Chapter 44
Houya
Gao Yan couldn’t stay long at the small restaurant. Hou Bu’s bodyguards had arrived.
Gao Yan quietly said goodbye to Gao Jiao without causing any disturbance.
Gao Jiao watched his retreating figure. Thinking of his humble and polite demeanor, she felt a pang of anguish.
Why would Heaven torment such a perfect person—one with good looks, a noble family, and impeccable manners?
The humble and polite young master immediately shed his smile once seated in Hou Bu’s carriage. His gaze turned icy, completely different from how he had treated Gao Jiao.
The black-clothed bodyguard who had been knocked out by Gao Jiao earlier now stood before Gao Yan with his companion. They could hardly breathe, trying to hide their presence.
They had just witnessed the young master’s audacious act. How could he feign ignorance so smoothly? He had always been the composed, obedient young master before Hou Bu and Hou Ya. Who exactly was this reckless troublemaker?
Strictly speaking, the two had bungled their mission today. Yet the young master didn’t reprimand them. His good mood was apparent. Maybe now it was okay to report the news?
“Why are you still here? Is something wrong?”
Gao Yan asked, displeased.
The two exchanged glances. Soon, the black-clothed bodyguard, who had been knocked out by Gao Jiao, spoke up.
“Houya is coming.”
As soon as he said this, Gao Yan’s mood suddenly sank.
After a while, he extended his hand.
“Here, the painting.”
The two handed over an antique painting that Houya had carefully preserved.
Gao Yan took it and immediately tore it apart!
Meanwhile, Gao Jiao was preparing to leave.
The food she had eaten today had been very satisfying. She bought Bing Tang Zhou Zi and Hong Shao Shi Zi Dou, paid the fifty-wen deposit, found two jars at a store, and intended to take the food home.
As she carried the jars out of the restaurant, a horse shot past like an arrow. Its rider whipped the crowd mercilessly down the street.
One of the women, trying to dodge the whip, collided with Gao Jiao’s jars. They fell to the ground with a crash, shattering into pieces. The soup and ingredients splattered across the floor and were stepped on by another woman.
“Ouch!”
Gao Jiao reached out to steady the woman.
“I’m sorry, miss. I—I didn’t mean to….”
It wasn’t the woman’s fault. Even if blame were placed, it would be on the man riding the horse for causing the chaos.
Yet the man paid no attention to the disorder he had caused and didn’t even glance at Gao Jiao. Squinting, he whipped again. When the whip brushed Gao Jiao’s shoulder, she grabbed it.
Without giving him any chance, she decisively pulled him from the carriage.
He hit the ground hard, and the horse bolted!
Being a martial artist, he only suffered minor injuries from the fall. But he was furious. Who would dare drag him off a street carriage?
He charged at Gao Jiao, but she didn’t flinch and struck him with the whip. He flew backward into the carriage.
The carriage rocked violently. The girl inside couldn’t keep her balance and hit her head against the wall, letting out a pained “Ah!”
The carriage stopped. The man, trembling, knelt on one knee and kowtowed.
“I apologize. I will accept Houya’s punishment.”
Gao Jiao furrowed her brows, puzzled. Houya?
Inside the carriage, Hou Guya held his daughter, worried as he asked,
“Genyuya, are you alright?”
Gao Genyu’s forehead was reddened. It was a minor mark, barely even a scratch. Gao Jiao’s own hands, battered and bruised, were worse.
But who had raised Gao Genyu as a pampered child? She had never experienced hardship.
Gao Genyu pressed her palm to her forehead, eyes glistening as she looked at Houya in grievance.
“It hurts.”
“Show it to your father.”
Houya moved her hand aside and examined her red forehead, anger rising within him.
He lifted the carriage’s curtain, glaring at the kneeling bodyguards.
“What happened?”
The bodyguard pointed at Gao Jiao.
“Our subordinates were clearing the way when the lady seized the whip and pulled a subordinate from the horse. The subordinate then collided with the carriage due to the lady’s whip.”
Hearing “Houya,” everyone present trembled and knelt in fear. Yet Gao Jiao stood her ground, unyielding.
Houya’s cold gaze fell upon her face.
It was a face one would dare not look at twice. Cool eyes, flushed cheeks, pale skin, a captivating aura paired with extraordinary presence.
Her gaze was sharp and fearless, unaffected by Houya’s stare.
She looked like a rural girl, roughly the same age as Genyu, but with piercing eyes.
Houya said coldly,
“You have no fear!”
It was audacious to strike his bodyguards on the street and not kneel before him.
Gao Jiao did not flinch at his shout; instead, she gripped her whip and stepped forward.
The bodyguards drew their swords from their waists to block her.
Yet Gao Jiao, without a flicker of hesitation, used her whip to push their swords back into their scabbards!
All present were shocked. Houya was stunned as well.
