Chapter 63: Big Sister, Little Brother
Seeing the glint in Gu Jiao‘s eyes, Gu Yan knew that she still remembered him, causing a joyful smile to appear on his world-weary face.
Gu Jiao felt her mood become better upon seeing his smile. She was about to come forward and greet him when she saw him put his jade forefinger on his lip.
Gu Jiao instantly understood. She lowered her eyes as if she didn't see anything.
Although these guards were also from the Hot Spring Villa, they had never seen Gu Jiao, so they didn't recognize Gu Jiao's identity. When they saw that Gu Jiao was fine, they went on to apprehend the assassin.
After confirming that the people were far away, Gu Jiao walked up to the front of the carriage.
This was a carriage for common folks, which was very simple and crude. It was no wonder that he was able to hide himself from people; the guards would never expect the precious young master of the Marquis Estate to commit himself to such a carriage even if they were beaten to death.
The coachman was also from the town. He had received enough money and wouldn’t talk randomly.
Gu Jiao lifted open the window curtain and looked at the sickly beauty of a youth with delicate countenance. She asked, "Why are you here? And you also got rid of all your guards?"
"I came to see you." Gu Yan answered honestly.
"See me? Are you feeling sick again?" Gu Jiao subconsciously reached into the window to check his pulse. Only when she grasped his wrist did she remember that she was just a little medicine girl when they went to the Marquis Estate last time.
She withdrew her hand without batting an eyelid.
A clear and light smile emerged on Gu Yan's pale face as he said, "I know it's you."
Ah, how did you know?
How did she expose herself?
Gu Jiao scratched her little head.
Gu Yan was amused by her blank appearance, saying, "Others don't know, come on up."
Her secrets were getting harder and harder to keep. First the old grandpa, then Second Owner and the old physician, and now, this young master of the Marquis Estate.
Nevertheless, Gu Jiao still decided to be careful, "I’m not the one who treated you, it was Physician Li of Rejuvenation Hall. I’m just his little medicine girl!"
Gu Yan flashed her a smile and said, "All right, little medicine girl, are you coming up? If you don't come up, they will find me."
Gu Jiao pondered for a moment before getting into the carriage.
She sat down beside Gu Yan.
As soon as Gu Jiao was seated, she thought that this carriage was really too crude. It must be really hard for the young master of the Marquis Estate to be sitting here.
But Gu Yan didn’t feel aggrieved at all. He could sit on anything as long as he could see her.
Gu Yan smiled and held out his skinny white wrist, "Little medicine girl, would you like to check my pulse?"
Gu Jiao's face didn’t change expressions as she said, "It may not be accurate."
Gu Yan nodded with a smile, "En."
Gu Jiao checked his pulse, finding that his pulse was much more stable than the last time.
After that, she opened the medicine chest and took out the stethoscope.
"What is that?" Gu Yan asked curiously.
"Stethoscope, take off your clothes." Physician Gu said in an aloof tone.
Gu Yan froze: "..."
Gu Jiao opened his clothes herself and put the stethoscope in.
She could still hear irregular heartbeats and noises. Although the anti-heart failure drugs were effective on him, the effects weren’t so much.
"Is it very painful?" Gu Jiao asked as she retracted the stethoscope.
Gu Yan bowed his head, his slender pale fingertips closing his clothes slowly. He said, "It's not very painful, really. It’s much better than before."
He had been suffering from this heart disease for so many years, and had never felt the comfort of a normal person. As long as he felt less uncomfortable, it was already good.
"About the jade thumb ring, you have been wronged." Gu Yan suddenly said.
Gu Jiao was blank for a moment. If he didn’t mention it, she would not remember at all. In fact, it really was nothing. It didn’t matter if unimportant people in her life misunderstood her. She said, "I took your jade thumb ring first, so I should be the one apologizing to you."
Gu Yan hated that she was acting unfamiliar with him, "I don't want your apology."
Gu Jiao smiled faintly and stopped talking about this topic, asking, "Why do you want to shake off your guards?"
"They’re a nuisance." Gu Yan answered.
Gu Jiao opened the window curtain and looked at the black-clad man on the ground, "But you may run into an assassin again."
