The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 874 - 874 403 Frenzy (first update)

Chapter 874: 403 Frenzy (first update) Chapter 874: 403 Frenzy (first update) Gu Jiao subconsciously turned her head away.

She saw a woman wearing a pale green cloak with opulent attire emerge. It wasn’t the ostentatious kind of opulence but a low-key luxury felt through the texture and quality of dress.

A plain white veil covered her face, barely revealing a prominent nose bridge, and a pair of eyes under the cloak’s hood, calm and collected.

She looked very young, with hardly any fine lines around her eyes, yet there was a noble and elegant aura about her, as if the years had refined it, causing Gu Jiao to believe she might be a few years older than the Yao Family matron.

An unbidden thought flashed through Gu Jiao’s mind—time never defeated a true beauty.

However, Gu Jiao’s target was not the beauty in the room.

Gu Jiao hadn’t forgotten that she was here to inquire with a Yan Country pharmacist about how to purchase the services of the Dragon Shadow Guard. She clapped her hands and stood up, heading inside without giving the beauty another glance.

The latter also did not pay any attention to a Jianghu youngster squatting at the doorstep.

She carried the elixirs bought from within, adjusted her cloak’s hood, and walked towards the door with composed calmness.

The Dragon Shadow Guard followed in step.

“Hmm?”

Just as Gu Jiao’s foot was about to cross the threshold, she drew it back.

She turned around, looking at the Dragon Shadow Guard leaving with the woman, with a huge question mark over her head.

The Dragon Shadow Guard wasn’t with the Yan Country pharmacist? Was he with this lady?

Who was she?

Why would she have a Dragon Shadow Guard?

The reason Gu Jiao would rather guess that a Yan Country pharmacist might be selling the services of the Dragon Shadow Guard was because the Dragon Shadow Guard originally came from Yan Country’s dead soldiers, and the trainers of the Dragon Shadow Guard were also from Yan Country.

Since they were all from Yan Country, it seemed far more likely that the Yan Country pharmacist had connections.

So what was the story with this lady?

Gu Jiao was perplexed.

She intended to follow and see but unexpectedly, Old He came over.

Old He, having heard the complaint from the martial judge, had specifically come looking for Gu Jiao. Seeing her, he breathed a sigh of relief but then approached with concerned urgency, grabbing Gu Jiao’s hand and pulling her a full ten paces away.

“Oh, Young Master Gu, how did you end up here? Didn’t I tell you not to get near these gourd-hanging rooms? Do you know who was just in that room? If you offend him, I’m afraid even I can’t protect you!”

Gu Jiao did not speak; she continued to watch the woman who had walked out.

Thinking Gu Jiao was taking his advice and reflecting, he continued, “Also, what was going on up on the stage? Who was that man? How did he suddenly rush up and disrupt the duel? Do you realize you both would have been dealt with on the spot by the martial arts arena’s people if it hadn’t been for my intervention today?”

Gu Jiao remained silent.

Old He frowned, pinched her arm, “Did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you,” Gu Jiao finally said.

“Ah—you can speak!” Old He was so startled that he staggered back several steps and tumbled to the ground, “No, are you, you, you a girl?”

As he spoke, he stared dumbfoundedly at the hand that had just grabbed Gu Jiao’s wrist and pinched her arm, suddenly feeling that he had done something unforgivable…

Old He was not essentially a good man, with plenty of vices, but he couldn’t bring himself to harm such a young girl.

Gu Jiao was fifteen but dressed as a boy made her look younger, only about thirteen or fourteen.

Gu Jiao had no intention of continuing to disguise her voice from Old He. As her business cutting leeks expanded, her interactions with Old He would increase.

Always writing was too cumbersome for her.

Old He had originally come to rebuke Gu Jiao, but Gu Jiao’s revelation left him at a loss for words.

Gu Jiao asked, “Have those two leeks visited in the past few days?”

Old He was dazed, “What?”

“Leeks…” Gu Jiao cleared her throat, “Young Master Chu and Young Master Xiao.”

Old He’s mouth twitched, wondering if giving people such green nicknames was really appropriate.

Old He refused to respond to her question.

“They have.”

Damn, he was too honest!

Gu Jiao inquired further, “How many times?”

Old He glanced at Gu Jiao and, realizing she was actually a delicate young lady, he gave up resisting and closed his eyes, “Young Master Chu came three times, Young Master Xiao eleven times.”

Even the composed Gu Jiao was startled by the Crown Prince’s actions.

Was he really that idle?

Or did he truly want to see her that badly?

Gu Jiao touched her chin, “Hmm, go tell them I’m free tomorrow afternoon.”

Old He was startled, “Both, both of them are coming?”

Gu Jiao curled her lips slightly, “The one who pays the most gets to see me.”

Old He: “…”

The youth lacks integrity.

Old He ended up going anyway; after all, he was not running errands for nothing, there was silver to be made.

After coming out from the underground fight, Gu Jiao went to the restaurant where they had held the banquet for Old Lord Hou. She had discovered by chance that the restaurant’s Crispy Aromatic Duck was excellent and intended to buy a couple to take home for her family.

