Little Pink Starfish

Don’t Go Looking for Trouble

Gu Xingnuo didn’t wait for the old master to ask questions and instead spent a good half of the morning updating him on military affairs. The old man’s attention was pulled along with his eldest grandson’s pace until, in the end, he was only left thinking: Later I’ll have the old lady go ask Xu-shi. As for meddling—how could a father-in-law properly interfere in his daughter-in-law’s affairs?

“Oh, and about Zhao Qiuming’s daughter,” Gu Xingnuo added at the end, shifting the conversation to Miss Zhao Third.

The old master slammed the tea table and said, “That treacherous official dared to deceive the emperor?! I’ll go to the palace and report him personally!”

Gu Xingnuo shook his head. “Grandfather, now that he knows his daughter is in our hands, how could Zhao Qiuming still acknowledge her?”

“He’s going to disown his own daughter?” the old master asked.

“Recognizing her would be admitting guilt before the emperor,” Gu Xingnuo said. “If I were him, I wouldn’t acknowledge her either.”

The old master… Did you really just use yourself as a hypothetical in a case like this?

Gu Xingnuo continued, “Xinglang’s worried we might help Zhao Qiuming get off the hook for the attempted assassination of Grandmaster Fenglin, but honestly, he’s overthinking it.”

The old master weighed the two crimes in his mind and said, “The attempted assassination of Grandmaster Fenglin is far more severe.”

“Zhao Qiuming is likely colluding with Yongsheng Temple,” Gu Xingnuo lowered his voice. “Otherwise, why would His Majesty still hesitate to punish him?”

Colluding with Yongsheng Temple? The old man’s mind flashed to the phrase unchaste and fickle, and then immediately cringed at his own thoughts.

After saying all he wanted to say, Gu Xingnuo stood to take his leave.

“What do you plan to do with that Zhao girl?” the old master asked.

“She’s just a cast-off daughter from the Zhao family,” Gu Xingnuo said. “Let fate decide her path.”

In other words, they would leave Miss Zhao Third to fend for herself. The old man waved a hand, dismissing him. After that stint in prison, his eldest grandson had become even colder and more calculating. The old master didn’t like it—but he understood. In times like these, good people had the hardest time surviving.

Leaving the old master’s room, Gu Xingnuo ran into Madam Sun in the corridor. He gave her a soft smile and took the medicine bowl from her hand, downing the bitter soup in two gulps.

Looking at her husband’s bloodless face, Madam Sun felt a stab of sorrow—but she also knew persuasion wouldn’t help. So she simply said, “If you’re tired, rest a little. Has everything been arranged for Grandfather and Second Uncle’s departure tomorrow?”

“Almost,” Gu Xingnuo said, setting the empty bowl on the railing. “I’m planning to have Mother move out. In the coming days, prepare clothes and daily necessities for her.”

Madam Sun was stunned. “Why?”

“She wants to move out,” Gu Xingnuo said evenly. “So we should fulfill her wish.”

“You’ve really decided?” she asked, troubled.

He nodded, pushed himself off the railing, and headed toward the west corner flower hall.

Madam Sun stood in place for a moment, then took a few maids and headed toward Madam Xu’s courtyard.

—

Li Yuanle and Li Wan were still sitting in the flower hall. They too had heard the explosion from Gu Xinglang’s courtyard, but as guests—guests who weren’t supposed to show their faces—they had no choice but to sit tight.

Gu Xingnuo entered, sat down, massaged his legs (which felt like jelly from walking), and asked with a slight smile, “Have you two come to a decision?”

Li Yuanle asked, “Big Brother, about that noise earlier…”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Gu Xingnuo replied. “There was a little accident in Xinglang’s kitchen.”

That thunder-like explosion was just a little kitchen mishap? The Li siblings clearly didn’t buy it.

“Let’s talk about you two,” Gu Xingnuo said, still smiling. “Yuanle, what do you think?”

Li Yuanle said, “Big Brother, I want to meet Xiong Xiong.”

Gu Xingnuo nodded. “Alright. And after you meet?”

Li Yuanle clenched his jaw, then sighed. “At this point, I just want him to treat my sister well.”

Gu Xingnuo turned to Li Wan with a smile. “Then let me offer an early congratulations to the Li family sister.”

Li Wan lowered her head in shy embarrassment.

Seeing this, Li Yuanle sighed inwardly. Compared to the dead-eyed expression she wore when she was first sent to the palace, he much preferred to see her like this—alive and hopeful.

“She’ll stay here for now,” Gu Xingnuo said. “Xiong Xiong is currently assisting the princess. As for when the wedding will happen, let your fourth brother and Xiong Xiong figure it out.”

Li Yuanle asked, “Is that brat really going to marry my sister in a proper, grand ceremony?”

“I don’t want that,” Li Wan interrupted. With her status, if she could spend her life with someone who cherished her, it was already more than enough. She didn’t need a grand wedding or red bridal sedan chairs.

Li Yuanle’s face darkened again.

Li Wan tugged his sleeve, silently pleading.

Gu Xingnuo gave a polite cough and said, “Let’s leave that decision to your fourth brother and Xiong Xiong.”

“Where is he now?” Li Yuanle asked.

“I sent him to buy grain in the city,” Gu Xingnuo said. “You know, my grandfather and Xingyan are leaving for the border tomorrow.”

Li Yuanle cupped his hands. “I almost forgot. With ten thousand troops under your command now, Big Brother Gu—congratulations.”

Gu Xingnuo waved it off. “With no food or supplies from the Ministry of War, it’s hard to say whether that’s a blessing or a curse.”

Li Yuanle’s smile stiffened. As someone who had also led troops, he understood exactly what that meant.

“Let’s not talk about that,” Gu Xingnuo said, sighing dramatically.

Li Yuanle asked, “Where’s Xinglang?”

Gu Xingnuo chuckled. Where else would he be? Accompanying his wife, of course.

—

The craftsmen sent to rebuild the kitchen were now busy in Gu Xinglang and Yu Xiaoxiao’s courtyard. Watching the burned remains of her beloved food pile being cleared out, Yu Xiaoxiao was still heartbroken.

Gu Xinglang saw his wife alternating between frowning and sighing at the pile of scorched debris and said, “How about we go see Xu Wei?”

“To see that fat girl from Zhao Qiuming’s house?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked.

Gu Xinglang nodded. At least then she might stop being so upset over some noodles.

Yu Xiaoxiao followed. After all, don’t go looking for trouble was one of her guiding life principles.

As the couple left, Tian Xingzi looked at the scorched kitchen site and muttered, “When is this place going to be rebuilt?”

Momo Wang turned and stared at him. “What are you still doing here?”

Tian Xingzi blinked. “Where should I be?”

“Take him back to the bath and keep scrubbing,” Momo Wang ordered Little Sha. “Don’t stop until he’s clean!”

The old Daoist felt like his skin was about to be scrubbed clean off his bones…