Villainous Fake Eunuch (10)
Song Xuyi fled back to the room, clutching her chest that was pounding “thump thump,” feeling that her whole being was not well at all!
Just now, when she fell into Gu Ruyu’s arms, for a moment, a ridiculous thought emerged in Song Xuyi’s mind: Gu Ruyu seemed to want to kiss her!
At that moment, Song Xuyi’s body couldn’t stop trembling, and she suddenly understood why Gu Ruyu treated her differently—Gu Ruyu very likely had a thing for her!
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to get close to her, accompany her to cook, and help her save Wang Family Village…
The more Song Xuyi thought about it, the more she felt her guess was correct, but she couldn’t help having some self-doubt: Gu Ruyu was simply too beautiful! Song Xuyi was aware that while her body could be considered beautiful, compared to Gu Ruyu, it was like a fish eye compared to a pearl, and Gu Ruyu held a high position, having seen all kinds of beauties, why would he take a fancy to her alone?
Song Xuyi tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep. After thinking for a long while, she finally untied the system’s mute setting.
The system felt a bit angry; it decided to unilaterally ignore Song Xuyi for five minutes: Xuyi was usually easy to deal with, but after encountering the villain, she faced repeated setbacks. When the system saw Song Xuyi bravely confront the villain while blocking the 《Heart Sutra》 it played, it originally thought she would win this time, but unexpectedly, Song Xuyi was still bewildered by the villain!
Moreover, this time the system was sure: that damned big villain had once again taken a liking to its own Xuyi!
“System,” Song Xuyi felt a bit embarrassed. She had originally wanted to prove to the system that she wasn’t swayed by beauty, but unexpectedly, she was still flustered by Gu Ruyu’s disruptions. However, now, besides the system, Song Xuyi couldn’t find anyone else to discuss Gu Ruyu with, so she could only suppress her shame and quietly say, “I seem to know why Gu Ruyu treats me differently…”
“What else could it be? That scoundrel has his eyes on you again!” The system roared in its heart, but thinking that based on Xuyi’s usual dullness, she might not notice this, and it didn’t want to make this clear and help Gu Ruyu do the wedding dress1, the system chose not to respond and decided to see what Song Xuyi would say.
However, to the system’s surprise, this time Song Xuyi actually saw through the villain’s intentions—
“I feel like Gu Ruyu seems to like me—” Song Xuyi bit her lip and spoke softly, “I don’t know if it’s just my illusion; I don’t actually mind that he has a disability, but… this matter is just too sudden for me! Even when he was Zhao San, I only regarded him as an ordinary friend; although I appreciate Gu Ruyu’s beauty, I have rarely interacted with him personally. I swear I’ve never had even the slightest thought about him…”
“And we have a rule, right? That we can’t fall in love in the small world?”
“System? Are you still listening?”
The system was already speechless!
If the system had tears, it would feel like it was already shedding old tears at this moment—its mood was like riding a roller coaster from hell to heaven. The system had never imagined that one day it would hear such words from Song Xuyi’s mouth!
“I just feel that you’re absolutely right. My Xuyi is so wonderful; Gu Ruyu must have taken a fancy to you!” Hearing Song Xuyi’s inquiry, the system quickly responded, “But someone as cunning and treacherous as Gu Ruyu is not worthy of you. This is just his one-sided infatuation; you don’t need to pay attention to him!”
Song Xuyi nodded, but her feelings were still somewhat complicated, tossing and turning, unable to sleep: Based on Gu Ruyu’s strong personality, if she ignored him, could she really stop his feelings for her?
Soon, reality confirmed Song Xuyi’s worst suspicions.
Gu Ruyu was very strict, and at the hour of Shen2, the carriage team set off on time.
The maid who took care of Song Xuyi had been replaced.
Before departure, Song Xuyi heard the sounds of wailing coming from the courtyard behind, and the maids cautiously informed Song Xuyi—this was Gu Ruyu dealing with his servants. A few servants had seen things they shouldn’t have and were punished by Gu Ruyu by having their eyes gouged out.
With a light comment from Gu Ruyu, several servants would have to accompany darkness for the rest of their lives.
Song Xuyi’s body stiffened, feeling a chill all over: she knew Gu Ruyu was cruel and violent, but this was the first time she personally experienced it. Even after the carriage had traveled far, Song Xuyi seemed to still hear those miserable cries, which further solidified her determination to stay away from Gu Ruyu: not to mention that Gu Ruyu was the big villain in the story, his cruel and tyrannical nature was also incredibly daunting…
The convoy moved along the planned route, slowly heading towards Jiangnan.
