Chapter 15: Hide Him Inside A Wooden Cabinet.

Gu Heyan walked to the table, opened the wooden lid, then picked up the food box, and stuffed it into Mu Zhiming’s hands: “There are no Elders here, you don’t need to worry.”

Mu Zhiming, who a moment ago felt like he was in an ice cave, was overwhelmed by such an unexpected favor. Since he didn’t dare to hold the food box rashly, he repeatedly confirmed: “Is, is, is this for me?”

Gu Heyan: “Hmm.”

“Can I really eat it?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It’s better to accept deferentially than to decline courteously1, am I right?”

“Mm.”

Mu Zhiming sighed softly. His eyes were curved like a crescent moon, as he smiled at Gu Heyan: “Thank you, Gu-xiong.”

Gu Heyan frowned. He turned his head, while his gaze fluttered with bewilderment as he blinked imperceptibly.

Mu Zhiming: “….”

Mu Zhiming sighed in frustration, silently bowed his head, and quietly chewed the pastry.

AD
The first piece was sweet and fragrant. However, by the third piece, his mouth began to feel dry. Mu Zhiming struggled to swallow it, but in the end, he couldn’t. At that moment, a cup of water was suddenly placed in front of him, producing a ‘thump’ sound on the table.

Mu Zhiming was so startled by this sudden act, that he had to cover his mouth as he began to cough incessantly.

Gu Heyan: “Eat slowly.”

After pausing for a brief moment, Gu Heyan added: “It’s all yours.”

Mu Zhiming’s face blushed immediately, ashamed of his own embarrassing behavior. As Mu Zhiming picked up the porcelain cup, he swallowed the pastry with the help of the water: “Thank you.”

Gu Heyan looked at Mu Zhiming in a daze, only coming to his senses when he heard Mu Zhiming speak. After moving his gaze to the ground, Gu Heyan coldly said: “No need to thank me.”

After seeing that the silence had lingered around them again, Mu Zhiming tried to find topics that would interest Gu Heyan, in order to break the awkwardness between them. As he looked around, Mu Zhiming’s eyes suddenly settled on one spot….at the oddly shaped crossbow placed next to the jade Qilin bow.

“Ah!” Mu Zhiming couldn’t stop himself from shouting. As he pointed at the crossbow, Mu Zhiming said: “Is that the Sun and Moon Hunting Crossbow?”

Gu Heyan nodded: “Mm-hmm.”

Mu Zhiming stood up excitedly, walked towards the desk, and looked at it with extreme care: “Although I knew it was in the Gu Residence, I didn’t expect it would be displayed in your room! It’s such a privilege to see it with my own eyes!”

The Sun and Moon Hunting Crossbow was a powerful weapon built by the Ministry of War2‘s Military Workshop, which took more than 11 years to complete and required the efforts of more than 100 people to create it. The most curious thing about this crossbow was that it was as light as a three-inch cork and could be attached to the arm, which allowed the holder to use other weapons without being affected by the crossbow at all. Although this crossbow was light and small, the power the arrows had, when fired, was terrifying. With such force, an arrow could pierce a person’s skull at a range of 100 steps!

Back then, General Gu Miao rode through an army containing thousands of soldiers with the Sun and Moon Hunting crossbow attached to his arm. With a single arrow, he was able to kill the leader of the enemy, who was a great distance away. From then on, his fame had spread all over the world!

AD
Unfortunately, a year ago, the crossbow was damaged on the battlefield. To make matters worse, most of the craftsmen who had worked on the crossbow’s creation had already passed away, so no one could repair it. In the present, it could only be displayed for future generations to sigh in awe, as well as lament that it had been damaged.

Mu Zhiming resisted the temptation to touch it. The more he looked at it, the more he felt that the crossbow was exquisitely crafted, astonishing him over and over again.

As the warm spring breeze passed by, Mu Zhiming stared at the crossbow in awe, but Gu Heyan was looking at him with a warm gaze. The sunlight outside the window shone warmly, casting a beautiful shadow from the parasol trees as they danced in the breeze, and the birds chirped heartedly.

Just then, someone knocked on the wing room’s door, and Miss Juan’s voice was heard from outside: “Young Master! Is Mu-gongzi3 with you?”

“Hmm.” Gu Heyan walked over and opened the door: “What’s the matter?”

Miss Juan said: “It’s getting late. The Duke of Yan is worried about being too much of a nuisance, and has called Mu-gongzi to bid their farewell.”

Gu Heyan: “….I understand.”

After Miss Juan retired, Mu Zhiming walked to Gu Heyan’s side and looked up at the sky: “I didn’t realize so much time had passed already. Gu-xiong, we should go to the main hall quickly. We can’t make General Gu and my father wait for us. Gu-xiong?”

Gu Heyan came back to his senses: “Hmm?”

Mu Zhiming smiled and asked: “What were you thinking about? Why were you in such a trance?”

Gu Heyan glanced at Mu Zhiming….

Wondering whether he could stuff Mu Zhiming into a wooden cabinet and hide him away.

”
”
“Nevermind,” Gu Heyan said indifferently. “Let’s go.”

Gu Heyan gives meaningful looks to Mu Zhiming, but Mu Zhiming misunderstands them as Gu Heyan being annoyed with him! Ahhh the miscommunication!!