"Should I go with you?"

Gu Zhixing paused, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the window screen, and tiny dust particles floated in the beams of light, much like his fluctuating mood at that moment.

He subconsciously clenched his hands hanging at his sides, his fingertips slightly cold.

In the past, Shen Jintang always pushed him away, treating him like a superfluous decoration.

He never had a place in her world, let alone allowed her to interfere in her private affairs.

But now—she's actually asking him to come along?

Shen Jintang looked at Gu Zhixing's stunned expression. His eyes, which were always full of smiles, were wide open now, making him look like a big dog who was flattered.

For no apparent reason, her heart softened, but she was immediately annoyed by her own unusual behavior.

"Let's not go then."

She turned her face away, her tone deliberately turning cold, and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Gu Zhixing took two quick steps and grabbed Shen Jintang with his long, slender fingers.

A soft touch came from his fingertips, and he suddenly felt his palms getting hot.

Shen Jintang looked up at him, and Gu Zhixing was surprised to realize that the two of them were so close that he could smell the faint fragrance of her hair at her temples.

His ears burned, but he stubbornly refused to let go.

"Who said I wasn't going?" His voice lowered, with a hint of grievance in his nasal tone. "I just... I was just too surprised. You never told me anything before."

Shen Jintang gazed at his slightly lowered eyelashes, which cast a faint shadow on his jade-white face.

She suddenly remembered the hurt in his eyes when she had abandoned him time and time again.

"So, are you going or not?"

Shen Jintang tilted her head and looked at Gu Zhixing with interest, her voice unconsciously softening.

Gu Zhixing's eyes suddenly lit up, as if someone had sprinkled a handful of stardust into them.

He smiled faintly, a dimple appearing on his right cheek: "Of course I'll go."

“But you have to let me change my clothes,” Gu Zhixing said.

Since this is the first time I'm taking him out, he should naturally dress up properly.

"Chongyang, go and fetch my newly made brocade robe and the silver-threaded jade belt."

Gu Zhixing raised his voice and gave the order, his eyes and brows brimming with undisguised joy.

Shen Jintang frowned upon hearing this: "It's just going to see someone, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?"

"How could that be?" Gu Zhixing replied matter-of-factly, his slender fingers lightly brushing over non-existent wrinkles on his sleeves. "It's rare for Lord Siyan to take me out today, so naturally I should dress presentably. I can't embarrass you, can I?"

Looking at his solemn expression, Shen Jintang was momentarily at a loss for words.

Chongyang had already brought the clothes over quickly. The brocade robe shimmered like flowing water in the sunlight, and the dark patterns embroidered with silver thread were faintly visible, making it clear that it was very valuable.

"I wonder if Lord Siyan will give me some time to change my clothes?"

As Gu Zhixing spoke, the smile in his eyes deepened, like ripples spreading across spring water.

Shen Jintang glanced at him sideways, wanting to say he was being nosy, but when her gaze met his incredibly bright eyes, she swallowed her words and only snorted, "At most, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Soon, without delay."

Gu Zhixing smiled and replied, turning around with his clothes fluttering, bringing with him a delicate fragrance of agarwood.

He strode quickly toward the inner room, his back view revealing a hint of excitement.

Before long, the beaded curtain in the inner room began to make a crisp clinking sound.

Shen Jintang was leaning against the carved window looking at the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard when she heard the noise. She casually looked up, but her breath caught in her throat.

Gu Zhixing changed into a moon-white brocade robe. The cloud patterns embroidered on the fabric were faintly visible as he walked. A silver and jade belt was tied around his waist, which made his waist look even more slender.

Today, he deliberately tied his dark hair up in half, with a white jade hairpin inserted diagonally in between, making his face look even more handsome.

What's most captivating are those smiling eyes, with slightly upturned corners, always giving off a flirtatious air when they look at people.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a soft, contoured glow upon him.

Even the delicate dark patterns on her cuffs shimmered with a subtle silver light, making her seem like an ethereal being who had stepped out of a painting, yet the small beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of earthly charm.

Shen Jintang unconsciously clenched her fists slightly. She knew he was good-looking, but every time they met, he always managed to surprise her with something new.

Seeing her staring at him blankly without saying a word, Gu Zhixing's smile deepened.

He deliberately twirled in front of her, his wide sleeves stirring a gentle breeze: "How is it? Does it still meet Lord Siyan's approval?"

The deliberately drawn-out ending note brought Shen Jintang back to her senses.

She quickly turned her face away, but the tips of her ears turned red: "It's...it's barely presentable." Her voice was a few degrees softer than usual, and she quickly added, "If we dawdle any longer, it will get dark."

Gu Zhixing looked at her reddened earlobes, chuckled softly, and didn't expose her, but obediently followed behind her out.

As he passed the dressing table, he casually picked up a hairpin that matched the one in his hair and said, "This color suits you."

Before Shen Jintang could react, she felt a weight on her hair.

Gu Zhixing had already taken two steps back, tilting his head to examine her, his eyes sparkling: "Beautiful."

"……eventful."

Despite her apparent disdain, Shen Jintang didn't remove the hairpin; she simply quickened her pace unconsciously.

Looking at her slightly flushed profile, Gu Zhixing couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

The two walked out of the courtyard one after the other. The sunlight was just right, casting their shadows on the ground, which gradually merged into one.

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