Resplendent – Chapter 605

Chapter 605: Unnoticed Affection

Yin Mang respectfully accepted the order and carried the black-clad masked men away. The Hidden Soul Palace naturally had its own methods for extracting confessions, and they easily obtained the answer from the masked men’s mouth.

Gu Ye examined Princess Anya’s injuries and felt slightly relieved. Seeing her Fifth Brother hugging her tightly, his face etched with worry, she deliberately remarked, “The injury is severe. This arm will likely be rendered useless, but that’s not the worst of it. Anya has lost too much blood. We don’t know if she’ll develop blood deficiency syndrome.”

Chu Mubai looked utterly flustered. Suddenly recalling something, he grabbed her hand urgently and said, “When you and your master saved our eldest brother, didn’t you use a soldier’s blood to transfuse into his body? Use my blood to transfuse her…”

“…” Gu Ye hadn’t expected it. Though her Fifth Brother usually seemed carefree, sharp-tongued, and infuriating, in a critical moment, his boyfriend power was off the charts!

“I’ll treat her wounds briefly first. If we go back like this, she’ll likely bleed out before we even reach the estate!” Gu Ye crouched down, preparing to tear open Princess Anya’s narrow sleeve. She glanced up at her Fifth Brother and asked, “Shouldn’t you step aside?”

“Step aside?! Saving lives comes first! Hurry up!” Chu Mubai, flustered, barked at his sister.

Chu Musong scanned the scene, searching for clues. Hearing this, he frowned and said, “Fifth Brother, our sister just survived an ambush. Couldn’t you speak more gently?”

Chu Xiaoliu chimed in, “Exactly! Fifth Brother is being unreasonable! You didn’t even ask if she was hurt. Earlier, you accused her of siding with outsiders, but it seems like you’re the one turning your back on us!”

Chu Mubai choked back a sob and looked at Gu Ye apologetically. “Sister, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I apologize… By the way, are you hurt?”

Gu Ye spun around in front of him. “I’m perfectly fine. Anya protected me well. Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, Brother—you three, step aside for a moment. I’ll tend to Anya’s wounds first.”

“Right, right, right! Check Princess Anya’s wound first…” Chu Mubai sat down on the ground, lifting Princess Anya’s upper body to cradle her in his arms.

“Hiss… such a deep and long gash!” When Gu Ye tore open her sleeve to reveal the wound beneath, Chu Mubai couldn’t hide his pained expression. Truthfully, the wound on Princess Anya’s arm looked terrifying but hadn’t damaged any bones or tendons.

For the Chu family men who fought on the battlefield, this injury was nothing. But seeing it on the little girl he cared about made it entirely different!

Gu Ye was laughing inside, but her face remained solemn: “Hmm! It’s quite severe. Several blood vessels are severed. We’ll need to suture both the vessels and the wound!” It was really just a simple surgical suturing procedure, but she deliberately exaggerated!

After cleaning the wound and stopping the bleeding, she turned to Chu Mubai and said, “This environment isn’t suitable for suturing. Hurry and move the patient to the estate. I left a set of surgical tools there.”

Without a word, Chu Mubai scooped up Princess Anya and strode purposefully toward the forest’s edge. 

Chu Xiaoliu looked puzzled. “When did Fifth Brother start caring so much about Princess Anya? He’s always been at each other’s throats with her!”

Gu Ye slapped him on the shoulder with a grin. “Sixth Brother, looks like we’ll have a new Fifth Sister-in-law soon!”

Then she turned to look at Chu Musong, shaking her head with a sigh. “Fourth Brother, you need to step up your game. Fifth Brother’s already ahead of you!”

Chu Musong flicked Gu Ye lightly on the forehead and chuckled, “This has nothing to do with how hard you try. Stop worrying about things that aren’t your concern! By the way, are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Not at all! Fourth Brother, the crossbow bolt from my weapon is still lodged in the masked men’s bodies. I’m a bit scared. Could you retrieve them for me?” In front of her brothers, Gu Ye reverted to her delicate, vulnerable demeanor.

While examining the bodies, Chu Musong had already noticed the corpses with bolts lodged in their throats. He’d silently praised her marksmanship. He couldn’t help asking, “Did you shoot all those crossbow bolts?”

Gu Ye nodded. “I had no choice. If I hadn’t killed them, they would have killed me and Sister Anya. Truthfully, I was terrified…”

Chu Mushan hurried to comfort her, “Don’t be afraid, little sister! You did the right thing. If you hadn’t killed them, you would have been killed. When I killed someone for the first time, I was terrified too. I had nightmares for days afterward! When we get back, I’ll have Mother brew you a bowl of calming soup.”

Gu Ye looked up at Chu Mushan, surprise in her eyes. “Sixth Brother killed people too?” Chu Xiaoliu was only sixteen or seventeen, and had never seen battle. Who could he have killed?

Chu Xiaoliu smiled faintly. “A couple of years ago, Father led troops to suppress bandits. I secretly followed along… Then when I went to Yan City with our eldest brother, I went to the border and killed several Dirong men!”

