Resplendent – Chapter 603

Chapter 603: Suspicious

Princess Anya felt a pang of disappointment. Indeed, Second Brother Chu’s marriage had already been arranged. Now that Eldest Brother Chu was due to return from the frontier, it was only a matter of time before he too was betrothed. Among the younger brothers, only Third Brother Chu remained unmatched, along with Fourth and Fifth Brothers Chu, who were of comparable age.

The Defender Duke’s household enjoyed imperial favor, and the sons had no trouble securing marriages. At least, many young ladies she knew looked forward to marrying into the Duke’s household. After all, the six Chu brothers were handsome and exceptionally talented. 

Lady Jun was gentle and mild-tempered, hardly the type to be a demanding mother-in-law… Where else could one find such a family?

Alas… Princess Anya shot a furious glare at someone’s retreating back… Her heart had been misplaced. She had fallen for a block of wood!

“Why are you glaring at me?” Chu Mubai seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He whipped around, catching her ‘menacing’ gaze, and demanded indignantly.

“How would you know I was looking at you if you weren’t watching me?” Princess Anya retorted.

“You stared at me first!” Chu Mubai shot back.

“What’s wrong with looking? Is Fifth Young Master Chu so precious that one can’t even glance at you?” The two bickered like quarreling children, their spat reigniting.

“You can’t look! One glance costs three taels and a half! Pay up!!” Chu Wufu declared childishly.

Princess Anya slid a large gold bracelet off her wrist and tossed it at him. “I paid over three hundred taels for this bracelet. Is that enough?”

Chu Wuxiao deliberately provoked her, biting the bracelet between his teeth. “Mm! Solid gold.”

He tucked the bracelet into his robe, arched an eyebrow and struck his most dashing pose. “Fine, look all you want! For today only, no matter how many glances you steal, it won’t cost you another coin!”

Princess Anya crossed her arms, eyes wide and unblinking as she stared at his handsome face. Even when Lieyan ran ahead, she twisted her body to look back, her gaze fixed intently on Chu Mubai.

“You little minx! Have you no shame?” No matter how thick-skinned Chu Mubai was, he couldn’t withstand such an intense stare. Flushing slightly, he feigned anger. “How dare you look at someone like that?”

“Mind your own business! I paid for this, so this princess will look however she pleases!” Today, she would indulge herself one last time. After today, she will face reality soberly. Severing this hopeless entanglement would be best for both of them, wouldn’t it?

She refused to end up like Princess Fu’an, abandoning her dignity, losing herself, and trampling her pride into the mud. She wouldn’t sacrifice hard-won friendships over a man, turning her closest confidantes into enemies. This was it… She would draw a final line with the girl she once was, the one whose heart had fluttered years ago.

The usually thick-skinned Chu Mubai sensed the unusual emotion in her. He reined in all his recklessness and banter, asking with a hint of unease, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Princess Anya took a deep, silent breath, fighting back the tears welling up. She averted her gaze but replied firmly, “What business is it of yours how I look at you? I paid for it anyway.”

For once, Chu Mubai didn’t retort, growing unusually quiet for the rest of the journey. 

Princess Anya gently tugged the reins, slowing Lieyan to ride alongside Gu Ye. Her gaze kept drifting toward that tall, straight silhouette…

“Anya! You and my fifth brother are such a pair of living treasures! Hilarious!” Gu Ye grinned silently the whole time, thoroughly amused by the spectacle.

Princess Anya gave a faint smile and said, “Xiao Ye… in the future, you’d better stop pairing your Fifth Brother together with me like this. This princess fears it might tarnish Fifth Young Master Chu’s reputation.”

Gu Ye sensed something amiss. When she looked at Princess Anya, she saw deep sorrow and melancholy in her eyes. Thinking her fifth brother’s words and attitude had upset her today, she hurriedly tried to console her: “Anya, you know him well enough. That’s just how my fifth brother is! Even our mother says he’s as despised as a dog. What reputation could he possibly have…”

“Sister, I heard all of that! You’re actually the lost daughter of Prince Qing, aren’t you? You’re always taking the other side!” Chu Mubai, who was walking ahead, couldn’t help but protest.

Chu Musong couldn’t hold back either. “Fifth Brother, look at the mess you’ve made! What’s wrong with the girl glancing at you? Is she going to take a chunk out of you? And you actually asked her for silver! What a disgrace!”

“Chu Xiaosi! Stop lecturing me! You were only born a single stick of incense earlier than me. Don’t act like you’re some big brother now!” Chu Mubai, as if he’d swallowed gunpowder, snapped at anyone within earshot.

Chu Musong shot him a sidelong glance. “A stick of incense’s length? I’m still the elder brother! If you’re so capable, why didn’t you beat me to being born first?”

“Who knows who came out first! Maybe the midwife messed up, and I’m the real older brother!” Chu Mubai scowled. Since childhood, the two had shared identical faces yet were constantly compared. 

“Your older brother’s more steady.” 

“Your older brother learns martial arts faster.” 

“Your older brother’s more sensible”… That feeling of always being pressed down a notch was infuriating beyond belief.

“Try saying that in front of Father and Mother if you dare!” Unlike him, Chu Musong was quick to flare up like a firecracker, his expression making one want to punch him.