“Young Master, the duck will take a little longer to be ready. Could you please wait a moment?” the waiter said with an embarrassed smile.

Gu Jiao nodded and found a seat in a corner of the grand hall to sit down.

Her mind involuntarily drifted back to the Dragon Shadow Guards she had seen in the underground fight and the lady escorted by them.

Who exactly was she?

Why did she have such a formidable Dragon Shadow Guard?

Lost in thought, Gu Jiao suddenly noticed a striking figure moving at the end of the corridor. It was none other than that lady.

The lady walked towards Gu Jiao and entered a private room behind her.

“`

Gu Jiao deliberately lowered her presence, only standing up to head towards the wing room once she had passed by.

The door to the wing room was tightly closed, and soft voices of conversation came from inside.

“I just went to see that Yan Country pharmacist.”

That statement was clearly made by the lady, her voice as gentle and healing as her dignified and reserved demeanor.

“We are in luck – he happened to have one last bottle today. He said it would be effective for your symptoms. You should start taking it.”

You?

Who was this lady speaking to with such reverence in her tone?

Given her own significant status, the one she addressed as ‘you’ must be either an elder or someone of great wealth or nobility.

But who could it be?

Gu Jiao pondered for a moment before moving to the window, intending to poke a small hole in the paper pane to sneak a peek.

Just as she was about to prod it with her little finger, a towering figure overshadowed her. Without a word, he wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her up.

Indeed, hoisted.

Previously, only Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Chengfeng had been so casually lifted off the ground. Never had Gu Jiao imagined she would one day be hoisted up as well.

The Dragon Shadow Guard held her by the waist with his arm, her hands and feet flailing. Before she could make a splash, he whisked her off behind a large tree in the backyard.

He put Gu Jiao down.

She looked at him warily, her cowlick springing up instantly!

What was he planning to do?

Was he seeking revenge for the slap?

The Dragon Shadow Guard raised his hand, reaching toward Gu Jiao.

…to press down her cowlick.

Gu Jiao: “…”

The Dragon Shadow Guard withdrew his hand.

The cowlick she had pressed down sprang back up again.

The Dragon Shadow Guard pressed it down once more.

It sprang up yet again.

The Dragon Shadow Guard, with a fierce look in his eyes, let a powerful surge of inner strength flow from his fingertips, exuding an irresistible fiery force that finally smoothed the stubborn cowlick.

He seemed more at ease as well.

Gu Jiao again: “…”

Well, as long as he wasn’t there for revenge, she was willing to go along with whatever he wanted!

The Dragon Shadow Guard took out a charcoal pencil from his bosom and handed it to Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao made a surprised noise, looking at the charcoal pencil in her palm, then back at the Dragon Shadow Guard, “Why are you giving me this? Uh… is it because I broke one earlier and you’re giving me a new one? Then… thank you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Jiao sensed his displeasure.

“Not for me? Then it’s…” Gu Jiao thought it over, then crouched down to draw a circle on the ground.

The Dragon Shadow Guard seemed pleased.

Gu Jiao was utterly baffled – did he go through all this just to watch her draw a circle?

The next second, Gu Jiao realized she’d made another mistake.

Because the Dragon Shadow Guard wasn’t pleased anymore.

Gu Jiao scratched her head in confusion!

Her hand pressed too hard, and she accidentally snapped the charcoal pencil in two.

The Dragon Shadow Guard seemed pleased again.

“Oh, you want me to break the charcoal pencil? No problem at all, I can break as many as you want!” Gu Jiao picked up the remaining pencils and with a decisive action, snapped them to pieces!

Afterward, she noticed the Dragon Shadow Guard’s gaze had turned icy cold.

The Dragon Shadow Guard, holding his patience, handed Gu Jiao another charcoal pencil.

Gu Jiao recalled the sequence – she had been correct up to the point of breaking the pencil, but whatever came after displeased him.

Was her breaking technique not pretty enough? Or perhaps not cool enough? Is it because I didn’t slap your face, huh?

Wait a minute, slap the face…

Gu Jiao mustered her courage, glanced at the Dragon Shadow Guard, and with a flick of her wrist, the charcoal pencil snapped with a crack – the broken piece flying off and hitting the Dragon Shadow Guard’s mask with a crisp smack.

Gu Jiao watched him nervously.

The next second, the Dragon Shadow Guard handed Gu Jiao a piece of candy.

Initially, Gu Jiao thought he was going to kill her, but then he didn’t, only wanting her to flick the pencils away, and that wasn’t hard at all.

Compared to losing her life, Gu Jiao felt that flicking pencils and even being able to save up some candy for Xiaoshun was simply too comfortable a task.

Gu Jiao proudly bobbed her little head!

However, it wasn’t long before Gu Jiao lost her sense of triumph.

Every time she thought she was about done flicking pencils, the Dragon Shadow Guard would magically produce a new pack, then look at her expectantly, his face expressionless yet seemingly full of anticipation.

Gu Jiao attempted to escape.

Whoosh!

She was caught and brought back.

Zoom!

Caught and brought back once more!

In the end, Gu Jiao was forced to spend an entire afternoon breaking charcoal pencils.

Her paws were nearly ruined – oh, what a grievance!

“`

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