Chapter 56: Song Wuyou Brews Tea
The way she goes about brewing tea was skilled with familiarity as if she had done it often.
Witnessing this beautiful scene shocked Mu Gu greatly that his footsteps halted on the staircase. Holding his breath in as he watched her, leaning against the railing of the staircase.
The pastel blue dress emphasized her demure softness and her jade-white skin. Her appearance was very much dignified and excellent.
However, what stunned Mu Gu had wasn't her dazzling appearance but the familiar skills she possessed in brewing tea.
This woman in front of him absolutely knew tea, every turn of her wrist was exceptionally graceful. She was totally the opposite of what the raging rumors painted her to be unruly, arrogant, and selfish.
A tantalizing tea aroma wafted in his direction, rousing his senses. Mu Gu could not help to inhale deeply, savoring the fresh aroma.
Really fragrant; so pure.
When the tea was ready, Song Wuyou poured a cup out for herself, taking took a small sip from her lips.
"The tea leaves are good, but the quality of the water has reduced the taste. Although it's rich and mellow, there seems to be a somewhat blunt aftertaste." Song Wuyou's delicate brows wrinkled a little.
"I think the scent is very fragrant Miss." Xu Jing was already shocked dumb watching Song Wuyou. Miss actually knew how to brew tea.
Song Wuyou smiled at her, "Come and have a cup."
Xu Jing was more than willing to comply: "Great!"
She walked around Song Wuyou and sat down on the seat next to her.
In turn, Song Wuyou poured another cup of tea and passed it to Xu Jing.
At the time when she raised her head, her eyes coincidentally caught a glimpse of a white figure at the staircase. Thinking it was Gu Yanhao, she glanced over her gaze but what she greeted her was a refreshing handsome face.
The other side was also staring at her. Their gazes collided abruptly. The man seemed to notice his gaffe as he immediately flashed her a sunny smile.
"The tea smells really good." Mu Gu walked down the stairs with a smile and commented, "People who know how to appreciate tea, know how to live well."
From the opinion she made about the tea earlier, it was evident to Mu Gu that this woman in front of him understood tea.
"Would you like a cup?" Song Wuyou smiled and made an offer.
Song Wuyou knew that he was Gu Yanhao's friend, yet she still could not recall his name even till this very moment.
"Why wouldn't I?" Walking over to the coffee table, Mu Gu took the empty seat beside Song Wuyou without the slightest restraint.
Song Wuyou poured a cup of tea out for him.
After tasting a sip from the cup, his masculine brows shot up simultaneously. "This is the best tea I've ever tasted!" This was an honest compliment.
He was not the type to drink tea. Most of the time, his choice of drink would be horse milk wine. But the tea in his hand tasted pure, smooth, and leaves a light lingering taste of tea at the tip of his mouth, refreshing and rejuvenating his senses.
"En, Miss, the tea you brewed is excellent." Xu Jing followed suit and took a sip. Moments later, she complimented the tea was very refreshing.
"Then, you should drink more." Song Wuyou's eyes lit up while looking at Xu Jing.
Mu Gu turned his head around and caught the sparkle in her eyes, coupled with her sweet smile, once again he could not help but feel astounded.
Gu Yanhao, this guy, is so blessed.
A master that treats their servants generously, how could they even be categorized as selfish? Mu Gu was thinking; rumors were truly unreliable.
"Have you learned how to brew tea before?" Mu Gu asked, his curiosity was stoked.
"En," Song Wuyou nodded, "have learned a little cause I was too idle."
"Not bad, not bad!" Mu Gu praised heartily, "The person is beautiful, and the tea is fragrant." Mu Gu's compliment, Song Wuyou accepted without feeling shy.
Her calm demeanor once again impressed Mu Gu.
He had met many stunning beauties with equally great bodies. Those from the wealthy family's backgrounds were not excluded, yet none of them possessed even an ounce of this woman's poise, chic, and dignified temperament.
Originally, Mu Gu planned to leave the moment he walked out from Gu Yanhao's room. But, after sitting down and engaging in a little conversation with Song Wuyou, he had already thrown this thought into the bin.
In her previous life, Song Wuyou had a steadfast and cheerful personality. Even during the years of warring when she had disguised herself as a man, she had not forgotten to cackle up some joke with the band of brothers casually. However, ever since she had been confined in the Cold Palace, there was no one she could talk with.
