Because of him?

Gu Jinning knew she had a few taels of silver in her pocket and hinted that she should ask Aunt Hong for help first.

She then said to Aunt Hong, "Boss lady, please make a list of the items that were broken today, and I will compensate for them all."

Aunt Hong repeatedly said no need. Qinglian had already made a move to pull her to take inventory, and the two of them went to the backyard together.

The teahouse was too chaotic and the people were an eyesore. Gu Jinning lost her interest in listening to music and eating. She glared at Hua Lingteng and his group with displeasure, then turned and left.

"You all just wait and see, I'm not going to keep you company."

Gu Xueshu hurriedly chased after her, "Sister, where are you going? We can't have a meal at the teahouse, let's go to our house for a meal. Grandfather is just talking about His Highness Prince Jin."

Knowing that Xiao Heng'an had followed her out, Gu Jinning said "Oh" and got into her own carriage.

Gu Xueshu pushed her toward Xiao Heng'an's carriage, saying, "I'll go back and prepare first. You ride in Prince Jin's carriage and take your time, and speak politely."

Gu Jinning waved her hand at him to indicate that she understood. Their thoughts were practically written all over their heads.

A gentle breeze was blowing, and a few white clouds drifted across the sky, blocking out the dazzling sunlight.

Gu Jinning turned to Xiao Heng'an and said, "I ruined your lunch, I'll go home and make it up to you."

After saying that, she hurriedly climbed into the carriage without looking at him. This was her usual behavior when she felt guilty.

Xiao Heng'an couldn't figure out why she felt guilty. After getting into the car, he noticed that she looked disheveled from head to toe, like a soldier who had just come from the battlefield.

Indeed, they had just won a battle for their "beloved." The prize money was now lying between them.

"Young Master Hua?"

The mere thought of those words made Xiao Heng'an inexplicably irritable.

Was it because she was so disregarding his reputation today, or because she frequently mentioned him in their correspondence? Xiao Heng'an couldn't say for sure, but he was just annoyed.

He opened the sword box, took out the sword to examine it, and found that the white jade embellishment restrained the vulgarity of the gold, giving it a unique, clear and refined charm.

It certainly doesn't resemble a sword for killing; rather, it's a work of art.

"It's a fine sword, but not worth three thousand taels," Xiao Heng'an objectively assessed. In his view, a sword that cannot be used has lost its true essence.

Gu Jinning said, "I don't care about the craftsmanship, I only care about its value. They deliberately insulted Hua Lingchen, so I'm going to prove that it's a priceless treasure and no one should look down on it."

Neither sword nor man is worthy of such desecration by those scoundrels.

"It's good to stand up for the underdog, but have you considered where this whole mess will put the Gu family?"

Gu Jinning said indifferently, "Anyway, I have a bad reputation, so nothing I do is surprising. They're used to it."

Xiao Heng'an put the sword back, then suddenly became serious. "Is it because of him?"

"What?" Gu Jinning asked, confused.

"break off an engagement."

Gu Jinning was stunned for a moment, then waved her hand and laughed.

"What are you thinking? Of course not. I've told you before, Hua Lingchen is my best friend. I have to protect my friend, nothing else matters."

She punched Xiao Heng'an in the chest.

“Xiao Heng’an, we’ve been friends for ten years, how could you ask such a question?”

Yes, they've been together since childhood; they should have trusted each other and known each other inside and out long ago. But what about now?

Xiao Heng'an smiled wryly to himself, "That's true. There's nothing between us that we don't know. Right?"

When Gu Jinning heard the last question, her breath hitched, and she hurriedly avoided his probing eyes, stammering, "Well, maybe not."

"Um?"

Gu Jinning felt uncomfortable under his gaze and waved her hand, saying, "I'm a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) person, so I have a few secrets. But don't worry, it won't affect our relationship."

"Of course, it would be even better if you could help me break off the engagement."

Gu Jinning's carefree nature prevented Xiao Heng'an from getting angry. However, the matter of annulling the engagement was no longer something he needed to consider.

Cicadas chirped incessantly from the willow groves along the street. The wind rustled the willow branches, causing the bamboo blinds to jingle.

