FS 09

Outside the palace gates, Gu Tingwei followed behind Zhou Qiao, seemingly trying to curry her favor.

“Hey, what exactly are you angry about?”

Without even turning her head, Zhou Qiao replied, “You only know how to ruin things!”

She had finally overheard something private about Zhan Lanze and thought she might find out whether he had someone he liked. But Gu Tingwei’s loud shout had completely ruined the opportunity.

Thinking of it, Zhou Qiao suddenly spun around.

“Why did you follow me to Huaqing Pool? What exactly were you up to?”

At that, Gu Tingwei blushed for what was perhaps the first time in his life.

“I… I just wanted to ask you something.”

As shrewd as ever, Zhou Qiao looked him up and down.

“What? Need to borrow money? His Majesty rewarded me with gold, and now you’re jealous? Let me tell you right now—don’t even think about it!”

As the son of the Grand Commandant, how could he possibly need to borrow money? Gu Tingwei looked utterly speechless.

“It has nothing to do with that!”

“Then what is it?”

“I wanted to ask… about Miss Zhou.”

“About me? What is there about me that you don’t already know?”

Gu Tingwei couldn’t tell whether she was genuinely dense or just pretending. He had no choice but to make himself perfectly clear.

“I’m asking about your elder sister!”

A strange silence drifted in on the wind.

Zhou Qiao narrowed her eyes.

“My elder sister? Why are you asking about her?”

Why else? Naturally because he’d fallen for her!

But Gu Tingwei was afraid Zhou Qiao would gossip after returning home. If the story reached Miss Zhou Li’s ears and sounded as though he was behaving frivolously, wouldn’t that backfire completely? Gu Tingwei prided himself on his military strategy. There was no way he would let an idle meddler ruin his promising romance.

Even if… that meddler happened to be his future sister-in-law.

Gu Tingwei cleared his throat.

“My father is now the Grand Commandant. All the military forces in the capital are under his command.”

The implication was that, as the Grand Commandant’s only son, he was more than worthy of the Protector General’s daughter.

“So?” Zhou Qiao clearly failed to grasp his meaning. Instead, she puffed out her chest proudly. “Well, my father is the Protector General, and my eldest brother is the Commander of the Imperial Guard. It’s Uncle Gu who’s the Grand Commandant, not you. What are you showing off for?”

“…”

Gu Tingwei was rendered speechless.

There was no point speaking in riddles with Zhou Qiao—she simply wouldn’t understand.

So he decided to be direct.

“Your… your sister—”

Before he could finish, a gentle female voice called out to Zhou Qiao.

After the banquet ended, Zhou Qiao had lied and said she couldn’t hold it any longer and needed to use the restroom. Zhou Li had therefore left the palace first with the other ladies and waited in the carriage.

But after waiting and waiting, more than half an hour had passed and Zhou Qiao still hadn’t returned. Worried that she had gotten herself into trouble again, Zhou Li came back to look for her.

As she reached the palace gate, she spotted the two figures.

Hearing Zhou Li’s voice, Zhou Qiao turned around.

“Elder Sister!”

Her call perfectly cut off the question Gu Tingwei had been about to ask.

“Elder Sister, why didn’t you wait in the carriage? The wind is strong at night. Be careful not to catch a chill!”

Zhou Li felt warmth spread through her heart.

“Why were you gone for so long?”

“The palace is so huge! It took me forever to find the latrine. Luckily, perseverance pays off—I finally found it. I feel much better now!”

Zhou Li could only smile helplessly at her carefree younger sister.

“You really are…”

Looking up, she noticed that Gu Tingwei was still standing there.

“It’s getting late, Young Master Gu. You should head home as well. I’ll take my younger sister back now.”

Having the beauty speak to him first left Gu Tingwei pleasantly surprised.

“It’s already late. Allow me to escort you home.”

Before Zhou Li could answer, Zhou Qiao rejected the offer outright.

“Escort us? As if I’m just for decoration? My Jiaoshe Bow is still on the carriage. If any bandits show up, I’ll shoot them down with one arrow!”

Gu Tingwei closed his eyes briefly. Unable to lose his temper in front of Zhou Li, he tried another approach.

“My parents have already returned home, and I have no carriage. May I ask… would you be willing to give me a ride? My house is just…”

“Doesn’t your family live on the east side? Mine lives on the west side. It’s not even on the way. If we detour to take you home, it’ll be dawn before we get back. Honestly, Gu Tingwei, what’s gotten into you today? During military drills you can march over a dozen li without complaint, but now you can’t even walk home?”

Zhou Qiao couldn’t understand him, but Zhou Li clearly understood what Gu Tingwei truly meant. Still, it would indeed be inappropriate for an unmarried man and woman to ride together alone late at night.

She could only decline tactfully.

“Young Master Gu, we appreciate your kindness. With someone like you protecting the capital, what criminal would dare take advantage of the night to cause trouble? However, it would be rather improper for us to share a carriage so late. If you don’t mind, I’ll have one of our coachmen buy a horse for you. It may not compare to your warhorse, but it should have no trouble carrying you home.”

Gu Tingwei was so flattered by her words, ‘With someone like you protecting the capital,’ that his head nearly spun.

“No need, no need! I was the one who didn’t think it through. Please don’t trouble your coachman on my account. I happened to eat a little too much at the banquet, so I’ll just take a walk home to help digest it!”

“Then please take care on your way home, Young Master.”

“And you as well, Miss! Please take care!”

Zhou Qiao was thoroughly annoyed by all the repeated ‘take care’ this and ‘take care’ that.

What was there to be so careful about beneath the very walls of the Imperial City?

Her eyelids were drooping with sleep as she grabbed Zhou Li’s hand and started walking.

“Elder Sister, you should worry about your sleepy little sister instead. What’s there to worry about with Gu Tingwei? One punch from him could knock out a wolf, and he’s so overbearing and unreasonable. Any bandit who runs into him would have to pray for good fortune instead!”

Inside the carriage, Zhou Qiao absentmindedly polished her treasured bow and crossbow, now completely full of energy.

“Who was it that was so sleepy just a moment ago? How are you suddenly so spirited now?”

“Oh, Elder Sister.” Zhou Qiao set down her weapon. “The two of you just kept chatting and chatting. Anyone would get sleepy listening to that.”

Recalling Gu Tingwei’s handsome face, Zhou Li suddenly blushed.

“We only exchanged a few polite words. How was that chatting endlessly? As for you, why is it that every time Gu Tingwei is mentioned, you never have a single nice thing to say? You’ve known each other since childhood. That’s such a precious bond.”

Zhou Qiao’s eyes widened in disgust.

“A bond? What bond do I have with him? Elder Sister, don’t say such frightening things! Just thinking about it scares me!”

“The two of us have been fighting since we were children. He always bullied me because he was stronger. And you call that precious? I’m just waiting for the day I finally get the chance to beat him soundly until he calls me ‘Grand Auntie’ and begs for mercy!”

Her puffed-up, indignant expression made Zhou Li laugh.

“All right, all right. Let’s not talk about him anymore. Let’s talk about something else. Qiao’er, there are a few things your elder sister wants to tell you.”