Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 15

The large pond in the Imperial Garden was still fresh in Gu Yi’s mind. Eunuch Gao guided her into the lakeside pavilion to watch the fish.

Gu Yi sprinkled a handful of fish food against the wind and stretched her head to watch the hundreds of carp scrambling in the large pond. The battle was a bit scary, with so little food and so many fish. After feeding a palmful of fish food, she clapped her hands, “Your Majesty, let’s go to the Peach Garden.”

The Peach Garden of the Imperial Garden was naturally another place where the male and female protagonists in the book met. The fruit trees in the garden were all hung with pink and red fruits intertwined. Gu Yi excitedly took the bamboo basket handed to her by the palace staff and started picking peaches.

Inconvenienced in his court clothes, Xiao Yan only followed Gu Yi deeper into the forest. He saw her tiptoeing to pick peaches, and her wide sleeves slipped down, revealing a slender white wrist. Unfortunately, the peaches were on the top, and she couldn’t reach them. If it were any other beauty in the palace, she would have been very well groomed, with a proper demeanor, and if she couldn’t reach the peaches on the branch, she would have turned around and pitifully looked at him.

Xiao Yan waited for her behavior, but Gu Yi did not look back at him. Instead, she violently shook the peach tree; the branches and leaves clattered, and the fruit on the top rustled down.

She made an ‘ah’ sound and happily caught them with a bamboo basket. At this time, it was as if she remembered to turn around and look at him, showing off as if she passed the bamboo basket forward, “Your Majesty, look!”

Xiao Yan: ……

Eunuch Gao dryly laughed, “Noble Lady likes picking peaches very much. Hehe–”

The group traveled forward again for a few moments, and the only thing they could hear in their ears was a clear and bright singing voice coming through the peach forest:

“There are peaches in the garden, the delicacies. My heart is worried, so I sing. Those who don’t know me feel that I’m arrogant ……”

The song was ‘The Garden Has Peaches,’ the tune was melodious and sung by a female.

Xiao Yan paused and looked at Gu Yi’s frozen back.

She’s here, she’s here, the female lead, she’s here!

Gu Yi stood in place. What to do? Should she walk towards the front or wait for the female lead to come over?

When Eunuch Gao Gui saw the Emperor’s grimace, he thought, what a stroke of bad luck. The Emperor was enjoying the garden with the Noble Lady, but a blind climber had come!

Eunuch Gao Gui immediately sent two courtiers forward and bowed to the Emperor, “I will drive her away.”

Gu Yi heard this and immediately moved forward. The male and female leads must meet here in the Peach Garden!

Unexpectedly, she had only taken a few steps when Xiao Yan’s voice came behind her, “Gu Yi, come back.”

Gu Yi’s body shook. Didn’t they agree to call her Xiao Yi?

Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yan couldn’t call her that.
Gu Yi, the timing is right.

The song ended abruptly. Zhao Wan heard the sounds of people and came out from the forest. She was carrying a bamboo basket, and her cheeks were flushed. The pink blouse on her body matched the Yuehua dress swaying in the daylight.

She looked at Gu Yi, who was walking in the front. She bowed in panic, “Greetings to Noble Lady.”

They’re meeting each other!

Gu Yi smiled. Xiao Yan came forward in stride, stopping aside and coming face to face with Zhao Wan.

Zhao Wan hung her head and caught a glimpse of the bright yellow corners of his court robe, her heart beating like a drum as she bowed again, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Gu Yi’s heart was delighted. The male and female leads meet in the Peach Garden, just like in the book. Next, the male lead should ask the female lead: why are you singing that song? The female lead would ‘bla bla bla’ tell a story about the music was appropriate for the occasion, ah, and that she worried about the world, ah, etc. Then, when she slowly raised her head, the male lead was surprised; she was like a heavenly being! The male lead couldn’t forget her for a long time!

Xiao Yan, at the side, looked at the smiling Gu Yi and asked: “I called you. Why are you pretending not to hear?”

Gu Yi choked. Can you follow the plot, please?

“Your Majesty, forgive me. The song attracted me, and I wanted to look at the singer.”

Xiao Yan glanced at the singer, a faceless palace maid, kneeling on the ground.

Disinteresting.

He turned his head to Gu Yi and said, “Since you have picked the peaches, let’s return to the palace now. I also want to return to Tianlu Pavilion.”

But — this–

Gu Yi saw Xiao Yan turn around and wanted to leave. Without thinking, she caught his big sleeve, “Your Majesty, wait.”

Xiao Yan saw her five fingers tugging at his sleeve robe, eager to retain him, so he raised his eyebrows and said, “What?”

Gu Yi hardened herself to add to the drama and said to Zhao Wan in a deep voice, “Why do you sing about that song in this place? Do you know that that implied sorrow and sadness?”

Xiao Yan found Gu Yi’s solemn expression very interesting, so he stopped to see what she would do.

Zhao Wan’s heart pounded, and she bowed again, “I have no other intention. It’s just that this garden has fruits, so I sing in response to the scene. I’m not talking about the sorrow –”

Gu Yi, out of the corner of her eye, glimpsed at Xiao Yan’s expression and sighed. She had to make up the plot, even if it was awkward!

“Raise your head. Allow me to see who the bold person who sings is!”

Zhao Wan took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. Her gaze couldn’t help but go to the Emperor.

A Yan. She didn’t know whether she expected him to recognize her or that he would never remember her.