Seeing that Xiao Heng'an was only staring at the sword box and not answering, Gu Jinning knew she was in the wrong today, so she moved to his side and nudged his arm to appease him, "Are you angry? Here, this is for you, consider it my apology."

Gu Jinning took out a small brocade box from her waist and put it into Xiao Heng'an's hand. "I've been arguing with my uncle, the emperor, lately, so I'm inevitably in a bad mood. I apologize for any offense I may have caused earlier."

Xiao Heng'an chuckled. She used to love causing trouble and making him angry, and every time she did, she would apologize. She was sincere in admitting her mistakes, and she was incredibly diligent in making them.

Xiao Heng'an opened the box, and a white jade thumb ring appeared before his eyes. The white jade was flawless and of superior quality, and it was specially made for drawing a bow.

"Here, try it on."

Gu Jinning took the thumb ring and slipped it onto Xiao Heng'an's thumb, which he usually used when drawing a bow. She nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad, the size I just guessed was perfect."

The four-clawed blue dragon carved on the thumb ring was lifelike, and the mutton fat felt cool but not cold on the hand, perfectly covering the wound on Xiao Heng'an's tiger's mouth.

Xiao Heng'an twirled the ring, his eyes flashing. "Why did you decide to buy this?"

Gu Jinning replied, "I ordered it a long time ago, originally intending to help you fight on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the jade quality wasn't good last year, so it was delayed until this year. Who knew you would return to the capital early? Just wear it as an accessory."

"And this too."

Gu Jinning magically produced a pair of small gourds, made of wood and carved with images of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas all over them.

"This is made of agarwood, which is calming and helps with sleep. The gourd symbolizes both good fortune and prosperity. The Bodhisattva statue is for protection and peace. As usual, one for each of us."

Gu Jinning smiled, her eyes clear and bright.

With just one glance, Xiao Heng'an was unconsciously captivated. He was always powerless against her.

He desperately wanted to see what she truly thought, but he could never quite understand her.

He sometimes really couldn't understand her fickleness.

"I'll hang it up for you."

Without warning, Gu Jinning reached out and grabbed Xiao Heng'an's belt.

Xiao Heng'an was startled and subconsciously pressed his belt, his face turning red instantly.

Gu Jinning blinked her innocent big eyes, "I was careful, it didn't fall."

Xiao Heng'an was both amused and exasperated, and said tactfully, "Sometimes, it's best to be mindful of the differences between men and women."

That's what he said, but he did loosen his grip and let Gu Jinning tie the gourd for him.

Gu Jinning said, "We're practically family, and I wouldn't even want to touch anyone else."

She was somewhat deliberate when she was impersonating Ji Lin, but she's not pretending now.

She tied another gourd to her waist and took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and hung it on the hilt of her sword.

Perhaps fearing that Xiao Heng'an might misunderstand, Gu Jinning explained, "It was a gift from the jade shop owner. I noticed that the sword tassel is shaped like bamboo, so it would fit perfectly on this sword and wouldn't be a waste."

Xiao Heng'an nodded in agreement, "Bamboo symbolizes nobility and is a favorite of gentlemen. It is indeed suitable."

He tried to convince himself not to care, but a pang of sadness still welled up inside him.

"This sword, will you use it?"

Gu Jinning said, "The sword was bought for three thousand taels of silver, so of course I keep it as a treasure. I rarely use swords."

Xiao Heng'an stopped talking and looked out the window indifferently.

Gu Jinning stared at him for a while, worried that Xiao Heng'an might have a prejudice against her.

"Hey, we promised each other, the green hills will remain unchanged, the clear waters will flow forever. No matter what happens, our feelings for each other will never change."

Xiao Heng'an asked, "If that's the case, why did you choose the far-off option instead of the nearby one?"

Gu Jinning was stunned, unsure how to respond.

Every time the topic of annulling the engagement came up, they would each stick to their own version of events and refuse to give in, ultimately ending the meeting on bad terms.

Suddenly, a series of firecrackers exploded in the air, and the carriage came to an abrupt stop.

Gu Jinning was startled and instinctively hid behind Xiao Heng'an. Xiao Heng'an instinctively protected her.

All that could be heard outside the carriage were shouts: "This servant greets Your Highness Prince Jin and welcomes Miss back to the manor!"

