Seeing her dead drunk, Gu Ruobai took her directly to his mansion. "Mu Yi, go and tell the people from the Su Mansion that Miss Su will stay here with me tonight," he said.
Mu Yi was silent for a moment. "Well... My lord... Miss Su hasn't married into our family yet. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for her to stay in our mansion like this?"
Gu Ruobai raised his eyebrows. "She stayed in my mansion for a month or two before, and I didn't hear a single word of objection from the Su family. You can just go and tell them without worry."
Since his master had said so, Mu Yi naturally didn't decline anymore. With a turn, he disappeared into the night.
After personally watching the maids tuck the quilt for Su Mingyu, Gu Ruobai waved his hand to let them leave.
He got out of his wheelchair and walked to the bedside, looking down at Su Mingyu on the bed. A hint of tenderness rippled in Gu Ruobai's deep black eyes.
This little girl could spout nice words one after another. He wondered where she had learned them.
After observing that she was sleeping soundly, Gu Ruobai turned around to leave.
Just as he took a step, he felt his clothes being grabbed. When he turned around, he saw Su Mingyu tightly clutching the corner of his clothes, scolding in a low and indignant voice:
"I'll never let you go, even if I die!"
Su Mingyu's small face was tightly drawn, and the stray hairs on her forehead were damp with sweat. "Don't... don't leave..."
Just as Gu Ruobai was about to ask what was wrong with her, as soon as he bent down, his hand was firmly grabbed by Su Mingyu. "I will surely help you get back what belongs to you."
Gu Ruobai stared intently at her illogical ramblings and sighed helplessly. "You're never allowed to drink so much again."
After saying that, he tried to pry open Su Mingyu's hand. But as soon as his left hand touched Su Mingyu's fingers, he heard Su Mingyu say in a very hoarse but slightly coquettish voice, "Gu Ruobai... Thank you."
Gu Ruobai's hand paused, and a gentle smile that even he didn't notice appeared on his lips. "Forget it. I'll let you off this time."
Maybe it was because she had drunk too much, or maybe it was because she had talked with Gu Ruobai for a long time. Su Mingyu slept surprisingly well that night. When she woke up again, it was almost noon the next day.
Looking at the familiar environment around her, Su Mingyu guessed that she must have been too drunk last night, so Gu Ruobai had brought her back to the prince's mansion.
Yawning, Su Mingyu walked towards the main hall. Before she got there, she was stopped by a maid. "Miss Su, the prince sent me to invite you. He's waiting for you in the tea garden."
The tea garden? Wasn't it mealtime? Why go to the tea garden?
But since someone had come to invite her, Su Mingyu could only nod to indicate that she understood.
When she came to the pavilion in the tea garden and saw the people there, she understood what was going on.
"Mei Qing, why are you in the prince's mansion? You just met the King of Yu yesterday. Is it okay for you to come to the prince's mansion today?"
While talking, Su Mingyu walked forward, picked up a snack and ate it. "And Zhang Qiao, why are you here too?"
Zhang Qiao looked at her sleepy look, and his eyes became ambiguous. "Miss Su, do you mean that I shouldn't come and disturb your and the prince's time together?"
Su Mingyu rolled her eyes at him. "Which eye of yours saw that I welcome you?"
Hey, this little girl didn't shy away from the matter between men and women at all.
Zhang Qiao smiled and took a sip of tea before saying, "I'm here to find your prince for something important. I don't know why this beautiful girl is here to find him."
Seeing his nosy look, Su Mingyu found it funny. "This girl's name is Mei Qing. She's the prince's personal secret guard. Lord Zhang is so concerned about Sister Mei Qing. Could it be that you've taken a fancy to her?"
Before Zhang Qiao could defend himself, Su Mingyu continued, "Don't even think about it. A woman as excellent as Sister Mei Qing is not someone you, a vice minister, can match."
"You've really belittled me." Zhang Qiao looked at Gu Ruobai helplessly. "Your little girl is so sharp-tongued."
Gu Ruobai didn't even give him a glance. He just gently told someone to serve a bowl of congee for Su Mingyu. "You drank so much yesterday, and now you're eating such indigestible food. Do you still want your stomach?"
Su Mingyu pouted. Under Gu Ruobai's cold gaze, she didn't dare to say more and could only nod obediently.
Seeing Su Mingyu being so docile in front of Gu Ruobai, Zhang Qiao couldn't help but sigh. "Well, different people have different fates."
Mei Qing saw Zhang Qiao's look of watching the fun and couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile. "Did the prince invite me here today because of the matter of the King of Yu?"
Gu Ruobai nodded, then shifted his gaze to Su Mingyu, who seemed to be out of the matter. "I need you to have more contact with the King of Yu, but be careful not to let anything slip."
Seeing Su Mingyu awkwardly shift her gaze, Mei Qing knew it must be because of the incident on the boat.
She had followed Gu Ruobai for so many years and had never seen him be so concerned about a woman, nor had she seen him change a plan because of personal reasons.
This Su Mingyu was really different.
Noticing Mei Qing's gaze, Su Mingyu felt even more uncomfortable.
She lowered her head even more. "Um... Maybe you can talk first?"
Su Mingyu got up and was about to leave, but was stopped by a look from Gu Ruobai. "What's the hurry? Drink the congee before you go."
In the end, Su Mingyu could only sit back down helplessly. There was nothing she could do. Since she had broken the agreement first, she could only feel guilty.
Mei Qing found it funny seeing her like this.
She had secretly investigated Su Mingyu before. Whether dealing with Su Yueyue or Wang Manwen, she was smart and capable. But in front of their master, she became a cute little woman.
Although Zhang Qiao always teased Su Mingyu, he also knew that she was a bit embarrassed. So as soon as the congee was served, he got up and said goodbye.
Seeing Zhang Qiao leave, Mei Qing naturally also excused herself.
All of a sudden, the once bustling tea garden was left with only the two of them.
Gu Ruobai looked at Su Mingyu sipping the congee and frowned. "Do you... remember what you said last night?"
Su Mingyu frowned, blinked her bright eyes and shook her head. "I drank so much. How could I remember what I said? I don't even know how I came back with you."
Seeing Gu Ruobai's complicated expression, Su Mingyu felt a bit uncertain. "Um... May I ask, my lord... Did I say something unforgivable?"