Love from the Male Protagonist's Harem

Chapter 75 Black-Eyed Butterfly Spirit Part 3

Translated by Snowfall77

Hearing Chu Yi’s voice gradually recede, Xia Ge exhaled in relief.

Gu Peijiu, book in hand, calmly asked: “Why are you hiding from her?”

Xia Ge didn’t know how to explain, so she settled on playing dumb: “I just……wanted to hide.”

Gu Peijiu lowered her head and thoughtfully considered Xia Ge’s hands still gripping her belt.

Following Gu Peijiu’s line of sight, Xia Ge became aware that she was still pulling at the other’s clothes and immediately retracted her overly ambitious hands: “Ah, uh, I didn’t meant to, I……”

Gu Peijiu ignored Xia Ge’s stammering, asking again: “Why did you hide, especially since you were talking to her before?”

So it turned out that Gu Peijiu had seen Xia Ge and Chu Yi on the third floor earlier.

An embarrassed Xia Ge: “How much did you observe, Senior Sister……”

Gu Peijiu merely went “Mmm,” not admitting that she’d caught sight of Xia Ge the second she’d entered the library

As for following Xia Ge up to the third floor……

Hadn’t there been a book up there that Gu Peijiu had wanted to look up?  She’d just happened to be going the same way as Xia Ge.

And as for watching Xia Ge leave a candy for Chu Yi, that’d been completely unintentional.

Getting no further answer from Gu Peijiu, Xia Ge explained with all sincerity: “I thought she needed help at the time.”

After all, Xia Ge was a good disciple of Danfeng.

Gu Peijiu remained silent, as if pondering something.  Then her book slid from her hand, falling to the floor with a ‘thump.’

Startling Xia Ge.

Gu Peijiu regarded Xia Ge with a very serious expression: “I too need help.”

Xia Ge: “……”  No, no, you really don’t……

Quickly stooping to pick up the book, Xia Ge gave it back to Gu Peijiu: “Here you go.”

Giving a little hum, Gu Peijiu next extended her other hand to Xia Ge.

With her hand like pale jade stretched out, palm upwards, Gu Peijiu didn’t say anything to Xia Ge, but simply regarded her expectantly.

Xia Ge: “???”  I’ve already picked up your book for you, what more do you want?

Gu Peijiu cocked her head slightly, long eyelashes fluttering, Xia Ge’s confused face reflected in her dark pupils.

A long moment passed until Gu Peijiu slowly withdrew her hand.  Yet Xia Ge was left with the distinct feeling that Gu Peijiu was not happy.

What?  What are you unhappy about?

Book in hand, Gu Peijiu turned to leave, back straight and proud, although Xia Ge sensed a hint of reluctance.

Wait a minute……

Thinking of her ‘help’ towards Chu Yi , Xia Ge wasn’t sure if she was now correct or not about what Gu Peijiu had been waiting for, however……

“Ah!  Senior Sister!  Wait, wait……”

Though she slowed her steps, Gu Peijiu did not turn around.  Xia Ge caught up to her, firmly tugging at Gu Peijiu’s sleeve

Gu Peijiu quirked an eyebrow at the hand pulling on her sleeve.  They were past the bookshelf and there were many people around.  So Xia Ge didn’t dare be too presumptuous.

“Hehe.”  Xia Ge dropped her hand from Gu Peijiu’s sleeve, raised her head and smiled, saying to Gu Peijiu: “About earlier, thank you.”

Now that she had Gu Peijiu’s attention, Xia Ge continued cheekily: “Senior Sister, please put out your hand.”

Thoughtfully considering Xia Ge, Gu Peijiu eventually stretched out her hand obediently.

An impish expression on her face, Xia Ge placed a candy on Gu Peijiu’s palm.

The candy was pink, contrasting prettily against Gu Peijiu’s pale skin.

“This candy was actually a gift from someone else.  I haven’t tried any of it yet, so I don’t know if it’s any good or not.”  Still not sure whether or not she’d guessed rightly, Xia Ge turned her head to look out the window, feeling both brazen and shy at the same time.  “Anyways, when I help people, I don’t usually give them candy……”

Xia Ge paused: “It’s just……forget it.”

If the cloaked person at the black market really had been Senior Sister……

……it was simply a piece of candy, nothing more.

“Mmm.”

The candy in Gu Peijiu’s hand was still warm from Xia Ge’s fingertips.  Clenching her fist around it, Gu Peijiu nonchalantly changed the subject: “Your puppet, it’s very well carved.”

Taken aback by the abrupt change of subject, Xia Ge babbled: “Ah, this, this was a gift from someone else too!”

“Mmm,” Gu Peijiu said, “I know.”

Xia Ge felt the sense of powerlessness that comes from trying to punch cotton: “……”

Noting Xia Ge’s gloomy expression, Gu Peijiu reached out and stroked Xia Ge’s soft hair with a small, helpless smile: “Go back.”

= =

A fortnight later-

The sun happened to be shining.

“With liandan, you must pay attention to the favorable time and location……”

On a stage, a Master rubbed at his goatee while shaking his head.

Below the stage, Danfeng disciples with upright posture sat at little tables.  On each table were an incense burner, a danshu, and loose paper to make notes on.  Each disciple was listening attentively, filling the small hall with the strong aura of scholarship.

Dressed in clean and tidy Danfeng clothes, Xia Ge was sitting at the back, her nose buried in her book.  The charcoal pencil in her hand was dancing along, sheets of paper filled with messy scrawls piled high.

Narrowing his eyes, the Master contemplated Xia Ge, the ‘token’ disciple of the group.

“Xia Wuyin.”

“Ah……here!”

Freeloader Xia Ge stood up, her book collapsing on the table, hiding whatever she’d been writing.  With a serious countenance, she asked: “What instruction does the Master have?”

The Master’s goatee fondling and eye squinting increased: “Can you recite the main materials for refining a Hui Xue dan?”

Xia Ge: “……”

That wasn’t what you were talking about, Master.  Weren’t you just going on about how a Dan furnace should be set up?

禄山爪Lushan Claw

An Lushan was a Hu from Liucheng in Yingzhou , and he also served as the governor of Pinglu , Fanyang , and Hedong . Lushan’s Claw This is an allusion. After An Lushan worshiped Yang Yuhuan as his godmother, he often went in and out of the palace, and made farces such as “washing the three” to get rewards. Once when his “mother and son” were intimate at a banquet, An Lushan clamored to ask for money. While eating breast milk, he accidentally scraped a scar on Yang Yuhuan’s jade breast, which scared the two of them out of their wits. They were afraid that Emperor Xuanzong would find out. Fortunately, Gao Lishi helped him, saying that the scratch was caused by a small animal, so he was able to cover it up. Therefore, it is called “Lushan’s Claw”, and later generations describe someone as ambitious.

It is said that An Lushan ‘s palm is huge, which is used by later generations as a metaphor for someone’s ambition.

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借花献佛[jiè huā xiàn fó]

present Buddha with borrowed flowers — to borrow sth. to make a gift of it; make presents provided by sb. else; offer a present to a guest with other people’s things; offer sb. favours at the expense of another

滥竽充数[làn yú chōng shù]

pretend to play the Yu in order to make up the number for an orchestra — to be included in a group just to fill in a vacancy; act as a stopgap; be dragged in to swell the total; fill a post without real qualifications