This time, it was unclear what Gu Ruyu was planning again. The team no longer engaged in deliberately delaying tactics and wholeheartedly started making their way; unless passing through a post station at mealtimes, Song Xuyi spent most of her time in the carriage.
Even though the journey was busy, Gu Ruyu took great care of Song Xuyi. The maids were obedient, and whenever they arrived in a town, a fast horse would bring local specialty delicacies to Song Xuyi’s table. Even while on the road, Song Xuyi felt as if she were enjoying a spring outing, feeling quite at ease.
Originally, this pace was satisfactory, but what made Song Xuyi feel anxious was—Gu Ruyu began to occasionally visit Song Xuyi’s carriage under the pretext of “fearing that the Princess would escape again.”
Each time he came, it was almost unnecessary for Gu Ruyu to speak; the maids taking care of Song Xuyi would all voluntarily step out. He didn’t engage in any other inappropriate actions, yet his gaze gave Song Xuyi an immense sense of pressure. Every time she was looked at by his beautiful eyes, she wanted to find a crack in the ground to escape…
It wasn’t that Gu Ruyu’s eyes contained deep affection; Song Xuyi felt that Gu Ruyu’s gaze towards her resembled a possessive interest in a pet, filled with invasion and plunder.
Song Xuyi was very unaccustomed to Gu Ruyu’s gaze.
After Gu Ruyu once again started probing into her carriage, with his intense stare fixed on her, Song Xuyi pretended to read a book for a long time, but in reality, she hadn’t absorbed a single word. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally spoke up: “Chief Eunuch Gu, even if we are pretending to be siblings at this moment, there should still be a distinction between men and women. My reputation may not matter, but I fear it could tarnish Chief Eunuch Gu’s good name…”
“Good name?” Song Xuyi did not expect Gu Ruyu to let out a laugh. His beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly leaned closer to her. After seeing the dodging look in Song Xuyi’s eyes, Gu Ruyu’s expression darkened, and he directly reached out, pinching Song Xuyi’s cheek: “Does the Princess think that a eunuch who disrupts the court would care about such baseless things?”
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Song Xuyi’s eyes widened in disbelief; she never imagined Gu Ruyu could be so audacious!
“You are being outrageous!” Song Xuyi exclaimed, her eyes round with shock. Accustomed to being gentle, she didn’t know how to scold someone. All she could do was flush red and recall the domineering manner of the original owner as she tried to organize her words. However, before she had the chance to speak, Gu Ruyu leisurely withdrew his hand, rubbed his fingers together, and with a slight curve of his lips, said, “Princess, there is dirt on your face—”
Gu Ruyu, who spoke such blatant lies with his eyes wide open, resembled a young scion teasing a virtuous woman, lacking any semblance of the ruthless and domineering grand eunuch rumored to have complete control.
“You… shameless!”
Song Xuyi never expected Gu Ruyu to be so brazen. After holding it in for a long time, she finally found words that described him perfectly and shouted them out!
However, the Gu Ruyu being scolded in front of her didn’t seem angry at all. He lay back in the carriage, smiling at Song Xuyi, his beautiful eyes sparkling as if stars had fallen into them. The usual cold detachment had faded away, and he looked like a mischievous child who had successfully pulled off a prank, filled with triumphant joy, exuding a youthful spirit…
How could someone be so contradictory?
When he was fierce, he made people turn pale with fear, yet at times, he resembled the purest child, with all his emotions—joy and anger—clearly visible.
The spot on her cheek that Gu Ruyu had touched seemed to be faintly burning. Song Xuyi bit her lip tightly, fearing a more vicious retaliation. After thinking for a long time, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words “crazy” or “big bad guy” as the system had urged her to. Instead, she silently resolved in her heart—
She must find a way to avoid being alone with Gu Ruyu!
Absolutely!!
Song Xuyi’s wish was incredibly beautiful, but reality was extremely cruel. The maids surrounding her feared Gu Ruyu like a venomous snake, often retreating at the mere glance from him. In such circumstances, Song Xuyi could hardly avoid being alone with Gu Ruyu…
These treasures were all things that the original owner liked, but Song Xuyi felt incredibly uncomfortable with them. Every time Gu Ruyu focused on grooming her and drawing her eyebrows, even though Gu Ruyu’s skills were indeed impressive, once the makeup was done, Song Xuyi looked as lovely as a fairy. However, she felt immense fear in her heart; every time Gu Ruyu touched her, it sent chills down her spine. She always had the feeling that she was like the carefully hoarded food of the big bad wolf Gu Ruyu, who was intentionally nurturing her and would eventually take a big bite out of her at the right moment…
Finally, perhaps heaven couldn’t bear to let Song Xuyi suffer like this any longer, and she finally found a legitimate opportunity to distance herself from Gu Ruyu.
