Chapter 44 Dodder (Part 8) His face flushed bright red…
Yu Qi stood in front of the vermilion gate of the Murong Mansion, his fingers unconsciously twisting and pulling at the unraveling seam of his sleeve until the black thread broke in his hand, before he looked up and glanced at the gate.
The paint on this door is so fresh! Even the door knocker rings are shinier than I remember. It's clear that the servants in the mansion have cleaned it a lot.
“How about…” Song Qiling leaned against a nearby pillar, rubbing her chin. Seeing his troubled expression, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Should I knock on the door for you?”
"No need." Yu Qi subconsciously refused, but his hand remained suspended in mid-air. Liu Dai, contrary to his usual behavior, silently stepped forward and made three loud thuds, startling Yu Qi into jumping back a step.
"Liu Xingchuan, what are you doing?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard rustling footsteps approaching rapidly from behind the door. Before he could react, the vermilion door was flung open from the inside, and a servant wearing a gray hat peeked out from the crack, his eyelids drooping as he glanced at the people below. "What is it?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Yu Qi was a good-for-nothing. When he saw people looking over, he quickly lowered his head and hid by the door, looking like a guilty thief.
Seeing this, Song Qiling silently cursed "pathetic" in her heart, took the jade token from her junior brother, and handed it to the servant in the same manner, saying politely, "Please inform them that... the Gu family has come to visit."
"Oh, wait here." The servant took the sign and retreated back inside, closing the door behind him, his whole being exuding a faint sense of death.
They must have been used to guests like Song Qiling visiting them, and had become accustomed to it.
In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the servant returned, holding the jade token with much greater respect. "The master invites you; please follow me."
Song Qiling turned her head to look at her junior brother, a slight smile playing on her lips.
This method really works.
-
Stepping through the vermilion gate and following the servants inside, Song Qiling looked around curiously.
I had long heard that the Murong family revered martial arts, and seeing their residence today, I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved.
Turning past the screen wall, the entire mansion lay before you like a weapon drawn from its sheath. The four courtyards unfolded along the central axis, and the eaves were higher than those of ordinary mansions. A row of cast iron eagles stood at the corners of the eaves, like divine beasts guarding the four directions.
Then I saw that the artificial rockery was piled up extremely high, standing tall beside a secluded pool. At first glance, it made people feel fear and a chill down their spine.
"The reception room is just ahead." The servant led the person to the corridor, then turned to the side, crossed his hands and stood respectfully to the side. "Please wait a moment, guest."
Upon hearing this, Song Qiling glanced at Yu Qi silently.
Is it really this complicated for a son to see his father?
Seeing her complicated expression, Yu Qi knew what she was thinking, but he was too lazy to explain. He just pursed his lips and looked helpless. In the end, the unspeakable tension in his heart gradually dissipated.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a maid dressed in a light purple cotton jacket with her hair in double buns hurried over. When she got closer, she bowed to Song Qiling and the others and said, "Please forgive us for waiting. The master invites you."
It finally happened.
Yu Qi took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The house remained as solemn and dignified as ever. The large living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
As the four stood still in the room, a gaze pierced them, and a deep male voice echoed in the living room, "Gu Lianzhou, the eldest son of the Gu family?"
Murong Xiao leaned back in his red pearwood armchair, his index finger lightly stroking the jade thumb ring on his thumb. Looking at the four travel-worn people below him, he chuckled and said, "Why are you in such a sorry state? Has the Gu family really fallen to this state?"
“Ah,” Song Qiling took a step back, avoiding Master Murong’s burning gaze, “I am not a member of the Gu family.”
Seeing this, Liu Dai also took a step back, saying, "It's not me either."
Murong Xiao's smile froze.
What exactly is going on between these two?
Thinking this, she slowly shifted her gaze to Yu Qi, stared at his face for a long time, and couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh."
Yu Qi's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard him chuckle and say, "Young Master Gu is indeed a young talent, handsome and extraordinary."
Yu Qi: "..."
He doesn't need to go back to this place.
Just as I was suspecting that my elderly father was suffering from amnesia and loss of recognition, a gentle breeze suddenly brushed past my ear.
Gu Si, no, we should now call him Gu Lianzhou. With a wave of his long sleeves, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Murong Xiao, who was at the head of the family, and said, "Patriarch Murong, I have come here with a request. I hope that you will make the decision and find someone for me."
Upon hearing this, Murong Xiao awkwardly shifted his gaze to the person who had spoken, and saw a handsome young man with an outstanding demeanor standing behind him. Seeing that although he was dressed simply, he could not hide his noble air, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Gu Lianzhou replied, "My master's name is Nie Fengxi."
The man sitting upright in the armchair leaned forward slightly, looking puzzled. "Who is Nie Fengxi? I've never heard of him."
Gu Lianzhou was silent for a moment, then heard Murong Xiao say, "Why don't you draw his likeness and post it on that notice wall to spread the word? You'll surely be able to find your master."
Upon hearing this, before Gu Lianzhou could speak, Yu Qi couldn't help but say, "If the notice was useful, why would we need your help? Are you suffering from face blindness and can't recognize people?"
Hiss, he immediately launched into a sharp rebuttal.
Song Qiling raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced sideways at the Murong family head sitting at the head of the table.
The old man's face turned pale and then red, clearly angered by Yu Qi. He raised his finger tremblingly and said, "You brat, how dare you speak so rudely!"
