Chapter 17 Small Groups

Xie Zhuo couldn't explain what he was thinking either, but he had already investigated what had happened back then.

He originally thought that although Du Qianqian was unconventional in her actions, she always said what she thought and couldn't keep anything to herself, making her a rare woman whose words and deeds were consistent.

He always indulged Du Qianqian to some extent.

However, when he questioned the other party, their words were vague, their eyes darted around, and they even avoided key questions, only saying with a wronged expression that they were the victim.

It would be a lie to say there was nothing fishy going on. He didn't investigate further, but he already knew in his heart that Ling Wei was indeed innocent.

When he came to this conclusion, his first thought was neither regret that he had wronged Ling Wei, nor relief that he had not been truly tricked.

Instead, she couldn't help but think that if she hadn't saved herself and hadn't met him, then... in the room...

At that moment, his expression suddenly became terrifying, startling his companions.

The matter should have ended there; he and she should have gone their separate ways.

But by sheer coincidence, I ran into her again today at this teahouse.

When Du Qianqian got into a conflict with someone, he just casually drank his tea, showing no intention of helping at all.

until--

That familiar, clear voice clearly entered his ears.

The hand holding the cup suddenly froze in mid-air.

He completely shut out his companion's surprised questions, subconsciously focusing his attention on the confrontation downstairs.

After listening, he realized that his first glance at Ling Wei had really misled him a lot.

This is no delicate little white flower; it's clearly a fierce Venus flytrap!

He was aggressive and his words were like knives, driving the other person to the edge.

Hearing her brazenly provoke the Second Prince, I couldn't help but feel a little worried for her.

Is my little cousin really that temperamental?

When the masked man suddenly attacked her, Xie Zhuo's body reacted faster than her brain.

His five fingers tightened suddenly, and the porcelain cup shattered with a crack.

The shattered porcelain shards, carrying with them his subconscious anger and strength, shot out like arrows released from a bow.

Not only did it strike the masked man's wrist precisely, but the remaining force also pierced through the wooden door of the private room.

Without even thinking, he got up and was about to rush down to beat someone up, but was stopped by his unsuspecting companion.

It was just a split second away from being stopped.

Others had already taken action for him, and he also sensed the presence of a master hidden nearby, helping the martial arts-practicing woman restrain the masked man.

He didn't know what was wrong with him.

He told himself.

This strange impulse probably... probably just stems from a misunderstanding I had about her before, and the little bit of feeling I had for her...

Feel guilty.

On the return journey in the carriage, Ling Wei stole a glance at Gu Qingyan, who was sitting upright to the side.

Sunlight shone on his handsome profile, highlighting his long, drooping eyelashes, straight nose, and slightly pursed thin lips.

His bright red official robe made him appear even more like a pine tree and bamboo, awe-inspiring and unapproachable.

"Why is my cousin in a teahouse?" Ling Wei broke the silence.

"Scholar Qin mentioned that the 'Elegant Gathering for Pure Conversation' recently held at Tingfeng Pavilion was quite innovative and invited us to go and take a look."

His gaze fell on Ling Wei's face. "I never expected to witness my cousin's extraordinary feat first."

Ling Wei couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, cousin... did I cause you any trouble?"

"Now you know how to call me cousin?" A faint smile flashed across Gu Qingyan's eyes, clearly referring to the "Qingyan brother" she had deliberately mimicked in the teahouse.

Ling Wei's face felt slightly warm.

Fortunately, Gu Qingyan did not delve into the matter, but said gently, "You acted according to your conscience and spoke out for justice. What's wrong with that?"

He spoke with genuine approval, "Moreover, I think my cousin's words are insightful and thought-provoking."

"Really?"

"Hmm." With the guarantee of Gu Hanlin, who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, Ling Wei finally felt completely at ease.

Her thoughts drifted away, her gaze resting vaguely on a certain point, unable to focus for a long time.