That loud voice could probably be heard throughout the entire street.

Looking out the car window at the large group of servants, Gu Jinning felt somewhat embarrassed and gave Xiao Heng'an a few wry smiles, saying, "Please excuse me, please excuse me."

She jumped out of the car and tried to stop their absurd behavior.

"Auntie, what are you doing?" Gu Jinning went straight to her second aunt, Liang Xiaoqiao.

Liang Xiaoqiao greeted them with a smile, first bowing respectfully to Xiao Heng'an, then pulling Gu Jinning toward the door.

"When you get out of prison and go home, you should set off firecrackers and step over a fire basin to get rid of bad luck and bring good fortune."

As they spoke, two servants carried a brazier and placed it in the center of the gate. The flames were small, but they danced with a lively energy.

Gu Jinning found it absurd and instinctively resisted this childish behavior.

Liang Xiaoqiao exchanged a glance with her maid, Lühe, and the two of them grabbed Gu Jinning's arms from either side, forcing her to step over the brazier.

Another large group of maids rushed forward and pushed her away.

Gu Jinning, surrounded by maids, cried out urgently, "Auntie, I'm entertaining guests."

Liang Xiaoqiao said from afar, "Please wash up first, I will certainly not neglect my guest."

Gu Xueshu rushed over and said with a smile, "Little sister, look at you, you look like you just rolled out of the mud. You really need to wash yourself properly."

As he passed by Gu Jinning, he whispered a reminder, "Grandfather is waiting to see you."

Gu Jinning immediately shut up and let the maids carry her away.

Gu Xueshu greeted Xiao Heng'an with a bow and said, "Your Highness is too kind. Please come with me. My grandfather invites you."

Although Xiao Heng'an had no dealings with the Gu family, back when they were at the manor, whenever Gu Jinning asked for something from the Gu family, he would receive one as well. Therefore, he felt particularly close to the Gu family today.

He still remembered seeing the old Duke of Dingguo once from afar at the family banquet that summoned him to the capital that year.

The old Duke of Dingguo, Gu Weiju, was quite old, and the title of Duke of Dingguo should have been inherited by his eldest son, Gu Wenxiu. Unfortunately, eighteen years ago, Gu Wenxiu and his wife, Quan Yuxuan, died saving the emperor at a palace banquet.

Quan Yuxuan was six months pregnant at the time, and gave birth to a baby girl on her deathbed. To express his gratitude to Gu Wenxiu and his wife for saving his life, Emperor Xiao Juebai bestowed upon the baby girl the name "Jin Ning," and specially conferred upon her the title of Princess, showering her with boundless affection.

The Gu family lost their eldest son and daughter-in-law overnight. Gu Weiju was devastated and aged considerably. He handed over the management of the household affairs to his second son, Gu Wende. He himself cultivated his character and became much more open-minded.

As Gu Xueshu led Xiao Heng'an into the study, they heard hearty laughter coming from the inner cabinet.

"Your Highness Prince Jin has arrived! I'll be old and skip the formalities. Come, play a game with me while we wait for that girl."

Xiao Heng'an went into the cabinet and saw the old man that Gu Jinning often talked about.

He sat by the window, legs crossed, his hair white and his beard long, reaching down to his chest. At that moment, he was resting one hand on a high table on the couch, fiddling with a chessboard with the other.

Xiao Heng'an raised his hand in greeting, "Greetings, Duke. My visit was rushed, and I did not have time to prepare a gift. Please forgive me."

Gu Weiju turned his head and looked at him. His kind face had a pair of bright eyes.

He smiled and pointed to the seat opposite him, "No need for formalities. It's a rare sight to see such a handsome man."

Xiao Heng'an took a seat and accompanied him in collecting pieces and playing chess.

Gu Weiju said, "That girl acted up again today, she's really embarrassing herself."

Xiao Heng'an replied, "It's just a minor incident, nothing serious."

Gu Weiju glanced at him again and asked, "What are your plans for your marriage?"

Xiao Heng'an said, "The marriage is already arranged, so we will proceed accordingly."

Gu Weiju tossed the chess piece into the chess cup and said seriously, "I'm asking for your true thoughts."