Chapter 21 I'm not interested in who wrote it.

Just as Gu Qingxu was about to say something, she heard her maid rushing in to find her.

"Fifth Miss, Young Master Yi has arrived. Madam has asked me to come find you," the maidservant said hurriedly.

Gu Qingsu frowned slightly. What was Yi Mingyu doing here? She didn't seem to have called him. A look of suspicion appeared on her face. She quickly straightened her clothes and hurried to the main hall.

Before even entering, Gu Qingxu could hear voices coming from inside. She then realized that not only Yi Mingyu had arrived, but Madam Yi had also come. They were currently having a pleasant conversation with Madam Cheng.

As soon as she entered, Gu Qingxu looked at Yi Mingyu beside her, her eyes seeming to ask him what he was doing there. But Yi Mingyu, seeing her expression, was genuinely puzzled and looked at her with some confusion as well.

When Madam Cheng saw Gu Qingxu arrive, she stood there blankly without greeting her. A hint of reproach crossed her eyes as she looked at her.

"Qing Su, why aren't you greeting people?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingxu quickly averted her gaze, immediately adopting a polite smile, bowing slightly, and said softly, "Qingxu greets Madam Yi."

As an elder, Gu Qingsu was still quite proper in terms of etiquette.

"What a lovely girl! There's no need to be so formal. Just call her Auntie." Madam Yi said affectionately, her eyes full of smiles. After all, Gu Qingxu was the only unmarried girl in the Gu family. If she could marry into the Yi family, the Yi family's prestige would rise even higher.

Looking at Yi Mingyu, Cheng couldn't help but show her appreciation, and slowly said, "Thank you very much for taking care of Qing Su these past few days, young master."

Madam Yi listened with some confusion, as she had no idea what Yi Mingyu was taking care of Gu Qingsu for.

Upon hearing Cheng mention Yi Mingyu, Gu Qingxu felt a pang of panic, and her expression turned somewhat flustered. She had only been able to leave the house these past few days under the pretense of seeing Yi Mingyu. If she were exposed, given Cheng's temperament, she would likely be kept out of the house for several days.

Upon hearing this, Yi Mingyu was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes, but it wasn't noticeable.

Seeing this, Gu Qingxu secretly thought to herself that things were not going well and was afraid of being exposed. She quickly looked at Yi Mingyu and gave him an urgent look, hoping that he would agree with her.

Looking at Gu Qingxu's anxious appearance, Yi Mingyu's brows furrowed in confusion, but based on his understanding of her, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's all something a junior should do."

Gu Qingxu's panicked and tense heart calmed down in an instant, but she didn't expect Yi Mingyu to be able to see through her meaning.

Seeing Gu Qingxu breathe a sigh of relief, Yi Mingyu knew he had been right, and a strange feeling rose in his heart, like the joy of a tacit understanding being achieved.

Seeing that Yi Mingyu agreed, Cheng Shi no longer suspected that Gu Qingsu was using Yi Mingyu as a cover to go out every day.

Hearing Yi Mingyu's agreement, Madam Yi was somewhat suspicious, but seeing that Yi Mingyu had caught Cheng's eye, she had a sudden inspiration and couldn't help but smile and say, "There is a flower appreciation banquet being held in the capital today, why don't we let Mingyu and Miss Gu attend the banquet together?"

After saying that, she looked at Madam Cheng, as if asking a question.

Cheng nodded, also feeling that this was a good opportunity to bring the two together. She turned to look at Gu Qingxu and, without even asking, told him to go.

"Very well, Qing Su, you may go with Young Master Yi."

Gu Qingxu had little interest in flower viewing; she preferred swordplay and the carefree spirit of it all.

Since Madam Cheng had spoken, she couldn't disobey, so she could only nod slightly and reply, "Yes, Mother."

After a pause, she added, "Then I'll take Xingzhu with me, so we can look out for each other."

If Ruan Xingzhu isn't allowed to go, then given Gu Qingsu's personality, she probably won't stay long. After thinking for a moment, Madam Cheng nodded in agreement.

After chatting for a while, Gu Qingxu, Yi Mingyu, and Ruan Xingzhu went to the flower viewing banquet together.

Ostensibly a flower-viewing banquet, it was actually just a gathering of the sons of powerful and wealthy families in the capital to indulge in refined pursuits, talk about romance, and have fun.

Upon entering the banquet hall, a multitude of rich floral scents filled the air—a blend of various precious flowers, sweet and intoxicating. Scattered bursts of laughter drifted from the courtyard, seemingly emanating from the flowerbeds.

As soon as Gu Qingxu arrived at the flower-viewing courtyard, she saw a group of people gathered together, seemingly watching something interesting.

Her curiosity was piqued, and she was about to step forward to join the fun when suddenly a woman dressed in a bright purple dress gracefully approached them, or rather, went straight to greet Yi Mingyu.

The woman went straight to Yi Mingyu. She seemed pleasantly surprised to see him. She walked up to him and said sweetly, "Young Master Yi, didn't you say you weren't coming?"

Seeing this, Gu Qingxu narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of doubt rising in her heart. Could it be that Yi Mingyu had promised to come to admire the flowers with someone else? That's why he agreed to come with her?

When Yi Mingyu saw Feng Rongrong, who had invited him to the flower viewing party a few days ago, he was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to answer her. His resolute refusal back then made his appearance now seem somewhat questionable.

