"Young master, what are you looking at?" The attendant asked cautiously, looking at Rong Heng standing in the shadows.
Rong Heng withdrew his gaze and shook his head: "It's nothing, let's go."
He just felt that the girl looked familiar, so he couldn't help but take a few more glances.
But it was just a matter of glancing at it a few more times.
"Is Young Master Lin on the third floor?"
"Yes," the attendant replied softly. "The people around Young Master Lin came by earlier, but since Young Master Lin was talking to that young lady at the time, I didn't go up to inform you."
"I understand. Let's go to the third floor." Rong Heng said, then turned around with his hands behind his back and walked towards the third floor.
...
Meanwhile, after Zhu Jiayu and Qi Xiuyuan returned to the Qiu residence, Qi Xiuyuan went to Songhe Pavilion and spoke with Old Madam Qiu about their departure the next day.
Since Zhu Jiayu was unwilling to marry into the Kaiping Marquis's family, and since she was indeed not a suitable candidate, Qi Xiuyuan felt that there was no benefit in him staying in Heling any longer, and he should go back to report to his great-aunt as soon as possible.
But Madam Qiu clearly misunderstood him. She seemed quite anxious: "Why are you going back so soon? Is this her idea?"
It goes without saying who "she" refers to.
Qi Xiuyuan denied it, saying, "Madam, you know the purpose of my coming to Heling. Now that I have completed my mission, I should naturally return to the capital."
Madam Qiu relaxed and asked Qi Xiuyuan with a kind smile, "Then, Xiuyuan, what do you think of my daughter, Ayu?"
She knew that Qi Xiuyuan's opinion of Zhu Jiayu would greatly affect the marriage between the two families, and since she was determined to get this marriage, she naturally wanted to find out Qi Xiuyuan's opinion as much as possible so that she could make a response.
Qi Xiuyuan said sincerely, "Miss Zhu is certainly very good."
With beauty and cunning, ruthless and swift in action, such a person would be dazzling even in the capital.
Upon hearing this, Madam Qiu nodded with a smile: "Then I'll be waiting to drink the newlyweds' wedding wine."
Qi Xiuyuan looked serious and his attitude was sincere. She could tell that he was telling the truth, so she naturally thought that Zhu Jiayu's marriage into the Marquis's mansion was very secure, and thus her mood improved a bit.
To her surprise, Qi Xiuyuan seemed somewhat taken aback, and then she heard him say hesitantly, "Madam, that's not what I meant. Miss Zhu is certainly lovely, but I'm afraid she and Cousin Yongsi aren't quite a good match..."
Madam Qiu suddenly came to her senses, as if she had fallen from the clouds. She understood what Qi Xiuyuan meant—it was probably not that Zhu Jiayu and Fan Yongsi were unsuitable. Fan Yongsi's life or death was now unknown, and he was not important at all. It was that Qi Xiuyuan felt that Zhu Jiayu was not suitable to marry into the Marquis's mansion.
But why?
She naturally wouldn't ask Qi Xiuyuan. After all, she was the old lady of the Qiu family. Although she wasn't as noble as Qi Shi was now, they still addressed each other as sisters. If she were to pester Qi Xiuyuan at this time, it would seem that she was eager to marry her granddaughter into the Marquis's mansion.
Although she harbored such thoughts, secret plans and overt schemes are ultimately different.
She was even more unwilling to let Qi Xiuyuan, a junior, look down on her.
Moreover, she had a gut feeling that the reason for this matter was Zhu Jiayu, and she was afraid that asking Qi Xiuyuan a thousand questions would not be as useful as hearing Zhu Jiayu say one sentence.
Countless thoughts swirled in my mind, finally settling into one sentence: "I understand, thank you for your help these past few days."
After she finished speaking, she couldn't help the tickling sensation in her throat and coughed violently. After she finished coughing, she skillfully picked up the handkerchief by her pillow, quietly wrapped the thick blood in her mouth, and then tucked it into her sleeve, as if nothing had happened.
Looking up and seeing the undisguised worry in the young man's eyes, she smiled and said, "This is an old problem of mine; I've been like this for years. You just said you're planning to set off tomorrow?"
Her smile softened, and she looked lovingly at the young man before her, saying, "This is too hasty. Why don't you stay a few more days? It's perfect timing. I also have some letters and gifts to ask you to take to your great-aunt... When we were young, we were like sisters. Since I married into Heling, we haven't seen each other for many years. We've both been busy with our own lives, and we've barely exchanged letters in recent years. I have so much to say to her, but I don't know where to begin. I need to think about it carefully for a while..."
She paused, then continued, "Besides, you are her grand-nephew, which makes you no different from my grandchild. If she knew you left in such a hurry, she would probably blame me."
As she spoke, she thought to herself about how Madam Qi would react to these words. She imagined she would vomit up her dinner from the night before. After all, their relationship was only one of scheming and competing over silk flowers; there was no story of deep sisterly affection between them.
However, in order to keep Qi Xiuyuan here for a few more days, she could only say that, and she expected things to take a turn for the better after a few days.
She thought to herself, but her gaze toward Qi Xiuyuan was gentle and peaceful, as if she were looking at her own grandson.
Qi Xiuyuan wanted to refuse her, but after hearing what the old lady had said, he couldn't bring himself to say the words of polite refusal. In the end, he could only nod and agree.
It'll only take a few days anyway.
After he left Songhexuan, Old Madam Qiu quickly summoned Qingshang and asked her to bring Zhu Jiayu over. She wanted to know what Zhu Jiayu had done!
Zhu Jiayu arrived quickly, and upon seeing Old Madam Qiu for the first time, she was somewhat startled.
Compared to the last time she met her, her grandmother seemed to have aged considerably. Normally, a person's appearance, and even the state of their body, wouldn't change much in a short period of time.
But Old Madam Qiu had changed so much. Although she had also had white hair before, it was well-maintained and would even shimmer like silver satin in the sunlight, unlike now, which was dry and messy. The age spots on her face had also increased considerably.
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