Chapter 48

Reaching back to the Gu Residence, the first thing Gu Jing Yuan did was take a refreshing shower. 

As he left in a rush, he forgot to bring along a change of clothes and it was not convenient to ask for those at her place.

In front of the mirror, Gu Jing Yuan straightened his hair and his long fringe coincidentally fell and covered his sharp eyebrows. He went to the closet to pick out a white sweater and blue slacks that he rarely reached for. 

As the saying goes, a person depends on what they wear. This combination enhanced the essence of the youth making him look more gentle and jade-like.

Holding onto his books, he knocked on her semi-opened door. A fragrance from within whiffed towards his through the door opening.

She had also just finished washing up and her hair was still wet as it clung onto her fair cheeks making them look dewy. With her eyes that looked clear and bright, the small mole at the corner of her left eye was enchanting and captivating. 

He was momentarily stunned.

He knew that she was good-looking. But every time he saw a new side of her, he was still amazed. 

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“I need to keep the preserved vegetables that I brought over from Grandma’s place.” Just now, upon seeing how enthusiastic he was to start studying, she did not want to ruin his motivation so the items she brought over from Grandma’s place were still left strewn around.

From her standing position, her eyes fell on his worksheet. His accuracy rate was higher than she expected. “There are two questions that you got wrong.”     

“Which ones?” He knew that she was amazing, but to be able to spot his mistakes in one glance? Did she memorize the answer sheet?

“Check through it yourself.” She heartlessly told him before she left. With the rate that he was improving, it was about time he learned to self-check his own work.

Although Gu Jing Yuan was surprised, he never once doubted her, so he lowered his head and worked hard in trying to spot which questions he answered wrongly.

**

Tao Yi Xi carried the four containers of preserved cabbage to the kitchen. She carefully picked some out with a pair of clean chopsticks and put them on a plate. The chef’s eyes lit up when he caught a whiff of its aroma.

“Miss Tao, where did you buy this?”

“My grandmother made it.” Tao Yi Xi replied with a smile.

“Can I have a taste?”

“Of course.” Grandma’s skills in pickling vegetables were well-known in their neighborhood. Whenever Grandma made a bigger batch, the neighbors would fight to be able to bring home a share. Some were even willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, they were just a small family of two and could not make larger quantities to sell.

The chef eagerly reached out to take a piece when Nanny Yang came over to check on the preparations for dinner. Spotting the red cabbage in the transparent plastic container, looking crude like it came from some rural village, she asked with an unsightly expression, “What is this?”

Tao Yi Xi replied calmly, “This is some preserved cabbage that I brought back.”

“You can’t seriously mean to bring this thing from unknown origins to the dining table, do you?”

Knowing that Housekeeper Yang was not one to be trifled with, the chef cautiously withdrew his hand.

Tao Yi Xi’s smile dissipated, “This is safe for consumption.”

“Without a certificate, no one can guarantee whether there’s any contamination during the fermentation process.”

“I’ve eaten it for more than ten years, and nothing has ever happened to me.” Tao Yi Xi frowned, unwilling to accept other people’s unwarranted accusations of her grandmother’s craftsmanship.

Nanny Yang glanced at her condescendingly, “You are you, but Master and Young Master cannot afford to take that risk.” 

How dare she compare her lowly self to that of the precious ones of the Gu family members?

Nanny Yang’s stubborn and tough stance led to a stalemate between the two. Tao Yi Xi had always been docile and well-behaved when staying in the Gu residence, but this time around, someone was slandering her grandmother so she was not willing to back down.

Coincidentally, Xia Yan came over at the moment. Tao Yi Xi had called her over previously because this was the taste associated with Grandma, and she believed that her mother had missed it as well. 

Xia Yan sensed that the atmosphere was not right, so she turned and asked her daughter first, “Xiao Xi, what’s the matter?”

“She said that Grandma’s preserved vegetables are no good.” With the presence of a family member, Tao Yi Xi could not hold back her grievances.

“As the housekeeper, I have the obligation to ensure the safety and hygiene of the food that will be served to the Masters.” Nanny Yang spoke uprightly as her sharp gaze sliced across Xia Yan, exerting pressure on her. 

The young one might be ignorant, but the older one should know how the world works.  

