He cast a sidelong glance at Su Zhengyi and coldly asked, "Minister Su, what does this mean?"
Su Zhengyi bowed with clasped hands and replied, "Your Highness, I'm just giving my naughty daughter a little punishment."
Gu Ruobai crooked his finger, and Su Mingyu obediently bent down.
He stretched out his long, fair, porcelain - like and well - jointed fingers, and gently stroked the red mark on Su Mingyu's face with his fingertips. There was a frosty look of displeasure in Gu Ruobai's eyes. "Minister Su, it's okay to educate your children, but isn't it a bit unfair to punish without distinguishing right from wrong?"
Su Zhengyi's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Your Highness... already knows about it?"
Gu Ruobai gave him a contemptuous look. "Miss Su Yueyue made a big scene at Sinan Pavilion today. It's hard for me not to know."
Su Zhengyi looked embarrassed. "It's such a small matter that has troubled Your Highness. It's really my daughter's fault."
Gu Ruobai's voice was cold. His eyes seemed lazy but actually carried a hint of coldness. "If I hadn't come, what if someone bullied Mingyu?"
"What are you talking about?" Su Zhengyi's face darkened further. "Mingyu is also my daughter. Naturally, I won't let her be wronged for nothing."
This was exactly what Gu Ruobai was waiting for. He motioned for Su Mingyu to push him to the main seat. Then he lowered his eyes and looked at Su Yueyue, who hadn't dared to say a word since he entered. "Miss Su Yueyue, tell us what exactly happened?"
At his call, Su Yueyue shivered all over.
This Gu Ruobai was clearly a disabled person. Why did he still have such great aura?
Although she was very unwilling in her heart, Su Yueyue still told the whole story from beginning to end.
After listening, Gu Ruobai snorted. "Idiot!"
Su Yueyue's face turned pale. "Your Highness! What do you mean?"
Gu Ruobai didn't even look at her. He just sipped his tea on his own and then calmly said, "From beginning to end, did that Miss Sinan ever take you to the shop of Sinan Pavilion and let the shopkeeper call her the master in person?"
Su Yueyue shook her head. "No, but she had so many genuine clothes..."
Before she could finish, Gu Ruobai snorted again. "If someone deliberately sets a trap for you, is it very difficult to prepare a few pieces of clothes?"
After being said so by Gu Ruobai, Su Yueyue pouted, wanting to refute but couldn't find the right words.
Seeing her like this, a look of impatience flashed in Gu Ruobai's eyes. "It's even more absurd to mistake a house for a mansion. As a person in the capital, it should be very easy for Miss Su to check whether the owner of that house is really Sinan or not. But you just believed what others said. What is this if not stupidity?"
Su Yueyue was scolded by him and had no temper left. She only dared to hang her head and mutter in a low voice. "But I also saw Sinan talking to you... It's rumored in the streets that the boss of Sinan Pavilion has the support of Prince Ruixian behind..."
Hearing her words, Su Zhengyi's heart skipped a beat. He quickly scolded in a low voice, "Yue'er! Stop talking!"
Gu Ruobai gave Su Zhengyi a sidelong look. "This is an act of insubordination. Won't Minister Su take care of it?"
It was obvious that Gu Ruobai was taking revenge for Su Mingyu. Su Zhengyi tightened his palm. Finally, he bowed and apologized. "My daughter is outspoken. I'll apologize to Your Highness on her behalf."
Unexpectedly, Gu Ruobai gave him a cold look and said indifferently, "Doesn't she have her own mouth?"
Su Yueyue didn't expect Gu Ruobai to be so petty. She bit her lower lip tightly. After a long time, she reluctantly apologized. "I offended Your Highness. Please forgive me."
Gu Ruobai said in a cold voice, "The Sinan you mentioned, is she the white - dressed woman who was with you in the elegant house last time?"
As soon as Su Yueyue nodded, Gu Ruobai splashed the tea in his hand directly on her head. Then he heavily put the teacup on the table, making a loud noise. "So Miss Su, you're suspecting that I'm colluding with that swindler to set a trap for you?"
As soon as he said this, Su Zhengyi immediately went up and grabbed Su Yueyue, pressing her head to admit her mistake. "Your Highness, my daughter doesn't mean this. She may have some misunderstandings about you."
Gu Ruobai snorted. "That day, after you left, that woman came up to talk to me. I simply ignored her."
It turned out that Wang Manwen was really right. She had really fallen into that swindler's trap?
Su Yueyue bit her gums tightly. Her small face was distorted with anger. At this point, it would be impossible for her to blame Su Mingyu.
Seeing her expression, Gu Ruobai frowned slightly. "If there are no more problems, can Mingyu's suspicion be cleared?"
Su Yueyue was furious. Finally, she was pressed by Su Zhengyi to nod her head.
Seeing that Gu Ruobai's face was not looking good, Su Zhengyi told Su Mingyu, "It's rare for His Highness to come. Mingyu, accompany His Highness for a walk."
Su Mingyu nodded and pushed Gu Ruobai out of the main hall, leaving behind the still angry Su Yueyue. "Father! Look at this Su Mingyu! She thinks she can be so arrogant just because she has Prince Ruixian as her backer! She doesn't even put you in her eyes!"
Su Zhengyi glared at Su Yueyue with a bad look on his face. "It's all because you're useless! If you could make the King of Yu come to our mansion and propose to marry you, how could Gu Ruobai be so arrogant!"
Su Yueyue pouted, her eyes full of hatred. "I will!"
"Enough." Su Zhengyi heaved a deep sigh. "Go and deal with the stuff on your face first. Don't damage your face."
Su Yueyue nodded and left the main hall with anger all over her.
...
Su Mingyu pushed Gu Ruobai to her own courtyard. After closing the courtyard gate, Su Mingyu grinned at Gu Ruobai. "I didn't expect you to be so ruthless!"
"Pouring such hot tea on Su Yueyue's face. If something happens to my sister's beautiful face, you'll be the enemy of the Su family."
Gu Ruobai took out a medicine bottle and handed it to her. "You still have the leisure to care about others. Look at your swollen face."
Su Mingyu touched her face. It did hurt a bit, but it wasn't unbearable. "It's just a minor injury."
She had suffered much more serious injuries than this when performing tasks before.
Seeing that she didn't care, Gu Ruobai lowered his eyes. "Come here."
Su Mingyu frowned and leaned her head over. "What's wrong?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a warmth on her cheek, followed by a faint smell of medicine. Gu Ruobai's fair fingers gently rubbed her face, making Su Mingyu's face hotter and hotter.
"What... what are you doing?"
Gu Ruobai gave her a sidelong look. "Su Zhengyi hit so hard. Be careful of scarring."
Their breaths were so close that it seemed that if she leaned a little closer, she could touch Gu Ruobai's nose.
Su Mingyu carefully held her breath. Her bright eyes stared at Gu Ruobai's well - defined cheeks and his deep, addictive eyes without blinking.
For a moment, there seemed to be a hint of sweetness in the air of the whole courtyard.
Gu Ruobai slightly raised his eyebrows. Looking at the slightly red tips of Su Mingyu's ears, the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. "You even know to send someone to find me. You've made progress."