The original host was even more pitiful, for she has no friends at all.
All in all, Song Wuyou could not recall how long it was since she last had a good time while chatting with someone like this.
Mu Gu accompanied her. They drank tea and talk. In the blink of an eye, the sun was already buried its presence in the western sky.
"Song Wuyou, what do think about you coming and play at my ranch?" Mu Gu's peach blossom eyes looked at her with expectation..
Chapter 57: My Life's Favorite
"Right now?" Song Wuyou's eyes shone, slightly tempted. It was rare to encounter a person that did not despise her and was willing to talk about so many things with her.
The way he looked at her was filled with appreciation and goodwill, hence Song Wuyou did not have the heart to decline Mu Gu's invitation.
"Anytime you like!" Seeing Song Wuyou did not refuse his invitation outright, the sunny smile on Mu Gu's became brighter.
The word 'great' nearly escaped Song Wuyou's lips due to excitement, but she managed to bite back the word remembering the tailor she still needed to search for to make the dress she had designed. Instead, she only smiled embarrassedly.
"What about next week? I'm not free in the next two days."
"Sure!"
"What's fun to do at the pasture ranch?"
"Horse riding, archery, drinking horse milk wine, and of course, take pleasure in the beautiful scenery of nature."
Song Wuyou beamed as she inched a little closer towards Mu Gu, secretly whispering to him, "All these activities are my favorite ah."
Suddenly Mu Gu's peach blossom eyes lit up, "That's great to hear."
Mimicking Song Wuyou's action, he also leaned closer to her, mysteriously divulging, "These are also my life's favorites."
Glancing over at him, the smile on Song Wuyou's face could not get any brighter, "Your life's favorites?"
Mu Gu's eyes took a once over look at Song Wuyou's face before nodding in affirmation. The corner of his lips curved up, "En."
Blinking in confusion, as an obvious doubt on Song Wuyou's expression, "Shouldn't your life's favorite be women or money?"
"Women only fancy my face and money. So, I cannot entrust my entire lifetime's feelings on them. Money is nothing but an external factor, it only brings materialistic satisfaction but it cannot provide me with happiness from a spiritual or psychological aspect."
"Those you mentioned just now, can fulfil the happiness you're seeking?"
"Naturally,"
Song Wuyou questioned in a joking manner, "You like to ride on a stallion or a mare?"
"Mare."
"Because it gives me milk to drink, I like to drink horse milk wine."
Song Wuyou chuckled happily, "Me too."
"I didn't expect we have so many interests in common, haha....."
Gu Yanhao stood on the staircase, watching Song Wuyou and Mu Gu talking and laughing animatedly with each other. His unfathomable eyes looming, the proud brows abruptly rose in skepticism.
This was the first time he saw Song Wuyou laughing like thisㅡsincere, carefree, and happy.
His eyes were like swords as he glared intently at Mu Gu's left arm that was hanging too close to his liking from Song Wuyou's shoulder. Does he have a death wish getting so chummy with his wife?
The two people who was currently chatting gaily raised their heads and looked over in Gu Yanhao's direction almost in sync. As if the both of them had felt Gu Yanhao's sharp gaze at the same time.
Faced with his cold face, the smile on Song Wuyou's face vanished without a trace. Just by looking at this man, whatever good mood she had had evaporated into thin air.
Mu Gu looked like he notice the dangerous he was in situation, yet he still flashing a brilliant smile at Gu Yanhao as he called out, "Ah Hao, your wife's tea brewing skill is number one!"
Gu Yanhao's cold gaze swept over to the tea utensils on the coffee table. In fact, he also had caught smell of the fragrant aroma of tea earlier. Despite knowing that, he still did not believe she knew how to brew tea.
There was an obscured suspicion in his eyes as it fell on Song Wuyou in the next moment. This woman, is she still the same Song Wuyou that he knew?
"Why are you still standing there for? There's still one cup left, quickly come over here and have a taste."
Mu Gu re-adjusted his posture, sitting straight up, his slender fingers drumming the surface of the coffee table lightly with 'dr-rr-rred' sounds.
"Why are you still here?" Gu Yanhao lifted his legs, walking forward step by step cutting the space between them, and his tall height carried an overbearing chill with him.
Mu Gu: "Isn't this because Wuyou's tea is simply amazing."
