Seeking Happiness

Chapter 72 The perfect coordination

Shu Huan saw that the eyes of everyone was on her. She muttered to herself irresolutely. She decided to tell the truth. She didn’t do that straight away, but turned and looked at Gu Xiran, “Second young master!”

Gu Xiran wanted to see how she would explain and made an “mm” sound without batting an eye.

Shu Huan continued, “I remember that you had said that the hot spring behind Japanese Rose Building was only dedicated for second young mistress’s use, right? Even if fourth young master wanted to take bath, he had to go elsewhere.”

Gu Xiran nodded slightly, “That’s right.”

Hearing his answer, nanny Guan was stunned.

Shu Huan didn’t bother with her and continued, “Miss Zhang is a guest. Presumably, she still doesn’t know this rule that you had set. As for me, I thought that second young mistress wasn’t inside. There was obviously no one in the hot spring. I walked in and didn’t expect to accidentally collide in with an honorable guest…”

People who didn’t belong together, don’t live together. The people of Zhang family had the same moral and conduct. She hadn’t finished speaking yet when that nanny Guan rushed to interrupt her, “Since it was a hot spring only for second young mistress to use, why did you, a little maid enter?”

Shu Huan smiled slightly, “This nanny asked a good question! Why did I enter? Naturally, it’s because second young mistress wants to take a bath and I went to clean up the hot spring. There are many flowers and plants in this yard. Who would know whether there would a gust of wind that would blew the fallen leaves and flowers into the hot spring? How can second young mistress take a bath then when it’s so dirty?”

She finally told a lie, but she originally wasn’t planning on revealing her identity. Moreover, when Gu Xiran questioned her, he intentionally or unintentionally regarded her as a little maid. He must’ve have thought things through. She naturally would play along. Besides, this nanny Guan’s arrogance was because of her identity of a maid. Is wasn’t too good to contrast too much and disappoint people, right?

Further thinking, the hot spring was originally to be cleaned up. Fortunately, it was her who barged in this time. She could still be safe and sound because she took advantage of her distinctive identity and Gu Xiran’s protection. If it was some other maid that entered, did she had to watch her maid being punished for no reason at all by Zhang Hanfang? She naturally had to suppress their arrogance and let them know that being a guest at other’s people home, they shouldn’t be the guest and act as a host!

• The guest acts as host: turn from passive to active behavior

The more she talked, the expression of nanny Guan changed even more. There was no other reason. She thought about Zhang Hanfang’s maiden name and suspected that the fallen leaves and flowers that Shu Huan talked about was referring to another thing. It may even be pointing at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree. However, she knew that these were just her speculation and it happened that Shu Huan’s expression was calm. If she spoke about her speculation openly, people may think that she was narrow-minded and thought too much. Hence, she pressed down her anger and rebuked, “Your explanation seems reasonable! However, there must be someone keeping a watch outside when our miss is taking a bath. You are not blind. Could you have not seen her? And you still say that you barged in unintentionally. It could be seen that you are lying!”

• Point at the mulberry tree and curse at the locust tree: scold someone indirectly
• Chinese people have a little name/maiden name/ nickname that is only used by people close to them. In ancient times, only family elders or the husband/wife could call one by their little name.

Shu Huan lowered her head and said, “You should ask Peiyu about this. Your miss let her keep watch outside, only the heavens know what she went to do. Anyway, when I entered, there was no one keeping watch outside. Could you blame me for this?”

Nanny Guan wasn’t present at that time and didn’t know the ins and out of the matter. When she heard that, Shu Huan really didn’t seem to be in the wrong. She was immediately at loss for words.

Shu Huan then said to Gu Xiran, “I already reported the matter clearly. It is my fault for colliding into miss Zhang, but I know that second young master is the master. That was why I rushed back to receive punishment from you. I didn’t expect to be cut off halfway by this nanny. Since this had happened, I ask second young master to name my crime and punishment, so I can go receive it.”

While Shu Huan spoke, nanny Guan looked at Gu Xiran’s expression. She was afraid that he wouldn’t give face to Zhang household and let them have no way out of this embarrassment. She had some regret. Originally, when she saw her miss was so furious, she thought that it was a big deal. She didn’t expect that it was such a trivial matter. It now looked like they made a bid deal out of a small fuss.

