The Prime Minister's Darling

With the loss of her dear mother and brother, the dream-self was like a rootless duckweed, holding aloof the title of the Marquis Residence’s lady, but living like an outsider.

“Jiaojiao!”

A little monk came in aggrievedly with his injured finger held high.

Gu Jiao came back to her senses and turned to look at the little monk. “What’s wrong?”

The little monk walked up to her and showed her his bleeding index finger, “I got hurt.”

Gu Jiao took his index finger and asked, “How did you get hurt?”

“I hurt it cracking walnuts.” the little monk declared sullenly.

The walnuts were brought back from the marketplace by Gu Jiao. Some people exchanged vegetables for her mountain goods, some exchanged eggs for her mountain goods. She was usually too lazy to bother, sometimes she herself was frightened by the things she brought back.

“Be careful next time.” Gu Jiao didn’t restrict him from cracking walnuts again. It was inevitable for a child to stumble, she was not an over-protective parent.

Gu Jiao took an iodine and cotton swab from the first-aid kit to disinfect the boy’s wound: “All right, it’s not serious. No need for medication.”

“Blow on it.” the little culpable little monk said, blinking his eyes.

Gu Jiao obliged him with a breath.

The little monk was not a fragile child. Compared to the pain of daily training, this minor injury did not hurt at all. He just wanted a comforting blow from Jiaojiao!

The appeased little monk left the room cheerfully!

Gu Jiao threw the used cotton swab into a special basket and put the remaining iodine back in the first-aid kit.

Just now, she was fully focused on cleaning the boy’s wound without paying a closer look. Now, a casual glance made her realize something was off.

“How come there are suddenly so many new meds?”

The meds in her box were generally classified into two types: one was emergency supplies, which she had stocked since her tenure as a doctor at the research institute. These meds could save lives when she was putting everything at stake in the organization. The other type included the meds appeared after she moved here, such as heart failure drugs for Gu Yan, antidepressants for Madame Yao, and also anesthetics needed for Xiao Liulang’s operation.

No matter which type, they all had medicinal uses for her.

But these right now——

Six-ingredient Rehmannia Pills?

Seven-step Invigorating Tea?

Nourishing Yin and Kidney Tonic Pills?

Apart from these odd tonics and such, the middle and most eye-catching place was occupied by a dazzling box of birth control products!

Gu Jiao: Who has been messing with her first-aid kit? How has it suddenly become so indecent?!

—

Meanwhile, after returning to the hot springs villa, Madame Yao decided to reveal the truth to Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu.

Lord Gu hesitated, “Is this… too abrupt?”

Telling Gu Yan was easy. Nothing more than he who was so fond of Gu Jiao’s company, would only feel happy knowing that Gu Jiao was his true sister, apart from a moment of surprise.

It was different with Jinyu.

She had always been the only daughter of the family, accustomed to the days of being pampered. Suddenly knowing that she is not the biological daughter of her own parents would inevitably be a great shock.

“Jinyu will be upset.” Lord Gu said quietly.

Madame Yao frowned, “Will she be upset? Won’t Jiaojiao be too? Jiaojiao also just found out that she was not the biological daughter of the Gu’s.”

Lord Gu retorted righteously, “How could the two be the same? What is Gu Family, and what is the Marquis Residence? That girl… cough, Jiaojiao discovering her origins, she might be more than happy about it, while Jinyu will be shocked.”

“Happy?” Madame Yao shook her head, “I don’t see it.”

Gu Jiao’s reaction to the news was so calm as to be almost indifferent. When she was still in the dark about her own origins, she was not as cold towards Madame Yao. But now that Madame Yao was her birth mother, she seemed to have erected a door in her heart.

Yao Family mused that Gu Jiao couldn’t accept her due to the deep emotional bond with Xiao Liulang and his wife. Hence, she didn’t suspect anything.