Chapter 58: Your Attitude Made My Heart Go Cold and Disheartened
Gu Yanhao: "Young Master Mu Gu also likes to drink tea?"
Wuyou? The way her name came off his lips sounded so familiar but cacophonous to Gu Yanhao's ears.
Mu Gu: "It's not that I don't like to drink tea, it's just that my requirements of tea are very high. But, this is the first time I got to taste tea as fragrant as the one Wuyou brewed."
The temperature in Gu Yanhao's eyes dropped evidently.
Mu Gu always preferred to drink horse milk wine, if there was not any then the next best choice would naturally be soju.
Beverage such as tea and the likes, as far as Gu Yanhao's knowledge of Mu Gu extended, the man had never been keen on such things.
Mu Gu had a straightforward and honest personality, garnering such a praise from him proved just how skilled Song Wuyou's tea brewing was. His compliment on Song Wuyou's skills implied that she possessed a degree of capability.
However, listening to his best friend singing his wife's praises, somehow made his heart uncomfortable.
Before Gu Yanhao could reach the coffee table, Xu Jing had already stood up and gave a wide berth. Gu Yanhao took the seat opposite of Song Wuyou and Mu Gu, crossing his long leg over the other in a lazy manner.
"Five minutes. Get your ass out of my house now." Staring at Mu Gu with eyes similar to a pair of ice daggers, and a voice to match.
Mu Gu put on a pitiful face instead, and said, "I haven't had enough yet."
"I'm sure you don't want all the horses at your ranch to die."
"You! Cruel!"
Mu Gu sulked and stood up. He then directed an angry glare at Gu Yanhao that conveyed clearly 'Fine. You win!' After his facial expression changed in the blink of an eye as he faced Song Wuyou with a beaming smile, "Wuyou, don't forget to give me a call whenever you're free."
The thunderstorm in Gu Yanhao's eyes raged. Mu Gu this rascal, how dare he flirt with his wife right under his nose?!
Song Wuyou said, "I don't have your number."
Flexibly, Mu Gu presented his name card before her in a fluid motion, "My mobile number and landline are written here."
Song Wuyou received the name card with a faint smile on her face, "Okay."
Once again, Mu Gu emphasized, "Mustn't forget to call me when you're free."
Song Wuyou nodded: "Sure, I know."
A brilliant smile hung on Song Wuyou's face as she sent Mu Gu out of the hall.
Sending Mu Gu out, her gaze lingered for a long time even after Mu Gu's silhouette had already disappeared from sight. It was not because she could not bear to part, but it was because she did not want to look back.
Retracting her gaze? What for? To see Gu Yanhao's dark smelly face? She did not feel like it.
The weather outside is quite nice, the flowers and the bees also look so beautiful ah.
However, Gu Yanhao did not share the same sentiments.
He stared at her with cold detachment, "The person has already gone, what's there to see?"
"His person has gone, but his scent still lingers." Mu Gu's body exuded a scent that smelled like nature.
"Song Wuyou!" Gu Yanhao seethed with fury, a word came to mind from Song Wuyou's action-provocation.
Slowly, Song Wuyou looked over with undisguised confusion written all over her face, "You don't seem too happy."
"You actually flirted with another guy in front of me?" Gu Yanhao's sharp gaze bore into Song Wuyou.
Blinking her pretty eyes at him, looking a little lost and baffled as she said, "I only made two pots of tea for Mu Gu, and he complimented that my tea is good, how is this called flirting?"
Gu Yanhao sneered, "You know how to brew tea?"
Song Wuyou flashed a brilliant smile at him, "Is that so hard to believe?"
Gu Yanhao's bottomless eyes stared her down, "Then, what else do you know?"
With a faint trace of smile hanging at the corner of her lips, Song Wuyou fiddled with her long hair as she voiced each word without haste, "I can't seem to remember for the time being."
Gu Yanhao: "A single car accident can cause these dramatic changes in you? Now I'm very doubtful if you're even the same Song Wuyou that I knew."
Song Wuyou's face looked sank at his remark, "No need to doubt, I really am not the same Song Wuyou."
Xu Jing's eyes almost popped out of its sockets due to shock when she heard this sentence. But the latter part somehow made her heart ached for her Miss.
In the vis-à-vis with the poker-faced Gu Yanhao, Song Wuyou said, "It's not a car accident that triggered my drastic changes. It's your attitude that disheartened me and made my heart turn cold."