Nanny Yang had been with the Gu Family for the longest time and she gained Gu Mu Yang’s trust. Xia Yan knew that Nanny Yang looked down on her, but she had no choice but to give in to her. Hence, she instructed Tao Yi Xi, “Xiao Xi, pack it up.” 

Tao Yi Xi’s eyes dimmed. In Xia Yan’s eyes, her natal family would always be inferior compared to others.

She whispered, “okay.” 

Tao Yi Xi was reluctant to throw away the ones that she already took out so she planned to eat those later. As for the rest that was still within the containers, she sealed them properly and was about to open the refrigerator to keep them when Nanny Yang’s spiteful voice resonated once more, “These things can’t be put in the refrigerator because the smell will permeate and affect the other ingredients. Furthermore, this kind of pickled food contains a lot of bacteria.”

Tao Yi Xi froze, but the anger within her heart was burning strongly. She plastered her standard perfunctory smile and said, “I’ve already sealed it properly within the airtight container so its smell will not permeate and affect the rest of the things inside the refrigerator. Otherwise, what is the point of the invention of airtight containers?”

Nanny Yang was taken aback by her words. Her expression darkened, and she let out a cold snort, “You sure are eloquent.”

As the housekeeper of the Gu family and the nanny who took care of Gu Jing Yuan since he was a child, it was no exaggeration to say that if Gu Mu Yang was not around, she was the one calling the shots around here. Who would dare defy her words?

Today, she would make sure to peel off Tao Yi Xi’s fake facade for all to see.

But before she could make her move…

“What are you all doing?” Gu Jing Yuan’s voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere as everyone’s eyes turned to him. 

“Jing Yuan, why have you entered the kitchen? There’s a lot of fumes and smoke here. If you’re hungry, go outside and wait, dinner is almost ready.” As if she was a completely different person, Nanny Yang’s attitude turned one-eighty as she spoke kindly to him.

She was already at this age but was still so two-faced.

“I’m just here to take a look.” He had rushed to complete his assignment so that he could continue being her little tail. Seeing the dish of preserved vegetables, its aroma finally hit him as he could not resist reaching out to pinch a stalk of cabbage with his hand.

The moment he put it in his mouth, the slightly spicy and fragrant taste stimulated his taste buds.

“Are these the preserved cabbage that you brought from-, bought back?” He was almost exposed.

“Yes.”

Nanny Yang became very anxious, “Jing Yuan, my dear Young Master, how can you eat that unhygienic thing? What should we do if you ingested something wrong?”

“It wouldn’t happen. Look at the container, it’s clean and the sauce looks vibrant and fresh, there’s no problem with it.” In fact, he did not know what such things should look like, but he knew that since it was prepared by Grandma, there was no problem consuming it.  

He even asked Nanny Yang, “Nanny Yang, would you like to have a bite too? It’s really delicious.”

Nanny Yang’s face was ashen, “No thank you.”

Gu Jing Yuan sincerely felt sorry for her as he could not help himself and reached for another slice. Just based on his expression, one could already imagine how delicious the preserved cabbage must be.

The chef, who had been serving the Gu’s family for a long time, knew best how picky this young master was. It seems that this preserved cabbage must be truly delicious, and his heart felt unbearable impatience. If Housekeeper Yang insisted on throwing it away, he was willing to dig through the trash bin for this delicious delicacy. Anyway, the airtight container was properly sealed so it would have protected the food inside. It wouldn’t be dirty! 

Nanny Yang felt that her face was swollen because of this young master of hers who she could not afford to offend. Her desire to clean up Tao Yi Xi had no outlet as it died in her stomach.

“Jing Yuan, it’s best not to eat too much preserved products,” Nanny Yang was concerned as she advised. Though there were also selfish motives interlaced within her words.

“En, okay,” Although he had assented to her words, his action of reaching towards the plate did not cease. He turned to Tao Yi Xi and said, “You should put them inside the refrigerator. It will taste more refreshing after it’s been chilled.” 

Tao Yi Xi glanced at Nanny Yang. Wasn’t her stance extremely tough just now? 

Nanny Yang cleared her throat, “Since Young Master enjoys them, you can leave it.” After speaking, her countenance was ghastly as she hastily told the chef to quickly serve the dishes before making her quick escape.