There was a sudden silence all around. Furrowed eyebrows, bright eyes, and red lips. Eunuch Gao sighed; she was a beauty. However, life was not good; if the Emperor toured the garden alone today and met her, perhaps he would birth a thought.

Unfortunately —

Gu Yi immediately looked sideways at Xiao Yan. The stunned look was not there, but his pair of dark brown glazed eyes looked at her, smiling. She relaxed her eyebrows and smiled, “Your Majesty, I know this palace maid. She was originally a headmaster of the Clothing Department, and now she is a palace maid in the Zhaifang Hall.”

Another dry laugh, “I think it’s a misunderstanding. I thought wrongly.”

That’s it, she did her best!

Xiao Yan laughed coldly, no longer looked at Gu Yi, and said to the kneeling Zhao Wan, “Since Noble Lady Gu misunderstood you, you can leave. But you should never come again to this Peach Garden.”

A Yan did not recognize her. Zhao Wan’s heart was sour, and she only whispered, “I obey the decree.”

Gu Yi witnessed all of this.

A stab to the heart! It felt like the plot was patched up, but it didn’t seem like that!

So sad!

Xiao Yan led the courtiers to turn around and leave.

Eunuch Gao Gui lagged half a step behind and seemed to have something to say. Gu Yi quickly stepped forward, “Eunuch Gao.”

Eunuch Gao lowered his voice and whispered, “I understand Noble Lady’s intention. I think that the maid will not be able to make it! Don’t worry!”

Gu Yi: The world misunderstands me too deeply!

“En, Eunuch, be careful.”

*

Zhao Wan didn’t know how she walked back to the Zhaifang Hall. Her mind was confused, and her hands and feet were trembling. She clenched her hands and tried her best to calm herself down. A Yan was disgusted with her and forbade her to set foot in the Peach Garden again.

Is Beauty Gu doing it on purpose?

She initially thought that when she came to Zhaifang Hall, she would have the opportunity to see A Yan, but he was now disgusted with her, and the delight of the first sight was gone. In the future, what kind of face would she use to see A Yan again?

“A Wan, you’re back.”

Through a curtain, Chunya’s voice came.

Zhao Wan wiped the corners of her eyes and answered, “Yes.”

Chunya lifted the curtain and entered the hall. Seeing the peaches in the bamboo basket, she joyfully said, “The trees bear fruits. Wash a few of them for Noble Lady to relieve the summer heat.”

Zhao Wan turned to leave and was called again by Chunya, “Can those dance clothes be sewn on time?”

Zhao Wan nodded, “If I rushed day and night to make it, it would be ready before the Mid-autumn Palace Banquet.”

“En, very good, go.”

After sending Zhao Wan away, Chunya went to the study to find Noble Lady Gong. When she saw the visitor, she asked, “Have you done all the errands?”

Chunya nodded, “The plum blossom stage has been set according to your wishes, and in the past few days, A Wan has rushed to sew your neon dance dress, so your Flying Sky Dance will surely amaze the others at the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet!”

Noble Lady Gong smiled and said, “Have you inquired about what the rest of the people are doing?”

Chunya counted in detail: “Four consorts in charge of the palace banquet, each perform their duties, probably not showing their talents. Noble Lady Wang will play the zither, as usual. Noble Lady Tian will perform handwriting. I heard that Beauty Zhou and Beauty Chen also want to dance …….”

Noble Lady Gong: “Noble Lady Gu?”

Chunya: “Unexpectedly, Heluo Hall has not been in action lately, as if there is no talent to offer to His Majesty ……”

Noble Lady Gong frowned slightly, “Keep a close eye on her. Noble Lady Gu always seems to take people by surprise.”

*

And the one who was criticized for surprising others, the Noble Lady Gu, was holding the red notes, puzzled: “Not all palaces have to present art in the mid-autumn palace banquet, right?”

Tao Jia nodded, “Indeed so, but the position below Noble Lady and Beauty are using the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet to invite favors. You had just entered the palace. Perhaps you do not know, but every year after the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, according to the routine, the favored concubines will be promoted…….”

Gu Yi interrupted: “But I just got promoted to a Noble Lady. I won’t be promoted again.”

Tao Jia: “But His Majesty certainly hopes you will offer a performance.”

Gu Yi shook her head. According to the plot, the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was the time for the female lead to shine, so she wanted to avoid joining the fun. “No need. I’m not talented, either. I’d rather watch all my sisters present their performances and have a good time.”

Tao Jia stayed in place and thought momentarily, “Could you be doing the opposite? Not to compete is to compete.”

Gu Yi nodded deeply to Tao Jia, as long as you are happy.

Tao Jia no longer persisted, changing the conversation, “Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. The Harem can send a letter back home. Would you like to send a letter to Lord Gu to express autumn thoughts?”

Isn’t it risky to write a letter home? What if Gu Changtong recognized that her handwriting was different? But wasn’t it also strange if she didn’t send it?

Gu Yi thought for a moment, “Good idea! Do you have any good mid-autumn notes in the palace? I’ll pick one and send it.”

Tao Jia: “I will ask!”

In the end, Gu Yi picked a ‘Jade Rabbit Reporting to the Moon’ paper with mid-autumn notes. She only put her seal of Noble Lady Gu of the Heluo Palace.

Tao Jia: “Beauty doesn’t write a few lines?”

Gu Yi sighed, “No, I’m afraid it will cause sadness.”

T/N : an example of  Jade Rabbit Reporting to the Moon