Chapter 26 Having Read Countless Men "Where did you read them? I want to read them too."...
“Ah Yue…”
"Ah Yue!"
A lively female voice interrupted Qi Baitong's words.
Gu Shanyue leaned out of the small window and saw Li Yaoguang dressed in her finest attire in the courtyard.
She held an exquisite gold-threaded fan in her hand, and upon seeing Gu Shanyue, she rushed to the small window, her gold hairpins jingling and swaying wildly.
"Ah Yue, you're still not up?" Li Yaoguang said, only then noticing that there was another man silently watching her in the room.
Gu Shanyue was only wearing a nightgown. The two of them were on the bed and on the floor, their postures very intimate, as if Qi Baitong was about to climb onto her bed at any moment.
Li Yaoguang was fond of seeking pleasure, and it was easy to see the undercurrents between the two of them.
She covered half her face with her fan and chuckled, "Oh dear, I've come at the wrong time, I've disturbed your good time!"
Qi Baitong thought to himself, "Since you know, why don't you leave?"
But he couldn't say it aloud; he knew that Gu Shanyue liked this girl quite a bit.
As expected, Gu Shanyue let go of his hand and got out of bed: "Why did you come so early in the morning?"
With just a few words, Li Yaoguang seemed ashamed. He opened his mouth to speak, but then said, "You pack up first, and I'll explain in detail later."
Gu Shanyue didn't think much of it: "Oh."
Turning her head, Qi Baitong was bringing her clothes: "A-Yue, put on your clothes first."
Gu Shanyue reached out, but Qi Baitong held onto the clothes tightly. Gu Shanyue asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Qi Baitong unfolded the clothes, pointed to a row of small buttons inside the inner shirt, and explained, "This garment has hidden buttons. Let me help you put it on."
Gu Shanyue glanced at it and realized it was true. She readily agreed, "Okay."
Gu Shanyue was simple-minded and never cared about such trivial matters.
Therefore, she never even considered that the clothes she wore the next day were prepared by Qi Baitong. Qi Baitong always took meticulous care of her, knowing that she disliked buttoning up small buttons, so why would she specially prepare such clothes?
Gu Shanyue stretched out his hand and raised his chin.
Qi Baitong lowered his eyes and lifted her clothes, the fabric sliding from her fingertips to her shoulder, his palm also sliding through the air, dressing her in the clothes she wore to meet outsiders.
He used to be one of those outsiders, but now he's closer to her.
Qi Baitong knelt down on one knee, looked up and fastened the small button on her waist, his expression serious, as if he were doing something extremely solemn.
Gu Shanyue waited listlessly, her gaze falling on his face, and casually pinched his ear.
One pinch and the ear turned red.
Qi Baitong continued to play around, her expression unchanged, remaining composed and reserved.
Gu Shanyue pinched his face again, and Qi Baitong's face indeed began to turn red. But he was still carefully buttoning her clothes, his expression unchanged, and he didn't even ask Gu Shanyue why she was pinching and poking him for no reason.
He looks just like his senior sister.
Gu Shanyue was quite a mischievous child when she was young, and her senior sister raised her with gentleness and tolerance.
Once the buttons were fastened, Qi Baitong lowered his head, smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt, and then brought her boots, helping her put them on one by one.
"alright."
Qi Baitong stood up, and Gu Shanyue's eyes followed him. Qi Baitong's hand under his sleeve was clenched into a fist, and his face remained calm.
Are you hungry?
Gu Shanyue patted her stomach, which was a little deflated: "I'm hungry."
"You can eat after you wash up."
As Qi Baitong spoke, he flew out again. When Gu Shanyue slowly strolled into the bathroom, a copper basin was placed on the shelf, the water surface rippled slightly, and everything was ready.
Gu Shanyue reached out; the water was warm, carrying a faint scent of hibiscus leaves.
Ever since she washed her hair, the water Qi Baitong prepared for her to wash her hands had the scent of hibiscus.
Gu Shanyue liked the smell, but hadn't smelled it for many years.
She stirred the water with her fingers, splashing water droplets and releasing a slightly stronger, delicate fragrance.
Gu Shanyue played for a while before washing up. When she came out, a table full of food and snacks had already been set out on the dining table. As soon as Li Yaoguang saw her, he immediately waved.
"Come here, come here! Your breakfast smells so good! I've already eaten, but I'm still craving it."
Gu Shanyue sat down and said generously, "Then let's eat together."
"Okay, okay." Li Yaoguang picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
Gu Shanyue also buried her head in her food, and after eating for a while, she suddenly felt that something was different between today and yesterday.
She raised her face, her cheeks puffed out, looked around, and noticed the problem.
Yesterday, Qi Baitong and she sat at the table together for breakfast. Today, Li Yaoguang is here, and Qi Baitong stands quietly beside her, just like when the two of them were not yet familiar with each other.
Gu Shanyue reached out and grabbed his wrist. Qi Baitong followed her lead and walked in front of her.
"What's wrong, young lady?"
The way they address each other is different now; they've become "girl" again.
