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墨書 Inktalez
Gu Bei deliberately kept his distance from Ye Xiaohan and the six families to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Even though he had finally shed the identity of a criminal and could appear openly before others, he still couldn't casually seek them out in front of his enemies.
Gu Da drove the carriage slowly on purpose, allowing those watching from the shadows to see that Gu Bei had indeed returned directly to the General's residence.
Once he got off the carriage, Gu Bei didn't even have time to give Gu Da his usual instructions; he hurried back to his room to change clothes. He had been wearing the General's official robes for court, which were too conspicuous.
Now dressed in ordinary cloth garments, he blended in with the crowd and wouldn't draw too much attention.
Even so, Gu Bei remained cautious, deliberately circling around a few times on the street before slipping into Cup Mo Ting Restaurant.
The restaurant was bustling with noise as it approached noon, and more diners began to fill the space. In such a crowded environment, no one noticed Gu Bei among the throng.
A significant reason for this was that Gu Bei had spent many years on the battlefield. It was rare for him to return to the capital and he wasn't keen on socializing. Although tales of the Flying Dragon General's heroic deeds spread throughout the country, very few people in the capital had actually seen him in person.
Just because others didn't recognize him didn't mean that everyone would fail to identify him promptly.
As soon as Gu Bei entered, several people by the counter brightened up.
"Sister-in-law, big brother is here!" Liu Yang excitedly nudged Ye Xiaohan and pointed discreetly in Gu Bei's direction.
Ye Xiaohan poked him back and replied, "I know; I can see him!"
"Then why aren't you going over?" Liu Yang was nearly frantic. "You two haven't seen each other in so long; shouldn't you rush over and express your feelings?"
Ye Xiaohan turned to Xia Qing and asked, "What ridiculous storybook have you shown him? I feel like he's becoming more effeminate lately."
"Not at all," Xia Qing replied with a grin. "Liu Yang's effeminacy is innate; it has nothing to do with any storybook!"
She winked playfully and added, "Sister Ye, do you still have time to worry about Liu Yang? You should be concerned about General Gu instead; look at how he's glancing around—he's clearly looking for you!"
"You two bastards, where did you learn to speak in such a sarcastic tone? From now on, you’re not allowed to watch those pirated things anymore!"
Ye Xiaohan felt a bit flushed as she was teased by the two ghosts. Even though she tried to maintain a stern expression, it couldn't stop the blush from appearing on her face.
She involuntarily glanced towards the entrance, where Gu Bei happened to look over at the counter as well, and their eyes met halfway.
"Bang!" Ye Xiaohan's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked away, turning her gaze to the side. After a moment, she felt that this was inappropriate and quickly glared back, only to find Gu Bei's eyes filled with tenderness as he smiled at her.
Ye Xiaohan was momentarily stunned and didn't react right away. Meanwhile, Liu Yang and Xia Qing beside her were covering their mouths and giggling quietly.
"Hmph!" Ye Xiaohan lifted her chin, trying to explain her earlier behavior and salvage some dignity. "I just saw a bug fly past my eyes; don’t get any weird ideas!"
Liu Yang laughed while nodding repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes! Whatever you say, Sister-in-law! You should hurry up and go greet Big Brother; he’s probably waiting anxiously."
"I’m not going!" Ye Xiaohan was slightly annoyed by their laughter and retorted at Liu Yang. "I still have things to do here. You go bring Gu Bei to the reserved private room."
She urged him again, "Hurry up; don’t let anyone see your heart."
"Got it." Liu Yang stifled his laughter and skillfully navigated through the crowded guests until he reached Gu Bei's side.
He winked at Gu Bei and said, "This way, please! A seat will be available shortly; just wait a moment."
Gu Bei smiled back at Liu Yang and nodded in agreement as he followed him upstairs.
Although the second floor was also packed with guests, the private rooms were separated from each other. The thick carpet on the floor muffled the sounds significantly.
As soon as they entered the private room, Liu Yang quickly closed the door behind them and excitedly rushed in front of Gu Bei. "Big Brother, you finally made it! We’ve all been waiting for you anxiously."