After Gu Xiran listened to Shu Huan, he very seriously thought about it for a moment. He had a tacit mutual understanding with Shu Huan and said, “Since it was unintentional, then you have no fault. Moreover, little cousin sister is not a narrow-minded person. She doesn’t have the need to punish you over such a trivial matter. It would be alright if you just go apologize to her.”

“Right, right!” Nanny Guan got a way out of this embarrassment. She was relieved and said, “Our miss couldn’t treat people more generously. It would be fine if you just go with me and apologize to her.”

Shu Huan raised her eyelashes, glanced timidly at her and shouted, “Nanny Guan…”

Nanny Guan was flustered, “What?”

Shu Huan muttered, “I have already apologized to your miss, but miss looked very angry. She wanted me to kneel, kowtow three times and go receive forty beatings from the housekeeper.”

“…”

Nanny Guan didn’t know what to say. She could only blame herself for praising Zhang Hanfang too smoothly….

Shu Huan saw that this slap was too heavy. She quickly handed her a leeway, “I don’t blame your miss for punishing too heavy, but even when a maid committed the crime of stealing or betraying her master, she would only be beaten forty times and expelled. The two households have different rules for punishing servants. This troubled me. After thinking about it, I feel that I as a member of Gu household, I should follow the rules of Gu household. Does nanny Guan think that there was something wrong with my line of thoughts?”

Nanny Guan’s face was red and she humphed twice. It was hard to say that she (SH) was right and that she wasn’t right.

Originally, when the play played till here, it would have been right to end it now. She didn’t expect that a cold and arrogant voice interrupted. The voice from gnashed teeth could be heard, “Excuses!”

Shu Huan raised her head and saw that the main character had arrived with maid Peiyu. She didn’t answer and stood there well-behavedly. The eyes looked at the nose, the nose pointed at the mouth and the mouth pointed at the chest.

Gu Xiran answered faintly, “It turned out to be little cousin sister. Long time no see. But, where do these words stem from?”

He had always been an invisible character at Gu household. Of course, he had no sense of existence in the eyes of relatives. Zhang Hanfang looked from the bottom of her heart down on this second big cousin brother. Hearing him ask her a question, she didn’t even bother with him. Instead, she looked at Shu Huan and said, “Why don’t you talk about what you planned to do by dressing up as a servant?”

“Right!” Peiyu arrived one step behind of Zhang Hanfang. Hence, she heard half of the conversation. Now, she took the opportunity to cause trouble for Shu Huan, “What barging in unintentionally?! I think you want to deliberately tarnish our miss’s reputation. That was why you dressed up as a servant and barged into the hot spring!”

Shu Huan had seen shameless people, but she hadn’t seen such shameless people. She (P) had turned the right and wrong upside down in a flash!

Shu Huan couldn’t help but criticize silently in her heart: This woman has a too serious princess syndrome! And also the paranoia that she was harmed! She (SH) didn’t know her at all. Even if she had nothing to do, she wouldn’t rack her brains to design tricks on her!

Those who handled the cinnabar were stained red; those who work with ink were stained black. After spending a long time with Gu Xiran, she would more or less be infected with some of his black-belly traits. Therefore, she cursed in her heart, but her face didn’t reveal anything. She only calmly answered, “Miss thinks too much. I dressed like a servant just to please my second young master. It truly has nothing do to with miss.”

• Those who handled the cinnabar were stained red; those who work with ink were stained black: you are product of your environment

After this sentence was out, not only was Zhang Hanfang shocked, the imaginations of the others also began to run wild. Even Gu Xiran’s face darkened instantly….

Very good!

This little girl had learned to defame him!

What did she mean by pleasing my second young master? He didn’t have such a special hobby!

However, Gu Xiran’s rank in black-belly was higher than hers and his skin was also thick as a city wall. After his expression darkened for a moment, he laughed as if nothing had happened. He looked at Zhang Hanfang and said, “What, does little cousin sister have any opinions that I like to see her dressed in the clothes of a servant?”

“…”