Chapter 69: Old Supreme Commander"s Little Pal
Once the carriage reached the Gu Estate, Yu Xiaoxiao left the carriage as if nothing had happened. Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei carried down Gu Xinglang, who was feeling too abashed to meet their eyes. They were the palace"s shadow guards, after all, so their ears were sharper than ordinary folk. Gu Xinglang was certain that they had caught his entire conversation with the princess in the carriage.
Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei"s expressions remained wooden. Even if they had heard everything, they were going to pretend otherwise. The profession of a shadow guard demanded that they pretend their master was wearing the finest brocade robes even if he was naked down to his b.u.t.t!
When the couple entered the gates, Gu Chen and Gu Xingnuo had already circled around the stone blocking the main courtyard. At the sight of them, the old man asked, "Princess, Third, has the hostage prince selection really changed to His Sixth Highness?"
"Yep, grandpa," Yu Xiaoxiao replied.
Gu Xinglang had a flare of annoyance when he realized he"d forgotten to send someone home to pa.s.s on the news. "Grandfather," he said, "How did the family get news of this?"
Gu Xingnuo walked to his brother while all smiles. "His Excellency Ying sent someone to inform us."
The old man scrutinized the couple before he asked, "What did you two do?"
None of the people who"d left with Her Royal Highness knew how to reply. There was enough detail to write an entire book about the princess championing the oppressed in front of Big Bowl Restaurant.
"We ate out," Yu Xiaoxiao said with no reservations. What else had she done besides that? Fight? Did that count as news at all?
"You ate out again?" the old man was in a good mood, so he asked, "Third, which restaurant did you take the princess to?"
"Big Bowl Restaurant," Yu Xiaoxiao said happily.
The old man fell silent. There"s a restaurant like that in the capital city?
"Grandpa, I"ll take you there another day," Yu Xiaoxiao said as she ran to his side and hooked her hand around his arm. "Their dishes are much tastier than Complacent Winery"s."
For a while, the old man reeled. He"d never been held by the arm like this in his lifetime besides by Old Madam in their youth. This was the first time any little girl had gotten so close to him. Yu Xiaoxiao pulled her grandfather past the screen wall as she spoke. "Grandpa, I"ll support you to walk. What did you guys eat today?"
Gu Chen looked at himself, then at Her Royal Highness clinging off his arm: one old and one young. Forget it, he thought. The h.e.l.l to that "men and women must maintain their distance" rule. What"s the problem with letting my granddaughter-in-law support me to walk? He began to take strides forward as he replied, "First, tell me what you and Third ate there?"
"Oh, there were meat dumplings, fish, shrimp, duck…"
"That much?"
"Ha, yep! There was also . Grandpa, why"s it called that? I didn"t see any squirrel meat, just a fish on the plate."
"Urk…"
The Gu brothers watched the intimate pair vanish from sight before Gu Xingnuo thoughtfully rubbed his bearded chin. "Is that really grandfather?" Since when had their grandfather seem to cordial and kindly?
Gu Xinglang was a bit taken aback as well. Then he remarked, "Grandfather likes the princess a lot."
"What kind of words are you using?" the eldest Gu brother smacked him on the forehead. "What grandfather"s doing right now is called "doting on her.""
Gu Xinglang grinned.
Eldest Young Master Gu was astonished. Look at this iceberg smiling like a flower. Men are really different after they get a wife.
—
Yu Xiaoxiao brought her grandfather into the study before settling down into a seat. Together, they began to curse and badmouth Zhao Qiuming and his family as well as their successive generations of ancestors. Then also made an agreement to dig up the Zhao Clan"s ancestral graves someday. The old man felt exceedingly refreshed after cursing them out! Yu Xiaoxiao felt that she"d finally found someone on the same wavelength as herself!
Old Madam and Lady Xu were standing right outside the closed doors of the study. After listening to the pair inside curse Prime Minister Zhao as an a**hole, she"d just about had enough! In all her years of marriage with the old soldier, she"d made him promise to keep his coa.r.s.e words in the military and leave it out of the home. The old man hadn"t broken his promise once in their decades of marriage, so all of his three grandsons had grown into unrestrained gentlemen who were adept in both brush and sword. Of course, the exception was Gu Xingyan and his careless big mouth.
What was the matter today? Old Madam was so angry that her body began to tremble. What kind of things is he saying?!
Lady Xu was knitting her brows as well. She came from a family of scholars and couldn"t bear to listen to such crude language. Her heart disliked such words, but she didn"t dare to protest. Instead, she helped the old lady head for the walkway outside. "Mother, father"s expressing his happiness."
Old Madam endured until they were out of the courtyard before she said, "Your father-in-law might be a military man who says unpleasant things, but how could a prim and proper princess also–aye, forget it, this is Xinglang"s fate!"
Lady Xu didn"t answer. Although she"d been slightly disappointed when Princess Linglong didn"t turn out to be a quiet, gentle, and virtuous maiden, she was still thankful to the girl for saving their lives. So she knew martial arts and spoke brusquely, but as long as she and Gu Xinglang could treat each other with the courtesy expected of husband and wife, then she could probably accept anything.
—
"Why didn"t grandma and mom come in?" Yu Xiaoxiao said, opening the study door to peer outside just as Old Madam and Lady Xu left the courtyard.
Gu Chen"s laughter stopped. Just then, he"d been so caught up in cursing that he forgot all about his problem to his old wife.
Yu Xiaoxiao glanced back and asked, "Grandpa, should I call grandma and mom back?"
"Forget it," the old man replied. "Let them do as they please. They have women"s business to take care of, so you don"t need to mind, princess."
Yu Xiaoxiao nodded.
One of them had no concept of being a woman, while the other took her as his little pal, so neither of them found anything strange in his last statement.
—
Gu Xinglang was currently sitting in his wheelchair while his eldest brother pushed him towards the old patriarch"s study. The two brothers ran into Old Madame and Lady Xu on the way.
"Grandmother, mother," Gu Xinglang greeted them both. "Xinglang has returned."
Old Madam looked at her youngest grandson and said, "You didn"t think to send anyone to notify the household of the exchange in hostage princes? Such an important thing and you didn"t remember. The princess might still be young, but what about you?"
Gu Xinglang was a little surprised. It was always grandfather who scolded him and grandmother who spoiled him, so what was different today?
Gu Xingnuo quickly replied, "Grandmother, Xinglang only forgot temporarily."
"Forgot," Old Madam echoed while shaking her head. "Your mother and I were anxious at home all this time, so why didn"t you think of us? I heard you went out to eat with the princess again. Xinglang, ah, when did you started acting without any propriety?"