Chapter 234 Caught in the Act (First Update)

After all, the gyrfalcon is not a true domestic fowl; it has wild instincts, and when it attacks a person, it doesn't just angrily peck at them like a few chicks.

It rushed into the girl's straw hat, opened its hard beak, and fiercely pecked at the girl's eyes!

The girl instinctively raised her hand to cover her eyes, but her neck was exposed. The little gyrfalcon bit into the girl's neck!

"ah--"

The girl screamed in pain, flailing her arms wildly. Although she managed to swat away the gyrfalcon, she also knocked off her own bamboo hat.

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Jingkong turned his head, looked at the scene, then at the girl's face, and made a puzzled "hmm".

The neighbors on both sides heard the commotion and rushed out of their doors.

"What happened?"

"What's wrong"

Who is it?

Seeing so many people arrive at once, the girl, no longer caring about picking a fight with Xiao Jingkong, covered her face with her sleeve and fled in panic.

"Are you alright?" Uncle Li came over and asked Xiao Jingkong.

"I'm fine," Xiao Jingkong shook his head.

After Xiao Jingkong got home, he honestly confessed about Xiao Jiu pecking people: "...Xiao Jiu isn't usually this fierce, I don't know what's wrong with Xiao Jiu..."

Xiao Jiu is a bird of prey and has a fierce nature, but it never easily harms people.

Gu Jiao had a certain guess in her mind. She looked at the candied hawthorn in Xiao Jingkong's hand and asked, "Did she give you the candied hawthorn too?"

Xiao Jingkong nodded: "Yes, she asked me where my brother-in-law's house is. I told her I didn't know!"

Gu Jiao thought for a moment, then asked, "Did she say who she is?"

“He didn’t say.” Xiao Jingkong shook his head. “But I’ve seen her. She’s a student at the girls’ school.”

The girls' school was right next to the clinic. Every time Xiao Jingkong went from the Imperial College to the clinic, he would pass by the girls' school and often bump into the students inside.

However, Xiao Jingkong did not know the other party's name.

That night, Xiao Liulang returned home, and Gu Jiao told him about the girls at the girls' school asking about him.

Xiao Liulang was surprised: "I don't know any female students."

Gu Jiao paused for a moment, then asked, "Could it be that your fame is so great that people come here specifically to see you?"

Xiao Liulang shook his head: "Then you should come to the Imperial Academy to find me."

Those who came to his door were people who had not been able to find him at the Imperial College and were asking for his address.

Gu Jiao roughly understood that this person was most likely after her.

Gu Jiao thought of the vase, the kitchen knife, and the medical dispute from before.

"Has something happened?" Xiao Liulang asked.

Gu Jiao said calmly, "It's alright, I can handle it."

She's just a little girl who only plays dirty tricks behind people's backs; she's not even worth a finger of hers.

Xiao Liulang didn't insist on getting to the bottom of things. He took out a money pouch from his wide sleeve: "This month's household expenses."

Gu Jiao's eyes widened: "Why are you still giving me household expenses? Don't you need to prepare for the imperial examination?"

His family income came from copying books and writing articles for others. Although it wasn't physically demanding work, it still took up his study time and energy.

Moreover, he doesn't just study on weekdays; he also tutors Xiao Jingkong, Gu Yan, and Gu Xiaoshun, and the three of them have different learning paces and levels of understanding.

The old chief priest could occasionally lend a hand, but it was mainly Xiao Liulang who put in the effort.

Gu Jiao knew she didn't have the patience; if she were asked to tutor her younger brothers, she'd beat them to a pulp.

Aside from minor lapses, his grades were quite good.

But just because Xiao Jingkong is well-behaved in front of Gu Jiao doesn't mean he'll be well-behaved in front of Xiao Liulang. The little guy is quick-witted and full of twisted logic, which is very troublesome.

Gu Jiao understood everything.

Gu Jiao said, "Don't work too hard."

Xiao Liulang said, "But I don't want you to work too hard either."

He was stunned for a moment when he said that.

What kind of nonsense is this? How can it be so cheesy?

Gu Jiao listened with delight, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons: "My husband is so good."

Xiao Liulang blushed.

The following day, classes were held at the Imperial College, while Qinghe Academy was closed.

Xiao Liulang took the reluctant-looking Xiao Jingkong to school.

