As the small boat rocked, Gu Yaoniang kept chatting with Lu Zhaoan in fits and starts.
Faced with Gu Yaoniang's lack of enthusiasm, Lu Zhaoan was somewhat at a loss, wondering what he had done to upset her.
The bamboo curtain of the awning boat was rolled up, revealing the surrounding scenery.
Ripples spread across the water, one after another. Their small boat drifted along with the current. The riverbanks were lush and green.
Before they knew it, they had gone far away. Gu Yaoniang heard what sounded like other people playing outside, and then she realized with a start that the two of them had drifted far away with the current.
She looked at Lu Zhaoan, who seemed completely oblivious, and couldn't help but ask, "How do we get back?"
Lu Zhaoan looked at the scenery outside.
He let the small boat drift, and by this time they had already left the back lake enclosed by the Lu family village and reached the lower reaches of the Jinshui River.
Occasionally, a similar small boat would pass by, brushing past their side. They were probably young people traveling together, and one could also hear the sounds of drums, music, and singing.
Without oars, the boat could only drift downstream. Lu Zhao'an was not entirely unprepared.
"Go over there..."
Just as Lu Zhaoan was about to speak, Gu Yaoniang also crossed her arms, wanting to see what he would do.
A sarcastic voice came from outside: "Young Master Lu, Madam Gu, what a coincidence."
The voice was deliberately flamboyant, with a rising tone at the end, making it rather jarring to the ear. It sounded somewhat familiar, but it was hard to place the voice in any particular place.
Gu Yaoniang and Lu Zhaoan both looked toward the source of the sound, only to see an unexpected person—Qin Yuxiu.
He stood at the bow, looking at the small boat. It must have been a banquet with his classmates or colleagues. Compared to the leisurely awning boat prepared by Lu Zhaoan, Qin Yuxiu's boat was truly a painted pleasure boat.
The awning boat skimmed low to the water's surface, seemingly enjoying a leisurely stroll. Qin Yuxiu's boat, however, had its bow raised high, giving it a subtly superior air as she looked down upon the boat.
Upon hearing Qin Yuxiu's voice, her companions also gathered around. The painted boat remained steady in the river, unlike the covered boat, which would sway with the slightest movement.
Gu Yaoniang was already in a bad mood, and seeing Qin Yuxiu made her even more displeased.
Lu Zhaoan understood her impatience, politely bowed to Qin Yuxiu, and did not take the initiative to talk anymore.
Seeing that the two of them were acting this way, giving him a cold shoulder, Qin Yuxiu felt a little embarrassed. He recalled that when they were at home, Gu Yaoniang did seem to enjoy going out to enjoy the spring scenery, but he didn't like it, and after he told her a few times, Gu Yaoniang rarely went out anymore.
Now that she's in Shuojing, she's become even more unruly. Before, she only traveled with her sisters, but now she's openly going out with men.
Indeed, abandoning her back then was the right thing to do.
Qin Yuxiu inwardly grumbled, but his gaze remained fixed on Gu Yaoniang's face. Gu Yaoniang had always been gentle and submissive in his presence; he seemed to have never seen her with such a furrowed brow and impatient expression before. It was a unique kind of charm.
It was clear that Lu Zhaoan and Gu Yaoniang both disliked him, which made him tense and irritable, even resentful.
He was still preoccupied with distancing himself from Gu Yaoniang, so he pretended not to know her and turned to tease Lu Zhaoan: "Young Master Lu is so lucky. Such beautiful scenery and a beautiful woman are truly enviable."
Gu Yaoniang's face turned completely cold. Lu Zhaoan naturally sensed the malice in Qin Yuxiu's words, each one implying that Gu Yaoniang was not a virtuous woman, but merely someone who had come to keep him company.
Gu Yaoniang could hardly contain her irritation, but she still forced a smile and said to Qin Yuxiu, "I am certainly more fortunate than Lord Qin. On such a hot day, I have to leave my wife and children at home and come to this river to entertain guests."
