Chapter 20: with translation of chapter title

Gu Jiu Ling heard this sound, her spine stiffened slightly, her cheeks flushed unnaturally a bit, she wished she could slap the original owner.

She took a breath, lifted her head to look at the Crown Prince standing opposite, clear wind and bright moon, how much the original owner loved this person; even though her soul was gone, her body was still so honest, this made Gu Jiu Ling somewhat embarrassed.

She looked at Xiao Ting and slowly said, "Your Highness Crown Prince, what brings you here?"

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, yet the words she spoke were clear and cold as frost, instead adding a different kind of charm.

Xiao Ting furrowed his brows, always feeling that this version of Gu Jiu Ling felt especially fresh to him.

Before, she followed behind him like a tail that could never be shaken off.

When he went to the tavern to drink, she would spend heavily to buy aged wine and send it to him.

When he attended a poetry gathering, she would spend heavily to purchase the manuscript of a famous poet from the previous dynasty and give it to him.

When he fell ill and went to the imperial villa in the suburbs to recuperate, because there was a difficult stretch of road along the way, she stubbornly spent money to hire workers to lay flat blue stone slabs on that path.

Even when he tried to get rid of Gu Jiu Ling, this fool, by deliberately drinking flower wine on the Imperial River, she, tears in her eyes, hired the best courtesans to dance for him, while she herself slipped and fell into the water, falling seriously ill, yet he didn't even glance at her.

He was the Crown Prince of Southern Qi, and felt that being entangled by Gu Jiu Ling, this fool, was nothing short of his disgrace.

He never knew that she actually possessed such superb medical skill.

Moreover, all along she had silently been good to him; now she suddenly married into the Rui Wang Fu, and every smile, every word of hers revolved around another man, no longer around him.

In such a perilous situation today, she actually willingly signed a life-and-death pledge, risking her life to protect Xiao Yin.

Gu Nanxiang – Gu Nanxiang

He steadied himself, looked at Gu Jiu Ling, still unable to shake his previous icy demeanor toward her, and slowly said, "When did you learn medicine?"

Black Wolf Iron Guard – Black Wolf Iron Guard

It was he who initially spoke coldly to her, it was he who indulged Gu Nanxiang in setting a trap to harm her, and it was this Crown Prince who publicly slapped her face and annulled their engagement.

Ninth Imperial Uncle – Ninth Imperial Uncle

Gu Jiu Ling's cheeks flushed ever more crimson, then she suddenly snorted coldly: "What business is it of yours?"

Xiao Ting's expression changed instantly, his brows knitting tightly.

Gu Jiu Ling walked around him and went ahead, but Xiao Ting seized her wrist.

"Hah! You're playing hard?" Gu Jiu Ling felt extreme aversion, turned sideways and gave him a cold stare. "Let go! If you don't, I'll call for help!"

"After all, I'm still your elder; show me some respect."

"Gu Jiu Ling!" Xiao Ting pressed his thin lips together and let out a cold laugh. "Gu Jiu Ling, when you had that incident in the palace, Xiao Yin was still in Cheng Prefecture—how could you possibly have been intimate with him?"

"Forget it! I know you resent me. Leave him, and I'll get you a residence outside and will protect you and your child well."

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Xiao Ting, seeing him as if he were offering her pity like charity.

Gu Jiu Ling gritted her teeth and couldn't help but laugh bitterly: "Xiao Ting, you think far too highly of yourself."

"Compared to the Ninth Imperial Uncle, what do you have that even matches half of him? When he earned glorious military achievements seven years ago, you were probably still playing in the mud."

"He's a jade hidden in dust, while you're a stone in a latrine—how dare you compare yourself to him? Are you crazy?"

"You want me to discard fine jade and cater to your stinking stone? I see through that!"

Gu Jiu Ling shook off his hand, rubbed her wrist, gave a cold snort, turned and left; just then Jiu Yue had finished setting down the boxes and came to greet her master, so Xiao Ting couldn't say anything more.

He stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling as she disappeared into the night, a killing intent flickering in his brows and eyes.

That night Xiao Yin didn't return to the villa; Gu Jiu Ling and Jiu Yue waited half the night, exhausted, and fell asleep first.

