Chapter 272: with translation of chapter title

At noon the next day, Gu Jiu Ling went to the study of Peach Blossom Pavilion after finishing her lunch.

This study was built separately, and Xiao Yin paid close attention during its construction; all the books inside were personally selected by him, one by one.

As for the colored storybooks Gu Jiu Ling used to love reading, Xiao Yin confiscated them and threw them into the storeroom.

In Xiao Yin's words, her unborn child had grown big enough to hear her mother's words, so she should practice calligraphy well and read poetry and songs to set an example for the child.

Gu Jiu Ling didn't expect Xiao Yin's thinking to be so progressive; he seemed to truly regard the child in her belly as his own.

He even arranged prenatal education for her; these past few days she just ate and lay, lay and ate, feeling no different from a salted fish—no, more like a rice worm.

Xiao Yin kept her like a rice worm, and he also kept the three of them—mother and child.

Gu Jiu Ling actually felt quite grateful to Xiao Yin, and even wanted to help him embroider something to improve the harmonious atmosphere between husband and wife.

As a result, the qilin she embroidered turned into a dog, and the phoenix into a chicken; she really couldn't afford to lose face over that person.

She gave it up, never expecting Xiao Yin to actually wear the sachet she embroidered to court, where he faced unprecedented ridicule, and finally he lacked the courage to wear it again.

He even said it was embroidered by his wife and that he wanted to keep it pressed at the bottom of the box as a memento.

Heh! Is there really such a need to commemorate it?

Gu Jiu Ling leaned against the desk, the intense winter sunlight seeping through the carved lattice window and warming her back, pleasantly warm and comfortable.

She held her brush and doodled on the snow-white paper, quickly sketching a cartoon outline of Xiao Yin; looking at it, a smile crept onto her lips.

Actually, this man is truly quite good; the more she looked at him, the more she liked him.

Then she uprightly wrote a 'king' character on Xiao Yin's forehead in the drawing.

"Hehe! Kingly domineering spirit!"

Gu Jiu Ling gave a sly, mischievous grin as Jiu Yue hurried into the study.

Gu Jiu Ling hastily grabbed a blank sheet from the side and covered Xiao Yin's portrait, coughing once as she looked at Jiu Yue, whose expression was somewhat happy.

"What's this? Did you pick up money?"

Jiu Yue smiled, bowed to Gu Jiu Ling, and said, "My lady, it's practically happier than a servant finding money."

"Second Master has brought something to see you! He's waiting in the front hall."

Gu Jiu Ling froze on the spot—Gu Kang wants to see her?

These days Gu Kang has been avoiding her, not only avoiding her but even steering clear of the Prince Rui's mansion as if fearing it.

Ordinary people facing the spring imperial examinations would flatter the powerful, but her brother seems afraid that the Prince Rui's mansion would shine on him.

Now that he finally agreed to see her, Gu Jiu Ling gave a light chuckle: "That's more like it—finally willing to come over for help?"

"Call him in here; he's my younger brother, no need for avoidance—just bring him straight to the rear courtyard."

Jiu Yue's eyes lit up at once; it seemed the mistress had truly reconciled with the Second Young Master.

How wonderful; the late lady in heaven would surely feel doubly comforted.

She almost burst into tears at that moment.

The former lady suffered a difficult labor; according to her deceased personal maid, she could no longer speak at that time.

Yet she struggled, shoving the newborn Second Young Master relentlessly into the elder sister's arms.

The elder sister was also young then; facing death for the first time, she was frightened and kept dodging the Second Young Master.

Instantly the Second Young Master wailed loudly, joined by the elder sister's fearful, rejecting cries, almost lifting the beams of the warm pavilion.

The old maid said the former lady, until her death, wished the elder sister could hold the Second Young Master; perhaps she had already sensed it.

With her death, no one in the mansion could protect those two children anymore.

After all, she died with unresolved resentment!

Later, the mistress and the Second Young Master fell into a life‑or‑death feud, and Jiu Yue once truly felt sorry for the lady.

Clearly they were the two relatives she worried about most and loved dearly, yet in the end they ended up avoiding each other until death.

She hated that wretched Lin clan woman to death, not knowing how she had raised a perfectly fine child into this state.

Now it's good; the Second Young Master and the elder sister's relationship is gradually thawing, showing signs of reconciliation.

Now the mistress lets the Second Young Master enter the inner chambers directly to speak, treating him as her own younger brother.

Not long after, Gu Kang's tall, slender, handsome figure strode in quickly.

Jiu Yue led him all the way into the study; Gu Jiu Ling looked at Gu Kang before her, dressed in a dark‑blue robe, truly plain to the extreme, a stark contrast to his former flamboyant reds and greens.

Gu Kang entered carrying a bundle, and without a word dropped to his knees before Gu Jiu Ling, knocking his head three times.

Gu Jiu Ling was genuinely dazed by Gu Kang's kowtowing, and quickly had Jiu Yue help him up from the side.

"Get up—what are you doing?"

"I'm not your mother; you kowtow to me like this—are you trying to shorten my life?"

Gu Kang's cheeks flushed slightly; he straightened his face and said to Gu Jiu Ling, "I took your letter to see Master Wen, who helped me revise my essay—I benefited greatly."

"For this elder sister's kindness, I have no way to repay it except by kowtowing."

"On my way here I saw a pastry shop with freshly baked hu bing; I heard it was the shopkeeper's new method, so I bought some for my elder sister to try."

Gu Jiu Ling's heart stirred slightly; Gu Kang's show of friendliness still left her a bit unaccustomed.

Mainly because Gu Kang's previous temperament was truly infuriating; even now, thinking of it makes her want to whip him.

Now he suddenly appears in such a pleasing manner, and she actually feels a bit at a loss.

Gu Kang opened the bundle, took out the hu bing and placed it before Gu Jiu Ling; she took it and found it still warm, realizing Gu Kang must have held the bundle against his chest the whole way.

She thought, then involuntarily sighed inwardly, picked up a piece of the cake and gave it to Jiu Yue, then tore off another piece and waved it at Gu Kang.

Gu Kang stared for a moment, then obediently walked over, took the cake and said his thanks.

"Sit down, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself, and then head back to study later!"

"Yes!" Gu Kang bowed to Gu Jiu Ling.

Really, it's exasperating—Gu Jiu Ling feels she simply can't get used to him being like this.

Gu Kang bowed, then sat down again, took the hot tea Jiu Yue handed him, drank a sip, and finally dispelled the chill in his heart.

Although the brother and sister came from the same mother's womb, they have spent little time together and much time apart.

From childhood, he had been instilled with an idea by his second sister Gu Nanxiang; his elder sister is not close to him, but his second sister, elder brother, third brother, and Lin Madame are the ones closest to him.

He practically grew up accompanying his second sister on Gu Nanxiang's side; as the eldest legitimate son, the silver left to him by his maternal grandfather, the Du family, was also spent there with Gu Nanxiang.

This is probably the first time Gu Kang and Gu Jiu Ling, the brother and sister, have sat together quietly drinking tea and eating snacks; for a moment, time seemed to become especially beautiful.