Gu Xiaoshun and Uncle Zhao's youngest son went to raid bird nests. They asked Gu Yan if he wanted to go, but Gu Yan declined, saying he wanted to visit the clinic instead.

Gu Yan had not yet visited Gu Jiao's courtyard.

Gu Jiao agreed, and after breakfast, she took him out the door, saying to Gu Xiaoshun who was running fast ahead, "Don't forget to go to your apprenticeship this afternoon!"

"Okay, sis!" Gu Xiaoshun and Zhao Xiaoyang took off running and disappeared.

The clinic had been overwhelmed with patients lately and had to stop selling milk tea. Gu Yan's arrival today was just in time, and Gu Jiao asked him to go sell milk tea.

Gu Yan, who just wanted to be a quiet baby: "..."

The clinic used to open at 9:00 AM and have a doctor on duty at night; you could just knock if you needed anything. Now that business is good, they open half an hour earlier.

The clinic quickly became busy.

Gu Jiao was randomly checking the medicinal herbs in the medicine cabinet. In ancient times, due to limited storage conditions, the shelf life of medicinal herbs was greatly shortened, so she had to check them from time to time.

Halfway through the examination, the young apprentice beside her suddenly called out softly, "Miss Gu."

Gu Jiao turned her head and saw the young medicine boy winking at the main hall. Gu Jiao followed his gaze and saw Prince An standing there in a white robe, as bright as the stars and the moon.

Prince An was accompanied by his two younger sisters, Zhuang Mengdie and Zhuang Yuexi.

Gu Jiao knew Zhuang Mengdie; after all, she had sold her so many things that Zhuang Mengdie was practically one of her sugar daddies. As for Zhuang Yuexi, Gu Jiao wasn't very familiar with her.

The Zhuang sisters were all dressed in girls' school clothes: white skirts with pale yellow silk trim, perfectly fitted at the waist, showing off their graceful and charming young girls.

In terms of looks alone, Zhuang Mengdie is actually better, but unfortunately, she's a simpleton with a rather naive and foolish demeanor.

Zhuang Yuexi wasn't exactly unattractive, but she was still somewhat lacking in beauty compared to Gu Jinyu.

However, her exquisite makeup and temperament completely overshadowed Zhuang Mengdie.

Gu Jiao also noticed that Zhuang Yuexi was wearing a veil around her neck.

Gu Jiao's gaze fell on Zhuang Yuexi's neck, and Zhuang Yuexi subconsciously raised her hand to cover her neck.

"Why are we following my brother to see a doctor?" Zhuang Mengdie muttered discontentedly.

Although she enjoyed traveling around with her older brother, it was only on the premise of sightseeing and enjoying nature.

“Then go to school by yourself, I’ll wait for my older brother,” Zhuang Yuexi said to Zhuang Mengdie.

Prince An said to his two younger sisters, "No need, you should both go to class and not be late."

Zhuang Yuexi cracked her knuckles: "Then... will you come pick us up this afternoon, brother?"

Prince An said, "I have something to attend to; the coachman will come to pick you up."

Zhuang Yuexi glanced at Gu Jiao.

She knew it.

The older brother wouldn't just come to pick them up and drop them off.

Zhuang Yuexi left with a cold face.

Gu Jiao watched her retreating figure, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Prince An has finished his medicine; he came to get more and also for a follow-up check-up.

He had already come for follow-up examinations several times before.

"You don't need to have so many check-ups." Gu Jiao was practically saying that it wasn't some incurable disease.

Prince An smiled and said, "I can see now. I extinguished the candles last night and can see a little bit now."

He could only sense light for the past few nights, but last night he suddenly saw a blurry outline, which surprised and delighted him.

"In a while, you'll be able to see even more." Gu Jiao began to test his vision.

Prince An stared at the strange blueprints opposite him and asked in bewilderment, "What is this? This wasn't here last time I came."

"An eye chart." She made it herself.

"Was it made especially for me?" Prince An's eyes lit up.

Gu Jiao said, "You need to have your vision tested to see the specific treatment effect."

Prince An was overjoyed: "So it was made especially for me."

Gu Jiao: "..."

After the Prince of An finished his follow-up examination, he received the new medicine and left in high spirits.

The clinic was busy until almost noon before it gradually quieted down. At noon, Gu Yan and she ate lunch at the clinic. She went to the kitchen and instructed them to cook two dishes for Gu Yan separately.