Chapter 59: My Love for You, Died
Gu Yanhao's thin lips pursed into a straight line, no emotions could be detected in his eyes as he looked at Song Wuyou.
Song Wuyou continued, "I used to think that as long as I can make you take notice of my presence you'd pay some attention to me. I did not expect it only makes you feel disgusted with me. Only when I lay in the hospital bed after the car accident did I realize that, not one person from the Song Family cared if I live or die, whereas you only cared about divorce, even ruthlessly shove the papers at my face at my weakest moment. Each and every one of you was heartless and cruel. So, what little feelings I had towards any of you, had long died."
These so-called love and familial ties, hence from then on, she would never think about it anymore. She wanted to live freely as she pleased, lived a happy, and worthwhile life.
Her statement raised a thunderstorm in Gu Yanhao's dark pupils. He kept staring at Song Wuyou wordlessly. At this very moment, he had a premonition, as if a part of him had already known that the previous Song Wuyou would not return again.
Song Wuyou placed Mu Gu's name card on the coffee table and raised her cup of tea to her lips, drinking it all in one go.
Gu Yanhao's icy cold gaze swept across Mu Gu's name card before it went back to Song Wuyou once more.
Song Wuyou raised an inquiring eyebrow, "Young Master Gu, why are you staring at me like this?"
Questions, doubts, and suspicions. This kind of gaze would make anyone feel ill at ease.
"In the past, you never drank tea." Gu Yanhao spoke in a light tone.
Being caught off guard, Song Wuyou then laughed contemptuously, "Whether I drank tea or not in the past, how would you know? Did you ever pay any attention to me?"
"Before you got into an accident, your period usually came on the twentieth of every month. Does that count as paying attention?"
Hearing such words out of the blue, the cup nearly slipped from Song Wuyou's hand and a pink blush colored her cheeks. She cast her gaze up, looking at Gu Yanhao, her surprise veiled by her long lashes, "You paid attention to this?"
Gu Yanhao answered with yet another question of his, "You don't know how to drive anymore?"
What is with the abrupt change of topic?
Song Wuyou: "It's not that I don't know, I'm just traumatized after the accident. I'm afraid to drive.'
Of course, she was not stupid enough to tell the truth. Her excuses had no loopholes in front of Gu Yanhao.
Song Wuyou stole another glance at him, noticing the tiredness etched on his forehead, she asked, "Are you feeling better? Has the 'poison' in your body cleared out?"
It would have been better if Song Wuyou had not asked that question, because the air around Gu Yanhao' instantly turned gloomy when Song Wuyou brought up the matter.
A new burst of pain crept up from his neck.
He glowered at her, sneering as he said, "Your capability grows every day, you've even learned how to stab your enemy from the back now."
This was what had shocked him the most. He had never imagined there would be a day when she would knock him unconscious at the most crucial moment.
Relying on her weak and petite body, if she had hit randomly then she definitely would not come out victorious to knock him cold. The spot she had struck was very accurate, right on the body's acupuncture point. Hence, it only took one strikeㅡ fast and ruthless.
This woman had succeeded to make him look at her from a different angle only in such a short time.
Song Wuyou shrugged her shoulders helplessly, "If I didn't stun you, what would I do if your body was taken advantage of? At that time, wouldn't I be accused of playing such a game with you from morning till night?"
She was getting annoyed hearing this sentence over and over.
"You should be grateful to me instead." Gu Yanhao scoffed.
Putting the tea cup down, Song Wuyou muttered under her breath, "Why should I be grateful to you? I wouldn't drink it even if you had not snatched it away from me."
Gu Yanhao cocked an eyebrow, "You knew there's something wrong with that liquor?"
It was Song Wuyou's turn to scoff at him, "Even if you think using your kneecap you would know that it has a problem."
"Meaning?"
"Song Jiumei doesn't know I can play Chinese Harp, that's why she pushed me to the stage, so I would be embarrassed and Song Jiumei could avoid an embarrassing situation. But, her meticulous plan was ruined, brcause I knew how to play Chinese Harp. She couldn't wait to shred me into hundreds of pieces. Why would she be so kind as to bring me a drink? Aii, you won't understand even if I lay everything out for you. In your heart, Song Jiuyue is the Queen whereas I, just a straw bag. If I were to explain, you'd think I'm jealous of Song Jiuyue, and slandering her without evidence."
