The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 713

Chapter 713: 333 Counterattack (two updates)

Old Master Hou ultimately didn’t let Gu Yan foot the bill; instead, he drew a silver coin from his pouch, accidentally pulling out a pipa knot made from a red string along with it.

Gu Yan quickly picked up the knot. It looked rather worn and faded around the edges.

It was hard to imagine such an accessory inside the purse of such a stalwart man.

"Was it a gift from a special lady friend?" Gu Yan asked.

It was clearly something gifted by a woman. But it surely wasn’t the old Madam from his residence. They were only a nominal couple. He wouldn’t be carrying something she gave him.

"Cough, no, don’t talk nonsense," Old Master Hou put the pipa knot back into his pouch.

Gu Yan didn’t buy it, and asked curiously, "I can’t believe, you have a secret admirer too? Where is she now?"

She definitely wasn’t in the residence—the old Matron of the residence had been dealt with by the old Madam Hou long ago.

Old Master Hou had kept his feelings to himself all these years, holding a lot of misery inside him. To be honest, he did feel like divulging a little.

After a pause, he said, "It belongs to a friend of mine. He left it at my place. I meant to return it."

A friend?

What a familiar start to a story!

Gu Yan, who had read all of Old Master Ji’s love stories, understood perfectly well what was going on.

He raised an eyebrow in amusement: "Where is your friend’s ladylove now?"

Old Master Hou sighed, "She... has become a nun."

"Why would she become a nun?" asked Gu Yan.

"Her husband passed away... circumstances forced her." He paused, "However, perhaps...she only wanted to meet my friend once more in her lifetime."

Who could tell, the old man is quite charming to the ladies.

Gu Yan didn’t probe the reasons of her inability to act freely. Instead, he focused on the latter remark. Pondering, he continued, "It seems that this woman harbored deep feelings for your friend."

Gu Yan: "What’s so audacious about it? If you love her, go chase her!"

Old Master Hou hesitated, "What if she’s unwilling—"

"If she is unwilling, it just means she doesn’t have you... your friend in her heart!" Gu Yan patted his grandfather’s shoulder, then with the wisdom of a connoisseur of romance novels started analyzing for him, "She has already become a nun. What else would she be unwilling to do? If she is unwilling to elope with him, the only truth is—she doesn’t love your friend, she is just using your friend’s feelings for her!"

-

Gu Jiao spent the morning at the Medical Hall. The afternoon was quieter for a change. She didn’t have to refine the "Gunpowder", so she lounged in a recliner under a tree.

Li Wanwan, from the other side of the wall, was practicing the piano.

She was now accustomed to practicing the piano at this time every day for Gu Jiao’s benefit, though she didn’t know whether Gu Jiao was always there to listen.

Her piano skills had improved vastly compared to a year ago. However, she seemed preoccupied today, causing her playing to sound absent-minded.

"You played it wrong again." Gu Jiao commented blandly.

"Ah," Li Wanwan turned pale, she hadn’t expected Miss to be present today. After all, Miss had not listened to her practice for several days.