Her relationship with Xiao Yin was one of mutual benefit; what he was secretly busy with was none of her concern.

As long as she could rely on Xiao Yin, give birth to her child smoothly, save enough money, find a way to leave him, then go to the seaside with silver and child to live in seclusion, she could live her own small life.

Of course, before that she must first find the child's murderous father and settle that score; it couldn't just be left unsettled.

Early the next morning, the aristocratic families packed up and set off.

Xiao Yin finally returned to the villa stepping on the morning dew; Gu Jiu Ling had already had the servants pack everything and place it in the carriage outside.

Xiao Yin entered the warm pavilion; Gu Jiu Ling had already dressed and was ready to leave, and upon seeing him come in she hurried forward with a smile: "Prince, have you had breakfast?"

Xiao Yin looked at her lovely, charming face and his mood inexplicably improved a bit.

He raised his hand to rub her soft hair bun, his voice hoarse from fatigue: "I'm not eating; I'll eat on the road."

Xiao Yin's tall figure loomed over Gu Jiu Ling; as he lowered his head to look at her, his gaze gained a touch of amusement.

Gu Jiu Ling was somewhat unaccustomed to Xiao Yin's habit of often patting her head; it felt like he was petting a pet, but she let it slide, since she now had to rely on him to survive.

"Prince, let's set off," Gu Jiu Ling said, not really wanting to stay here; Xiao Wei was the commander of the Mysterious Wolf Iron Guard, on good terms with the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Jing Cheng, and this place was full of their people.

She didn't want to risk her life here; she just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

Xiao Yin seemed to understand her thoughts and at once brought her into the carriage.

The carriages of the various aristocratic families crowded the mountain road, causing extra congestion.

Fortunately, the emperor's procession and the empress dowager and other palace consorts' carriages had already set off ahead; otherwise it would have been impossible to move even an inch.

The carriage swayed slightly; Gu Jiu Ling had eaten a bit of vegetarian food from the mountains that morning, and now her stomach felt waves of discomfort.

Xiao Yin leaned his head against the carriage wall to rest; sunlight streamed through the window, bathing his sharp-angled face in a soft, fuzzy golden glow, making him look astonishingly beautiful.

Earlier it had been heard that Xiao Yin, being too handsome, lacked intimidation in battle against the Bei Di, so he wore a fierce raptor mask to overawe his opponents.

Later, after his military exploits were established, he no longer wore the mask, facing the world with a face that attracted peach blossoms, slaying in all directions.

"Do I look good?" Xiao Yin suddenly asked, the corners of his lips turning up as he smiled with his eyes closed.

"Good-looking… no, no, no… I don't mean that," Gu Jiu Ling hurriedly explained, "Prince, you are valiant and strikingly handsome—how could you be described with such a petty word as 'good-looking'?"

Xiao Yin slowly opened his eyes, turned to the side, and those peach-blossom eyes suffused with fleeting sunlight fixedly regarded Gu Jiu Ling as he smiled: "Then how should I be described?"

"A jade hidden in dust?"

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes widened in an instant—had he sent people to follow her and even eavesdrop on her conversation with the Crown Prince Xiao Ting?

"Prince you…"

"I'm not at ease with you, so I've sent dark guards to protect you at all times; you needn't worry."

Gu Jiu Ling felt a bit uneasy; the sensation of being secretly watched was unpleasant.

Xiao Yin lifted his hand and touched her head; Gu Jiu Ling dodged slightly, denying him the chance to rub her head.

Xiao Yin's face grew more serious: "This time, I thank you for your trouble."

"Just thanks?" Gu Jiu Ling gave a light snort.

Xiao Yin leaned in and said, "Then what do you want?"

"Money!" Gu Jiu Ling looked at him.

Xiao Yin blinked, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide: "Don't worry, I'll return your dowry; I, the prince, just need to borrow it for a few days—why be so petty?"

"Tch!" Gu Jiu Ling turned away; Xiao Yin produced a stack of silver notes from his lapel and pressed them into her hand.

Gu Jiu Ling pocketed them, laughing: "Very straightforward! Thanks!"