He lowered his head slightly, his eyes flickering. He noticed that Gu Qingxu seemed to be waiting for his response as well. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It was a last-minute decision."

He did not state his reason for being there, but only offered polite words.

Feng Rongrong clearly didn't believe his explanation. After all, when she invited him, he had refused, saying he didn't have time. How could he suddenly have time now? She was somewhat dissatisfied, but she still maintained a smile on her face.

Just as she was about to say something, her gaze fell on Gu Qingxu, who was standing close to Yi Mingyu, and she couldn't help but look her up and down.

Gu Qingxu wore a light blue long dress with delicate orchids embroidered on the hem. Her hair was simply tied up and adorned with a white jade hairpin. Although she was not the typical delicate girl, she possessed a fresh and refined temperament.

Feng Rongrong's lips curled slightly, and she couldn't help but ask, "And who is this young lady...?"

“She is the fifth daughter of the Gu family, Gu Qingxu.” Yi Mingyu responded quickly without hesitation.

Feng Rongrong was somewhat surprised. She had long heard that the fifth young lady of the Gu family was unrestrained and disliked attending flower banquets and parties in the capital. Why did she come this time?

She looked Gu Qingxu up and down, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes, and asked in a loud voice, "Miss Gu, haven't you always looked down on our banquets? Why are you here this time?"

Her words stirred a sense of disgust in Gu Qingxu's heart. What did she mean by "their banquet"? If she remembered correctly, this flower-viewing banquet was organized by her elder sister, Gu Qingming, who was a concubine.

She felt a little disdainful, but unusually, she brought up Gu Qingming's name, raised an eyebrow, and said with a hint of provocation in her eyes, "This is a banquet hosted by my eldest sister. Can't I come?"

Feng Rongrong was taken aback; she had almost forgotten that Gu Qingsu had a concubine as an older sister. Hearing the boastful tone in Gu Qingsu's words, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous, but she still maintained a polite smile and spoke somewhat awkwardly.

"Of course not..."

She simply didn't understand why she had come with Yi Mingyu, and how she and Yi Mingyu had met.

Hesitating for a moment, she looked at Yi Mingyu, smiled again, and invited him once more: "Since Young Master Yi is here, why don't you recite poems with us?"

Yi Mingyu was studying at the academy and was most interested in poetry and literature, so she was almost certain that he would agree.

After saying that, she turned to Gu Qingxu and said in a seemingly kind manner, "If Miss Gu is not interested, then you are free to enjoy the flowers as you please."

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm, as if implying that someone who wasn't good at poetry could only appreciate flowers.

Why does that sound so jarring? Gu Qingxu couldn't help but scoff inwardly upon hearing this.

Even the most oblivious person could sense the provocation in Feng Rongrong's words. A surge of anger rose within her; she licked her back teeth and took a step forward.

"Who says I'm not interested? I'm very interested!"

As she spoke, she looked down at Feng Rongrong, who was half a head shorter than her, her eyes full of disdain.

Feng Rongrong paused, not expecting Gu Qingsu to act so strangely. Rumor had it that she disliked things like writing, so her agreement was probably just a facade.

A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes, and she sneered inwardly, wanting to see how she would respond with poetry later.

When she turned to look at Yi Mingyu, her expression softened considerably, and her voice became even gentler: "Then let's go."

Yi Mingyu hesitated for a moment. He had originally planned to refuse Feng Rongrong's invitation, but to his surprise, Gu Qingxu accepted. He looked at Gu Qingxu and saw her resolute expression, so he had no choice but to follow.

Feng Rongrong led them over, emphasizing Gu Qingxu's identity. The other ladies present, like Feng Rongrong, were quite surprised by Gu Qingxu's arrival.

Some men were taken aback when they heard that she was Gu Qingxu. Rumor had it that Gu Qingxu was different from ordinary women and loved to do things that men liked to do. They thought Gu Qingxu was a dark-skinned, burly woman.

But Gu Qingxu, standing before him, not only lacked masculine features, but was also taller and more slender than the women present. Her face was fair, and her eyes and brows exuded a touch of heroic spirit. Even when expressionless, she possessed a captivating charm that made her stand out.

Feng Rongrong deliberately emphasized Gu Qingxu's name so that she could embarrass her later.

After the activity began, everyone proceeded with the poem-passing activity in an orderly manner, starting with matching the last character and gradually increasing the difficulty by matching the second line.

Gu Qingxu was indeed somewhat careless when she was studying. If it was just simple poems, she could handle them with ease. However, when it came to poems with profound meaning, she found it a bit difficult.

Fortunately, Ruan Xingzhu was by her side, and Ruan Xingzhu read all the books that she hadn't read, so she wasn't worried.

Just as she was getting into the swing of things, Ruan Xingzhu suddenly whispered in her ear that she needed to relieve herself. Gu Qingsu was about to go with her.

But Ruan Xingzhu didn't want to trouble her, so she said she could go by herself. Seeing this, Gu Qingxu didn't insist anymore, but just told her, "Go and come back quickly."

Feng Rongrong had been observing Gu Qingsu for a long time and had keenly noticed Gu Qingsu's shortcomings. When she saw Ruan Xingzhu, who had helped her, leave the table, a cunning glint immediately flashed in her eyes.

He then seized the opportunity to attack Gu Qingxu, a smirk playing on his lips.