Qin Yuxiu actually regretted saying what he had just said. He knew, of course, that his words were somewhat malicious towards Gu Yaoniang, but he couldn't help but say them.
Unexpectedly, the Gu Yaoniang in front of him was completely different from the gentle and obedient person he remembered, and she actually spoke first, shutting him down.
Along with anger and astonishment, a vague and inexplicable flutter of emotion also welled up inside me.
Someone on the pleasure boat laughed, which sounded even more jarring to him.
He remembered to maintain his composure and said, "With such eloquence, it's no wonder that you've managed to do so well in Shuojing City. However, a woman should stay at home and keep to her proper place. To show her face in public and meet with men in secret is ultimately detrimental to a woman's virtue."
Gu Yaoniang turned pale with anger. Seeing that things were not going well, Lu Zhaoan quickly tried to smooth things over: "I was discussing business with Madam Gu. Please be kind, Lord Qin."
As he spoke, he bowed to Qin Yuxiu.
Gu Yaoniang snorted coldly, refraining from rolling her eyes to maintain her composure, but she glared fiercely at Lu Zhaoan before turning and entering the cabin.
Lu Zhaoan tried to follow her in, but Gu Yaoniang lowered the bamboo curtain before he entered the cabin, blocking his view. Lu Zhaoan could only smile wryly.
Qin Yuxiu watched their actions, unsure whether to feel embarrassed or wistful, and chuckled awkwardly before resuming her conversation with her companion, thus letting the matter drop.
Seeing that Gu Yaoniang was unwilling to let him in, Lu Zhaoan fumbled around on the awning of the awning boat and actually took out two oars. He fixed them to the bow of the boat and began to row the boat back to the lake behind his house.
Gu Yaoniang sensed from the cabin that the ship was heading in a slightly different direction than before. Curious, yet still angry about what had happened, she was unwilling to speak to Lu Zhao'an first.
Despite having enjoyed a life of luxury for many years, Lu Zhao'an managed to row the small boat quite skillfully. However, his physical strength was ultimately inferior to that of the boatmen, and now, rowing against the current, he was expending even more energy and appeared to be struggling.
After exhausting their strength, the disparity in strength between their hands became apparent. Finally, the small boat began to drift uncontrollably, slowly approaching the shore.
The gentle tap on the shore was enough to make Gu Yaoniang, who could no longer contain herself in the cabin, lift the curtain and ask, "What happened?"
In contrast, Lu Zhaoan appeared more composed. Seeing that Gu Yaoniang had finally decided to come out, he smiled and said, "I thought you weren't planning to talk to me at all today."
Gu Yaoniang glanced at him: "What? Boss Lu now realizes he made a mistake?"
She immediately noticed the rowing oar in Lu Zhaoan's hand: "Didn't you say you didn't have one?"
She raised her chin and pointed at the rowing boat.
Lu Zhaoan inwardly groaned. This was truly terrible! How could he have forgotten about this again!
Even Yao Niang is using the formal "you" (您), so she must be really angry.
Although he was still a little confused and didn't know why Gu Yaoniang was angry, he wasn't stupid and could naturally tell that the girl in front of him was definitely really angry.
He remembered Lu Jing'an's words: "If Madam Gu is unhappy about anything, you must not reason with her! Just admit your mistake! Be sincere, and don't say anything else."
"Of course I know I was wrong. I was wrong, I'm sorry."
Lu Zhaoan's attitude was very appropriate.
Gu Yaoniang pursed her lips, a half-smile on her face, and asked, "Then tell me, what did you do wrong?"
She stared intently at Lu Zhaoan, her hands on her hips puffed out in a huff, looking somewhat like a small white jade teapot.
Lu Zhaoan found it extremely cute.
Then he realized that Gu Yaoniang was asking him—what was wrong?
He was dumbfounded.
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