As he spoke, he raised his eyes to look at Xiao Jing’an, his eyes carrying complexity.
“This love gu was once awakened with a drop of your fresh blood. According to common sense, since it actively attached itself to Young Master Pei’s body, it means you harbor feelings of love toward him.”
The love gu would use its master’s bloodline to find the person he loved.
Xiao Jing’an had already anticipated that the steward would say this. After all, this was common sense.
Yet he showed no trace of care, and a trace of light contempt penetrated his steady tone.
“You think I have romantic feelings for him?”
After he finished speaking, as if telling an absurd joke, a cold and detached smile appeared in his eyes.
“Naturally impossible!” The steward said with certainty without even thinking, “The master has only had brief contact with him twice, how could he harbor romantic feelings for him.”
He could believe that others might fall in love at first sight.
However, the master was naturally cold and thin by nature, with only imperial authority in his heart and not a shred of mortal romance.
Only
The steward looked with an unclear expression at the gu worm in Xiao Jing’an’s hand, “Then why would it actively crawl onto Young Master Pei’s body? Nothing similar has ever happened before.”
Xiao Jing’an slightly narrowed his eyes, seemingly pondering this matter as well.
The steward continued, “This love gu has always obediently stayed on the gu tree. Aside from occasionally waking up to feed, the rest of the time it has remained in a state of hibernation.”
Saying this, the steward’s gaze paused slightly, as if recalling something.
“Just a moment ago, when Young Master Pei and this subordinate came over, they happened to pass by that gu tree. This love gu must have sensed the scent on Young Master Pei’s body and followed over, crawling onto Young Master Pei’s body.”
The gu tree mentioned by the steward was that special tree that had attracted Pei Yan’s attention.
Xiao Jing’an gently pressed a finger against his temple, “Forget it, don’t waste time.”
He tossed the love gu in his hand to the steward, “Put it back on the gu tree.”
This love gu was left to Xiao Jing’an by his late mother.
When Xiao Jing’an was a child, he used his blood to awaken the love gu and have it recognize him as its master.
The main function of this kind of love gu was to help those whose love was unrequited to obtain the person they favored.
The person infected with the love gu would possess fierce romantic desires toward the master, following him through life and death.
Yet clearly Xiao Jing’an disdained such methods.
If the love gu hadn’t been a keepsake left by his mother, he would have destroyed it long ago.
The steward looked at the love gu in his hand.
Hesitating to speak.
The steward was also a member of the Southern Border Witch Tribe, and his understanding of gu worms was even greater than Xiao Jing’an’s.
There was a rumor that a person infected with a love gu would have a connection spanning lives with the other party.
However, this was merely a rumor after all; matters of past and present lives were truly difficult to verify.
Since it was a rumor and an uncertain matter, the steward did not say anything further.
As the steward was about to leave, the hall doors were pushed open.
A witchcraft soldier dressed in dark attire patterned with the Eight Trigrams carefully cupped a pottery jar in his hands as he walked in.
The pottery jar in his hands was jet black throughout, and the body of the jar was covered with mysterious totems, being precisely the one placed in the shaded area of that gu tree that Pei Yan had passed by earlier.
“Master, it is time to nourish the yin gu.”
The witchcraft soldier respectfully stopped in front of Xiao Jing’an.
This person was the custodian of the yin gu.
As he spoke, he opened the porcelain jar in his hands.
Soon, a translucent gu worm resembling blood amber crawled out. As its thousands of legs moved, the blood vessels within its body squirmed like living veins, and a fishy, sweet scent diffused from its body.
It was even more terrifying than the love gu that had startled Pei Yan.
Xiao Jing’an expressionlessly extended his middle finger.
The steward turned his head away unable to bear the sight.
The yin gu was currently sucking Xiao Jing’an’s blood.
This kind of gu worm needed to be nourished with the master’s blood.
When it matured into a gu, it could be utilized by him.
Anyone infected with the yin gu would obey Xiao Jing’an’s every command.
Although it only worked for a limited time, it was already sufficient.
At this moment, the steward finally couldn’t help but speak up, “Master, feeding the yin gu like this causes too severe a backlash to your body; it will greatly shorten your lifespan!”
Xiao Jing’an’s face still remained entirely without ripples, “If I do not do this, my lifespan will be even shorter, and I will die in resentment.”
Saying this, his eyes turned as ice-cold as a venomous scorpion at the bottom of his gaze: “He was the one who treated me with coldness and ruthlessness first!”
The red sun hung high, casting down warm sunlight.
The streets were surging with crowds, lined with commercial shops, and the cries of hawkers echoed endlessly, bustling and lively.
Pei Yan walked into a ready-to-wear clothing store.
Various colors and styles of clothing hung inside the hall.
Pei Yan was tall, yet his frame was slender and his figure lean; if he were to wear oversized styles, they would certainly not fit his body properly.
He couldn’t wear those.
Thus, Pei Yan stopped in front of a waisted brocade robe hanging on the wall.
He said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, please take this set down.”
Proper attire deters petty villains; tomorrow when he went to the Imperial College, he needed to dress somewhat better.
He also needed to look more mature, so that it would be suitable for acting as little dad’s bodyguard.
Pei Yan changed into the new clothes, while his original set was not discarded; instead, he went to the tailoring shop to have it repaired.
Today Xiao Jing’an had given Pei Yan quite a bit of money.
After meticulously dressing himself up, Pei Yan purchased several bolts of red and green silk and satin fabrics for Pei Mother.
Ever since Pei Ming died in battle, the days of the Pei family had grown worse by the day, and Pei Mother couldn’t bear to buy even a decent dress or gown.
Snacks, supplements, fruits, and tea leaves were things Pei Yan bought in abundance as well.