Gu Yan cannot eat food with strong flavors. His family usually accommodates his taste and eats relatively light food. However, people in the clinic have to work, and they will lack energy if they do not eat some oil and salt.

"Shall I stir-fry some greens and stew some crucian carp and tofu soup for Young Master Gu?" the cook asked.

"Okay." Gu Jiao was very satisfied with the arrangement; it should be enough for her and Gu Yan.

After leaving the kitchen, Gu Jiao did not go directly back to the courtyard, but instead went to the back gate of the girls' school through the back gate.

At this time, it was mealtime for the girls. The girls' school had a canteen, but it was not inside the school. Instead, you had to go out the back door and walk across the street to the canteen.

The reason for this is that they didn't take over the shop next door back then, so they had to convert the place that was originally intended to be a kitchen into a music hall.

The canteen rented a restaurant opposite the back door.

Zhuang Yuexi and Zhuang Mengdie walked towards the dining hall.

Zhuang Mengdie said dejectedly, "Ugh, another exam is coming up, so annoying! If we sit together during the exam, you can let me copy your answers."

Zhuang Yuexi said disdainfully, "It's arranged according to grades. With your pig brain, how could you possibly sit with me for an exam?"

Zhuang Mengdie retorted angrily, "How dare you talk like that? If I'm a pig-brain, what are you? We came from the same mother! If I'm a pig, then you are too!"

Zhuang Yuexi ignored her and walked past her.

Not to be outdone, Zhuang Mengdie ran ahead of her and said, "Hmph!"

She ran a few steps but then thought she couldn't give up so quickly. What if the two of them were sitting together? She still had to copy it.

"Let me tell you..."

Zhuang Mengdie turned around, intending to try again to persuade her sister, but there was no trace of Zhuang Yuexi on the busy street.

"That's too much! I don't want you as my sister anymore!"

Zhuang Mengdie stomped her foot and stormed off!

In a small alley near the clinic, Zhuang Yuexi was thrown to the ground by Gu Jiao.

Zhuang Yuexi felt a sharp pain from the fall, and she frowned as she looked at Gu Jiao: "What are you going to do?"

Gu Jiao looked down at her: "Is it you?"

Zhuang Yuexi's eyes flashed: "What do you mean by 'me'? I don't understand what you're doing at all!"

Zhuang Yuexi coldly leaned against the wall and stood up.

"Is that so?" Gu Jiao raised her hand indifferently and ripped off the veil around her neck, revealing the newly scabbed wound.

After the wound bled and clotted, it stuck to the gauze. When Gu Jiao tore off the gauze, the scab was also torn off, and fresh blood flowed out immediately.

Gu Jiao, being a doctor, immediately recognized that the wound was less than twelve hours old.

Zhuang Yuexi took a step back, covered her wound, and looked at Gu Jiao in a panic.

Gu Jiao and Zhuang Yuexi only met formally for the first time today, but it was obvious that Zhuang Yuexi had been secretly observing her for a long time, otherwise she wouldn't have even found out where Gu Jiao lived.

Gu Jiao wasn't interested in why Zhuang Yuexi wanted to frame her. She hadn't offended Zhuang Yuexi, yet Zhuang Yuexi kept causing her trouble. So the problem must lie with Zhuang Yuexi herself.

She stepped forward, her eyes icy.

Zhuang Yuexi had never seen such a terrifying look before, and she couldn't help but take several steps back.

However, there was a wall behind her, and she had nowhere to retreat.

Gu Jiao's slender fingers traced her long neck, lingering on the wound for a moment, as if she could break her neck with the slightest movement.

She stroked her neck very gently.

However, Zhuang Yuexi felt like she couldn't breathe, as if something was choking her.

Gu Jiao said calmly, "Girl, I'll let you off this time because my great-aunt is also surnamed Zhuang, but this is the only time. Don't mess with me again, or you won't be able to afford the consequences."

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word made Zhuang Yuexi feel immense danger.

After saying that, she released Zhuang Yuexi and walked away without looking back.

Zhuang Yuexi collapsed to the ground, drenched in cold sweat.

It took her a long while to find her voice. Realizing she had lost face in front of the other person, she roared, "So what if your aunt... your aunt's surname is also Zhuang... my aunt is the Empress Dowager! The Empress Dowager—"

Gu Jiao ignored her and stepped out of the alley.

(End of this chapter)