Chapter 60: Doubts
Song Wuyou stood up, preparing to leave for she really had no desire to stay in the same space as Gu Yanhao longer than needed.
"Xu Jing, clean the tea set and store it well."
"Yes, Miss."
Song Wuyou headed up the stairs without so much as a side glance.
"Dinner?" Gu Yanhao's cold voice boomed behind her.
"Not hungry, don't feel like eating." Song Wuyou continued her steps as she climbed the staircase leisurely.
Looking in her direction, Gu Yanhao's deep, unfathomable eyes followed her back.
After Song Wuyou's figure disappeared from view, Gu Yanhao's hand reached out to pick up Mu Gu's name card on the coffee table. Then, in one swift motion, he crumpled it into a ball within his palm before he threw it into the waste bin.
"Go make a bowl of noodles for me!" Gu Yanhao ordered Xu Jing.
"Yes, Young Master Gu." Xu Jing hurried to the kitchen to prepare.
"Wait," the man's indifferent voice called out once again.
Xu Jing halted, turned around and looked at Gu Yanhao with a confused expression.
Gu Yanhao looked so scary as he stared at her, "How many years have you been by Song Wuyou's side?"
"Six years," was Xu Jing readily answer.
When Xu Jing had gone to work as a nanny in the Song Family, she was only seventeen and Song Wuyou was fifteen.
An eyebrow instinctively rose, "You've been by her side for so many years, did she learn any musical instruments in that period?"
Song Wuyou had not told Xu Jing that she played Chinese Harp at the Song Family Estates.
Xu Jing shook her head, "No."
"Did you keep vigil at her side for the eight days she was hospitalized, at all times?" Gu Yanhao's eyes focused sharply on her.
A little flustered, Xu Jing stammered, "Y-yes."
Why was Young Master Gu asking this kind of questions?
"Go make the noodles."
"Yes."
After Xu Jing left, Gu Yanhao instructed Ah De, "I want to see the comparison of her DNA result with Song Nan at the shortest time possible."
"I will arrange for it to be done immediately." Ah De thought for a moment, glanced at Gu Yanhao's face before venturing, "Young Master, how do we deal with Song Family's Second Miss?"
"How to deal with her?" an ominous light gleamed in his eyes, "Let her jump a while longer, if she dared to do anything to harm Wuyou, I won't let her off so easily."
Soon enough, the noodles were ready to serve. Finished eating, he returned back to the study room to get some work done.
Xu Jing was cleaning on the ground floor when she suddenly noticed the crumpled name card and her mind went blank for a moment.
Should she pick it up for Miss? But if Young Master Gu found out, would she not die a miserable and tragic death? After a brief moment of internal struggle, in the end, Xu Jing still picked the name card up.
Straightening out the name card, she memorized the numbers on it and then tossed it back to the waste bin.
When Song Jiuyue learned the spiked drink Song Jiumei had intended for Song Wuyou was taken by Gu Yanhao instead, her heart started to beat erratically.
Although Gu Yanhao was very filial towards Old Grandfather Gu, if he insisted on prosecuting Song Jiumei for this, he would not give Old Grandfather Gu's any face.
However she thought it over, how many scenarios and possibilities she reckoned, this matter would only end with her on the losing side, and the probability of being terminated from Gu Group was high. She probably could no longer work there. Song Jiuyue's heart was unable to calm down.
"It's all your fault!" Song Jiuyue glared angrily at Song Jiumei, and scolded, "How can you something so stupid?"
"I'd even arranged a man in Song Wuyou's old room, who would have thought Gu Yanhao would drink it on her behalf." Song Jiumei's hands were twisting her skirt, filled with anxiety.
"Why didn't you try to stop him?"
"My mind just went blank for a moment, and the next second he already drunk everything."
"No matter how Song Wuyou is, she's still Gu Yanhao's wife. You messed with her means you messed with Gu Yanhao."
"Dajie, how can you say this to me? It's no secret that Young Master Gu doesn't love her."
Song Jiuyue sneered, "He might later on."
Song Jiumei was skeptical, "What do you mean?"
"The way he looked at Song Wuyou today was different from before."
Recalling the scene where Song Wuyou was playing the Chinese Harp, Song Jiuyue gnashed her teeth, brimming with anger.
"I also feel Song Wuyou is a changed person now."
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Translator: Woodear Editor: ChocolateMorn