Seeing his wife in a bad mood, Lord Gu hurriedly softened his tone and said, “Jiaojiao is our child, as is Jin Yu. Jiaojiao must know the truth because she must return to the Marquis Residence; Jin Yu doesn’t need to return to the Gu Family. Why would we tell her?”

Regarding not sending Jin Yu back, Yao Family had seriously considered it. To be fair, she had raised Jin Yu for so many years and naturally didn’t want to send her away. Besides, Xiao Liulang and his wife had passed away, and Jin Yu would also become an orphan if she returned.

However, the final decision on this matter was not up to them, but up to Jin Yu and the Gu Family.

After all, Jin Yu is a member of the Gu Family. Even if her parents are gone, her grandparents and uncles are still there. They have the right to take Jin Yu back.

Then there is Jin Yu herself. If she insists on going back, Yao Family can’t stop her.

Yao Family also respects Gu Jiao’s decision and entirely respects her choice.

When dealing with the issue of recognition, she was impartial to both children.

But in Lord Gu’s view, Gu Jiao’s return to the Marquis Residence was a win, but Jin Yu’s return was a loss. This seemed a bit unfair to Jin Yu.

“I disagree,” Lord Gu said.

Yao Family replied, “You want to acknowledge Jiaojiao as much as the Gu Family wants to acknowledge Jin Yu.”

Lord Gu thought to himself: I don’t want to acknowledge that girl! Why would I want her back? To punish myself?

Lord Gu kept half of the Gu Family’s affairs to himself. He only mentioned how difficult Gu Jiao’s life had been, but he didn’t dare to say how much the Gu Family had bullied her. He feared it would upset Yao Family.

But if he did not mention it now, he was afraid Yao Family would fall into their trap.

Lord Gu considered for a moment and said, “I think their intentions are quite sinister. We better not associate with them.”

“What happened?” Yao Family asked.

Lord Gu told her about how the Gu Family had used Gu Yue’e as a substitute for Gu Jiao.

“Such things happened?” Yao Family frowned, “Hasn’t Jiaojiao suffered a lot in their family?”

Lord Gu quickly responded, “I have already reprimanded them!”

Now Yao Family couldn’t wait to acknowledge her daughter. Thinking of her hardships over the years, Yao Family wished she could give her life for her.

Lord Gu coughed softly and said, “Given the situation in the Gu Family, we can’t let Jin Yu go back and suffer.”

Yao Family replied, “Of course I won’t let her suffer, she is also my child.”

There were times when she treated Jin Yu badly because she didn’t understand why she couldn’t be a competent mother. Now that she knows the truth, she actually feels relieved.

Jin Yu is not her biological daughter, so it’s understandable that she can’t love Jin Yu as much as she loves Gu Yan.

But from now on, she will continue to love Jin Yu as her foster mother, adding the love she had for Xiao Liulang and his wife.

Yao Family said, “No matter whether Jin Yu returns to the Gu Family or not, she will always be my child.”

Hearing Yao Family say this, Lord Gu finally felt relieved. As long as Yao Family did not insist on sending Jin Yu away, Jin Yu wouldn’t leave them on her own.

That night, the couple called Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu into their room and confessed the baby swap to them.

Lord Gu said seriously, “… The child you also know, the little pharmacy apprentice from Huichun Hall.”

As expected, Gu Yan’s eyes lit up!

At first, when he heard that Gu Jinyu wasn’t his real sister, he didn’t react at all. But when he found out his sister was Gu Jiao, he was so happy he could’ve jumped on the spot.

Although Gu Yan was sitting down, Lord Gu could already picture him running around the room in a frenzy, his hands raised in a shaman’s ecstatic dance!

“Um!” Lord Gu held his forehead.

Stop imagining!

In contrast to Gu Yan’s excitement, Gu Jinyu was like a bolt out of the blue!

She didn’t expect that she wasn’t her parents’ biological daughter, and the girl who was looked down upon was!