Сhарtеr 25: Тhe Old Mаdаm Arrives
Нe and Gu Таng соntinuеd рraсtiсing аt the trаining grounds fоr nearlу аnothеr hour аnd а hаlf.
Bу thе end, Gu Таng’s аrms wеrе sоrе and аching.
Вut hеr accuraсy hаd indeеd imрrоvеd quite a bit.
Аs dusk apрrоасhed, thе crimsоn sun sank in the wеst.
А сооl breеze swept thrоugh.
Shе wаntеd tо practiсе а little lоnger, but Gu Сhangcе rеfusеd tо let her соntinue no mаtter what.
Не sаid, “Тhis isn’t somеthing thаt can be mastered ovеrnight. If yоu рush уоursеlf toо hard todaу, yоu might strain уour musсles and bones.”
Hearing this, Gu Tang reluctantly put down her bow and arrows and ran to rest under the shade of a tree beside Shen Zuihuan.
As soon as Gu Tang set down her bow and arrows, Gu Changce waved over to Shen Zuihuan, who was standing nearby.
Receiving the signal, she eagerly ran to his side.
Seeing her like this, Gu Changce’s hands itched.
He ruffled the top of her head and said with a hint of amusement, “So impatient?”
Shen Zuihuan blushed slightly at his words, pursing her lips into a shy smile as she glanced at him coquettishly. “I want to learn!”
The corners of his lips lifted, his eyes softening.
A youthful, spirited smile spread across his features.
He seemed to be in quite a good mood.
Gu Changce cleared his throat and replied with a smile, “Mm, I know our Huanhuan is eager to learn.”
At the words “our Huanhuan,” Shen Zuihuan’s pretty face flushed red.
The next moment, Gu Changce handed the heavy bow and arrows to her.
Shen Zuihuan had never held anything heavy before and lacked strength in her hands. When she first took the bow, she hadn’t expected it to be so weighty.
After all, when Gu Changce had held it earlier, she had seen him draw the bowstring effortlessly.
A faint look of surprise crossed her face.
But she still struggled to take it.
By now, Gu Changce had quickly slipped into his role as instructor, taking an iron arrow from the quiver and handing it to Shen Zuihuan.
After receiving it, Shen Zuihuan imitated Gu Tang’s earlier movements, placing the iron arrow on the bowstring with practiced precision.
The man carefully guided her posture.
“Shift your weight to your feet, keep your elbow socket upward, and grip firmly with your thumb and forefinger…”
He spoke calmly while patiently adjusting her stance.
The iron arrow and bowstring were incredibly heavy.
Shen Zuihuan struggled to hold them, and fine beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
Gu Changce stood beside her, watching as she gradually aimed the arrow tip at the target not far ahead.
His thin lips parted slightly. “Try it. Release the arrow.”
Shen Zuihuan followed his instructions and drew the bowstring.
—So heavy.
Her forearm ached faintly.
Her footing was unsteady, and in a moment of carelessness, her grip loosened, sending the arrow flying from the string.
…It wasn’t a matter of whether she could hit the bullseye.
The arrow didn’t even come close to the target.
The iron arrow flew only a short distance before losing momentum and falling to the ground with a sharp “thud—”.
Seeing this, Shen Zuihuan blinked her eyes dejectedly as she looked at the man beside her.
Gu Changce fell silent for a moment, carefully choosing his words to comfort her. “The first time… it’s always like this.”
As he spoke, he moved behind Shen Zuihuan, meticulously adjusting her posture.
“Spread your legs a little wider, keep your weight on your feet, and don’t tense up your upper body too much.”
Shen Zuihuan placed another iron arrow on the bowstring.
While adjusting her stance, she secretly glanced up at the man behind her.
Was it her imagination, or had Gu Changce grown even taller since he was seventeen?
He was standing so close to her, almost pressed right against her.
The unique, refreshing scent of the man enveloped her completely.
Dominating every corner of the space around her.Shen Zuihuan didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt her mouth go dry and her legs grow weak.
To make matters worse, Gu Changce seemed oblivious, lowering his lashes as he focused on adjusting her posture.
His faint breath brushed against her neck.
Shen Zuihuan felt a tingling numbness that nearly made her lose her senses, her legs giving way completely.
Her back pressed firmly against the man’s chest.
Gu Changce paused for a moment, then quickly reached out to steady her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he inadvertently caught sight of Shen Zuihuan’s crimson-tipped earlobes.
She was still pretending to be composed, refusing to look at him.
Suddenly, Gu Changce felt in high spirits.
A faint smile played at the corners of his lips as he whispered in her ear, “Huanhuan, I told you to shift your weight onto your feet, not onto me.”
At these words, Shen Zuihuan’s face instantly flushed with heat.
In a fit of embarrassed anger, she kicked Gu Changce in the shin.
Not only was the man not angry, but the smile on his lips widened even further.
The girl before him lacked strength in her arms and couldn’t fully draw the bowstring.
So he simply stood behind her, his well-defined arms encircling her from the sides.
His large hand covered her delicate, pale one.
The bowstring was drawn back, the cold glint of the arrowhead aimed straight at the target ahead.
With a “twang,” amidst Shen Zuihuan’s chaotic heartbeat, the iron arrow struck the bullseye.
Even after Gu Changce stepped away from behind her,
Shen Zuihuan’s heart refused to calm down.
She didn’t know whether it was excitement over the arrow that had just hit the target or the intimate closeness of Gu Changce moments before.
She pursed her lips.
Lowering her arm, she heard Gu Tang excitedly running over from the side, still holding a bowl of half-melted plum ice.
The girl immediately praised Shen Zuihuan: “Mother is amazing! To hit the bullseye on the very first day of archery!”
Shen Zuihuan blushed, smiling shyly with pursed lips.
Suddenly, she remembered the iron arrow that had fallen short earlier.
Just as she was about to say something modest, she heard Gu Changce add, “Yes, your mother has a natural talent for archery.”
Her humble words were abruptly stuck in her throat.
Listening to the absurdly exaggerated praise from the father and daughter, Shen Zuihuan felt so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole and disappear.
At that moment, a servant suddenly rushed over from afar, announcing that the Old Madam had arrived.
The Old Madam he referred to was naturally Gu Changce’s birth mother, Gu Tang’s paternal grandmother, Lan Shi.
Shen Zuihuan lowered her lashes, pondering carefully.
She realized she should now address Lan Shi as “mother-in-law.”
She remembered meeting Lan Shi a few times as a child, though she was quite young then.
Her own birth mother was still alive at the time, and Shen Zuihuan’s mother had been close friends with Lan Shi since their youth.
Thus, she had some impression of this mother-in-law from her childhood.
She only vaguely remembered her as a gentle and graceful woman.
Thinking of this, Shen Zuihuan glanced up at Gu Changce’s stern and solemn appearance.
She wondered inwardly how such a woman could have given birth to a son as mischievous as Gu Changce.
Upon hearing the news, the slight curve at the corners of Gu Changce’s lips flattened, his expression cooling.
He asked the servant seriously, “Where is the Old Madam now?”
The servant lowered his head and eyes, replying respectfully, “She is waiting in the main hall, sir.”
Gu Changce nodded, then led Shen Zuihuan and Gu Tang toward the main hall.