The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 902 - 902 416 lines of poetry (second watch of the night)

Chapter 902: 416 lines of poetry (second watch of the night) Chapter 902: 416 lines of poetry (second watch of the night) After leaving the Medical Hall, Gu Jiao took Xiao Sanzi’s carriage and made a trip to Liu Yisheng’s home.

Liu Yisheng’s home was as impoverished as ever, but she did not see Liu Yisheng sitting in the courtyard splitting grain heads as he often had before.

Only the mute youth called Anu and another aged old maid were working in the front yard, one weaving baskets and the other splitting grain heads.

Both of them recognized Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao asked, “I’m looking for Liu Yisheng. Is he here?”

The old maid was hard of hearing and did not respond, but Anu pointed towards a room inside.

“Thank you,” Gu Jiao said her thanks and stepped into the main room. Then she turned and entered the small room Anu had indicated.

It was a study room and also Liu Yisheng’s bedroom. Its size was similar to Xiao Liulang’s and Xiao Jingkong’s western room, furnished very plainly and antiquated, with a cabinet that had peeling paint and a table propped up with stones because one leg was shorter.

There were also some battered pieces of furniture that either seemed to have been scavenged from outside, or perhaps had been broken during a break-in; in any case, they were full of holes and cracks.

Liu Yisheng, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, sat behind the desk, absorbed in reading a book.

Gu Jiao recognized the book as one she had given him previously.

He had really started to read.

Without disturbing him, Gu Jiao folded her arms and leaned against the door frame.

Liu Yisheng, engrossed in his ocean of books, did not notice Gu Jiao’s arrival until the old maid outside accidentally knocked over a stool, causing a loud crash. Only then did he startle and look up.

He then saw Gu Jiao lightly leaned against the door, watching him composedly.

Ordinarily, being caught in such a situation by another person would be quite awkward, and one would instinctively shift their gaze away.

But Gu Jiao did not do so.

She was very straightforward. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did I disturb you?”

“No… It wasn’t you.” Liu Yisheng concealed the surprise in his eyes, opened the window beside him to check outside, and having made sure the old maid was all right, he calmed down again.

“Why have you come?” He closed the book and seemed somewhat reserved as he scrutinized his own room, uncertain if there was any mess unfit for visitors to see.

Fortunately, there wasn’t any.

The old maid and Anu had just cleaned that morning.

“You…” He hesitated for a moment, wanting to invite her in, but then it seemed improper, so he stood up and said, “Let’s sit in the main room instead.”

Gu Jiao nodded.

As the guest follows the host’s lead, it mattered not where she sat.

Though Liu Yisheng’s family had two servants, with one aged and hard of hearing and the other mute, Liu Yisheng always personally attended to guests.

Of course, his home never had any other guests; Gu Jiao was the only one.

Yuan Tang could not be counted as a guest.

“Sit,” Liu Yisheng motioned towards a chair.

Gu Jiao took a seat.

A white figure darted across, hopping onto Gu Jiao’s lap, its plump body curling into a fluffy ball, behaving obediently to be petted.

Gu Jiao poked its soft belly with her fingertip and laughingly said, “Do you still remember me?”

This white cat was the same one that had nearly frightened Xiao Liulang and bumped into the Princess Consort Ning. Yuan Tang had caught it in time. Seeing that Gu Jiao liked it, and the cat liked her as well, Yuan Tang pretended it had no owner and allowed Gu Jiao to take the cat home to raise.

However, Gu Jiao did not take the cat with her.

Of course, Gu Jiao had guessed later that it was Yuan Tang’s cat and even directly confronted Yuan Tang about it.

She had thought Yuan Tang would want her cat back.

“You’re still here,” Gu Jiao smiled gently, finding joy in petting the cat.

Seeing her so happily playing with the white cat, Liu Yisheng couldn’t help but ask, “If you like it that much, why not take it with you?”

Her husband was afraid of cats.

This man feared neither heaven nor earth nor even death, but paradoxically, he was afraid of cats.

Gu Jiao did not answer his question. Instead, she said, “No need, you’ve taken good care of it.” After a pause, she turned to look at him, “Don’t you like cats?”

Liu Yisheng lowered his gaze and replied, “Not at all, I like them very much. They can catch mice too. Since its arrival, we’ve had no mice in the house.”

Gu Jiao tapped its belly, “Are you that skillful?”

The white cat meowed smugly in response.

“Does it have a name?” Gu Jiao suddenly asked.

Liu Yisheng found himself at a loss.

It was just a cat; did it need a name?

Gu Jiao did not have experience with keeping pets either, but since Xiao Jingkong named each of the seven chickens he raised, she subconsciously assumed this white cat should also have a name.

Liu Yisheng’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Just moments ago, he claimed to enjoy keeping a cat, and yet he hadn’t even given it a name.