“You’re amazing!” Born into a family of military officers, the battlefield was their destiny. Gu Ye looked at the slightly shy, fair-skinned, handsome Sixth Brother and imagined him charging across the battlefield. Would he earn the title of ‘Jade-faced Young General’?

Hua Hao and Yue Yuan had only suffered minor injuries. The two maidservants of Princess Anya were badly hurt, though fortunately none of their injuries were life-threatening. Hua Hao and Yue Yuan each supported one of the maids. They led them out of the woods, mounted their horses, and brought them back to the estate.

All along the way, Chu Mubai cradled Princess Anya as if she were a priceless treasure, holding her with the utmost care. It was as though she were a fragile, precious antique.

Princess Anya had awakened the moment he lifted her onto the horse. Upon waking, she found herself nestled in the arms of the young man she cherished. His broad chest, his firm muscles, his strong heartbeat… Her face grew hot, her heart pounding wildly. Suddenly reluctant to let go of this rare closeness, she closed her eyes, pretending she hadn’t awakened, just to savor that fleeting tenderness…

The distance from the small woodland to the estate was too short. When she was placed upon the estate’s bed, she found herself profoundly reluctant to part with those strong arms and that precious embrace.

Gu Ye noticed from Princess Anya’s slightly trembling eyelashes that she had awakened. Seeing her Fifth Brother still standing dumbly by the bedside, she gave a faint smile and said, “Fifth Brother, Princess Anya’s wound needs stitches. Please step outside.”

“But didn’t you say my blood for transfusion? How can the transfusion proceed if I’m not by her side?” Chu Mubai recalled his sister mentioning Princess Anya’s severe blood loss and insisted on donating his blood.

Gu Ye pushed him toward the door, explaining, “Not everyone’s blood is compatible for transfusion. Go outside first. Have Hua Hao test your blood. We’ll proceed only if it’s suitable!”

Chu Mubai glanced back at the pale, bloodless Princess Anya lying on the bed before stepping out. He would not let her endure the suffering his mother had endured! Even if it meant giving her all his blood, he would do so without hesitation!

“He’s gone. Stop pretending!” Gu Ye resumed cleaning Princess Anya’s wound and administered the anesthetic.

Princess Anya’s cheeks flushed crimson as she slowly opened her eyes and she asked incredulously, “Sister Ye, was that really Fifth Brother Chu just now?”

“If it wasn’t my Fifth Brother, then who else could it be? You didn’t suffer this injury for nothing. You actually brought out my Fifth Brother’s true feelings. Sigh! If he likes you so much, why did he keep picking on you and saying all those hurtful things? My Fifth Brother is truly something else!” Gu Ye truly didn’t know how to describe Chu Mubai anymore!

Princess Anya, however, was overwhelmed by the wild joy that Chu Xiaowu also liked her. All his past sharp tongue and despicable behavior vanished into thin air, leaving only his affection for her…

She remained immersed in this emotion, so much so that she didn’t even notice when Gu Ye had finished suturing all the wounds on her arm. When she finally snapped back to reality, Hua Hao entered with a syringe of blood, looking utterly exasperated.

“Fifth Young Master is truly something. Everyone said his blood type doesn’t match the Princess’s, yet he insisted I draw his blood as a backup. I told him my blood type matches hers perfectly, and his isn’t needed, but he wouldn’t listen…”

Gu Ye heard this and was caught between laughter and tears. “It’s fine, it’s fine! My Fifth Brother is in such good health anyway, with such strong vitality. Donating a little blood now and then won’t harm him. It might even be beneficial!”

Princess Anya felt as though she had eaten the sweetest candy in the world, the sweetness reaching deep into her heart. Worried about infection, Gu Ye hooked her up to an IV drip. Upon exiting, she found her Fifth Brother standing by the door like a loyal guard dog, eyes fixed on the entrance.

When he spotted Gu Ye, he hurriedly asked, “How is she? Her injury isn’t serious, is it?”

“She’s fine now!” Gu Ye replied.

“Then… may I go in and see her?” Chu Mubai still seemed uneasy.

“She’s asleep. Be careful not to wake her! When the IV drip is almost empty, notify Hua Hao or Yue Yuan to remove the needle.” Gu Ye pinched the bridge of her nose, preparing to seek Yin Mang about the assassin.

“She’s so badly injured. Aren’t you going to stay with her, sister?” Chu Mubai was reluctant to let his sister leave. If her condition changed, having her present would ensure the best possible response.

Gu Ye shot him a glare. “I’m exhausted too, okay? You really are my good Fifth Brother, someone who values romance over humanity!”

“Then… let Hua Hao stay here. You go rest, Sister.” Chu Mubai scratched his head awkwardly, a twinge of guilt in his heart. His little sister had just endured an ambush by over twenty people and experienced her ‘first’ kill. He hadn’t given her feelings a second thought. This was utterly unthinkable.

Sigh… Love really clouds judgement! Chu Mubai glanced back at the pale, helpless young girl lying on the bed, a complex mix of emotions stirring within him. Unbeknownst to him, this seemingly willful girl with a tragic past had already found a place in his heart. Without this perilous ordeal, he might never have recognized his own feelings.

The Chu family always acted decisively. Once they acknowledged their emotions, there was no room for hesitation.