Gu Bei reached out to pat his head. "You’ve worked hard these days; thanks to you helping Xiao Han, our home has been managed so well."
"Hehe." Liu Yang smiled shyly. "I didn’t do much; it’s all Sister-in-law who is holding this family together. By the way, where is Sister-in-law? Why hasn’t she come yet?"
"Surely Sister-in-law is just shy," Yang said with a smile. "This morning, you have no idea how worried she was. Brother, you didn’t see her peeking out the door every time she had a cup of tea, waiting for Brother Gu to come and notify us before she perked up again!"
"Really?" Gu Bei was somewhat surprised. Ye Xiaohan had always seemed indifferent towards him, and he wasn't sure how significant his place was in her heart.
"Of course it's true. During your trial, Sister-in-law was quite worried about you. But you know her better than I do; even if she’s worried, she won’t admit it."
Thinking about it, Ye Xiaohan did have that kind of personality, and a warm current flowed through Gu Bei's heart. Even though Ye Xiaohan often acted fierce and resorted to violence at times, he could still sense the tenderness hidden beneath.
Yang pulled out a chair for Gu Bei to sit down first. "I'll go call everyone up. When Brother Gu came earlier, Sister-in-law specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare a welcome feast for you."
"Alright, go ahead." Gu Bei watched as Yang left energetically, feeling somewhat touched.
Despite having no blood relation, Yang was still willing to acknowledge him as an elder brother after learning the truth and treated him like real family.
It was quite ironic compared to Gu Rong, who only wanted to eliminate him.
Gu Bei pushed aside these unpleasant thoughts; at this moment, he didn’t want anyone to ruin his good mood.
The door to the private room soon opened again, and a large group of people streamed in.
Ye Xiaohan, Yang, Gu Da, Qi Liu, and Xia Qing, who was quite familiar with the Yang family.
"Come on, make way." Both Yang and Gu Da were carrying large trays piled high with bowls and dishes.
Gu Bei stood up, intending to help arrange the tableware but was stopped by everyone.
"Brother, just sit there. You usually take care of us; today you don’t have to lift a finger—let us handle it," Yang said as he tilted the tray slightly so Gu Bei couldn't reach it.
Xia Qing hurried forward to lend a hand, neatly arranging the bowls and dishes while glancing at Gu Bei with a cheerful smile. "Let me do this! How can we let the General do such things? Oh my goodness, I actually get to meet the General! My father hasn’t even met him! I’ll have to brag about this when I get back!"
"No way!" Yang quickly interjected. "You can't go out; this is a secret. We only let you in because we consider you one of our own—don’t even tell your father!"
Xia Qing was taken aback and turned to confirm with Ye Xiaohan, "Is that so, Sister Ye?"
"Don't mind Li Yang; he always thinks too much about everything," Ye Xiaohan said, patting Xia Qing on the shoulder. "It's fine to tell your father, but if more people know, we really can't go out anymore."
She explained to Gu Bei, "Xia Zhanggui is reliable and knows how to handle things appropriately. Besides, even if Xia Qing doesn't, I plan to find a chance to clarify the situation with Xia Zhanggui."
Since they intended to cooperate long-term, some matters were unavoidable.
Xia Qing finally regained her composure and nodded. "Got it. Just tell my father; no one else. Keep it a secret!"
"Sister-in-law, are you really okay with this?" Li Yang asked uneasily. "You're spoiling her too much; look how pampered she's become!"
Ye Xiaohan shot Li Yang a glance. "I think it's you who's been spoiled; look at how pampered you are!"
Everyone laughed as they watched the two bicker playfully. Gu Da took care of the remaining dishes by himself while Li Qi had already dashed into Gu Bei's arms, seeking affection.
"To celebrate Gu Bei's safe return today and wish him smooth sailing in the future, let's raise our glasses!"
Ye Xiaohan lifted her cup. The adults drank homemade fruit wine from the restaurant while the children had juice.
The crisp sound of clinking glasses seemed to shatter past misfortunes, heralding a fresh start in life ahead.
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