Gu Shanyue asked in surprise, "Didn't we agree to call me A-Yue?"
Li Yaoguang, who was eating, suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with excitement at having stumbled upon a gossip scene.
Qi Baitong's eyelashes trembled. Even though she was used to Gu Shanyue's personality, she could still catch people off guard at times.
He whispered, "There are outsiders here."
He was merely a bodyguard, while she was the world's number one swordswoman, known to all, and a guest of honor of the Crown Prince. Moreover, the relationship between the two of them... was not one of mutual affection or love.
Qi Baitong thought that Gu Shanyue would not want to show his closeness to outsiders.
Gu Shanyue, unaware of his thoughts, was completely confused: "So what?"
Qi Baitong's heart is like a never-ending volcano. Sometimes it erupts with torrents of pain, drowning and suffocating people. But at other times, a shallow, nourishing stream flows from the crater, bringing a sweet feeling to one's heart.
"Ah Yue," he immediately changed his address.
As long as Gu Shanyue doesn't dislike him because of this, how could he not like being close to her?
“You’re acting strange today,” Gu Shanyue said, pointing to the edge of the table. “Don’t stand there, sit down and eat.”
"Okay." Qi Baitong moved quickly and quietly, sitting down next to Gu Shanyue.
Li Yaoguang's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them before she moved closer to Gu Shanyue, nudging her shoulder against hers.
"You two," Li Yaoguang raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "what's going on?"
"What do you mean? What happened?" Gu Shanyue didn't understand what she meant.
"Oh dear, we're already sharing a room, why are you asking me what's up?" Li Yaoguang said, winking and making faces. "I've seen countless men, I can tell at a glance that your relationship is special, don't try to fool me."
"Having been with countless men?" Gu Shanyue caught the nuance of this phrase.
Li Yaoguang waved her fan again, bluffing, "I am a princess, it is my great fortune that they can serve me."
These things are not honorable to talk about openly. Li Yaoguang has been taught a lot, both openly and secretly. In fact, many young ladies from noble families of the same age keep their distance from her because of this, for fear of ruining their reputation.
Li Yaoguang waved her fan rapidly, her eyes constantly stealing glances at Gu Shanyue's expression, afraid that she might also reveal that subtle yet disdainful look.
Gu Shanyue's expression was anything but subtle; it was direct, even a little anxious.
"Where did I read it? Am I allowed to read it?"
Li Yaoguang froze, then burst out laughing, laughing so hard she bent over backwards, tears streaming down her face.
"You really are a heroine!"
Li Yaoguang kept laughing under Gu Shanyue's questioning gaze, and even took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears of laughter.
She was overjoyed. Gu Shanyue turned to Qi Baitong and asked, "What's she laughing at? Is it that funny?"
Qi Baitong's face darkened: "It's not funny at all."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, with a hint of gritted teeth.
Li Yaoguang on the left was laughing loudly, while Qi Baitong on the right had a face as black as the bottom of a pot. Gu Shanyue sat between the two, looking completely bewildered.
What happened?
No one answered.
Qi Baitong looked at Li Yaoguang with a fierce gaze, as if she wanted to assassinate her.
Gu Shanyue's stomach was still empty, so she had to continue eating. After a while, Li Yaoguang finally stopped laughing and cried out, "Ouch, ouch!" clutching her stomach. "I can't laugh anymore, or my stomach will cramp up."
Gu Shanyue asked, puzzled, "Is it that funny?"
Li Yaoguang rubbed his sore face from laughing, patted Gu Shanyue's arm with his fan, and winked, "You don't understand. Anyone who has lived in Shengjing since childhood would know what I'm laughing about."
"Yeah?"
Gu Shanyue looked at Qi Baitong. Didn't he say it wasn't funny? Gu Shanyue was even more confused.
Li Yaoguang peeked at Qi Baitong's cold face and said with a wicked grin, "Except for him."
Gu Shanyue couldn't understand, and gave up: "You haven't answered my question yet, can I read it?"
As soon as he said that, the table shook and a few drops of soup spilled from the bowl.
Qi Baitong paused for a moment, wiped away the soup stains, and quietly lowered her eyes.
Gu Shanyue was waiting for Li Yaoguang's reply and didn't pay attention to this little incident.
Li Yaoguang raised her eyebrows repeatedly, revealing a hint of sleazy despite being a pretty young girl.
"Of course! Remember the theater last time? We can have a great time there."
Upon hearing this, Gu Shanyue immediately lowered her head and ate quickly. Before Li Yaoguang could react, Gu Shanyue had already grabbed her sleeve.
"Let's go, let's go see men."
Li Yaoguang laughed again. When she was young, she thought Gu Shanyue was a cold and aloof swordsman who killed without blinking an eye. She never expected that Gu Shanyue would be such an interesting girl. She was just her type.
"Ah Yue, you're truly my soulmate!" Li Yaoguang exclaimed, grabbing Gu Shanyue's hand tightly and saying excitedly, "Let's go!"