The owners of various shops treated Pei Yan as if he were the God of Wealth.
And so, as soon as Pei Yuning returned and caught sight of the house full of various gifts, snacks, and fruits, his pair of delicate brows twisted together into a dough twist, tightening further and further.
“What are you trying to do!”
“I am adding some items to the household.”
Pei Yan obligingly took his little dad’s knapsack.
“This is not your home.”
Pei Yuning bit his lower lip and added, “You leave, and take all these things with you.”
Pei Yan lowered his head and said pitifully, “I have nowhere else to go besides here.”
A tall and sturdy young man of eighteen or nineteen acting pitifully in front of a shorter youth of sixteen or seventeen.
No matter how one looked at it, it felt comical.
There wasn’t the slightest bit of pity to be found.
Especially since this time Pei Yuning was truly determined to chase him away.
At this moment, just as he parted his lips to speak, Pei Mother walked in holding a platter of freshly cooked, steaming roasted chicken.
With a smiling face, she said, “The meals are all cooked. Little Ning, quickly wash your hands and eat.”
Before Pei Yuning could speak, she looked lovingly at Pei Yan.
“This child Pei Yan is truly too polite! Look at how many gifts he purchased, and he even specially bought several bolts of the colors I love most for me. Such filial piety, and spending so much besides, makes me feel that my care for him has fallen short and I owe him far too much.”
Pei Yan hurriedly waved his hands, “It is I who feel I owe you, and from now on I will be living here for a long time, so I must trouble you for your care.”
Living here for a long time?
These words left Pei Yuning’s eyes filled with astonishment.
However, very soon, he found out what this was all about.
“Little Ning, why are you such a tight-lipped child?” Pei Mother said with a hint of reproach, “You didn’t even mention to me that Pei Yan’s family home caught fire and burned down their residence.”
He was lying again!
Pei Yuning frowned, glancing at Pei Yan, who was smiling at him genially.
Pei Mother continued, “If I hadn’t learned about this today from Zhou Hezhao, who brought him back, I wouldn’t have known about it at all.”
As she spoke, she looked lovingly at Pei Yan.
“From now on, you can just live here with peace of mind until your family residence is repaired before you leave.”
Pei Yan knew where Zhou Hezhao lived and had thoroughly figured the person out, thus managing to win Zhou Hezhao over without any effort.
Together with him, they had enacted a melodrama in front of Pei Mother.
Pei Yuning bit his lower lip as he looked at Pei Yan, feeling as though he were looking at a cunning fox with a thousand years of cultivation.
As for Pei Yan, he blinked flatteringly at him, then turned his gaze to Pei Mother.
“Thank you, Aunt, I’ll be troubling you from now on.”
Pei Yan bowed obediently and sensibly to Pei Mother.
Pei Mother looked dotingly at the pleasing young man before her, chatted with him for a few moments, and then went to the kitchen to busy herself.
Pei Yan exercised situational awareness by following them into the kitchen to help Pei Mother out.
Pei Yan ate dinner very happily.
However, his little dad didn’t eat very well.
And as soon as the meal was finished, he locked himself inside his bedroom.
After a short while, Pei Yan walked in carrying a plate of grapes, which Pei Yuning loved to eat.
“Little dad, eat some grapes.”
Pei Yan peeled the grapes and handed them to Pei Yuning’s lips.
Pei Yuning pushed his hand away dejectedly.
And ignored him entirely.
Lowering his head to read a book.
Pei Yan propped his chin on his hand, sitting quietly to the side.
He tried to lower his presence as much as possible, not disturbing his little dad’s studying.
Yet there was still a living person present after all.
Especially…
Taking advantage of the moment when Pei Yan wasn’t paying attention, Pei Yuning raised his head to steal a glance at him, but immediately lowered his head again.
Rolling his eyes, Pei Yan caught that glance.
And instantly guessed why Pei Yuning was stealing glances at him.
“How is it? The outfit I changed into today is pretty good, right?”
Pei Yuning kept his head down and made no sound.
Pei Yan guessed that his little dad wouldn’t pay attention to him either, so he muttered to himself, “Grandmother saw me wearing this outfit and praised me for knowing how to dress so well.”
Pei Yuning pressed both lips inward, his face almost hiding inside the book.
Yet upon closer inspection, his shoulders were trembling.
The night gradually receded, dawn lightly revealed itself, and a new day arrived.
After finishing breakfast, Pei Yan followed Pei Yuning to the Imperial College.
“Do you not do anything at all all day long?”
Pei Yuning finally spoke a sentence to Pei Yan on his own initiative.
Pei Yan smiled brightly.
“Guarding by little dad’s side is the most important thing I do every single day.”
Pei Yan wanted to give Pei Yuning a surprise, so he hadn’t told him about going to the Imperial College to study in the same class.
So idle!
Pei Yuning didn’t argue with him further.
Walking forward in silence.
Right before reaching the Imperial College, perhaps because he was returning to school and would see the tutor, Pei Yan felt a bit nervous.
“Little dad, I am going to relieve myself, you go on in first.”
Pei Yuning watched thoughtfully as Pei Yan walked away, then turned and strode toward the main gate of the Imperial College.
At this moment, a deep voice sounded from behind, “Young Master Pei, stay your steps.”
Pei Yuning stopped in his tracks and turned around to look.
“Prince Ye?”
Saying this, he took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Xiao Jing’an, “This commoner pays respects to Prince Ye.” Pausing slightly: “I wonder what business you have in seeking this commoner?”
Xiao Jing’an raised his eyelids slightly, gazing at Pei Yuning for a moment, “Young Master Pei is possessed of a handsome bearing and impressive appearance; presumably you have many admirers. Is there someone you fancy?”