I've never even had such close physical contact with my father.
It seemed something was amiss; the other person didn't even offer a thank you, just stood there motionless.
Helsin then lowered his head, glanced at Yan Linglan, and paused for a moment when his gaze fell on Yan Linglan's small face, which was flushed red and looking dazed.
He then smiled wryly. This girl is such a simpleton.
He traveled all over the country with his father for many years, met many businessmen and clients, and dealt with all kinds of people. He was very skilled at recognizing and judging people, and had developed a keen eye for talent.
Just one glance or a brief interaction is enough to tell what kind of person someone is.
This little girl can understand two or three parts of something just by looking at it.
She must be a young lady who never leaves the house.
I rarely go out, so I panicked and didn't know what to do in this situation.
No--
Judging from the little girl's state, she didn't seem to be panicked and at a loss, but rather she simply hadn't reacted at all.
They were still in a daze, unable to come to their senses.
Her deer-like eyes were bewildered and adorable, like those of a startled fawn. Her cheeks were flushed, with a touch of baby fat, fair and tender, making one want to reach out and pinch them.
As if possessed, Helsin actually did it, reaching out to pinch that dazed, soft, round face.
It feels just as good as I imagined.
He sighed inwardly, then froze. What was he doing?
He instinctively tried to pull his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted, but then pretended to be calm and waved it in front of Yan Linglan.
"Girl, what are you daydreaming about?"
His movements seemed very casual, his tone was very relaxed, and there was a lingering smile in the corner of his eyes, as if that pinch was a greeting to her, reminding her to come back to her senses. It did not make people feel that it was an inappropriate or outrageous act, and there was no trace of frivolity.
Instead, it gives people the feeling of a big brother next door treating a little sister.
Seeing that Yan Linglan was still standing there blankly without any reaction, and didn't know how to seize the opportunity, the atmosphere seemed to be gradually becoming awkward. Yan Qingxue couldn't help but rub her forehead and step forward to clean up the mess she had made, giving Helsin an awkward smile.
"Um... thank you, young master. My sister never goes out, so she's a little slow to react when she's around strangers. Please don't mind."
After Yan Qingxue finished speaking, she quickly pulled Yan Linglan away, trying to escape the awkward atmosphere.
Wei Jingran jumped up and pointed at Yan Qingxue, shouting mockingly, "You did it on purpose! I saw it just now. You bumped her into Young Master He. What was your purpose? Are you trying to seduce Young Master He? How shameless of you in public!"
Xue Jinluan scoffed, "I saw it too. This is the first time I've ever witnessed such a despicable method."
Xue Qingluan looked on without saying a word, though she had actually seen it too.
Yan Qingxue was dumbfounded. Huh? She was seen? She was discovered?
Yan Qingxue was only stunned for a moment, and after a couple of breaths of surprise, she quickly recovered and gave the two of them a shameless smile.
He laughed without the slightest shame, put his hands on his hips, raised his chin, and gave a slightly provocative look, showing no embarrassment at being caught red-handed.
"I did it on purpose, so what?"
Xue Jinluan glanced at Yan Qingxue with disgust.
"This is the first time I've ever seen such a shameless woman. She's incredibly brazen. Even after being exposed, she remains so nonchalant. It seems she's done this kind of thing quite often!"
A noblewoman from a prominent family spoke up from the crowd, her voice filled with disdain.
"Whose daughter is this? How could she raise such a child?"
"They have absolutely no manners."
"I don't know. This girl looks unfamiliar; she doesn't seem to be from our Hongcheng area."
"You look a bit unfamiliar to me, could you be from out of town?"
Yan Linglong, who was also there, frowned slightly. Yan Qingxue's every move was related to the image of her Green City Lord's Mansion. She could not interfere with Yan Qingxue's personal affairs, but if Yan Qingxue's personal behavior was magnified in the context of the City Lord's Mansion, then it would be a loss of face for her City Lord's Mansion.
If Yan Qingxue's personal behavior causes her Green City Lord's Mansion to lose face among many prestigious families, that would be embarrassing.
The prosperity of one brings prosperity to all, and the loss of one brings loss to all. If the reputation of the Green City Lord's Mansion is not good, her own personal image will also be affected.
She is now planning to make Green City Lord's Mansion famous and elevate it to a prestigious status like the Thirteen Famous Families.
But Yan Qingxue is deliberately holding her back!
Helsin glanced at Yan Qingxue and paused for a moment. He seemed to have seen this girl somewhere before; she looked somewhat familiar.
After a few moments of contemplation, unable to come up with a solution, He Shuang whispered something in Helsin's ear. Only then did Helsin realize what was happening and look up at Yan Qingxue again.
Yes, no wonder this girl looked familiar. It turns out he had seen her portrait before. His mother had shown it to him briefly, but he hadn't paid it any mind.
Reminded by He Shuangyi, he then remembered that the Green City Lord's Mansion had previously sent over a portrait of their eldest daughter. The Green City Lord intended to cultivate a good relationship with the He family and wanted to form a marriage alliance.
Because of her status, her mother couldn't refuse directly, so she kept the portrait that was sent.
Although the portrait was preserved, his mother did not intend for the eldest daughter of the Green City Lord's Mansion to marry into his He family.
His mother did not approve of this young lady.
I was just thinking of making up an excuse another day and getting it over with, but I never expected to see him in person now.
If they are only together because of a marriage alliance, then their motives are not so pure; the situation is complicated and involves business.
Judging from my mother's words, the Lord of Green City has his eye on the lucrative Jincheng Commercial Street and wants to form a marriage alliance with the He family to share in the profits and gain an advantage.
However, this advantage is not so easy to gain.
The He family spent a considerable amount of money and resources to establish connections with the Jincheng government.
It took a huge sum of money to finally establish some connection with the Jincheng government.
The Lord of Green City wants to have a daughter and then reap the benefits without lifting a finger? There's no such thing as a free lunch.
As for the eldest daughter of the Green City Lord's Mansion, his mother had already sent people to inquire about her situation.
She is naturally carefree and unrestrained, not the kind of person who is content to stay at home and be a housewife. If she had a more outgoing personality, she would be suitable to become sworn brothers with.
Moreover, the He family is a wealthy and powerful family. If they had a matriarch like her, the He family would probably be in complete chaos.
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