Chapter 41 I can testify that he is not a thief

Just as he was hesitating, Gu Qingxu and Young Master Yuan Heran suddenly stood up at the same time and walked towards him with smiles on their faces.

Yi Mingyu felt a sudden pang of guilt, as if he had done something wrong. His face turned pale, and his eyes darted around nervously. He then turned abruptly and hurriedly hid in the shadows.

He leaned against the wall, his chest heaving, nervously listening to the approaching footsteps of the two men, barely daring to breathe.

Only after Gu Qingxu and Yuan Heran leisurely descended the stairs did Yi Mingyu emerge from the shadows, still feeling lingering fear. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, which he casually wiped away, but his eyes involuntarily drifted in the direction the two had gone.

For some reason, as if drawn by an invisible force, he followed without lingering.

Gu Qingxu was naturally lively and not one to sit still for long. Just then, Young Master Yuan suggested going for a walk to dispel the stuffiness in the restaurant, and she readily agreed, so she went downstairs.

"Miss Gu, is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Yuan Heran asked gently, turning his head with steady steps.

Gu Qingxu looked up and saw a bustling street market with people coming and going.

She blinked her bright eyes. "No, I'll just take a walk."

Yuan Heran didn't insist any further, and the two chatted casually.

For some reason, when chatting with Gu Qingxu, Yuan Heran always felt that he didn't need to worry too much and could be more unrestrained, as if a strange sense of ease lingered in his heart.

Gu Qingxu replied, but a hint of doubt appeared at the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure if she was overthinking it or what. She had a feeling that something was following them.

This was the first time Yi Mingyu had ever done something so shameful, like stalking someone. For someone who always considered himself superior, this behavior was utterly disgraceful. He was torn between his inner thoughts and his reason, which kept screaming in his mind that he shouldn't do this, but his legs seemed to be out of his control, stubbornly following along the way.

He crouched low, carefully weaving through the crowd, his eyes fixed on the two figures ahead, afraid of losing them if he wasn't careful.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a dark shadow flash by, which deepened his suspicions. Gu Qingxu frowned and suddenly turned around to look around.

Looking around, all I could see were vendors on both sides of the street calmly arranging their goods, and people coming and going as usual, with nothing unusual happening.

Little did she know that beneath a grocery stall that her gaze swept across, a large figure was huddled up in a ball, tightly hiding to the side of the stall.

Yi Mingyu peered nervously through the gaps in the wheels at Gu Qingsu's gaze, a sudden panic gripping him and his heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of his throat.

For a moment, he was both afraid of being discovered by Gu Qingsu and somewhat wanting Gu Qingsu to discover him. This conflicting feeling made him restless.

"What's wrong?" Yuan Heran asked, noticing Gu Qingxu's sudden stop and a puzzled look on his face.

He followed Gu Qingxu's gaze and looked back, but found nothing unusual, only a bustling scene of everyday life.

Hearing this, Gu Qingxu shook her head slightly and forced a smile, "It's nothing."

Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept well last night and was a little tense that she had become so sensitive. Thinking this, she stopped being suspicious and took a deep breath, trying to relax.

Just as he was about to follow Yuan Heran, a commotion suddenly broke out from the side.

An old man suddenly shoved someone forward, shouting, "Thief! Everyone come quick, look at the thief!"

The loud noise instantly attracted the attention of the surrounding crowd, and the once bustling street became quieter as everyone's attention was drawn to this sudden change.

Gu Qingxu stopped in her tracks and looked up curiously. But as she looked, the figure bent over the stall seemed increasingly familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and after thinking about it carefully, an unbelievable thought arose in her mind: she actually felt that the person looked like Yi Mingyu.

However, upon reflection, it seemed impossible. At this hour, Yi Mingyu would probably still be diligently teaching at the Central Academy, and wouldn't have time to come here. Moreover, given his character, he would never sneak around in front of someone's stall and be mistaken for a thief.

The old man had gone to exchange some spare change, but when he returned, he saw a grown man lurking suspiciously beside his stall, looking every bit like a thief. The old man flew into a rage and shoved the man out, wanting everyone to see the thief's true colors.

Yi Mingyu was suddenly pushed forward, staggered, and looked a little awkward.

When the old man realized he was being mistaken for a thief, his face flushed red instantly. He was both anxious and angry, and he kept trying to explain, "No! I'm not a thief, sir, you've misunderstood!"

