speak to a young lady like that? Did Princess Anya have no pride?

Gu Ye couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. She stepped forward to mediate: “Alright! Fifth Brother, just shut up! Princess, that’s just how my Fifth Brother is. He’s got a foul mouth and deserves to be single. Don’t take him seriously!”

Chu Mubai retorted indignantly, “Little Sister, why are you taking sides? Why can’t I find a wife? None of my four older brothers have married yet, so why should I be in a hurry? Not marrying now doesn’t mean I can’t marry later, okay?”

Gu Ye pulled her clueless Fifth Brother aside and whispered, “Fifth Brother, Princess Anya is still a young lady. What you said earlier was a bit harsh. If it were me, I’d have been so upset I’d have burst into tears. You really shouldn’t speak to young girls like that anymore, understand?”

Chu Mubai glanced in Princess Anya’s direction. She was gritting her teeth in anger, her eyes looking genuinely red. He rubbed his nose and lowered his voice too. “Didn’t I just forget she’s a girl? She’s so domineering normally. If I don’t stand up to her, she’d walk all over me! Little Sis, you should keep your distance from her from now on, or she’ll push you around!”

“Cut it out! You can’t judge someone by appearances! In a family like hers, she’d have been devoured long ago if she wasn’t tough! You wanted to know how we became close? Her own brother was framed and stricken with… a grave illness. Her father, the prince, couldn’t care less. The rest of the family watched with schadenfreude, some even hoping he’d relinquish his position as heir. Only she fought tirelessly for him…” Gu Ye sighed deeply, her expression thick with sympathy and pity.

Chu Mubai frowned, a fleeting emotion he couldn’t quite grasp stirring within him. The self-proclaimed righteous man declared indignantly, “It must be that concubine in Prince Qing’s Manor! She wants her son to become Crown Son, so she deliberately harmed Prince Qing’s heir. That senile fool of a Prince Qing…”

Gu Ye covered her fifth brother’s mouth in exasperation. “Keep your voice down. He’s a prince, after all. At the very least, he’s Princess Anya’s father. Could you think before you speak?”

“Mmmph-mmmph…” Chu Mubai made exaggerated facial expressions, signaling his little sister to release her hand from his mouth. He then took a deep breath and grumbled, “Sister, when you cover someone’s mouth, could you please not cover their nose too? If it weren’t for my impressive breath-holding skills, I might’ve passed out from suffocation!”

Gu Ye wiped her palm disgustedly on his clothes, rolled her eyes at him, and retorted, “You’re not some delicate flower like Little Sister Lin Me. How could you faint so easily? If you ask me, you’re just like Xiao Qiang (cockroach) that can’t be killed…”

“Who’s Lin Mei? The daughter of the Grand Secretary? Wait, no! All his daughters are older than you!“ Chu Mubai scratched his head. ”Also, who is Xiao Qiang? Why call him an indestructible one? Is he good at martial arts? I should spar with him sometime!”

Gu Ye shot him a look that screamed ‘You’re hopeless’ and sighed. “Get lost! We have nothing in common. This is exhausting!”

Chu Mubai looked utterly baffled, a hint of hurt in his eyes. He glanced at Chu Musong, winking and nudging: Fourth Brother, did you get what Little Sister meant?

Chu Musong stared at the face mirroring his own and let out a long, wailing cry: Chu Xiaowu, could you stop acting stupid with a face that looks exactly like mine? It’s downright insulting. 

He coldly snapped, “If you don’t understand, don’t expose your ignorance!”

“I knew you wouldn’t get it! What are you pretending for?” Chu Mubai muttered under his breath.

Just then, Yayi, standing beside Lady Jun, approached and said the Madam asked if the young lady had enjoyed the garden. It was getting late, and it was time to head back. Gu Ye nodded and addressed Princess Anya: “Your Highness, if you have no other business, would you like to return with us?”

Princess Anya, still fuming, shot Chu Xiaowu a glare and huffed, “I have matters to attend to. I shan’t be joining you. Remember, in three days, I’ll be waiting for you at Liuquan Manor!”

Gu Ye stared at the invitation thrust into her hand, sighing helplessly. “Do we really have to go? Can’t we skip it? If you truly want to celebrate, I’ll treat you to a feast at Qingfeng Pavilion…”

Princess Anya began grinding her teeth again. “I’ve already reserved Liuquan Manor, and the invitations are all sent out. Do you have any idea how much silver it costs to rent that place for a single day?”

Liuquan Manor was a garden built by a notoriously corrupt official from the previous dynasty. Pavilions, terraces, bridges, flowing streams, and exotic plants and flowers—every step revealed a new scene. 

Later, when the dynasty changed, the corrupt official was punished, and the manor was taken over by the Imperial Household Department. During the previous emperor’s reign, he would occasionally bring his concubines and imperial heirs there for short stays, but most of the time it stood empty. It really was a shame!