Chapter 204

Ye Qingchi looked at Su He in disgust and automatically moved three inches away from him.

Su He coughed lightly, his handsome face somewhat embarrassed.

He was not very familiar with the prodigal young master of the Duke of Yong'an's manor, nor did he have much contact with his formidable brother-in-law.

It was so late into the night. A long study table, a pot of hot wine, four cups of light tea, three unfamiliar people.

It made his heart full of doubts.

"Cousin Ying, did you ask us to come?"

"Yes, cousin. If it weren't such an important matter, I wouldn't call you over so late."

"And deceive Mother too?"

"That's right, deceive Auntie. Not only deceive her, but also deceive all the other dignitaries in Bianjing."

Having said so, both Ye Qingchi and Su He felt the importance of the matter.

Su He's expression became serious as he frowned and looked towards Zhao Changdu, "Brother Du, what exactly is going on?"

Zhao Changdu calmly raised his brows. With hands crossed in front of his chest and an upright military posture, his manner commanded prestige, "Listen to what Cousin Ying has to say."

"Pfft." Su He snorted out a laugh.

For these brothers to discuss matters, they actually had to listen to a little girl?

Brother Du, have you been bewitched by this Miss Gu? His eyes shifted and he saw Gu Ying sitting next to Zhao Changdu, wearing a crimson long gown with a fox fur collar around her neck. Her hair was adorned with silk flowers and soft white fox fur.

Zhao Changdu was still in black robes and jade belt, as sturdy as jade. One was gentle as water, the other cold as ice.

They looked just like a harmless little bunny cuddling next to a ferocious wolf, giving an increasingly bizarre sense of compatibility.

"What are you laughing at?" Ye Qingchi frowned severely at Su He, "Listen seriously to what Cousin Ying has to say."

With both men glaring fiercely at him, Su He's mouth twitched. "I didn't say I wouldn't listen, I was just expressing my amazement! Why are you two glaring at me? I didn't do anything to your Cousin Ying."

Hearing Su He's words, Gu Ying did not have any sense of humor at all.

She looked seriously at the three men present and spread out the written papers on the long table, "What I'm about to say may sound somewhat far-fetched, but you must remember that no matter what happens in the future, you must listen to me under all circumstances and act according to my arrangements."

"You?" Su He laughed. "A little girl?"

It wasn't that he looked down on Gu Ying, he just felt it was quite fresh and incredible that the respected Crown Prince and the youngest Minister of the Censorate could be arranged around by a little girl.

Gu Ying pursed her lips, expecting that Su He might not believe her.

Zhao Changdu casually glanced over, and Su He instantly shut his mouth and surrendered with raised hands. "Alright, since you're Brother Du's little girl, I'll take your word for it."

Gu Ying glanced at the Crown Prince, feeling warmer in her heart.

The lights in the Changfeng Pavilion's study remained lit until dawn.

It wasn't until the first light of day that Zhao Changdu carried the little girl who had fallen asleep on the long table.

Su He straightened his wide sleeves as he stood up, yawning, "Brother Du, do you really believe Gu Ying's words?"

"Why wouldn't Cousin Ying's words be believable?" Ye Qingchi retorted first in a cold tone, "Being prepared for danger in times of peace is what clever people do."

Su He murmured, "It makes sense to say that, but it was just a little girl's dream. It feels somewhat frivolous."

Zhao Changdu listened to the two men debating for a while. His gaze was gentle and affectionate as he looked at the girl's peaceful sleeping face. He said lightly, "Do as she said."

After all, he was a man who maneuvered on the battlefield. With those words, the other two had nothing more to say.

Fine then, indulge as you please! The eternally barren iron tree truly wanted to spoil his little wife to the heavens.

Su He leaned against the door frame of the study, watching Zhao Changdu carefully carry Gu Ying to the master residence. He smiled amusedly at Ye Qingchi standing to the side, "Minister Ye, your sister is quite crafty." After this night, Ye Qingchi's liking towards his brother-in-law Zhao Changdu increased manifold.

He glanced coldly at Su He, mocking lightly, "Love between a man and a woman has nothing to do with craftiness."

Su He smirked, "Alright alright, I wasn't vilifying your sister either, just expressing my amazement. Brother Du usually has an aloof personality. Other than the old Duke, he has never cared so much for anyone. It shows that he genuinely loves your little sister. Gu Ying, Gu Ying, she is truly amazing."

He didn't expect the host of the Fuyun Building to be such a blabbermouth. But then again, one cannot gather intel without some loose lips.

Ye Qingchi's brows slightly arched, "What about Huo Qiyun then?"

Su He scoffed, "Her? She merely saved Brother Du's life when they were young children. Brother Du is grateful to her for saving his life, that's all."

Ye Qingchi was puzzled, "Saving his life?"

The little Crown Prince of the prominent Duke's manor, who would dare harm him?

Having been born in the prestigious Ye family, he did not understand the cruel infighting in such families.

Su He's mouth curved up slightly, his eyes narrowed, adding a hint of aloof chill. He leisurely walked past the wall of Changfeng Pavilion with Ye Qingchi, unhurried, "It wasn't a big deal, just something from when Brother Du was a boy who had just lost his mother. His subsequent stepmother couldn't wait to murder him, quite commonplace among prominent families."

No one dared mention or few people knew about these matters regarding Brother Du.

When Huo Qiyun first discovered the feverish Zhao Changdu on the floor of Changfeng Pavilion, she gave Zhao Changdu the will to survive. Otherwise, that person called Zhao Changdu probably wouldn't exist anymore.

On the long street, heavy snow swirled.

Ye Qingchi listened carefully, his brow more solemn, yet also more puzzled. "According to what you said, wasn't that winter when the Crown Prince had a fever in the third year of Tianqi?"

Su He hesitated briefly, "Precisely so."

Ye Qingchi's eyebrows furrowed, "Didn't he go to Qingyun Temple then? He had just returned not long ago?"

Su He's gaze converged slightly. He turned to look at the handsome man beside him, "How do you know that?"

Undercurrents surged in Ye Qingchi's eyes. A bold guess arose in his mind, "That winter in the third year of Tianqi, my aunt Ye Zhuoning, also Gu Ying's mother, went with my mother to Qingyun Temple to burn incense and pray. Gu Ying recklessly wandered to the back mountain of Qingyun Temple and nearly drowned in the hot spring. At that time, a boy in black clothes saved her. Afterwards, my aunt and mother originally wanted to thank that little boy, but his mother unreasonably dragged him away, saying he had attempted murder and should go admit his wrong before his father. "

"Seeing the little boy getting beaten so pitifully, my aunt explained the situation but that noble lady would not listen to any explanation. My aunt could only let the matter go. In her fluster, it was clever little Gu Ying who stuffed a small medicine packet into the boy's palm."

As Su He listened on, he felt increasingly uneasy, the cold wind brushing his cheeks yet his heart feeling chilled.

"What happened afterwards?"