Gu Beiyue brought Lil Thing all the way to the end of the covered walkway before leaving the medical academy through a back door. Lil Thing sat on his shoulder, perplexed. It would occasionally shoot glances at the gentleman and cheep a few times in questioning.
It’s so late, but where is the gentleman going? He even used the medical academy’s back door, as if he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s leaving.
“Cheep cheep, cheep cheep…” Lil Thing cheeped a few more times.
Gu Beiyue took Lil Thing off his shoulder to cradle him in his hands. In a gentle voice, he said, “Be good, we’re almost there. Don’t get restless.”
Lil Thing didn’t understand, but it knew the gentleman was telling him to stop cheeping. It rubbed against the gentleman’s large, warm hands and calmed down.
Gradually, Gu Beiyue sped up his steps. His form was like a shadow darting through the quiet streets, so fast that Lil Thing couldn’t even recognize the roads whizzing past them. Soon enough, they entered a side alley and stopped in front of a door. Lil Thing’s round, dark eyes spun in circles as it sensed it was about to learn another of the gentleman’s secrets.
Gu Beiyue looked left and right to make sure there was no one there, then knocked on the door. He had a precise pattern to his knocking–a secret signal. Soon, someone opened the door. It was none other than Xi Yubo, who had been missing from Medical City for ages. Gu Beiyue had used him in the past to lure Han Yunxi to Medical City.[1]
“Master,” Xi Yubo greeted respectfully.
Gu Beiyue didn’t speak as he stepped inside. Lil Thing sprawled on his shoulder, staring at Xi Yubo. It didn’t recognize the man at all.
They entered a tiny civilian courtyard. Gu Beiyue quickly went inside one of the rooms, where Lil Thing discovered a tiny child inside sleeping soundly. The infant couldn’t be more than one month old.
Lil Thing was even more lost. What’s the gentleman doing? Where did this baby come from?
Gu Beiyue personally examined the baby, including checking the pulse, four limbs, and the shape of the feet. Xi Yubo quickly joined them and muttered, “Master, this child’s feet aren’t bad, right?”
This was an abandoned baby that Xi Yubo found personally. After committing an error with Long Tianmo’s matter, Gu Beiyue had told him to leave Medical City and track down abandoned infants. He needed to train a child from youth in the shadow arts, a skill that could only be learned from childhood.
Although the shadow arts were the secret of the Shadow Clan, outsiders could train in it too. They just had to start younger than Shadow Clan members to master the strength and skills in their feet. Even after training, their speeds would pale far in comparison to members of the Shadow Clan.
Still, it would be fast enough to surpass ordinary lightness technique skills.
He was the sole survivor of the Shadow Clan. Although he had found the princess, he couldn’t allow the clan to die off after his generation, nor for the shadow arts to end with his life. He had been secretly training up a few truly loyal shadow guards to serve the princess, but it would take more than a couple of years to see that plan to fruition.
The shadow guards were guards like shadows. They not only required superb martial arts, but also high moral character. That was because they were the closest people to their masters and knew them best. They were privy to secrets no one else knew. If their character wasn’t up to snuff, then they would only be a source of danger to their masters.
Thus, whether it was martial arts or morals, he had to make the selections personally.
He not only needed to train up shadow guards, but nurture a true heir to the Shadow Clan. He had been searching nonstop for the best physique and feet shapes. However, he didn’t expect Xi Yubo to succeed so soon. This infant before him was exactly what he wanted.
“He’s the one,” Gu Beiyue determined. “He’s one month and how many days old?”
“Seven days!” Xi Yubo answered honestly. “Master, you’ll be married in about ten more days. According to these calculations, it’s reasonable to say he was just born a month early.”
“It’s not an issue. I have ways when the time comes,” Gu Beiyue nodded.
Xi Yubo couldn’t help reminding him, “Master, even if you want to foster a child, you don’t have to choose Eldest Miss Qin! As long as you speak, there’ll be no end of willing girls in Medical City.”
His master had no interest in marriage or romance. He only wanted to take a wife and pretend this foster child was their biological son so as to continue the flame of the Shadow Clan. He not only wanted the world to know that the princess still had the Shadow Clan supporting her, but also give an explanation to his Shadow Clan ancestors.
However, there were no end of nameless women who would be willing to take on such a role. There were plenty more candidates who were superior to Eldest Miss Qin. Why did his master have to settle on a woman that no one else wanted?
Gu Beiyue arched a brow and Xi Yubo immediately shut up, afraid to say another word.
Why did he insist on marrying Eldest Miss Qin? There were too many reasons.
First, the Qin Clan was a huge power faction in Medical City. It was also the only family capable of matching the Ren Clan. If he married Eldest Miss Qin, the Ren Clan would panic. It would also lose any nerve to resist when Long Feiye took Medical City under imperial jurisdiction.
Secondly, Eldest Miss Qin had difficulty finding suitors because of her disability. Moreover, she didn’t want to marry anymore. By marrying her himself, he could give her a serene environment. By “birthing” a child for him, she could then do what she wanted, and neither of them would affect the other. If it was any other girl in the Qin Clan, he’d only end up delaying them for life.
