Chapter 442 Growing Up (Tenth Update)

Gu Jiao returned to Biyue Hutong. Gu Yan's bodyguard A told her that someone had come by today. It was a master, probably also a bodyguard. He had lingered in the hutong for a while, mainly keeping an eye on their house.

"Is it that Young Master Mingyue's people again?" Gu Jiao asked.

Young Master Mingyue was the one who bought Xiao Jingkong's Golden Abacus. It was obvious that he intended to get close to Xiao Jingkong and had even sent his men to keep an eye on Bishui Hutong.

After being exposed by Gu Jiao, he hasn't shown up for a long time.

“It’s not the same person as last time,” said Guard A.

Gu Jiao responded with an "oh".

Then there's no doubt that he's one of Prince Ning's men.

It must have been sent by Prince Ning to find out Xiao Liulang's whereabouts. Prince Ning also wanted to know if Xiao Liulang had been found, or even if he was being hidden in his home.

"Did he find Xiao Liulang?" Gu Jiao asked again.

The guard A said, "No, the young master has been in the study the whole time. The man squatted for a while but couldn't get a spot, so he left."

Gu Jiao nodded with some satisfaction: "Be careful, don't let anyone discover Xiao Liulang these next few days."

"yes!"

Gu Jiao went to the study, opened the small medicine box, and took out gauze and medicine to change Xiao Liulang's dressing.

She felt her surgery was very successful, but this guy had a precedent—his foot surgery was also successful, but he just couldn't walk. Gu Jiao was worried that he might lose his ability to write due to some psychological factors.

Gu Jiao pondered whether to tell him that Princess Xinyang was not the arsonist from back then, but after hesitating for a moment, she still felt that the timing was not right and the evidence was insufficient.

Xiao Liulang was extremely unsure whether Princess Xinyang still had feelings for him; he might think that Yu Jin or she was comforting him.

There are some things that Princess Xinyang must tell him in person.

Matters of the heart must be dealt with gradually. Let's deal with the Prince of Ning first, as his threat is no less than that of Consort Jing.

At least my great-aunt wasn't on Consort Jing's side.

Thinking of her great-aunt, Gu Jiao sighed softly.

It had been raining in the capital for several days, and the weather seemed to have suddenly turned cool. Gu Jiao put on her autumn clothes.

Generally speaking, girls don't grow much taller after they start menstruating, but she's still growing.

Xiao Liulang is also growing up.

"The sleeves are too short again." While eating, Yao noticed that both of their sleeves no longer covered their wrists. "I'll pull down the hem inside later."

Actually, it wasn't just the two of them; Gu Yan was also very handsome, and his voice started to change.

His voice change started later than Gu Xiaoshun's, but it's unknown whether it started later than Xiao Liulang's. After all, Xiao Liulang was already sixteen or seventeen when he was taken back to the village, and had long since entered puberty. Just recently, his voice change ended.

Perhaps it's because Gu Jiao has a biased view of Xiao Liulang, but she always felt that Xiao Liulang's voice during puberty wasn't bad. Now it's become even more pleasant to listen to—low, clear, and with a touch of youthful magnetism, making it especially alluring when you're alone with him.

—She never considered that Xiao Liulang was deliberately seducing her.

"Have a steamed bun." Madam Yao placed a carrot and mutton steamed bun on Gu Yan's plate.

"I won't eat it." Gu Yan is a picky eater.

"Ee?" Little Jingkong's eyes widened, and the hand holding his little spoon froze in mid-air. "Brother Yan, your voice sounds so strange!"

Gu Xiaoshun and Xiao Liulang also went through puberty, and Gu Xiaoshun still has his voice now. However, when Xiao Jingkong came to their house, they both had their voices like this, which wasn't abrupt. Gu Yan, on the other hand, went from having a tender boyish voice to this kind of voice, which is quite a big leap.

Xiao Liulang's voice changed after puberty, but the change was not as significant as when he suddenly entered puberty.