As it happened, Chu Xiaowu had once raised that very hypothesis in front of his mother. She had made it perfectly clear: besides the midwife, the wet nurse and her dowry maid had also been present; there was absolutely no mistake. When he persisted in his stubbornness, his father gave him a severe beating. His backside was swollen for days, and he hadn’t dared sit on a stool during meals!

All the way to the estate, Princess Anya didn’t speak a word to Chu Xiaowu. She even ignored his pointless taunts. Yet, her eyes, tinged with sorrow, kept drifting toward that figure…

Gu Ye inspected the factory buildings. She was thoroughly satisfied with both the design and construction, especially the heating system. It was simply brilliant! 

Princess Anya remarked that it surpassed even the underfloor heating system in the main courtyard of the Prince Qing Manor.

The real challenge in constructing these facilities lay in the water supply and heating systems. Though troublesome now, they would mean at least two fewer months of winter shutdown each year. The value generated during those two months far outweighed the cost of building them!

At the Duke’s Manor, Steward Zhou remained in charge of oversight. Though Yin Ba was absent, the Hidden Soul Palace’s representative proved capable, directing his team to rush through the final stages of construction.

Steward Zhou spoke with honest fairness, “Miss, the people you brought in have been invaluable. Without them, we wouldn’t have finished half of this factory, let alone the dormitories! I’m afraid my incompetence nearly jeopardized your important project!”

Gu Ye smiled and said, “Uncle Zhou, there’s no need to blame yourself. Everyone has their own area of expertise. They’re all top-notch in the construction industry, so naturally they excel at building factories. If they were put in charge of managing an entire estate, they wouldn’t hold a candle to you, Uncle Zhou. You’ve worked so hard these past days. I have some health-nourishing pills here. Take one every day, and I guarantee you’ll eat well and sleep soundly!”

“Thank you, Miss!” Steward Zhou accepted the medicine bottle with both hands, his heart swelling with emotion. How thoughtful of her. She even knew he had been suffering from insomnia lately. Just as the Duke had said, girls really are more considerate!

“Sister, are you done with your inspection? Didn’t you say we were hunting rabbits? If you dawdle any longer, we’ll miss lunch!” Chu Xiaowu had been cooped up in the camp lately and was itching to let loose on this rare day off.

Gu Ye smiled at her brothers. “Go ahead and have fun! Anya and I will catch up soon. Bring back plenty of rabbits and pheasants. The quality of our lunch depends on you!”

Chu Xiaosi, Xiaowu, and Xiaoliu spurred their horses toward the nearby hills, Gu Ming trailing behind them. 

Gu Ye inspected the tallest structure in the factory complex—the water tower—then demonstrated the running water system for Princess Anya. She basked in the admiring gaze of the princess, feeling quite pleased with herself.

After her tour, she visited the dormitory area. Though each room had a heated brick bed, it couldn’t compare to the centralized heating systems in some workplaces from her past life. An idea struck her: Could she provide employees with water-heated radiators, just like in her previous life?

She jotted down the idea on a scrap of paper, wondering if Brother Chen, with his engineering background, might find a solution. In her mind, Brother Chen seemed capable of anything. He could make glass, build bicycles, and nothing seemed beyond his reach.

Gu Ye beckoned, instructing Yin Mei to deliver the note she’d just written to Brother Chen. After materializing, Yin Mei hesitated before reporting, “I detected suspicious activity nearby. If we leave now, Miss might face danger.”

“Suspicious activity? How serious?” Gu Ye asked casually.

“Judging by appearances… It’s manageable! Not top-tier experts!” Yin Mei answered truthfully.

“Then what’s there to worry about? I have Hua Hao and Yue Yuan with me, and my brothers are nearby too. Liang Kai could appear at a shout. Besides, they’re only suspicious, not necessarily targeting me. I’m a high-level pharmacist now. Anyone wanting to move against me had better think twice!” Her status as a Level 9 Apothecary served as her proud shield. Unless they wanted to antagonize the entire apothecary community!

Yin Mei hesitated for a moment before pulling out a firecracker-like device and handing it to Gu Ye. “If you encounter an emergency, just light this and pull it skyward. Among the craftsmen at the estate, several are members of the Shadow Guards. They’ll rush over immediately!”

Princess Anya took the signal flare, turning it over in her hands before whispering to Gu Ye, “Your shadow guards are being overly cautious. This place isn’t far from the capital, and the neighboring estate belongs to the Marquis of Dongping. Even if thieves were lurking, they wouldn’t choose to strike here!”

Gu Ye accepted the flare, tucking it into her bag with a laugh. “Better safe than sorry! Better safe than sorry! Come on… I’ll take you hunting!”

Princess Anya shot her a sidelong glance, eyeing her petite frame up and down with disdain. “You? You probably can’t even draw a bow properly, and you want to take this princess hunting? Come on, let me show you what I’m capable of!”

Gu Ye rolled her eyes at the sky and pulled a compact hand crossbow from her bag. The jet-black weapon glinted with a faint, chilling light, its material alone hinted at its extraordinary nature. 

Princess Anya let out a surprised “Huh?” and asked, “What’s that? A toy crossbow?”