CH 132

Villainous Fake Eunuch (9)

Although Gu Ruyu’s poker face was as inscrutable as ever, Song Xu Yi could tell that he was in a good mood based on his slightly colder tone than usual.

Despite his concise words, he explained the background and details of the document he held in his hand very clearly.

If it weren’t for the system reminding her, Song Xu Yi might have believed Gu Ruyu’s words and thought that the aloof and warm-hearted good man Zhao San had given the document to Gu Ruyu for help, so that she could stop working all day.

However, now that she knew that Zhao San was actually Gu Ruyu himself, Song Xu Yi barely managed to hide her surprise as she looked at Gu Ruyu’s seemingly still cold face. She secretly judged his behavior to be that of a performance artist.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t believe that Gu Ruyu, a cunning and manipulative person, would approach her just to have a meal. Nevertheless, she couldn’t fathom Gu Ruyu’s intentions, so she decided to play along and asked, “Where did Mr. Zhao go?”

She still felt a bit awkward facing Gu Ruyu after her derogatory comments about him in front of “Zhao San,” and cleared her throat before attempting to make amends, “Although Mr. Zhao may not be physically attractive, he has a warm heart, adheres to traditional values, and values etiquette and moral principles. He is truly a great person. I don’t know where he went, but I’d like to thank him personally.”

“He left!” To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Gu Ruyu’s response was not favorable. His tone grew even colder, and he gave her a piercing look as he slightly pursed his lips, “He left abruptly without leaving a single word.”

“Oh, I understand.” Song Xu Yi replied dryly. She felt perplexed and didn’t know how to read Gu Ruyu’s behavior. She noticed that he was still giving her a cold stare, so she decided to give up on reconciling and rolled up her sleeves to start cooking in the small kitchen.

“Hunger him! You shouldn’t cook for him,” the system grumbled in Song Xu Yi’s mind, dissatisfied with Gu Ruyu’s presence.

“But he has been a great benefactor to Wangjiazhuang. If he hadn’t come, I don’t know what would have happened to the village,” Song Xu Yi replied in a soft voice, while picking vegetables.

Regardless of Gu Ruyu’s intentions, he had helped the people of Wangjiazhuang, and Song Xu Yi was grateful for that. Cooking a few meals for him was not a big deal. However, Song Xu Yi regretted boasting about her cooking skills and promising ten meals instead of three, which meant she had to face Gu Ruyu more often than she wanted. Nevertheless, she couldn’t undo what had already been done.

Having spent years in the palace, Song Xu Yi’s skin was delicate, but her recent outdoor activities had caused her hands to look a bit rough. However, the skin on her exposed forearms was still fair and delicate, glowing in the sunlight, causing several young servants behind Gu Ruyu to glance at Song Xu Yi’s arms constantly.

Song Xu Yi paid no attention to the expressions of the servants behind Gu Ruyu.

The ingredients he brought were of the finest quality. She had been so occupied with matters in Wangjiazhuang that she had barely thought about food lately. Upon seeing the excellent ingredients, she felt a twinge of excitement and began preparing them with all her might.

Once Song Xu Yi started doing something, she was always focused. She swiftly finished cutting the vegetables and was about to put them in the pot when she heard a sizzling sound coming from the nearby oil pan. It was then that she realized the servants had already left, and Gu Ruyu had rolled up his sleeves to cook alongside her.

His arms were slender, soft, and smooth, with skin as tender as suet. Even women’s skin couldn’t compare to his. Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but marvel secretly, “Beauty is truly found everywhere.” She stole a few more glances at him.

–But Gu Ruyu looked over coldly.

After getting caught peeking, Song Xu Yi felt embarrassed and was taken aback when Gu Ruyu abruptly walked two steps forward, grabbed her hand, and sternly pulled down her sleeve.

This person is so unreasonable! Does he think only he can roll up his sleeves?

Song Xu Yi thought to herself, widening her eyes in surprise. But Gu Ruyu paid no attention to her reaction and continued to pull down her sleeve, carefully folding it over her wrist.

Gu Ruyu, dressed in a silk and satin wide-sleeved robe, seemed out of place in the kitchen. Song Xu Yi had originally thought that Gu Ruyu’s entrance into the kitchen would make things worse, but to her surprise, he skillfully lit the fire and cooked dishes that looked and smelled delicious.

Although no words were exchanged between them, their cooperation was tacit, as if they could understand each other’s thoughts with just a glance. This kind of understanding, like an old couple, made the system uneasy and it reassured itself by saying, “It’s okay, Gu Ruyu’s gender is not compatible, Xu Yi doesn’t like him…”

The two quickly finished cooking the meal, and perhaps due to the smoke and steam from the stove, Gu Ruyu’s pale face became slightly rosy, and his lips seemed to have a little more color, making him even more attractive. Song Xu Yi took a glance but dared not look again, burying her head and eating more than she had intended.

As Song Xu Yi ate, she grew increasingly puzzled. Gu Ruyu’s cooking skills were superior to her own, and someone like him shouldn’t be so eager to have her food. So why was he insisting on having Song Xu Yi cook for him?

Despite her confusion, Gu Ruyu remained calm and composed, eating his food slowly and elegantly. Song Xu Yi couldn’t discern his thoughts at all.