Therefore, Xiao Jingkong barely noticed the change in her bad brother-in-law, but immediately noticed Gu Yan's.

Gu Yan was still getting used to his new voice, feeling a little excited and embarrassed. He cleared his throat, grabbed a pig-shaped bun, and stuffed it into his mouth: "Eat your food!"

Xiao Jingkong wanted to say a few words, but he suddenly bit into the sweet filling inside. He instantly felt that eating the piggy bun was more interesting than exploring Yan-gege's new voice.

The sky cleared up today, and Qinghe Academy and the Imperial College were both given a rare holiday.

Gu Jiao brought several young men from her family to the palace to visit her great-aunt.

Xiao Jingkong is a frequent visitor to Renshou Palace, while Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun come less often, since they are students who need to attend special classes and cannot afford to be bothered.

As always, the group used facial recognition to enter the palace; their tokens were already covered in dust.

Empress Dowager Zhuang was overwhelmed with reviewing memorials when a palace maid accidentally knocked over her beloved glass lantern into the inkstone, soiling the entire lantern. The maid knelt down, trembling with fear.

Eunuch Qin couldn't bear to watch anymore.

If you're unlucky, even an expert can't save you.

Unexpectedly, the next second Jade came to report: "Miss Gu and several young masters have arrived!"

Eunuch Qin felt the murderous aura emanating from Empress Dowager Zhuang vanish in an instant. He quickly winked at the little palace maid, "Alright, alright, you're lucky. Hurry up and leave!"

Gu Jiao brought a jar of homemade jujubes. She didn't add any sugar; the sweetness came from the jujubes themselves. It wouldn't hurt for her aunt to eat a few more.

Empress Dowager Zhuang was quite satisfied with their trip.

Empress Dowager Zhuang and Gu Jiao sat on the veranda eating jujubes, while the three of them played in the courtyard. Gu Xiaoshun wasn't always chopping wood; he could be mischievous too, like right now.

He actually suggested climbing a tree to raid bird nests.

This suggestion received a strong response from Xiao Jingkong, the tree-climbing fanatic, but Gu Yan disagreed.

He couldn't climb up.

Empress Dowager Zhuang watched the three of them argue with amusement. Gu Yan, with her silver tongue, outwitted the carpenter and the young monk, and finally managed to pull the carpenter into her camp—to go fishing.

Gu Yan smiled smugly: "Little monk, are you going or not?"

Little Jingkong, hands on hips and stamping his feet, exclaimed, "I'm not going! Dream on!"

"Cough." Empress Dowager Zhuang choked on this sudden fart and almost had to be resuscitated again.

Gu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Little guy, you've even learned to swear? Who taught you that?"

He Xu Zhouzhou!

Hehehe!

Little Jingkong stuck out his tongue, made a face, and ran away in a flash!

Gu Jiao looked at Empress Dowager Zhuang strangely: "Grandma, you didn't teach her that, did you?"

Empress Dowager Zhuang said righteously and sternly: "How could I possibly teach such words! Is there no trust between people anymore?!"

She only said it once by accident, and the Minister of War's youngest son overheard it, but she didn't teach him; the little guy learned it on his own!

The Renshou Palace was filled with the voices of three little boys. Empress Dowager Zhuang used to be most intolerant of noise, but after living in the countryside and Bishui Hutong for a while, she had developed a tolerance for noise.

In addition, Empress Dowager Zhuang discovered that Gu Yan's voice had changed.

Hmph, the little brat is finally growing into a man.

Xiao Jingkong and Gu Xiaoshun wanted to eat flower cakes, so Gu Jiao took a basket and went to the Imperial Garden to pick flowers.

As luck would have it, the Crown Princess was also there.

She also came to pick a few flowers, but not to eat them; she wanted to use them for flower arranging.

Gu Jiao was alone, while Chunying was by the Crown Princess's side.

Gu Jiao didn't even glance at the two of them, and went to the other side to choose the flowers she needed.

(End of this chapter)