By coincidence, Song Xuyi adopted a little girl.
As the carriage passed through a town, many people were gathered in a crowd, creating an uproar.
When Song Xuyi saw the little girl, she appeared extremely pitiful, with a bundle of straw tied to her head, kneeling by the roadside holding a sign that recounted her father’s unjust death at the hands of the local gentry. However, the gentry held considerable power in the area, and no one was willing to intervene. As Song Xuyi passed by, the gentry even went so far as to want to forcibly take the little girl into his residence as a concubine…
Song Xuyi took care of this idle matter, helping the little girl bury her father and contacting the local government to severely punish the gentry.
However, perhaps due to being frightened by the gentry’s wicked servants, the little girl later trembled and appeared completely lost. She rejected anyone who approached her except for Song Xuyi. With no other options, Song Xuyi could only take the little girl onto her carriage, softly comforting and guiding her.
When Gu Ruyu arrived, what he saw was Song Xuyi styling the little girl’s hair:
The little girl, soft and delicate, leaned dependently on Song Xuyi’s knee, her big eyes fixed on Song Xuyi without blinking. Song Xuyi lowered her head, her brows and eyes gentle, speaking in a soft and tender voice.
Although it looked like an incredibly harmonious scene, Gu Ruyu found it extremely glaring, especially after seeing the affection in the little girl’s eyes. He couldn’t help but sneer: “The Princess truly has a heart of kindness!”
Gu Ruyu originally had a cold demeanor, and when he was angry, his entire presence was even more intimidating. Song Xuyi was taken aback, not understanding why Gu Ruyu suddenly got angry. Hearing him speak, she instinctively glanced at the timid little girl beside her, and sure enough, the little girl shivered once again, her eyes filled with tears from fright…
Meeting Song Xuyi’s gaze, the little girl timidly called out, “Sister.”
“You scared this child!” Song Xuyi shot a glance at Gu Ruyu, unable to help but furrow her brows.
“Child?” Gu Ruyu laughed coldly despite his anger, “You consider her a child, but she doesn’t see you as an elder!”
This little girl was almost fifteen, already of marriageable age in the common folk, and Song Xuyi was only two years older than her at most…
However, Song Xuyi had always been compassionate towards the weak and did not heed Gu Ruyu’s words. Knowing she couldn’t stop him, she could only turn and comfort the little girl: “Don’t be afraid, sister will protect you.”
Gu Ruyu watched Song Xuyi speaking softly and gently to the little girl, nearly grinding his teeth in frustration.
For a fleeting moment, Gu Ruyu wanted to sweep away and leave, but he felt that leaving would only fulfill the little girl’s wishes. After much consideration, Gu Ruyu still sat inside the carriage with a grim expression—
Song Xuyi didn’t know what Gu Ruyu intended to do, but at least she had the little girl beside her. Her interactions with Gu Ruyu were no longer as tense as before. Since Gu Ruyu wasn’t saying why he was there, Song Xuyi also ignored him, keeping a discreet eye on his movements while chatting with the little girl to reassure her…
Watching Song Xuyi enjoy her time with the little girl, Gu Ruyu’s gaze grew colder by the day.
In fact, even Gu Ruyu himself did not know why he had come to the carriage out of sheer boredom. He clearly told himself that Song Xuyi was just a rare and agreeable pet. Now that the pet was disobedient, Gu Ruyu had countless ways to make Song Xuyi obedient, yet he found that he couldn’t bring himself to do it: Gu Ruyu was afraid that the light in Song Xuyi’s eyes would disappear—
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Gu Ruyu also didn’t know when it had started, but ever since Song Xuyi had expressed her desire to find Zheng Lian in front of the Emperor, Gu Ruyu’s informants had been keeping an eye on her. This mascot Princess, who had always been regarded as arrogant and brainless, seemed to have undergone some change; she shed some of her foolish traits and became gentle and wise. Although her appearance could not be considered stunning, Gu Ruyu found his gaze drawn to her involuntarily…
Gu Ruyu originally thought that Song Xuyi had noticed certain things, such as the truth about her parents’ deaths or the function of the military tally… So when he saw Song Xuyi escaping at night, Gu Ruyu disguised himself and approached her, wanting to see what her true intentions were in leaving the palace.