After they finished eating, Song Xu Yi voluntarily went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. When she came out, she found that Gu Ruyu had already closed his eyes and was resting under a tree.

Asleep, Gu Ruyu shed the reserved and cold demeanor he had when awake, and his face appeared calm and peaceful. The soft light filtering through the branches and leaves of the tree softened the angular features of his face, accentuating his androgynous beauty.

The atmosphere was so beautiful that Song Xu Yi stopped in her tracks, unwilling to disturb the moment, and couldn’t help but gaze at Gu Ruyu for a while.

“He looks so handsome,” Song Xu Yi sighed, speaking to the system. “He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!”

However, the system still harbored resentment towards Gu Ruyu’s deception and immediately responded warily to Song Xu Yi’s comment: “No matter how good-looking he is, he’s still a man!”

00:00 / 00:00

The system emphasized the pronunciation of the word “man” and earnestly spoke, “Xu Yi, we have already had a car accident once. From now on, we must be vigilant against this fraudster and not be deceived by his appearance…”

As the system spoke, it played an audio clip of the familiar melody of the Heart Sutra in Xu Yi’s mind. Xu Yi’s lips twitched, and she was about to explain to the system that she was not swayed by beauty, but just then, Gu Ruyu, who was sleeping under the tree, opened his eyes.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, Gu Ruyu’s expression was not as cold as usual. He yawned slowly, his eyes slightly red, and his demeanor lazy, like a just-awakened cat.

When Gu Ruyu’s gaze met Song Xu Yi’s, she pursed her lips and found that she suddenly couldn’t refute the system’s words. Indeed, an overly beautiful appearance can confuse people’s minds.

It seemed like the system knew about Song Xu Yi’s change of mood, as it intensified the chanting of the “Heart Sutra” in her mind, and even started chanting along with it.

The system’s chanting was unbearable, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t believe it was even singing the wrong notes. Unable to take it any longer, she finally blocked the system’s voice. Although she felt a bit guilty, Song Xu Yi was determined to show the system her resistance to beauty so that it would stop chanting randomly.

With this thought in mind, Song Xu Yi took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself. She bravely raised her head and looked towards Gu Ruyu.

She didn’t know when Gu Ruyu had walked up to her.

Up close, Gu Ruyu’s beautiful face appeared even more otherworldly and stunning, with a pair of eyes that seemed to conceal deep whirlpools. Despite telling herself not to panic, certain emotions were beyond her control, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but blush under Gu Ruyu’s intense gaze.

“Is there anything you need from me?” Song Xu Yi asked, trying to keep her neck straight and avoiding meeting Gu Ruyu’s gaze, only looking down at his smooth, long neck.

Gu Ruyu seemed to have no Adam’s apple, and his neck was as graceful as a swan’s.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but be entranced. She had heard that only some eunuchs who had entered the palace since childhood would not develop an Adam’s apple. She did not know the pain of removing body parts since she was not a man, but Gu Ruyu was so young when he went through such torture. It was no wonder he would grow up with such an unpredictable temperament…

“The Emperor intends to keep the deadline in March. We have delayed our journey by about seven days. We will have to hurry day and night to reach Jiangnan on time,” said Gu Ruyu, his voice softening as he watched Song Xu Yi obediently lower her head. “The Princess may rest for a while. We will depart at noon.”

So that’s what it was!

Gu Ruyu’s words gave Song Xu Yi an excuse to escape his presence.

“Then I’ll go to my room to rest first. Eunuch Gu, please take care of yourself,” she said, trying hard to suppress her emotions and nodding in determination. She took a step to the side, hoping to leave the place as soon as possible, but Gu Ruyu’s arm stopped her as soon as she turned around.

“Wait–“

Before Song Xu Yi could react, she was pulled back and stumbled into Gu Ruyu’s embrace once again.

His grip was so tight that it caused her pain. Instinctively, she looked up at him, and was met with an expression in his eyes that looked extremely strange.

She could see a clear reflection of herself in Gu Ruyu’s pupils, but deep within his eyes, it seemed as if a spreading wildfire was growing…

For a moment, Song Xu Yi felt like a small animal being stared at by a fierce predator.

She felt uncomfortable all over her body and couldn’t help but struggle to get up.

“Eunuch Gu, you…”

Despite holding onto Song Xu Yi’s waist, Gu Ruyu did not relax his grip. He seemed somewhat absent-minded, and his gaze lingered for a moment on Song Xu Yi’s flushed cheeks. Feeling the body under his hand becoming stiff and seeing the fear in Song Xu Yi’s eyes, Gu Ruyu’s eyes darkened. Finally, his hand changed direction and moved towards Song Xu Yi’s head.

Gu Ruyu calmly plucked two fallen leaves from Song Xu Yi’s head and released his grip on her waist. As he picked up the leaves, Song Xu Yi swiftly broke free from his embrace and darted into the room without a backward glance.

Gu Ruyu watched the closed door, pursing his lips and slowly narrowing his eyes.

The kitten is quite clever and seems to have sensed something…

But what does it matter?

Gu Ruyu lowered his eyes, his mind’s eye filled with the image of Song Xu Yi’s bright and warm eyes, which seemed to illuminate even the gloomiest corners. His fingers involuntarily moved again.

The kitten is so naive!

In this cold and boring world, it’s rare to find any sort of entertainment. How could he allow her to easily slip away?