Dongxue went downstairs to fetch the food.

She eventually discovered that Zheng Qiu was a girl, so she was no longer as surprised as before when she saw Gu Xin and Zheng Qiu getting along well.

Gu Xin went to the washbasin and washed her face with cold water, then went to the dressing table to fix her hair, and then went to Zheng Qiu's room next door.

Zheng Qiu had already woken up, but she stayed in bed and didn't want to get up.

"Xinxin, you're awake too." Zheng Qiu sat up apologetically when she saw Gu Xin come in.

"Yes, she just woke up. I've already asked Dongxue to bring some food. That girl has been so bored at the Prince's mansion these past few days. We're both exhausted." Gu Xin sat down at the table, lifted the teapot, and found it was full. She asked, "Did the people in the other courtyard refill it just now?"

"Yes, I took a sip when I went to bed just now, and it was still warm. Perhaps Lord Liu knows we don't like tea, so there's only water in the teapot," Zheng Qiu said.

"Okay, then you can get dressed first. I'll have some water." Gu Xin nodded, and then placed a jade bead into the teapot from an angle that Zheng Qiu couldn't see.

She had been in Taizhou for several days, and apart from the one she used to soak in water every day, she had saved dozens of them, put them in a bottle, and asked Dongxue to take them with her.

This is the first one taken out today.

Zheng Qiu naturally didn't see Gu Xin's actions. After she finished dressing, she went to the washstand to wash up. When she came back, Gu Xin had already poured her a glass of water.

"This water is quite sweet," Zheng Qiu said after taking a sip.

"Perhaps this is spring water that the people living in the villa fetched! The mountain environment is so beautiful; they really have good taste to choose this place to build a villa. It's a perfect place for seclusion," Gu Xin said calmly.

“It really is. I was looking out from the carriage just now, and the surroundings are indeed quite beautiful. And it's so cool this time of year, it's really comfortable. I forgot to cover myself with a blanket when I went to bed just now, and I woke up once because I was cold,” Zheng Qiu said with a smile.

At this moment, Dongxue came over carrying a tray and accompanied by a maid.

It was supposed to be millet porridge and a few side dishes, but the portions were quite generous. Gu Xin and Zheng Qiu were both big eaters, and they hadn't eaten lunch before going to sleep. But when they saw the food, they didn't bother to talk anymore and started eating with their chopsticks.

The two of them finished a bowl of millet porridge and several plates of side dishes, but for them, it was just enough to fill their stomachs. Thinking that dinner would be coming soon, they didn't say they wanted to eat more.

After the meal, the maid cleared the table, and Gu Xin and Zheng Qiu took Dong Xue to find Bai Er in white, planning to leisurely go fishing.

Gu Xin had never participated in fishing before, but she was quite interested in it.

The people in the villa had already prepared fishing rods and bait. The four of them sat in a row, chatting quietly while keeping an eye on the movements in the water.

Half an hour later, someone came to inform them that Lord Liu and several generals and their families were about to arrive, and only then did they stop.

However, both Bai Yi and Bai Er looked rather unwell.

If they hadn't known Gu Xin since she was eleven, and if Bai Er hadn't always been by her side, they would have both doubted whether Gu Xin was lying when she said she had never fished.

Eight out of ten fish in this bucket were caught by Gu Xin. These fish seem to have a special affinity for Gu Xin's hook, only taking her bait. If the two brothers had caught a few at the beginning, they would have caught nothing today.