His voice sounded somewhat shrill due to his anxiety, drawing the attention of those around him.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he instantly realized a serious problem: would Gu Qingxu hear his voice? His already anxious heart leaped into his throat, and he frantically prayed that Gu Qingxu had already walked away and hadn't heard him.

He nervously turned his head back, a simple turn of his head that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. In the dense crowd, his gaze met Gu Qingxu's bright eyes.

Yi Mingyu's heart skipped a beat, and he froze instantly, as if under a spell. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and his palms were sweaty with nervousness. He had never imagined that he would be in such a disheveled state, staring so directly into Gu Qingsu's eyes.

Gu Qingxu initially didn't want to join the commotion, but when she heard the voice of the man being mistaken for a thief actually belong to Yi Mingyu, she was startled, a deep look of confusion appearing in her eyes as she stared at the figure with his back to her.

She wasn't sure. Even if she suspected the person was just someone who sounded like Yi Mingyu, she didn't dare to easily confirm that it was Yi Mingyu. After all, given Yi Mingyu's usual character, how could he do something so absurd? It was unlikely he would be mistaken for a thief, let alone say something slightly inappropriate.

But when she met Yi Mingyu's gaze, her pupils suddenly contracted, and she even doubted whether she was seeing things.

"Isn't that Yi Xueshi?" Yuan Heran stood next to Gu Qingsu and was so surprised when he saw that the person was Yi Mingyu that he opened his mouth wide in disbelief.

Yuan Heran's loud voice pulled Gu Qingxu back to her senses. She stared intently at Yi Mingyu. If Yuan Heran hadn't already confirmed that he was Yi Mingyu, she would have wondered if she was hallucinating.

"You say you're not a thief, then what are you doing sneaking around in front of my shop?" The old man was so angry that he glared at the man and asked him in a bad mood.

Startled by the old man's shout, Yi Mingyu felt his face burning with shame, wishing he could disappear into the ground. He couldn't help but hunch over slightly, as if the reprimand had bent his spine.

"I...I..." Yi Mingyu stammered. As a scholar who usually taught and educated people and spoke eloquently, he was unable to find the right words to defend himself.

The people around him started jeering and became convinced that he was the thief. Seeing this, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but recall the time she had felt someone following her.

A bold guess couldn't help but rise in her mind: it wasn't that she was overthinking things, but that Yi Mingyu had been following her all along.

Upon hearing this conjecture, Gu Qingxu herself was startled. Her heart involuntarily quickened, and a long-forgotten sense of unease welled up within her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

"I...I really didn't. If you don't believe me, sir, you can count your things. I'm really not a thief." Yi Mingyu finally said excitedly after holding back for a long time, and the veins on his forehead bulged slightly with anxiety.

Upon hearing this, the old man looked at his belongings with some skepticism. Nothing was missing, but he was still uneasy.

"Who knows if you haven't had time to take it yet?"

The old man said, looking at Yi Mingyu with hatred, "If we let you go this time, you'll be even more arrogant next time!"

As soon as the old man spoke, the surrounding stall owners all nodded in agreement. After all, they were all running small businesses and couldn't afford to suffer losses.

As they spoke, the crowd prepared to take Yi Mingyu to the yamen. Yi Mingyu was at a loss for words, his face filled with anxiety and helplessness. He could not possibly say that he had done this to follow Gu Qingxu.

"He's definitely not a thief." A clear and melodious voice suddenly rang out, silencing the surrounding jeers.

Yi Mingyu, looking anxious yet helpless, seemed struck by something, staring in disbelief at Gu Qingxu who had stepped forward, his eyes filled with astonishment. He never expected that Gu Qingxu would stand up for him at this moment.

Upon hearing this, the old man frowned even more deeply, looking at Gu Qingxu with a face full of suspicion. "You say it's not true, but what proof do you have?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gu Qingxu calmly took a step forward, her voice clear and firm, "He is not a thief, I can testify."

As she spoke, Gu Qingxu elegantly pointed to the missing earring in her right ear and said loudly, "My earring just fell to the ground. He was looking for it for me, which is why he seemed a little strange. That's why you misunderstood me, sir."

A flicker of surprise crossed Yi Mingyu's eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Was Gu Qingxu trying to excuse him? But why? He looked at Gu Qingxu, his eyes filled with confusion and gratitude.

Yuan Heran was slightly taken aback by Gu Qingsu's words. He tried hard to recall when Gu Qingsu had lost her earring and asked Yi Mingyu to pick it up.

His mind kept flashing back to the time when Gu Qingxu had met Yi Mingyu. He was somewhat taken aback, so Gu Qingxu was making excuses for him.