“I came this time to help my senior brother. If you wish to thank someone, thank him.”
With that, Gu Ruanci continued walking out.
Zang Jizhi knew she did not wish to linger, so he escorted her out.
“Junior sister, we owe you greatly this time. You just accomplished a great deed.”
Gu Ruanci remained unmoved; such matters held little importance to her.
“Once you are settled, junior sister, may I pay you a visit?”
The woman stopped and said, “Senior brother, let’s not make our relationship public for now. I don’t want you to be entangled with the filthy things from the Zhou family.”
Hearing this, Zang Jizhi probed, “Have you been to the Zhou residence?”
“Yes.”
Zang Jizhi immediately understood what had happened.
“If they knew that the true legitimate daughter they turned away was the very Little Medical Immortal they’ve been clamoring for, they’d surely regret it to the core.”
Gu Ruanci remained indifferent. The Zhou family had long been on her list for extermination.
If not for her master’s instruction to meet them once, she wouldn’t have even set foot near the Zhou family’s gates.
“Miss, shouldn’t we head home now?”
After setting off again, Chang Song asked quietly.
“Yes, my family should be waiting.”
Jing’an Houfu was not her home. The family her mother had entrusted her to was her true family.
Zang Jizhi returned to the lakeside pavilion and bowed deeply to the man there. “At last, I have fulfilled the task entrusted to me…”
The man set down his teacup and remarked, “Little Medical Immortal truly lives up to her reputation.”
Then, he coughed weakly twice.
Little did anyone know that at this very moment, Little Medical Immortal was being stopped on the street.
“Halt!”
The gatekeeper, who had seen Gu Ruanci’s carriage, led the way in blocking its path.
The main street was crowded with commoners, who quickly gathered around.
She had thought that after circling Jing’an Houfu, she would never see it again, but these scum from the Zhou family had clung on once more.
“What is the matter?” Gu Ruanci’s voice from inside the carriage was slightly cold.
The gatekeeper said angrily, “We are here under orders to arrest you! Kneel before the gates of Jing’an Houfu and beg forgiveness from the Marquis and his family.”
“The servants of Jing’an Houfu certainly wield great authority, daring to block the road in broad daylight and forcibly seize a common woman!”
Some sensed something amiss and spoke up righteously.
But the gatekeeper, relying on his master’s influence, retorted, “What do you commoners know? This is Zhou Qingran, the rebellious daughter who left with Lady Ye ten years ago. She just returned to Dizhou and dared to call our Marquis by his name right at the gates of Jing’an Houfu, spouting arrogant words that angered the old madam and nearly drove the eldest young miss to take her own life. We are acting on the Marquis’s orders to arrest her and make her apologize. This is an internal matter of Jing’an Houfu.”
Upon hearing the name Zhou Qingran, the commoners were momentarily stunned.
Those of older age recalled—wasn’t this the six-year-old daughter taken away by Lady Ye, the first wife of Jing’an Hou, all those years ago?
“Logically speaking, if the person in the carriage is truly that young girl from the Houfu back then, wouldn’t she be the rightful eldest young miss of the Houfu? How dare this servant act so rebelliously?”
Some among the commoners, only partially aware of the past events, asked this question.
Immediately, others told them to be quiet—such matters were not for them to discuss.
Ignoring them, the gatekeeper continued furiously, “If you don’t want to return willingly, I’ll have my men assist you. Get her!”
“Miss, shall we take action?” Chang Song tilted his head slightly and whispered inside.
These people truly seemed to regard him as nothing more than an ordinary coachman.
Before Gu Ruanci could speak, an exceptionally loud voice already rang out from the street.
“Who dares lay a hand on my sister!”
Not long after, a sturdy young man galloped over with a group of men, reining in his horse only when he reached them.
The dust kicked up by the hooves left everyone from Jing’an Houfu covered in grime.
Before the gatekeeper could get a clear look at the newcomer, the man leaped from his horse and delivered a flying kick straight at him. The gatekeeper was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily into a roadside shack before landing and immediately vomiting a mouthful of blood.
The commoners gasped in shock: “Gu Yulou, the third son of Shouguo Gongfu—why is he here?”
Another whispered, “Did he just say something about a sister?”
“Who exactly is in that carriage? Whose sister is she?”
Once the gatekeeper recognized the man, he dared neither show anger nor speak out of turn. He could only crawl up meekly and timidly ask, “Third Young Master, may I ask what you mean by attacking our Jing’an Houfu people without warning?”
Without wasting words, Gu Yulou ordered his men to give each of Jing’an Houfu’s lackeys three slaps, then took the ropes from their hands and tied them up one by one. Only then did he press forward with an overwhelming presence and ask the gatekeeper, “And what did you mean by trying to tie up my sister with ropes?”
The gatekeeper was terrified. This third son of the Gu family, nicknamed “Xiao Yanluo,” was now right in his face.
“Your sister?” His voice began to tremble.
“Who else? A despicable servant of Jing’an Houfu dares to block my sister’s carriage on the street and even attempts to abduct her back to the manor—do you think Shouguo Gongfu has no one left?”
Gu Yulou’s tone was filled with intimidation.
The gatekeeper grew even more panicked and hurriedly explained, “Please understand, sir! The person in the carriage is our Houfu’s eldest young lady. Today, she openly called our Marquis by his name in front of Jing’an Houfu, angering the old madam so much that her illness worsened, and even drove our young lady to attempt suicide. The Marquis ordered me to bring her back to apologize…”
Gu Yulou scoffed, his expression growing even more disdainful.
Even though the gatekeeper had invoked Zhou Zhili’s name, Gu Yulou paid no heed. Instead, he continued, “Go back and tell your Marquis that if he wants to dote on his fake daughter, he can do so behind closed doors in his own home. But if he tries to use my sister to gain favor, our Gu family would like to see if he has the ability!”
While the gatekeeper stood dumbfounded, Gu Yulou called out to the woman in the carriage, “Ruanci, Third Brother is here to take you home.”
“Thank you, Third Brother…”
Only then did Gu Ruanci speak, showing no resistance at all.
The gatekeeper was completely stunned. Could he have mistaken the carriage? But didn’t the Gu family only have four sons? Where did they get a sister?
But no one paid him any further attention.
Gu Yulou leaped directly onto Gu Ruanci’s carriage, taking the place of the coachman.
“Giddy-up—”
The carriage led the way, with Gu Yulou’s men following behind, leaving in a cloud of dust.
They even left one person behind to doubly compensate the vendors who had been affected earlier.
Then, they gave the gatekeeper and the other Jing’an Houfu men a thorough beating!
Zhou Zhili and his son waited for most of the day, only to be met by the limping gatekeeper and servants!
Of course, that was all for later.
While chaos reigned on one side, Gu Ruanci’s side was calm and gentle.
While driving the carriage, Gu Yulou didn’t forget to tell her, “Little sister, Mother grew anxious and sent me to check on you. I’m glad you’re safe. Stay away from those beasts from the Zhou family from now on.”
“Understood, Third Brother.” Gu Ruanci’s voice was gentle, completely unlike her previous coldness.
After a while longer, the carriage came to a stop in front of Shouguo Gongfu.
A group of people had already been waiting at the entrance. Seeing the carriage approach, the middle-aged woman at the head of the group excitedly stepped forward to greet it.
“Ruanci, is that you, Ruanci?”