Chapter 13: Big Brother

From Yu Fu’s angle, she could only see the man’s muscular bare back through the screen cracks.

Wide shoulders, narrow waist, delicate and graceful, his spine perfectly straight like an upright pine tree.

Like a creator’s meticulously carved and delicately cut piece of art. Every inch of muscle was all just perfect, making one want to see the vigorous power contained under that honey colored skin.

Those two arms casually scooping up the water, the lines faintly rising, carrying the firmness of a martial artist.

The water streamed along the lines of his back, rapidly flowing down, and splashing into fine droplets.

Yu Fu couldn’t help but blankly stare.

All the way until the person behind the screen noticed the unfamiliar presence. Instantly, the crashing sound of water echoed, the water droplets penetrated through the cracks in the screen, directly assaulting Yu Fu’s face!

Yu Fu stretched her hand out and rubbed her face, only feeling that the water droplets splashed on her face also carried a man’s unique scent.

And the person behind the screen spread his arms in lightning speed, putting on a full silk white middle garment* and walked out from behind the screen.

(*T/N: Clothes worn under the main outer garment.)

After Yu Fu saw his appearance clearly, she was further dumbstruck to the point that she even forgot to wipe away the water droplets on her face.

In this world, there’s actually such a beautiful man!?

The man before her was tall and lofty, his brows like an ink painting, naturally black.

A pair of glistening eyes, lustrous and radiant, carrying a slight smile, warmly gazing to her like the spring breeze.

His straight nose, his lightly pursed pink lips, and his slightly lowered head made him appear like a high god descending into the mortal realm.

“You’re…….little Yu Fu?”

His voice was gentle and soft, but deep, rich with magnetism, like a bolt of the finest silk in Jiangnan, making one unable to forget at a touch.

Yu Fu slightly parted her lips in astonishment, only staring at him, even forgetting to reply.

A good while later, she finally nodded blankly.

“I am……..you’re, big brother?”

Gu Huai Jiang wanted to let Yu Fu be his adopted daughter, so naturally she was his younger sister. Calling him big brother wasn’t inappropriate.

Gu Shu Bai nodded with a smile. His eye that were bright like the stars glistened in a loving light.

Yu Fu was even more smaller than he’d imagined.

Originally thinking that a twelve year old girl should be a bit more taller, and a bit more sturdier.

But little Yu Fu’s four limbs were slim, and that slender wrist exposed out from under the pink woven satin spring garment was thinner than the early spring’s newly budding willow branch.

Standing before him, her little head only reached his waist.

“Big brother!”

Yu Fu smilingly pounced into his arms, giving him a firm hug, not willing to let go for a long while.

Gu Shu Bai was slightly startled.

This child……….sure was lively.

But being hugged by her soft body was just like hugging a lump of cloud making it unbearable for one to push her away.

When the servant boy that went to fetch the hot water walked in, he saw Yu Fu spreading out her little arms and legs hugging the tall Gu Shu Bai, appearing very amusing.

He couldn’t help but smile, and then hurriedly bowed to Gu Shu Bai.

“Eldest young master, it’s all this servant’s fault for not watching, letting Miss Yu Fu accidentally intrude this place!”

“No matter.”

Yu Fu finally was willing to let go, and then wiped the corners of her mouth, fearing that her drool would leak out.

Thank goodness there wasn’t any drool. Her first impression in front of big brother should still be pretty good!

Gu Shu Bai however smilingly wiped her cheeks.

“Getting splashed a face full of water, did you not feel it at all?”

His dangling silk white sleeve carried water stains. Yu Fu took a glance, her little face immediately reddening………

Shortly after, Gu Jiu Ge and the others also heard the news, and all came to the main courtyard to see Gu Shu Bai.

He had the local specialties brought back from Jin Ling distributed to each one. Everybody’s presents were all different, yet was also all to everyone’s satisfaction.

For instance, Gu Jiu Ge liked drinking wine, so what he got was a jar of Jin Ling Wine.

Gu Han Mo was fond of swords, so what he got was a sword cover made with Jin Ling brocade.

Everyone all thanked him one after the other, only seeing Gu Shu Bai turning to take out a long box, and handing it to Yu Fu.

Yu Fu lifted her head in surprise, looking to him with widened eyes, her eyelashes blinking.

She didn’t know that she also had a share.

When I was in Jin Ling, I’d received a letter from the manor, learning that father had brought back a little girl, and thinking that girls all like clothes and accessories, I thus brought you a few bolts of Jin Ling’s embroidered brocade.”

He reached out and unfastened the copper button. The box opened before everyone. The brocade fabric inside was lustrous and brilliant, beautiful like sunset clouds in the sky.

Gu Xiang and Gu Yi let out a gasp in surprise.

“Eldest brother is really generous! This Jin Ling brocade is known as ‘an inch of brocade, an inch of gold’. Just a small piece is already worth a considerable amount. Eldest brother actually gave Yu Fu several bolts. That sword cover you gave third brother doesn’t even use that much material!”

Gu Huai Jiang just happened to walk out from the inner room. Hearing Gu Yi’s words, he lightly snorted at once.

“Our Gu Marquis Manor has always been strict in raising sons, and pampers daughters. What are you all doing comparing with Yu Fu, a little girl?”

With that said, he looked towards Gu Shu Bai, “You did really well, these brocades must have cost quite a bit? Steward Qi, go to the storage and retrieve the equivalent amount of money, and send it to the heir’s room.”

Gu Shu Bai hurriedly smiled to stop him.

“Father, there’s no need for such, these expenses, this son is able to bear.”

His greeting gift to his younger sister, how can he let father reimburse him?

Gu Jiu Ge interrupted with a laugh.

“Father doesn’t need to worry about the money for eldest brother. Eldest brother is the Gu Marquis Manor’s heir after all, in addition to ‘strict in raising sons’. This much money, he’s still able to afford.”

The crowd joked and laughed around. Yu Fu lightly stroked the brocade in the box, smiling both tenderly and sweetly.

“Thank you big brother!”

Gu Jiu Ge keenly raised his brow.

Second brother, third brother, fourth brother………Yu Fu has always addressed them as such.

How come when it came to Gu Shu Bai, it became big brother?

(T/N: By her usual pattern, she’s supposed to call him eldest brother, but instead calls him ‘da gege’ which is big brother, a more intimate address.)

The crowd however didn’t pay attention to this nuance, each sitting down, listening to Gu Shu Bai recount some news from Jin Ling.

“…..Eldest paternal aunt’s birthday banquet was very lively, not only the local officials of Jin Ling all attended, even quite a few people from the capital painstakingly ran to Jin Ling to congratulate her.”

Yu Fu had only heard about this eldest paternal aunt from the various brothers’ mouth, yet didn’t know who she was. She tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face.

Gu Shu Bai saw her expression and explained with a smile, “This eldest paternal aunt is father’s eldest sister, and had married to Jin Ling’s Su family. This year was her fiftieth birthday, but father was on the battlefield at the borders, thus I went in his place to go congratulate.”

Listening to his tone when he spoke of this eldest paternal aunt, it seems she was very revered. Presumably, this eldest sister, to Gu Huai Jiang, possess an unique significance.

Gu Yi instinctively let out a sneer.

“That ‘Su eldest miss’ of eldest paternal aunt’s family, has her temper improved some nowadays?”