What made Gu Ruyu find it even more amusing was that Song Xuyi actually thought that the ‘Zhao San’ he had disguised himself as was a good person!
At first, Gu Ruyu calmly observed Song Xuyi, trying to figure out what she was really up to until Song Xuyi gave him a letter—
Gu Ruyu just started calmly examining Song Xuyi, wanting to understand exactly what medicine Song Xuyi was selling in the gourd3, until Song Xuyi gave him a letter——
With great difficulty, she had managed to escape, yet Song Xuyi wanted to voluntarily return for Wang Family Village?
Gu Ruyu found it unbelievable; however, Song Xuyi had made it clear in the letter.
Upon careful consideration, Gu Ruyu realized that it wasn’t all that hard to understand: After all, Song Xuyi was a member of the Song family, a family full of brave martyrs, whose family motto had always been “Wholeheartedly Serve the People”…
But Gu Ruyu couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed: Song Xuyi had escaped without a word at that time, and now she needed help, she thought she could deceive him with just a letter? How could there be such logic in this world?
But somehow, Gu Ruyu still went back to Song Xuyi’s side.
Gu Ruyu told Song Xuyi that he didn’t plan to come to Wang Family Village. Originally, he thought Song Xuyi would be disappointed, regretful, and would plead with him repeatedly like the others. However, Song Xuyi said nothing and once again devoted herself wholeheartedly to the epidemic prevention process…
Gu Ruyu felt increasingly uneasy. Especially watching Song Xuyi busy with epidemic prevention every day, her smiles becoming fewer, and looking more and more exhausted…
Gu Ruyu couldn’t help but give Song Xuyi a hint: Song Xuyi was smart enough to understand his insinuation. As long as she asked for help one more time, he would step in to assist. But Song Xuyi never asked him for help again.
Gu Ruyu secretly gritted his teeth and, in the end, had no choice but to use some means to make Song Xuyi sign a written agreement: After all, Gu Ruyu never did business at a loss. Song Xuyi cooked a meal for him, which could be considered an apology.
Gu Ruyu wasn’t unaware of his own discomfort. He had never felt such peculiar emotions towards anyone before. But Gu Ruyu attributed everything to Song Xuyi’s adorable nature. Song Xuyi was like a beloved pet he had raised in his childhood. When teasing her and seeing her puffed-up cheeks, Gu Ruyu couldn’t help but feel delighted, wanting to present all the things he loved before her, to build a nest for her, and shield her from the harsh world outside.
Gu Ruyu delighted in playing such games; it was one of the few pleasures in this cold and filthy world, a treasure that belonged solely to him. Gu Ruyu even thought he could play these games for a lifetime without getting bored.
However, Gu Ruyu never expected that Song Xuyi would be unwilling to accompany him in ‘playing games.’
Song Xuyi would smile at the little girl she picked up and speak to her in a soft voice, but when facing Gu Ruyu, she would never say an extra word and even glared at him…
Originally, he found Song Xuyi’s puffed cheeks quite charming. However, after seeing the contrast, Gu Ruyu couldn’t help but feel uneasy: seeing how Song Xuyi interacted with the little girl was unbearably eye-catching, and his chest felt sour and bitter…
What on earth was happening to him?
This situation persisted for a week. Because he stayed in the carriage with the little girl all day, perhaps mindful of her presence, even though Gu Ruyu’s expression looked extremely gloomy, he did not lay a hand on Song Xuyi again. Song Xuyi felt relieved and treated the little girl even better, while the entire convoy’s atmosphere became incredibly tense over the past few days. Gu Ruyu’s already bad temper became even more frightening, frequently punishing subordinates. Everyone was on edge, fearing to provoke Gu Ruyu’s displeasure.
When the little girl mentioned missing the red bean cakes from her hometown, Song Xuyi promised to personally cook red bean cakes for her in two days. In that moment, Gu Ruyu felt a string in his mind snap with a ‘twang’—
That night, under the dark moon and high winds, the convoy unusually stayed at an inn instead of continuing on the road. From a room far from Song Xuyi’s, even beyond the system’s sensing range, came a slight noise. Gu Ruyu opened the door to find the little girl sitting at the table with her eyes open.