The two girls couldn't wait to go outside. Qi Baitong sat at the table, glanced at the remaining bowls, chopsticks, cups and plates, and then looked at the backs of Gu Shanyue and Li Yaoguang leaving together. Suddenly, a sense of desolation arose in her heart.
With Li Yaoguang there, Gu Shanyue and she rode in a carriage together. As soon as they got in and sat down, the carriage shook. Qi Baitong followed, without saying a word, and sat down in a corner like a dark-faced demon.
Li Yaoguang clicked his tongue and whispered to Gu Shanyue, "Should we send him back?"
She suddenly spoke in a low voice. Gu Shanyue didn't understand what she meant, but she cooperated and asked in a low voice, "Why did you chase him away?"
Li Yaoguang hissed and said seriously, "Are you stupid? With him around, how can you enjoy yourself and have a good time?"
As soon as he said that, the temperature inside the carriage seemed to drop a little.
Although Qi Baitong had his eyes downcast, his face was icy cold, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was about to draw his sword and attack at any moment.
Li Yaoguang shrank back, her voice even softer: "He can't hear me, can he?"
Gu Shanyue glanced at Qi Baitong and waved her hand with a smile: "How could that be? With his hearing, he could hear you even if you were outside the carriage."
Li Yaoguang was stunned: "...Why didn't you say so earlier?"
What if she ends up on Qi Baitong's assassination list? She's heard that the Imperial Guard's punishments can make even the most stubborn person beg for mercy.
Faced with Li Yaoguang's accusing gaze, Gu Shanyue innocently shrugged: "You didn't ask."
Li Yaoguang: "..."
She originally wanted to broaden Gu Shanyue's horizons, but under Qi Baitong's deathly gaze, she could only shut up.
After a while, Gu Shanyue suddenly remembered what they had talked about when they met that morning and casually asked, "What did you want to say to me this morning?"
Gu Shanyue sometimes appears slow-witted, and at other times extremely sensitive.
Upon hearing this, Li Yaoguang's momentum instantly weakened, and he stammered, "I actually came here today to apologize to you."
Gu Shanyue raised an eyebrow: "Apologize?"
“Last time I went to see you, I ran into Yu Jingshu. I talked to her about some things, which is why she used Nanxing to harm you… It’s all my fault…” Li Yaoguang’s voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and in the end she lowered her head, not daring to look at Gu Shanyue.
Despite being usually aggressive and domineering, when it comes to serious matters, he's just as timid as he was when he was a child.
"So what? Even if there were ten Yu Jingshus or ten Nanxings, they couldn't do anything to me," Gu Shanyue raised her hand and gently patted her cheek. "I don't blame you."
"Really? You're not angry with me!" With just one sentence, Li Yaoguang happily hugged her arm again.
"These are all minor matters. Later, he poured the entire bowl of aphrodisiac into Nanxing's mouth, so he got what he deserved. As for Yu Jingshu, she is Yu'er's fiancée, so we'll let her off the hook."
Gu Shanyue spoke with complete ease, showing no regard for them whatsoever.
"You're so amazing!"
Such matters are major events in Shengjing City. Whether one is the one who initiates the conflict or the one who is plotted against, they will inevitably become enemies who hate each other, entangled in this quagmire until they grow old and die, leaving nothing behind in the end.
But for Gu Shanyue, this matter didn't seem to carry much weight; it was something that could be easily resolved and would soon disappear.
She wouldn't harbor resentment or hatred towards Yu Jingshu because Yu Jingshu tried to scheme against her in bed.
Does possessing great power allow one to escape this quagmire and no longer care about these things?
Many figures flashed through Li Yaoguang's mind in an instant, but he did not get the answer to this question.
Gu Shanyue smiled and said, "Of course I'm good."
Li Yaoguang's thoughts were interrupted, and she laughed and teased, "You're not modest at all."
Gu Shanyue remained calm and composed, saying, "What's with the modesty? I'm just telling the truth."
A breeze blew past the window, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead, her gaze as bright, pure, and resolute as ever.
Li Yaoguang held Gu Shanyue's arm, looking at her with bright eyes.
The lacquered white cypress in the corner raised its eyes at some point and silently gazed at Gu Shanyue, its eyes filled with a deep, unfathomable light.
Gu Shanyue is Gu Shanyue; she is different from everyone else.
Upon arriving at the theater, the two were immediately surrounded by chatter and fragrant breezes as they stepped off the carriage. A large crowd rushed forward, crowding around them and pulling them inside.
When Gu Shanyue entered the theater through the main gate for the first time, several handsome young boys surrounding her kept twisting and turning, trying to fall on her, only to be blocked by Qi Baitong's hand that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Li Yaoguang adapted well, waving a round fan. The boy rushed over and caught her, patted her face and rubbed her chest, stuffed a silver note into her hand and put her back. The boy even gave her a sweet kiss with reluctance.
Along the way, handsome young boys fluttered over like butterflies, one after another. Li Yaoguang pouted and kissed them repeatedly, handing out silver notes one after another like a flowing stream.
Gu Shanyue watched without blinking, when suddenly a deep voice sounded in his ear.
"Is A-Yue envious?"
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