He didn’t want to wrong or let down anyone in this life.
Thirdly, he had full faith in Eldest Miss Qin’s moral character! Marriage was for a lifetime. Unless it was someone he trusted, they might spread the truth in three to five years. How was he supposed to clean things up then?
Gu Beiyue drew closer to the infant and planted a light kiss on his forehead, then said tenderly, “Child, from now on you’ll no longer be an orphan. I’ll protect you until you grow up.”
Lil Thing gave a shrill cheep in response.
Heavens!
The gentleman actually kissed that child! Who is he? His illegitimate son? But then who’s his mother?
Lil Thing finally grew uneasy and began to cheep loudly. It ran closer to the child, hoping for a closer look. Startled awake, the baby’s cheeks puffed up as he prepared to cry. Xi Yubo quickly dashed over to coax him while Gu Beiyue plucked Lil Thing into the air. He wasn’t angry, but seriously told the creature to quiet down.
Lil Thing kicked its legs furiously, wanting to know the facts. But no matter how it struggled, the gentleman would never understand its questions. Abruptly, it hung its head down in sorrow.
So what if the gentleman understands me? So what if he answers my questions? I still won’t understand what he’s saying.
The gentleman had never belonged to it from the start! He had plenty of things it knew nothing about!
Seeing Lil Thing still, Gu Beiyue gently stroked its back and placed it back on his shoulder. Lil Thing quietly curled up its body and looked pitifully at the baby as it fell into an uncontrollable depression.
Mama Yunxi, even the gentleman has a baby now, do you know?
“You’ll care for him personally. This matter remains absolutely secret, so don’t leave it to others’ hands,” Gu Beiyue instructed intently.
Xi Yubo nodded respectfully. “Yes, this subordinate understands.”
Gu Beiyue’s mood didn’t change much when he returned to the medical academy. He was still as calm as water and soon fell asleep. But Lil Thing, who was curled up on its stomach, couldn’t stop tossing and turning nonstop. It couldn’t fall asleep!
In the end, it jumped off the bed and scurried up a cabinet before deciding to run out the window for some fresh air. Instead, it found five to six wedding invitations sitting on top of the tall piece of furniture.
Lil Thing gave a start and quickly opened up one of the invitations. Unfortunately, it couldn’t read a thing.
Who’s getting married?
There are so many copies. It doesn’t look like someone the gentleman received from others. It’s more like he’s the one sending them out!
Heavens! When did the gentleman write these invitations? I had no idea at all!
Lil Thing grew more restless. It clamped an invitation between its teeth and ran all the way back before tossing it at Gu Beiyue’s face. When Gu Beiyue woke up and saw the huffy Lil Thing, then the fallen invitation on the side, he gave a start before bursting into laughter.
He probably had no idea how attractive he looked when he laughed. It lacked the heavy, mature air he usually wore and seemed lazy and carefree, suddenly turning a handsome man into a wild one.
Lil Thing could only gape in a daze.
Gentleman, just what kind of man are you? Lil Thing can’t understand you anymore.
Gu Beiyue picked up the invitation and flipped through its contents. Then he got off the bed and switched it for a different one before presenting it to Lil Thing with both hands.
He smiled and said, “I’m getting married. This is for you.”
Lil Thing was further convinced that the gentleman was sending these out. Moreover, the one before it was for itself! The gentleman’s really getting married!
So is he marrying the mother of that child we saw? Lil Thing didn’t budge, but its round black eyes were already starting to grow wet at the edges. Seeing it look so pathetic, Gu Beiyue couldn’t help laughing again.
“Don’t worry. No matter who I marry, I’ll still only favor your master.”
Lil Thing only saw the gentleman smiling and didn’t know what he said. But it clapped the invitation away and quickly scurried out the window.
“It’s angry?” Gu Beiyue wondered to himself.
Lil Thing’s fit of temper made it absent for days. Gu Beiyue didn’t look for him because he knew it’d come back eventually. A few days later, Han Yunxi and Mu Linger arrived with three days to go until the wedding.
Gu Beiyue’s wedding news had spread all over Medical City, but the medical academy went on as usual without a single hint of wedding cheer. That was because Gu Beiyue had given orders not to make a fuss or waste money. There would be no banquets and nothing to affect the academy’s normal classes and treatments.
Because of this order, many rumors began to spread. Everyone began to suspect that Gu Beiyue had other motives for marrying Eldest Miss Qin instead of truly liking her. However, Gu Beiyue never bothered to clear up any of the gossip.
Han Yunxi and Mu Linger met Gu Beiyue just as he’d changed out of the wedding attire delivered by the tailor. It wasn’t very well-fitting.
When he saw them arrive, he tossed aside his work and walked over. “Princess, Miss Linger, did you have a peaceful trip?”
1. This would be years back, when Long Tianmo was poisoned again and they sent him to Medical City to be treated. That journey also marked the first exploration of the Skypit, the reveal of Lil Thing, and Jun Yixie kidnapping HYX in front of LFY because he had to save the skin of his junior sister Duanmu Yao.