Her words in the teahouse about the blood and tears of courtesans and the plight of women were indeed her heartfelt words.

If... if she also had the authority to mobilize... wouldn't she be able to do something?

So, what does it feel like to wear that bright red official robe...?

Ling Wei only snapped back to reality when Gu Qingyan let out a barely audible cough and turned his gaze to the window.

She then realized that what she had been staring at was the overlapping collar of Gu Qingyan's official robe.

You can see that the other person's profile is flushed, their Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and they seem quite uncomfortable.

Ling Wei hurriedly looked away, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin.

You can't exactly say, "I wasn't looking at you, I was looking at your clothes," can you?

But he didn't say I was looking at him, so saying that would just make it seem like I'm protesting too much.

The more she thought about it, the more troublesome it became. Ling Wei decisively turned her head and, just like Gu Qingyan, stared intently at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, pretending nothing had happened.

Ling Wei remained in that position until the carriage came to a stop at the side gate of the Gu residence, not daring to move an inch.

As soon as the car stopped, she practically jumped up, hastily tossing out, "Cousin, I'm leaving now!"

Before the driver could even put down the footstool, she nimbly jumped down, her back view so hurried it looked as if someone was chasing her for money.

Gu Qingyan lifted the carriage curtain and watched the little girl disappear behind the screen wall in a flash. A faint, unnoticed smile slowly spread across his cool eyes.

......

Ling Wei's residence was bustling with activity at the moment, and also... inexplicably crowded.

Gu Qingyu, Shen Qinglan, and Qin Wan, three girls with very different styles, gathered together, and Xiao Yao was busy serving tea.

However, Ling Wei, who was in the center, couldn't quite manage a smile.

She's been working non-stop these past few days.

Shen Qinglan is the daughter of the General of Zhenbei, who has a close relationship with the princess.

Therefore, Shen Qinglan was eventually "recruited" and, since she already had feelings for Ling Wei, she also developed a deep sense of camaraderie with her fellow soldiers.

Having grown up in a desolate border region, Shen Qinglan was overwhelmed by the variety of food stalls in the capital after arriving in the capital, which offered a diverse range of cuisines from all over the country. She often invited Ling Wei to go out and explore these restaurants.

The two of them were able to eat their way from the most famous roast goose shop in the east of the city to the newly opened cheese shop in the west.

Qin Wan, on the other hand, completely fell for Xiao Yu, set her sights on Du Qianqian, and went to Ling Wei to complain, while also asking her to do a good deed together.

I had previously considered going to a brothel to donate my love.

“I asked my dad to go to the brothel to help those girls, but my mom overheard. My dad’s face was scratched all over, and my mom will beat me again if she sees me. I’m too scared to go back.”

Gu Qingyu, on the other hand, felt a sense of crisis, as if her best friend had been snatched away by someone else. She dragged her to the library and proudly showed her the rare copy of "The Chronicles of People from Other Lands" that she had recently found, while subtly emphasizing in her ear, "We are the best of friends."

Four people, three groups.

The learned female tutor whom the Princess's residence had found for Ling Wei, from the Lu family of Wu County in Jiangnan, had already delivered a mountain of preparatory study materials to Ling Wei's desk before she even arrived in the capital.

In order not to disappoint the princess's expectations and for her own goals, Ling Wei had no choice but to work late into the night, battling with those difficult classic texts and strategies until the wee hours of the morning.

Feeling drowsy during the day.

So, I've decided not to go anywhere today!

This has led to the current situation.

A subtle undercurrent lingered among the three, with bubbles of resentment floating in the air: "Why does she spend more time with you?" The topic was tossed back and forth, but in the end, it always ended up on Ling Wei, waiting for her to pick up the thread.

Apart from Shen Qinglan, no one else knew about Ling Wei's grueling study plan. Ling Wei had stayed up half the night again yesterday.

Unable to continue the conversation, they realized by the time they realized that Ling Wei had already fallen asleep.

The three looked at each other in bewilderment.