Chapter 17 Lover of the Master

Xiao Xiaoshen jumped up angrily with his right hand touching the knife handle on his waist. He pointed at the man who was swaying the fan, and scolded, "What's wrong with you? Behave yourself!" Immediately, the captain seven and the captain nine also jumped up and stared at the man as if they were going to kill him. People in the Eastern Depot were always arrogant. Even if they wore their casual clothes, they could not change their nature. Today, it was the first time that they had brought the apprentice of Master to play outside. How could others bully her? The captain three, Zhao Wuji, was the oldest among all the captains here, and he was calm. He held a pair of steel balls and squinted toward the young man with anger. "If you have finished the meal, then leave without delay!" Zhao Wuji grasped the steel ball tightly. If the man had said one more word, he would immediately have thrown the ball towards him to ruin his face. The young man glanced at the broadsword hanging on Xiao Xiaoshen's waist and gathered the folding fan with pride. He tapped at the table slightly with his fan and said to Zhao Wuji, "Why are you so nervous? I said the noodles are fragrant rather than the men. I'm not interested in men at all!" He deliberately stared at flushing Gu Yunxi, who was shyer due to his glance. Everyone was speechless. The young man took advantage of this opportunity and bowed to Gu Yunxi, "It is so lovely that you flush constantly. I am busy today, and I have to bid farewell to you. Goodbye!" He shook the folding fan and walked out of the room with a flirtatious wink. His laughter spread all the way. "Shit!" Xiao Xiaoshen scolded towards his back and sat back at the table. Gu Yunxi still stared at the outside, as if she had lost her soul. Xiao Xiaoshen pushed her twice hurriedly, "He has gone! Is he more handsome than our Master?" Gu Yunxi glanced at him embarrassedly and said slightly, "Nonsense! I am not watching him. He is certainly not as handsome as our Master." Gu Yunxi felt ashamed for saying this. She knew that she had not only stared at his white clothes but also stunned for his beautiful visage. Both the man in white and Leng Qingtang were handsome, but in a different way. They couldn't be compared at all, but she admitted against her will that Master was more handsome. Xiao Xiaoshen laughed suddenly. Gu Yunxi was alert, "What's up?" "Sister, do enjoy yourself today. When you go back and see Master, don't tell him what happened just now. If he knows that you were bullied, we will be punished severely." Captain ten Yuan Qian giggled, shook his body like a shy girl, and said, "The Master treats us well and will not punish us! However, I think it's inevitable for us to be scolded." Gu Yunxi blinked and said seriously, "Don't worry, I won't say anything to the Master. I don't take it seriously at all." Zhao Wuji opened the window to looked out and said, " "Let's hurry up. It's getting late." When he finished the noodles and contentedly put down chopsticks, he looked at Gu Yunxi gratefully, "Thank you for this gift. You are kind. Learn from the Master, and one day you will be successful. As long as I'm in the Eastern Depot, I will do my best to look after you." "Uncle, thanks a lot!" Gu Yunxi smiled happily. Captain ten had a glass of wine and smiled with two beautiful dimples on his fair cheeks. "Although I'm young, and it is not long since I entered the Eastern Depot, I know that the Master treats us well. He looks stern and is fierce against his opponents. However, he quite trusts his friends." "Hey! You are right!" Jiang Xiong, the captain seven, sat next to the captain ten. Hearing that the Master is praised, he pounded the table happily and picked up the cup, "Let's have a toast for your compliments!" "Cheers!" Yuan Qian picked up the cup, and the two of them finished the wine. "Cheers!" Zhao Wuji got excited and continued to greet everyone. Gu Yunxi did not drink and looked at the captains, who drank happily. She felt the warmth of home. This morning was more fulfilling than any other day because of those friends. The captain seven was talkative. After finishing several cups of wine, he looked around and said mysteriously, "Our Master does not like to laugh, but he is not a cold-hearted person. Senior people in the Palace told me that he had a lover in the Palace when he was young. Since she was several years older than the Master, the Emperor ordered her to marry a minister. Thus, the Master failed to marry her...." "Really? Tell us more...." "Which class was that maid? Which palace was she in charge?" Gossip greatly attracted people's attention. Right now, the younger captains were eager to know more and waited for him to continue talking. Gu Yunxi heard it clearly. She thought, "The lover of the Master? The Master is bound to love her, and she also loves the Master." The handsome face of Leng Qingtang suddenly popped up in her mind. Gu Yunxi put down the chopsticks and thought that when the Master was young, he must have attracted a lot of maids. She thought, "How beautiful is the girl that she can even gain the heart of the Master?" Xiao Xiaoshen saw Gu Yunxi was concentrated in thinking, and the smile on her face was fading. He thought that she was unhappy and