Then Yu Qi scoffed lightly, and said without backing down, "It's because you don't know people!"
"How can I recognize someone I've never met before?" Murong Xiao almost laughed in anger. "What an unreasonable brat! Tell me your name!"
Now they know to ask people's names.
Yu Qi narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "I am Yu Qi, and I will not change my name or surname."
Song Qiling silently raised her sleeve and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
They're still sulking at a time like this; it seems they won't be able to acknowledge each other as relatives today.
"Yu Qi..." The Murong family head pondered these two words carefully, then his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with a sudden inspiration, "Yu'er?"
Yu Qi pursed her lips and refused to look at him.
"Seventh brother?" the man continued.
Yu Qi simply crossed his arms and let out a resentful "humph" from deep within his nose.
That's it.
Murong Xiao could no longer sit still. He stood up, leaning on the armchair, and after descending a few steps, headed straight for Yu Qi.
As he approached, his eyes were already bloodshot. He stopped a foot away from Yu Qi and tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Yu'er?"
Seeing his youngest son, who had been lost and found, standing alive before him, Murong Xiao looked at him in disbelief again and again, as if trying to see Yu Qi's appearance from three years ago through his eyes and brows.
He still looked the same, only his cheeks were much thinner, and his eyebrows and eyes were more relaxed, as he had grown from a child into a teenager.
Unable to contain his excitement, Murong Xiao stretched out his arms and pulled the man into his embrace. Feeling his son's stiff body, the old father said with tears streaming down his face, "Why did you only come back now? I thought you were dead..."
Yu Qi craned his neck and dodged backward, saying with disgust, "It's almost like you've died once. Old man, let go quickly, what will people think if they see this?"
Upon hearing this, the remaining people all turned their heads, some looking at the sky, others staring at their toes. Song Qiling raised her hand, making a gesture of "please do as you please."
Yu Qi could only close her eyes and endure Murong Xiao's concern and care alone.
-
As dusk settled and night fell.
In just one day, Yu Qi was recognized as a member of the Murong family and transformed from a poor boy from a remote village into Murong Yu, the young master of the Murong family in Nancheng.
Seeing that all the relatives, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, had come to greet her and surrounded her, offering them care, Song Qiling and her group sat in chairs, drinking their now-cold tea, looking at each other in bewilderment.
One side is bustling with activity, while the other is utterly silent.
Song Qiling swallowed the tea and said bitterly, "It seems that Patriarch Murong has forgotten about us."
“It’s only human nature.” Gu Lianzhou slowly rolled up his sleeves, picked up the teacup, brought it to his lips, took a sip, and then looked up and said, “I have thought of a way to find my master.”
"What method?"
Gu Lianzhou looked at Murong Xiao, whose face was flushed, and made a plan in his mind. "Since Master is participating in the competition, he must be registered. We just need to borrow the roster from the Murong family head and we can find out with a glance."
Song Qiling nodded, "That makes sense, but as you just heard, the competition has entered its fifth round and is about to end. Can your uncle's health really hold up until the final round?"
Even in the illusion, Uncle Nie was so weak. The saying "to be put in a life-or-death situation" couldn't be more true. It wasn't that she didn't trust Uncle Nie, but after all, he was missing an arm, so even in close combat, he wouldn't have the upper hand.
"Whether you can or not, the outcome will be revealed on the martial arts field." Gu Lianzhou said calmly, his expression composed, showing no sign of worry for his master.
Staring at that face, Song Qiling couldn't help but feel dazed.
The junior brother in front of me was completely different from before.
In just a few days, a person's personality has undergone such a dramatic change. Could it really be the work of evil spirits within him?
As if sensing her gaze, Gu Lianzhou slowly raised his eyes and said, "Senior brother, are you tired? Why are you staring at me like that?"
As he finished speaking, a smile appeared on his lips. "Is there something on my face?"
Upon hearing this, Song Qiling finally realized what was happening. She immediately lowered her eyes, hurriedly grabbed the teacup beside her, and put it in her mouth without even looking at it.
Perhaps no one had ever told Gu Lianzhou that a man of his age, with such a handsome appearance, could smile so beautifully as if spring ice had just broken.
Not to mention the inexplicable sense of oppression that made it difficult to look directly at someone for a moment...
"Senior brother, you are drinking my tea." Gu Lianzhou's voice was as soft as a whisper.
The herbal tea was quickly swallowed, causing Song Qiling to cough incessantly, and her face immediately turned bright red.
Seeing her junior brother stretch out his arm to pat her back, alarm bells rang in her mind, and she hurriedly turned to the side and waved her hands repeatedly.
Gu Lianzhou then gave up.
-
A pot of tea had been finished, and the arrow on the water clock pointed to the hour of Xu (7-9 PM). Song Qiling rested her elbow on the table, propped her chin on her hand, and watched the lively atmosphere in the room dissipate. Murong Xiao led his good son closer and smiled warmly at her, saying, "Young Master Gu, look how happy I was that I forgot about you. You won't blame this old man, will you?"
Song Qiling responded with a bright smile: "Of course not."
After the head of the Murong family breathed a sigh of relief, she continued, "Because I am not Young Master Gu."
Murong Xiao: "..."
She turned to look at Gu Lianzhou beside her, raised her chin, and said, "That's the person you're looking for."
This man's face blindness is so severe that it's hard to believe he recognized his son, Yu Qi.
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