As she reached the carriage, the remaining guards surrounded her, yet her expression remained unchanged.
She extended her hand toward Houya.
Houya raised his eyebrows.
“What are you doing?”
Calmly, she replied,
“Fifty wen for the jars, sixty wen for Bing Tang Zhou Zi, forty wen for Hong Shao Shi Zi Dou, and a hundred wen for labor, as I have to reorder. Total: two hundred and fifty wen.”
“…….”
Houya felt as if he had been scolded.
Only after seeing the street in chaos and the bodyguards bowing shamefully did he understand the situation.
Houya snorted coldly,
“My people were at fault, but you are audacious. I could punish you to death. Aren’t you afraid?”
Gao Jiao glanced at him once, appearing to ponder seriously, then spoke.
“Two hundred and forty-nine wen.”
“…….”
Houya was dumbfounded. What on earth was happening?
Gao Genyu recognized Gao Jiao and tugged at Houya’s sleeve.
“My daughter begs on your behalf, so this time I’ll let it go!”
After speaking, he tossed silver ingots to Gao Jiao. She had quoted two hundred and forty-nine wen, yet he gave her even more.
Gao Jiao divided the silver and threw the remainder toward the carriage.
The ingots struck Houya’s head. The sudden weight caused a large bump to swell instantly!
“!”
Houya could not contain his anger. Veins stood out on his strong, handsome face. He had intended to punish the girl, but a bodyguard galloped up.
“Houya! Young master has had an accident!”
Without time to deal with Gao Jiao, Houya hurried with the bodyguards toward the site of the accident.
Gao Yan’s carriage had overturned. The secret bodyguard immediately tried to stabilize it to prevent the young master from falling, but the steep slope caused it to tip over.
Gao Yan was physically weaker than a child; even family members dared not touch him. Houya felt tense the entire way. Yet when he arrived, he was bewildered: Gao Yan was sitting calmly, unharmed.
He stretched his long legs on a small stool, leisurely basking in the sun.
“Brother!”
Gao Genyu lifted her skirt and got down from the carriage, taking Gao Yan’s hand.
“Are you alright?”
Houya approached, bewildered, asking,
“Any discomfort?”
Gao Yan replied calmly,
“I am not dead yet.”
Houya had already received letters saying his son had improved, but seeing him in person convinced him fully. Even if the carriage had overturned, his son was unharmed—something previously unthinkable.
Only then did Houya sigh in relief and placed his son back in the carriage.
The father and son did not speak. Gao Genyu occasionally tried to break the awkward silence.
Houya had a large bump on his forehead from the silver ingot. Gao Yan stared at it quietly.
Gao Genyu, thinking her brother worried about their father, hurriedly explained,
“You wouldn’t know whom we just met. That ‘yaodong’ who took your jade ring… Father gave him silver, and he tossed it back at you.”
“He threw the silver?”
Gao Yan’s eyes widened.
“Yes.”
Gao Genyu nodded, and Gao Yan laughed unexpectedly, showing his delight. He did not hide his joy at all.
Houya wanted to strike him in anger. If he weren’t his own child, he would already be dead by now!
Even without that girl, Houya was beside himself with fury—yet his son had gone one step further, teasing him further. Surely they weren’t conspiring together to mock him?
The carriage reached the hot spring villa.
The villa staff knew of Houya’s arrival. Everyone’s faces lit up as if celebrating the New Year.
It wasn’t surprising—they rarely saw Houya. He held an important post in the capital, and Hou Bu usually remained at the villa year-round, caring for the young master.
The young lady would stay at the villa for a time, then in the capital, moving between both.
The kitchen prepared excellent dishes to welcome him. The four of them ate together after a long time.
After the meal, Gao Genyu took her brother to their room, while Houya stayed in Hou Bu’s Yao family room.
Though affectionate before the children, once they left, Yao’s smiles vanished instantly.
“It’s late; Houya should rest. Prepare a bed.”
Houya gently pulled her hand and whispered,
“Are you still angry with me?”
Yao turned her head.
“How could I dare be angry at you? Anyone who heard that would laugh.”
Houya glanced at her affectionately and said apologetically,
“I haven’t visited you in so long; that’s entirely my fault. But it was truly difficult to come. You know the situation in the capital. The princes have grown, and His Majesty is still young…”
Yao interrupted,
“How could a woman like me understand political matters? Why did you suddenly come to the villa?”
Houya paused, considering whether he could tell her the real reason.
He said casually,
“I found a renowned physician in the capital and brought him to treat Yan’s illness.”
Yao replied,
“Yan’s condition has improved greatly.”
Houya said,
“Genyu already told me. Hui Chuntang’s physician is excellent, and Yan’s health has improved considerably. But they did not promise a complete cure, correct? If more physicians examine him, his chances will increase.”
Yao agreed with Houya’s reasoning.
