Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 435

On the afternoon of the second day after Gu Ye and Empress Zhou’s agreement, Lu Zhao made his appearance in the Wenhua Hall for a class.

True to his word, Gu Ye took on the role of the responsible eldest brother. He not only secured permission from Emperor Zhengyuan to have an imperial doctor on standby but also moved Lu Zhao’s table to the spot closest to him. He occasionally patted Lu Zhao’s forehead to ensure his comfort.

Initially, Gu Ye had been concerned that Lu Zhao might cause a disturbance during class, but he turned out to be quieter than Lu Xu. Although he didn’t grasp much of the class content, both Empress Zhou and Gu Ye had repeatedly instructed him to show respect to the teachers and be attentive in class, and he diligently complied. If he ever grew bored during the lessons, he’d tinker with the small brush and inkstone on his table or simply gaze out of the window, enjoying the view.

Lu Xu, however, had a somewhat peculiar reaction. During the day, he silently observed Gu Ye’s close interaction with Lu Zhao. In the evening, after Gu Ye had escorted Lu Zhao back, they shared a meal at Empress Zhou’s residence before returning to Xiefang Hall to spend time with Lu Xu.

On that particular day, Lu Xu’s behavior was highly unusual. He didn’t wait for Gu Ye in their home, prompting Gu Ye to check his room.

As he approached the door of Lu Xu’s room, Gu Ye was about to call out, but the eunuch guarding the entrance gestured for him to be quiet and pointed inside, signaling for Gu Ye to listen to what was happening within.

In the room, Lu Xu’s wet nurse was consoling him, saying, “Don’t be sad, Your Highness. Concubine mentioned a long time ago that His Royal Highness Prince Lie has a younger brother of his own. You saw today, when HisSecond Highness was present, His Highness Prince Lie didn’t speak with you much. You didn’t believe what your Mother Concubine said, but now you should see that your mother was right!”

Lu Xu’s disgruntled voice emanated from within, “Stop talking about it. They’re brothers, so they’re close. Besides, I don’t have no one to play with; I have a cousin.” His voice clearly betrayed that he had just been crying, and even a fool could discern that the little one was feeling jealous.

“Although Young Master Feng is Your Highness’s cousin, he’s now the companion of His Royal Highness Prince Lie, so I’m afraid he’s biased!” The nurse attempted to persuade him again. Just as she was about to continue, Gu Ye cleared his throat at the door and spoke into the room, “Arent we going to throw sandbags today?”

The nurse fell silent immediately, and Lu Xu rushed out of the room.

With red eyes, he hurried over to Gu Ye, stopped, and asked in a nasal tone, “Why aren’t you playing with Lu Zhao, big brother?”

Gu Ye pondered for a moment and responded, “I had made plans with you to throw sandbags. I didn’t say we’d bring him along at that time. How did you get him involved?”

Lu Xu chuckled, rubbed his eyes, and urged, “Well, let’s go then. I’m definitely going to win today!”

After playing until the night grew late, the exhausted and tearful Lu Xu couldn’t keep his eyes open due to sleepiness.

Considering Lu Xu’s drowsiness, Gu Ye suggested, “Then you can just stay with me.” They both resided in the same palace, separated by just a few steps. The weary Lu Xu immediately nodded in agreement.

Gu Ye added, “But I don’t have many attendants here to assist us, so we’ll need to manage everything ourselves.”

Lu Xu pushed his chest forward, raised his chin, and declared, “I’m not Lu Zhao. I can handle it myself!”

Gu Ye took a bath with Lu Xu. They both sat in a large tub and engaged in a playful water fight for a while. As the water grew warmer, Gu Ye carefully washed him from head to toe.

Lu Xu wore Gu Ye’s oversized pajamas, which made him leap excitedly around the room after getting into bed.

Gu Ye played with him for some time until Lu Xu couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, and he finally settled down to sleep.

Subsequently, Gu Ye remained in the palace for a few more days. Observing that Lu Zhao was adjusting well, and that Lu Xu’s jealousy had dissipated, he decided it was time to return home on that day.

He informed Lu Xu that he was going out to discover new things, so Lu Xu wasn’t unhappy at all. After classes, he encouraged Lu Xu to depart early, as it wouldn’t be good to be late when buying things.

Gu Ye didn’t change his clothes; he hopped into a sedan chair and left the palace.

Upon reaching the outside, Gu Ye didn’t rush to Duke Ying’s mansion; instead, he hurried to ‘Food of Heaven’.

Gu Yin was at the restaurant, and she appeared delighted to see him. She looked him up and down and said, “Who’s this spirited little rascal? Oh, I remember, it’s my son who hasn’t been home for ten days!”

Gu Ye chuckled, “But I’m back now. Mother knows how to tease me.” Gu Yin and Manager Zhou exchanged greetings and then accompanied Gu Ye back to Duke Ying’s mansion.