Seeing how Nanny Yang suffered a loss, Xia Yan was secretly pleased. She was suddenly a little curious about the method her daughter used to subdue this aloof and wayward young master.

If he was only after her looks, then why did he stand out to help Tao Yi Xi? If it had been Gu Mu Yang, the one who would have suffered a loss would have been her. 

Xia Yan could not figure it out. She knew that her daughter was prettier than most and was good at her studies. Other than that, there were no other noteworthy points. Maybe it was because youngsters were more prone to succumbing to their emotions. Xia Yan secretly lamented that Tao Yi Xi was really lucky.

The dispute over the storing of preserved vegetables came to an end. Tao Yi Xi thought of her grandmother’s expectant look as she turned to ask Xia Yan again, “Mom, do you want to try it?”

Xia Yan took a glance at what used to be her favorite dish before shaking her head. “You eat it yourself, I’m heading out first.” 

With her current status, having this kind of taste palate would cause her to be looked down on.

The chef leaned over and asked in a low voice, “Miss Tao, can I have a bite later?”

“Yes, there’s more here.” Tao Yi Xi slowly unclenched her tightly clasped hands.

“Thank you, let me put it away for you.”

“No need, I can do it myself.”

Tao Yi Xi stored the containers neatly in a corner. By then, Gu Jing Yuan had already washed his hands and was waiting for her, standing guard by her side.

Her frozen heart suddenly did not feel as cold as before. 

**

Hearing that Gu Jing Yuan had returned, Gu Mu Yang decided to stay home instead of going out to socialize. At the dining table, with a stern expression, he questioned Gu Jing Yuan, “During Chinese New Year, where did you disappear to?”

Xia Yan’s heart skipped a beat, and she took a quick glance at Tao Yi Xi.

Tao Yi Xi remained silent as always and ate her food.

Gu Jing Yuan rolled his eyes, “Went out to play since I was bored.” 

Gu Mu Yang scolded him a while more but seeing that Gu Jing Yuan did not talk back and his attitude was decent, Gu Mu Yang ceased his lecturing. 

Xia Yan quietly let out a sigh of relief while Tao Yi Xi was neither surprised nor apprehensive about what just happened.

With him around, she inevitably felt a sense of security, which gradually allowed her to no longer feel anxious or fearful.

**

The next day, when the maid came to pack the newly cleaned laundry into his closet, Gu Jing Yuan noticed that he could not spot the supposedly conspicuous pink sweater. His heart immediately skipped a beat. 

“Is this all the laundry that was done yesterday?”

“Yes.” 

He frowned and looked through them again but he still did not spot the one he was looking for so he asked the maid, “Where’s my pink sweater?” 

The maid had a strong impression of the sweater that Gu Jing Yuan was talking about as that was the only pink cloth item he had in his entire wardrobe. 

She replied, “That one had a flaw so Housekeeper Yang threw it away.” 

“What? Thrown away? Where was it thrown to?” 

Gu Jing Yuan stood up abruptly, his tall figure gave off great pressure, and the maid hurriedly replied, “Maybe it’s still in the laundry room, you can ask Housekeeper Yang.”

Gu Jing Yuan hurried downstairs, calling out for Nanny Yang.

“Nanny Yang, where is my sweater?” Gu Jing Yuan asked as he finally grabbed hold of Nanny Yang.

Nanny Yang could not understand what was going on as she replied in a tone that was as a matter of course, “The thread on the sweater had unraveled so I just threw it away.”

“Where did you throw it?”

“The rubbish bin in the laundry room.”

Gu Jing Yuan dashed straight to the laundry room without another word as Nanny Yang tried to give chase, “Jing Yuan, slow down!”

With long strides, Gu Jing Yuan’s figure had long since disappeared out of sight.

“This child… It’s just a torn sweater, why are you in such a hurry.”

As she spoke, she turned the corner and spotted Tao Yi Xi who was holding onto some worksheets. Nanny Yang did not know how long she had been there so she gave Tao Yi Xi a snort and walked passed her.

Tao Yi Xi remained rooted where she stood. Her mind was already occupied by his anxious inquiry and quickly disappearing back.