The little girl didn’t seem surprised that Gu Ruyu came to find her, nor did she appear as fragile as she did in front of Song Xuyi. She looked at Gu Ruyu with clear eyes: “Sir, as long as you agree to my condition, I will willingly leave my sister’s side.”
Gu Ruyu’s hand, gripping his sword hilt, paused. He looked up at the little girl, his expression unchanged, and coldly sneered: “Are you using her to threaten me?”
“No, I am pleading with you, sir.” Under Gu Ruyu’s cold gaze, the little girl shivered but forced a smile and knelt on the ground: “I am just betting, betting that you cannot bear to see Sister Xuyi sad.”
Gu Ruyu pursed his lips but released his grip on the sword.
“I know I am unworthy of staying by Sister Xuyi’s side,” the little girl’s eyes showed a hint of warmth when she mentioned Song Xuyi, but her expression soon turned incredibly resolute: “I just want you to give me a chance…”
Gu Ruyu sat by the table, coldly watching the little girl without saying a word.
The little girl did not expect a response from Gu Ruyu and continued speaking on her own: “My father was publicly beaten to death by henchmen sent by a wealthy gentry, but in reality, it was instigated by a corrupt official behind the scenes. Sister Xuyi helped me eliminate the gentry, and I am extremely grateful, but I also know that he was just a scapegoat. The real culprit is still at large!”
“A few days ago, I saw soldiers secretly clearing the road, saying that a noble person was passing through, so I seized the moment and risked everything to go to the street to sell myself to bury my father. Deceiving Sister Xuyi was not my intention, but I had no other choice.”
“I am willing to become a knife in your hand, to help you pierce through this filthy and corrupt world, and restore clarity and justice to the human realm!” The little girl kowtowed, her eyes incredibly resolute, her forehead swollen and red: “I only wish that one day, I can personally take revenge on all my enemies!”
The little girl’s words were forceful and coherent, clearly long prepared. She laid all her cards and intentions bare in front of Gu Ruyu. Yet, Gu Ruyu’s expression remained as cold as ever, even sneering: “Aren’t you afraid that the sky beside me might be even filthier?”
“You wouldn’t be.” To Gu Ruyu’s surprise, the little girl’s expression was incredibly determined. She smiled slightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes: “With Sister Xuyi by your side, you definitely wouldn’t be!”
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Song Xuyi never expected to encounter the little girl bidding her farewell, nor did she expect the little girl to want to join Gu Ruyu’s ranks!
Watching the delicately fragile little girl with a small bundle on her back following Gu Ruyu’s subordinates into the distance, Song Xuyi widened her eyes and stared intently at the expression on the little girl’s face. If it weren’t for Gu Ruyu standing beside her, Song Xuyi almost wanted to shout: “If you are being threatened, just blink!”
However, there was not a hint of reluctance on the little girl’s face.
As the little girl walked farther and farther away, Gu Ruyu, standing nearby, let out a sarcastic laugh: “Can’t bear to part with her?”
It was only then that Song Xuyi realized with horror: The maids around them had unknowingly withdrawn, leaving only herself and Gu Ruyu in the carriage.
Without the little girl standing by, Gu Ruyu took the opportunity to retaliate against Song Xuyi for her recent neglect. Seeing Song Xuyi, with her cheeks reddened by his rough handling, glaring at him with anger but not daring to speak out, looking incredibly cute, Gu Ruyu felt completely refreshed. The gloom in his chest was swept away. Recalling the little girl, whom he had sent to the border, saying: “Sir, Sister is someone who is soft-hearted but not hard-hearted. You can actually show a bit of weakness,” he curled his lips in contempt—
He didn’t need to show weakness; this current state was just perfect!
The author has something to say:
Please forgive Xiaogu, who is still in the elementary school phase of “if you like her, bully her.” However, everyone should believe in her ability to learn; she will mature.
Wuwu, I was so tired yesterday that I fell asleep without realizing it, and my flag fell. I’m so sorry, everyone, so here’s a double update to make up for it.
This is to make up for yesterday; there will be another update tonight.
LP: Re-translated on August 19, 2024
Footnotes
- Make this clear and help Gu Ruyu do the wedding dress (幫顧如昱做嫁衣): An idiom meaning to assist someone in achieving their goal, especially at one’s own expense.
- Hour of Shen (申時): Refers to a specific time in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system, roughly between 3 PM to 5 PM.
- What medicine Song Xuyi was selling in the gourd: A Chinese idiom meaning what someone is really up to.