Gu Yan smilingly said, "He’s not an assassin, but my dark guard. He led them away."
Gu Jiao blinked innocently, "Then he was really unlucky. He was hurt by several local ruffians."
Another dark guard not far away spat out a mouthful of old blood. Girl, was it really okay to lie through your teeth like that?
"En." Gu Yan chuckled, "He was hurt by the local ruffians indeed. Don’t worry about it. It’s up to him if he will perish or survive."
......Wasn’t that a bit exaggerated?
Gu Jiao cleared her throat and said, "Do you have more than one dark guard?"
Gu Yan’s smile never faded away, "There are two."
It seemed that the one who ran away earlier was also his dark guard. Fortunately, she didn't chase him. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if she had gotten that one out too.
The word embarrassed was written in caps lock across Gu Jiao's whole face.
"What's your name?" Gu Yan asked.
“Gu Jiao.” Gu Jiao replied.
Gu Yan was surprised, "Your surname is also Gu ah! My name is Gu Yan. We were a family five hundred years ago."
Gu Jiao let out a laugh at his last sentence. You, a young master of the Marquis Estate, actually lowered your status to claim relationships with a humble village girl. Were you not afraid that the Marquis and Marchioness would know about this and beat you up?
"Are you hungry?" Gu Yan asked.
Gu Jiao got up early and then walked here and there. Right now, she was really hungry.
The western area wasn’t as prosperous as the eastern part of the town. There weren't really any fine restaurants here. It took them a long time to find a small decent restaurant.
"Have you ever been to this kind of place?" Gu Jiao got out of the carriage and asked.
"No." Gu Yan answered honestly.
He was a sickly seedling who would collapse from just a single blow of the wind, and the Marquis State could be said to have brought him up in the palm of their hands. How could they let him come to such a marketplace or something?
Of course, he himself didn't have much interest. First, he didn't have the strength to toss about. Second, he was tired of this world and couldn’t be bothered to toss about.
But it was different now.
He was no longer suffering as much as before. Besides, he wanted to see her.
The two of them found a quiet corner and sat down. Gu Yan's appearance, temperament and clothes were bound to attract many eyes. He hated being stared at like this, but if he was with her, he didn’t mind.
The waiter had never seen such a noble gentleman before that he even forgot to welcome them.
Gu Yan ordered a table of good dishes.
Gu Jiao frowned, "Can you eat this?"
The dishes were pork joint stewed with rock sugar, braised pork balls in brown sauce and steamed preserved meat. His disease required him to avoid certain foods!
Gu Yan looked at her, resting his chin on his hand, "You’ll help me eat."
Gu Jiao:“…”
Gu Jiao wanted to be reserved, but everything he ordered was her favorite dishes.
In fact, these were also what Gu Yan always wanted to eat, but the physician refused to let him eat them.
Ultimately, the entire lavish meal went into Gu Jiao’s stomach, and Gu Yan could only eat porridge.
However, watching her eat was like he himself was also eating. He had never experienced this kind of satisfaction before.
After the meal, Gu Yan went to pay the bills, and Gu Jiao checked the contents of her medicine chest once more.
Sure enough, there were anti-heart failure drugs again.
Gu Jiao removed the original packaging, and stored them in several different small porcelain bottles like last time. The usage and dosage was indicated on the body of the bottle in cinnabar writing.
When Gu Yan came back, Gu Jiao handed him the medicine, "Have you almost run out of your medicine?"
Gu Yan looked at the medicine in her hand and was lost in thought for a moment.
Gu Jiao continued to pretend, "Physician Li gave it to me!"
Gu Yan: "...Oh."
"It's fine to take medicine on time and go out to relieve your boredom, but don't get rid of your guards again, especially if the skills of your dark guards aren’t good enough. A mere pole can deal with them..."
As Gu Jiao spoke solemnly, she suddenly caught a glimpse of him looking at her with a smile. Her heart thumped and she said, "It wasn't me, I didn't! I don't hit people!"
——guilty people give themselves away by conspicuously protesting their innocence.
Gu Yan laughed inwardly.