then interrupted the gossip, "Nonsense! Hurry up, and leave earlier!" ... It had already past noon when they returned to the Eastern Depot. Leng Qingtang had left the court and was resting in the Southern Residence. Gu Yunxi put a large bag of ingredients into the kitchen and went to the Master's room to greet him. Leng Qingtang wore a casual black suit and didn't wear a high hat. His hair was tied up in a bun with a white hairpin running through the center. When Gu Yunxi entered the house, he leaned sideways on the couch and was reading. "Back?" When he saw her entering the room, he put the book down, stood up and squinted her with a gentle smile, "When the court ended, the captain five told me that you followed Xiaoshen to go to the street. Are you having fun?" He looked at her in men's casual clothes. Both his expression and tone seemed to belong to a parent who hadn't met his child for a day. The chat was full of warmth and love. "Master, today I went to North Street with a few captains. It was busy there. At noon, we ate in the Baoyue Restaurant. I brought back some ingredients when I came back. There is a festival next month, and I want to make some snacks in my spare time." "Good!" Leng Qingtang said, looking at her, but he couldn't help laughing, "Whose clothes are you wearing? It doesn't fit!" "It belongs to Xiaoshen!" Gu Yunxi looked down at herself, scratching her back head in embarrassment. "I'm careless since I only prepared the guard's clothes for you. I will ask the tailor to come over later, and let him prepare several boy's casual clothes for you." "Thank you, Master!" Gu Yunxi answered shortly. Today, she had fun and had not completely calmed down from the state of excitement. Her eyes were shining with bright light. Gu Yunxi hadn't gone to the streets and had fun these years. When she was at the Garden, Nanny Gu would let her work in the kitchen instead of allowing her to go out whenever it was weekend. Sometimes Gu Yunyao couldn't bear it and asked to take her out with her. However, the destination was still close to the Garden. Leng Qingtang listened to her endless descriptions with a smile. He felt relieved since she was really happy. When he brought her into the Eastern Depot, what he worried most was that she would not get used to it and became unhappy. Now, she not only lived happily but also got along well with his followers. This sweet girl turned out to be so resilient. Gu Yunxi finished it in one breath and didn't tell the story about the young man in white to Leng Qingtang. For her, the young man was just a passerby, and she didn't take him seriously. After seeing the handsome and mature Master, she naturally forgot the young man. Leng Qingtang stared at Gu Yunxi with tender affection. "It is warm now, and it is time to go for a walk. When it is cold in winter, it is not convenient to do so." "I know it." Gu Yunxi was also watching him with a sweet smile on her fair face. "When the Master was young, he had a lover in the palace." Gu Yunxi recalled the words of the captain seven. It's no wonder that such a handsome and considerate man attracted girls. Gu Yunxi became confused and regrettable. She thought, "If the Master hadn't been castrated, he should have attracted a lot of girls. But at the same time, he would not become the Master, and I would not meet him in the Garden, nor would he bring me to the Eastern Depot." It seemed that it was destiny. Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise. "Yunxi, what's wrong?" When Gu Yunxi awakened from her thoughts, she found that she was shadowed by the Master. Leng Qingtang stood in front of her with the closest distance. Just now, he realized that she was suddenly in a trance, so he stepped forward. When he was going to raise his hands and shake her, she recovered suddenly. Leng Qingtang was startled and held his hands in the air. He stared at her cute face, and his eyes softened. He dropped her hand to her forehead slowly and stroked her hair. Gu Yunxi was still looking at him without saying a word. The Master was so gentle. Gu Yunxi thought of his lover again. The excitement she felt when she came back disappeared immediately. Gu Yunxi couldn't tell what was wrong with her at the moment. When she looked at such a handsome and gentle Master, she could not help but think of his lover that she had never met. At that moment, she even felt that the Master was a little distant and strange. She felt disappointed and even jealous for no reason. She thought, "Why do I feel so upset? Why am I jealous of a woman who I know nothing about?" Gu Yunxi slowly lowered her head, ashamed of her complex and unspeakable emotions. Unconsciously, she blushed again. Leng Qingtang stared at Gu Yunxi and her changing expressions with curiosity and frustration. It was so hard to figure out what she was thinking about. Gu Yunxi finally realized she misbehaved herself. "Master, I won't disturb your rest. I will leave immediately!" She anxiously took the front foot out of the door, but the back foot stumbled on the threshold. She immediately leaned on the frame of the door. "Slow down! Why are you so panicked today?" Leng Qingtang came over to help her. He hadn't touched her before she ran out. He shook his head in surprise. What was the matter with her?