The old man set down his piece, looked up at Gu Xiao, and said, "I heard Xiao Xiao was a lively child, but the moment you sit here you're basically a carbon copy of Jing Yuan."
"Grandpa, we're the same person."
He simply dealt with people in two different styles; it wasn't as if he'd split into two personalities.
For kids like them from Noble Families, wasn't that basic operation? One face outside, another at home.
"I'd heard from Xiao Feng that your female body is a cheerful girl, and I thought you'd finally stop looking so mature and steady. Turns out you're still the same."
Old Master Jing leaned back in his chair, rolling a chess piece between his fingers before bending forward and placing it on the board.
Although the old man was already several thousand years old, in appearance he looked like a handsome young man under thirty.
Only his snow-white hair and the occasional glint of worldly wisdom in his eyes reminded people that this was a titan who had lived for millennia.
"What's so hard about that? Whichever version Grandpa wants, that's the version I'll be."
Gu Xiao changed faces in a second and even gave Jing Potian a playful wink.
"Hmm… the way you looked when you walked in has already left an impression. Now that I see you like this, Jing Yuan's face pops into my mind automatically; I can't look straight at you."
The thought of that kid Jing Yuan being lively and coquettishly winking at him made Old Master Jing feel something was off.
Gu Xiao shrugged. Fine, fine, whatever you say, old man.
"Xiao Xiao, come to Grandma."
At that moment, Grandma Ye Yunrou's voice rang out.
"Go on, the old lady's prepared a gift for you."
Gu Xiao rose and walked to the bedside; time had left few traces on Grandma's face. Like Grandpa, she still looked like a stunning beauty in her prime.
A white cloud-patterned qipao outlined her graceful figure; her snowy hair added a touch of timeless elegance.
She reclined against the wall, embroidering a garment in her hands.
"Come, put it on and see if it fits."
Seeing Gu Xiao approach, Grandma lifted the half-finished garment and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Though only half done, Gu Xiao recognized the Su-embroidery at once.
The embroidery featured cloud-and-wind motifs, light in design and subtle in color.
"No need for thanks between us," Ye Yunrou said kindly.
"It fits perfectly."
Gu Xiao slipped it on, twirled once before Grandma to show the full effect.
"Mm, lovely."
Ye Yunrou nodded. Although she had only seen photos of Gu Xiao before, with her imperial-level cultivation she could gauge Gu Xiao's exact size even from a picture.
The try-on was merely a final precaution.
Afterward Gu Xiao took it off and handed it back to Grandma.
Ye Yunrou took the garment, asked Gu Xiao to sit beside her, and while continuing to embroider, chatted about Gu Xiao's years growing up.
Gradually a lively, cheerful image of The Girl formed in Ye Yunrou's mind.
"Haha, just like your elder sister when she was little."
Hearing that Gu Xiao had fought other kids as a child and earned the nickname "Jade-faced Rakshasa", Ye Yunrou laughed.
When Jing Yuan was small he'd been too quiet; they'd worried he might become withdrawn.
Now it seemed the child had simply had his fun elsewhere, which was why he behaved so obediently and steadily.
After chatting with Grandma for a while, Gu Xiao returned to the table to play chess with Grandpa.
After a fierce battle of wits, Gu Xiao emerged victorious.
"No more, no more. Thinking about it, you brat have always played against me with two brains—total cheating."
Having lost again, the old man pursed his lips in annoyance.
"I only have one consciousness; how does that count as two people?"
"Two brains, two bodies—how is that not two people?"
The old man declared he'd never play chess with Jing Yuan again—two against one, wasn't that blatant foul play?
"Old coot, at your age you still bicker with your granddaughter."
Hearing the commotion, Ye Yunrou, still embroidering on the bed, scolded without lifting her head.
"It's getting late, Grandpa, Grandma; I'll head back now."
Outside, the sky was completely dark; a glance at the watch showed it was nearly eight.
"All right, off you go."
After bidding farewell, Gu Xiao turned and walked out of Guiren Pavilion.
The moon was mostly hidden behind clouds, leaving only a few silver strands on the bluestone path of the corridor.
Gu Xiao headed from Guiren Pavilion toward Wutong Courtyard; lanterns under the eaves on both sides of the long corridor kept the night from feeling dark.
Of course, the lanterns didn't use candles but specially made lamp holders.
They were simply covered with lantern skins to match the antique style of the residence.
The mansion was quiet at night; only the evening wind rustling the leaves broke the silence.
Though Gu Xiao's steps were light, her own footfalls sounded crystal-clear.
At this hour the servants in the Jing Residence had mostly retired; with Shanhai around, night patrols were unnecessary.
As the top-tier AI steward, it included a surveillance system—any unregistered intruder would be flagged by Shanhai instantly.
Besides Shanhai, the Jing Residence also had the old man, a peak Emperor-level powerhouse.
With his Emperor-peak spiritual sense, if he wished, every movement in the entire Jing Residence would be under his nose.
If a stranger's aura appeared anywhere in the residence, the old man would notice even before Shanhai did.
If an intruder could escape both Shanhai and the old man, a patrol squad would be useless anyway.
When Gu Xiao returned to Wutong Courtyard, she found someone standing outside her bedroom.
Approaching, she saw Lu Li hugging a pillow at the door.
"Lu Li, what are you doing here?"
Gu Xiao stepped up and patted Lu Li's shoulder.
"Xiao Xiao, can we sleep together tonight?"
It was her first night here; Lu Li couldn't sleep, tossing and turning without a trace of drowsiness.
After much hesitation she finally decided to come find Gu Xiao and share a bed.
But when she knocked earlier there'd been no response—Gu Xiao must have gone out—so she simply waited at the door for her to return.